Yesterday, I wrote: “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.” This is my plan for how I intend to do that:
Keep it Positive: Preparing and serving a morning brunch for 100 friends is worth discussing! It was an excellent opportunity to try new recipes and rework old favorites. We experimented with a new recipe for Eggs Benedict Casserole with hollandaise sauce, which turned out great! We also made cinnamon rolls and orange rolls using beloved family recipes. I asked one guest how the food tasted, and I was delighted with the response: “Finger-licking good”—words that warm any foodie’s heart!
Keep Learning: It is fun to learn new things. However, mistakes are a part of any endeavor, so we must learn how to improve—just an example of this in this last event. Serving food quickly and efficiently can be a challenge. In the past, our buffet-style setup often resulted in long lines of people waiting to fill their plates. We set up the tables in a big plus sign to address this, creating four distinct lines. This adjustment significantly reduced wait times and allowed everyone to enjoy their food more quickly.
Keep Thinking of Others: Our efforts resulted in a donation of over $1,300 to Love, Inc. Collaborating with the Woodburn Art Center was also a pleasure. Their artwork added a beautiful touch to the lobby and entrance of the auditorium, enhancing the overall experience.
Keep it Real: It’s essential to embrace the reality of situations and find humor in challenging moments. I was so busy cooking that I completely neglected my email inbox and, as a result, missed a ‘cease and desist’ message sent on Monday. This demand letter asked me to remove my Facebook page and website content regarding the HOA. The funniest part was their objection to a link I had posted about the “association’s event” on my site. I learned about all this only after the event when the mailman delivered a physical copy of the letter. It had to have been last week that the president initiated this request, but I was completely unaware it was coming. Ironically, I had sincerely invited him to speak at our gathering and even introduced him. During the event, he graciously thanked everyone for their hard work, even mentioning me by name. Go figure!
Another interaction puzzled me: Near the end of our event, the rules director appeared. I was happy to see him and offered him some food, but he declined and stood there awkwardly. I wasn’t sure what he wanted at the time, but now I suspect he may have been there to see how I was reacting to the earlier news—or maybe just to gloat! The funny thing is, I had no idea!
So, this is how I plan to move forward: I will keep my website and Facebook pages active. I’ll do an initial “scrub” of past content and then move forward, keeping things positive. I will continue to learn new things. I will do my best to think about others and find ways to help them. Lastly, I will always keep it real, accurate, and honest!