Perspectives

ironman challenge

2012-01-31T14:25:00.001-06:00

As part of my New Year's Resolution to exercise at least three times a week this year, I signed up for the Ironman Challenge at work. The premise of it is that we have from January 9 - March 2 to complete an Ironman triathlon, which consists of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running.

The first few weeks I was rolling right along, but then I got sick last Tuesday and had a fever every day through Saturday, so I had to stay home from the gym last week. However, I did go yesterday and today I am going to run 3 more miles!

So far, the running has been moderately challenging and the biking has been easy. I haven't run regularly since October; I usually quit when the weather gets cold because I prefer to run outdoors. I'm getting back into good running shape, though. I'm running around the indoor track at the college where I work, and am biking in the college gym. Once I finish the running bit, which should be next week, I plan to move on to the swimming. I was on the swim team for a couple of years in high school, but I've hardly done any laps since and I know it will be super challenging for me (though it should be good for my lung capacity, especially after the bad case of pneumonia I had two years ago). I figured I'd try to get the running and biking out of the way as soon as possible so I can focus on the swimming by itself.

I have to say that I don't like working out inside and I still cringe every time I go to the gym/indoor track. However, this is keeping me active and it's nice to have a workout goal. By April 1, I will get outside to kick off my running season, but between now and then, this is keeping me active.

There's a little gadget on the right side of this blog that I will be updating after each workout to track my progress here. I hope to complete the challenge in time!

i'm so...

2012-01-23T15:34:00.001-06:00

blue-hoo-hoo blue-hoo-hoo blue hoo-hoo-HOO, I'm so blue I don't know what to do. (Vintage Veggie Tales, anyone? No? Click here!)

Anyway...maybe it's just the weather (freezing temps and snow/rain), the fact that Steve's car was hit by a car on Friday, the fact that I almost crashed into another car last night while slipping on a patch of black ice (saved by swerving into a snow bank), the fact that my stomach has been hurting for 3 days, that we haven't seen the sun in 5 (?) days, or that I'm in the middle of a 27-day-in-a-row work marathon, or that the upstairs of my home is a complete mess because I haven't been at home to work on it (and won't be anytime soon because I'll be out of town four days this week for work).

I am tired, low-energy, and just blah. After work I have to go to the gym to bike (more on that to come), and then drive out to Geneva to judge my final high school meet of the season. I love to judge high school meets, but will be happy to put this season behind me. The high school meets are all on weekday evenings, as opposed to club which are on weekends, and leaving the house for work at 7:45 and getting home at 9 pm makes for a long day.

But I think the crux of the matter is that I AM TIRED OF WINTER. This is when my New Year's resolution to rejoice truly comes into play. Truthfully, I don't feel joyful, energetic, or even happy.

Sorry about this whiny post! I'm sure after my meet is done, I get some rest and a good night's sleep and a chance to re-focus, I'll be fine. I'm a somewhat melancholy person but typically have a positive outlook. One thing I absolutely need is regular time at home to re-charge, which comes in the form of reading or watching one of my BBC shows (currently Poirot - love him!). I haven't had enough time lately to do that.

In order to keep my resolution to rejoice, let me list a few things I'm thankful for to try to turn my thoughts around:

Increased income! Steve got the temporary full-time job at the accounting firm, and I've been doing a lot of judging lately, so we've been/we'll be earning extra money, which we sorely need after several years of living on one income and paying for school.
A free gym. I've been visiting the excellent gym on the campus where I work nearly every day, for a reason I'll post soon.
Milder winter weather. Despite the big snows over the past few weeks, temperatures have been milder here all winter (20s - 40s as opposed to 0 - 20), allowing time for the snow to melt. Yippee! (I don't like winter.)
The Olympics are this summer! In London! Yay!

Thanks for bearing with me, as this post was more of a journal entry than not. I always appreciate your encouragement! :)

eight years ago

2012-01-20T14:35:00.000-06:00

Just for fun...

January 17, 2004

eight years

2012-01-19T09:12:00.001-06:00

Tuesday was our eighth anniversary! It's hard to believe it's been that long, and it's helped that the years of our marriage have been anything but tedious or monotonous, despite having lived in the same town the entire time. To celebrate, we kept it affordable and went to the Olive Garden. I ordered the chicken scampi for the first time ever (in over 20 years of going to the Olive Garden!), and it was so good. Thankfully I have leftovers!

The best anniversary gift to me was Steve receiving [and accepting] a job offer to work full-time at an accounting firm down the street for this tax season. He begins in a couple of weeks! If you live in Chicagoland and want your taxes done well, contact King & Moran and Steve will help you out!

Here's to year #9! I hope it's filled with adventures!

Steve and I on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA (December 18, 2011)

mlk day

2012-01-16T10:51:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness for three-day weekends! I wish I had one every week so I could actually get a day off. From January - April, I typically work six or seven days a week, so a day to do things around the house is wonderful.

Today I have to:

Take my Level 9 judging exam (not ready for it!)
Go to the gym
Return some items to Hobby Lobby
Finish the laundry
Vacuum/sweep
Clean the microwave
Order some artwork for our walls
Put the spare room back together after Steve emptied its closet contents a few weeks ago in his search for a few things (we don't have a storage area, so the spare room closet is full of containers of things).

Steve has rehearsal for Footloose tonight (he's playing electric guitar), so I will probably do the smaller things during the day so we can have lunch together and focus on the spare room while he's gone this evening. I wish I could have tomorrow off, too! If I had enough vacation days, I would take one day a week off during judging season... but unfortunately, judging season coincides with my busy time at work so I actually can't afford to be off now. Oh, well! Enjoy the holiday, everyone!

Oh, and Downton Abbey is back on, with season two showing on Sunday nights at 8 CST on PBS! Woohoo!

2012 resolutions

2012-01-12T21:17:00.001-06:00

[I promise that my next few posts will contain pictures of our recent travels and holidays!]

Now that it is January 12, I am finally sitting down to write out my New Year's Resolutions. I am a goal-oriented person, so setting some resolutions, or "intentions", for the year ahead is a wonderful tool of focus and encouragement for me. I usually try to incorporate one spiritual goal as well. For the sake of reference, here are my resolutions from recent years:

2011

2010

2009

And now, on to 2012:

First, I resolve to exercise at least three times per week, all year long. From about April 1 to October 1, I consistently run three times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. However, now I want to challenge myself to exercise 3+ times per week, each week of the year. "Exercising" means doing some sort of aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes: running, walking, an aerobics/dance DVD at home, or even horseback riding (I am thinking of taking an equestrian class in April!). I love exercising but need to get into a rhythm in order for it to stick. I am already off to a good start with four times last week and three times this week. I am keeping track by putting a check mark on our wall calendar on each date that I exercise.

Second, I want to develop a regular schedule of "deep cleaning" things at home. I think I would be a little ambitious if I tried to do one thing per week, though, as some weeks I work seven days. I will shoot for one or two things per month. Current "deep cleaning" tasks on my list include: the oven/stove, the spare room, the laundry room, the filing cabinet, the Tupperware cabinet... I'm sure I'll think of more. I love cleaning and organizing and want to get our home even more into shape.

Third, but most importantly, I do have a spiritual "goal" for this year. I say "goal" because I know I will never be done growing spiritually. Having a spiritual goal that I think about each day does help me to focus in my devotions and my attitude. I guess it's really more of an intention. This year, my intention is to learn to rejoice! Within the stresses of the past few years, I feel that I have lost my joy in life, which used to come so easily to me. Each morning, I am going to read or recite two Scripture passages about joy (from my two favorite books of the Bible):

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:9)

I know that choosing to rejoice each and every day will be a huge challenge, and I will not do it perfectly. However, I have already noticed a difference in my attitude and the level of joy in my heart just from the past couple weeks of meditating on these passages in prayer.

So, those are my resolutions for 2012! What are yours? Please share them with me so we can encourage each other! Maybe we can start a blog fellowship. :)

good news

2012-01-10T13:24:00.000-06:00

This morning we had a bit of good news! Steve interviewed at a local accounting firm (as in, five minutes from our home!), and he is going to be brought in part-time to do tax returns once they get really busy with that aspect of their business! Hooray! We don't know exactly when he'll start, but hopefully around the first of February, if not before. They also mentioned that they might need him full-time once it gets really busy (March/April). Double hooray!

We are so excited for the extra income, but most of all, that he will get some experience to help him on the CPA exam and to put on his resume for when he applies for full-time work after passing the exams. Now we need to pray that he will pass the FAR (Financial Accounting and Regulation) portion of the exam when he takes it on February 17. It would be wonderful if he could be halfway done with those exams next month (and have some accounting work, to boot)!

Thanks to our family and friends for all of your prayers. Please keep them coming! :)

reflections on 2011

2012-01-09T15:59:00.004-06:00

I am planning a reflective post on 2011 as well as a 2012 goals post, but in the meantime, I thought I'd give this little questionnaire a try.

Note: Irritatingly, blogger isn't keeping my formatting wishes, so some of the questions run together. I'm sorry!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I took myself sightseeing in London!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

My 2011 resolutions were to exercise more (than 2010), continue simplifying our home, and to take up a new artistic pursuit. I did exercise more, keeping up with my running, though not as consistently overall as I would have liked. I am going to address that in my 2012 resolutions. I definitely continued to simplify our home, as we made some huge changes in our living room and spare bedroom - getting rid of a lot of things, reorganizing, and acquiring new, inexpensive furniture to replace our old junky stuff. Hooray! As for a new artistic pursuit, I did not take an acting or drawing class as I had originally hoped, but I did participate in a more behind-the-scenes way with the Wheaton Municipal Band this summer (fundraising and helping run a concert), which sort of counts in the category of theater. :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My husband's sister had her fourth child in February (a boy: Caden)! My co-worker had her third child in May (a boy: Mark). Other than that, my brother and his wife are expecting a boy this April and I am really looking forward to meeting him.

4. Did anyone close to you die? 

My husband's grandmother passed away in January, so we started 2011 off with an unplanned trip to New Jersey. Now we both have no grandparents left. :(

5. What countries did you visit? What states did you visit?

I traveled a LOT this year (which I love)! I visited New Jersey in January, Florida in May, the UK and France in August, Italy and Switzerland in September, DC/VA in November, California in December, and DC/VA again at the end of December. Whew!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

More income. 2011 was a challenging year financially because Steve was studying for the CPA exam for most of the year, whereas we (or maybe just I) originally thought he'd be able to pass it all in 6 months and get a full-time job in 2011. Hopefully that full-time job is on the horizon in 2012!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The three that come to mind are:

August 25: flew to London

September 6: arrived home from Europe

November 21: took the Foreign Service Oral Assessment in DC

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I have several of these but can't decide which is biggest: staying healthy (yay for only two colds this year, no stomach flu, and no pneumonia!); redoing our entire living room; decreasing anxiety overall as proven on my trip to Europe and with other challenges; and trying something new, career-wise, in going for the Foreign Service.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Failing the Foreign Service Oral Assessment, and forgetting to be content and enjoy each day of our current situation.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

See above: only two colds all year! General health overall = woohoo!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our new couch and chairs for the living room! I love them!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My parents have continued to be very supportive of me and provide me with wise counsel whenever I ask for it (and generally stay out of it when I don't want it!). I also appreciate their example of continuing to improve their 34-year marriage by attending counseling, seminars, and personal reading. Well done, parents!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I plead the fifth.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Apart from the mortgage, which is our biggest monthly bill, most of our money went to trying to pay for all of Steve's CPA study materials ($800 per exam section, and he's done 3) and exam attempts ($300 per section, and he's done 5). Whew. Can't wait until this CPA thing is over. On the plus side, once he's finished we can apply for financial aid to reimburse us for those expenses.

15. What did you get really excited about?

My travels in Europe, visiting my family in DC with Steve (it had been a while since we had traveled there together due to exam and work schedules), and visiting my brother.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Hmm. Apart from the countless pop songs I heard over and over on the radio, I'd have to pick my "Music for Feasting" CD, put together by the Historic Royal Palaces foundation and purchased at the Tower of London. Using historic instruments and vocal techniques, it featured such classics as "Bring Us In Good Ale", "Greensleeves", and multiple dance tunes, mostly from the Tudor period. It was in my car CD player for over two months straight.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: 

– happier or sadder? Happier, because I'm working on being more content. The beginning of 2011 was rough.

– thinner or fatter? Fatter. Oops. I developed an iced coffee habit this summer and revived my love of Coke. I'm working on it, though! I haven't had a coffee drink for weeks, and I only have 3 cans of Coke left in the fridge and I'm not buying any after I finish them (I got a box of it as a gift, actually, or I wouldn't have had them at all).

– richer or poorer? Poorer, definitely, due to Steve's CPA-related expenses, travel expenses, and an error on my employer's part requiring me to pay about $11,000 in back-due FICA taxes. Yep.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

I wish I had focused less on myself this year and more on others, and been less irritable at home. On a related topic, I also wish I had achieved greater spiritual growth and relational growth.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? 

Being negative about my situation in life and being impatient with God's plan.

20. How did you spend Christmas? 

Christmas Eve Steve and I went to church at 6 pm, and then I went home to relax while he played a few masses. On Christmas morning, I went to my in-laws' to help prepare the dinner, and Steve joined me there after his morning masses for dinner with his family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011? 

I stayed in love.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I discovered Law & Order: SVU and have watched about 40 episodes via Netflix. I also discovered The Tudors and am about halfway through the series.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

I don't think my feelings toward anyone have changed drastically, unfortunately, but I've tried to be more tolerant of the people that rub me the wrong way.

24. What was the best book you read? 

Thanks to my dad, I discovered the mystery writer P.D. James and am currently on my third book of hers, Death at Pemberley (on the Kindle! Yay!).

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Probably my "Songs for Feasting" CD; I've always loved historic music, but rarely found it in high-quality, portable form. Also, hearing Beethoven 7.2 at the end of The King's Speech and then performing it in orchestra this fall reignited my love of that piece.

26. What did you want and get? 

A trip to Europe!

27. What did you want and not get? 

A career as a Foreign Service officer.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

The King's Speech. I had heard about it in October 2010 (I am a royal history buff) and was hoping it would come to the U.S. Lo and behold, it did, and I saw it twice in the theater!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 

I turned 29 on July 21. I can't remember the actual day's events without consulting my email, but I do know that I attended (and worked at) the Cover Girl Classic women's gymnastics competition two days later. That was sort of a celebration.

30. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?

Waiting on the Lord and enjoying each moment (oops, I guess that's two).

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Vintage neutrals. My body looks best in clothes from the 50s, 30s, and 40s (in that order). I try to wear pieces with elements of those types of vintage design, and I got really into grays, blacks, and navys this year. I've always been into white and brown. My wardrobe is de-colorfying. Though I must say I'm super excited that yellow (my favorite color) is popular for 2012; I better stock up on all the yellow I can get while it lasts!

32. What kept you sane? 

Our nightly routine of watching an episode of a TV show on DVD - currently The West Wing - with popcorn and a glass of wine before bed. I focused on getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night this year and feel more sane overall as a result.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I've always been a huge Johnny Depp fan, but this year I also enjoyed Robert Downey Jr's performance in Sherlock Holmes (though Jeremy Brett is still my all-time favorite Holmes). Natalie Dormer is incredible as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. I also must mention Chris Meloni of SVU; we attended the same high school!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I was happy that our troops have left Iraq, but hope that the war in Afghanistan will end soon. I also must say that I believe there is a strong need for campaign reform (anyone else for limiting presidential candidates to a 6-month campaign?), and that THE ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT SUCKS. I've lived in 5 states, and this one's government is by far THE WORST.

35. Who did you miss? 

I always miss my parents and siblings, since I live 700 miles away. :(

36. Who was the best new person you met?

I would say that the best person I "re-met" this year was Jen, my Europe traveling partner. I had met her years ago but we didn't see each other very often until we joined forces on our vacation. I discovered a lot of shared interests and fun companionship! Thanks, Jen!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

God will provide beyond what we think possible.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Here are your feet I lay my future down

All of my dreams I give to you now

And I find peace, I find peace

Jesus, Jesus, at your feet

Oh, to dwell and never leave

Jesus, Jesus, at your feet

There is nowhere else for me

--From "At Your Feet" by Casting Crowns

These lyrics are especially poignant to me because I have always been a dreamer. When my dreams don't work out (as many of them have not), I dream new dreams. However, with Steve's work situation in limbo, even my dreaming has been squashed. I feel as though I have to offer them to God and say, "You know what my dreams have been. I can't do anything about them now. I just have to wait on You." That's hard for this Type-A planner. I'm have to learn joy in every situation instead of escaping the bad times by dreaming.

See you next time with more on resolutions for 2012!

fsoa

2011-12-22T15:40:00.002-06:00

On the morning of my Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA), I woke up at 4:45 am and commuted with my sister into DC, picking up a "slug" along the way. We made it in great time, arriving at my FSOA building by 6:30. After a trip to the bathroom and a nice chat with several of the candidates who had gathered in the lobby (the first person I met went to my alma mater!), a program assistant appeared to take us to the suite of rooms in which our assessment would be held. On a random note, it was funny to be sitting in a building past which I had driven or walked many times during my upbringing in the DC area. Little did I know what went on inside!

The first thing the program assistant did was to have us fill out some paperwork. After that, an assessor came in and gave us instructions as to how to proceed with the day's activities. We were a fairly large testing group (16, I think), and I was eager to get started. I had all three portions of the test one after another, which meant that I was finished by 2 pm. I was grateful for that on the day, because I was eager to get it over with, but looking back, perhaps it would have been better to have more time to gather my thoughts in between, as some of the other candidates did. [For those who don't know, the three sections of the test are: Group Exercise, Case Management Exercise, and Structured Interview.]

As I said, I finished by 2 and then spent the next hour or so wandering DC with a couple of fellow test-takers. All of us felt that we had done reasonably well. But then, anyone who makes it to this stage has to be reasonably competent, so I guess that's to be expected. The assessors try to make it clear that we are competing against ourselves and not one another, but even so it is difficult to refrain from comparing yourself to the other candidates.

After we returned from our walk, we waited around a little until the assessors came in to tell us our results. I was very surprised to learn that I had not passed. My composite score was decent, but not high enough. My eyes welled up because I truly felt I had done my best. I held back the tears and went down to the lobby to await my sister, who was giving me a ride back to my parents' house. In the lobby I chatted with some of the other candidates that did not pass. All of us felt very surprised. I don't think anyone felt bitter, just a little shell-shocked. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that I know I would be a very competent Foreign Service Officer if given the chance, but my candidacy was ended because I was unable to achieve a passing score of 5.25 on an assessment which is graded by methods unknown.

(Please note: truly, I am not bitter, and I hope I don't sound that way. I know that the Foreign Service is trying its best to cull out the most qualified candidates for the job. I am simply trying to convey the frustration and disappointment that many feel when they find out they don't pass the Oral Assessment. I would also like to note that I am grateful for the Foreign Service's application process, because at least you know that if you apply they will look at you and give you a fair chance, unlike many corporations out there who never respond even if you are a qualified applicant for an open position.)

The reason I was so shocked that I didn't pass is that I honestly felt as though I did the best I could in each of the three portions of the assessment. I was fairly calm and thought that I gave rational answers to each problem/question. I decided going in that, rather than try to memorize any strategies, I would just act in each scenario as I would at my current job (I have a somewhat challenging job and have always received perfect reviews from my boss each of the past six years; needless to say, I have confidence in my competence). Having that attitude helped me to keep my cool. However... it doesn't seem as though that "strategy", or rather lack thereof, paid off in the end.

