True Love VS The Movies In Our Heads

“Don't let the imaginary person in your head keep you from loving the real one right in front of you.”

This quote has a decent amount of poignancy behind it. What do you really think true love looks like? Does it look a Handsome Hunk or Fair Maiden? Is it that perfect moment where “everything suddenly makes sense” and you end up together? Or maybe it’s the cliché boy meets girl story. Either way I think a lot of people have forgotten what love feels like or even looks like.

Love is perfectly a normal feeling. Yes its exciting and there is electricity in every touch…you DO lose yourself in each other’s eyes….you DO giggle when there’s a cute comment…you ARE meant to feel as if you were meant for each other….BUT above all…you should feel NORMAL with each other. Your life may not always be a romantic whirlwind of walks in the park and kisses in the rain…there’s also the fact that you should be BEST friends. Share stupid thoughts and embarrassing secrets. Learn the quirks of the other one. Be ok if you get bored around each other sometimes. It is OK to feel contented and normal with the one you love.

I always say that true love exists between two people because there is NO formula. The media has rather ruined relationships and the ideal of love in my opinion. Now every girl pines for an “Edward” or “Dear John” and often compare what their men should be as according to these hero type characters. Heros are great don’t get me wrong, but there is also nothing wrong with someone who is just there. Someone who can say just the right thing at just the right time or knows your favorite candy and just gets it cuz they say it and thought of you.

I digress….In short…don’t overlook your relationship just because he or she isn’t what you’ve imagined them to be. See instead who they are and remember why you loved them in the first place. Then you can live long and happy knowing your love is true. Prince Charming was in front of you the whole time.

~TNWM my Dear Friends~ Sincerely – The Wanderer

General Thought Of The Day

You can’t live with others if you cannot live with yourself first. Find the things and places that make you happy and go there when you need to escape the daily grind. Do not let the melancholy of daily living make you lose who you are and what you are all about. Do what brings you joy! Me, I love to sing and make fun crafts for every season. So yes, I will unabashedly sing in the shower if I wish! Be content. Be happy. Be YOU!!!

TNWM

The Wanderer

Thoughts On Being Healthy…er

I’ve noticed lately we are re entering that phase and kick of wanting to renew lifestyles and make drastic changes to our bodies. As a people we are very unsatisfied with the realization we live a sedentary lifestyle. I too have fallen prey to this phase. I’m currently dieting and trying hard to change my lifestyle to be more sugar free and higher proteins and whole wheats. I’ve lost a lot weight and a few inches so I’m feeling good, but WHY am I doing this?

I’m doing it to feel better about myself in all aspects of my life. My confidence took a big hit last year and I’m working very hard to regain it. I’ve decided that I’m tired of looking in the mirror and not seeing myself. I’m seeing a shell of what and who I am. It’s time to reshape, reform , and renew.

Dieting and exercise is more of a battle of the mind than it is the battle of the fork. Having to think about the foods you eat is nearly as exhausting as running 2 miles a day. Also, preparing meals that fit inside your plan can be expensive. I’m thoroughly enjoying cooking all of my meals again, but the money and time spent can nearly make you want to give up….but don’t do it! It is SO worth it!

I’ve started to look great in clothes again and I’m buying sizes I haven’t worn since HIGH SCHOOL! I’m also getting much braver in my wardrobe and my personal look. Pretty soon I’m going to do something drastic to my hair…so be on the lookout for that folks….

All in all I’m both happy and PROUD of my decision to better my health and my look. I encourage everyone to take a real good look in the mirror….and LOVE yourself! No matter what you look like…BUT…if you feel you could do better thank do it! Don’t do it out of vain ambition to look like a model…do it to look like YOU!

Always remember that YES you are perfectly and wonderfully made, but your body is also a temple so keep it clean!!!

I love you all….TNWM

~The Wanderer~

Dawn In A Day of Tragedy

Today is a day when I remember how important it is to grieve not only for your own losses, but for the losses of others as well.  The massacre in Colorado is now being called the biggest mass shooting in US history…a title not proudly held.  My heart bleeds for the families who are worried for those who are injured and I’m grieving in prayer for those who lost loved ones.  Every tear I shed is a prayer in silence for the victims of this tragedy.  I pray that God will heal the lives of the people whose whole world has now been shattered by this living nightmare.

 

It is important for all of us to lift our eyes to heavens when things like this happen.  No matter what your race, religion, or credo we can all benefit by remembering that there is perfection out there and it can be found in a masterful Creator.  The heavens remain untouched and unblemished by all they see below.  I’m sure even the angels cast a weary eye up on this tragedy and that they also weep for the innocent lives that were lost.

 

Hope.  That is the most any of us can do in the face of something as awful as this.  It is the healer of time and trials.  Hope is a gift given so mankind can look beyond sorrow and find solace in true joy. I sincerely hope my readers find this a boon of peace in such a troublesome time…I love you all and pray that peace and hope descends upon you all from the heavens as we go forward from this tragedy…Shed the tears…scream the sorrows…let the world know your anguish…but ultimately seek hope…only then will we will truly grow together….and heal.

