This is Einstein… a contender for the record for smallest newborn horse.  Just some sweetness for a Monday morning…

This little guy brought back one of my favorite childhood memories.  Growing up, although we didn’t live on a farm, we always had horses.  When horse babies arrived, the deal was whoever saw it first got to claim it as their own.  My brothers ALWAYS beat me to it.  I’ll never forget the morning my dad woke me up way before school started and took me to the pasture so I could be the first to see a newborn colt.  He was less than an hour old and I was there to witness him stand for the first time on his wobbly legs and get his bearings.  That left a lifelong impression on me.  (cue Sarah McLachlan’s “Ordinary Miracles”)  BTW… my suggestion of calling him “Pudding” was voted down…

Rhubarb and ginger.  Well, rhubarb when it’s in Strawberry/Rhubarb Jam or my mom’s pie or cake … otherwise, let’s openly admit it, rhubarb really doesn’t have a significant place in our lives.  Until TODAY!  As I tore off the latest page from “The Cupcake Calendar” (a Christmas gift of sublime perfection from my radio sister Lisa Drew) I was awestruck by the featured cupcake for April 23.  Yes, Rhubarb and Ginger Cupcakes!  Whuuuuh??!!  Together?  Initially, it seemed wrong.  Now, I find myself out in the rhubarb patch willing it to grow!  I may break down and buy it frozen (available at Zehrs) because the waiting is the hardest part.  The calendar states the combination of rhubarb and ginger is “magnificent”.  I’m not going to argue.  Once I make them (and they pass the taste test) I’ll share the recipe… candied ginger in the frosting.  Do I have your attention?

Oh, and I peaked ahead to Monday’s cupcake… a variation of the Rhubard Ginger Cupcake but with CUSTARD.  Mmmm… cupcakes…  they are to me what donuts are to Homer.

“I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn.”  ~A Chieftan from Nigeria

My blog has been woefully neglected.  You know this.  I know this.  I have no good reason or excuse.  However, I DO have the best reason to get back to it… YOU!  You came through for the kids!!  You heard their stories, you heard their need and you responded.  You responded overwhelmingly and you never fail to amaze me.  I appreciate you and I thank YOU!

Have you watched that show on TLC?  I always think “there but for the grace of God…” I probably have pack rat tendancies but fight those tendancies like crazy!  So… I’m in a perpetual state of “purging” and love any and all organizational tips.  Found this at oprah.com  “Keep It or Toss It”

Get Your Trashbags Ready! Keep It or Toss It?

As you declutter, you’ll face this question over and over (and over) again. Our experts weigh in to help you decide.

By Catherine DiBenedetto

Toss it if…

1. You have twice as many as you need. Take inventory of your duplicate items. If you own enough spatulas and coffee mugs to supply a small diner, it’s time to shed a few.

2. It’s a gift you don’t love. “Sometimes when we give away a present, we feel like we’re giving away the person,” says Elsa Jewett, a feng shui consultant based in Denver. Remind yourself it’s just an object.

3. It’s not worth repairing. Search for similar items on eBay; if your item’s current value is less than the cost of repairing it (hello, broken printer from 2004), then toss and replace. Otherwise, give yourself a deadline. If you don’t get around to fixing the thing within six months, you can probably let it go.

4. Your gut says lose it. Don’t second-guess your instincts. “A lot of people worry they’ll have regrets,” says life coach Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things. “They’re afraid that one day they’ll need that exact thing. But 99 percent of the time you just don’t.”

5. You don’t know what it is. UPOs (unidentified plastic objects) get 30 days. If they’re still a mystery one month later, dump ‘em.

Keep it if…

1. It’s sentimental gold. “The more memorabilia you have, the less emotionally valuable each individual item becomes,” says Emily Wilska, an organization consultant in San Francisco. Instead of saving every card your beloved uncle ever sent, pick the one that captures his spirit best.

2. It fits your life today. Your possessions should support who you are right now, not the person you were five years—or five pounds—ago. Your ten-year-old LBD that still looks great? It stays.

3. You think it’s gorgeous (even if no one else does). Stuff that makes you smile—like the glittery clothespin reindeer your child made in third grade—doesn’t count as “clutter.”

4. You’d buy it again. It’s tough to be objective about your own belongings. So ask yourself, What would I do if I saw this in a store?

5. You’ll find a place for it. “Putting it back in a box is just predisposal,” says Erin R. Doland, author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week!! Any item worth keeping is worth creating a space for.

Where to donate all the things you’ve just gotten rid of (really, don’t just throw them away!)

Video: Declutter Your Coffee Table >

© 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Winter Olympics are over.  Will you go through withdrawal??  (It’s hard to remember what regularly scheduled programming is!) So many great moments and memories!!  Just to name a few, there were our gold medal hockey wins … Jon Montgomery’s gold medal celebration … Alex Bilodeau’s first ever gold on Canadian soil … Joannie Rochette’s inspiring performance …Virtue & Moir’s gold medal skate.  We have so much to be proud of !  14 gold medals… sweet!

Saw this today and thought I’d share it… NBC’s Brian Williams thanks Canada…

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/02/26/2213393.aspx

A word I made up after I viewed this trailer for the April return of “Glee”…

http://www.fox.com/glee/

It made my “Glee” emotions go crazy! 

I don’t remember the last time I wore mittens (they probably had strings on them)… but I love my new Olympic mittens!  They’re cheerful and patriotic (not to mention cozy) and just wearing them is giving me Olympic fever!  With just a week to go to the 2010 Winter Games, we’re hearing these mittens are becoming a little harder to find.  Zellers assures us they have another shipment coming today and, if you’re a Chym Fm Platinum VIP… check out the “Canada Prize Pack”… full of awesome Olympic gear! 

Have a happy weekend!

I didn’t even know what a “mashup” was until I started watching “Glee”… now I can’t stop loving them (if they’re done well)!  My good friend (and production genius) Dave sent me this one… OMG!!!  Keep this handy for every time you need a 5 minute dance party at your disposal!  (Christa, this means YOU!)  FUN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNzrwh2Z2hQ

The experts tell us today is, statistically, the most depressing day of the year.  I say that’s not true.  It’s all about perspective.  Find something that makes you happy!  THIS works for me!   

Thanks to Glenn Pelletier for improving my day!  AND Happy Birthday to Mark Messier!