I'll Take Half: Secret Subject Swap

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 12 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.

My subject is: You receive a letter in the mail from an unknown person who tells you that they are your half-sibling. What would you do?
It was submitted by: Rena of The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver .


First of all, let me tell you a secret. I'm a very skeptical person. This is no secret to my kids, who I tell over and over again not to open any emails from someone they don't know, and never ever to click on links in an email no matter what. And it's not a secret to any company I have an account with who, when they call me, I insist on hanging up on, looking up their number and calling them back myself. And still one of my credit cards got hacked a few months ago, dammit.

Anyhooo . . . you can bet your butt I'm gonna need proof. And it'll have to be pretty irrefutable proof too. Something I can independently substantiate. Skeptical ? Paranoid? Meh, potato/potaaato.

But if they can provide proof then let me be the first to say "welcome to the carnival." Don't know what they thought they were getting themselves into but my suggestion is that they're gonna need to strap on a seat belt for this family. We're a bit of a revolving door and if you're not careful you may just be swept in. Or out.

One year ago I was heartbroken when I wrote a post about the death of my former stepsister. In that post I talk about the way my family was constructed, and deconstructed over the years. I have had stepmothers, a stepfather, 4 stepbrothers and one step sister. 

There was a very uncomfortable (understatement) rift between my mom's and my dad's family (divorces tend to do that), and later between my dad's family and I over the way I cared for my grandmother. My former step mother and stepsister were gone from my life for many years as they understandably went their way and we went ours (see the "divorces" comment above). Relationships have come and gone and, thankfully, always seem to come back again. 

Bottom line is this, I value the time I spent with all of the people who have moved in and out of my family. I was glad to have reconnected with my former step sister. I am grateful to be in touch again with my former step mother. I will always miss my step brother Peter. I'm enjoying getting to know lost cousins as adults. My life is richer for all of these relationships.

So what would I do if I were to receive a letter from some unknown person who could prove that they are my half sibling? I'd say "half sibling? Sure, I'll take half. Come on by, I'll put a pot on, let's see what you're made of. Oh, and I'll bake . . ."  

White Chocolate Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy 

Spatulas on Parade

The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver  

The Lieber Family Blog 
 The Bergham Chronicles
Never Ever Give Up Hope
Simply Shannon  
Confessions of a part time working mom
Southern Belle Charm
The Angrivated Mom
Climaxed
 

White Chocolate Pistachio Pudding Cookies

                                                                     ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
3.4 oz package Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips 
1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, chopped

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Cream the butter, margarine, brown sugar and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
*Starting on the lowest speed, beat in the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Once completely incorporated, mix in the white chocolate chips and pistachios.
*Drop by heaping teaspoon onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing them to cool completely.