TNWM ~ the Wanderer 

2012 - New Year New Me New Everything

It has been exactly a year since i last wrote or posted anything on here. My life has been wracked and frought with hardships and victories in 2011, but I'm MORE than happy to put that WHOLE last year behind me!

I think all of us require a new beginning at different points in life and I've decided mine is now.

There aren't many new things to report other than I've made management at a food retail job full time and am also now a retail sales associate at another job! I also now have my own home which is my greatest victory and failure to date! Other than that things are just as normal as they've always been.

Well enough of the humdrum. Now on to more exciting things! I'm making a plan to go graduate school in the next two years! Also, I'm hoping to take my cupcake business out of the grave and back into the light! I've learned a new appreciation for hard work and for hope. Hope is the greatest gift mankind has and we often undervalue and under appreciate it. From now on I have declared this 2012 to be a NO NEGATIVE NEW YEAR! *thunderous applause*

This means..
1. No getting down when things aren't moving fast enough for "my liking"
2. Making plans and sticking to them!
3. Not letting my happiness be decided by others
4. Spending more time with friends and those I love
5. Allowing myself to laugh when I'm happy, cry when I'm sad, and pout when i'm sorrowful...I will NOT fall into depression again...it sucks


So I hope i have enlightened my readers ever so slightly on the joys of hope and what is means to have a no negative new year.

As always, bright blessings to you all and there WILL be more to come : ) which MEANS

-more recipes,
-more pictures,
-more poetry,
-more in depth philosophy and personal musings
-AND more life experiences!!!

TNWM

its been a long time readers! : )

So I realize it has been a long time coming in which I have written anything for my blog. There are multiple reasons for this.

1. School was being a bugger as I was trying to finish up BUT good news I've FINALLY GRADUATED!!! YAY ME! ....now I haven't a clue what to do next...

2. I've been dealing with a bad job situation which I just ended myself by simply walking out..I realize it was not financially smart as I have no job at the moment to fall back on, but it was an extraordinarily bad cirumstance....SOO I decided to keep my head held high and do what I knew was RIGHT instead of SMART.

3. I've also been incredibly uninspired lately....I've had a lot of trouble figuring out what to write about and really putting down what I wish to say in words. Now I finally feel ready to pick up my preverbial pen and start once more as the Wanderer of the North!




Something I definitely wanted to keep everyone abreast of is that I and my dear friend have decided to start our own business!!! YES IM SERIOUS!! I'm trying to go as public as I can with this in order to get publicity and opinions! I decided to combine my baking skills and our combined creativity and imagination into a cupcakery!!! Thus Decadently Delicious was born.

I'm very excited to see where this could lead as the cupcake industry is HOT right now and I totally think we have what it takes to succeed! BTW check out the website! Right now we only deliver and we don't have the official license, but that is soon to come!

I know we will do well because every time I think about it...I get this awesome feeling deep down...like when you're about to get on a new fast roller coaster...I feel like nothing can stop me...and I feel a rush of excitement deep in the pit of my stomach and an uncontrollable urge to just DO IT!! I KNOW that we have what it takes. We ourselves have to put the pedal to metal though and really DO IT!!!


I'm currently today working on some new flavors and recipes such as Orangeade and some fun valentine's day cupcakes!!! Check out the sight to see more! ddcupcakecreations.com


Look for more to come from me personally folks as my life has DEFINITELY gotten a touch more interesting!

TNWM

New awesome YUMMMY recipe!! Orange Peppermint Bread

This bread I discovered online and I crafted my own version of it! It is tasty and veryyyy simple to make! Also, most of the ingredients are usually found right in the house making it inexpensive!

You Will Need

1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp orange zest (or more for more intense orange flavor...I DEFINITELY used more...)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup plain yogurt (or vanilla is also a tasty alternative!)
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped

Delicious Homemade Peppermint Orange Glaze
A few drops of Peppermint extract

2 teaspoons of orange juice
1/3 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan. To make it easier to remove the loaf from the pan, you may want to lay down a wide strip of parchment paper, along the length of the bottom of the loaf pan, and up the narrow sides. Butter this as well.

2. Beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes on high in an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated after each addition. Beat in the orange zest.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

4. Add the yogurt and dry ingredients by thirds, starting with the yogurt, alternating the additions. Beat only until just incorporated. Mix in the golden raisins.

5. Immediately pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Place in middle rack of 350°F oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes*, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove the loaf from the pan and cool for another 10 to 15 minutes.

7 While loaf is cooling, prepare optional glaze if using. Whisk together the peppermint extract, orange juice, and powdered sugar until smooth and there are no lumps. Place loaf on a serving plate. Use a toothpick or skinny skewer to poke holes in the top of the loaf and drizzle the glaze over the loaf. This helps the glaze not pour alllll over the place!

*If you are using a 5x9 loaf pan, the loaf will be done earlier. Check at 40 minutes. You can use this recipe for muffins, in which case the cooking time should be 20-25 minutes. For me I wasn't sure it was cooking all the way because the skewer wouldn't come out clean. DO NOT PANIC! It just needed more time. The bread didn't burn and it was delicous!

Best served warm and with liberal amounts of BUTTER and cream cheese : ) BON APPETITE!

TNWM