Friendships are food for the soul

Chocolate Mouse Cake

When is a mouse actually a mousse?

Last week one of my friends gave me a mouse in a plastic bag, Yes, a good friend. And, no, it wasn't a real mouse. It was a slice of chocolate heaven!

The chocolate cake was shaped like a dark brown mouse, and decorated with white frosting for the eyes and nose, and a curly squiggle of white for the tail. It was cute and made me smile.  But I didn't know what was waiting for me as I broke through the chocolate coating. My fork slid through the filling like a dream. No effort required. The minute the cake touched my lips, I realized it was a cake like no other. An exquisite blend of chocolate mousse drenched in moist chocolate liqueur. It simply melted in my mouth, and me along with it. A couple of fork fulls of this mousse, and it was gone.

Wow! I don't think I would have tried this if my friend hadn't shared this delightful dessert with me.

I don't really cook. I have a few tried and true recipes, but cooking is not my passion.  I like baking, but in my small kitchen there isn't much counter space to roll out dough. So, I appreciate good food and the time and talent of others to make it.

Only a few days later, I was pleasantly surprised again, when my neighbor brought me some pastry she had made. No ordinary pastry either. Instead, it was a tasty baked roll that evokes memories of what my Mom and grandma once made. And, delicious, too. My neighbor included a few varieties in my favorite flavor, which I had mentioned to her just once in passing.  I was touched that she remembered what I liked.

It's a great feeling when our good friends know what we enjoy.  Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves! And, it's a beautiful thing when we can give them that in return. That's the icing on the cake. It's kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness. It comes from the heart. And, that's what really matters. From our close friends, it's the friendship brightly shining through. That's REAL food for the soul!

And now, if you're hungry for Chocolate Mousse Cake, here's the Food Network's recipe for Almost-Famous Chocolate Mousse Cake. Enjoy, and share it with a friend!

The first thing you need to know

No surprise to see two smiley faces here. The blog Positively Maggie will have a positive spin

Well here we go... It's finally launch day for my blog, Positively Maggie! I've been talking about writing a blog for at least a year, but the truth is...I first thought about doing this 12 years ago.  I was throwing out old papers recently, and was shocked to find I had clipped an article about blogging in 2005. Well, that's how life goes for many of us, isn't it? We really want to do something, then we get second thoughts, stay on autopilot, and put our passionate interests on a virtual shelf marked SOMEDAY.  We all know this: No guarantees in life, but plenty of regrets. Remember, it's never too late to start something you've always wanted to do. But as I found with my papers, you may first have to sort through some pretty old stuff before you can find your purpose again.

So why am I starting a blog?  I'll be honest with you today and always, I'm doing this for selfish reasons. Writing is good for the soul. I also want to improve my writing, and dare I say it...maybe start writing a book. But, if not, it's okay.  I'm hoping this blog will help me with my journey. And will help you with yours. I'm secretly hoping to inspire you.

You may be wondering why this blog is called Positively Maggie. And, whether it will be all sunshine and rainbows. The name is because I typically look on the bright side of things. But I also like how the title Positively Maggie projects my inner strength. That side that others may recognize, but I don't always see in myself.  And, yes I like sunshine and rainbows, but if we had those all the time, we wouldn't appreciate them. So, this blog will not always be about positive things.  Instead, it will be about Life.

No doubt about it, My Dad is my source of inspiration for this blog. Family, faith, friends, humor, and good health meant a lot to him. He taught me to appreciate the little things in life, and to take each day as it comes. From him I learned this: Life is too short not to live each day to the fullest. That doesn't mean spending lots of money. It means spending time appreciating what we have---mainly our relationships with others, the beauty around us, and the joy in everyday things. And my friends, if you recognize yourself in these blog posts (I won't include names or specific details). Just know it's because you also inspire me!

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Thanks for reading.  I hope you like my blog.