One Blue Day

What do you do when feeling lonely and tired... Me, I run to Starbucks for a Mocha Cappuccino and enjoy it while updating my laptop computer. I also spend a little time puttering around the web. Many weekends I might go fishing and hope nothing bites. Sometimes I just go hiking and exploring on mountain trails or just for a walk through the woods.

I'm still alone, but seeing the vast beauty of the world makes me feel better and more attached. Many times something kinda dumb goes through my mind and I find out that is what was bothering me. More often than not I find that loneliness comes from inside, not out.

Spending time away from the daily routine and not being bothered with all the stuff that needs done, will allow me to peer inside my mind. Though many may find it hard to believe, there is more than cobwebs in there... Sometimes I will find a memory that I didn't even know I had from a conversation and that is what's bothering me. Other times I will find a memory from way back in the past has surfaced and needs dealt with.

On Thursday I was feeling lonely and a little blue. I needed to get some updates and do a little shopping. I went to Starbucks and while there it was near dead. Only four other people in the place! Some came and ordered then immediately left, but the few that were there were busy chatting or seemed to into what they were doing to be interrupted by some old fool who just wanted to talk.

While I was enjoying my drink and spending some time being bored with the internet, I was thinking about dinner. So when I left there I went to one of the stores I needed to stop at and got what I needed there. I then went to the grocery store and picked up two pounds of ground sirloin, a bell pepper and a cubanella pepper along with a few other groceries I needed.

When I got home I mixed up a cranberry salad I like. It consists of a 12 oz. bag of Craisins dried cranberries, a can of crushed pineapple, and half a bag of miniature marshmallows. I mixed them up in a bowl and then refrigerated them for about an hour and a half. Then folded in a container of cool whip.

The recipe I have calls for fresh cranberries, but try and find the during the summer. It also says to chop them up, but the Craisins are small so I don't. The recipe also says to add a cup of sugar before refrigerating but I find that to sweet for my taste.

While that was chillin in the fridge, I chopped up half of the cubanella pepper and half of the bell pepper. I put that into a bowl and added about a teaspoon of black pepper and about a quarter teaspoon of salt. I then put the ground sirloin in the bowl and mixed it all up real well. Then I covered the bowl and left that sit in the fridge until my son got home from work.

I filled the charcoal starter and set it on the grill until he got home. When he arrived I started the grill and then mixed the cool whip in the cranberry salad. Well all but two huge bites... Then made two nice big pepper steaks and tossed them on the grill. After they were done and on the plates we both still added some of our favorite hot pepper sauce. Franks for the inquiring minds...

That made a kinda easy, super tasty and very refreshing meal for a really hot summers day.

It not only put a smile back on my face but added a big satisfied smile to the face of a hard working son after a hot day.

Treat yourself to something you love this weekend even if you are alone. It can add a smile to your face just like it did ours!

If ya can, stop back and let me know what you did for you this weekend! I would love to hear.