monday morning chatter

I like to smile, but I don't do it enough. This weekend I smiled a lot. Do you know what makes me smile most? Making other people smile. I feel proud if I can provoke a smile or sly grin from one of my bitterly sarcastic remarks. I feel sexy when I see Tim checking me out from across the room. I feel wealthy if I find a few extra dollars left in our account at the end of the month. I feel successful if I bake a plate of treats and find them gone by midday. I feel accomplished when I play with the girls and hear their infectious giggles and squeals. Savoring the proud, the sexy, the wealth, the success and the accomplishments of every day make me smile.

Last week I sent Tim to work with a bag filled to the brim with these delicious homemade cookies (I found the recipe here thanks to Melina. I would half the recipe next time because we really should not eat 70 cookies.):

It is not unusual that I send treats and goodies to work with Tim. I am like a proud mama sending her kid to 1st grade with treats on his birthday. I love to bake but can't afford the calories so I send them to Caterpillar. Engineers don't seem to think about calories. I guess they don't have time with all those other logical things rolling around in their brains. They love my cooking. Their daily compliments such as: "Did your wife just grow up with her mom in the kitchen?" or "Is there anything she can't make?" or "Will she take orders?" just fill my little heart to the brim. So I keep baking for us, and well, for them because they keep making me smile. Tim came back to his desk after running around on the floor for awhile and found the bag empty and this note:

Swoon. You may think I am dumb, but boy that bunch of tractor designing men can really turn my frown upside down. Thank you men. You bet I will be refilling the bag soon. What makes you smile?

This week's chatter: 

a sad obituary i read last week. it made me tear up from the beginning: Sarah Burke dies at 29
college football loses a champion: Joe Pa dies at 85
after reading about another death because of texting while driving, here's this week's article: Distracted Driving

the swimsuit i am considering for our cruise: Tommy Bahama "Pearl"
the little black dress that i wish i could take with me on the cruise: Twistneck dress
an easy valentine's day craft any mom would adore: Valentine handpring wall hanging
a romantic breakfast that will make your special someone fall in love all over again: Smashed raspberry chocolate pancakes
the song on my mind this morning: Josh Radin-What if you