It Takes A She: Secret Subject Swap

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 7 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've been asked to run for City Council. What would your slogan be?
It was submitted by: Rena of Wandering Web Designer.

I wrote a post, years ago, in which I mentioned that College Boy's close friend's father was our local Congressman. Election time was an issue for me because, unlike my impression of most politicians, this man seems to be an honorable person. But I completely disagree with all of his politics. In that post, I talked about my running for his seat, what my platform would be and what my slogan would be. The post is called Represent and, reading it again before writing this one, I have to say that I think you should read it, I'm proud of what I had to say. My slogan may be silly but my stance has met the test of time.

At that time I was addressing politics on a national level, today Rena's asking me to take a more local view in my focus. If you know me at all, you know that's a difficult one. I grew up in Boston but now live in the Midwest. I am a Jewish, liberal, coast lover living in a Christian, conservative, land locked state. I don't believe in putting people to death, yet I live in a state where the governor is so determined to do so that he was accused of illegally purchasing the needed drugs. They couldn't be legally imported, so essentially we paid for . . . nothing. I'm glad we didn't get the drugs, but am furious about paying for them and ashamed to be living in a state that supports this man.

But that's state, and I've been asked to choose a slogan for a campaign even more local than that, a City Council position. I don't need a whole platform at this time, just a slogan. Which is actually harder because I need to represent myself and my vision in just a few words. 

 One issue I'm passionate about is the outdoor recreation . . . or the lack thereof, how I'd love to address that. It would certainly generate capital as well. Although, I suppose, fulfilling that campaign promise may be a bit above my pay grade:

I actually live in a state where ditch weed grows wild. You should have seen the first time I caught a glimpse of it. Poor Hubs was driving down a dirt road not far from our house when I caught a glimpse. Scared the crap out of him when I screamed "STOOOOPPPP". 

Years later, I actually found a plant growing in our yard. I had nothing to do with it. I swear. But if I were to overreach, legalizing would definitely be one of my issues.

Yeah, I know it doesn't technically rhyme, but no worries, mon.

But if that one was actually within the power of local government, imagine the economic boom to local bakeries as well.

Butterscotch Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I know! I could represent my commitment to the economy in a way that I could actually make an impact as a city councilperson. I'm all for supporting local small businesses, but how does it make sense to charge people to park in order to do so? Parking meters need to go.
 

 

Oh, wait. I've got it. My pet peeve. We've had to replace more than one tire in our family. Making this issue a focus is bound to be a winner with everyone I know:

Or maybe I should just go for something general. Honest, to the point, and no promises:

 

 

Now who do I have to bribe to get a super PAC started?

PS: Although I wrote a light post, mostly in jest, I do believe we can and will be in a better place in this country when we do put a "she" in the White House.


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:

Spatulas on Parade 
Wandering Web Designer 
A 'lil HooHaa 
Climaxed 
Southern Belle Charm 
Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Butterscotch Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 4 dozen):
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 stick margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup quick oats
1 cup butterscotch baking chips

Directions:
*Cream butter, margarine, sugar and brown sugar, then beat in the egg.
*Carefully at first, beat in the flour, cocoa, instant coffee powder, baking soda, salt and oats. Once fully incorporated, mix in the butterscotch baking chips.
*Refrigerate for at least an hour wrapped in plastic wrap.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Roll the dough into approximately 3/4 inch balls. Place on the baking sheets and flatten slightly.
*Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Past Due: Chapter Four, It's Me

Today's post is bittersweet. I'm sharing chapter four, the conclusion of Past Due, our latest Progressive Story Project.

I'm always so excited when I send a brand new story on its way, wondering what direction it'll be taken in by all of the contributing bloggers. It's like opening a present as I get back each segment and see what steps it's taken as each author adds their own voice and imagination to craft the whole. And it's always both bitter and sweet to bring it to a conclusion. 

Until next time, friends . . .

In case you haven't read or need a refresher of the previous three chapters, start here before you move on to today's ending.

