my little crockpot experiment

So, if you haven't found the "crock pot blog" you should! It's linked on Laura's blog or go here. This lady, Stephanie, is using her crockpot every day for a year. She has some really neat recipes (including making shrinky-dinks in the crockpot instead of the oven). You can search pretty easily for what you're looking for - vegetarian, light & healthy, chicken, side dishes, etc. Some of the breakfast stuff looks pretty good too. I tried out several recipes last week and thought I'd share my results. One of the reasons - I'm doing a lesson on crock pot cooking next month and thought I'd do a little "research." I think I just wanted to cook something!

The absolute best one was the "creamy crock pot risotto!" I've made risotto the usual way and it takes time and effort (but is well worth it). But this stuff is easy AND yummy!!!! YUMYUMYUM. Even my coworker Keith (I'd guess he was a meat & potatoes man, who usually looks at my cooking rather skeptically) loved it and had me email the recipe to his wife. I didn't use the chopped garlic - I was lazy and used garlic powder (and not as much as called for).

Next I tried out the Jalapeno Corn Pudding because I figured it would go well with the leftover BBQ, beans, & not-much-left-potato salad from lunch. I prepared it pretty much the way she said, but I would probably use a little less jalapeno to suit my tastes - I didn't chop it up either because I was in a hurry. I didn't find any of the frozen roasted corn, no surprise there.

I made Vegetarian No-Noodle Crock Pot Lasagna on Thursday. I knew by then that I'd want some veggies instead of the steady diet of meat, starch, and ice cream. I don't have the larger size crock pot recommended for this recipe, but I improvised. Quite a bit. I used all of the pasta sauce, about half the ricotta cheese, half of the other cheeses, half an eggplant, 2 squash, half the mushrooms, half the spinach. This was pretty good, but most people didn't want to try it and it made a lot. I'd try this again, and tweak a bit more. I just layered and layered, very hurriedly, but I still really liked it.

Mom & Patti came for the week-end, so I took my crock pot home and made Mediterranean Chicken Crockpot on Saturday (I figured the weather would be bad and we'd want to stay home for dinner). So they picked up salad at Harp's (what a chore!) and I cooked brown rice to go with this. I did finally find frozen artichoke hearts at Harp's (in the organic frozen foods). They weren't cheap and Stephanie says you can just use the canned/jarred ones also. We decided that this one needed something else - maybe onion, more seasoning, salt, etc. It was tasty and it got better after sitting in the frig (or maybe I was just hungry and didn't have anything else to eat and put enough salt on it). One of the reasons I picked this one though - easy and no chopping or anything! Just open and dump it in! AND, I used my last crockpot liner which really helped with clean up.

Fair-ly Well

Well, the fair is over for another year. Things I liked about this year:
--seeing Lou get SO VERY excited about "Elvis" and getting to eat with him
--having one of our 4-Hers win the Fair Queen contest and do a great job as Queen
--the Dove ice cream that I ate way too much of
--the BBQ running out before I was sick of it
--the cookies Willie brought!!!!
--getting to see people
--seeing people so excited about their ribbons
--hearing the applause for Brian's "mutton-busting" skills
--watching the kids get their animals ready
--riding around on the golf cart and Kubota thingys
--having internet, a printer, soft drinks, and a comfy couch at the new fair office
--eating lunch on the bleachers with Mom & Patti - the breeze, food, and company were really nice.

I'm really trying to remember the good instead of the chewing out I got this afternoon, the resentment I feel at having to do some of the things I do, the exhaustion and tears, the feeling that I'm not doing anything really worthwhile out there, the pressure to make people happy while knowing I won't ever succeed. I know I'm not perfect, my patience (never great to begin with) wears very thin, and I am human and make mistakes. I never try to hurt people, or forget them intentionally, but I do. I keep thinking, "if they only knew....." while wishing that I could drop it all, or at least parts! One of my bosses, Martha Ray, came by on Friday. She always said she looked for the fun. She said you just have to do some things and you might as well enjoy it along the way. I wish I could have done better at that this week instead of venting. It seems like that if I vent, I feel better but I'm sure it comes across that all I do is complain which is not what I want! I hear enough complaints from others, and I'm sure the people I vent to feel the same way. To err is human? sigh. such is life. I know, I should work on my attitude!!!!!!!!!

Alone

I really needed to hear Noel's lesson this morning "Never Alone." I guess I needed the reminder than even though I may be lonely at time, I'm never alone.

I won't be alone much this week, that's for sure. The White County Fair is this week! People have asked what I do out there all week. Basically, I'm not in charge of anything, I don't tell people what to do. I'm there as a support or advisor, to work with the many volunteers out there, and try to keep the peace and make people happy. I do lots of little things - we have a "worker area" and I hosed down the bathroom with bleach, washed out all the kitchen drawers of the little mouse droppings, cleaned dishes, cleaned counters, etc. I also make lots of coffee, make sure that the donuts are handy, do paperwork, and get lunches ready. I help with the Fair Queen Contest (no, it's not a pageant they tell me) - put on the reception, work with my Extension Homemaker ladies, coordinate with people, eat cookies, drink punch, smooze, direct, and help the judges. Not to mention loading my car with two wicker screens, a trophy, a tiara, a sash, chair covers, food, a change of clothes, a step stool, my file box, parade signs, coolers, etc. I'm also attempting to try out four crock pot recipes this week - creamy crockpot risotto (Tuesday), jalapeno corn pudding (Wednesday), Mediterraean Chicken (Thursday), and Vegetarian No-Noodle lasagna (Friday).

So, check out the schedule:
Monday - 4-H Poultry Chain Sale (need any chickens?!?) and Fair Queen Contest
Tuesday - Talent showcase, check in exhibits like jelly & quilts, FREE night
Wednesday - judging of those jelly jars and quilts, dairy show, gospel night
Thursday - Senior Day (free lunch, entertainment, and free admission for the older folks), Cody Slaughter (young Elvis impersonator - really good!), Bullriding
Friday - Kid's Day, Livestock Auction, Kentucky Headhunters, Rodeo
Saturday - armband day for carnival (I think), demolition derby, rodeo, last day to buy a stomach bomb (polish sausage) or a funnel cake.

New Post (gasp!!)

Highlights since the last post:

I finished my summer school classes!!! And I made all A's!!!!!!!!! Never had a 4.0 before, unless you count that one semester in high school. I enjoyed all 8 hours this summer and learned a lot.

I got the "Pampering Package" at Serenity Day Spa on Aug. 1 (the morning I left on vacation). It was WONDERFUL!!!! We started off with a paraffin treatment on my hands and feet, then moved to the "scalp treatment" which was pretty relaxing. Then she wrapped my head and hands with warm towels and let me just relax. She finished up with an excellent massage. AHHHHHHHHHH. I highly recommend it. I was so relaxed.....Dena recommended that I go home and take a warm bath with epsom salts. I needed to clean the tub anyway, so I did that. I was lucky to get the packing finished!

VACATION NOTES:

I left Searcy that day about 6:00 p.m. for my much-anticipated vacation. My friend Elissa, her parents (George & Sue), and I were going to San Francisco.

Friday evening - My plan was to drive to Memphis, park near the airport, shuttle over to airport, and take cab to the train station. I was running a little later than I planned, but made good time. I made a wrong turn looking for the FastPark place. Got the cab, and made it to the train station. I knew that we'd have to bus over to the train (sink hole at the station!). It's just a little after 9:00 p.m. and I think the train doesn't leave til 10:40 p.m. so I'm doing great! I carry my luggage up the stairs and find the little kiosk to get my ticket. I'm a little nervous, not having done this before. I get my reservation number, and start getting my ticket. Only......I notice something about a 9:15 time......about then, an employee tells me, "we're leaving in about 2 minutes." WHAT?!?! I get my ticket, frantically look around, and then my mind went blank. I finally asked him where do I go? He calmly tells me to go down to the buses. Oh yeah. Duh. But then, I still had all my luggage....(I planned to check one bag). SO I went downstairs to the buses and asked one of drivers what to do. He was really nice and just suggested that I wait on the train guy. Anyway, I made it to the train with all my luggage. Elissa met me on the stairs and helped me get up (E, G, & S got on in New Orleans, and we were on a Superliner train with two levels). Talk about leg room!!!!! If you want lots of leg room, take a train. There was SO much more space than planes. The seats reclined quite a bit, and we even had a foot rest. AND plug-ins. We got caught up and finally dozed off. When we woke in the morning, we were almost to Chicago! Mr. George graciously got up, and got breakfast AND brought it back (4 cups of coffee, 4 cups of cereal with milk, and some danishes!!).

In Chicago, I was able to check my other bag, and we put the rest of stuff in a rental locker so we could go explore the city during our layover. We got to go up to the top of the Sears Tower! That was about all we had time to do but it was really neat. A great view. We picked up lunch on the way to the station. There were a lot of people waiting (hint: if you're older, or have kids or are basically anything other than the average traveler, you get to load first). The nice thing about train travel is you get to pick out your seats if you're the originating city. We got settled in and enjoyed the ride, leaving Chicago about 2 pm on Saturday.

Chicago skyline

The Sears Tower from the street

There are lots and lots of farms along the way - corn and soybeans mostly. The scenery was really interesting. We got into Iowa that evening, Nebraska that night. We hit Colorado Sunday morning. By then we were running a little late and had to wait to get into the Denver station. We were in Denver about 30 minutes or so, so we were able to get off the train and go into the station. It was very interesting - the "old time" train station look.
Volunteers from the National Park system got on the train and gave some interesting history along the way. Heading up into the Rocky Mountains were really interesting. The Moffat Tunnel was....dark. :-) We decided that Glenwood Springs would have been a good stopover. I think we all enjoyed this day's scenery. We followed a river most of the way this afternoon - and the river runners must have gotten a message to "moon" the trains because most of them did!

We made it into Utah the evening. Talk about empty and desolate. We finally broke down and ate in the Dining Car this evening. At least it was more interesting than the scenery. It was a good experience. It sure beat the Lower Level Lounge and Todd (the LLL attendent). Todd would get on the intercom and encourage people to visit the LLL - and he'd say it with a deep, seedy kind of voice. The food there wasn't bad though - we especially enjoyed the cheese and cracker tray.

Monday morning - Nevada! More scenic that Utah. We had reservations for dinner in SF that night, but we were running behind schedule and weren't sure we'd have time. So we rescheduled dinner at Morton's, and made reservations in the hotel instead. We enjoyed the Nevada mountains, and made it to California about lunchtime. We were getting close when we had to stop and wait. We had to cross a body of water, but a tanker had to pass (the bridge had to be raised for the tanker so we had to wait - tankers go rather slow.....). We finally made it to Emeryville on Monday evening!!!!!!!!

There was a bit of confusion here. The train stops in Emeryville and they had shuttles/buses that go into SF. But we weren't sure about luggage. Turns out, you have to get your luggage, then put it on the bus. We weren't sure where the bus would stop, so we just got a cab. Well, we had to get a van because we had so much luggage (trains let you carry a lot more luggage!). We were packed into the van too. We got to a hotel, and partially unloaded, only to figure out that this wasn't OUR hotel (the names were similar). We finally got to our hotel!!! The Beefeater doorman was huge - and carried a lot of luggage. More confusion on the rooms for tonight, but I didn't care as long as I got a shower! We cleaned up and ate Italian in the hotel. We had expected something quiet, but it was rather loud. We were hungry though, so the bruscetta hit the spot and dinner soon followed.

