sometimes i wish...

Sometimes I wish I didn't care about people's feelings...
Sometimes I wish I could be selfish....
Sometimes I wish I didn't love so much....
Sometimes I wish I didn't have that still small voice telling me what is right...
But all the time.... I am glad I am me!!

the busy cook

One of the effects of watching cooking shows is that you want to cook.. or bake... or just create something good to eat... so that is what I did today...

I have heard over and over about how delicious brioche is. So I did a search on google for brioche and found an easy recipe on the Epiqurious website... Brioche is a wonderfully light, butter and eggy bread. Hopefully mine will turn out.... If not I can always try again next week! The next thing I decided to tackle was to use up some of these end of the season tomatoes Gene brought over for me so I made some cooked salsa. I have made fresh pico de gallo all summer long but I have never made cooked and bottled salsa so I put a batch on the stove.... It turned out pretty good! Not spicy like I like it but it is for the group home so I can't have it too spicy. I then turned my sights one lunch and tried my hand at homemade chicken nuggets... well that recipe can be deleted they tasted horrible... We all ate them for lunch so they weren't that bad!! I must admit I was missing a few of the ingredients, so to be fair I will have to try it one more time when I have all the ingredients on hand!!

Tomorrow I think I may just attempt baking powder biscuits... not something I have made from scratch since I was in 7th grade home ec class... if I remember correctly I did get an A on my biscuits!!

Today I must admit I am putting poor Suzie Homemaker to shame!! The kitchen is even all cleaned up!! I need a nap... but no time.. I have to hit the shower and off to see client!! Woot!!

giving thanks is not just for thanksgiving

Give Thanks. Start Today. It's Every Day












1. I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. I am thankful for my amazing best friend and the man I love... Steve

3. I am thankful for children for the joy they bring into my life

4. I am thankful for friendships with people I have met ALL over the world thru the Internet... I have made some amazing friendships with people I may never meet in person... but who I will always call my friends...

5. I am thankful for the talents that have been blessed to me and how they help me make it thru this earthly life...

6. I am thankful for you.

One more day to serve. One more hour to love. One more minute to praise. For this day I am grateful. If I awaken to the morning sun, I am grateful. ~Mary Lou Kownacki

Alderwood Quilts October Giveaway- AccuQuilt GO!

Alderwood Quilts October Giveaway... An ACCUQUILT GO!!

Go check out her blog.. and sign up to win!!

Alderwood Quilts October Giveaway- AccuQuilt GO!

megan and brian pigg... wedding announcement and invitaion to reception

kaitlynn graduation announcement....

You will need to click on picture to see full version...

melissa graduation invite...

You will need to click on picture to see full version...

my mood is...

clouds....

Yesterday evening as I was pulling into the Hangar... the movie theater... I noticed the clouds reflecting in the window... I liked what I saw.. grabbed my iPhone (why did I spend all that money on my big camera? ) and snapped this shot... I edited it and placed it on Facebook and a friend asked me where the great quote is to go with the picture...So I opened the edited photo and began to look for a quote. I could think of the tune.. of the song I wanted but not the lyrics...except it had to do with clouds.. so I did a google search and found... IT!! The perfect quote... well I think it is...

In creating this piece...it made me wonder how many clouds have kept me from my goals... not the clouds per-day but what is on the other side... I had too much fear to fly through them to see.. so instead I flew in circles... because I thought it was safer...

What clouds are blocking you from moving forward?

Think about it...
Meg

Happy Easter.... better late than never...

I spent Easter weekend in Salt Lake City... I went to meet many of the friends I have made on line in the past year... My bestie Lynda who has been with me with ALL my ups and downs in the past year!! It is amazing to me that you can have such a bond with a person that has lasted a year and have never set eyes on their living being... I know that I knew Lynda in the pre-existence... She is just one of those people that I have met and BANG... instant friendship...instant bonding!! I love her like a Sister...

