Life is not always fair . . .

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One of the earliest lessons in school which I learned was that life isn't fair. Up to that point, I'd been under the mistaken impression that things in life were pretty much even-stephen, or should I say . . . even-steven.

I'd learned that candy was something you shared equally among your siblings and friends, along with your toys and games. I had learned that the oldest child gets to enjoy privileges that the youngest doesn't . . . that you don't get dessert unless you eat the main course and all of your peas and carrots . . . that Santa Claus leaves the same amount of presents for everyone in the family . . . that mom and dad love you equally as much as your brother and your sister . . . that grandma's think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread . . . as do grandpa's.

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Starting school, however, was a really a bit of a rude awakening. I learned that the cake is not always divided into equal pieces. For instance . . . some kids got to go on cruises or to Disneyland for their summer holidays . . . whilst I got to spend one day at the local beach . That made writing the "What I did on my Summer Holiday's" essay real interesting in comparison . . .

The popular kids at school get picked first for EVERYTHING, even if you are more athletic, smarter or more talented . . . popularity is always a huge draw. Being picked last means you always get stuck with the one partner nobody else wanted either. Looking back on it . . . I don't think that's such a raw deal . . . but from an 8 year old's stance . . . it kinda sucks.

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Having to wait in a queue means that the kid in front of you will get the last cookie with the M&M's on it that you've been eyeballing all morning . . . and you get stuck with the oatmeal cookie that somebody else has already picked the raisins out of . . . or worse yet . . . the raisins.

If your last name begins with a V, like mine did . . . sorry to have to tell you this, but . . . A to U come before you (the only good thing about that was that WXY and Z were slightly harder done by ) . . . it also meant that if you had to give an oral composition . . . instead of getting it over with quicker . . . you had to suffer through almost everyone else's as you got nervouser and nervouser, before you could get up to give your own.

Sometimes you get the box of broken crayons in art class . . . the cute girl always gets asked to the Prom first . . . some kids have to work harder to pass . . . and sometimes your friends decide they don't really want to be friends with you after all, and exclude you from everything.

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The minute you get to the front of the line to take your turn at skipping during recess . . . the bell rings, or someone shouts out "No more joiners!" . . . nobody will see that big kid stomping on your foot during line up to go back in to class, but the minute you decide to retaliate and stomp back . . . all eyes are on you!

The day you get a really big zit on the end of your nose is the exact day you will be picked to get up in front of the class and read, write, draw . . . anything. Or the day you get picked to read your poem . . . is the day you forgot to write it. The day that really cute boy you've had a crush on all year decides to sit next to you at lunch . . . well . . . it's the day your mom made you Egg Salad sandwiches!

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Sometimes though . . . when you go to your fiftieth class reunion, if you are brave enough to go at all . . . you discover that those formerly mean, popular friends with names that began with the letter A, that always took the fabulous summer holidays, and always got the good cookies . . . well, they ended up old, fat and ugly too!

Now that . . . my friends, is fair!

Just a bit of humour this morning friends. Something that I wrote a long time ago on my Marie's Muses blog. I polished it up a bit. I am running really late this morning because I slept in! I know . . . how dare I!!!

Before I go though, I do want to show you my latest creation:



I saw this quote on the cover of a notebook yesterday morning and it was all I could do to get through all my chores and everything so that I could get into my craft room and put it to paper! My fingers were just itching to create something to go along with the words . . .



I think that this is one of my favourites thus far! What do you think??? I just love how her hair turned out and her wings . . . oh and the flower and her boots. I guess I just love it all! As usual it's available as a print or a card.

Now I'll leave you with my recipe for the day, again . . . from my old Marie's Muses blog. I hope you don't mind. It's not the best food photo in the world, but I think the recipe will speak for itself . . . not only does it have a scrummy name, but it is also delicious. I just adore mashed potatoes when it is mixed with mashed turnips and to add cabbage and cheese to the mix, well, it's just gorgeous!



*Rumbledethumps*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a variation of a much loved Scottish border dish. It is delicious! We love it. It can be prepared in advance and popped into the oven at your convenience. I think the name comes from the noise your tummy makes a few hours after eating it. RUMBLEDETHUMP - oh, excuse me. (tee hee)

2 ½ pounds potatoes
1 ¼ pounds turnips
4 ounces butter
14 ounces Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (I probably use more, but then…I AM a glutton)

Peel and chop the potatoes and turnips and boil them together in a large pan of salted water for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F.

Drain the vegetables well, return them to the pan and cover tightly, then shake over a low heat to dry them off completely.

Heat half the butter in another pan, add the cabbage and cook until just tender, but still bright green (about 3 to 4 minutes) Tip all the buttery cabbage into the potato pan and add the remaining butter.

Roughly mash everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Tip into an ovenproof dish, top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Before serving, preheat the grill and flash under the grill for 5 minutes to brown the top.



Cooking over in The English Kitchen today . . . delicious Apples in Custard.

“We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf