Thoughts on Soda

Recently I told a couple of my friends that I'm blogging again.  They dutifully checked things out and offered generally pleasant remarks and positive feedback.  You can expect this from friends.  "I didn't know you liked to bake!" They say.  And I hee and haw a bit and ask myself, "Do I like to bake?"  And if I'm talking to myself, I say no, not particularly.  This comes as no surprise.  I mean who tries to make half a cake?  Along with discovering my former fascination with Everyday Food, I also saw that for Eric's birthday one year I tried to cut a cake recipe in half.  Isn't that bizarre?  I mean, if I was so worried about having too much cake, why couldn't I have invited someone over or fed it to a hungry dog?  I'm not sure, but I think that will forever exclude me from the category of baker.  I've improved a bit over time as I'm no longer halving recipes so much anymore. 

So what am I doing then?  Nothing really, just writing about things that I'm experiencing and for the most part I've kept it to the kitchen.  But, tonight I didn't make dinner because my sweet nephew who is now seven is here for a sleepover.  We went out for burgers and fries and soda and one refill.  Soda is now "fizzy" instead of "spicy" as he used to call it at four years of age.  This distinction made me sad but, according to some, childhood doesn't really commence until the age of seven.  I take great comfort in that.  Oh, there is so much more on my mind and somehow the soda got me there.  Don't laugh.  I'm being serious and I haven't been this introspective in a long time.  You see, I have a friend who has a long, uphill journey to climb.  Am I mixing metaphors?  In a short amount of time she finds herself without a husband, employment and a place to live.  And yes, there is a person who stands in a position to make an enormously positive impact on this woman's circumstances.   Charity is needed.  Generosity is necessary.  It could be clothed in other more less-direct (indirect) ways.  But that is the truth of it, as I see it.  And this can make a lot of people, including myself, feel really uncomfortable.  So, I'm trying to decide how dirty do I want to get my hands.  Anyway, I'll stop there.  Well, you asked!  Oh wait, no you didn't.  If I had a really beautiful picture I would insert it here to lighten the mood.  :)  Thanks for listening.