Friday Quote Day

We cannot do everything at once,

but we can do something at once.
~ Calvin Coolidge

Today's quote is brought to you by the word "busy." Man, have I been busy.

The thing about party planning, unless you're a pro, is that you don't do it every day, and therefore you have to think-think-think and make lists-lists-lists and, if you're me, if you think about it and don't put it on a list (or do it right away), you're going to end up with no cream or sugar for the coffee.

I bet that didn't make a bit of sense, did it? Heh.

Yesterday was tough.

Yeah, baking cupcakes all day is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it, right? And since my husband is less-than-handy in the kitchen, it was up to me. These are Snickerdoodle cupcakes with penuche frosting. Martha's recipe called for seven-minute frosting dusted with cinnamon-sugar, but I couldn't have pulled that one off. I hope this is a good combination.

This is half of what we're serving to my mother-in-law's guests. The other cupcakes are carrot cake with cream-cheese frosting. They look just like these, except the frosting is white, so I didn't take another picture.

The carrot cake part is yummy. I baked some of the batter in a small metal mixing bowl and then carved it to look like a cupcake (and ate some of the trimmed-away part). I frosted the lower portion with the penuche and the curved top with cream cheese frosting, and topped it with one candle, because 90 wouldn't fit. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow. It looks a little "homemade-with-love," but I think it'll be fine.

I missed working out yesterday, but there literally was no time. How do those of you with jobs manage?!?!? Although, come to think about it, I used to have a job and I worked out at the gym a couple hours a day. I didn't work in a cupcake factory, though, that must be the difference. Sitting on my ass in front of a computer, which is what I used to do as a graphic designer, is more conducive to doing something physical after work than slaving in a hot kitchen all day.

[An aside: Back in the olden days of graphic design, we actually did a lot of standing. Prior to computer-aided design and desktop publishing, sheets of type had to be trimmed and pasted, lines had to be drawn by hand with ink, overlays had to be created and fitted. All of this was done – standing – at a drawing board, cutting mat and wax machine. Aha! A contributing factor to the obesity epidemic everyone else has overlooked!]

So. Back to the Friday quote. This week has been a steady progression of doing something at once, leading up to the Big Event tomorrow afternoon – my mother-in-law's 90th birthday celebration. Some guests are coming from out of state, including my husband's son and his family, which will add six to our household for the weekend. We can't wait to see the children again. Oh, and their parents, too. Heh.

When everyone has gone home and life settles back down, my workouts will have to ramp up to make up for the lost time from yesterday's no-show. I'm already thinking my February goals were a little over-optimistic. But I might be able to sneak one in today. You know, since the cupcakes are done!

My friend Elora frequently ends her posts with a sunset shot. I recently complained to her that her view is so much better than mine (and it is!). But I couldn't help snagging this shot a couple evenings ago. It reminds me that on Sunday evening, all the hoopla will be over here in the Middle of Nowhere, and will be starting in Dallas. The Packers and Steelers can go at it while we kick back, relax and … eat cupcakes!