Getting organized. . .

You know - blogging is kind of like talking to yourself, but you can actually look back if you forget what you said.

Not just because I have wonderful company coming, but because I am a very messy worker, I am spending a couple days reorganizing and cleaning my studio. It is funny - what used to take me 4 hours to do, now takes 8 hours - or else I am just much more thorough. That is what I would rather believe.

I rarely watch TV during the day and watch only specific programs when I do. I had gotten into the habit of having it on for "background noise only" - but found it was detrimental to my creativity. So I now listen to music. That said - this morning, I turned it on to enjoy a cup of my wonderful new "homemade latte" - more on that later - and Rachel Ray was on. I don't watch Rachel Ray more than once a month and then it is unplanned like this morning. Her guest this morning was Peter Walsh. He has a new book out, "It's All Too Much". They shared one tip on the show from the book called the "trash bag tango". And this was within the first 10 seconds after I turned it on. No, I don't believe in coincidence - I believe everything happens as it is meant to so I should listen. And, listen I did. Give everyone in your house two bags for ten minutes each day. Go all over wherever and in one bag, fill it with garbage and in the other bag, fill it with donations for thrift type stores. So simple - and that is what Bob and I will be doing in the house. And, I am going to do that in my studio each morning - only I am going to have three bags - one for trash, one for donation, and one for sale.

Now about the good "homemade latte". I don't want another machine on my counter of any kind. So, no capucino machine for me - but I want a nice hot latte experience once a day or so and I live out in the country so I don't want it so badly that I will drive 10 miles to get it. I have tried putting regular coffee in the cup and then adding some skim milk with flavoring - poor. I don't like the creamer flavorings much. Monday I decided to heat a half cup of milk - add one teaspoon of good instant coffee - heat a bit more - add a little flavoring - poor in my favorite red cup - fill with boiling water (less than half a cup) and - Wow! I am impressed - it is really good!