Month: February 2021

My pencil was on my desk and I stopped to look at it. It caught my attention for just a second.
I snapped a picture and forgot about it.
That was maybe a couple of weeks ago and this morning I see it while having my coffee, cleaning out pictures.
This pencil represents me.
When I am old I shall wear purple.
My tip is still sharp but a little muted. Can still do the job with precision and tact, although slightly used. Works to the nub but miraculously hones itself back to working sharpness and to the point. Recycling after long hard projects.
Chewed up by life but still standing tall and strong, no teeth marks showing, just my colors. Smooth and elegant for my age.
Marked at the top with my mistakes over the years with plenty of room for more. That is what life is about, right? Mistakes? And learning from them.
I’ve made them and it shows.
I’ve written my dreams and desires in pencil.
Why?
They are ever changing.
Bigger, better…
Erasable if I outgrow them.
Grab a pencil and write out your goals and dreams today.
Have a cup of coffee while you visualize them coming to you.
Blessings today my friends.
Stand tall.
Stay sharp.
Embrace your mistakes.
But most of all,
Love big.

Lorene

No quiet time this morning.
Something much better.
A little extra time with Big Daddy.
Another sleepless night for him, up before me watching the news and OU basketball.
He is the gatekeeper of the family.
He analyzes and worries for the both of us.
I am the optimistic one, he checks around every corner.
We balance each other out.
Where one of us is weak, the other is strong.
We don’t have a 50/50 relationship.
Its 100/100, 0/100, 20/80
Whatever it needs to be at the time.
We are one.
He is more than my husband, he is my life partner.
He knows my secrets and still loves me.
He knows when to whisper in my ear, cheer me on or just remain silent and hold me.
He always has my back.
We are individuals together.
We respect each other and enjoy our time together and self time apart.
Jealousy has no room in our house.
Nor does judgement or accusations.
Just love and friendship and devotion.
I am fortunate.
And grateful.
I’ll trade my quiet time for time with him any day.
I’ll even share my coffee.
Lorene

My coffee seems extra wonderful this morning.
I do not want to go out into the cold.
Of course I will, because that’s what adults do.
We have to do a lot of things we don’t like.
Get up and go to work on someone’s else’s schedule.
Pay bills
Wake up before the sun or work until the sun comes up.
Deal with people who have not grabbed the concept of adulting.
Just be DONE with a person or situation and not try to carry a grudge.
Move on.
Pray for those who hate you.
Live with disappointment by others, you cant change them, they make their own decisions.
Cry in private.
Smile when your heart hurts.
Make those hard decisions.
Walk away.
Hug yourself.
When I see someone post “Adulting Sucks” I tend to agree to a point.
Usually it’s on a morning like this where I do not want to get dressed and venture out into the cold dark morning.
But what kind of example am I setting if I do that?
Part of adulting is teaching. Showing the next generation the way.
Being a good example.
So I will grab that second cup of coffee, put my socks on, I dont like wearing socks, and stomp the snow all the way to my cold, icy truck. I’ll grit my teeth, mostly to keep them from chattering, but all you will see is a smile on my face.
Adulting yet another day.
Oh joy!
Wont you join me?
We got this.
Piece of cake.
Lorene

Its beautiful outside.
As much as my body hates the cold I love to watch nature and all its glory.
A 4:30 am wake up call took me straight to the door to see what I needed to prepare for, and it’s amazing.
I’ll take snow over ice any day.
Watching the flakes dance, spin and flutter as they meet their friends below, I think about how each and every one is different.
Each beautiful no matter the shape, size or shade. One of the most if not the most delicate and fragile things on the planet.
Alone, it disappears with your touch. But together they form a force to be reckoned with. Strong enough to destroy entire towns.
Amazing what a little team work can accomplish.
However, this morning, before the cars go sloshing through, they are forming a beautiful blanket. Doing what Mother Nature intended.
Balancing out nature.
I hope you are up early enough to see the beauty outside this morning.
Appreciate the job it was sent here to do.
Inhale the crisp, clean, cold air.
Imagine each individual flake that falls.
The beauty, the purpose.
Be safe my friends.
Lorene

