"From Silver Screens to Golden Truths"

Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. We have finally crossed the threshold into Fall, and cooler weather is on the horizon.

Happy Birthday to all of you who turned a year older this past week. And Happy Anniversary to you and your loved one for reaching another milestone year together.

Quote of the Week: “Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.” Faith Baldwin

Movie of the Week: In 1939, three profound movies were released. Each one, a different genre, left its indelible mark on movie history. One movie was Gone with the Wind. Another one was The Wizard of Oz. And the last one was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jimmy Stewart is an honest man who works well with the youngsters in his town. When the older senator in his state suddenly dies, the “establishment” quickly tries to find someone to take the senator’s place…someone they think they can control. Jimmy Stewart’s “Mr. Smith,” heads to the nation’s capital with stars in his eyes. He learns a hard lesson on whom he can trust, how he’s viewed by his “handler,” and how one person really can make a difference when sticking to what they believe in. (It was only as I sat here and typed this out that I realized the other two movies echo pretty much the same sentiment. Crazy, huh?)

Word of the Week: Doomscrolling. This is defined as being compelled to look at unhealthy amounts of social media like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc., thereby consuming loads of negativity.

Recipe of the Week: The tasty treat for this week, my preciouses, involves, you guessed it, potatoes. Deviled Potatoes, to be exact. This is like Twice-baked potatoes, but smaller.

What you’ll need:

2 pounds of small red potatoes

1 cup of sour cream, divided into halves

3 tbsp olive oil

½ cup milk

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 tsp chives

1/8 tsp paprika

An icing piping bag

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the potatoes for at least 30 minutes or until soft inside. Once cooled, cut the potatoes in half and carefully scoop out the insides, creating a small bowl. Next, mash the scooped-out potatoes, removing the lumps. Put ½ cup of the sour cream in a bowl, then add the milk, salt, and pepper, and mix until smooth. Take 6 crumbled slices of bacon and place them into the potato mixture, and 2 tsp of the chives. Stir completely. Then, using an icing piping bag, transfer the potatoes back into the skins. You can use a star icing tip to make them look especially dainty. After that, return them to the oven for about 10 minutes. Once finished, cool for 5 minutes. Place a dollop of sour cream, the rest of the bacon crumbles, the remaining chives, and a sprinkle of paprika.

Nugget of Wisdom for the Week: There is so much to unpack in the contents of today’s blog. From torches in the quote, making a difference where you are, no matter the external pressures, to losing your happiness to “doomscrolling.”

I strategically chose doomscrolling for this week’s nugget because it is like the proverbial two-edged sword. The good side, which is where I find myself doing this, is that someone can get many terrific ideas for recipes, crafts, or watching hilarious animal videos. My son doesn’t hesitate to let me know when I am laughing too loudly due to watching the silly antics animals often do. I have gotten many ideas for words to use in my novels, the need to try Deviled Potatoes (precious), and the latest tips on being a Christmas wrapping monster.

But the flip side to doomscrolling is that it is no surprise that the world is filled with negativity, sadness, and anger. While we should be aware of what is going on in the world, find that right moment to turn off the television or put down the cell phone.

We tend to take on the characteristics of what we consume internally. So, instead of sadness and negativity, we must think positively about the world around us. I’m not saying to be disconnected and uninformed, but to choose to be happy.

Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to everyone who has read my words at any time during the last four years. I sadly announce that this is my last blog contribution to the RiseUP Cooperative. I appreciate the trust Sandy (and the other board members), Debbie Hicks, and Angela Sparks have given me during this time. And a special shout-out to Morgan Calloway, who’s coming on board to handle the blog.  My wish for all of you RISERS is to know you matter. You show up and make a difference every day.

 Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!