Fair Weather Meals

Do your meals mirror the weather?  Our menu plans often reflect many things - quick meals on busy nights, special dinners for certain occasions, and yes, even meals based on the temperature outside.

There's not much better on a chilly evening than a hot bowl of comfort.  Whether it be a soul-warming soup or the hug from a casserole, we love nothing more than sitting in front of the fireplace to enjoy dinner as a family.  Just the same, our bellies are also happy when we can dust off the grill, especially in February.  The beautiful temperatures we've had of late have led to many grilled dinners.  I'm already longing for dusting off the deck and opening up Blair's Bistro. 

Yesterday, we shared our first picnic of 2012!  It was a great way to celebrate Leap Day.  Our Extra Day didn't begin as I'd planned.  Tornado sirens became our alarm clock and instead of waiting at the table for the bus, we were covered in blankets and pillows waiting out the storm.  Rather than a surprise family breakfast, we had day-old donuts huddled in the hall.  Our morning was stressful, a bit scary and certainly full of prayers.

I spent the rest of the morning trying to catch up and many of the "extras" I'd hoped to do didn't get done.  Feeling a little defeated on the ride home, but enjoying the sunshine through my windshield, an idea hit me for the family.  Wednesday night dinners are normally short and sweet, as we have church.  Still, I wanted some type of Extra Day celebration to share with them.  Picnic, anyone?

A quick swing into our favorite bakery for speciality cupcakes and a call to hubby set the plan in action.  Rounding the kids up early and into the car, they both questioned, "What's for dinner?" but I wouldn't say.  Noah eventually noticed my coupon for KFC and Tina mentioned it was a little different, since we never eat inside their restaurant.  With a grin, I pulled into the drive-thru. 

Turning left instead of right back onto the highway, they were thoroughly confused, as I guess they figured we would just return home to eat.  Arriving at the fairgrounds, they quickly realized we were having a picnic!  Racing to the top of the hill, we celebrated our Extra Day over chicken legs.  It was windier than I'd prefer but we soaked up what was left of the sunshine - and the day - grateful for the extra time together.

An Extra Day

Who doesn't wish for more hours in a day?  I would guess Moms especially mutter this, as they juggle caring for their children, keeping up with the house, and especially for those with an added ball in the air who work outside the home.  Life is busy.  We all long for more time...an extra day.

But what would you do with that extra 24 hours?  How would it best be spent, if only it magically appeared?  Maybe it would be nice to have an extra day just for ourselves...to be pampered, to relax, to rejuvenate.  As someone who longs for energy most every day, I could certainly daydream of many me-centered activities.  Unless you've preplanned the upcoming extra day (aka Leap Day) though you may have few options to prepare something for yourself, like a day off.

So, how can you make the most of it?  As you might guess, this happy little blog would suggest something JOY-centered.  Perhaps you can make a donation to a charity, adopt a pet, invite someone to church, call a friend who's had a difficult time, the opportunites are endless!

For me, JOY often involves doing something for others.  Seeing someone smile, or making their day, returns to me tenfold.  And that's how I choose to spend my "extra day" this year.  It will be random, in the moment, acts of kindness.   But I'm opening myself up now to seek them out, to look a bit harder for them, and hopefully for a few needs to find me.

Our family has set aside time each year to remember our son, Austin, on his angelversary in this same way.  This past year we moved from one day to an entire month.  Those RAK days for him were amazing, and with each act, we could feel him shining down on us.  We know the world can use kindness each and every day though... maybe even a little more on an extra day.

At the end of this extra day, I plan to do something special for my family too (thinking cap on).  Because, in the end, we all wish for just a little more time with the ones we love.  Just one more day to say I love you.  I for one am pretty grateful at the thought of an "extra day" on the calendar with them this 2012.

What's on your schedule Wednesday?  Share your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations for how you plan to spend your extra day....

Also posted on Living Well Wednesday