Here at The Coop, a lot of news and information comes over the transom at all hours of the day and night.  I process most things efficiently, filing them into the appropriate mental compartments.  Bernard Saint’s birthday was filed in the “Tuesday” folder; an idea for a blog post went into the “next week” folder.  Even though I don’t have anyone to chat with during the evening and early morning hours, most thoughts and feelings find their way to the right place—unless they don’t.

Early yesterday morning, while I was shipping my blog post, some unpleasant information sailed in through social media, catching me off guard.  It was shocking and I not only had to wipe a little tear from the corner of my eye, I had to go blow my nose and wash my face.  I composed my thoughts and then banged out a long e-mail diatribe to my friend Samantha Van Hopper.

I had to get up and blow my nose again, too.

Just when I thought I had compartmentalized the information, Nat King Cole’s voice came through the early morning AM radio crackles:

“Smile, though your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking…”

If my mother has said this line to me once, she has said this to me one hundred times.  In deference to both Nat King Cole and Helen, I plastered a smile on my face and started my day.

Things started getting better almost immediately.  I made quick time to the office, I didn’t have any voice mail messages waiting, and things were clipping right along.  At mid-morning, I got an e-mail response to my diatribe that made me literally laugh out loud it was so funny.  After lecturing me as only my oldest friend Samantha can do, she reminded me of the folly of repeating past mistakes with her own unique translation of Proverbs 26:11:

“You can’t go back and eat the vomit, girl.”

For those who don’t have any barfing dogs, the verse says “as a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” (KJV)

This was good advice and since we were having lunch brought in at work, I didn’t want to ruin my appetite.

At the end of the day, the very best nugget of news came in through an internet ad.  According to Neiman Marcus, the color orange is “the new neutral” this spring.  This stunning piece of fashion data opened up a whole new window of colorful opportunity for the Moxie Recipe Contest.  I started having visions of orange gift bags for each entrant, orange-striped chef’s hats for the judges, and orange polka dot aprons for runners-up.  I’d decorate the stage with pots of orange marigolds, nasturtiums, and zinnias and everyone would have either an orange corsage or a boutonniere.  Driving home, I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

The possibilities were endless and I couldn’t be happier!