Do you have rules?

We all have rules that we live by.  A civilized society, as we blessedly still somewhat are, must have rules to survive.  I'm actually referring to the self imposed rules that we live by in our personal lives.  Most of my rules are logical, such as increasing the size of the pin hole in the plastic top on my coffee to go cup.  If there isn't a "breathe" hole in the lid, you have to almost suction the coffee into your mouth, so I take something sharp, like a pin or the tip of the largest, sharpest knife in the house and enlarge this little hole.

You may be able to notice a small circle on the top of the lid, that is actually the pin-hole that I'm referring to.

It's quite similar to poking a hole in the bottom of the cranberry jelly can at Thanksgiving.  Because that works with the cranberry jelly, I've known folks that pierce the end of every can that they open.  So you see the kind of rules I'm talking about.  We have rules when we cook that may or may not be based on fact.  Remember the story about the newlywed that was cooking a ham for the first time by herself and had her husband looking everywhere for a handsaw to saw the end off the ham bone?  "You've got to find the saw, Mama ALWAYS cuts the end off the ham". Finally to avoid additional frustration, the husband (who are sometimes a lot smarter than we give them credit for) asked her to call her Mom and ask why you had to cut the end off.  Her Mom answered incredulously,  "honey, it's because my pan is too small for the ham."

So you may see where I'm going with this.  We have a new year upon us and maybe it really is time to reevaluate our self imposed rules.

Lots of my rules are food related.   Some of them are a bit weird and nonsensical.  If I have made a sheet cake and have snuck in and eaten some right out of the pan with a fork, then I think that I have to cut the uneven part off, so it will look neat. Hmmm, might it be I don't want anyone to know that I've been in there?.  Of course, I do eat the part I trimmed off.  Good thing I don't bake many cakes.  I have a friend that doesn't like to eat a sandwich if there are no potato chips.  Or perhaps you don't want to eat beans without cornbread.  You know, food rules.  Like the one that says you have to eat the entire pack of something, even when it's more than one serving.  When we do have cookies in the house, and that is rare these days, I wont take an uneven amount in my hand.  I don't want one cookie, I want two or four.  I know, I know....

So since we're going to be taking part in the fitness center weight loss challenge, I am going to have to change some things.  "They" say that you shouldn't work out every day, that you should let your muscles rest a day.  Therefore, I only do cardio on some days and weights on others. Seems that I remember back when there were farms, that folks worked every day and for that much, we know that anyone that has a physical job, they do it every day without have a day to let their muscles rest.  So, for me, that is a rule that bears some thought.  I have been going to the gym everyday trying to build up my endurance for the competition, because I know the trainer is going to push us to get the most out of us that she can.  Today, the hubby was very tired and we went back to bed and didn't hit the gym.  I will probably work out at home today and hopefully over the weekend.

We are also invited out to eat with friends Saturday to our favorite restaurant, a Japanese Steakhouse, as a belated Christmas gift.  We're both looking forward to that.  Usually that's where we go when my sister (Peri) comes in from out west, so it will seem a bit odd being there without them.  Other than working out and eating out, that's the extent of our plans.

I have been working on a counted cross stitch kit that I started last year (I think) so hopefully soon I will have that to show.  My art table feels neglected, but sometimes that's just the way it is. I'll be full of new ideas for paintings soon, but until then it will words of wisdom and wit and perhaps a few pictures here and there.

So dear friends, enjoy your weekend and when you sit down to enjoy your celery that you refuse to eat without peanut butter and raisins, think about some of the self imposed rules that may have you stymied.