Magic Potion

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When I was a teenager, I wanted a magic potion, or cream or salve, that would rid me of acne for all time.  As with all good magic potions, it had a dark side in that there would be adverse side effects, but I was willing to live with those.  I wanted to be clear of acne.  I still do.  How can I be 63 and still have acne?

When I was older and began to realize the impact of time passing, I wanted to be able to store memories never to forget them.  “I want to always remember this,” I would say.  I’ve forgotten so many of those moments, but I remember saying it.

Photo by Jan Ranft on Unsplash

When I was older yet, I wanted a potion to keep my son young and innocent and safe.  I still want that potion.  Especially as he traverses the horror that life can be when things go awry.  I want to wave a magic wand and make it better. 

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Jes’s Cranberry Sauce

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Step One:  Buy a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries.  Follow the directions on the back. You’ll need sugar and water and a pan and a stove. That’s it Takes 15 minutes if you dawdle.  Pour into the turkey shaped tiny soup tureen reserved for cranberries.  Put the lid on and chill.

OR

Get curious about cranberry recipes that you see on the Internet that involve orange, cinnamon, and ginger.

Step One:  Solicit recipes on Facebook for tried and true.  Never mind that you loathe cranberries.  You love ginger, cinnamon and orange together.  Besides, your mother loves cranberries.

Step Two:  Enjoy the comments from people who are in one of three camps:  loathe cranberries, love Ocean Spray canned sauce with the ridges they use to guide sliced portions, or make sauce from scratch the way grandma did.

Step Three:  Buy a bag of cranberries, cinnamon sticks, a knob of ginger, and a bag of oranges – the great big really pretty orange ones that look good in a cobalt blue bowl, Hyperventilate at the register over the cost. 

Step Four: Send Jes a private message asking for clarification on her recipe.  Wait for her response.

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Resolutions

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I pretty much make them every year with varying levels of real intention to follow through – New Year’s Resolutions. I am rarely successful. Almost never. Once. I can think of one time I kept my resolution – sort of. 

In the years leading up to 2008, I found myself watching Law & Order in one of its iterations, the original, SVU, Criminal Intent, Dastardly Defendants, etc. on one channel or another all the flippin’ time. If I was home, the tv was on and tuned to Law & Order on some station somewhere. I had a satellite at the time. I could get Law & Order 24/7. Yes. Yes, I could.  

Slowly, I realized it was making me a different person – more suspicious, adopting the view that the world is a terrible place where terrible things happen all the time, where there are no good guys. Still, my addiction held sway. It was like looking at a car wreck when you drive by. Just couldn’t help myself. 

So, armed with the slogan Great in Oh Eight!, I vowed no more Law & Order. I was serious about this although my track record for keeping resolutions was zilch. Still, hope was triumphant. 

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