For the past few day my Facebook memories have been filled with the closing of the Bistro. One of the most heartbreaking things I’ve had to do.
I’m thankful and grateful I spent 3 years creating an atmosphere and menu that is still talked about today. Raising the bar for good food and service.
I’m proud.
Proud of my staff.
Proud of what I accomplished.
Proud of the legacy.
Yes, I’m boasting and bragging.
My heart and soul was on each and every plate I sent out of my kitchen.
I visited with my customers because i was proud of what went out. Face to face with them to see the experience myself.
I was afraid.
I cried while cooking my first ribeye for a paying customer, scared they would send it back.
I was worried people wouldn’t like my twist on the classics.
If they didn’t like it, they didn’t like me.
It was personal.
I wanted people to appreciate good food and expect it when they go out to dine. Anywhere. Not just the Bistro.
Not many people get to experience their dream.
I did.
And even if I cry once in a while because it’s no more, the Bistro proved once again I can do anything. A 50 year old woman with a dream.
I made numerous friends.
I am so grateful.
The experience led me to yet another career.
Thank you again to all who put us on the map, and shared my dream. And of course to Troy Wood, the man behind the chef, whispering in my ear “you got this”.
No baby, I got YOU and that’s what fuel my fire.

I love my life.
Sure there are things about it that could be better.
More money, more time with family, more vacations, newer vehicle… I could go on and on. But if you notice, I have all those things, I could just use a different version.
So i am grateful.
I’ll keep working on improving the quality of what i do have, but never complain.
I wont give you the old….”well some people out there don’t have anything, so you should be thankful” speech.
Do you know why I wont?
Because I’ve been one of those people. And only I could change it.
I’ve made boxed mac and cheese without milk because I couldn’t afford any. Its disgusting by the way.
I’ve missed meals so my child wouldn’t.
Hunger is a great motivator.
I’ve missed holidays with family so I could earn money to pay the rent.
I’ve walked to work because I couldn’t make a car payment. I worked 2 jobs as a single mom to make ends meet. Sometimes they met, sometimes not. And Lord knows I never got them tied together til later in life.
I remember sleeping in a house so cold the dish water in the sink froze.
I’m grateful for what I have.
Not because others have less. But because I worked for what I have and I’m still working to better my quality of life.
I’ll never be shamed because I may have more than someone. I deserve what I have, good or bad.
Don’t think life is fair? Well guess what? It’s not. The fair is in September and you can get fried Oreos.
Don’t like the cards you are dealt?
Double down and try again.
All or nothing.
Go all in.
It’s your life, make it what you want. It wont happen over night unless you inherit a fortune or hit the lottery, but with gratitude and perseverance it will happen.
Imagine it
Want it
Work for it
Live it
Oh, and a good cup of coffee is a great start.
Be grateful my friends and don’t wait for someone else to build your life. Get out there and go for it.
Lorene

A lot of my friends I spent the weekend with have come down with the flu. I am still up. I’ve been tired more than normal so maybe my body has been fighting it off. I also drank an abundance of screwdrivers and mimosas. That’s a lot of vitamin C folks!
I experienced fire cupping. A way of pulling toxins and increasing blood flow to tense muscles. I have a picture if you’d like to see.
It was an experience, and I truly believe it helped. Of course my back looks like it was attacked by a giant squid. So no topless adventures for me for a while.
I am sleeping a bit more this week. My body is getting tired quicker than normal so I know its telling me to slow down and rest.
I am.
I’ve been curling up on one side of Big Daddy with Maddie on the other and out by 7 pm. I then get moved to the bed when they do.
I take my vitamins daily. Morning and evening with 10000 units of Vitamin D before bed. It helps stimulate my natural melatonin for good sleep. My B’s twice a day, need that energy especially now. And some others. My health is important to me. I have grandbabies to watch grow up and my children guiding them.
I think this turned into a how to avoid the flu post. Or why Lorene looks like she hasn’t slept in a week. Or reasons the flu is avoiding Lorene. Exciting read eh?
All in all it’s just a peek inside my head at what is roaming around at 5 am while I am sipping coffee in my dark, quiet room. It can be scary, confusing, motivating or deep on any given day.
I should say moment.
Asking me “a penny for your thoughts” could get you a one liner or chapter and verse.
I’m done. None of this is making sense and I’m trying to move on to another subject. Jeez, it’s too early, my brain is wide awake and my body is trying to catch up.
Have a great day! Avoid the flu! Take your vitamins.
Be well.
Lorene