It took me several weeks of reflecting to hit upon what I feel was my major failing in the Oral Assessment. In retrospect, this should have been obvious. As they say, however, experience is the best teacher. I read some advice a couple of weeks before my FSOA that recommended printing out the list of the State Department's 13 Dimensions - which is supposedly the only criteria used to evaluate candidates at the Oral Assessment - and writing down anecdotes and work experiences that show how I specifically embody each dimension. Then, the person recommended memorizing that list and pulling out those anecdotes/traits during the assessment. I thought that was going overboard at the time, but now I think that's where I would start if I ever take the Oral Assessment again, because clearly I couldn't get through it without a strategy.

I'm not sure I could have prepared for the FSOA any better than I did at the time. Now that I've gone through it, I feel that I can build on my experience and perhaps I'll do better next time - if there is a next time. I haven't yet decided if I'll try again. The process is so lengthy and it was so disappointing in the end. I don't want to sound like I give up easily. I think it's just harder to go through this process repeatedly when you have a husband/family to consider. The timing might not be right next time.

If I decide to try again to become a Foreign Service Officer, I have to start over from the beginning with the written exam. The next exam administration is in February. Maybe I'll just check it out and see what test times are still open...

Thanks for all of your prayers during this process. It has been a wonderful learning experience, and I am proud that I will always be able to say that at least I gave it my best try. (And thanks to Courtney for the chocolates and letting me cry on the way home!)

One further note: I have no intention of violating the Non-Disclosure Agreement that I signed on the morning of my Oral Assessment. I believe that none of the information in this post violates that agreement, as I have seen similar information on other Foreign Service blogs. If you believe otherwise, please advise me and I will remove any offending content right away. Thanks!

hello, december

2011-12-15T09:24:00.003-06:00

Wow! It's been almost a month since I've posted here. I have quite a few blog posts in my head waiting to be written, so now it's a matter of finding the time to write them. Since we returned from our trip to DC on November 26, I have only had two free evenings, both of which were spent doing errands and laundry. Tomorrow we leave for LA for Steve's brother's wedding, so perhaps I will feel inspired to write on the plane. Or perhaps I will feel sleepy. :)

In case it wasn't obvious by my lack of posting, I did not pass the Oral Assessment and I therefore do not have a conditional offer of employment from the Foreign Service. I am back at work as usual, and keeping very busy with full-time work, judging meets, and preparing for Christmas and upcoming travel. We've also done a few more things around the house, which I will post photos of soon.

I plan to write an entire post about the Oral Assessment (without violating the non-disclosure agreement that I signed), but that will have to wait until I have more time. It took me a couple of weeks of reflecting to be able to gather my thoughts.

It feels as though Christmas has been slow in coming, because we've spent the last several weekends at holiday parties and concerts. I just have a few more gifts to wrap and then we'll be completely ready for Christmas. Those will have to wait until we return from LA, though, because I'm about to go get my nails done. :)

Here is my holiday travel schedule for anyone interested:

December 16 - 21: LA

December 22-27: home

December 28 - January 1: DC

Merry [early] Christmas!

here goes...

2011-11-18T09:50:00.002-06:00

We leave this afternoon for our road trip to DC, stopping for the night in Youngstown, Ohio. We should roll into my parents' driveway in Virginia around 4 pm tomorrow.

I'm starting to anticipate Monday's Foreign Service Oral Assessment more and more. I'm trying to focus on relaxing and letting the assessors see who I am, as opposed to cramming on strategies. Thanks to those of you who are praying for us. I'll let you know my results! We also expect Steve's most recent CPA exam results on Monday, so it could be an auspicious day for our two-person family...

merry christmas!

2011-11-17T12:28:00.002-06:00

Yes, I know I'm about five weeks early, but I already have my Christmas shopping done and last week we bought our Christmas gifts to ourselves, so Christmas has come early this year.

For the nearly 8 years since our marriage, we have always relied upon hand-me-down living room furniture, boasting an assortment of oddly matched couches of all shapes and sizes. Our most recent batch of used, 20-year old couches broke about a year ago, but we just lived with them out of a desire to save money.

Over the summer, I started researching ideas for new living room furniture/decor. I came up with a plan and was all set to purchase new furniture and re-decorate the room when Steve got a job (assuming we still lived here at that point). Then, a week and a half ago, we finally got sick of our old and broken furniture, and decided to dip into the savings to purchase entirely new living room furniture from Ikea! Fortunately, I already had a plan for the room, so we were able to paint the entire room, install new hardware, clean out, and set up our new furniture all within the space of five workdays!

Here's how we did it:

We painted the previously off-white walls a light gray (Silvery Moon from Benjamin Moore), which looks a little blue sometimes due to our incandescent light bulbs. Once we switch over to soft white light I think the color will be more true.
We moved two bookcases full of books up to the spare bedroom and added doors to the two bookcases remaining in the living room. One holds DVDs and the other CDs.
We switched our entire room around, placing the TV at the opposite end of the room between the two bookcases.
We took all of our old couch pieces out to the dumpster, broken down and a little at a time.
We went to Ikea last Friday night and brought home all of our furniture, with the help of a truck-owning friend.
We stayed up until 3 am that night installing the couch and setting up the new entertainment area.
Steve set up the two chairs and the footstool on Saturday.

Though the room is not yet decorated, the chairs aren't even in their permanent spots for the picture, and I don't even have "before" pictures to share, I already love our new living room and wanted to post a few photos.

The computer desk now looks straight through to the TV, and I got rid of our 10-year-old huge dinosaur of a PC in favor of our two laptops (one of which is getting rather old itself). It's nice to have a desk for the computers instead of using them on the couch all the time.

We still have a few things to do:

paint the ceiling
paint the top of the half-wall white
select a new rug (color suggestion, anyone?)
put some stray items away, like Steve's CPA books on the bottom shelf of the coffee table there
hang some wall art
make my Eiffel tower print fabric into couch pillows
decorate my new "mantel", aka the shelf above the TV, which I plan to adorn with seasonal decor (I finally have a surface to decorate!)
perhaps a new chair for the desk (the current one is too big and not very modern-looking, but was free after all)

I can't wait until it's all finished!

It's so nice to not be embarrassed to have people over any more, and to have living room furniture that I actually selected for the first time in my life. I think the furniture fits the space and my modern style well, and I love it!

a chance to fail

2011-11-15T15:28:00.001-06:00

My Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA) is coming up on Monday in DC. One of the things that I have to bring with me to the all-day affair is a statement of interest, which I plan to write this evening. I have wanted to be a diplomat since I was a teenager, and it's hard to believe that the moment of truth is finally here.

Some people can't understand why I am putting myself through this process (though most are supportive). I am the type of person that needs a challenge. I have to be constantly learning, constantly evolving. That's probably why I work a full-time job plus two part-time jobs. Once I have a handle on something and can do it consistently well, it's time to move to the next level - or the next rung on the career ladder.

After more than 5 years of program and personnel management experience, writing and editing experience, financial and budgetary experience, and event management experience, I figured it was time to try my hand at achieving my dream of being a diplomat. Now that the time is upon me, I am a little nervous about failing. I know I will be disappointed, but at least I will have tried.

I was researching a quote online earlier today and came across a stranger's blog. The author was writing about how she was leaving her comfortable life, job, etc. and moving to a foreign country. She talked about how reaching for her goals allows her the ever-important opportunity to fail. It seems invigorating. In the end, I guess that's what I'm doing with my Foreign Service application. I don't want to be talking to my grandchildren 50 years from now, telling them that I wanted to be a diplomat but never tried to become one. I don't want to think, what if... I believe I'm qualified, and I'm interested, so why not try?

Despite my worry about possible failure, I just have to find out whether or not my best effort is good enough.

I'd appreciate your prayers on Monday. November 21 may turn out to be an auspicious day. I will either receive a conditional offer of employment with the Foreign Service or not, and Steve is supposed to receive his recent BEC test results that day. Please pray for us!

trials and travel-ations

2011-11-11T15:38:00.001-06:00

For those not as nerdy as me, the title of this post is a take-off on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". Hehe.

Okay, moving on.

Things around here have been super busy and challenging lately. Challenges include Steve re-taking the BEC part of the CPA exam (we should find out his [hopefully passing] score on November 21), me preparing for the FSOA (I will also receive my score on November 21), preparing birthday and Christmas gifts, making travel arrangements, judging gymnastics meets (me), and various other things. All good, though. I am really looking forward to these next couple of months, as we have a lot of fun plans and are almost ready to enjoy them.

On the travel front, we have three exciting trips planned. First, we are going to DC/VA next Friday for my FSOA on the Monday. We are staying an entire week with my parents, which will mark the first time we've spent Thanksgiving in Virginia since 2004. I am very excited!

Then, next month we are going to LA for Steve's brother's wedding. Southern California is one of my favorite places, and I am thrilled to be going back. In addition to wedding and family activities, Steve and I are going to visit Newport Beach - a place that featured prominently in a book series I loved as a teenager - as well as drive up to Hollywood/Beverly Hills for my obligatory nod at the history of cinema. I'm hoping to find some sort of museum that I haven't visited yet.

We will return to Chicago for Christmas and then, a few days later, I will fly back out to DC to see my brother and sister-in-law while since they will be up from Florida visiting family and friends for the holidays. They are expecting a baby in the spring, so my sister and I are giving a shower for my sister-in-law on New Year's Eve and we are very excited! I've already purchased some super-cute gifts. On New Year's I will fly home and normal life will begin. I have a feeling that I'll be excited to spend time at home in the near future, and the next post will have to tell you why...

For now, have a wonderful weekend!

2011-10-18T12:30:00.003-05:00

Howdy, folks! It's not that nothing's been happening around here lately, but rather that the things that are happening can't be shared with the general public at this point (and no, it's not anything pregnancy-related). So, sadly, here's another boring post.

Steve scheduled his re-takes of the BEC and REG CPA exams for October 27 and November 30, respectively. Hopefully he will pass them this time so he (and I) can feel some sense of accomplishment! At least this time he should receive the scores about two weeks after taking the exams, rather than two months.

We are looking forward to our upcoming trips to Washington, DC (November 19-26) and Los Angeles (December 16-21). I have most of the Christmas shopping and crafting done, and have only to wrap the items. I almost hate to wrap them too early, because it's easy for me to forget what I'm giving people if the items are wrapped up for months. Although I guess I do have my Christmas gift spreadsheet to remind me...Still debating on that one. To wrap or not to wrap?

We are continuing very slowly to work on our first floor. In the living room, I have gone through all of our books and pulled out at least 50 or so to give away. I am a huge book worm, but with the advent of e-readers and the realities of living in a small space, I am trying to pare down to only my favorite books. I think we're almost there! Next project is getting rid of our old computer so we can use the computer desk for our laptop instead. We need to transfer a few files and remove the hard drive first.

Sorry for this incredibly boring post! (See, I told you it would be boring!) No interesting news or thoughts to share yet. Just keeping on keeping on!

Steve's birthday is on Sunday, and I can hardly wait to give him his gifts and surprise birthday activity. Stay tuned!

favorites

2011-10-03T18:00:00.004-05:00

Since I've been inconsistent in posting to my blog lately, here are a few photos to show what I've been up to. I don't think I've yet shared these anywhere else.

Delighting in snow-covered Swiss Alps as I fly from Zurich to London at dawn on September 6.

Making our own burgers on our little George Foreman grill, accompanied by a variety of fresh veggies. Ah, the tastes of late summer!

Finding some of Steve's old books in his parents' basement and adding them to our box of books to give our children some day. These Hardy Boys books join some of my old Nancy Drew books of similar design! Thankfully, both of us kept our favorite items in perfect condition.

Finally finishing a cross-stitch project for little Ana. This design is a Beatrix Potter sampler; on the top left is Peter Rabbit, and little mice peek out around the letters!

Babysitting the aforementioned little Ana, along with a few other tykes these past few weeks.

I actually decorated our home for Halloween - the first time I've decorated for a holiday in years! These little guys represent our collection of Halloween beanie babies, which I placed around the living room. It's been several years since I've seen them. I have a husband who likes to "collect" things (and I used to think it was cute). :) They are quite cheery, though!

greek spartan soup

2011-10-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

After many months off, Steve and I decided to dust off our Twelve Months of Monastery Soups month-by-month soup cookbook and start making soup again. We love how inexpensive and nutritious the soups can be. During the warmer months, most of the soups in the book were to be served cold, and we wanted to try them but our summer evenings were full of rehearsals and concerts.

The problem with soup is that you need to allow up to an hour of time to chop the veggies and prep all the other ingredients. These days, Steve is working until about 9 pm, which leaves me plenty of time to prep and cook soup when I get home from work, while still allowing me enough time to jog and run errands. I like this whole eating later thing. :)

Back to the soup. We were craving soup one night, so we looked through the book for one that included plenty of vegetables but also had protein. We ended up selecting the Greek Spartan Soup, which was actually from the month of June. I guess we're trying to make up for a little lost time! Here is the synopsis.

Greek Spartan Soup

Ingredients: leeks, carrots, celery, cabbage, onion, garlic, lemons, eggs

Cost: $8.98 total (I think eggs were the only thing we had on hand at the time, so we purchased everything else). I would say that this soup provided 6 servings, so it comes out to about $1.50 each. Not bad!

Taste: Both of us really liked the taste of this soup. I personally love almost anything with cabbage, and Steve loved the eggs, which made the soup a little heartier than most. The eggs turned out looking like they do in egg drop soup. Pretty neat!

more updates

2011-09-28T14:46:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the dry spell here on the blog! We've been busy day and night lately, and most of my news is related to the test scores, etc. that we've been waiting on lately.

As you know, last week I learned that I passed the QEP in the Foreign Service process. This past Monday, I scheduled my all-day Oral Assessment for November 21. We are hoping to join my family in Virginia for Thanksgiving, which would be the first time we've had Thanksgiving in Virginia since 2004! Steve is currently in the process of scheduling another CPA exam for November, so once he's done with that we'll know our exact travel plans. Ideally, I'm hoping to spend an entire week out there seeing family and friends.

Speaking of the CPA exam, Steve finally received the results of his August tests. He did not pass the Regulation (Federal taxation) exam, which he kind of guessed because he hadn't felt good about it while he was taking it. That's an area where he doesn't have much experience and it requires a LOT of memorization of laws and regulations that he will be really looking up in the tax code when he actually gets a CPA job. But he has to memorize them for now. Anyway... the good thing is that he will be re-taking it in November and preparing for the test with a guy from our church who will be taking it as well but currently works in taxation. Hopefully that will be a big help.

He also got his results from the re-take of the Business exam. To his frustration, he failed again, this time with a 73. You need a 75 to pass and he got a 74 the first time. The exam questions are drawn from a huge bank of questions, so the questions the second time were completely different than the first and focused on some different areas of the subject matter. Right now he's debating whether to study hard and try to re-take (and pass!) it in two weeks, or just focus on Regulation for now and re-take Business in January. I'll let you know what he decides to do.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! Life has been very busy lately and we appreciate your support.

Up next on the blog: a soup post, a new recipe find, and my most recent impressions of Europe! All with pictures! Fun!

onward and hopefully upward

2011-09-19T16:00:00.001-05:00

After 2+ months of waiting, today I learned that I passed the QEP! That's the Qualifications Evaluation Panel for the Foreign Service, otherwise known as the fourth step toward becoming a Foreign Service Officer. The next step is to participate in an all-day Oral Assessment (OA) at the State Department in DC. We will be scheduling our OAs next week. I read a while back that Management (my cone) is supposed to go first, so hopefully that means I'll get to go to DC in November.

It would be lovely if I could schedule it for the week of Thanksgiving so that I/we could also spend that holiday with my parents and sister in DC. We haven't had Thanksgiving in DC since 2004!

Tune in later this week for Steve's CPA exam results from August, and next week for our plans for the Oral Assessment. I can't wait!

waiting

2011-09-15T14:18:00.001-05:00

Hi blog friends!

I apologize for my lengthy silence in this forum, but I am still getting back into the swing of things after landing back in the US last week! I arrived to a super-busy office and lots to do at home. Also, Steve started a new part-time job last week, which I am extremely grateful for. It has changed the rhythm of our home a bit, because he's only working afternoons and evenings so far. I myself work a lot and therefore like to spend most of my free time at home, so it's not really cramping our style, other than that we aren't eating dinner until he gets home after 9 pm. I need to find some healthy evening snacks!

Anyway, on to the title of this post. We find ourselves in yet another season of waiting. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the theme of this entire year so far has been "waiting". I much prefer "doing". At the same time, I am content to wait on God's plans for us because I know they will be better than what we could come up with ourselves.

We are currently waiting for the results of the two CPA exams Steve took last month. We hope to get the results at the end of this month. We are also waiting with bated breath for the results of the Qualification Evaluation Panel for the Foreign Service. We should hear about that any day now! Last year, the results were given on September 8, and we are supposed to get them next week, so it could be any day now. They arrive by email, so whenever I see a new email popping up on my screen, I think, are the results here? I am trying to keep a patient attitude but am eager to see if I'll be going to DC for the Oral Assessment in a few months or not.

So, if you think of us, say a prayer. The weather has been cooler lately here in Chicago, which has made for much better running. I usually take a class in the fall because I have fewer "extracurricular" activities like judging and gigs, but this fall I've decided instead to focus on three things: running, practicing piano, and my grand first-floor renovation plans. I think I have enough claims on my attention without homework and tests, no matter how appealing the topic may be!

PS. I had a wonderful time in Europe! I posted all of my photos on Facebook, so if you're Facebook friends with me, you can find them there if you're interested. I also plan to do some reflective posts on my travel here on this blog - as soon as I finish unpacking. :)

cheerio!

2011-08-27T17:12:00.002-05:00

Greeting from London! I arrived here yesterday morning, had basically no jetlag, and am absolutely loving it! I still mean to do a post about the things I did yesterday and today, but it's getting late and I have to get an early start in the morning, so I think I better get to bed. Suffice it to say that this has been a wonderful vacation already. Traveling to foreign countries always feels like such a vacation to me because I get a complete break from my usual responsibilities.

I would have had time to blog earlier, but Steve and I spent quite a while on Google chat trying to get Skype to work on his computer. Alas. Hopefully it will work better tomorrow, after he uninstalls and re-installs it. In the meantime, I've selected some photos from yesterday - my first day here - and organized them on webshots. Click here to view them, if you're interested. The captions appear underneath the photos. I will be adding many more as my trip goes on.

Here are my favorite things about London, so far:

Reconnecting with my friend, Helen, and meeting her husband (it had been 10 years since Helen & I had seen each other!)
Ease of transport
Everything is so orderly! Sights are easy to find and easy to get into. People
queue up" so nicely. Love it!
The history! And the royalty! I love seeing those medieval buildings next to Tudor buildings next to Victorian buildings.
Parliament! I wish we could have taken photos inside, but alas. I've watched Parliamentary debates online in the past, and it was such a treat to be in the actual chambers. Also, the decor in Westminster was absolutely perfect. Sigh.
Crown jewels! I wish I owned one of those pieces.

A man asked me today if I thought the British were unfriendly. He said most Americans say that they are. I replied that I'm not really that talkative in public, so in fact, their culture is perfect for me. Seriously. I'd rather be left alone. And they're all so quiet in public. I love it.

Okay, off to bed! More tomorrow, perhaps. Lots more fun to be had!

d-day

2011-08-25T14:39:00.001-05:00

Finally, it's here! The day I leave on vacation and hop a flight to Europe! I haven't had much time lately to anticipate, and I can't believe that the day is upon me. My first thought this morning when I woke up was that I didn't want to leave Steve for so long. I've been on plenty of trips without him before, but the longest one was a week. This one will be a week and a half. Then I remembered that many military spouses are separated for years at a time and they can do it. I'll be okay. I love to travel, and this trip worked out wonderfully for me. I'll just be a little sad until I connect with my friends in Europe.

It's been absolutely crazy at work lately. Here are a few random happenings of the past week:

-power flickering on and off, resulting in burnouts of four surge protectors and several wires in our offices (my office still isn't back up)

-network connections "unstable" at work, resulting in being unable to send email from my work account or make copies

-seemingly simple projects taking hours to complete

-work interrupted by carpet installers coming to give us new carpet we didn't know we were getting

-etc.

Whew! I think I will have a wonderful feeling of relief when I finally get situated on that plane tonight...though I'll also be feeling sad to be away from Steve. I've gotten so little sleep lately and have been so busy that I'm hoping I'll fall asleep on the plane ASAP and wake up at my destination. I'm very excited to see my European friends, visit different cultures, and see some new sights. I'll update here when I can, and will also be on Facebook. I should have wireless internet access everywhere, but am not sure how much free time I'll have. Wish me bon voyage!

kitchen cabinets

2011-08-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, I put the final touches on my painting of our kitchen cabinets. To recap, when we moved in 5 years ago, the cabinets consisted of a fake oak backing with weird white laminate doors. We immediately got a quote to replace the cabinets, which came to $8,000 (!) for our small kitchen. Naturally, we decided against that. We also looked into ordering some oak panels and having custom doors made, so that the kitchen would have a unified look. That seemed too complicated and would still cost hundreds of dollars.

Before

Finally, last year I had the idea that we should paint the bases of the cabinets white, so that we could keep the original weird doors but have the cabinets be all one color. I am a huge fan of white, so that seemed the best - and cheapest! - way to go. After much research and some consultation at our local Benjamin Moore paint store - which happens to be at the end of our street - I came home with all the necessary supplies and set to work removing the existing cabinet doors. One coat of primer, 2+ coats of paint (some areas needed more), and $54 later, we now have all-white cabinets! In fact, with our white-flecked-with-gray-countertops and white appliances, we now have an all-white kitchen!

After - much better!

I'm very pleased with the result. It looks a lot more clean and bright in the kitchen. This has been step one of our fall 2011 first floor redecorating project. Next up is to paint the new floor trim we laid in July, and after that, to reorganize some spaces. Those projects will have to wait until I return from vacation, though!

london calling

2011-08-19T15:37:00.004-05:00

Wow, it has been one crazy, busy week! For reasons completely out of my control, I have been insanely busy, working up a sweat at work each day to prepare our classrooms for the start of the school year. I would have had this done earlier, but as I said, it was out of my hands...

Thank goodness I'm already packed and ready for Europe! This time next week, I should be happily sleeping off jet lag at my friend Helen's London home. Between now and then, I have quite a few things to accomplish both at work and at home. At home, I need to finish two projects and do some major cleaning, since I won't be home over the next couple of weekends. Thinking about the European fun coming up will inspire me to get through it!

Speaking of fun, here are some of the things I plan to do/see in London (in order of their priority to me):

Buckingham Palace (with royal wedding exhibit)
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Tour of Parliament
British Library
Tower of London
King's Cross Station (of Harry Potter fame)
Double-decker bus tour
Kensington Palace, if I have time

The only thing I regret I'll have to miss is Hampton Court Palace. I am a huge English history buff - royal history in particular - and would love to see the former home of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, among others. Alas, it's a 35-minute train ride each way from London, and I don't think I'll be able to squeeze that into my three-day visit. Windsor Castle would be nice, too. Next time!

I've already booked tickets for sights I need them for, and the other sights are free. Most of all, I'm excited to see my friend Helen again after 10 years! It will be wonderful to catch up. Hopefully we'll be able to see each other more often in the future!

I plan to post lists of my itineraries for Paris, Milan, and Switzerland before I leave next Thursday night, and while I travel, I plan to blog as often as I can. Everywhere I'm staying has WiFi - what a change from three years ago - so I'll be able to check emails, etc. Can't wait!

ten days!

2011-08-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

Ten days until I leave for European Adventure 2011! I've been meaning to blog for the past few weeks, but about a week ago I started panicking about all of the things I have to do at work before I go on vacation, as well as all the things I have to do at home to prepare. So instead of blogging, I spent last week frantically preparing for my trip on all fronts. The result is that I've done most of what needs to be done and am finally feeling prepared to go.

The cabinet painting project I started a couple weeks ago is nearly complete. I just have to touch up a few spots and then clean up. I'm planning to do that tomorrow evening, and I plan to post pictures afterward!

At work, I still have plenty to do before I leave, but at least it's all planned out and prepared now. Usually by this time of year I've already taken my vacation, so I'm more than ready for a break. I can't wait!

As for my trip to Europe, everything that can be planned is planned, tickets for major sights are reserved, and I've even gone so far as to plan my wardrobe and organize everything for packing. We have a lot of social obligations between now and when I leave, and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to purchase anything that I needed. Thanks to my wardrobe planning, I realized I needed a new jacket and flats, which I promptly ordered. I've been wearing the flats nearly every day since to break them in.

Only ten more days! Between now and then, expect posts about my progress on the first floor redecoration project (yay!) and my Europe sightseeing itineraries (double yay!).

Also, please say a prayer for Steve tomorrow morning as he will take the Regulation (federal taxation) portion of the CPA exam at 8 am CST. Thanks!

first floor redecorations

2011-07-31T09:00:00.003-05:00

After five years of living our condo, I have finally decided that it's time to redecorate our first floor. To this point, we've had mostly hand-me-down furniture, and while we can't yet afford to hire an interior decorator or order custom furniture, I've decided that I'm ready to live in a home that looks like adults live here - as opposed to college students. Ironically, our upstairs rooms have been wonderfully put together for years...but those aren't the rooms guests see! I've been embarrassed by our first floor for too long, and I've finally decided to do something about it.

Thanks to some online research and discussions with friends, I've finally figured out "my" style and have selected some [affordable] furniture accordingly. My goal is for all of this to finished by Thanksgiving, if possible. To keep me on track, I'm going to keep a list here of all the things that need to be done and cross them out as they get completed.

prime and paint kitchen cabinets white

paint newly-installed trim in office and kitchen

get rid of old computer and rearrange computer desk

get rid of filing cabinet or move upstairs

get rid of many books and move two bookcases upstairs

paint entire first floor in Benjamin Moore's Silvery Moon

get rid of current couch and chair

move entertainment center to opposite side of living room

purchase new couch and chairs from Ikea

hang art in office (current choice is Jackson Pollock's Greyed Rainbow)

select new rug for living room

find accent pieces (pillows, canisters, etc.)

install new doorknob on coat closet

investigate shoe storage (possible bench?)

That's pretty much an exhaustive list! The theme is going to be "clean and simple". Most colors are neutrals, with the occasional pop of color that I will add after everything else is in place. Today I am going to start priming and painting the cabinets, but I couldn't go forward without planning the whole thing out. Now it's off to go check my stock of paint and head to our local Benjamin Moore store - which happens to be at the end of our street, thank goodness!

birthday fun

2011-07-30T11:15:00.001-05:00

Things have been so busy around here that I haven't had a chance to post about my birthday yet. It was on July 21, but in characteristic fashion, was spread out over more than a week of events.

My birthday celebrations began the night before, when I went to the pool and out to dinner at Red Lobster with my dear friend, Becky, and her two-year-old daughter, Ana. The weather was super-hot and perfect for the pool, and I had a great evening (and enjoyed Ana singing "Happy Birthday" 20 times - so cute!).

Me, Becky & Ana after swimming and dinner

The next day, my co-workers gave me a luncheon at work, with some of my favorite foods: salad, homemade sushi, and triple chocolate cake. Yum!

I forgot to get the sushi in the picture

That evening, Steve gave me the gifts he had picked out for me: DVDs of The King's Speech and Star Trek: The Next Generation feature films.

Laughing at Steve's antics

It took 8 attempts to get a decent self-portrait (and this one is blurry!)

Over the weekend, my friend Emily was in town from DC and we went on the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, after which she treated me to dinner at Bubba Gump's. We love seafood! I've been wanting to ride that ferris wheel for years, so that was a special treat. I didn't get any pictures of the two of us together, but here are a couple from that evening.

Going up...so much fun!

Seafood hush puppies at Bubba Gump's = excellent

I also worked at the Cover Girl Classic again this year, and enjoyed seeing the senior international elite gymnasts compete. It was Shawn Johnson's first meet since the 2008 Beijing Olympics! I'm so excited for the buildup to the London Olympics, beginning with nationals in three weeks.

Shawn Johnson warms up on bars (Valeri Liukin in the foreground)

Shawn Johnson & Alicia Sacramone's heat presenting to the beam judges

Then, this week, Steve's family took us out to the Olive Garden for dinner, and I received some gifts from my family in DC in the mail. I've gotten some very thoughtful gifts this year! They include lovely handmade napkins from my sister-in-law, Erin (the pattern is spot-on!):

Mini travel journals and scarves from Turkey from my sister, Courtney (who recently went to Turkey):

And quite possibly the cutest gift ever: a Virginia-shaped cookie cutter from my sister. I love my home state!

Thanks, everyone, for making my birthday so special. It was full of the things I enjoy - friends, chocolate, Europe, gymnastics, and seafood. I hope 29 will be my best year so far!

raw noodles

2011-07-15T09:17:00.001-05:00

This past Tuesday night, I prepared my first raw alternative dish from the raw recipes I've assembled. Of course, we eat raw foods all the time, but I think this is the first time that I've intentionally substituted a raw dish for a cooked one.

For our first raw recipe, I chose the zucchini noodles with pesto from Bonzai Aphrodite's website. The recipe can be found by clicking here. I purchased a large green zucchini that cost about $1.50. We've made homemade pesto fairly inexpensively before, but this time our grocery store was out of fresh basil (!) so I felt the need to purchase some more expensive ingredient substitutes to achieve an authentic taste. Thankfully, some of the ingredients we can re-use for other dishes, such as the romano cheese and garlic. And actually, we had some pesto sauce leftover that we can use for more zucchini noodles or regular noodles.

The recipe was easy enough to follow, and quick. The preparation took 10 minutes at the most. At first, the pesto zucchini noodles tasted a little weird, but after a few bites, our palates adjusted and we both enjoyed them very much. I prefer cold dishes to hot ones, so I enjoyed the cold zucchini noodles. I mixed in a bit too much pesto sauce, but we both ate the entire dish anway.

Ironically, we had cooked steak on the side, along with some fresh strawberries. Our goal at this point is not to eat completely raw, but to replace high-carb or fatty parts of our diet with fresh veggies and fruits instead. We've only made a small start, but we both enjoyed the zucchini noodles and I think we'll make them again tonight with the leftover pesto sauce and the one zucchini left in the fridge.

list

2011-07-13T14:51:00.001-05:00

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed today with many projects that I want to work on. I definitely feel the need to prioritize so that I can focus on only one item at a time. I have a problem where a simple brainstorming session about the things I need to accomplish turns into anxiety because I want to accomplish them all RIGHT NOW. So, I decided to make a list prioritizing the things that I can realistically make strides on today:

Edit and distribute minutes from Monday night's condo board meeting.
Begin writing summer condo association newsletter.
Edit and finalize second draft of Personal Narratives for my Foreign Service application.

And those are the tasks I'm going to think about until I go to bed.

Not the fact that I wanted to start painting the first floor this weekend, or that the bathrooms really need a good cleaning, the living room is a mess, laundry needs to be done, and a list of items to pack for Europe needs to be written. Not to mention that I still need to order some tickets for various parts of my upcoming European Adventure. Or the cross-stitch project for poor little Ana that is sitting nearly completed on the coffee table. Or the fact that I've been meaning to start running on the indoor track every day for like, a week.

Condo board minutes. Condo Association newsletter. Personal Narratives. Breathe.

european adventure 2011

2011-07-11T13:43:00.003-05:00

Announcing stops in London, Paris, Milan and Switzerland! All in only 10 days... :)

A big thank-you goes out to friends hosting me and Jen: Helen in London, Jim & Lynda in Milan, and Tirsa and family in Aarberg, Switzerland!

As a huge Anglophile, I'm sad that I can only manage 2 jetlagged days in London, but that's definitely better than none! I've never been to Italy or Switzerland, so it will be great to peek into those countries, too.

I'm calling this trip, "European Adventure 2011", which is a particularly apt title. For those of you who don't know my flight arrangements, I am flying to London and back standby on Delta thanks to a buddy pass from a friend who works for them. This means that I may or may not get on my flights of choice, and may arrive in London or at home later than expected. I also might try to get on a flight to London on Thursday night instead of Friday, just because I can. That would also ensure that I'm in London long enough to see some sights and make my Monday morning flight to Paris to meet Jen and begin the second leg of my adventure. Here's hoping my travel will be adventurous in a tame, smooth-traveling kind of way.

Here's my bare bones itinerary:

August 26 (or maybe 25): fly to London

August 27 & 28: see sights in London & hang out with friends

August 29: fly to Paris, meet Jen

September 1: fly to Milan

September 3: train to Switzerland

September 6: fly to London and then home!

Next on the agenda is researching to see which sights that I want to drag my jetlagged self to see in London will be open on Saturday and/or Sunday, and develop an itinerary for those couple days. I'm mostly interested in historical sights related to royalty - because I am a royalty junkie - and also perhaps the Sherlock Holmes museum.

I will be staying with an old friend in London, and she has to attend an engagement party on the Saturday evening, which I assured her was fine because I will probably collapse into bed around 7 pm anyway. No point in staying home to entertain me when I would probably rather be sleeping! So far, even the small things are working out for the best!

The third and final week of camps that I run at work began today. The day began with a huge, power-outage-inducing thunderstorm, but thankfully power at work came back on within 30 seconds. Everything seemed to go smoothly. Now I have a condo board meeting tonight, Steve's softball double-header, and my Foreign Service Personal Narratives to finish. Can't wait for some time off!

things i love thursday

2011-07-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

With apologies for the lack of consistency in this series, I present this week's Things I Love Thursday:

independence day: Happy 235th Birthday, America! I'm proud that two of my 10th Great Grandfathers served in the Revolutionary War - with one of them losing his life serving our country. I'm also proud that I have a brother in the Air Force. Maybe someday I'll be serving my country myself in the Foreign Service?

raw food: My goal for the next week is to make this recipe for zucchini pesto "pasta" from Bonzai Aphrodite's Raw 101 series. It looks as though Friday or Tuesday night will be my best bet. My two raw eating books arrived in the mail yesterday and Steve and I are eager to try some recipes.

home improvement: Alright, those of you who know me know that I actually hate home improvement projects, so this is a bit of a lie. However much I disdain actually doing the projects, I love the finished results. Over the weekend, we finished installing the quarter-rounds in our dining room and kitchen areas of our condo, and now they need to be painted, which has inspired me to take on the cabinet-painting project I've been planning for a while. I can't wait to have all-white cabinets! The doors are already white, but the bases of the cabinets are not. Ugh - enough said. I can't wait to have a home that looks like adults live there (rather than college students)!

editors: Over the weekend, I wrote my Personal Narratives for my Foreign Service application and sent them to a few friends and family for feedback. I have already received some very helpful constructive criticism, and will be sending out the second draft to a few more readers this weekend. Thanks, everyone!

summer: It's my favorite season! For this past week and a half, we've been enjoying our best weather of the year so far in Chicagoland. I don't want it to end! I'm subbing with the Wheaton Municipal Band again tonight and it's fun to play outside.

Steve & I marching with the Wheaton Municipal Band in the Wheaton 4th of July parade

holiday weekend

2011-07-02T11:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Independence Day! I love when it falls around a weekend so we get to enjoy an entire three days away from work. I just finished my second of three summer camps at work yesterday - and it was a long week - so I am especially excited for a few days to myself.

What are you going to do this holiday weekend? Here are my plans:

finish quarter rounds in kitchen and dining room (old project never completed)

go to pool with Lauren

see Transformers with Steve

march in Wheaton's 4th of July parade

work on Personal Narratives for Foreign Service application

work on plans for Paris in 2 months (this is getting exciting!)

go to Target for much-needed home supplies (I hate shopping)

Also, I just ordered two books I've been eyeing on raw eating. Steve and I need to get back to eating more raw veggies and fruits, and I'm hoping these books will give us some easy ideas.

A good mix of fun and accomplishing things, which is just the way I like my weekends. Hope yours is great! Happy 4th!

test results

2011-06-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

In the past 24 hours, Steve and I finally received some long-awaited test results (well, his were more long-awaited than mine)!

On April 30, Steve took the first of four sections of the CPA exam, a section called Business Environment & Concepts (BEC). 50% of CPA exam takers fail, and his testing center staff was horrible and didn't get the test started until over an hour after he was supposed to begin (despite him arriving early), but he still felt that it went fairly well. He thought that he would score in the mid-70s, and you need a 75 to pass. Last Wednesday, the first results were posted online, but heading into the weekend, Steve was one of only 4% of Illinois CPA examinees whose scores were not online. Finally, yesterday morning, he received his score. 74. Argh! Despite some frustration - mostly that it took two months to get the score when it typically takes three weeks - a 74 is not bad and he will almost certainly pass when he re-takes it in August (after he takes the Regulation section, for which he's currently preparing). Great job, Steve! :)

On June 11, I took the Foreign Service Officer Test, which I had been planning to take for about 9 years but had never done for various reasons. I felt that the test went well on the day, but your score is achieved by comparing your test answers with the other 4,000 people taking the exam. You need a 154 to pass, but no one knows what the highest score is. I am happy to say that I passed, with a score of 175.11! According to a GoogleDocs spreadsheet on which many candidates are entering our passing scores, this seems to put me on the upper end of the middle of the pack. The next step is to submit 6 "Personal Narratives", aka short essays, by midnight on July 19. Time to get to work!

For your amusement, here are the tests that Steve and I will be taking in the next two months:

-CPA exam: Regulation (S)

-CPA exam: Business Environment & Concepts (S)

-Tax Knowledge Assessment Test (S) - to qualify him to do seasonal work at H&R Block

-Personal Narrative Questions, step 3/5 to be a Foreign Service Officer (A)

-Level 9 Women's Gymnastics Judging Test, Written and Video (A)

Apparently we just love taking tests in this family! Study session, anyone? :)

a perfect summer sunday

2011-06-27T11:24:00.000-05:00

85 degrees and sunny

simple lunch at home

afternoon nap in the sun under the living room window

finishing a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery

practicing softball pitching outside with Steve

making steak on the George Foreman grill

strawberries, tomatoes, and onions on the side

with lime sherbet for dessert

a new Poirot episode on Masterpiece Mystery!

a Sam Adams Summer Ale to top it off

and freshly-changed sheets to collapse into at night

What a wonderful Sunday!