Tuesday – Mrs. Sue’s birthday! We walked down a few blocks and got our transportation lined up (a 7-day pass for the bus/cable cars/street cars/etc.). We took a street car down to the Ferry Building where we thoroughly enjoyed the market – tons of fresh veggies, fresh fruits, and other foods. The figs were delish! We got some fresh sourdough bread and some cheeses also. We had a little picnic behind the building, sitting on a bench and watching the bay. We ate dinner on Pier 39 at the Crab House. The Eyrichs enjoyed fresh crab, while I enjoyed a crab enchilada. Mine didn’t take long to eat, so I went outside to get pictures of the amazing sunset!!

A cable carThe farmer's market

Sunset from Pier 39

Wednesday – We got out and about this morning. A bus picked us up for day of touring. We got to the office, where we loaded a smaller bus for the morning tour. We headed out to Muir Woods to see the magnificent redwoods. We walked the trail and took tons of pictures, and then visited the shop. We loaded back up and drove to Sausalito where we had just enough time to eat our fish & chips and get some ice cream. Yummy! Back to the tour office, where we loaded up on a bigger bus for the afternoon tour of SF. I’m not sure how much we got out of the first part though – I think we all dozed off. We toured the SF area and got some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge from both sides. We made it back to the hotel in time to get ready for dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse. And what a dinner it was!! The chopped salad was just divine – the best salad ever. The steak was delicious and very tender. We got some sides to share – asparagus, potatoes, etc. We shared two desserts – a soufflé and a way-too-good chocolate dessert. We walked back, and checked out the bookstore at the corner.

From the SF side of GG Bridge

From the Sausalito Side of the GG Bridge

The redwoods at Muir Woods

The fog rolling in - what a sight!

A famous "photo spot" in the city - historic homes, city skyline

Panoramic Shot from the Sausalito side

Thursday – We rented a car for the next few days. Since Elissa was in charge, I knew we’d have something good and more than likely a convertible. She had researched rental companies to find a convertible big enough for the 4 of us and we ended up with a nice black PT Cruiser. The only thing it lacked was four doors. The two doors got old crawling in and out. Anyway, we hit the road, with the Eyrichs Tom-Tom GPS, for Napa Valley. We enjoyed the lovely drive and found the train station with time to spare. So we hit McDonald’s for a snack/late breakfast. We got back on the train, and enjoyed a leisurely train ride through the Valley. The vineyards were so pretty and scenic. We enjoyed a fruit and cheese tray and some dessert. Afterwards, we hit the road again – this time to the Jelly Belly Factory!! We barely made it for the last tour but we did get to tour. We got to wear little Jelly Belly hats (everyone has to wear them) and we got a bag of Jelly Bellys at the end. Then, of course, we had to peruse the gift shop!!! Belly Flops are the ones that don’t quite pass inspection but are still good, so I got a back of those. Way too tempting…… We hadn’t had Chinese food yet, so we found a Chinese place for dinner…and had so much food that we took half of it back with us.

Napa Valley

Friday was the day for our driving down the coast…..but before we left, we had to eat breakfast/brunch at Sears Fine Foods. It got great reviews, was an established restaurant, and right across the street. I had the Swedish pancakes with Lignonberries!!! Yummy!!! After Tom-Tom took us on a little detour, we made it to Hwy. 1 - what beautiful scenery!!!!! It was breathtaking. We stopped at several points along the way for pictures. We ate dinner at a little picnic spot – we took our leftover Chinese, leftover cheeses, fruits, veggies, etc. and we enjoyed our chilly, breezy dinner! We parked the car and headed back to the hotel, but decided to try the diner across the street. We had heard they had good malts. And boy, they sure did!! Hwy. 1 - south of the Bay Area


Our happy group and our cool car!

Saturday – after looking at the menu at the diner, we decided to go back there for breakfast. Yummy! We took the car out for another drive. It was an experience navigating the city on a Saturday. We got pulled over for driving in the bus lane, couldn’t turn left anywhere, and got all mixed up before we finally made it to Lombard Street for the drive down “the crookest street.” It was crooked all right. We drove around a bit more before giving the car back! Elissa and I took it back to the rental company, and walked back to the hotel (about 6 blocks, only one of which was really uphill!). We had more adventure getting back to Pier 39 on the street cars. We walked around a bit and ate Mexican before heading over to another pier for our evening cruise to Alcatraz. We stood in line a while before boarding, and enjoyed a nice cruise over to island. We had a great tour (even got to see & hear them open/close the prison doors) and got some great pictures. It’s a very neat place – eerie, interesting, and chilly. We were pretty tired by then!

Lombard Street Alcatraz from the ferryThe Cell BlockNice pix from the "rock"

I finished packing and set my alarm for way-too-early. I had a shuttle to the airport and made it in good time. But I didn’t have time for breakfast or coffee before I got on the plane! I made do on the plane with the “breakfast cookies” and a cup of coffee. And more of the cookies, pretzels, juice, and more coffee. I ate when I got to Atlanta and made it home that evening.

HOME AGAIN!

I reluctantly went back to work. And worked.

School started – I have two classes this semester. Anatomical & biomechanical kinesiology and Research Methods.

I had dinner at Eagleview with the ICHF (supports the Nigerian Christian Hospital) and learned a lot. I got a book from Grace Farrar and it was really good.

Went to NLR – got two new pairs of shoes at Sports Authority (one was on clearance), got a few things at Sam’s, and then ate dinner at Cracker Barrel.

The fair is September 8-13!

Limas, Learnings, and Leanings

I'm taking a little break from the drudge of writing APA-style research paper, annotated bibliography, and the like. I'm really sick of it. But I'm sure it will be worth it when I get that raise.....just keep thinking.....

So I found some baby lima beans in my freezer. And since I don't want to drop this research paper to go out for food....I cooked them. I threw in a chicken bouillon cube, and they are quite yummy. They were actually better than my "throw something together" quinoa salad. And the aforementioned frozen sloppy joes.