Chapter one: Five Days
Chapter two: Jester's Canyon
Chapter three: The Past is Present

As always, above and to the far right of each section I've listed the author of that segment as well as a link to their blog. 

Past Due

Chapter Four: It's Me

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Dyson sat in disbelief. Mary? Amy? Certainly that was impossible. There was no way Amy could have survived that crash. No body had ever been found. The car was eventually found by search parties with dogs, and there was no one inside. The authorities were certain that, after the crash and length of time it took to get down into the canyon, scavenger birds or animals had done the rest.

He jumped into action. Thankfully he had the resources to start another investigation - even if unauthorized - into what had happened so many years ago to rip his heart in two.

His first call was to Jake, his old partner, who had more connections than anyone he'd ever met. Surely Jake could help him discover who Mary really was.

Jules of The Bergham Chronicles

He filled Jake in, with as much information as he could about Mary and their time together including their meeting. He then fought back tears as he explained about his first love Amy, her unsolved disappearance, and all he had done afterwards to find her, and to heal. Then Dyson filled him in on the contents of the envelope, the picture and the letter. He confided how he often had moments when Mary would remind him of Amy, and how she did so many things just like Amy. Jake agreed to dig in and find out what he could. Dyson thanked him and hung up.

He picked up the phone and dialed his cousin Emily's number. He was not sure how she would react to him calling. They were once very close, until Amy had disappeared and he just cut and ran, and started the life he was supposed to live with Amy.

"Hello?" came Emily's voice.

After a slight pause, Dyson spoke "Hey Emmylou, how are you?"

"Dyson!" gasped Emily, "Oh my gosh! I have missed you. I am okay, how are you?"

"I am okay," he replied, "but very confused by a note my girlfriend left me, implying she was Amy ad had obviously been in a terrible car accident, and was now going to sing the sins of my cousin and her friends from the housetops." he said in a rush.

"Shit," Emily said in a sad tone. "Amy is alive? Still? She survived! I was so worried about her, but it was just so dangerous. We were all scared. She is alive! Is she okay? Did she suffer much? Please, tell me everything you know. I know I am about to be in huge trouble, but I just need to know the truth. Oh, Dyson, I am so sorry. This is all my fault!" Emily began to quietly cry as she closed her bedroom door, and sat in her window chair to hear her cousin out.

Jenniy of Climaxed

Emily gasped loudly and sat straight up in bed. It was that dream again . . . nightmare actually. She had been having it since she was just a teenager around this time of year, for a few days in a row since she was young. Five days. She always had it 5 days in a row, at least since she started journaling about it.

She pulled her journal out now. She kept one on hand just for the dreams and had already filled up a few volumes with detailed accounts of everything she could remember upon waking. Some of the fine points and events in the dream changed up, but overall the story seemed to ne that Emily and some other high schoolers had let a girl die and never told anyone.

She'd known a girl named Amy in high school who'd died in an accident just before graduation, but Emily hadn't been there that night. No one had seen it, and Amy wasn't found until days later. The story going around was that she had succumbed to the elements and possibly dehydration and could have been saved if anyone had known where she was, so Emily always thought she might have felt guilt all these years. That's what she had always chalked the dream up to . . .  the huge weight of guilt because she HAD been in the area with friends, but they'd been too busy goofing around and finding a place to make out to have noticed anything.

Right?

This dream though . . . it had felt so much more real than the others. There was more to it. She'd never remembered this much, there was never a bunch of them meeting now in the present because of notes . . . and Amy hadn't dated Emily's cousin . . . had she? Who was the man who saw it all? Could he just be a symbol for how bad she had felt when Amy was found? What was she missing? Emily chewed her lip in concentration, but so much of that time was fuzzy to her, and she felt uncomfortable. Her body was broken out in chills, and it seemed like she was on the verge of something . . . there was some little snake of a detail right there on the edge of her consciousness that kept slipping out of her reach. The only thing she really remembered about that night was what she'd been told by her mom after she finally talked to her about the dreams - that she came home that night pretty late and had told her mom that she'd been driving around all night with Josh, Eddie, and Sue, and went for ice cream. 

