Grateful doesn't cover it.

My good friend, blogger, TV and radio personality Sheletta Brundidge did me the biggest favor.  She drove down here from St. Paul with her 3-year-old pistol, I mean son, to speak to my Middle Schoolers about careers.  But she did more than that.  She talked to them about their DREAMS and their UNIQUE TALENT.  She told them that they each had something special to offer the world.  They listened to her, really listened to her, in ways I haven't seen in a while.

Then a few days later she was laid off from 107.1.!!!!  Her show has been replaced with a corporate package featuring The Gayle King show - yes, Oprah's best friend Gayle King!  Now why in the world some corporate egghead thinks that the Twin Cities would rather listen to Gayle King who doesn't know us, doesn't understand us, and never has to scrape ice and snow off her windshield just to get to work, is beyond me.  Sheletta was a local, who knew the local scene and the local buzz.  Crazy.

Remember my Steak ala Nonna?  I forgot to mention that the red wine I used was from dear friend MG.  Don't you think the label is appropriate??  I'm grateful for good humor and MG.  But I wish he'd add to his blog more often than every 6 months.

And finally feeling very very grateful that I'm not a migrant farm worker.  Last week I spent a few hours in the hot sun being swarmed by mosquitoes to pick a flat of red raspberries.  All the while I was thinking how lucky I could do this for fun, and that I could walk away whenever I wanted to and drive back to my air conditioned home.  Feeling sad that anyone would have to do this year round just to keep food in their children's bellies.

Also feeling grateful that my batch of low-sugar jam turned out pretty darned good.  Think I'll make more.