Side note: we are still waiting for Steve's CPA exam results. He is in the 4% of April/May test takers whose scores have not yet been released. We really hope he passed! If he failed, it probably won't be by much, and he will just take the exam again as soon as possible. The frustrating part is that we've already waited 2 months for the results, when it normally only takes 3 weeks. The test format was changed this year, so they are taking longer to release the results, for some reason. We just want to know what his next step will be!

I should get my FSOT results in the next 1-3 weeks. What is with this family and our predilection for taking tests? :)

little update

2011-06-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Life has been crazy as usual here lately, and I haven't had time to think about blogging, much less time to actually blog. Last week was my first week of camp at work, and by all accounts it was very successful. Next week is the second week, which is quite a bit different from the first. This week has entailed both wrapping up from last week and preparing for next. I'm just taking it one day at a time!

I've done a little freelance work lately, and will be spending this weekend attending a gymnastics judging clinic for my annual required continuing professional education credits (CPEs). I was originally scheduled to attend a national clinic in Minneapolis in August, but when the opportunity to travel to Europe came up, I decided not to attend that clinic to save both vacation time and money. Thankfully, I was able to "sell" my registration to another judge. I'm going to use that $304 toward my trip to Europe instead. Canceling that clinic registration meant that I had to jump on the one this weekend, because it's free to me and only 20 minutes from home. I'll be glad to have my CPEs out of the way!

Steve and I are spending a rare evening in tonight, and I am very much looking forward to it. First, I plan to jog after work. It's chilly outside right now - only in the 60s! Where is summer? Despite my sadness over the September-like temperatures, it really is great weather for running. After that, I think we will make dinner at home - perhaps pancakes and eggs - and then watch a movie and turn in early. I need evenings like this on a regular basis. What an exciting life I lead. :)

More details to come soon on my upcoming Europe trip. Have a great weekend!

if all goes well

2011-06-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

...I'll be seeing this in less than three months

and perhaps this as well...

and now, we wait

2011-06-13T15:22:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, I drove into Chicago's Uptown neighborhood to take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), something I have been meaning to do for years. I actually applied to take the test a full year ago, but it's only offered three times a year and I managed to be out of town during the October and February tests. Finally, my schedule matched the testing schedule and I was able to get it done.

Through joining an FSOT study group on Yahoo! groups, I was able to meet a nice girl from the western suburbs who was also taking the test and we got together to study on three separate occasions. Between studying on my own, studying with her, and being a good test-taker, I felt ready to take the exam on Saturday. Now that it's behind me, I think it went pretty well. As with any test, there were a few questions I was uncertain about, but I did my best. I can't predict whether I passed or failed, because they grade the exams based on how well you do compared to the thousands of other candidates taking the exam rather than an objective scale. We are supposed to get the results in 3-5 weeks, so it's just a waiting game now.

The testing center was...interesting. They administer other tests there, such as the Postal Service Exam, cosmetology license tests, etc., and being a Saturday afternoon it was very crowded. I waited a while to take my test, and the facilities were not very nice. The testing room was on the third floor of the building, next to an "L" station, so every few minutes the trains would come and go, the desks and computers would rattle, and the automated voice telling passengers, "Doors closing" was audible. They offered ear plugs, but I have yet to find a comfortable pair of earplugs so I passed rather than mess with them. I can concentrate in almost any environment, so I was fine, but let it be said that the testing center definitely had "atmosphere".

There was a graduation at a nearby college, so street parking was nearly full and I'm just thankful that my car wasn't towed during the 5 hours I parked on a random residential street. I'm also thankful that I wasn't mugged as I and my wallet speed-walked to and from my car. There were a lot of "loiterers", and we weren't allowed to bring purses to the testing center, so I shoved my walled under my shirt and nonchalantly walked with my arms crossed. Think I fooled them? ;)

Now that I'm finished with my FSOT prep and am not playing with the Wheaton Municipal Band every week this summer - I just signed up to sub - I finally have free evenings again! So this is what "normal" life is like, eh? :) I have so many things I want to do, and, for once, a lot of time in which to do it!

Today was the first day of the first of the summer camps that I run here at work. Everything went smoothly and we're all happy, so that's great. After 5 years at this job, I'm definitely more relaxed about some of my bigger projects, like camp. I think it's because I'm learning to trust my preparations even more.

Well, it is an absolutely beautiful day outside, so I am going to get out for a walk before going to Steve's softball game tonight. I am also going to finish reading a Dorothy Sayers mystery that I checked out of the library a couple months ago, when I had the illusion of free time. And finish a long-overdue cross-stitching project. And start another one. My free time is starting to fill up fast! At least it's all fun stuff! :)

summer softball

2011-06-08T15:58:00.000-05:00

Temperatures here are finally worthy of the name "summer", which is wonderful and quite a bit earlier than usual. Typically, June in Chicagoland means pants and perhaps a light jacket, but over these past several days, the temperatures have been in the 90s - my favorite weather! Unfortunately, I haven't had time to go to the pool or a beach on Lake Michigan, but Steve and I have been getting out for walks and jogs to soak up the sun where we can.

On Monday night, I got to watch Steve's softball game for the first time this season. Though the season began in mid-April, I had constant conflicts until this past Monday. As a side note, I am very much enjoying the return of my free time, now that gymnastics season has been over for a few weeks so I'm no longer working seven days a week!

Here are a few photos from the game. Steve is # 34 and is captain of the team. He draws up the lineup each week and keeps a box score during the game, in addition to pitching and, of course, batting.

race recap

2011-06-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

My close friend, Becky, and I reviving ourselves in the shade after the race!

Yesterday morning, I ran my first 5k of 2011. Here in the Chicago area, the weather isn't warm enough to run outdoors until April (and even then it's usually in the 40s), and I don't like to run on the indoor track, so my running season is just beginning. Yesterday was the annual Cosley Zoo Run for the Animals 5k. Last year I met my goal of 9-minute miles with a time of 27:31. I hoped to improve my time this year to at least 27 minutes, but conditions were not in my favor and I finished with a time of 28:28.

Despite running a practice 5k last Saturday at 26:11, I was hardly able to run at all this past week due to the stomach flu. That lack of running impacted my endurance in a negative way. I felt good during the first two miles of the race, but had to slow down quite a bit in the third. My mile splits were 8:50, 9:10, and 9:30. It was freakishly hot yesterday morning - nearly 90 degrees - with no breeze, and very humid. I think everyone's time suffered a little as a result.

Lest I sound too negative, I want to say that I really did have a good time running! Hopefully I'll get to do another 5k soon. There's another one this weekend that I want to run, but won't have time to do because it's the same day I'm taking the FSOT. Frankly, I would enjoy running a road race every weekend if it didn't mean I had to get up at 6 am on a Saturday (I am not a morning person)! It's nice to have an early start on the day every now and then, though.

Speaking of which, on to my next goal for the month of June: passing the FSOT! I have a study session in a few hours and need to do some prep for that.

adjusting expectations

2011-06-02T10:53:00.001-05:00

My big 5k is coming up this Saturday morning. I use the word "big" in the sense that I had some high expectations and lofty - yet achievable - goals for this race. My original goal was to run it in 25 minutes, which would be an improvement over the 27:31 time that I had at this race last year, which would mean increasing my mile speed by about a minute or so.

After getting off to an irregular start in March and April due to weather and illness, I adjusted my goal to 27 minutes, a totally achievable goal. I ran a practice 5k in 26:11 last Saturday, but my running route is a bit flatter than the race route so I never expected to achieve that time at the race.

This week, the stomach flu struck in our little family of two, and I haven't been able to run since Monday. We're both healthy now, but I won't have time to run tonight because I'm subbing with the Wheaton Municipal Band for its first concert of the year. Typically I don't run during the three days before a race anyway, to keep my legs fresh. So...I've had to adjust my expectations downward yet again, and now my goal is just to run a good race, keep a steady pace, and enjoy myself. I know whatever the outcome, I will feel good and be happy that I ran it. This year, I have a couple of friends that are running it as well, so it will be fun to see them there. I may look for another 5k race in a few months in which to re-pursue my goal of the 25-minute time.

The month of June is super busy for me! Here's what my schedule looks like so far:

June 2: subbing with the Wheaton Municipal Band (WMB)

June 4: Cosley Zoo 5k

June 11: Foreign Service Officer Test (in Chicago)

June 13-17: 1st of 3 summer camps that I run at my work

June 18: Wild at the Zoo promotional event I'm working for my work

June 27-July 1: 2nd of 3 summer camps that I run at my work

There will probably be a few other WMB concerts thrown in there at which I will be subbing. On top of all this, I need to write and send out the summer newsletter for my condo association and help Steve with getting more sponsorships for upcoming WMB concerts. And somehow find time to nail and paint the quarter-rounds in my kitchen and dining room. Maybe that will be a good project for Saturday, after the race. I'll already be grimy...

Just taking it one day at a time.

blackout curtains

2011-05-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

For over a year now, I've been planning to make curtains for our bedroom, to keep the light out in the early morning hours and increase energy efficiency. A couple of weeks ago, I decided I was never going to get around to making the curtains, so I thought I'd look around for inexpensive blackout curtains.

I found some at Wal-Mart for $10 per panel, and bought 4 panels. Actually, one panel would cover each window when stretched out, but I wanted plenty of curtain available for maximum coverage, so I went with two panels per window. The curtains I got are navy blue with a black backing. We installed them a week ago, and I am loving them so much! Where have these been all my life?

Though summer is my favorite season, as the days get longer I get annoyed that the light wakes me up between 4 and 5 every morning when I don't have to get up until 6:30. This really hinders my ability to get a full night's sleep, especially since we go to bed later in the summers due to our participation in a weekly summer band. A few weeks ago, I was starting to be awakened at 5 or 5:15 by the light, so I decided it was time to take action!

I'm pleased to report that, since we installed the blackout curtains one week ago, I have not woken up early once! I have been waking up to my alarm at 6:30, and my only problem now is that I'm sleeping so soundly that it's harder to wake up. Hehe! These curtains really do block all light from the room, and when it's light outside, they still make the room pretty dark. I highly recommend them! Thank you, blackout curtains!

what day is it?!

2011-05-18T13:32:00.002-05:00

This week has already been exceptionally long. Work has been super-busy and full of somewhat stressful tasks. On the positive side, I think that next week will be better and I'm happy to finally be crossing some major projects off my "to-do" list. Due to the busyness of the week, my brain currently has no idea as to what day - or even what month - it is!

On the home front, we finally got our wireless internet to work after almost 5 years without it. Come to find out, it was running correctly the entire time, but our internet browsers were taking too long to find the server, causing them to display a "server not found" message. Finally, last night, I figured out that if we typed our provider's server address into a box on the settings menu - an optional box - the browsers connected to it right away. (You'd think the Comcast help people would have suggested that 5 years ago...) Now we're off and running with wireless internet!

We connected our Wii to the internet and can now watch TV shows and movies on it through Netflix. I'm excited to try that feature out [hopefully] tonight! We also set up our new Netbook and will be installing Microsoft Office and anti-virus software soon. I can't wait to move our files from the dinosaur PC to the new computer (via my external hard drive) and get rid of the old behemoth! There will be much more space free on the desk as a result.

I also received some blackout curtains in the mail that I had ordered for our bedroom. I tested them last night, and boy, do they keep every speck of light out! I'm excited to iron and hang them tonight, and hope that I can avoid waking up early due to the light from now on. I was awakened by the light at 5:30 this morning, and I am NOT a morning person! I don't like winter very much, but one positive thing about it is that I sleep soundly for about 8 hours each night. Hopefully these new curtains will help simulate the conditions of those winter nights!

The first of four summer programs I run at work begins next week. I can't wait for them to get underway, because the time leading up to each program is always full of tons of random tasks and questions from parents, teachers, and aides, which can be a bit mind-boggling. Things are shaping up for a good summer here at work!

tidbits

2011-05-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

For anyone interested...

-Our 10-year-old dinosaur of a PC caught a virus last week and has been nearly impossible to use. We bought virus removal software and it even resisted that. Though our primary computer is our Macbook (now 5 years old), we need a PC in the house because Steve has mortgage and accounting software that only work on a PC. Consequently, we just ordered a brand-new PC laptop for less than $300 and are eagerly awaiting its arrival so that we can migrate our programs and files!

-A few days ago, both of my feet swelled up to about 3x their normal size. (And no, it is NOT due to pregnancy - I am not pregnant. I think it was due to sunburn.) Steve has been really helpful with cooking dinner these past couple of nights so that I could, quite literally, put my feet up. Thankfully, my feet are almost back to normal size and I am hoping to resume running in the morning.

-Tomorrow is the first Saturday for which I have absolutely no plans in a very long time. I should revise that statement, because I actually do have plans for a few projects around the house, but I have all day to accomplish them with plenty of time to relax as well.

-Just today, I ordered curtains for our bedroom. Five years after moving in to our home. Our windows face north, so we've never had direct sunlight in our faces, but the increasing brightness of the early morning hours wakes both of us up frequently at horrible times like 4:30 am. Though I've always hated curtains, I decided to give in and ordered some navy blue insulated curtains from Walmart for only $10 per panel. I even have some extra insulation on hand from last year's living room curtain project on hand if I need to make the curtains thicker. I can't wait to hang them!

-I am super busy right now with several goals that will hopefully come to fruition in just under a month: my 25-minute 5k on June 4, taking (and passing) a work-related test on June 11, and finishing a personal birthday gift for my friend Becky's daughter's 2nd birthday on June 13.

-I am looking forward to some extra down-time over the summer and hope to complete several personal projects and several home-related projects. I also have a very busy summer ahead at work. I hope it's a successful summer on all fronts!

-Have I mentioned that I hate cooking? I try to get into it because I like to eat healthily and be frugal, but ugh. Sometimes I wish I had a cook and didn't have to think about it any more. Speaking of which, back to the stove...

-I am attending a concert at my work tonight, which should be excellent. I am looking forward to a glass of wine and long night of sleep afterward. Happy weekend!

things i love thursday

2011-05-05T12:08:00.000-05:00

quiet time

This week has been full of busyness at work and errands at home. Last night I relished an hour to myself to do some mindless television-watching, and today I will be almost alone in my office as my boss is off on Thursdays and one of my other co-workers is out. I love quiet time to be alone in thought and prayer - too bad it goes by so quickly!

florida!

On Saturday, I leave to meet most of my east coast family in Florida. As it's still in the 40s here (though it did get up to 60 yesterday), I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin!

forever 21

My sister gave me a gift card to Forever 21 for Christmas, and I just got around to using it last Friday. I was saving it specifically for some summer work clothes, as most of my clothes are heavy and thick due to our long winters. I found a super-cute gray dress, black shirt, gray t-shirt, black sandals, and a pair of earrings, all for $30! Man, I love that store. Fortunately, I am a person who wears clothing very gently and takes excellent care of all my things, so I can buy garments of "lesser quality" and still wear them for years. Hooray for new - and affordable - clothes!

studying

This might seem like a strange thing to be thankful for, but I'm happy that Steve has plunged into studying for the second part of his CPA exam. I, too, have been doing some studying lately and refreshing myself on US history using my excellent AP US History textbook from high school. I didn't care much about US history until I learned through my recent genealogical research that my ancestors came here in the early 1700s. Since that discovery, I've been wanting to re-read some US history through a different lens.

ant bait

Our entire building has been having a massive problem with ants this year. They have been all over our main floor, and a few have even made it up to the second floor. Ugh! I think that most of them have died since we put ant bait all over the house last week. Steve discovered the queen ant the other day and was thoroughly disgusted. You should have heard him yelp when it started moving! It was gross. I think they're mostly dead now, hopefully.

vintage mother's day

2011-05-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

I recently decided to start scanning some of my baby pictures onto my external hard drive, just for fun. This picture, taken at the Dallas Zoo in 1983, is of me and my mom in front of - who else? - the elephants! I just used this picture to enter a Mother's Day contest at my favorite clothier, ModCloth. (photo credit: my dad)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! :)

the royal wedding!

2011-04-29T11:31:00.001-05:00

After a few hours of sleep, I woke up at 4:15 this morning to watch the royal wedding. I was not disappointed! What a lovely, enjoyable day for the couple and everyone who was able to watch. Here in Chicagoland, the sun is shining for the first time this week and there's not a cloud in the sky, as if in celebration! I was worried that I'd be too sleepy to enjoy the wedding, but actually it was very interesting and I watched from 4:15 until after the balcony appearance, tumbling back to bed at 7:45 and waking up three hours later. I even got to see the sunrise, which is rare for me as I'm NOT a morning person. Fun way to spend a morning!

The bride & groom!

My favorite part of the wedding was the bells of Westminster Abbey. One of my favorite moments was when Kate got out of the car, having just arrived at the church, and prepared to enter to the sound of a joyful peal of bells. I was happy to hear them again after the ceremony as well. Maybe it's because I'm a musician and just read a story set in Cambridgeshire in which bell-ringing featured prominently, but the bells were so cool!

An appropriately-themed pick-me-up at 6:30 am, served on my fine china in honor of the occasion.

LOVED the pomp and ceremony of the parade!

I'm heading to Steve's parents' house for lunch soon - his mom had a tea this morning to watch the wedding with some of her friends, and I love cucumber sandwiches so I will be enjoying the leftovers! The rest of my day will be filled with running, doing laundry, making dinner and helping Steve prepare for the CPA exam tomorrow in whatever way I can.

things i love thursday

2011-04-28T21:00:00.002-05:00

I have been by no means consistent in posting Things I Love Thursday. The only excuse I can offer is that I am super busy at work and thereby super tired at home. Tonight, it's a good thing that I'm super tired and ready to fall into bed, because tomorrow is the...

royal wedding! Yes, I will be rising at 4 am to watch the coverage, ceremony, procession, and balcony appearance. Being the same age as William and Kate, and an avid royal watcher, I have known of their relationship since 2002 and followed it over the years with great hopes. Kate seems like a wonderful person and a girl I would get along with very well. I wish them the best of happiness!

surprise last-minute travelThis morning I got an email from my dad saying that my mom and sister are flying down to visit my brother in Panama City, Florida next weekend, and would I like to join them? Of course I said yes! I love travel, especially spur-of-the-moment. I can't wait for the time when finances will allow for me to pop over to Paris for a long weekend when I feel like it. Any time there is a beach involved, that is a huge plus also! Ironically, I just ordered myself a new swimsuit last week, for no reason other than that I liked it - an odd move because I'm not a big shopper. Also, due to our dreary Chicago wintry spring (30s today, what?), I have lately been daydreaming of laying on the warm sand next to some ocean waves. Premonition, maybe? Anyway, I am super excited to see my mom and siblings next weekend!

books
I've found some great books at the library recently - primarily mysteries, with a couple novels and an interesting book on the merits of European socialism vs. American capitalism. The author doesn't have to convince me, but it's fun to see the facts laid out and read something sociopolitical in nature once in a while. I am currently in the middle of three books!

candy
Overall, I'm not a big candy eater, preferring salty or spicy food to sweet. However, Easter is another story. Usually Steve's mom gives us a giant bag of candy, and she did not disappoint this year. I generally indulge myself until that bag of candy is gone, and then go back to my non-sugar-eating self. This week I've been particularly enjoying the dark chocolate wedges and the bag of Jelly Bellys. :)

cpa exam
Generally, one doesn't find much pleasure in the CPA exam - that I've heard of, anyway - but Steve will be taking the first of four segments this Saturday. His goal is to pass each segment on the first try. I'm just happy that, after MONTHS of studying, he's finally to the point of being able to put the tests behind him, hopefully. Please pray that he will pass the test he takes on Saturday!