I met Lynda at her work and then went and had lunch with her new hubby, Criss.... They are so cute together and so much in love... ahhh*wipes tear... At first I think Criss and I were sizing each other up... making sure we each had Lynda's best interest in mind... But soon we realized that we are both good for her and accepted each other... I think Criss is an amazing man and the perfect man for Lynda.... and trust me I was worried... their whirlwind courtship... engagement and marriage was so dang fast... but I am now at total ease... Love Criss like a brother!! Welcome to the family..man!!

Friday night I went on my first offical double date... Rafa and I went with Criss and Lynda to eat Italian at Criss' favorite restaurant... Don't remember the name but it was good! Then it was off to Midvale and to the LDSMingles Conference Dance and Bash... I was able to meet many of the people I have been chatting with on and off over the year!! It was so great to put 3D faces with the 2D pictures I have been looking at as we chat... A few I have met before and it was good to see and connect with them again!!

I spent Friday night up in Tremonton at Lynda and Criss's home... It was cool I felt so realaxed and comfortable... It felt like I have been in Lynda's home many many times... and actually with all the time we have spent on the phone... I have...but just not physically!! Saturday morning Criss made breakfast YUM!! I had to hit to road to get back down to SLC too meet up with Rafa and head on over to Conference....

Conference... Rafa and I went with a few others from his Branch!! Conference was amazing... I loved Pres Holland's talk... After Conference Rafa and I walked around Temple Square it was packed and I was wearing high heals... so that didn't last a whole long time.... So we went and changed clothes... and went over to the mall at Dinner at a texmex grill place... very Bobby Flay and VERY VERY good!! I had heard that there was a singles dance down in Orem so we went to look for it...Finally found it... but, the rumor was wrong no dance... so instead I went to Jeff and Nicole's... Poor Tave was sick and so Nicole got him up out of bed...partly cause he heard me... the not so quiet Aunt Meg... Tave was not so happy to see me either... UNTIL.... I pulled out my handy dandy iPhone and let him play with all of Abby's apps I have downloaded for her (well Tory has found some too!!) Well the iPhone was a hit and soon Tave was warmed up to Aunt Meg...

On Sunday morning Weston was a little shy of Aunt Meg...but not Tave... once I pulled my phone back out... Oh then Weston was right there with him... playing on my phone... Travis, Sharlene, and girls; Rob, Chelsea and kids; and Shawn and Abby all came over to Nicole's for lunch and an Easter egg hunt... Due to the 3" of snow outside...the egg hunt was held indoors... We had great food.. family... fun... and even a little conference... (to be honest I fell asleep)...

Sunday night I headed over to Travis and Sharlene's... it was fun to sit and talk with them and hear all about their plans for their future. BTW... my iPhone was a hit with Travis too... While we talked...Sharlene and I got on our computers.. and Travis played on my iPhone...With little sleep for the past three nights... I was pooped and was ready for bed early (mid-night).... Oh how I slept.. I had been warned that the bed I was getting to sleep on was the most comfortable...and it sure was... I closed my eyes and out I went... I woke to to little Kapria's voice in the kitchen... but I was not ready to get up so I rolled over and fell back to sleep...When I did get up Kapria and I sat on the couch and she played on my iphone... while Travis and I watched TV and talked... Dang I just realized I never got to see his studio!! Sorry Travis... Monday morning was such a lazy morning... I was suppose to meet some friends at the SLC temple to do a session... but my body would not move... so I took that as a sign to take it slow....

The last few things I wanted to do was find Mormon Handicrafts and go to the distribution center... so late Monday morning I packed my bags and with the escort of Kapria I loaded my car... she was so cute.. I blew my kisses and back to SLC.... I met up with Rafa and together we went in search of Mormon Handicraft... Dang it so wasn't what I remembered... but next door was a distribution center so we went there... I went ahead and bought my temple clothes so now I can go to anytime I want... and not have to find out if they have rentals... Right now my closest temple is in Omaha and they don't have rentals.... so YIPPEEE.... I am locked and loaded!!

