I love to cook (except when I’m really hungry and we have none of the ingredients… that’s when I go for a really nice bacon cheesburger down the street. Mmmm….). One of my favorite things is to get something great at a restaurant and then figure out how to make it on my own. It’s always different and I add in variation, but it’s fun.

A couple of months ago (try 1/2 a year) my husband and I tried Creme Brulee for the first time. It was FANTASTIC and worth every penny of the $4.00 or whatever it was at the restaurant. I decided I had to figure out how to make it. Desserts, fortunately or unfortunately, are not always my forte. I can’t imagine one up and have it turn out (especially not chocolate… Flat brownies… as in paper-thin… not yummy). I get all hesitant and worried…

Finally, this weekend, I found a recipe I liked (I used this one mostly) and I did it! Yummers. Try it with strawberries… very yummy. The only sad part was I didn’t have a flame torch… sigh… I used the broiler which is not nearly as much fun. Someday, I’m getting me a flame torch, and not just because my husband liked the creme brulee, but mostly because I think they’re cool.

School just started for most kids. They packed their backpacks full of dreams and excitement combined with the dread of homework and the loss of free time. They kissed their moms and dads goodbye, and they went out into school.

At school, homework is assigned, and their teacher may quiz them, may ask questions. When they turn in a paper, the teacher might not like it. They might say the student wrote it poorly, or spelled something wrong.

And then the kids get their grades. Some are good, some are bad, but the paper is behind them. They don’t have to think of it anymore. Time to party!

Then one day, those students will graduate. They will go on — to college, a job, the next big dream. And then what?

When they sit down to write for themselves, in a blog, a journal, a book, will they be prepared? Will they know who they are enough to put it down on paper?

Sometimes we are blessed with particularly good teachers who teach us HOW to learn, rather than just what to learn. My senior year in high school I had 3 that have stayed with me particularly since: Ms. Harris, Mr. Neel, and Mrs. Thornton. I think/hope it’s made me a better writer.

Still, I found myself saying to my husband the other day that it was hard for me to write posts sometimes (I have a huge number of drafts saved) because I wasn’t sure if it was said perfectly, if people would like it, if I would like it. He said, “It’s not homework” and then looked at me until I understood.

There’s no one judging these posts to give me grades. There’s no one (yet) reading my story to evaluate it. There’s only me. How is it that somehow I find myself much more frightening than Thornton, Harris, and Neel combined?

On most days, I am desperate to use my nap times as a writing hour. But somehow today that time got turned into Picture Editing Time! Yes, that’s with the ! because without it, it would only be picture editing time, and that’s not exciting to anyone. I had a lot of fun… I did it all with free software… and I’m for hire if you like what you see!

I love the photos where most of it is in black and white, but there’s a little part still in color. I always wanted to know how to make them, and today I was successful. Here is the shot of my son that I have perfected… or at least improved.