Other little items of thanks: that a friend in Virginia is en route to West Africa this very moment to pick up her newly-adopted daughter, that Steve has been able to pick up some extra part-time work lately, that I'm almost done with a few handmade gifts, that we've been able to cut back on some expenses, and that our cracked windshield will be replaced at no cost to us!

This has been a challenging week, full of illness, stress at work, cold temperatures, lack of sun, lots of rain, ant infestation, stress over Steve's impending exam, and a broken windshield, but I am trying to focus on the positive and remember my 2010 year verses:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

happy easter!

2011-04-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Since I work at a Christian organization, I had Friday off work in honor of Good Friday. These 3 days comprise the longest stretch of time I've had off in 4 months and have been absolutely lovely. I usually work 7 days a week, so 3 days has felt like 3 weeks to me! Friday was my first day off in 17 days of straight full-day work. However, I only have one more gymnastics meet left to judge before the next season begins in fall, so I will be getting my weekends back starting in a couple weeks.

Each of the past 3 nights, I've gotten to sleep during my favorite window of time for sleep: midnight - 8 am. I haven't overslept or under-slept. On Friday, I spent much of the day cleaning the house and going running, then went to church and got to relax at home that evening with Steve and a friend, eating Chinese food and watching a great movie, The Coal-Miner's Daughter.

On Saturday (yesterday), I didn't have many chores left to do, so I decided to use a coupon I had for a free breakfast sandwich from Chick-Fil-A. While I was out, I decided to pick up a Starbucks drink, too. I never go to Starbucks, but it was a fun treat! I brought the sandwich and coffee home and enjoyed my breakfast while watching a documentary I got from Netflix. After breakfast, I went running. Seeing that the weather was so beautiful - 60s and sunny, which has been a rarity around here this "spring" - I decided on a whim to take the train into Chicago and enjoy an Art Institute exhibit I'd been longing to see for months: Kings, Queens, and Courtiers: Art in Early Renaissance France.

The exhibit was fantastic! It featured many of the everyday artifacts that I love - tapestries, books of hours, illuminated manuscripts, etc. Many of the items originated in the Royal workshops of the Loire valley, and made me long to go back to France and see the places of their origin. In addition to the special exhibit, I wandered around the museum and looked at the miniature rooms, architecture exhibits, and folk art gallery.

On the way back to the train, I stopped at Garrett's Popcorn Shop and bought treats for Steve and I - caramel corn for him and cheesy corn for me. He had stayed home to study for his CPA exam coming up this Saturday. I enjoy a day to myself every now and then, especially when it involves viewing art, which can definitely be a very personal experience.

Today has been another good day off. Steve had to play trumpet at a Catholic church in Chicago, so we both went to the service. It didn't begin until 11:30, which was great because I am not much of a morning person! After church, we went to my in-laws' house for dinner and stuffed ourselves full of all sorts of tasty food and candy. I'm not usually one for sweets, but I've been eating candy all day! Makes a nice break from the usual, I guess. :) We went for a walk and now Steve is back to studying again, while I'm sitting here dreading the start of the work week tomorrow. If only every weekend could be as relaxing and fun as this one has been!

ps. I took some pictures in Chicago, but my camera won't load them onto my computer for some reason. Argh.

chipotle-style burritos

2011-04-21T17:42:00.002-05:00

Recipes and a cost analysis (and pictures!), for your enjoyment.

First, I should start by saying that this experiment was very successful, so please read on without the suspense of wondering if my burritos turned out tasty or not!

A few weeks ago, I realized that each time I go to my favorite fast-food restaurant, Chipotle, it cost me $7 ($8 if I get a drink, which I sometimes do). We don't eat out too often, but occasionally it happens that running to Chipotle for lunch is more appealing than eating what I actually brought from home. When you're on a strict budget, those $7 trips add up. So I decided to do research, experiment, and see if I could come up with a tasty, quick, and inexpensive alternative to a Chipotle burrito.

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I found a website called Chipotle Fan, and I based my recipe on a combination of several of theirs and some others I found, based on what seemed like it would yield the best burrito. Without further ado, here is my recipe*!

Equipment needed:

-blender or food processor

-grill, George Foreman grill, or wok

-cutting board or plate

-saucepans as needed to cook rice and beans

Ingredients for chicken marinade:

-1 chicken breast (yields enough for 2-3 burritos)

-1/4 red onion (chop a little for easy blending)

-6 cloves garlic (most heads of garlic have more)

-7 oz. jar chipotle salsa (I used San Marcos brand)

-1/4 cup olive oil (vegetable oil works, too)

-1 tsp. black pepper

-2 tsp. salt

-2 tsp. cumin powder

-2 tbsp. oregano

Ingredients for rice:

-1 tsp. olive oil

-1 cup of white rice

-1 lime

-1 cup water

-1/2 tsp. salt

-2 tsp. fresh cilantro (about 6-8 leaves, chopped)

Ingredients for burrito:

-large tortillas
-beans (black or pinto - canned is faster; if you buy dry beans you'll need to soak them overnight before they are ready for use)

-cheese (your choice; I used a "Mexican blend")

-sour cream

-salsa

-anything else you like in your burrito!

Instructions:

1. Note: you can marinate the chicken for any length of time from one hour to a full day - your choice. Just don't forget to factor this in when you want a burrito quickly! Create the marinade for the chicken: pour all ingredients listed above into the blender and blend until pureed.

2. Stab chicken with fork multiple times to allow marinade to sink in, and apply marinade. Cover chicken and place in refridgerator for a minimum of one hour. Note: the marinade recipe makes plenty, so store excess and keep in fridge for future use.

3. When ready to make burritos, start with the rice because it takes longest. Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan until warm.

4. Add the rice and the juice of the lime (cut it into pieces and squeeze all the juice out you can), and stir the mixture around on the stove for a minute or so.

5. Add the cup of water and the salt, cover the rice, turn heat to low, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until water has been absorbed. When rice is done, stir in the cilantro - the rice is now ready.

6. While rice is simmering, remove marinated chicken from the fridge and grill until done (I cut our chicken breast into four smaller pieces because it was so huge). Note: If you do not have access to a grill or George Foreman grill, you could probably saute the chicken in the marinade instead.

7. When chicken is done, cut into small pieces for use in burrito.

8. Meanwhile, warm beans on stove top or in microwave.

9. When all ingredients are ready, warm tortillas in microwave for 20-30 seconds.

10. Compile your burrito! Lay ingredients in a straight line down the center of the tortilla. I added lines of chicken, rice, and beans first, and then topped them with a handful of cheese, spoonful of salsa, and dollop of sour cream.

11. Fold your burrito! Fold the top and bottom toward the center, pinch one of the sides between both thumbs and forefingers, and roll! If the tortilla or any other ingredients have gone cold while you were working, put the entire thing in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to warm it back up.

Served with homemade guacamole (but that's a post for another time...). By the way, for you guys out there, Steve made his burrito bigger than mine and it stayed folded just fine.

*I should mention that we are a two-person family, so some of these amounts are based on what you would need to make 2-3 burritos at a time. I have tried to indicate this when possible.

Now for the analysis.

Taste factor: Steve and I give the taste a 9 out of 10. The marinade and the special rice recipe really give it an extra kick! The finished product tasted eerily similar to the burritos I get at Chipotle. The only thing I would like to improve is the tortilla. I purchased the largest and most inexpensive tortillas I could find. They were thicker than the ones Chipotle uses, and therefore the flavor of the tortilla was more present than it typically is in a Chipotle burrito. (I would love suggestions of thinner, still large tortillas if anyone knows of them.)

Time factor: Actually, the whole process didn't take too long (5 minutes to make the marinade, 3 minutes to start the rice, 5 minutes to grill the chicken, and a few more minutes for chopping and wrapping)! The trick is getting all of the ingredients to be ready at the same time so they are all warm. This time around, we only made enough ingredients for our 3 burritos, because if they didn't turn out well we didn't want to waste food. However, I HIGHLY recommend making larger batches of everything and keeping it refridgerated so that you can compile and heat your burrito in less than 5 minutes.

Cost factor: Good. The total cost per burrito was $4.20, as compared with $7 at the restaurant. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not factor rice, cheese, sour cream, salsa or spices into the cost because those are standard pantry items that we either had on hand or needed anyway. I calculated that we used $.25 worth of cheese on each burrito. We already had sour cream and salsa in the fridge and used just a little of each. We buy large quantities of rice at a time and that's not too expensive, either. So, overall, a little extra work to save $2.80 per burrito is not bad!

Now, I wonder if burritos will keep if I freeze them...

update

2011-04-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

On Monday morning, I went to the doctor and he diagnosed a definite sinus infection. I have gone through four entire boxes of tissues (big boxes, not those tiny ones) since Saturday morning. I am on a Z-pack, Mucinex, and a medication for coughing. Though my sinuses are definitely feeling better, overall I am still quite tired and weak. I was at work all day Tuesday, did a couple errands afterward, and then had to collapse on the couch for the rest of the evening. I hardly slept all night and am not feeling well today. Hopefully I can balance work with rest and some necessary house chores for the rest of the day.

I'm excited that my dear friend, Emily, is coming for a visit tomorrow. Hooray! I'm sure I'll be feeling better by then and am excited to do some fun things after being cooped up at home, sick.

Thanks for all the prayers! Things are looking up somewhat. :)

a mold story

2011-04-03T14:27:00.000-05:00

Ugh.

It's been a rough couple of weeks at our house. My husband, who rarely gets sick, caught a horrible flu virus and was sick for over a week. After a week of fighting off the virus, my immune system surrendered and I got sick on Monday evening. After a rough week of dragging myself to work every day to face the numerous tasks that wouldn't allow me to stay home, my illness turned into a sinus infection on Friday. Since then, I have gone through two entire boxes of tissues. And counting.

This is definitely the sickest I've been since I had pneumonia over a year ago. I have been trying to take as few drugs as possible, but have resorted to several doses of ibuprofen to keep the fever and sinus pain down.

This morning, my muscles were aching from laying around for about 42 straight hours. That, along with the fact that I have a good friend visiting this week, inspired me to do a little housework today even though I feel horrible. As I was rearranging some items in the fridge, something in my water filter caught my eye. Something black. Something fuzzy. Something to which I am highly allergic...MOLD!

Yikes! I clean my water filter regularly, so I don't know how that got there. I do know, however, why my illness has been getting worse lately and not better: I have drunk at least 15 glasses of water from that filter this weekend! I immediately dumped out the glass I had and put it in the dishwasher. I've been drinking tap water since then and I'm feeling a little better already. I hope to get out for a walk soon - before it starts pouring - and then I'll spend the rest of the day trying to keep my recovery going. I hope to feel significantly better by tomorrow.

But first, on to the next victim of my spring cleaning: my husband's collection of about 80 VHS tapes.

colonel william crawford

2011-03-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night is my monthly DAR meeting, and I signed up to participate in a friendly competition called, "What Did Your Ancestor Do During the War?", meaning the Revolutionary War, of course. The competition involves a brief presentation about your ancestor's participation. I have two ancestors with very interesting Revolutionary War stories, but I just picked one this time. Perhaps another time I'll get to share about my other ancestor. I just finished preparing my notes and photos for the meeting, so I thought I'd share them here - mostly for the interest of my family members and anyone who may also be descended from Colonel William Crawford and doing ancestry research online. Without further adieu, here is my presentation:

Colonel William Crawford (1732-1782) at age 35

Colonel William Crawford

My 10^th Great-Grandfather, Colonel William Crawford, was extremely active during the Revolutionary War. Crawford lived in a small cabin on the banks of the Youghigheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania, in what used to be the wild Allegheny Mountains, but is now a small town called Connellsville – the same town in which my mom grew up (his cabin is still standing, as an historic site, and my mom and I visited it last summer). Already active in local politics, as soon as the battle of Lexington took place in 1775, Col. Crawford began recruiting men for the military, using his cabin as a recruiting office.

My Mom at Col. Crawford's cabin in Connellsvile, PA, August 2010

At that time, that region of Pennsylvania was under dispute, as both Virginia and Pennsylvania claimed it as part of their colonies. Col. Crawford’s efforts alone raised the following battalions: the 7^th Virginia, the 8^th Pennsylvania, and the 13^th Virginia. Col. Crawford was a close friend to George Washington – the two of them had met as 17-year-olds when Washington was learning the surveying business in western Virginia and stayed in touch over the years as friends and business associates, serving in the same regiment in the French and Indian War. In 1777, General Washington asked Crawford to station himself in Pittsburgh and take command of the Continental troops and the Militia of the Western Department.

Skipping ahead to 1782, the year in which Col. Crawford’s most famous battle took place. He was in command of the 13^th Virginia regiment, and the Revolutionary War was over on the eastern part of the country. On the western front, however, battles with the Native Americans were ongoing, and in May, 1782, Col. Crawford was asked to command an expedition down the Ohio River to confront the Indians.

On June 4, 1782, they encountered a band of Indians that fought viciously and won the upper hand. The regiment retreated, and most escaped, but Col. Crawford and Dr. Knight, the medical officer, were captured. Dr. Knight’s journal describes in great detail what happened to Col. Crawford, which I will summarize here.

After several days in captivity, the prisoners were marched 33 miles to what is now Sandusky, Ohio. Crawford’s face was painted black, indicating that he was to be executed. In front of an assembly that included 120 Indian men, women, and children, Crawford was tied to a burning stake and tortured with burning pieces of wood for two hours. He was scalped and finally passed away, his body them burned in the fire. He was fifty years old. His death was much publicized throughout the U.S., and immortalized in a lengthy ballad. There are several historical markers and monuments in Sandusky indicating where Col. Crawford was executed, and I hope to visit those someday, too.

One of several visual depictions of Col. Crawford's execution

2011-03-22T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am sitting at home trying to finish up a couple of big projects for work, but the dreary, dark weather outside is providing a blogging atmosphere too good to pass up. I think I must soon venture outdoors for a run, which will perhaps lift my sagging spirits, but for now I must bite the bullet and admit that I have been feeling somewhat overwhelmed at work for the past month or so. I don't usually like to admit things like that, but I doubt that any of my co-workers read this so I think my secret is safe.

In fact, I will probably spend the entire evening finishing up these projects. What a fun way to spend an evening, right? Steve will be gone at a rehearsal, so I think I will just turn on some TV show (what's on Tuesday nights? I never watch TV) and alternate watching with working during the commercials to trick my mind into thinking I had a free evening. I wonder if it will work.

Frankly, it has been a depressing couple of months here in the Land of Lincoln. The winter weather has dragged horribly on, with no prospects for warm, sunny days in the next week at least. My full-time job has been, as I said, overwhelming lately, and my weekend job has been absorbing much of my free time. This coming weekend will be the first free weekend I've had since Thanksgiving Break, but I'm too busy right now to look forward to it. And then there are all the household projects that need to be done.

Steve finished his classes in December, and has been occupying himself by studying full-time for his April and May portions of the CPA exam. This has probably been at least as hard on me as it has been on him, because he literally spends all his free time studying due to a fear that he won't pass. Also, this period of waiting to see when he passes the exam and what will happen after that has been extremely trying to this lover of planning. Especially when I originally thought he would take the entire exam in April/May and only recently learned that the earliest he will be done with it is October or November. That seems like forever to wait.

Adding to that is the fact that I will turn 29 in a few months, and though I have a decent job with lovely co-workers, I've been there for almost 5 years and am ready for a change (I certainly hope no co-workers are reading this now!). I'd like an adventure and am eager to see what will happen to us next. Truth be told, I'm eager to make something happen. But Steve isn't, because he is completely focused on passing the CPA exam and, as he tells me constantly, he can only focus on one thing at a time. Argh.

I could certainly rant on, but I will refrain. I am trying to see this year as an opportunity to learn patience. In situations such as these, it's sometimes hard to know whether to act or whether to just stay put and see what happens. I feel like I've been doing the latter for over 7 years now, and I'm ready for some action. I appreciate advice and encouragement, my friends.

This is my 2011 motto:
One day at a time.

happy st. patrick's day!

2011-03-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

Cedric, our St. Patrick's Day shamrock from several years ago, is in full bloom and excited for his holiday. He even has a few little white flowers on the window side!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I am 50% Irish, with some of my ancestors coming to America from Ireland around 1730 and the others in 1855. Steve is also about 50% Irish, so we tried to do a little to celebrate.

Today is a beautiful day, and it's supposed to get up to the 60s for the first time in 2011. I can't wait to get outside for a jog after work!

st. patrick's irish cheddar soup

2011-03-15T18:52:00.001-05:00

It's been a few weeks since we've had time to make a soup out of our Twelve Months of Monastery Soups cookbook, but I took the day off yesterday to do some chores and errands, so we finally got to make the long-anticipated St. Patrick's Irish Cheddar Soup. I'll spoil the ending and tell you that we both loved it! The soup was super tasty, not too cheesy, and with a nice consistency. Also, the flavor was good and there was absolutely no need to add salt. I marked this soup as a favorite in our book for future reference.

St. Patrick's Irish Cheddar Soup

Ingredients: Kerrygold cheddar cheese, milk, carrots, potatoes, leeks
Cost: $10.12 total (The cheese made it a little pricier than our other soups. However, we got 6 servings out of it - 3 for Steve and 1 for me at dinner, and 2 for him at lunch the next day - so at $1.69 per serving it was well worth it.)

Sauteeing the veggies before boiling and pureeing them

Pureeing the veggies

The final step: adding the cheese

Dinner is served!

things i love thursday

2011-03-10T10:16:00.000-06:00

It's already Thursday again, and what a week it's been/will continue to be! I have been really struggling this week to maintain a good attitude in the face of gloomy weather and multitudinous challenges at work, so especially need this time to think about what I'm thankful for this week. Here goes!

good sleep: I struggled with insomnia from childhood through college, so now that I've been able to sleep fairly well these past few years, I don't take that for granted. All week long, despite feeling only mildly tired before bedtime, I have conked out as soon as I got comfy in bed and haven't woken up before my alarm went off in the morning! Of course, I still feel like I could sleep longer, but getting 7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night has given me some of the strength I need to face the day(s).

library: All my life, I've been a huge fan of the library. I continue to go there weekly to look for new mysteries and the occasional historical fiction. I just started reading Atonement and am enjoying it so far (haven't seen the film). Reading is the perfect activity for these gloomy evenings, and the library is perfect because it's FREE!

running: Despite the cold and rain, I just couldn't stand waiting any longer to begin my spring running workouts. I got outside yesterday for a nice, albeit damp, run and am hoping to do so again today. It just feels good to be active again.

tea: My digestive system has been a little troubled lately - probably due to stress - so I've been avoiding carbonation and my nightly glass of wine in favor of herbal, caffeine-free tea. I've enjoyed cups of peppermint and sleepytime tea these past few nights, and this morning had several cups of Celestial Seasonings "Tension Tamer" tea to help soothe a slightly sore throat. I also love to hear my little teapot whistle!

friends: Thanks to good friends and a sister who listen to me complain about struggles I'm going through and support me through prayer and sympathy. Thanks, ladies!