I'm looking forward to the week-end. I'll be done with school (YEAH!!! for the summer anyway), Supper Club (Christmas in July) will have been pulled off by the skin of my teeth, I'll hopefully see some Ka Ra Te friends, and Mom, Laura, Emily, and I will be celebrating Mom's birthday! Togetherness and cake - what more could we want?!

My education class has been fun and I still have one more big project to do for it. (WHY am I blogging instead of working?!?! Oh yeah - my brain needs a break) My other class is abstinence education programming. I've got personal experience on that one. But reading all this research makes me think - more parents need to be actively involved in the lives of their children (and research backs that up). And those kids need to be educated on it all - no matter your beliefs. I hope they choose abstinence, but if they don't, they at least need enough information to protect themselves and learn to make healthy choices (some studies show that even comprehensive sex ed shows increases in abstinence). I don't have kids, and I'm not saying what I'd do if I had them. But I have thought about it and I would hope that I would be brave enough to talk to my kids about, yes, SEX throughout their life span. I don't mean all the details - just what they are ready for at an appropriate age. I know it's scary because I've heard some conversations about this very thing. But if you just ignore it, hope it will go away, or put it off until what you consider the last minute.....what wrong information will children get in the meantime? Studies show that children get most of the information from friends or the internet. So what are they learning? Wouldn't you rather them learn from you? Most people learn in small doses. So if you gradually add information, in a way that doesn't frighten or embarrass, wouldn't that be better than one long, red-faced "talk?" It sounds better to me. But then, what do I know?

Black & Blue and in between

The Searcy Community Band presented a rousing patriotic tribute on Thursday, July 3rd at Spring Park. For the first time, I actually heard most of the parts!! And it all seemed to come together pretty well, with the exception of some wrong notes. It was fun. My biggest problem is not new – it was my main problem growing up with piano and clarinet – PRACTICE!! But another clarinet player offered to practice together in August since I’ll miss some of the practices. Whew.

I went to Wally World after the concert to pick up essentials for the “Tucker Invasion” week-end. Laura suggested keeping it simple – so I planned a Ham & Rice Salad and sloppy joes. The weather was really nice Thursday night – not hot and a little breeze. However, by the time I got to WM (Wal-Mart), the breeze had really picked up and the clouds had rolled in. I briefly wondered if I should have brought my umbrella…..and I should have! I heard lots of thunder inside, and saw the growing line of people and carts by the door. But I finally just decided to run for it – it wasn’t too bad by then. And it had stopped completely when I got home.

On July 4th, I got up and ate a bowl of cereal before putting on some a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops to pick blueberries. I knew, since it had rained the night before, that I’d probably get wet. I didn’t plan on getting thoroughly drenched and muddy – and I don’t remember being that muddy and wet in a long time. I had to cross some dirt to get to the berries and it was soft. So soft, in fact, that I sank into the mud and lost my flip-flops! I went ahead and picked and picked and picked. I found a branch and dug one shoe out. Then I jumped over the mud moat, and dug the other shoe out. Can you say wet & muddy?!?!? I found a water hose and hosed my feet and shoes off before heading home and into the shower!

I put some of the berries into the freezer, and then made a blueberry cobbler (light!) with the rest. I cleaned house, cooked rice, and relaxed before the Tuckers arrived. We met at the Brick Oven Pizza for dinner, and then went over to Harding for the fireworks. The kids had fun with the carnival stuff and the adults had fun catching up with friends. We sat with the Adams family and enjoyed the show.

Saturday John went on a bike ride (they had to wait for the rain to stop) while we hung out. He texted and told us that Willie had invited us over for lunch. When he got back, he took the kids and Laura & I went to Harp’s. We ran into Willie & Jake, and Flee Patton. We headed over to Willie & Kim’s house with the cobbler and enjoyed hamburgers and freshly-made guacamole! The kids bowled on their WII and I filled in while Emily ate her cobbler. That was fun! Laura tried out the FIT also before we headed home to rest. Laura & I made sloppy joes for dinner but John went home. We ran into Rena Howard & her family at church on Sunday then ate the Ham & Rice Salad for lunch. Laura and the kids packed up and left me with a very quiet house.

Fun Moments:
~Emily hugging me and saying, “I love you Aunt Katie.” – multiple times!
~Laura wielding my Pampered Chef Spatula.
~The kids fighting over my great toys: the exercise ball, my megaphone from 6th grade, and pillows (note to self: get some more toys!).
~Ethan pooping the potty! ~The blueberry cobbler and Mexican Coke.
~Bowling on WII
~Watching Jake and Clifford.
~Emily’s creativeness – from her telling everyone about her pet baby snail Amanda to her artwork of amoebas
~Ethan talking about anything
~Chatting with Laura & going to the grocery store not once but twice and finding Mexican Coke for Big John

Back to work on Monday! Fun Fun. After work, I went to WM to see about finding some clothes – mostly things I could take on vacation. I tried on several things but ended by buying two pair of capris – khaki and black. Then I went back to Anita’s to pick blackberries. WOW – talk about ripe and ready. I picked about an hour and got a bucket full – enough to freeze about 1 ½ gallons, and I saved out enough for a small cobbler. I also fixed up the leftover sloppy joes to freeze, so now my freezer is nice & full.

Band & Jennifer

Well, my chops are tired. I can't seem to remember fingerings. Or how to read music. Or how to keep time. I kept getting totally lost in band practice tonight. It was getting frustrating!! The music is good and if I could just hear my part it would sure be a lot easier.