That's all there was to it, right? She struggled to pull any detail from her mind, but it had all muddled with the dreams over the years.

She checked the time. It was barely 5 a.m. She knew she'd never get back to sleep now. She threw off the covers and padded down in her corgi covered slipper socks and her oversized purple tie dye sleep shirt to make some coffee. She had to clear her head and read back through the journals. Maybe there was something she was missing.

and Me!

Two days later she sat again in the same familiar chair she'd been occupying once a week for the past 10 years. Emily had worked through a lot in this chair, done what she had to do to bring her through the cancer, past a painful lost love and into her loving marriage and ability to mother her children. And yet, she was still coming here. Something, something, was still undone.

As she'd been doing for a while now, Emily had brought her current journal. Emily knew, though, that today would be different.

Doctor Jastin started the session as she always did. "Hello Emily, it's good to see you. Go ahead and read me what you've journaled since we last met."

"No. Not today."

Doctor Jastin was taken aback. "Something's different today? Would you like to tell me what?"

"I'd like to be done with this . . . uncertainty. This feeling of unfinished business," Emily started, "I've been reading, really reading my journals, and I think I know how. I have to go back."

Doctor Jastin was careful not to change her expression. "Let me ask you a few questions," Doctor began, "I know I've asked them all before, I'd like to hear whether your answers might be different this time."

"Go ahead," Emily's voice was strong.

"Who was that man on the road that you were dreaming about, the one you felt was a threat?"

"He was me," Emily responded.

"And who is Mary, this girlfriend of Dyson's in your dreams?"

"She is me."

"Who was sending those notes in your dreams, for five days, always this time of year?"

"Me. It's all me. My conscience, anyway. Something happened back then, I believe that now, and whatever it is, I have a need to remember it, to face it."

Doctor Jastin could literally see the difference in Emily. "You've done some very hard work since we last met, Emily, but there's still a rough road ahead. If you feel that you're ready, let's step together into your past, only there you will find the tools you need to step alone into your future."

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I hope you enjoyed reading Past Due as much as we enjoyed writing it ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Today's recipe: 

Crock Pot Roast with New Potatoes and Peas

I want to thank, once again, all of the authors of this story and encourage you to visit their blogs:

Sarah of My Life After
Kimberly of When I Grow Up
Dawn of Spatulas on Parade
Jenniy of Climaxed
Jules of The Bergham Chronicles
Lydia of Cluttered Genius
Diane of On the Border
Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom
Rena of Wandering Web Designer and The Blogging 911
and me!

Crock Pot Roast with New Potatoes and Peas

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup beef broth
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP sour cream
2 1/2# chuck pot roast
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 onion, sliced
4 medium sized new potatoes
4 oz mushrooms, sliced 
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
*Grease the bowl of your slow cooker and turn on to high. Mix in the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, butter and sour cream. Cover and heat for 20 minutes.
*Season the pot roast on both sides with the seasoned salt and pepper. Add to the crock pot along with the sliced onions. Lower heat to low and cook for 5 hours, turning over a few times during the cooking.
*Cut the new potatoes into wedges. Add to the crock pot along with the mushrooms and peas. Cook for another 1 1/2 hours.

Past Due: Chapter Three, The Past is Present

Today I'm sharing chapter three of our current Progressive Story Project.

This current story is the 9th time a group of writers have come together to create a piece of fiction. This project is part collaboration and part challenge. Each blogger moves the story along with their own voice and in their own way, but in keeping with what has been written before them.

This story, told in 4 chapters is called Past Due. Before you read the segments written by this group of writers, be sure you've read:
Chapter one: Five Days
Chapter two: Jester's Canyon

Above and to the far right of each section you'll find the name of the contributor and a link to their blog. I recommend you visit the sites of all of my talented friends.

Past Due

Chapter Three: The Past is Present

Lydia of Cluttered Genius 

The sky was pitch black, and the car was moving quickly. Emily held on to Sue in the back seat of Josh's car while she listened to Eddie. "Go faster, Josh! You've got to get closer to their rear bumper!"