Looking back over my list, it looks as though it's the simple pleasures I'm thankful for this week. The simple pleasures of life are helping me get through a week filled with gloomy weather and other sorts of challenges. I guess the gloomy weather is a sign that spring is on the horizon, yes? One can always hope.

things i love thursday

2011-03-03T21:38:00.001-06:00

Better late than never!

mysteries: My favorite genre to read has been and will always be the mystery. Witness: I found a new, up-and-coming mystery author at the library the other day, by the name of Charles Finch, and checked out all of his books! My new excitement is that I joined a Detective Fiction reading group that meets for 6 weeks beginning the week after next. The first two weeks cover The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I've already read multiple times (and watched the excellent version starring Jeremy Brett more times that I can remember), but I'm reading it again now anyway!

haircuts: More specifically, $5 haircuts! There is a local salon here that charges only $5 for a haircut. I used to go in for regular haircuts, but hadn't gotten my hair cut since last May in order to save money (life changes when your husband is a student). Recently I discovered this place and went in for a trim to test it out. I like it! In a month or so I plan to go in to get my hair cut even shorter.

minimalism: For this girl, who hates shopping, nothing is better than having three months between visits to Super Target. I went there last night for the first time since December 6. The only downside is that I let us go two weeks without napkins in my craze to avoid a shopping trip. I really need to get around to making those cloth napkins...I have enough random materials scraps that I should just start in out making un-matching napkins out of various fabrics. Hehe!

potential travel: I still have no idea what we will do for summer vacation, since the husband won't be able to schedule his summer CPA exam portion(s?) for a while. I hope it will involve the ocean. Or a passport stamp (wishful thinking). However, I have recently been given the opportunity to go to DC for FREE! Yay! Visiting my family and doing fun things at the same time! Now to arrange the time off work...

work: I am currently quite overwhelmed at work. I have been for several weeks now and it should continue until April begins. Though it can be a bit stressful when trying to complete major projects with interruptions at five-minute intervals, causing me to resort to finishing said projects in the evening in the privacy of my own home, I actually enjoy the challenge of this busyness and am looking forward to the sense of accomplishment I will feel in a month or so. Work has to be highly challenging mentally in order for me to feel that I've accomplished something. Which is sometimes not good.

Happy Thursday, all! I will be judging tomorrow evening and all day Saturday, with another day off this Sunday. Hooray for some more downtime!

shepherd's pie

2011-03-02T15:52:00.000-06:00

Last week was an incredibly busy week for us, especially during the evenings. On Monday night, I finally had some time to spend in the kitchen, and I decided to make a recipe that I'd been wanting to try for a while: vegetarian shepherd's pie.

I suppose I was feeling inspired by the fact that March was about to begin, and I know I was motivated to use up some veggies that had been sitting in our fridge for a few weeks. I used this recipe, modifying it only by skipping the squash and adding cauliflower instead. My goal was to use only ingredients we had on hand, and the amounts turned out perfectly. We were able to use up the last of our potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower before they went bad. Needless to say, I will be spending some time at the grocery store tonight stocking up!

Steve and I both enjoyed the dish and it had plenty of flavor. He had 3 helpings, I had 1, and I took a container full to work for lunch the next day. A pretty frugal meal, I'd say! Here are a few photos from the experience (I apologize that they are oriented the wrong way; this computer seems to do that for some reason! Grrr!):

veggies simmering in a little bit of olive oil

The finished product! I always select a pan that is too large - anyone else have that problem?

things i love thursday

2011-02-24T10:40:00.001-06:00

It's Thursday again, friends! You know that that means...

sleeping in: This weekend, for the first time in many weeks, I will get to sleep in past 6:30 am - not once, but twice! I have a meet to judge on Saturday but don't have to report until 2 pm, and the meet that I had scheduled for Sunday was just canceled. Hooray for finally getting more than 7 hours of sleep in a night, twice! On Friday night, we have an orchestra concert and it's about an hour away so we decided to spend the night at a hotel afterward so that I can just sleep in and avoid the temptation to get up early to clean, etc. Hooray!

academy awards: I am a sucker for the Oscars. First and foremost, I love to peruse the gowns and hairstyles. Since I love The King's Speech so much, I hope it will win some awards! The writing, acting, and set design in that film was incredible.

IRAs: Next week we will be making our annual contributions to our Roth IRAs. Though we won't be able to contribute the maximum amount to both of our IRAs because we are currently a single-income family, at least we're able to contribute a decent amount. We are financial nerds and love watching our balances rise as we save, little by little!

march: It's almost here! I'm not usually enthusiastic about March, because it's usually still cold and dreary here in Chicagoland. Coming off possibly the most snowy February EVER here (we'll see if we set the record with tonight's expected snow), I can't wait for the temperatures to warm up so I can get outside more regularly.

walks: I've been walking outdoors these last two weeks, since the temperatures have risen to the 30s - bundled warmly, of course. With ice still covering many sidewalks, it's too treacherous to run. I plan to start running outside next week, if the weather cooperates. In the meantime, walks are an excellent source of fresh air and clear heads.

moments snatched

2011-02-22T15:29:00.002-06:00

Life has been, of course, super busy lately. In addition to working all week, I've been judging meets both days of each weekend. This past weekend, I left the house before 8 am and didn't get home until at least 8 pm. I only have a few more weekends of judging lined up, though, and then the season will wind down. In the meantime, the extra money is nice.

Steve is spending most of his time studying for the CPA exam. Between the two of us, we have managed to keep our evenings sacred for the most part, and have been able to snatch some moments lately to bake, watch a movie, play some Wii (Donkey Kong!), and work on our budget. We love budgeting. I think I am a little obsessed with it, which is a good thing because at work I manage a somewhat large budget seven figures big (that's seven figures before the decimal point).

Here are a couple photos of our snatched moments from last night:

Our 3-year-old Shamrock plant, Cedric, (yes, our plants have names!) has been sprouting many new budlets lately! We call them our "children".

Double chocolate cookies made from scratch - they are soooo good!

things i love thursday

2011-02-17T08:51:00.001-06:00

(This is my 400th post!)

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so here goes:

melting snow: our temperatures have been above freezing for the past week or so, so after 79 days of straight snow cover, we're finally seeing some ground underneath! Woohoo! We are inching toward spring. :)

neighborhood walks: I've been able to go for several walks this past week since most of the sidewalks are now clear. Some are flooded, so rain boots are a must. It feel so nice to breathe the fresh air again! Who knew that 40 degrees would ever feel warm to me?

british royalty: I have long been intrigued by the history of British monarchs. Now, thanks to the playing cards my sister sent me earlier this week, my interest is on my mind more than ever! I can't wait to watch Prince William's wedding on April 29 (he and I are almost the exact same age)! For other royal-watchers out there, I highly recommend the documentary: Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work.

free evenings: it still feels like a novelty to have both Steve and I home most weekday evenings now. It is so nice to have time to cook, clean up the kitchen, and do fun things like play Wii, watch a movie, or play a game.

cooking: I can't say that I've developed a love of cooking, by any means, but with all of my newly-acquired cookbooks and more free time in the evenings, I have been enjoying learning more about cooking and using the ingredients in my pantry to make money-saving lunches and dinners. This past Sunday, I was proud of myself for making almost a week's worth of rice and beans for my lunches this week. I'm loving the combination of cutting costs and planning ahead that goes with making the week's lunches on the weekend!

travel: I always love to think about travel. Though I'm not sure I'll have many funds available with which to do it this year, I enjoy looking at my atlas, reading copious amounts of wikipedia, and looking up places on Google Earth. It's also fun to look up housing prices in other cities on Realtor.com! My favorite places to think about continue to be England, Paris, Seattle, Africa, and the Antipodes.

valentine's day randomness

2011-02-15T09:11:00.000-06:00

I had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday. Since funds are somewhat tight and we've never been into celebrating holidays, I asked Steve to handle dinner thinking we'd be cooking at home as usual. He surprised me by deciding to go out to dinner!

We went out for an early dinner to avoid the crowds, and then headed over to The Container Store to get a couple of supplies for the homemade shampoo and laundry detergent that I'm attempting. I had a gift card with $13.88 on it that I've been saving for about 3 years, and the total of my supplies came to...$13.98! I happily pulled a dime out of my change purse.

As soon as we got home, I readied my natural shampoo (baking soda) and conditioner (apple cider vinegar) in my newly purchased bottles.

When we got home, we did a little housework and then watched the movie Inglourious Basterds, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I am a huge history buff, but Steve has never been so it's fun for me to see his enthusiasm about historical events develop through the films we've watched lately (Inglourious Basterds, The King's Speech, etc.).

I got another surprise yesterday - a package from my sister containing some tasty treats and the COOLEST GIFT EVER (I rarely write in all caps, so you know it has to be cool)! When she was at the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC a couple weeks ago, she picked up a wonderful pack of playing cards called "The Famous Kings & Queens of England". Given my love of English royal history, a more appropriate gift for me would be hard to find.

The coolest gift EVER!

As we had just seen The King's Speech over the weekend, I pulled out the cards of the three main characters to show Steve:

Characters from The King's Speech: Bertie's father on the left, Bertie himself in the center, and David (the abdicator) on the right!

We played blackjack for a while, each round punctuated by me summarizing the lives of the cards we drew to Steve. I love that gift! Thanks, Courtney!

polish pearl barley soup

2011-02-13T21:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday evening I had the great pleasure of seeing The King's Speech again with Steve and our friend, Mark. When we get together with Mark, we usually go out to dinner first and then watch a film at one of our homes. Due to my desire to save money and be early to the movie to get a good seat - good thing, too, because the theater was completely full - I suggested that we eat dinner at home and then meet at the theater. Since I had the afternoon free, after proctoring the LSAT in the morning, I decided to make our next soup for dinner:

Polish Pearl Barley Soup

Ingredients: leeks, carrots, celery, turnip, vegetable broth, barley, parsley, sour cream

Cost: $7.24 - our cheapest soup yet! I had one bowl, Steve had 2, and there are two medium-sized containers left over for our lunches tomorrow. We already had a little sour cream on hand from our Super Bowl party last week, so we didn't have to buy that or that would have increased the cost. The sour cream is an optional ingredient, though.

on the stove

Dinner is served! Sorry this picture is sideways - again.

This has been by far my favorite soup from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups. I loved the combination of the ingredients, and the dollop of sour cream was the perfect compliment!

Adding to my delight, this afternoon the temperature rose above 40 degrees for the first time in months and I ventured outside for a walk. Though not all of the sidewalks were clear of snow and ice, and some were flooded, it was wonderful to get some fresh air, stretch my legs, and have some time alone with my thoughts (I find that Enya provides a wonderful background for being alone with my thoughts). What a lovely time!

friday rambles

2011-02-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

Last week, we gained another nephew, and on Monday, we met him for the first time. Welcome to the world, Caden!

This weekend promises to be another busy one. Each year at my work, we put on a silent auction to raise money for our scholarship fund. This event falls under my purview, and it happens to be taking place this weekend. Tonight, I will be spending the evening setting up and running the auction, and I hope it will go smoothly. I'm also very busy at work with a variety of other projects.

Saturday morning will see me proctoring the LSAT at the college where I work, and on Sunday, I will be judging a meet for a few hours. Overall, this weekend will be a little less busy than the ones that sandwich it, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing The King's Speech again on Saturday with Steve and our friend, Mark - neither of whom have seen it yet - and then going out for dessert and discussion. Saturday evening promises to be one of the highlights of my month!

Happy weekend!

st. scholastica soup

2011-02-10T09:05:00.000-06:00

I didn't intend for this blog to become solely about my unexciting cooking endeavors, but I have been so busy lately working full-time 6-7 days per week that truly the only thing happening in my life is managing to try a new recipe or two each week. This evening, Steve was at worship team rehearsal for church, so I sat down to work on the St. Scholastica soup, which is especially fitting because tomorrow is St. Scholastica day.

St. Scholastica Soup

Ingredients: lentils, split peas, lima beans, carrots, celery, turnips, leeks, shallots, lettuce, with butter, salt & pepper as desired

Cost: $10.76 (again, with all organic veggies) This recipe makes at least 6 full bowls of soup, which comes out to $1.79 per serving. Not bad for a bowl full of grains and veggies!

Leeks, carrots, turnips and celery chopped and ready to add to the soup!

Dinner is served!

Some notes about this soup:

I've never had turnips before, so I was excited to use them! I was a little disappointed, not with the taste, but with the fact that they were still rather crunchy after cooking, while everything else in the soup was soft. I am a big fan of my dishes having only one texture - either all crunchy or all soft, etc. (I know, sensory issues...) The flavor of them was fine, though!

There were no shallots or lettuce to be found at Whole Foods, so I used garlic and green cabbage instead. I don't think those substitutions made a huge difference. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of this particular soup. I know it is full of nutrients, and the flavor isn't bad, but it was just a little bland for me. Also, even though I washed everything thoroughly before I started cooking, the broth ended up a color akin to dirt, and that turned me off. Steve really liked the soup, though - he had three bowls last night to my one, and plans to eat the rest for lunch. At least it wasn't a total waste, then! I'm really looking forward to the next soup we'll be making, which will probably be on Saturday afternoon. Stay tuned!

from the star wars cookbook

2011-02-03T09:45:00.003-06:00

At the end of our snow day yesterday, Steve and I realized that we had neglected to prepare anything for dinner and it was already close to 8 pm. For Christmas this year, Steve's mom gave him a Star Wars Cookbook as a joke, because he has been obsessed with Star Wars since he was three. He remembered that there was a French toast recipe in there, and we had all the ingredients on hand, so he decided to make it. So, for dinner Wednesday night, I give you...

Oola-la French Toast

We added bacon and apples to make the meal more well-rounded. I am not usually a big fan of French toast, but I actually really enjoyed this recipe, as the texture was a bit firmer and the eggs cooked into the bread a bit more than what I typically have.

In other news, I am excited for a couple of upcoming soups that use turnips, which I've never cooked with before. I also just realized that I can make a shepherd's pie out of some anticipated leftover ingredients and am looking forward to that, both for the taste and the frugality aspect.

happy birthday!

2011-02-03T09:00:00.002-06:00

Me and Courtney at our brother's wedding in December

Happy Birthday to my sister, Courtney, who turned 26 yesterday, on the dual holiday of Candlemas and Groundhog Day! Since she lives almost 1,000 miles away, we celebrated her birthday with a song and birthday cake via Skype and a gift package sent last week. I am excited that we are planning a sisters' trip for later this year, the first of many, I hope (not counting our trip to Minneapolis for the Twin Cities marathon back in 2007 - she ran, not me!). Happy Birthday, Courtney! :)

blizzard!

2011-02-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

The blizzard came after all and I am home from work today - a much-needed break. Here are a few photos from this morning:

View of our parking lot

Our two cars - one is the mound in the center-left of the photo, and the other is on the right, with a little gold sticking out!

The wind has blown the snow all over and made it stick to our windows!

blizzard time?

2011-02-01T14:05:00.000-06:00

After more than two months straight of a snow-covered ground, the Chicago area is supposedly about to succumb to a true blizzard! It has been snowing since last night, and the winds have been swirling as well, but the real blizzard part is supposed to start in about an hour and last until tomorrow afternoon.

Many schools and workplaces have already closed for tomorrow, but mine has only closed until noon tomorrow. They are going to let us know at 8 am tomorrow if we will be closed the entire day. Of course, I'm praying that we will be! I have a very long list of to-dos that I'd love to start on at home, and the extra rest would be nice, too. Plus, tomorrow is my sister's birthday, which falls on the double holidays of Candlemas and Groundhog Day. I'm hoping for the chance to Skype with her and join in celebrating her birthday by making some sort of dessert.

It looks like a snow globe outside at the moment - some of the snowflakes are even going up! I can't wait for an evening in with my husband, good food, games and Star Trek [and laundry, too]...just as long as the power stays on.

a little self-indulgence

2011-01-31T16:05:00.000-06:00

Steve was out of town for several days at the end of last week, so I tried to take some time to indulge my own interests a little and care for myself. On Thursday evening, I went out to dinner with friends and then watched one of my favorite films, Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons. It plays like live Shakespeare (theater nerd alert)!

On Friday evening, I did some errands after work, then painted my fingernails with a new color, "My Private Jet" by OPI. I used a gift card to get a broccoli and cheese bread bowl from Panera for dinner, then went over to a friend's house to have a girls' night and watch Bridget Jones' Diary (the modern-day Pride & Prejudice). I also squeezed in a bit of fun reading over the course of the weekend.

I enjoyed some time to myself but am glad Steve is back! It looks as though we are going to have a blizzard over the next couple days - it is already very windy - and I'm hoping we will because I'd love a day off work. We've had 62 straight days of snow cover to this point with not a single day off, and I for one am ready to enjoy a day at home in exchange for all these wintry days we've had to endure. But first, off to Whole Foods to stock up on veggies for our next couple of soups, in hopes that we'll get stuck at home with nothing else to do but cook.

artichoke & potato soup

2011-01-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

Due to extreme busyness, we've been averaging about one soup per week, rather than the two that I had originally hoped for. After the next week or so, I think that life will slow down a bit and we will be able to focus more on our kitchen lives. Last night we made the next soup we had selected from the January chapter of From a Monastery Kitchen:

Artichoke & Potato Soup
Ingredients: olive oil, onions, garlic, white wine, potatoes, artichoke hearts, lemon juice, broth, bay leaf, parsley
Cost: $9.68 in total, again using all organic vegetables. I estimate that this recipe makes 6 full bowls of soup, so that breaks down to $1.61 per serving. We each had one bowl last night, and Steve didn't like it as much as I did so I will probably be eating most of the leftovers for lunches. I loved the unique flavor that the artichokes added! I probably would have used less oil, a decision that I think I will carry out for all the rest of my soups. The oil seems to be more than sufficient to saute the vegetables and there is sometimes too much of it left once the soup has cooked for my taste.

Once again, I don't know why the pictures are loading vertically instead of horizontally, as I took them horizontally. Grrr, new camera!

Earlier in the week, I had run out of leftover soup to take for lunches so I decided to get out the rice cooker and make a batch of beans and rice, with a little onion and garlic salt added in for flavor. I made enough for three full containers to last me three days at work.

While I made my beans and rice, Steve entertained me with a little piano music:

...and a lovely evening was had by all. It has been a long week. I keep thinking today is Friday, but no! Two more days to go until the weekend. I have to judge a couple of meets this weekend, but fortunately the call times are not early so I can sleep in a little. Hooray for sleep!

portuguese cabbage soup

2011-01-19T19:11:00.001-06:00

Last night Steve was in bed with a cold, so I decided to go ahead and make the next January soup in our book. We both really enjoyed it and it was full of flavor. Without further adieu, here is:

Portuguese Cabbage Soup

Ingredients: cabbage, onions, potatoes, olive oil, water, salt and pepper, 1 cup white wine
Cost: $10.31 (with all organic vegetables) for 6+ servings. I had one bowl, Steve had two, and we had three leftover bowls that we used for lunches.

Served with a dinner roll topped with a dusting of Parmesan cheese

Steve's grandmother in New Jersey passed away on Monday at the age of 89, so tomorrow we are flying out there for her funeral and interment. Now I'm off to find a new pair of black shoes at TJ Maxx and pack the suitcase, as we will leave as soon as I finish work tomorrow.

(Strange note: This is the second year in a row that someone we love has passed away on our anniversary. Odd, no?)

rolling with it

2011-01-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

This 3-day weekend was supposed to be my only weekend at home for the next 6 or so weeks, due to judging commitments. However, there is a big meet in Peoria (about 3 hours away) this weekend, and one of the judges who was scheduled to work it had a death in the family. After initially turning down the request to sub in order to protect my weekend, on which we are celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday and my anniversary, I was begged to take the meet and finally gave in.