I got a phone call today at the office from a high school friend. I knew what she was calling about even though I hadn't talked to her in years (since our 10-year reunion I think). One of our other classmates, Jennifer DeVault Bunch, passed away yesterday. Jenn had cancer - and fought hard. She was always sweet, very positive, wild about her hubby John and daughter Abby Lynn (4). She was a majorette and then our feature twirler in marching band. During concert season she was a percussionist. She got to march in President Clinton's Inaugural parade way back when, twirling as she marched. I know she will be missed, and I regret not talking to her more the last few months. She found me on Facebook early this year, and I'll be grateful for the few months we communicated. We've been out of high school now 15 years and we've already lost 3 - Ben, Jeremy, and now Jennifer.

Jumping June

Hello -
Thought I'd update since it's been a while. I had a great time at Mom's a few weeks ago. I got to visit with Mrs. Hearn - one of my favorite teachers from high school. I figured I should start on my "visit/do before Mom moves" list. Friday evening, Mom & I went over to Cowhorn Creek Retirement Center to have dinner with Aunt Chris, Johnny, Patrick, and Sam. The center has a nice big dining room with round tables that seat four. Mom & I sat with Johnny, and he regaled us with his preacher life - the wheres, the whens, the whys, etc. After a leisurely and light dinner (they serve slowly to allow residents plenty of social time), we headed up to Aunt Chris' room. Sam & Johnny played a bit of pool, while the rest of us visited. I hadn't seen Patrick in a long time, and Sam since he was a baby. We really enjoyed the visit. Then Mom & I went to the hospital to check on Uncle David and Alice Marie (his mother-in-law was in the hospital). David hadn't eaten, so we went to get him some food. By the time we got to Chik-Fil-A, we were hungry too (that dinner was really light). So we all ate and talked in the small chapel at the hospital. On Saturday, we went to Idabel, OK for Keith Lancaster's praise workshop. We were late, and left early (I wasn't feeling too good - mostly tired and had a headache) but it was really good. I enjoyed the time with Mom and look forward to her moving here!

The Hot Springs trip was adventurous. Not exactly the word I'd normally use when hanging out with mature women. But the meeting was good, everyone seemed to be doing fine and having fun. Until Thursday morning (the last day). That's when it got really exciting. LaVerne, one of my favorites and a real go-getter, had an "episode" at breakfast. She just got really tired all of a sudden. I wasn't there but Joyce got help (2 nurses and a paramedic were nearby) and they called 911. By that time, I found them and was wondering what was going on! I ran up to our room to get LaVerne's purse and mine, and made it back downstairs as they were wheeling her out on the stretcher. By that time, though, she was looking much better and almost pert. We got in the ambulance, they checked her out, and recommended that she go to the hospital. So we both got our first ride in an ambulance! Anyway, she was okay - her blood pressure was really high. I got her registered (clean out those wallets!!!!), called her daugher (hated having to scare her), and mostly worried. But she got released after about an hour, with a recommendation that she see her doctor when she got home (so I made sure she did that). We even made it back to the meeting after grabbing a snack since neither one of us had had breakfast. Joyce was so happy to see LaVerne that she got all teary. LaVerne, Joyce, Mary Ellen, and I headed back home with a stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch. The blueberry pancakes were yummy. I was a little hesitant to let LaVerne drive home by herself, but she was insistent. Her only concession was that she'd call me when she got home, which she did. Whew. She's still doing good, just going to her doctor, and a heart doctor next week to check things out.

After that, it was time for the Associated Women for Christian Education conference (AWH, and other organizations like that from the other Christian schools). We had a nice dinner and I did icebreakers (got them moving around!). Lara Noah led singing (yeah!!!!!) and Kim did a devotional. We even went out to the Lily Pool, where Lara led us in more songs (yeah!!!!). On Friday, I had planned to go to the conference all day, but I had the opportunity to go to Beebe and interview their superintendent for one of my school assignments. So I did that, then went to the luncheon. I went by work for a while, then home but made it back for the dinner that night. We walked over to the Lightle House Inn for a scrumpious dinner - appetizers, an Italian dinner, entertainment by Joli & Paul Love (accompanied by Donna Jo Miller on piano), and the BEST EVER ITALIAN CREME CAKE. It was DE-lish. I savored every bite.

So other than that, it's just work and school. One of my coworkers, Amy, is pregnant. She's due Aug. 1 but figures she'll have him early (her first baby was 4 weeks early). But she's already started dilating and having a few contractions. The doctor gave her some medicine, told her to work only half days or less, and to try to make it through another week. If she had him now, she'd have to go to LR. So we're praying that she can hold off a while longer! The 4-H day camps are next week, so we'll all be pitching in.

School is going good. My online class is moving along. I even turned in my assignment due today EARLY. And I finished up the paper for the Ethics class and turned that in today. I've even gotten a lot done on my powerpoint to turn in next week. Now that I've finished the Ethics paper, I need to get started on my other class - the abstinence education class.