It had just begun to rain, and Amy and Betty's car was swerving every now and again as the other four followed them just too close to be really safe. Sue was laughing, but Emily had a sinking feeling something bad was going to happen. Every few moments, she shared this fear.

"Maybe we should stop, guys," she said. "I think we've made our point." Sue laughed her off and patted her arm.

"There's no making a point with Amy and Betty.  We have to show them that they can't be complete jerks to everyone and get away with it," Sue told her.

"Yeah, Emily," Eddie said impatiently, "Get over yourself. We're just messing around." Emily sighed and held on just a little tighter to Sue, who was still making googly eyes at Josh. Sue had pulled her into this mess. She wasn't a fan of Amy and Betty, but she didn't mean to get in a car and chase them in the dark.

They rounded Jester's Curve, and suddenly Amy's tail lights disappeared. Where had they gone?

"They flew over the edge!" Josh screamed. "They went over the damn cliff!" He pulled the car over quickly, and the four of them got out. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and the four of them huddled together.

"What are we going to do?" Emily screamed. "We have to help them!" Josh moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"They're fine, Em." he said. She looked up into his face but not before she saw Sue glaring at her. "I'm sure the brush down there broke their fall," Josh continued.

Suddenly, hands appeared at the edge of the cliff.

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Betty pulled herself up over the edge. She was covered in mud, and the right side of her face had a few scratches. Emily and Josh rushed to help her to her feet. "We saw you go over!" Emily said. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Amy," Betty gasped out. "Amy's still down there. I think she'd dead."

After the cliff edge disintegrated, a wall of rocky mud broke away and fully covered the smashed car, they all leaped back.

Even though they were in shock, they all seemed to agree that there was nothing that could be done, especially considering the fact that the steering wheel broke, and a bent part impaled Amy's chest. According to Betty, she was bleeding profusely. On top of that the landslide must have made it impossible to escape the crushed car.

"This is bad. We can't be associated with it. Our futures would be ruined." Josh bravely said what everybody else was secretly thinking. "Let's make a pact right here and now to never, ever talk about it. We were at the movies, Amy said she had to be home by 10 pm and left on her own. We went for ice cream, and we cruised along the river (which is in the opposite direction), then everybody went home."

They tried to regain some composure, took deep breaths and left with heavy hearts. 

It was pitch dark, and Emily, Betty, Sue Eddie and Josh were too preoccupied to notice he guy who was walking his dog, standing by he coves, a mere 50 yards away.

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade 

Em looked around the room. Pulling from an inner strength that she rarely could find, she said "okay, then why are we here? We all know what happened and we know there is no way (cough) that anyone could survive such a thing. So who thinks this is funny? Josh? Eddie? Who sent the notes?"

Josh looked at her, stunned. "Seriously, Em, you think I sent the notes? You are a piece of work. Miss Goody Goody, how do we know it wasn't you?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Oh great, now hey were turning against her again, just like in high school. She hung her head and remained silent once more.

When they were all silent, a noise, like a muffled laugh came from somewhere in the house. Looking at each other, Emily had a sinking feeling, jus like the night of the accident. The lights flickered and no one knew how, but there, in the middle of the floor, lay a note. They all stared at it but no one moved. Finally Betty stood and walked over, picking it up and opening it.

She read it aloud as the others turned white. "I know what you did and it is time to pay your dues. Four days left now."

They all sat stunned, scared, and in total shock. HAD Amy lived after all?

Like rats leaving a sinking ship, they all left and went to their homes, jobs and activities. Each one determined to stay silent and also to live past what was now FOUR days. That is, if guilt didn't drive Emily completely insane first.

Rena of The Wandering Web designer and The Blogging 911 

Emily paced back and forth across the kitchen as she prepared dinner that night. It wasn't until she had burned the sauce and the powerful, pungent smell pulled her back into the now. "Shit," she said as she picked up the smoking skillet and dumped it unceremoniously into the sink.

