"An Eggs-Cellent Choice"...by Gina Waite

Do you see that look of excitement on my kids’ faces? I must admit…this picture was taken a few years ago, but their eagerness for the return of warm weather AND egg-dying antics is almost detectable in the air, even now! The Waite's Welcome Spring…and all the fun activities involving eggs! Which brings me to a most valuable question; how does one cook to perfection the perfect hard-boiled egg? Prepare yourself…you’re entering the Great Egg Debate!

When I was growing up, my Mom taught me this Better Homes and Gardens the boiling water, hard-boiled egg method. It ALWAYS worked fantastically for me, with several irritating drawbacks: The (1) bring eggs to a boil for 5 minutes, (2) cover for fifteen minutes, (3) pour off hot water and drench eggs in ice water (to avoid the greenish ring around the yoke) have ALWAYS seemed way too fussy for this A.D.H.D gal!

Unfortunately, for the past several years, the boiling water method was the ONLY technique I knew…so I thought I was stuck with it!!! ......ENTER Pinterest! An interesting blog's pinned recipe and recommendation for baking eggs appeared on my Pinterest home thread last Spring. The post instructed me to BAKE my eggs in a muffin pan at approximately 325° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes until a desired hard-boiled state was reached. Then dump them all into ice-water.

Hmmmmmmm…....when I read with delight the “no fuss-no muss” time-saving tips, I decided that even though my Mom’s method was tried and true, I would bake some eggs just to see if the hype was alright! Did it work…you may be wondering? Well, my friends, I can gladly put an end to the Great Egg Debate: both method’s of cooking “hard-boiled-inspired” eggs turned out absolutely perfect. But if you’d like a little less fuss and muss, try baking them this year…it’s an EGGS-CELLENT choice!!!

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Everday's An Opportunity...photo courtesy of Mike Terry

Wishes And A Four-Leaf Clover...by Jim Terry

Here we are on the verge of another spring.  I know that some of my friends and those of you who read our blog may disagree with me, especially the ones who were being plagued by old man winter on the east coast, but it really is just right around the corner.  March, for me at least, brings a lot of optimism.  It is a month where most of us spring forward, witness the luck of the Irish, when the spring equinox occurs and is my and my sister’s birthday.  We also ALL notice the warm breath of Mother Spring slowly melt away old Man Winter’s grasp with cool stuff like four-leaf clovers, tree leaf buds, the hint of green grass and every once in a while, I have even experienced a tulip emerge from a snow drift.  Don’t we all "wish" for an early spring?

Part of my excitement for March, especially as a young boy, also came from what we knew in Idaho as “kite month.”  Several of the stores would advertise for the arrival of all the newest and best kites. Ever since I was a child, I was always fascinated with flight and I guess this is part of the reason why March holds dear to my heart.  “Kite month” meant I was not only able to buy a kite but I was also able to FLY a kite.  So as most kids tend to do, I would try to save up my hard earned allowance and even ask for extra jobs around the house each year in order to earn enough money to get a kite.  We would generally coordinate this kite buying process with my birthday, which is the very last day of the month.  You have no idea how long that month was for me when I was a young boy.

“Kings” was the local hardware store in the town and had the best kite selection...at least I thought they did as a young boy.  I also remember thinking that it was weird the toys were always located in the basement.  Don’t they know, that in a kid’s world, they should be right inside the front door?  So with my Mom holding my hand as we descended the stairs and that very familiar scent of that store filling my lungs, I will never forget how patient and kind she was each and every year while I tried to pick out “the kite”.  You know the one? The one that was impeccable, cool and unflawed so it would be suitable for my needs...Finally, with lots of convincing and suggestions from my Mom, I would end up with the “perfect kite” each year. 

Upon remembering and pondering about some of these fun things I had experienced in my life, I was also then reminded of a method my Mom would use to keep me detained and busy for hours during the month of March. The reason why she would have to keep me busy is because if she did not, she would then be assaulted with the daily question of, “when are we going to the store to buy my kite?" 

