Photo by Dan Cook
This is just one of many delightful messages I have received from a dear friend. Each line widened my smile and brought more laughter. May you also enjoy!
I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 60 years later.
I don’t have to go to school or work. I get an allowance every month.
I have my own pad. I don’t have a curfew.
I have a driver’s license and my own car.
The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant and I don’t have acne.
Life is great.
I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People get out of the way much faster now.
Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers.
Now they drink like their fathers.
I didn’t make it to the gym today. That makes five years in a row.
I decided to stop calling the bathroom “the John” and renamed it “the Jim”.
I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.
Old age is coming at a really bad time.
When I was a child, I thought “nap time” was a punishment. Now it feels like a small vacation.
The biggest lie I tell myself is… ” I don’t have to write that down; I’ll remember it”.
I don’t have gray hair… I have “wisdom highlights”! (I’m just very wise.)
If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would’ve put them on my knees.
Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.
Why do I have to press one for English when you’re just going to transfer me to someone I can’t understand anyway?
Of course, I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.
At my age “Getting Lucky” means walking into a room and remembering why I came in there.
I have more friends I should send this to, but right now I can’t remember their names.
Now, I’m wondering… did I send this to you, or did you send it to me?
We can choose to rant and rave… or not. We can choose accusations and name calling… or not. We can choose to support each other and work together… or not. I choose strength through compassion and unity.
“I shall derive great satisfaction from a cooperation with you in the pleasing though arduous task of insuring to our fellow citizens the blessings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient, and equal government.”
Celebrate National Slow Cooking Month with a pot of splendid chili… either with meat or without… with beans or without. Do what pleases your taste buds on a chili evening!
Café Martin Chili
Combine seasonings and onion soup mix; set aside. Cook, stirring to crumble, the chorizo and all other sausage meats over med-low meat for 6-8 minutes in a large skillet. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage into very large bowl. Cook beef strips and cubes, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes. Stir into cooked sausage. Repeat with ground beef, stirring to crumble meat as it cooks. Transfer to meat mixture. Drain off excess oil, reserving 3-4 T in skillet. Cook and stir onion over medium heat for 2-3 mins before transferring to meat mixture. Repeat with celery. Stir the seasoning/dry soup mixture into the meats thoroughly. Transfer to slow cooker/s and stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hour. Shut off heat and cool, refrigerating overnight. (Can freeze, if desired, at this point.) Cook the chili on low heat for 2-4 hours before serving with your choice of toppings on the side.
KISS Tips: This makes enough to serve 30-40 people, so it’s perfect to make ahead and freeze. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before doing the final cooking time. We serve chili with buttery garlic/onion bread and a fresh tossed salad. Chili is also great served in soft taco shells with slices of fresh avocado and a sprinkle of chopped onions and a bit of salsa.
This year, I begin with a favorite appetizer… or entrée, if you prefer. It doubles and triples easily and works with any of the included sauces, a favorite of your own, or even a bottled option, such as Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.
Throughout 2025, I posted more than 225 quotations, proverbs, and witticisms from a broad range of people and centuries. I shared words from pacifists and activists, conservatives and liberals, soldiers and sculptors. Notable Quotables hailed from humorists, humanitarians, and historians, as well as from playwrights, performers, and critics. We heard from musicians and physicians, cartoonists and coaches, along with scholars, satirists, and superstars. Whether the words hailed from Founding Fathers, Nobel Laureates, or philosophers, I truly enjoyed reading and sharing thoughts that inspire, encourage, and help me feel grounded. I hope that a few touched you, too. Naturally, I look forward to sharing more words of wisdom and wackiness in 2026.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“A person who tells you that you are not good enough knows that you are better than they are.”
THEN…. I looked at it later and saw the way a carrot had been cut and placed just below the eyes. I said, “You know, that makes it look like a bird!” Well, duh. She had artfully arranged all her veggies in such a way that she’d fashioned a turkey. I got to the party, but I surely arrived late… but laughing!!!
“Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions.”
“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”