"Mom! You said a bad word," 8 year-old Meghan said from the kitchen table where she and her brother were doing their homework. "I'm telling daddy," 4 year-old Max said, giggling at the thought of his mom in trouble.

"Well, how about I buy your silence with a pepperoni pizza," she said grabbing her phone. She then realized that her joke wasn't funny, especially after the day she had. "Just kidding Max! But you can still have pizza." She was never going to tell another lie as long as she lived!

She hadn't wanted to tell the first one, but hadn't had the guts to stand up to the crowd back then and she didn't have the guts to stand up to them now. She looked around her kitchen and thought "I will do whatever it takes to protect my family including standing up to whoever thought they knew the truth, and the others. 

She should have gone to the police, she repeated for the millionth time since that stormy night. Now that she had children of her own, she realized what was truly at stake. Nothing from back then had any bearing on her life now. Her children shouldn't have to pay for her mistakes.

"Honey? I burned dinner, can you stop and pick up a pepperoni pizza for dinner? I'll call ahead," Emily said when her husband answered his cell phone. 

"You burned something? Martha Stewart herself?" he laughed, "of course." 

"Honey," Emily said, "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. 

She stared at the phone for a long time after they had hung up.

Kimberly of When I Grow Up

Dyson pondered what to do. A large envelope ha been left leaning against his front door. At first he though it was from his girlfriend. She liked to leave him notes and clippings of articles she knew he'd enjoy. She was special. She came into his life unexpectedly, almost from nowhere. Somehow she knew him, on a deep level. He hadn't had anyone in his life since . . .

He knew he'd have to shut down this line of thinking. Her loss was too much to bear. He hadn't said her name since that night. He couldn't bear to have anyone in his life who had even known her. He moved away and cut off contact from his friends and family. Starting over was the only way he knew to survive.

He opened the envelope mindlessly. Inside was a single sheet of paper and a photo. He saw the name and he couldn't speak, or even think. His face paled and he began to shake uncontrollably.

Diane of On the Border

Dyson crumpled the paper, then clutched the picture in nerveless hands and sank to the floor, unable to look away.

A young woman trapped in the front seat of a wrecked car. Blood everywhere. Her pain-darkened eyes staring imploringly up at the photographer out of a bloody, wrecked face.

His breath came in little gasps as he stared. Surely not. It couldn't be . . . her. All smashed and broken. 

He didn't know how long he sat there, drinking in every detail. Her long, blonde hair lying all about her. Her blood soaked clothing.

His eyes moved to the interior of the car. Long forgotten and still familiar. Blood had spattered everywhere, but he could still see the burn mark from his and Amy's disastrous first attempt at smoking a joint.

Finally, after what seemed hours, his eyes turned to the paper. he smoothed it and started to read:

"My Dyson . . ." it began.

His eyes filled with tears and he scrubbed them away impatiently and kept reading.

"It has been so wonderful to reconnect these past few months. You have been, as you always were, amazingly kind and considerate and I am grateful to have had these stolen moments together."

Dyson frowned. What on earth?

"But I'm afraid (to resort to the mundane and over-used and abused), all good things must come to an end. My preparations are now completed and this is where you and I will forever part company.

Simply put: I will not have you follow where I must go.

The truth is about to be trumpeted from the housetops and you and everyone else will know what your cousin and her former friends have done.

And what their long-awaited sentence had to be.

Please forgive me - at least a little. And know that I loved you.

Once.

Mary. AKA: Amy"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Read on for the conclusion of Past Due ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

And before you go, here's today's recipe:

Ham and Brown Rice Casserole

 

Ham and Brown Rice Casserole        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups cauliflower florets, cut small (can substitute broccoli)
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBSP stone ground mustard
2 tsp dried chives
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
6 oz chopped smoked provolone cheese
1/4 up seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 X 11 casserole dish.
*Partially cook the cauliflower in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Set aside.
*In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, milk, chives, salt and pepper.
*Gently mix in the cauliflower, rice, ham and provolone. Spread into the prepared dish.
*Top with the bread crumbs and mozzarella, cover with foil.
*Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.