So...now I'm spending the weekend in Peoria. Super.

Truthfully, I'm sure it will be a good experience, and the extra money will be nice. However, I was looking forward to this long weekend as a time to organize my home for the new year. Also, while extremely grateful to be in good health this year (see last year for comparison's sake), I have been super tired ever since returning from the east coast. I've been getting plenty of sleep - 8 hours each of the past 2 nights - but never seem to feel caught up and am constantly tired. I guess I can attribute this to working a full day each and every day since January 4 (and some evenings!) and then coming home to cook dinner, clean, do laundry, etc. I feel like I've never been this tired in my life, apart from times I've been sick. I think that avoiding sugar more and get back into a regular running routine.

Let's see how much sugar I can avoid at the meet this weekend! Haha. They provide all of the judges' meals, but the food usually isn't healthy. I will also be restricted to hot drinks only this weekend, for reasons of PMS (see here for more), so that will be fun, too.

I feel like I'm pretty good at rolling with the punches and adapting to change, but I'm not thrilled about my losing my only free weekend until March. I'm going to miss my mother-in-law's party, organizing my home, watching the Steelers and the Bears in the Playoffs (though hopefully they'll win and I can watch them next week!), and spending time with my husband. Thankfully, we're going out for our anniversary on Monday night, so I have that to look forward to.

See you next week!

chickpea soup a la provencale

2011-01-12T15:31:00.000-06:00

We had intended to make this, our second soup from the Twelve Months of Monastery Soups book, over the weekend. However, I neglected to read ahead and note that the chickpeas needed to soak overnight, so we had to postpone our soup-making efforts until last night. Our soup of choice was:

Chickpea Soup a la Provencale

Ingredients: dried chickpeas, leeks, spinach, garlic, olive oil, water, herbes provencale
Cost: $9.25 (once again, I purchased all-organic veggies)

We don't have pre-made herbes provencales, but we do have all of the spices that comprise it (bay leaves, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme), so I just made the herb mixture myself:

My own version of Herbes Provencales

This is a blended soup, so all of the ingredients are simmered together for about an hour, then blended in a blender, and then returned to the pot to keep warm before serving. Steve really enjoyed this soup and ate several bowls. I liked it okay, but I'm not a fan of spinach so that taste was a bit strong for me. There is plenty leftover for lunch. If I made it again, I would probably use more garlic and leeks to turn the flavor more to my particular liking. Overall, though, it was a success and a good source of proteins and vitamins.

Soup simmering

after blending

Dinner: soup, French bread, and cheese - a perfect winter combination!

Disclaimer: I don't know why my Blogger thinks that the images above are supposed to be vertical, because I took them horizontally. Sorry about that!

inventory

2011-01-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

I'm working on organizing and cataloging the inventory for my new Mary Kay business. As I think I mentioned before, I am not a salesperson, but I do enjoy teaching, and this job allows me to teach people how to work with makeup, something that I enjoy. My first goal is just to sell this inventory that I already have, which hopefully won't take longer than a couple months. Then we'll see how things go from there. One step at a time...

Today is Epiphany Day, and Steve and I plan to celebrate by making the 3 Kings Cake from our new Sacred Feasts cookbook. I'm not a huge fan yet of cooking with yeast, but we'll see how it turns out!

from a monastery kitchen

2011-01-04T21:43:00.000-06:00

In our quest to cook healthier meals from scratch this year, we received several cookbooks for Christmas by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila Latourrette, a French monk who was in charge of the kitchen and garden in a New York monastery for years. The cookbooks that we got were: From a Monastery Kitchen, Sacred Feasts, and Twelve Months of Monastery Soups. I am already in love with these books because all of the recipes in them are tied to the natural flow of the year as well as the church year.

The latter contains 186 soup recipes, and Steve and I have committed to cooking as many of them this year as possible. The recipes are subdivided by month. We settled on soups because they don't require a lot of ingredients, are therefore inexpensive, but yet offer the opportunity to try many different recipes. The soups in Twelve Months of Monastery Soups contain mostly vegetables, and they each serve about 6 people, so we are able to have leftovers for our lunches despite Steve's big appetite.

My goal is to report on each of the soups here on my blog. Most of my posts will be far shorter than this one. Without further ado, here is our first soup of the year:

Saint Basil Soup

Ingredients: olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, water, parsley, bouillon cubes
Cost: $6.00 (I purchased all organic veggies at Whole Foods, and with extra celery and parsley included, this meal still only cost $6; we have plenty extra for tomorrow's lunch as well - a good bargain, I'd say!)

We were originally going to have homemade bread to go with the soup, but we didn't have enough time so we had some baked chicken breasts and apples instead. Steve is currently baking cookies, and we will enjoy them with wine for a late dessert. It has been so nice to spend the evening together cooking and playing games. It's been a while since Steve has had any evenings free.

Cheers to simplifying!

new year's resolution(s), part two

2011-01-03T08:33:00.003-06:00

Having done quite a bit of thinking, I am ready to settle on my New Year's Resolutions for 2011. I realize that there are three of them, and that my number of resolutions seems to grow every year, but I think these are all achievable. They are actually lifestyle decisions that already jive with the way we live our lives; I just want to take them a step further for 2011.

First I resolve to exercise regularly. In 2010, I started running again after a 10-year hiatus as a way to improve my lung and heart health after a 2-month bout with pneumonia. I eased into it slowly, and after a few months ran 2 5ks with surprising success. Now, I'm not a competitor at heart, but I would like to keep up my running throughout this year, which means making time to do it 3 times a week, even when it's cold and dark outside and I have to get in my car to drive to the indoor track. I love the feeling of challenging myself physically and the fun of jogging along with my iPod on shuffle. It's easy for me to run when the weather is decent (from April through October here) because I love to run outside, but I hate running indoors. Part of this resolution will involve a commitment on my part to run on the indoor track when the outdoor option is not available.

Second I resolve to continue to simplify our home. Our efforts in 2010 took us a long way toward a simplified lifestyle, but we still have some organization and cleaning out that needs to be done. This will be especially important this year, as Steve will be applying for a new job after taking the CPA exam and we may get to move (yes, I said "get"...I want to move). I'd like to make that potential move as easy as possible. If we end up staying here, we are in sore need of new living room furniture and I have already selected items and redecorated our living room in my mind. Implementing that design will require still further simplification. I have been a life-long lover of books, as 5 bookcases in our home attest, but I am going to try to narrow that down to one or two bookcases by purchasing an e-reader and e-books to get rid of some of the actual books. Five bookcases in a small home is a lot!

Third I resolve to challenge myself to do something new. I have always loved art and theater, but have been so busy with music that I haven't made time to focus on those other arts since high school. I would like to find time this year to take a class in acting, drawing, dancing, design or ceramics. Or something similar. Even if the class is only 4 weeks long, I would like to challenge myself to explore one of those arts and broaden my mind. If I can't take a class, I want to challenge myself to travel to a new place or read something I wouldn't usually read - basically, this resolution is to just stretch my mind.

Good luck to everyone on their New Year's resolutions/goals!

new year's resolution(s), part one

2011-01-01T09:27:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!

Those who know me know that I am a goal-oriented person, and therefore never pass up a chance to set a goal for myself. New Year's resolutions offer the chance to do just that. I challenge everyone to make one or two resolutions for 2011, if you haven't yet done so. Make sure that they are doable - as opposed to out-of-reach - and that they are things you actually want to accomplish.

Here is a look at some previous resolutions:

2010
2009

First, I'd like to review my success on this past year's resolutions:

My first resolution was to grow in bravery and courage. As a person who has suffered from anxiety in the past, I wanted to challenge myself to face trials head-on, disregarding fear or anxiety. I am proud to report that I feel I was quite successful in this resolution this year. I had many opportunities to confront my fears: having pneumonia for 2 months, taking 4 cross-country trips without my husband, using public bathrooms regularly (I did it!), and being exposed to a wide variety of illnesses (I am a teeny bit germophobic), among other challenges.

The secrets to my success were to present all my anxieties to the Lord (Philippians 4:4-8 became my year verses and I said them to myself whenever I was worried), focus only on the current day, rest as much as possible, and wash my hands regularly. My mind learned to rest in the peace of knowing that I did all I could and the rest was up to God. I am so thankful that I am learning this lesson now, because we all know that life will only get harder as we get older and are faced with new and different challenges!

My second resolution this year was to finish one of the writing projects that I have begun. I originally envisioned myself completing one of my novels or children's books and sending a query to a publishing house. However, life and the need to earn a living (or two) took over and I wasn't able to devote as much time to writing as I wish. On the other hand, I blogged more in 2010 than ever before (138 posts so far to 89 in 2008, my second-highest blogging year) and also started working on editing a nonfiction book project for my dad. Though I haven't finished any of my projects yet, I have done more creative writing and editing this year than ever before and I am happy that I can continue to incorporate that discipline in my life.

Now that I have reviewed my goals from this past year, I want to use the next post to explore the goals I want to set for 2011. If you are making 2011 resolutions, please share them with me in the comments section or by linking to your own blog so that we can encourage one another!

washington, dc

2010-12-30T20:57:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we spent a lovely day in the Virginia countryside, but my camera batteries died midway through and I have to wait for my mom to email me her pictures before I post about that. Instead I'll write about what we did today - another lovely day. As I write, I am enjoying a glass of Bordeaux Merlot and a vanilla truffle. Yum!

We spent today in DC proper, first starting with a walk in Georgetown where we enjoyed a cupcake from the famous Georgetown Cupcake before stopping in at Dean & Deluca and walking by a number of foreign embassies.

Display at Georgetown Cupcake

Enjoying our cupcakes at the Francis Scott Key Park in Georgetown

Typical street in Georgetown

We hopped on the Metro at Georgetown and exited at Chinatown, where we enjoyed lunch at the Capital City Brewing Company before going to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery to view the Norman Rockwell exhibit, as well as enjoy the many portraits of Americans over the centuries. I have long had an interest in personal histories, and the portrait gallery did a fine job of posting plaques with informative descriptions of the portrait subjects.

With an elephant bearing a map of the DC Metro!

Steve with a portrait of his relative and namesake, Stephen F. Austin, at the National Portrait Gallery

After visiting the museums, we took the Metro to my sister's neighborhood, which is near Capitol Hill. We stopped at her place for a while and then walked through her local park and down to the market before hopping on the Metro to head back to NoVa, where we enjoyed a most excellent meal at Tokyo Japanese Steak House. We drove home on the George Washington Parkway, past Mount Vernon, and took the winding country roads home. It sounds like a full day, and it was, but it was so relaxed and fun, as all my days have been since arriving in Virginia.

All of us squeeze into my sister's tiny bedroom in DC

Dinner at the Japanese steakhouse

On the docket for tomorrow: a trip to the outlet mall, a viewing of The King's Speech, a fire in the fireplace and champagne for New Year's Eve. Ahh...a sigh of contentment.

christmas in virginia

2010-12-28T15:55:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, the day after my brother's wedding, we celebrated Christmas with our Virginia family at my parents' house. It was a lovely day of enjoying each other's company, good food, exchanging gifts, watching the newlyweds open wedding gifts, and imbibing quite a variety of beverages. Good conversation and a good time was had by all!

Christmas tree at my parents' house

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, thanks to my sister

Gathered around the table for Christmas dinner

Opening Christmas gifts

Nicholas & Adrienne opening wedding gifts

For good measure, one of my glasses of wine, from the Virginia Wine Festival. The design reads: Virginia by the glass. :)

yesterday

2010-12-27T11:48:00.000-06:00

More later!

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T15:11:00.000-06:00

In the midst of to-do lists and road trips, we remember that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born as a baby, both fully human and fully God, on this night over two thousand years ago.

May your Christmas be full of joy, peace, and blessings. And good weather. :)

Now, speaking of to-do lists...

bmt graduation

2010-12-22T15:00:00.001-06:00

Hello friends!

I am encouraged that this week is coming to a close! It has been tough returning to normal life after a lovely long weekend with my family in Texas. On Saturday, Steve and I will start to drive out to visit them in DC, where they live. Between then and now, we have some fun times with Steve's family (who live near us) to keep us in the festive spirit.

Before I leave for DC, I wanted to share a little of what we did in Texas this past weekend. We were there to attend my brother's graduation from Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT). I used my miles to get a free ticket and flew down on Wednesday to meet up with my parents, sister Courtney, and brother's fiancee Adrienne, who had all flown in from DC.

On Thursday morning, we cheered on my brother and his fellow trainees as they ran the Airman's Run. After that, we attended the Coin & Retreat Ceremony, in which all of the trainees received their first rank of Airman. My brother was granted base leave for the rest of the day and we spent the day going to the mini-malls and eating at restaurants on base.

Airman's Run

Coin & Retreat Ceremony

On Friday, we attended the graduation parade in the morning, which was quite a spectacle! I love formality and historic ceremonies, and greatly enjoyed the 739 graduating Airmen marching around the field, getting inspected, and swearing the Airman's Oath. It was a very moving and proud time. After the ceremony, we toured my brother's living quarters on base and then drove into San Antonio to eat lunch, walk the RiverWalk, and stop at Starbucks (the trainees weren't allowed to have Starbucks during BMT).

My brother's flight waiting for the graduation parade to begin

My brother is the one on the right!

Enjoying lunch in San Antonio with our new graduate

On Saturday, we picked my brother up for town leave in the morning. We drove around the San Antonio area that day eating meals, shopping, and hanging out at Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. On Sunday, we attended chapel with the trainees of my brother's squadron and then went to the club on base for a champagne breakfast (champagne in the morning? yes, please!) before hanging out for a while and then leaving to return to the airport. It would have been tough to leave, but we know that my brother gets to come home Thursday (tomorrow) so we weren't really sad.

The engaged couple at the RiverWalk!

I thought this WWII fighter plane displayed on base was pretty cool.

My brother kept us entertained all weekend with hilarious impressions of the training instructors and other trainees! BMT is certainly no place for goofing off, but it seems as though a lot of the banter between trainees and instructors was quite humorous. I would have had a hard time keeping a straight face!

My brother was an element leader the entire time he was at BMT, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. He led 12 guys and was responsible for their actions. He got punished if and when any of them made mistakes. He tiptoed around their beds at night with a flashlight, straightening towels and making sure clothes were hanging neatly prior to inspections. He got less sleep than they did every night because he had to work a 2-hour shift as entry controller while they slept. He put in a lot of effort and did a great job, and we are really proud of him!

I'm not sure how much blogging I will get to do over the next couple of weeks. Steve and I are leaving on Christmas day to drive out to DC, and will drive back January 2. I know I'll be taking plenty of pictures during that time, and if I get the chance to post, I will! In the meantime...

Merry Christmas!

it's been so long since...

2010-12-20T11:29:00.002-06:00

we've been able to enjoy an evening without homework hanging over our heads.
we've been able to go to a friend's house without thinking about leaving early so that one of us could study for a test.
we've been able to surf the internet for a reason other than academic research.
we've been able to do normal things like clean the kitchen or do the laundry at a normal time of day rather than after 10 pm.
we've been able to play our Wii.
we've been able to go to the library to get books to read for fun (heading there right after work!).

But all of those things changed last Thursday, when Steve finished his final classes for the 48 credit hours of accounting and business classes he had to take in order to qualify to become a Certified Public Accountant. Congratulations, honey! After 18 months of hard work, let normal life begin again!

howdy from texas!

2010-12-15T19:03:00.000-06:00

A great big "hello" from here in the Lone Star State! I actually lived here for 7 years, but that was a long time ago now. :) So far, I have enjoyed seeing my family, the 75-degree temperatures, the sun staying out until 6 pm, and enjoying Christmas decor without the cold and snow...and that's just in the first few hours!

Tomorrow morning we will head over to the Air Force Base to watch my brother in the Airman's Run (hopefully we can pick him out from all the others running), then a retreat ceremony (don't know what that is yet), and then we get to spend some time with him. It's hard to believe I'm actually here!

small improvements

2010-12-14T18:33:00.000-06:00

In the midst of a busy week, I still found time to make a small improvement to the kitchen (remember my goal of moderately redecorating the kitchen this winter). Sometimes, when I have so many big projects to do, I need a small distraction from the stress of the moment.

One of my goals for the kitchen is to make it look more spacious. With a small kitchen, such as ours, counter space is at a premium. Aesthetically, I prefer a clean look and like to have as few things as possible on the counters. For years, we have had one of those rotating spice caddies that holds 20 different spice bottles. Recently I've become irritated by how much counter space it takes up, so I went on Amazon and ordered a couple of inexpensive spice racks. A few command hooks from Home Depot, a few minutes to hang the racks, and voila! a newly-organized, alphabetized spice storage area AND more free counter space. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

the pantry's new look

I turned in my final grad psych paper of the semester last night, and am packing to go to San Antonio tomorrow for my brother's graduation. I am meeting my family there and am so excited to see all of them and to enjoy the warm weather (it's 11 degrees here right now and supposed to be 79 there tomorrow)! Steve has 3 more finals to go and then he's DONE with school! Exciting times around here!

one crazy concert

2010-12-11T15:16:00.000-06:00

This morning was the annual Christmas concert at my work - 300 children onstage playing Christmas carols on string instruments. Usually everything flows smoothly and it's all good. But this morning, everything went a little crazy!

For these concerts, my job is to sit in the video room and basically direct the 4 video camera operators and the guys in the booth as to what is going to happen when onstage. Like I said, usually it's a quick and easy job. This morning, however, we had one camera operator faint about 10 minutes into the program, which meant a spring downstairs for me to help her get up and call the paramedics. Thankfully, she was okay - probably just tired. Another guy from the crew, who had never worked the camera before, jumped in to fill her spot.

After that excitement, I returned to my job only to have some of the students on stage go out of the program order, which caused some confusion for us as we tried to anticipate what was going on to get it on camera. A little later in the concert, the device that we use to record video on got frozen, so we had to get creative to see what shots were on projection in the concert hall (we were in a separate room, remember). After we got that figured out, we learned that the director's headset had stopped working at some point, which explains why the camera operators hadn't been following his directions.

On top of all that, the phone rang in the video control room so everyone was scrambling to turn off the sound so that it wouldn't interfere with our recording. In all the times I've been there, that has never happened. Wrong number, probably.

Whew! What a day already. The good news is that I have every single gift and errand completed for the Christmas season. Now I just have my work Christmas party tonight, a gig to play tomorrow night, and my psych paper to finish, and it will be time to RELAX. I can't wait!

things i love thursday

2010-12-09T16:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Wow, it's Thursday? This whole taking-my-crazy-life-one-day-at-a-time thing means that I often have no clue what day of the week it is. Here's what I'm thankful for this week:

Christmas music: This weekend I have a gig playing clarinet in a local Christmas concert, and I will also be "score-reading" at the children's Christmas concert at my work. Score-reading means that I sit by the video director and tell him what's coming up next so the cameras can get ready to move to that shot. It's fun, and I'm super detail-oriented, so I'm happy to help make everything go smoothly.

End of semester: All I have to do is turn in my final paper for my graduate psychology course - first all I have to do is write it - and Steve has one more week of projects and finals to push through and then he's DONE!

