Tuesday Tips and Chocolate Chips: When the Going gets Tough

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
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When the going gets tough, the tough bake cookies.
ME
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Yes, I’ve been baking my Christmas cookies. Yesterday, I took the first batch over to McKinney Fire Station 5, as I have since we moved here in ’04. Firefighter Dave Paranteau answered the door and welcomed me. I asked if I could see their Christmas tree, and was delighted when I saw that all the ornaments I had painted over the years were prominently displayed.

Dave and I ended up chatting for about half an hour. Turns out he is a graphic designer and we exchanged art, painting, and creative stories. That is, until the alarm sounded and a call came in. Dave said he’d try and make it to a McKinney creative Community gathering sometime.

Well, that was yesterday. Today was a tough day. It’s Christmas Eve and my mind and spirit are not in a very happy place. I went to my 8:30 Zumba class in the morning and wiggled and jiggled out a lot of frustration. Then, there was an even tougher afternoon. When I finished feeling sorry for myself, I took out the huge bowls of cookie dough and started baking cookies. Thus, when the going gets tough…

The holidays can be wonderful or they can be difficult, but one thing is always true. If you hold Christmas in your heart, love in your soul, and you know there are people out there that care about you, everything will be OK. Share your love AND share your chocolate chip cookies. Merry Christmas!