The last thing is my critter-sitting week-end. The Parnells live out near Letona and have animals that are more like their kids. When I started critter-sitting for them a few years ago, they had 2 horses, 2-3 dogs, and 2 cats. Now, they have 2 horses (Max and Cody), 1 dog (Lily, but she stayed at the neighbors luckily), 3 cats (Tigger, Baloo, and Jack), and 12 cows (Teddy the bull, Missy the heifer, Cindy the heifer, Matthew the bull calf, Milly the momma of Missy and Matthew, Rascal, Della, Sugar, Lisa, Sammy, Lady, and Amber). Sugar is my favorite. So, I go out and stay there (they do pay me), and the biggest job is feeding. I get the feed for the cows, go out to the barn. Check on the cats, give them some food (dry and the canned stuff) and fresh water. Then, I feed Max & Cody, spray them with fly spray. Then, it's on to Teddy who is waiting patiently for his feed and minerals. Then I feed the "girls" and Matthew - 3 small feeders for the young ones and 2 big things for the others. I put out all of the feed, THEN open the gate for them to mosey in. They are pretty serious about eating, especially in the mornings. They are fun to watch, and Sugar usually came over to me and let me pet her a while (she likes watching Jack too). I'd eventually get them all out of the feed area, close the gate. Then I might clean out the horse stall (Teddy got in there and messed them up good), and check the water for the horses and cows. Yeah, it's work, but it's fun too. They like me to talk to them (they are used to it I'm sure), and it gives me someone to talk to. I had planned on working on my paper and watching a little tv. I couldn't get the tv to work though. :-( I played online Friday night but finally went to bed. I kept hearing this noise though - like a pop. Took me a while to figure out - it was fireworks. Whew. Then early Saturday morning, the power must have gone off and come back on because the printer started "doing it's thing like when you turn it on" (whatever you call it!) and I couldn't figure out what that silly noise was. Saturday morning though, I figured the power had gone off because I had to reset the microwave clock....and then the computer wouldn't work. Nothing. Zilch. Sigh. No TV. No computer? I had homework! So, I drove home, messed around (painted my toenails - Passion), and got my laptop. Went back out there and started work. You know, with so few distractions, I got a lot done - finished my paper!!! Well, I did find a few books to read.... Saturday evening the neighbor across the road called. A couple of pit bulls had gotten loose in Letona and he wanted to warn me. He didn't think they'd get that far, but if the cows started getting spooked.... Then, the garage door wouldn't go down. I moved the car up - nothing. By that time I was tired, so I just looked the doors and went to bed. I was taking a last stroll before I left today when I scared a snake (I think it was just a king snake) and he scared me. Lo and behold, the garage door went down with no trouble. And I came home.

Here are Max, Cody, and Teddy:

Oh, and did I mention that I'm now in the Searcy Community Band? Yep. Found a horn to borrow since mine's still in the shop. I remember a lot, but I forgot a lot of fingerings! It's fun though, even though my mouth has been a bit sore. We have a concert at Spring Park on July 3. Come listen...and if you ever played an instrument and would like to join we'd love to have you! Especially if you play any low brass instrument. We meet on Monday nights at 7pm in the Reynolds Center at Harding. There's even a group on Facebook.

Joy

I went to a new Bible class tonight - a women's study of the book of James. Consider it a joy to face trials. So maybe to you that means those big trials. Like cancer - I think of Barby Smith on that one. Or maybe a marriage crisis. Or losing a child. But hey, those little things that annoy you? Nah, you don't need to be joyful about being late because of traffic, or that stress-induced neck pain, or even someone that hurts your feelings. Right? Nope. It's those smaller trials that give us good practice at being joyful - choosing that attitude - and can make a huge difference. So to me, that means being joyful at being single, and not wasting my time wishing for what I don't have. So I'm trying but it's a trial.

School is wild!!!! I have tons of papers to write, using APA format of course. I like blogs and news articles so much better. I enjoyed the Christian Ethics class over the week-end and I met some neat people. Now I just get to write a paper! My P-12 curriculum class is online and so far, so good. I've discussed on Blackboard, I'm even ahead in my reading. Now, I just need to work on my independent study class - abstinence education.

I'm headed to Mom's for the week-end. Taking my joy and my school work with me. Then next week, I get to go to Hot Springs with 8 other people (7 women, 1 man). I'll be staying in a room with 4 other women (it's actually a suite and I've already claimed the lumpy couch), so I'll be needing lots of joy and patience!!!

I hope you have a joyful week-end.

JOY

My Next Exciting Adventure!

I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing trip. It will certainly be an adventure to go ALL the way to Little Rock and spend two nights!! I know, sounds silly - but with gas prices....this way I can get a little shopping and a sushi & Sam's fix!!! I think I even have a hotel room to myself. Wow.

I know you'd love to join me, but you know those little ones need you to be the "mean Mommy" and keep them in line. One day, they will thank you for your time, your energy, your love, and your "expertise" while marveling at your continued sanity. Go ahead, make them make their beds up, clean the sink out, play in the mud, ride bikes all over the neighborhood, eat their veggies, and wear mismatched clothes. Let the dishes sit on the counter and go watch them play for a while. Wonder at their imagination. Laugh with them. Ask them open-ended questions about their play. Be a good example of loving life.

Have a good week!

Another Try

I'm listening to my newest CD - Josh Turner's Everything is Fine. I've been listening to it a lot lately - I like it more than I thought I would. My favorite songs:
Another Try with Trisha Yearwood
Nowhere Fast - duet with Anthony Hamilton
The Longer the Waiting [the Sweeter the Kiss]
I think I like the last one for the name. I think I can emphasize. And it's got a kind of Scottish/old timey feel. Nowhere Fast is a little different. I had not heard of Anthony Hamilton so I googled him. He wrote the song with Kelvin Wooten.

So, I've written about Dad and a little about Mom. Can't talk much about the family without mentioning my big sis though. I always looked up to Laura, even when she steered me wrong, got me in trouble, or made me look bad. But most of the time, she was always looking out for me, and helping me out. When I fell off the monkey bars at the playground across the street, I went straight to Laura first. When she saw all the blood, she said, "We better go see Mom." She's always been talented. I loved listening to her play the piano - Moonlight Sonata was one of my all-time favorites, along with Exodus (loved since I never hear her play anymore - hint hint!!!!). I didn't enjoy listening to the trumpet quite as much, but she was good - and she could even play harmony to my clarinet melody. She also has quite the talent for impersonations - I guess she probably peaked when she was in CD Franks Intermediate School though. Those are the ones I remember best. Laura made a good Don Juan, an excellent teacher, a "scary" make-up artist, and she can be devious although few people believe it. I love looking at Emily & Ethan and seeing little snatches of Laura (and definitely John too). Laura has a "one-track mind" and hands like Dad, but she's better known for her similarities to Mom. I call them both social butterflies and Emily is made in that same vein. But if you're around Mom & Laura for very long - you will start seeing it. I've never thought Laura looked like anyone in particular (people usually say how much I look like my Dad) but I always thought she was much prettier than me. She WAS blond of course, and in case you hadn't noticed, the blond dolls are all prettier than the brunette ones (or so I thought anyway). When she left for college, I really, really missed her. Yes, I missed the chauffeur too (I couldn't drive yet) but I missed my friend more. She's always been my best friend.
Various Memories:

• Her white high heels - I grew into them for a few months, then my feet grew more.