I’m sitting with my coffee thinking about how much my routine has changed and stayed the same.
Over the years, I have had plenty of early mornings getting ready for work. I actually think they all involved coffee.
When I worked for Goodyear, I’d be up before anyone with my coffee and a crossword. No cell phone. No Facebook to scroll.
Me, coffee, the paper and a pen.
Yes a pen.
I used to be good at crosswords.
At State Farm, I’d get there an hour or so before everyone else. Make a pot of coffee and bake Otis Spunkmyer cookies. Relax with a cup in the quiet and boot up my email.
The Bistro was always an early morning, even on Mondays when we were closed. I would go in, make a pot of coffee, toast and sit at the bar looking out the glass doors feeling grateful about living my dream.
I guess I am a creature of habit.
I like my solitude and my coffee.
Alone time is so energizing.
Time to think and be grateful.
Plan and pray.
Mark off the goals I have met and add more.
Hmmmm, maybe coffee is brewed from a magical bean. And Jack grew a coffee beanstalk that went to a place dreams really do come true.
Maybe its just the company I keep those mornings. I like her and we get along just fine.
Love big my friends
Lorene

It’s cold and wet outside.
It’s kind of chilly in the house too. Or maybe it’s just me. My coffee isn’t warming me fast enough.
A good day to stay home and under the covers.
One of those days you don’t want to face the real world.
A fall out of reality day.
Old movies and coffee type of day.
A fight with the fur baby over the warm spot day.
A me day.
Everyone needs to take a me day once in a while.
Today is not that day for me. I have too much adulting to do. My days have to be planned out. It’s rare they are spontaneous.
I did have a great weekend with friends. I did what I love to do, cook for the masses.
It’s amazing how cooking for that many people isn’t exhausting, but exhilarating. I love making people smile after that first bite.
I made a Bistro Lorene Monte Cristo with a raspberry jalapeno dipping sauce. Brought back memories. And made new fans.
My Monday was the type of Monday people perceive Mondays to be. Walked into the Blue Screen of Death on my computer, on a day I use my computer the most. Little things that seem like big things for a second, until I take that deep breath and laugh before addressing them.
That works by the way, laughing at the problem seems to shrink it and put it into perspective.
Panic and stress can air that balloon up to the point of bursting.
So laugh.
Its past my quiet time and reality is beckoning me to put my big girl panties on and attack the day. Let’s pray the elastic stays in tact or may be showing my…
So Adult I must.
Have a fantabulous day, keep warm and dry.
Oh, and don’t forget to laugh.
Lorene

Waiting on my windows to defrost.
I don’t feel like pulling out the scraper this morning. If I had looked first, I would have grabbed another cup of coffee.
But instead I am sitting in the cold car writing.
Is that lazy?
Or me just being old?
I am trying to be productive while I wait. I technically don’t have to be at work until 8 so I know I’ll make it.
I do need to prioritize my activities.
I am still working on the cookbook and it just doesn’t have enough content yet.
So, the publisher and I have set a goal to have it in print in time for all of you to have the perfect Christmas gift.
We haven’t discussed a title, maybe you all can help.
It will be composed of Bistro recipes, my daily writings, pictures of course and stories about living the dream.
Drop a title suggestion in comments.
If we use it, I will give you a free copy.
Well, windows are defrosted.
Time to head to work.
Have a blessed day!
Love big
Lorene