Happy, happy, joy, joy! Hurry, hurry, bake, bake!

I heard a blue jay today!  The first one I've heard this spring, and just one day after I put out peanuts for them.  Whew.  I think I might survive the spring and summer now.

Today is whirlwind day at my house!  I'm having a Scentsy Open House tomorrow, so all of those things I've been procrastinating on are catching up with me.  I've already decided which ones to ignore and which ones I HAVE to deal with.  I've even decided where the last minute hiding of things will go!  I figure I'm pretty much on track then, right?  RIGHT!

The whirlwind part is in reality, baking.  It's about 5:30 p.m. and so far all I've made is a trip to visit Mom, a trip to the library, a trip to the grocery, a batch of saltine toffee, and some cake batter marshmallow treats.  Still have 2-3 batches of cookies and 2 batches of cupcakes to make.  Yes, I know I will have a TON left over, but I will take most of the leftovers to the staff at Friendship Village on Sunday, and then some to the day crew during the week.  I was also planning to make some special cupcakes next weekend for Easter Sunday, both for the staff and for family.

OK, so now it's time to start another batch of something!  I hope to get this post completed before 9 p.m. (I hate making goals, but do know it's sometimes important to have them!).

Jelly Bean Cupcakes . . . jelly beans inside, jelly beans outside.  YUM!

Getting ready to start the Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Cookies in a few, and then I will be finished.  Decided not to make another batch of cupcakes, and may or may not make some oatmeal cookies in the a.m.  We'll have to see how tomorrow a.m. goes!

Sorry I missed my 9 p.m. goal for finishing this (as if you're all waiting for the second I publish it!).  But I finished w/ the pics as quickly as I could (blame it on the photographer, not the baker).

I know full well that if I'd take care of some of the housekeeping items when I should, I wouldn't be in such a mess.  But then again, I seem to thrive on deadlines and being busy.  Everything I'm dealing with seems to be part of a creative process (trust me, I can get VERY creative in getting things out of sight; just ask the guys who helped move all of my crap out of the apartment I'd lived in for 17 years!).

Seriously considering putting a sign up on the front door that says:

"Welcome to Joy's Scentsy Spring/Summer Open House!

If you came to have fun and socialize, c'mon in;

If you want to inspect the house, please make an appointment.

PS:  Please do not write in the dust."

Housekeeping may not be my thing, but I think I'm pretty good on the hospitality portion.  Whatever it will be, it will be an adventure, and a learning experience.  That seems to be my mantra . . . I'm betting few of my friends or family are surprised by that.

Flashback

Earlier today, I posted a picture on my college alum group page on facebook.  It's not one of the better pics I took, but it is of the central point of campus.

The quality definitely could be better, and this is the scanned version of a very old picture.  But the memories it brings back are pretty vivid.  This is where I learned so much about life (laundry, sharing a room and a bathroom, working several jobs, and getting an education).

I went to a small Lutheran college in Ann Arbor, MI.  My freshman year at Concordia Lutheran College, Ann Arbor was the first year BAs were awarded (the college began as a 2 year college in 1963; the majority of students transferred to larger Lutheran colleges to complete their education).  My high school graduating class was approximately 600 students; the entire student population at Concordia my freshman year was approximately 600.

When I arrived at Concordia as a freshman, I was painfully shy and knew two people on campus.  I think I cried the first two weeks there, and then never looked back.  I was blessed to live in a dorm filled with wonderful Christian women each of my years Con-U (as we called it then), and was surrounded by people who encouraged (and sometimes dragged me into) my Christian growth.  Professors and staff members are very fondly remembered for the Christian example they lived.  By the time I finally graduated, I had been editor of the yearbook, Resident Assistant, worked on the Campus Security Department, and had worked three summers on campus in a variety of roles.

It has been amazing to get back in touch w/ many of my fellow students via facebook.  We've shared stories of the crazier things we did as students, helped other friends re-connect, prayed for each other, and helped get information from the right source at the right time.  It's been a few decades since I've seen some of these beautiful lights in my life, but almost without exception, we've picked up as if there had been no interruption.  Not where we left off, but where we each are now, recognizing we are not the same 22-23 year olds who were sure they knew everything, but more experienced in both blessings and sadness and aware of the millions of things we don't know.

Am I idealizing the situation?  Maybe a little, but not much.  I hear the refrain from one of Michael W. Smith's songs almost every time I visit the alum group page . . . Friends ARE friends forever If the Lord's the Lord of them . . .