I have been cooking for over 40 years easy. I started when I was 11. I enjoy cooking. Always have, since they started teaching home ec in seventh grade. I developed a hobby of reading my mother's cookbooks, and imagining how the plain chicken she was planning to roast would taste if it was stuffed with rice and oranges, and making it. Baking soda rolled biscuits were made so often that I didn't need to look up the recipe. Put me in front of a full refrigerator and stocked cupboard and a meal would appear, just give me an hour. Coffee would be perfectly brewed. That was the first thing I learned to do.

When I was stationed at Ft. Meade, we were allowed to cook in our rooms as long as we passed certain safety inspections. I did. I cannot tell you how often I would hear "what is that cooking?",or "who is cooking and is there enough to share?" as I cooked on my little hot plate slow cooker combo. Of course, there wasn't. And when I would bring my creation to the common area to eat and watch tv, the secret would be out.

Even when I joined B on Okinawa and had to learn to cook with what was available from the commisary: no fresh milk, vacumn packed meats, and whatever canned goods they had on sale, I didn't have a problem.

Never did I make a newlwed meal. Nothing burned, nothing inedible. There were a few meals we agreed not to go back to because they weren't to our tastes, once when I told my husband that if he put ketchup on it I would throw the pan at him-it was filet mignon wrapped in bacon with pan sauce. Commisary had a great sale on it.

So please tell me why on Tuesday night I made a newlywed meatloaf. It was dry, burned, and tastless. I have made countless meatloaf meals in 33 years of marriage. NEVER has one been this bad. B got a mouthful of oregano in one of the few bites he took. Don't know how, there wasn't much of it in the whole thing! It was overcooked. I know how that happened. We got to serious talking and I lost track of time-a big no no for any cook!

B did say that since this was the first time in 33 years, he couldn't stay upset. (with a big grin on his face) We have been laughing about it since.