As most of us know, a four-leaf clover is pretty hard to find.  So in her cunning ingenuity as a mother she would say, “If you can find and bring me a four-leaf clover, I will take you to Kings and we can get your kite early." I cannot tell you the amount of hours I spent trying to find the elusive four-leaf clover. If memory serves me correctly, I think I may have found one four-leaf clover in all of those years of searching.  

Just the other day, I found myself in a field of gold while hiking along the coast.  It easily stretched for over a half of a mile.  Upon closer inspection of this field of gold, I noticed that this vibrant effect was produced by non other than a yellow flower.  If you parted the upper canopy of yellow with your hand by simply pushing the flowers to the side, one would then witness the plant that used to torment me as a young boy…clover. 

As I stood there and experienced the warmth of the sun hitting my face, the faint smell of the sea being carried by a gentle breeze, and listened to the distant crash of the waves along the sandy beach, I couldn’t help but to take a trip back in time and become that happy-go-lucky boy again...the boy that had such elation and enthusiasm for such a simple thing as a kite...the boy that had an amazing Mother who was always excited to go to the store with him and finally that boy that peeked and glanced under the canopy of gold, even in his forties, in order to find that elusive four-leaf clover. 

And even though my efforts proved to be successful, for the second time in my lifetime by finding a four-leaf clover, I left it there...in nature. ...undisturbed ...unblemished ....perfect ...for possibly another young boy or girl to stumble upon, run home to their Mom and say, "Look what I found" and allow them to dream...hope...and WISH! 

Happy Spring and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos at our residence..."In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.

B.Y.O.S....by Mike Terry and Anthony J.D'Angelo

Dedicated to our Mother, Marlene Terry, who provided light and sunshine for everyone she knew!

~photo courtesy of Mike Terry

Tribute...by Jim and Marlene Terry

trib·ute (trĭb′yo͞ot) n.

1. A gift, payment, declaration, or other acknowledgement of gratitude, respect, or admiration

In light of recent news, we felt it was an appropriate time to STOP and take a moment to pay tribute to a person that many of us know…Leonard Nimoy.  If you have seen the news or been online at all, you will know that what is “trending” right now is his recent passing at the age of eighty-three.  Most of the tweets I have read about his passing are in awe and respect of this great entertainer and actor that most of us know.  When I heard of his passing, I too thought of the great respect­ and admiration I have for this man and his ability to entertain us, but I must also admit that I smiled…now don’t get mad at me too quickly for being honest with you about, what appears to be, an inappropriate gesture because it has a much deeper meaning for me…let me explain.

There once was a young woman who was in her early twenties in 1966.  This young woman, also being an aspiring author/columnist and a mother of two young girls, had heard about the debut of a new television program named “Star Trek.” This show premiered just one day after her birthday on the 8^th of September.  Well as the story goes, this young mother faithfully tuned in every week of the three seasons this program was broadcast.  Throughout those years and in spite of the crying children, the diaper changes and other motherly duties during that time, this young mother grew to "LOVE LOVE" the battles, the actors and the new frontiers she was able to experience and enjoy while watching James T. Kirk, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and of course Spock!

This young woman I speak of, THE BIGGEST TREKIE FAN EVER, was my Mom.  Have you ever had a crush on a movie star or a band?  Would you, at one point in your life or another, do ANYTHING to have met them? My Mom was no different when it came to the actors of Star Trek. I remember several times during my Mom’s lifetime when she would say, “I’m going to meet them one day.”  Well on the 27^th of February 2015, my Mom was finally able to meet Leonard, give him the Vulcan salute and say, “live long and prosper” #LLAP. (Not sure they have hashtags in heaven but I did that for our younger audience so we could still be cool. And besides that, this is what is "trending" right now.) J

Now back to my before mentioned smile…my smile obviously was produced not from the loss of a great entertainer, but only because my Mom was finally able to meet one of her idols…and knowing my Mom, she was FIRST IN LINE! 

So in quiet silence and respect for his family, friends and the great man, director, producer, writer and actor we all knew as Spock a.k.a. Leonard Nimoy, I will kindly direct you to “THEE” tribute entitled “It’s The Crew” from one of his biggest fans ever…my Mom.

