Face the fear?

Credit: Google Images

You’ve got to face your fear! I’ve heard this many, many times and yet I cannot face my fear. I’m limited by this terrible fear I have of dogs. I say it’s a phobia. My children tell me all the time that I need therapy. I agree. My friend, Pauline, over at The Contented Crafter, recently wrote about her cute and adorable pet puppy, Siddy and I am having fun with him from afar, but I know in my heart if we ever meet, I will close my eyes and cower behind Pauline or anyone or anything that would offer some measure of protection.

I’m often asked if I was bitten by a dog as a child. No. I was chased a few times and that scared me half to death. I don’t enjoy walking in the parks when owners have their dogs without a leash. If I’m invited to someone’s home, one of the first questions I ask, “Do you have a dog”? Hosts usually put their dog away when I visit, but I’m consumed with guilt the entire time and I want to leave as quickly as possible. Not a good way to have fun.

Many years ago, when my son was a baby, I pulled up on my driveway and as I got out of the car a little puppy came up to me. It startled me so much that I climbed on the roof of my car and waited there until a jogger passed by and took the puppy away. Thankfully, it was just about a minute, however, that minute felt like hours.

Another time, when I was a cashier, a customer’s dog (pets were not allowed in the store) came into my cashier register area and scared me so badly that I jumped over the grocery slide. I was ignited by fear.

The only time I was not scared of a dog was about six years ago when someone close to me was in a threatening situation and I was entirely focused on her safety.

I want to be able to pet a dog. I want to be able to have a puppy sit with me. I want to erase my fear of dogs!

Do you have an intense fear of anything?

Easy as Pie!

The last post I made was in September and it is now November. Now, this is what I call total neglect of my blog and the blogs I follow. What have been doing with my time? Busy? Yes. Busy doing what? What can I say? Life has been happening!

This week’s wordpress challenge is to write about pie.

As a child, my mom didn’t bake pies. She made the best sponge cakes and Christmas cakes. I can still see myself licking the batter off the spoon. Yummy! Mom baked her cakes in a box oven that she placed on top of our kerosene stove. It was a complicated process. I’ll have to get all the details from her and make write a separate blog post on our oven. Oh, I must say that a sponge cake is what folks in the USA will call a pound cake.

I learned about pies here in the USA. I have two favorite pies  –  key lime pie and pumpkin pie. I have never baked a key lime pie. My children and their friends love my pumpkin pie! Here is the recipe I use…it is as easy as pie! What is your favorite pie?

My dear readers, I look forward to hearing from you.

Credit: Bing Images

Simply Delicious Pumpkin Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine ingredients in large bowl, pour into shell, bake 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.