Chicken and Walnut Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Good News!

Let's eat first!!!!!

I vowed that once I got past Labor Day, I'd eat more carefully because honestly, ice cream just tastes so darned good in the summer!!!!

So Tuesday night I was on my own. I grabbed an individually quick frozen chicken breast from the humongous "Sam's Club" bag, defrosted it in my new microwave because my old one (which was only four years old, for heaven's sake!!!!) DIED A SORRY DEATH last week....

And then I cut off anything questionable or nasty from the chicken breast....

And grilled it with garlic and herb seasoning....

I built a typical Ruthy-salad with half a bag of broccoli slaw, some halved grapes, a couple of handfuls of walnuts, a couple of ounces of cut-up extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used the Seriously Sharp variety from Cabot Cheese, oh my stars, I love that stuff!!!)

And then when the chicken was done, I took half of it (wisely saving some for today!!!) and layered it over the salad, topped with Marie's Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing and DONE.....

Dave was working and I kept my pledge of reconnecting with raw and healthy even though there was FUDGE calling my name....

sigh.

And for our last day of summer before kids went back to school, we had this:

From the time Taylor was tiny, she was okay with praying mantises crawling on her!!!! #lovethiskid !

And then this is where we keep the babies now, at least until we can upgrade the kitchen!!!

How stinkin' cute is he???? Hey, Finn! How's it goin', Bud?????

And look at how happy my rhubarb patch is now that I've dug it up, separated them, and replanted, then mulched them??????  Did you ever see happier rhubarb?????

Let me just say, it was feeling sorely neglected. But not anymore!!! Happy dancing rhubarb!!!!

And then there was the matter of a sweet e-mail I received saying that my essay "Mary's Girl" is slated to be part of Chicken Soup for the Soul "The Power of Forgiveness", due out on December 16, 2014!

And do you think it was a coincidence that the e-mail came on the twentieth anniversary of my mother's death?

I think not! "Mary's Girl" is a beautiful essay that helps us cling to the goodness and joy surrounding us even during times of darkness and/or evil. Grabbing hold of faith, hope and love is clutch in matters of the heart, mind and body. Forgiving isn't just divine, it's plain good for us!

I'm thrilled to be part of this collection!. Oh, God is good.... and when our gentle words and lifesong lessons can be shared to help others, isn't that the best thing ever?????

Which means I might have to celebrate, right??????  :)

(I am clearly using this fun news as an EXCUSE to already break my eating healthy pledge. I am a weak, sniveling person who loves cake, cookies and fried apple pie....)

Mmm..... fried apple pies.

I think we need to make those soon!

Here's a picture my niece Josette shared on facebook. It's a picture of my mom (holding Josette) and dad about 35 years ago...

Honestly, while my mother would be very proud of my publishing success, she would be heartbroken to read "Mary's Girl". Mentally she erased those long years of darkness as she aged. An accomplished actress in her own right, she was able to play a whole new part in her later years. And that's okay.

I would have never written this soulful reminder if she was still with us, but if one person gets helped by reading "Mary's Girl".... or one person feels uplifted, knowing God's plans go far beyond that of mere mortals....

That's the best gift I could have ever given her!

Ruthy