HAPPY FRIDAY!

5 For Friday February 3 | Faded Background

Greetings happy people and h-e-l-l-o Friday –

Hope your week was just what you wanted it to be and are looking forward to a little something cool coming up this weekend.

I also hope you have seen or been a Daymaker this week! We’re out there and our numbers are growing. It’s such a positive, happy experience/feeling every single time it happens.

Four fun pics to check out:

#1 My 2-year-old Christmas cactus is blooming. Gift from Stacy – friend and hair stylist extraordinaire. thanks Stac!

#2 Coolest Women’s room entrance EVER. Like walking thru a magic garden portal.

#3 California Turkey Sandwich at Mo’s Italia Express, Cedar Hill, Tx. Hands down my favorite sandwich locally. It’s So. Darn. Good. Recipe for assembling it is this episode’s recipe. Yumm-o

#4 A sunburst of magnets waiting to go home with buyers and happy-up their fridges.

Dear Annie dishes out some great wisdom (as always) in today’s column.

Music to your ears – 5 hand picked songs to kick back and enjoy. Hope you can clear a spot of time to give it a listen.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the read.

QUICK QUESTION

FATE OR FREE WILL?

DEAR ANNIE
By Annie Lane

GIFTS GO UNAPPRECIATED — AGAIN

Dear Annie:

Each year, I send my sister’s three adult children gifts. The youngest does not thank me unless prompted. My two questions are: Isn’t this rude? And should I cease sending her a gift?

Since we live in different states, I usually text all three sisters to let them know something is on the way.

For the last few years, I have not gotten a response from the youngest unless I basically poke and prod, asking if it was received. Year after year, I tell myself I won’t get her anything the following year because she simply comes off as unappreciative. I really don’t think I should be asking repeatedly if my gifts for her arrived.

In 2022, she got married. She had a small civil ceremony, so extended family wasn’t included; however, we were informed there would be a larger ceremony once she’s done with school — maybe 2023 or 2024. That being said, I didn’t send a wedding gift but figured instead I wold commemorate their joyous occasion by sending a personalized gift for their first Christmas as a married couple.

I ordered something simple but had it personalized with their names and wedding date. The gift was shipped. I informed my niece it wold be on the way but heard nothing back. The gift was delivered — no word. I texted and said the gift should be delivered and, without spoiling the contents of this gift, asked that they just let me know it got there, thinking they’d open it on Christmas. No word for a full 24 hours.

During this time, my sister let me know a gift was arriving for my 12-year-old daughter and to let me know when it arrives. This was my opportunity to9 state that I had texted her daughter but had not received a response about the gift I sent. Fifteen minutes later, my niece te4xts “thank you” and nothing else. To which my reply was, “I don’t want to spoil the contents but I hope it’s pretty.” Keep in mind< I didn’t see this gift in person and have no idea if it’s even spelled right. So it’d be great to hear how it is. And her reply was, “We opened it last night and it’s beautiful.

So I texted asking if you received this gift — you did, you even opened it — but you neglected to call and thank me?

Annie, I am deeply hurt. It wasn’t expensive, it wasn’t laid in gold or something out of the ordinary, but it was personalized, and it was sent to her.

Should I officially stop sending her gifts now? — Tired of Asking

Dear Tired of Asking:

No, you should not stop sending her gifts. It is understandable that you are hurt, but you are setting a lot of expectations of exactly how you would like the gift to be received. Ask yourself why you gave her the gift. Was it to make her and her husband very happy, or was it to get a huge thank you and be acknowledged for all your hard work?

Imagine how much simpler it would be if you just accepted your niece for who she is and accepted the text as enough of a thank you and an acknowledgement. Your niece is not your child. You can remind your daughter to send a handwritten thank-you note, which I personally think is always a good idea. But your niece’s way of saying thank you in a text is her way of doing it, and you would be a lot happier if you just accepted her way.

CALIFORNIA TURKEY SANDWICH

Inspired by Sandwich of the same name Mo’s Italia Express

ON SOFT, ARTISAN BREAD ASSEMBLE SANDWICH AS FOLLOWS:

PESTO SPREAD ON ONE SIDE OF BREAD (find jarred pesto in the Italian sauce aisle at the grocery store)
SPRINKLE GRATED CHEESE ON PESTO (as in the grated cheese in the green can we’ve known for years sprinkling on pizza, etc.)
THIN SLICE GOOD QUALITY DELI PROVOLONE
COOKED THICK SLICE BACON
FRESH RIPE SLICED TOMATOES (Roma tomatoes work great)
MEDIUM THIN SLICED CUCUMBERS (think size of cucumber slices on a salad)
SPRING MIX SALAD
SLICED PICKLED JALAPENO (this doesn’t come on the sandwich at Mo’s but I got the insider tip from some of the employees there to add them and they’re delicious – if you like jalapenos, of course)

Serve with a personal bag of regular potato chips.