It was the fall of 1997. Gusts of wind were swaying the trees left and right and I watched them over my left shoulder as they waved goodbye to the stillness of suburban summer. It was my last first day of preschool and my mother was walking me across the parking lot to the line that formed outside the doors of my school. It was tradition on the first day to show up in your best, most colorful outfit. Hair all neatly brushed. Shoes double-knotted. Velcro if you were cool. All the kids would stand in line with their friends anxiously waiting for the school bell to ring and the doors to come swinging open. But before we were to run through the halls and into our new classroom, moms were taking pictures on 90’s film cameras to commemorate the day. I darted my eyes looking for my best friend Madison so that we could take a picture together. Then my mom broke the news. “Cailee…Madison doesn’t go to your school anymore remember? Why don’t you find another friend to take a picture with?” My stomach dropped. Another friend? I looked around at the sea of kids smiling and posing for pictures, finding no one I would label as “a friend.” My eyes broke out into tears.
I know, I know. Does the world really need another smoothie recipe? Yes, yes it does. Why? Because smoothies are so easy to make and can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes flat if you plan ahead. Not only that, but smoothies are cheap! I whirled this one in a blender I got on Craigslist for $20. Let’s get to the goodness.
I am absolutely one of those people whose bookshelf is filled to the brim with 50% unread material. Yet I continues to make lists of books that I MUST read day in and day out. My mind tends to grab on to and obsess over a certain subject for weeks at a time but the novelty wears off and I’m on to the next subject. NO MORE! Here is my 2017 checklist of what I will be feeding my brain(and mastering!) in the new year.