Travel: Next Wednesday I leave for San Antonio, Texas, to enjoy time with my family, my brother's graduation, and warmer weather (7 more days)! On Christmas day, we leave for DC for some special time with family and friends there (17 more days)!

Mary Kay: This year, I have been learning more and more about make-up and skincare from my neighbor who is a Mary Kay consultant. She and I have a lot in common - we're both musicians, work full-time, are married, speak French, are around the same age, etc. - and through Mary Kay we've developed a friendship. She is driving a free car through her work with Mary Kay! I have learned so much from her about make-up application, which I've appreciated because I've never felt confident in my make-up application before. As a result, Steve and I have decided that I will sign up to be a Mary Kay consultant. I have limited free time, so I'm mostly doing this to learn even more about skin care and get my products at a discount, but so what? Hehe. :) I've never imagined myself as a salesperson, and I don't intend to be. I do enjoy helping people, so if anyone has questions about make-up application or colors, just ask me because I'd be happy to help. My goal is just to save up a little money to redecorate (or decorate for the first time!) our living room. I haven't told anyone about this other than Steve, who suggested I do it and volunteered to help me, so you heard it here first!

What are you delighting in this week?

a winter's eve

2010-12-08T20:18:00.000-06:00

This has been the scene outside our condo since last Saturday. In the spirit of trying to enjoy all of the seasons, this winter-hater is going to bite her tongue about the fact that our high temperatures have since reached a maximum of 21 degrees Fahrenheit so the snow and ice remains. (Or try to...)

On the other hand, cold winter evenings mean hot cups of tea made with my new teakettle (which is currently whistling!). I haven't had a working teakettle before, and since I'm working on a modest redecoration of the kitchen this winter, I thought I'd start with this simple piece. It's so fun to hear the cheery whistle of a teakettle!

nablopomo recap

2010-12-07T10:14:00.001-06:00

November has come and gone! I'm proud that I was able to write 18 posts during NaBloPoMo, which ties with February 2010 for my most prolific blogging month since I started blogging in August 2006. So, while I certainly didn't write posts each day, I did blog more than usual and covered more than half the days in the month. I'm pleased with that! It was fun to write more often, and I'll try to keep up the heightened pace. Thanks for reading!

this week

2010-12-06T10:12:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

This week is my last full week of work and class before I get to go to my brother's graduation in San Antonio and visit my family in DC over Christmas break! We have a busy week ahead, and I want to finish strong. Here's a look at our schedule:

Monday
work 8-4
psych lab from 4-5
a few errands (library, bank, dry cleaner)
home for dinner
study for final psych quiz
work on final psych paper (due 12/15)
try new clarinet reeds & pick one

Tuesday
work 8-4

get together with my neighbor 4:15-4:45

dinner

rehearsal for Christmas concert* 6-9

Wednesday

work 8-4

psych class 4-7 (final quiz)

skype with my mom

Thursday

work 8-4

dinner

rehearsal for Christmas concert 7-9

Friday

work 8-4

appointment at salon 4:15

out to dinner with Steve

a free evening!

Saturday

work 9-12

work on final psych paper
work Christmas party 6:30

Sunday

church

work on final psych paper

Christmas concert performance (5:30 call)

*Yes, I am getting paid for this concert - a freelance gig - or I wouldn't be doing it!

Sometime in all this busyness, the house needs to be maintained, the laundry done, I would like to find time to keep up my running, and there are 3 more gifts to purchase and wrap. In order to stay healthy, my priorities will be on getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night and taking advantage of any opportunity to rest. Also, I continue to practice my New Year's Resolution and try to focus on taking the week one day at a time; thinking about only what will happen today. Let me just say...

10 days until I get to go to San Antonio!

20 days until Christmas and we leave for DC!

Okay, back to focusing on today. One day at a time!

a december to remember!

2010-12-01T10:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the season of Advent! As I write this, snowflakes are swirling outside my window, and the darkness that has descended upon the skies these past three days parallels the overarching principle of the season of Advent - that Christ came to be light to a darkened world. As we sit enmeshed in three days of constant darkness, I wonder when light will next touch our skies.

(Can you tell that I'm not a fan of winter?)

I was very excited to turn the calendar page this morning, however, as December promises to be a month of special occasions...a December to remember. In just two weeks, Steve will reach the end of 18 months of being a full-time student. Next tasks: Pass the CPA exam. Get a job. This month, however, we will focus on celebrating his achievement of finishing 48 credits of accounting and business classes. He worked hard and has the grades to prove it!

Two weeks from today, I will fly down to San Antonio to spend a few days with my family at my brother's graduation from Air Force Basic Training. It will be so fun to see my brother and the rest of my family, and visit a few sights in a new city. And enjoy the warm weather, of course!

On Christmas Day (hooray for Christmas!), after celebrating with dinner at my in-laws' house, Steve and I will pack up the car and drive out to DC to visit my family and friends there. I love visiting the DC/NoVa area. It is still one of my favorite places on earth. I love and miss my family and friends there, and we have lots of fun activities planned for while we are there that will combine seeing some of my favorite people and enjoying the beauty of the Virginia countryside and majesty of DC itself. As well as, of course, sleep, rest, wine, good food, and lounging in front of the fireplace.

I can't wait until the second half of December. I can't think of enough adjectives to describe how great it will be!

cookbooks

2010-11-29T09:54:00.000-06:00

This year I have been trying to get into cooking, with some success. Remember the cooking challenge I was doing with my sister? We were only able to keep it up for about a month, but I enjoyed experimenting wtih new recipes and getting some experience in the kitchen.

In 2011, I hope to challenge myself even more in the kitchen. I don't plan on taking any graduate classes next year [at this point], and I hope to have more free time. With Steve being finished with his classes - and therefore having no more night classes, hooray - I hope to have more time to make, eat, and enjoy our dinners. We used to have well-balanced, leisurely dinners each evening - some of you may remember the meal photos I used to post regularly in 2007 and 2008 (look through the archives if you want to see some of them). This year, however, we have been in survival mode and those things have flown out the window.

We still only eat out once a week at most, but we've been scrouging for food in the pantry rather than being intentional about what we eat. Though we will still be getting 16 meals per month from Entree Kitchen next year, I want to learn how to make more of our food from scratch with a view toward the future. This is part of the reason I am redecorating/reorganizing our kitchen this winter.

So, here is what I hope my cookbook rack will look like beginning in January (all of these books are available on Amazon).

This is my standard cookbook which I use regularly. My mom bought it for me as a wedding gift. It contains some surprisingly diverse recipes and has detailed instructions on everything from food storage to preparation:

Books that I currently own but want to use more regularly:

Books that are on my Amazon wishlist and I hope to get for Christmas:

Ambitious? Maybe. But I need something to do during these long northern winter evenings. If you have any more good cookbook suggestions, please send them my way!

housekeeping ramblings

2010-11-27T18:06:00.001-06:00

I am supposed to be working on my final project for psych class right now, but after a full couple of days of cleaning the house and working on a home renovation project (I finished the quarter-rounds in our dining room and kitchen!), I am feeling the itch to do something fun. So instead I'm blogging and writing our Christmas letter. (Do those thing qualify as "fun"?)

I have been so enjoying this break to work around the house and pretend that I don't have a job. I've been trying to also pretend that I'm not a grad student, but with a big project looming overhead, that has been a bit tougher.

I love doing things around the house. I guess in the old days that would be called "housekeeping". Basically, I love to manage the household. That doesn't necessarily mean that I want to do that full-time - I LOVE having a career - but I do enjoy breaks from work in which I can focus on getting the house in order. On weekends, I typically spend all of Saturday and part of Sunday doing chores. Earlier this year, I worked through our storage space and the spare bedroom. My projects for this winter (after January 1) are to redecorate the kitchen (to make it more cook-friendly) and reorganize the laundry room. I started to work on the kitchen a little bit and am anxious to finish, though I know that won't happen for a few months.

I am not much of a do-it-yourselfer, but with a small budget, I have to be. I wish I could afford to just hire someone to paint our kitchen cabinets, for example, so that it will only take a day or two and then be done, but I'm not sure that will happen so I may have to do it myself when I have more time. That will put us in January. I did, however, order a couple of spice racks to be mounted on the insides of the pantry doors, so that will save a little counter space and neaten things up in the meantime.

Steve and I came up with a plan as to how we will redecorate our living room when he gets a job - the only problem is, we may not be here at that time as we don't know where he will get a job once he passes the CPA exam. That uncertainty makes me want to redecorate now so that we can enjoy it in the meantime, but I know it would be a waste of money and time if we have to move. Also, I don't think we could bring ourselves to spend money on new furniture without him being employed full-time. We have never had new living room furniture - always took used hand-me-downs from friends and relatives in the interest of saving money - and I can't wait to be able to pick it out ourselves (actually, we've already picked it...) and make the room totally our own.

If we do move, we plan to get rid of the old living room furniture we currently have and buy new furniture for our new home. Hopefully we will be able to redecorate the living room within a year, but it's hard to wait patiently when you already know what you want to do. Meanwhile, I know there are far greater problems in the world...

We plan to decorate our tree tonight and I want to make a playlist of our favorite Christmas music to go along with that. I better get on that...because that's more important than homework, right? :)

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T18:08:00.000-06:00

It is becoming a tradition that I bring a sweet potato casserole to Thanksgiving dinner at Steve's parents' house each year. They live in the same town as we do, so we usually go there rather than travel out to DC to spend it with my family. This year, I thought I'd write down how I make the casserole so that I can just look here in the future instead of digging through my email for the recipe my Mom sent a long time ago. Here goes!

1. Peel and slice 8 medium-to-large sized sweet potatoes. (If you are cooking for a smaller number of people, say 5 or less, you might want to halve this recipe.)

2. Boil sliced sweet potatoes in large covered pot until tender.

3. Mash potatoes (I use a large blender for this) together with the following ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar (I may try to use less in future - they are sweet potatoes already, after all)
2 tsp imitation vanilla (or 1 tsp real)
1 cup milk
1 cup melted butter

4. Add large marshmallows to cover top and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Voila! You're done, and should have a tasty sweet potato casserole. Enjoy!

thanksgiving break

2010-11-24T09:00:00.002-06:00

reading for fun (a friend just gave me a novel called The Remains of the Day) - restoring some measure of order to our home - practicing piano (Steve is teaching me to play songs by ear using chords) - sleeping - seeing the new Harry Potter movie - having Steve all to myself - working on my big psych project - wrapping a few more Christmas gifts - skyping with my sister - imagining a barely-possible trip with my family for next year - organizing judging files and receipts to prepare for taxes - writing the condo association winter newsletter - watching my new Netflix movie, Saving Grace - enjoying some wine - making sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping for Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving dinner at Steve's parents' house - selecting an outfit for my brother's wedding reception - enjoying myself!

Even though it looks like I have a long list of "to-dos" for my Thanksgiving break, I think of most of those things as fun. I spend so much time working my day job, my part-time job, and doing homework for class that I haven't been able to give nearly as much attention as I would like to things like running the household, preparing for the holidays, and spending time with Steve and family, all of which I enjoy immensely. That is why even things like cleaning the bathrooms are, at the moment, a pleasant activity to be enjoyed! :)

apologies

2010-11-23T09:22:00.001-06:00

It seems as though every time I announce my intent to write about a certain topic for my blog, I get waylaid. Maybe from now on, I shouldn't announce what I'm going to write about!

Last week, we were sooooo busy. I worked every day and had a meeting or rehearsal every evening. We tried to recover over the weekend, but are very much looking forward to the upcoming 4-day Thanksgiving weekend to get more rest. We have no plans and are so excited about that! We will both have homework to do, but other than that we are going to sleep, watch a movie or two, and lounge around. I can't wait!

First I have to judge my first high school meet of the season tonight. I will have a new judge shadowing me so I'm hoping we can do beam. Bars is my favorite event, but it is the fastest and hardest to judge. Beam is, in my opinion, the easiest to judge and is definitely the slowest event in terms of pace. I hope I get my wish! After work I will go home for an hour and then off to the meet. 60 routines later, I will finally be home and can put my feet up and start to enjoy the break! I think I'll take a hot bath tonight and enjoy a glass of wine before spending some time with Steve. I work tomorrow but after that, my time will be my own for a few days.

During these busy times, I've been focusing on taking things one day at a time and, as cheesy as it sounds, it actually works! I've been trying not to think about the days ahead, but just focus on what I have to accomplish that day. Each day, I'm beginning by praying about the tasks ahead that day and giving them to the Lord. This method is really helping me get through these busy times!

working mothers: a collection of thoughts

2010-11-16T15:59:00.000-06:00

Lately the topics of motherhood and working have been on my mind, particularly due to some conversations I had on the topic with friends and new acquaintances when I was in San Francisco. I have begun to try to research the topic more fully. This is by no means a comprehensive list of resources, simply a few articles I have read recently (if anyone has good resources to recommend, please do so!):

-The Madness of Modern Motherhood

-How being a stay-at-home mom isn't always best for kids or moms

-Stay at home moms vs. working moms
-Working moms against guilt

Now, I am not saying that I fully agree with any of these articles. I believe that if a woman wants to stay home with her children and cook/clean/teach/raise them, she has no more created a prison for herself than the woman who chooses a career and is tied to her desk 8+ hours per day. Neither choice will make a mother feel happy or "fulfilled" 100% of the time, but mothers have the right to make that choice. As a 28-year-old married, childless, career woman, most of whose friends have children, I have become interested in researching the topic of working mothers as I look ahead to the choices I will be making over the next decade or so of my life.

I have always been career-minded. When I was a little girl, instead of daydreaming about my wedding (which I never did!) or looking forward to having children, I simply wanted a career. From the ages of 5-21, I dreamed about having a career and climbing the career ladder. Most of my daydreams revolved around the various types of jobs I imagined myself having. Even still, in my late 20s, I rarely feel the desire to have children.

That does not mean that I am not interested. I have done plenty of research and observation on parenting techniques and am committed to being as good a parent as I can be. I even have a file on my computer called "Parenting Ideas", in which I record great ideas that I have stolen from my friends. I love babies. I will love my child(ren?). It's just that I don't feel a particular tugging on my heartstrings to be a mother. What excites me are thoughts of my career and its future, and continuing to shape the work I am called to do in this world.

It is not difficult for me to admit that, because it's the truth, but I know it could definitely lead to some negative feedback. However, I was talking with a pregnant friend last week, and she told me that she had the same feelings and thought that other women probably feel the same. Don't get me wrong - I don't mean to say that I don't want to be a parent and I'm not trying to tell people not to have children. I'm simply saying that I think both stay-at-home and working mothers should be honest about their experiences and thoughtful about their choices.

I always sort-of thought that mothers should stay at home, like it was the "right" thing to do, but was unable to reconcile that idea with my desire for a career. Now that I am older, I have plenty of friends with young children that had to go back to work before the child turned one due to financial reasons. I can see that they don't love their children any less and that they are highly interactive and thoughtful parents, and I respect them very much. I do think that I will most likely stay at home with my child(ren?) for the first few years, possibly working part-time from home or just a few hours per week away from home. After that - whatever that length of time turns out to be - I plan to step back into the full swing of my career.

But that's just what my husband and I are thinking and planning for now. That may not end up working out. I have been enjoying investigating and learning about different styles of working motherhood. I invite comments and would love to hear about the experiences of others. Please feel free to send me links to other articles and blog posts that would be helpful to me in this quest.

Tomorrow I plan to share some personal reflections on working mothers formed from my own experience as a child.

this & that

2010-11-15T20:09:00.001-06:00

I feel a little disorderly for using an ampersand in the title. (...anyone?)

This probably sounds like a broken record, but life has been super crazy lately. I still have my old friend, the cough, and had a 24-hour migraine at the end of last week due to changing weather patterns - barometric pressure, mostly. Yesterday I spent 15 hours judging gymnasts at the Illinois North Judges Cup. After seeing 200+ floor routines, my brain was so tired. When I woke up this morning, I felt like I'd been hit with a ton of bricks. But I pushed through work and psych lab and am thankful to be relaxing on the couch this evening, flipping between the Redskins/Eagles game and Dancing with the Stars and enjoying all the commercials for the new Johnny Depp movie (my favorite actor)!

Beginning in early January, life will look different for us. Steve will be done with school, and maybe working part time while preparing for the CPA exam. I won't be taking a class, but I will have more meets to judge. I hope the pace of our life together will be slower, and will do my best to intentionally foster that. I can't wait to see what that will look like.

Dates we are looking forward to, which help us make it through:

November 25: Thanksgiving Break! We both get several days free from classes, though unfortunately we'll probably be doing homework during that time. However, we do plan to see the new Harry Potter movie and decorate for Christmas, and I hope we'll get to lounge around the house at least one day of the break!

December 16: A trifecta of exciting events will happen on December 16 - after a year and a half, Steve will be done with his CPA coursework! I will be finished with my first graduate psychology course, and my brother will graduate from Air Force Basic Training. I am traveling down to San Antonio to see it and am super excited!

After we return from our trip to Virginia in early January, life will look different for us. I hope the pace will be slower, and will do my best to intentionally foster that.

veterans day

2010-11-13T11:03:00.000-06:00

(As I write this, Steve is playing his own arrangements of Christmas carols on the piano. We love the Christmas season, and it's almost here! Yay!)

Happy Veterans Day, a few days late! I'm sorry I missed posting yesterday, but I was home from work with a migraine and also went to the doctor for my lingering cough. Hopefully it will go away soon. I told Steve that if I get pneumonia again (which would be the third time in less than two years), we HAVE to move to a warmer climate. I'm tired of being sick so often, and I wasn't sick at all between March 21 and October 20. Summer is my favorite season. :)

Back to Veterans Day! I wanted to say thank you to two of my ancestors who fought in our Revolutionary War: Colonel William Crawford and Private Jacob Bottomer.

Colonel William Crawford

Colonel William Crawford met George Washington as a teenager, and the two of them remained very close friends until Crawford's death, undertaking numerous surveying/exploring missions along the western front. Though Crawford lived in Pennsylvania, General Washington asked him to take command of the 7th Virginia Regiment in the Revolutionary War, which he did. Colonel Crawford was tortured and killed by Native Americans during the Sandusky Expedition in 1782. Colonel Crawford was my 7th great-grandfather.

Private Jacob Bottomer (originally Bodamer, and now Buttermore) enlisted in the German Regiment of the Pennsylvania Continental Line in the fall of 1776. He participated in the famous Battle of Trenton, NJ, and was injured by a bullet that struck him around the time of the Battle of Princeton, NJ. Private Bottomer was one of 33 members of the German Regiment who mutinied in 1779, believing their contracts of service to be up (and not understanding much English). He was sentenced to be executed, but ultimately pardoned by General Washington - among the only mutineers that General Washington ever pardoned. Private Bottomer remained in service until the spring of 1781, when he was discharged. Private Bottomer was my 7th great-grandfather.

Here are some other members of my family that should be remembered as veterans:

-Great-grandfather Wilbert Anderson: served with the US Army in World War I. Nearly fatally wounded. Awarded two purple hearts and the bronze star.

-Grandfather Roy Hopkins: served with the US Army in World War II in Italy. Wounded, he received the purple heart.

-Uncle Tim and Aunt Karen: my dad's siblings, who served with the US Air Force in the 1970s.

-My brother, Nicholas, who is a current member of the US Air Force.

Steve's ancestors also did military service, most memorably his grandfather, who served for several years in the Korean War. Thanks to all veterans for the freedoms that we now enjoy in our country!