For lunch I found a Der Wienerschnitzel!! ...and yes I ordered 2 chili cheese dogs.. it has been almost 30 years since I worked at the one in Vista... but oh how yummy those dogs tasted... The very last thing I wanted to do was find a Mexican market and buy some dulces (Mexican candies) so back to State Street and up towards S SLC... I found one!! I bought my favorite tamarino, and watermelon lucas suckers...

For Dinner on Monday night I ate at Chelsea's... I felt so bad that I got lost and was late... so I had a speed dinner and get to know her kiddo's... But it was fun to have some one on one time with Chelsea and her kids...

Hopped on a plane in a snow storm... headed back to Missouri... Home sweet home.. and back to work...

We are FAMILY...

Some of my kiddos and ME...
Abby & Tory, Joshua, me, Eric and Melissa!!

How Many?

I really really enjoy getting to know people. I draw serious satisfaction from finding countless details out about people. So here are unimportant details about me.

1. My real name is Mary Margaret... and Meg is short for Margaret... just like Meg from the novel "The Little Women".
2. I love Mexican food.. good Mexican food
3. When I was in 8 I had my own Shetland pony.. his name was Shane
4. I mix up my right hand from my left hand... but then again so does Oprah Winfrey!!
5. I can french braid my own hair!
6. I still remember my very first address and phone number. My address was 519 Ava Ave, Rohnert Park, CA... I am not going to share my first phone number cause I use it as a password... I also can still remember my Mom's California drivers license... K0480329 Don't ask me why.. I guess I listened to her give it at the grocery store just one too many times
7. My first real job was at Der Wienershcnitzel. Yes I worked and weeny world flipping hot dogs and hamburgers... and pushing french fries... My friend Karen and I had the best time in the drive thru... she was on register and I was her bagger!! Sorry if I mess up your order!!
8. My dogs names growing up were Peanuts (wiener dog), Popcorn (Australian Sheppard) and Pretzles (Poodle mix).... I don't know why... but we had a food fetish!!
9. I can gleek!! Don't know what gleeking is.. just ask and I will show you!!
10. When I was a sophomore in High School I received the "Most Promising" award from the Speech Team... Duh! I love to talk!
11. In 7th grade I won second prize in the Science Fair... and all I did was graph a comic then redrew it larger... who knew I could draw!!
12. My maiden name is Coppa... which means cup in Italian and Spanish
13. My favorite ice cream flavor is Baseball Nut from Baskin Robbins.. and I can only get it in the spring during baseball season :0(
14. I look like my Mom...
15. I learned to drive in a stick shift Toyota truck.. Thanks Mike! I passed my first time with a score of 85. I have never failed a written drivers test!
16. I am the youngest of 3 children.
    
17. I have been to 5 foreign countries and 2 continents
18. I want to learn to play the piano... I taught myself to read music
19. I love to learn and try new things... meet new people and visit new places
20. I was not born Mormon.. I was baptized Jan. 1982

How many did you know already?

...meg

Make it and Love it... cool blog

I found this cool blog and she is having a cool give-away!! Go check it out!!

MAKE IT & LOVE IT

BUT YOU CAN'T ENTER
THE CONTEST
BECAUSE...
I WANNA WIN!!

Mrs Gump (Forrest's Mom) Got it WRONG!

Life is not like a box of chocolates.... It's like strawberry jam!
























Why? Because...

1. Life is always sweet.... sometimes just too sweet!
2. Life is sticky
3. Life sometimes is turns out and sometimes it doesn't... but it still tastes yummy on ice cream!!

Yes I made strawberry jam this week too.... it has been over 10 years since I made jam. I only made one batch but it turn out rather yummy!! I purchased some apothecary jars for another project but I bought the wrong size... but I did buy the perfect size for jam! And making jam is like riding a bike... well with the instruction on the pectin are like training wheels!!

You may be wondering where I got strawberries in early March... from the freezer section at Wal-Mart... where else would I get them... you silly!!