Each and every day I endeavor to be efficient. I live to make the best use of my time! So, a few weeks ago I volunteered to bring food for Fellowship Time between Sunday School and Worship for tomorrow. I knew what I wanted to make and planned out my times to make them. A batch of Jack O' Lantern Jumble, mini pumpkin muffins and homemade cinnamon rolls. I decided that I'd make a batch of the snack mix mid-week as a treat for Mr. G (and for Lucy Ann who was coming to spend the night on Friday). I had an extremely busy day on Wednesday (three scheduled medical procedures: bone density scan, mammogram and vascular ultrasound, all strategically scheduled to maximize efficiency, of course!) and I decided to make that first batch on Thursday when we were at home having the wood-stove insert installed in our fireplace. (This was more of an energy efficient move on our part, but efficient nonetheless!) So, I gathered all the ingredients on the countertop (I've made this for years on end!) and got ready to make up the Jack O' Lantern Jumble-- could I find my recipe? No! I am organized; my physical, printed, recipes are relegated to folders placed alphabetically: "appetizers, beverages, breads/coffee cakes, breakfast foods, cookies/brownies, desserts"... you get the picture. I was on a wild goose chase searching for the recipe and, all the while, wasting time! Grrrrrr. Let me tell you, these occurrences get the best of me! Finally, I found the recipe, folded and tucked behind another (???) in "appetizers". Why there? Who knows?!! I need a "snack" file.
I clipped this from the old Country Threads "Goat Gazette" newsletter some 20 years ago*. Needless to say, as soon as I found it I made up a batch for the countertop in preparation for a second batch today. 
The woodstove insert installation went much more efficiently. It's just been too warm to try it out yet.
So, early this morning I got up to make the dough for the cinnamon rolls. Again, my tried and true recipe eluded me. I was completely defeated. Mr. G. asked me what I was searching for. When I told him he swiftly dove into my recipe files and handed me exactly what I was looking for! When I asked him where he found it he responded "breads/coffee cakes". "Oh", I responded, "I'd forgotten it was in a page protector". That's true, I did. I'd already been through that file twice. 🙄 Okay, so being efficient and being effective are two completely different things. I might just need to rework my system! Let me tell you a second thing: the kitchen smelled heavenly while those cinnamon rolls baked this morning!
*Interestingly: Country Threads posted this recipe on their "Chicken Scratch" blog this past week!
Life is Good!