And one final thought from Leonard himself posted on his twitter page…

“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”

Thanks Leonard for all the memories! ...Oh and by the way, they WILL BE "preserved." 

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos at our residence..."In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.

"I Am A Solar-Powered Person"...by Gina Waite

I love the sun! I love the light it provides and the warmth from its rays! It’s about this time EVERY year that I long to bask in the sun’s beams as I wait in my car to pick up my children, or lye on my bed with my face in the early morning rays as it shines in through the windows. I am happier, more energetic and filled with a solution-oriented attitude when I’m able to get in my much needed absorption of Vitamin D from the sun….it’s taken me years of understanding but have recently come to the realization that I am a Solar-powered person.

It’s a lovely thing to be solar-powered person…when the sun is out you’ve got the world by the tail…but it doesn’t come without it disadvantages. For example, not every day is sunny! I remember when I first discovered I was so sun-dependent. Sitting on my couch in the middle of the humdrums of winter and very low in spirits, my first born ran into the room and started dancing around happily. When I asked him why he was so happy, he responded, “I just decided I was going to be happy and I did it!” Eureka!!! What a concept!!!! My son taught me then and there that void of any sun…I could make a personal decision to be happy AND I saw the light!

Terri Guillemets said, “Sometimes just looking up and seeing the light is enough,” and I’m so glad my little boy taught me that very concept on that day! So here’s to all the solar-powered people out there…when those skies are gray for several days and your solar power battery is running on low…Remind yourselves that until the sun returns…you MUST make a decision to be happy! Look for the good in others, serve others with a willing heart and try to ALWAYS be kind…these efforts in my decision to be happy sustain me while I wait for the sun to come back out…as I have come to realize, I am a solar-powered person!

*Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence..."In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.

Overwhelmed...by Mary Hazlett

So the other day, I was at one of my million of doctor's appointments that are scheduled for me at this point in my pregnancy....only 3 and a little weeks left... that is if I make it...and foolishly I picked up one of those pregnancy magazines.  On the front there was a beautiful woman with a perfectly round belly with no stretch marks devoid of cellulite and a smile on her face.  Inside the magazine, there was an article titled "Getting ready for baby".... sounded intriguing since I am almost there and this is baby #3 for me and although a pro, I might have forgotten something.  Okay, usual checklist of diapers, clothes, car seat, blah blah blah....and finally "a list of to dos before baby arrives".

Okay, so I decided to take the challenge to make a list of to dos.  I began most enthusiastically knowing the first things on my list were already completed so I could immediately check them off. Then the momentum began to slow to till it hit the wall.  Nearly four pages of to dos later... I began to cry.  "This is ridiculous", I said aloud as my two year old repeated that same phrase.

Let's recap what has happened in the last little bit in my life:  moved in with Dad to give him a retirement,  send husband on a 90 minute commute instead of a 2 minute commute to and from work, max out financially to make space for us with Dad, have a surprise pregnancy (not knowing till I was 10 weeks along and I was really ticked I missed 10 weeks of entitlement), register my kid for preschool (which is quite serious over here...I almost thought that I was trying to get him into college), go to the YMCA to try to keep my sanity, complete my church responsibilities, caulked and sanded trim for many hours while I am in the ninth month of pregnancy, painted the trim and walls for a 600 square foot addition while in the ninth month of pregnancy, catching the flu and peeing my pants with every cough, moving Dad out to live with new wife, moving back in all our things,  and all of this while weathering the awesome comments of "Are you sure there is only one baby in there", "Aren't you like 24 months pregnant", " Do you really think you are gonna make it", and my favorite, "You look miserable"!  (At least I have an excuse, what is yours lady!)

This stupid magazine said that there is usually a list of 43 things that a mom-to-be would have on her list..............Mine was more like 43 million!!!

So, I crumpled up the list, opened the garbage can, and dunked it like Michael Jordan!  Went back to my clean paper and wrote at the top:

1.  Stop taking advice from magazines, especially ones with perfect looking people on them.

That was the beginning and end of my list!  Time for me to be gentle on myself and just be proud of the accomplishments made.  (Which today's number one accomplishment is that I have not yet peed my pants or farted....unintentionally!)


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