• The way she held her hands out when showing her engagement ring (she's double jointed and could make her hands do weird things).


• Those long eyelashes


• Fuzzy Wuzzy............as Dad said


• Our neighbors told Mom that I never ran home to Mom - I just ran to Laura.


• Summer fun - riding bikes all over the neighborhood, down to the 7-11 for icees, and to the Castle to rent movies. Her picks? John Wayne in True Grit or The Journey of Natty Gann.


• Dad bringing Laura to see me in the hospital. She brought me a yellow comb with my name on it in blue (hers was blue with her name in white). I also have some cards she sent me.


• When she came home for spring break her freshman year at Harding wearing John's class ring. She finally got the nerve to put it on in front of Mom & Dad while eating out.


• She had to look "just right" - fluffy 80's bangs and all - which required hair dryer, hot rollers, and such all over the bathroom.


• Her love for all of our pets - Tippy, Sam, Midnight, Tigger, Charlie, Tootsie, and various gerbils. Oh yeah, remember the tail coming off one of those gerbils?!?!?


• Celebrating Mom's birthday last year in Hot Springs

Thanks for being my sister and friend. Love ya!

Here's another of Ethan's early masterpieces- taken at Emily's backwards birthday party (which is the reason Laura's sweater is on backwards).

Random Thoughts again

Well, Sis said to update my blog. So here I am. I'll be honest, I don't have any good stories about little people in my life. I think Laura's covered my favorites anyway. So here are some random thoughts.

• Did you know that most women need 3 servings of dairy foods a day? Raise your hand if you get that. Dairy is good for you!
• Well, string cheese is a yummy way of getting some dairy food. Especially the low-fat kind. Try some of the zillions of new yogurts out there - especially FIZZIX - fizzy yogurt (Warning: don't let it get warm!!!). Or, if you are adventurous, try Kefir.
• And now, for those of you that just can't bear of the thought of "white water" - there is skim plus - skim milk with thickeners added so that it "feels" like 2% milk.
• If you are lactose intolerant, try eating aged cheese like cheddar or swiss. Most of that type of cheese has no lactase.
• Mooooving along...................(yes, I went to a nutrition training this week)
• I got my books for my summer classes. I've already starting reading for one. If anyone has an old textbook from human structure and function, I'd like to borrow it. I need to brush up for a fall class.
• I made up a menu for the next week. Healthy stuff that I wanted to try. I'm going to be adventurous.
• I should be cleaning right now. So I'm blogging in an effort to put off cleaning. :-)
• Yarnell's Triple Play ice cream is my current favorite. I had the pleasure of doing a survey for Yarnell's and my "reward" was a container of ice cream. YUMMY! It is, however, staying at the office. I can't hear it calling "KKKKKKKKkatie, come eat me!!!!" from my office.
• Cheerios has a blueberry yogurt burst cereal - I've only seen it at Sam's. It's good! Sam's also has good prices on a huge bag of dried cranberries, mixed dried fruit, and yogurt.
• How 'bout this weather? Sure was nice today.
• West Point is celebrating 150 years on Saturday - speakers, bands, musicians, dancers, storytelling, BBQ lunch & catfish dinner by Eagleview, and fun stuff going on. West Point News.
• I really like my mom - we had a good week-end for Mother's Day. She's always been a good Mom and now a good friend too. I'm excited about her moving here!!!
• Mom made a Holly Hobbie doll quilt for me when I was little. Also some doll clothes. I'm impressed since sewing wasn't her favorite thing. She always let me "help" make bread (my loaves weren't that tasty!) and cookies (we ate more dough than cookies I'm sure). She sang, and played the piano and dulcimer for us. Mom was always reading to us - We loved "The Little House" series. She stayed with me in the hospital every night, except the one night Dad stayed. I'm sure her bed wasn't too comfy but she hung in there with me for 10 nights or so. I always wanted her close when the "vampires" came to draw blood. Thanks Mom - for all the little things you've done through the years.

goings on

April has been rather eventful so far, in a laid-back kind of way. I went to Ashdown to visit with Mom - we shopped, went out to Arden (where I got the van stuck in the mud at the cemetery - lucky we have relatives with tractors!), and watched "Enchanted" among other generally fun things together. The next week-end, I headed up to Pokey to visit the Tuckers. We had fun (watched "Enchanted" again), went to Jonesboro (Lowe's, the Mall, Whole Hog, ice cream), enjoyed our time together.

April 9th marked the day that, in 1998, my dad passed away. 10 years. My dad was the best dad. He made a yummy chocolate mousse in May 1993 - he had lost his job and was at home searching for another. Since Mom was in the end-of-the-school-year-mode, Dad cooked dinner and even made a great dessert. He was also the chef that made our white cake supreme birthday cakes each year (Mom was the expert 7-minute-frosting-maker). And I can't forget the time he made dinner - a one-casserole-dish. Mom asked if we needed rolls. "Nope - it's in there." Vegetable? "Nope - it's in there." Salad? "Nope - it's in there." What else? Here are some of my random memories:

• Dad wasn't very talkative but when he talked, you listened.
• He was extremely patient - he often, very often, waited on "his girls" - in the bathroom, getting ready for church, etc. He would get frustrated at times, though.
• He was always so proud of us - no matter how awful we looked in those awkward years.
• Dad kept this little black comb in his front pocket sometimes - so he could comb his hair (especially useful on those windy days).
• He loved ice cream - vanilla. That's why he got lots of gift certificates to Baskin-Robbins. And he could bite into an ice cream cone.
• We always enjoyed laughing at him when he washed the windshield - his tongue would stick out to the side.
• I always thought he looked nice - no wearing his pants down low under the big belly sticking out. He was good at shining shoes and kept his looking good. He was especially handsome on August 14, 1993 when he wore a tux for Laura's wedding. I thought he was, by far, the most handsome man there.
• He was really good at listening - must have been all that practice.
• He was always trying out new pieces of luggage since he traveled so much. We never ran out of shampoo - he always brought home the ones from the hotels.
• He called every night - no matter where he was or what time it was. That meant, on occasion, he got to just listen to us breathe and hang up on him (we were asleep). Luckily, he knew that meant we were okay - just tired.
• He eventually gave up trying to get into the master bedroom closet - it only opened on one side anyway. He bought himself a freestanding closet that went on HIS side of the room and pretty much covered up the window.
• He showed us how to run backwards (luckily he had a cap on that somehow protected his head when he fell down).
• He taught us to drive a stick shift (bless his patient little heart).
• He bought us nice jewelry (like the watch that I still wear!)
• Those fried chicken strips with curry gravy.
• That cute grin.
• We couldn't go to bed without Cheerios, milk, bananas, and coffee.
• His sipping coffee in bed (Mom was the early bird). He's just sit there, sipping coffee until it was gone. Then he'd get up. On Saturdays, after breakfast, he'd usually go back to bed.
• He always insisted that we go on a vacation every summer - and we did!
• His ever-changing vehicles from work - trucks, station wagons full of "stuff" and with that white powder from the plant (that also showed up on his work boots).

I miss you Dad.

Journeys

Life is a journey. There are highways and country roads, flying and more leisurely travel like a scenic train. You can stop at rest areas for a picnic or you breeze through the drive throughs. You can rush and rush and still not get there on time. And when you are in a hurry, you can be sure that you'll get behind a slow-poke. But along the way, it's up to you if you enjoy the journey, or just rush to the next big city.

Which journey are you taking?

Me, well, sometimes I feel like I'm stuck on a two-lane and everyone else is running up & down the interstates. Other times, I'm so thankful I'm in the slow lane, enjoying life as it comes - even when I take a few detours and wrong turns.

I'm at my Mom's in Ashdown - taking off for a few days of R&R, shopping, and Mom-time. It's good to get away, and I can just hope that my house hasn't floated away. Calvin & I make good friends but that's about all for now. It's one of the roads you travel, and decide that while it's a great drive, it's not the route you want to take. I've been on the road several times, and each time the scenery is beautiful and I learn alot along the way. I've never regretted those roads because they are good trips in life's journey.

Hope you enjoy your journey this week-end.

weather, week-end, and good stuff

Good evening friends & family. What a week of weather - I've walked at the park TWICE!!! Super duper springy weather is nice, even when it rains (because we always need the moisture - just ask the farmers!). I'm enjoying the springy temps too - not too hot and not too cold. Just right.

Elissa and I had a great time together. We didn't do a whole lot - we did enjoy the snow, eating at Cookie Basket (good thing she found money in her jacket or we'd have been washing dishes!), cookies from the Key Lime Cottage, multiple trips to Walgreen's, sitting around the living room drinking tea, looking through pictures, sharing pictures, eating out (we didn't want to cook!) at Brick Oven Pizza and Mimi's Cafe. And of course, seeing MICHAEL BUBLE!!! The opening group was Naturally 7 and they were really good. Check them out! Then, it was a 30 minute wait on Michael, but that was okay. We had some good conversation while waiting!!! Michael can put on a great concert - fun, casual, and lots of great music! Well worth the wait and a night to remember.

I'm working on my grad presentation for my grad class - podcasting for teachers! Lots of interesting things out there. I downloaded a bunch of stuff to my new ipod and listened to it while walking this evening. Sure made my walk go fast! That, and the good music too.

If you've ever had to wear glasses, you'll know what I'm talking about here. Remember when you got your first pair of glasses? Remember when you went outside and looked around, and actually saw leaves on the trees instead of just green blobs? You know that "aha!" feeling when you finally get something? Or maybe when the fog cleared and you could see where you were going? Maybe you'd call it an epiphany, a clearing, or just what some glasses can do for you. Whatever you call it, it's a cool feeling. I still remember my big red glasses. I could barely walk on the sidewalk as we were leaving the eye doctor's office. But I looked up and saw so many individual little green leaves on the trees. I was like, "Wow!" I wonder how long it had been since I had seen that (how bad were my eyes?!?!). Anyway, after a few dates with someone (Mr. Pirate - see future Laura blog post), being on eharmony, after processing a few of the other guys I've dated, I had that cool feeling of "ohhhhh!" I was typing up yet another answer to the eharmony question, "what are you looking for in a mate?" As I was typing my "regular" answer, I thought, "that really just sounds like Calvin." I've known Calvin since 2005. We officially met at spring sing 2005 after "meeting" on churchofchristsingles.com. We dated a few months. Even after we broke up, we were still good friends. We'd hang out, email, and keep in touch. So I emailed him again. He must be a saint to be so patient with me. Long story short - we're now dating again and it's even more fun this time. He makes me smile. He treats me so well and he's such a gentleman - a trusting man of God. We're going to picnic tomorrow - depending on the weather. Drive around the country roads, enjoy each other's company. I'm sure it will be another fun day, another memory made.

Hope you have a great week-end!

Marching On

We sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" this morning. And you know what? The chorus sounds really neat when you can actually hear the bass. It really sounds like marching......

Can you believe it is March already?!?!?! Me neither.

I was so excited that the Tuckers came Thursday night for the last home basketball game at Harding! We met up at Mazzio's and ate, before heading to the game. It was a great game!!!! http://www.hardingsports.com/News/mbball/2008/2/28/mbb07-08.asp?path=mbball I'm so glad we got visit with Matt's family (and ours) and that so many of them were able to come to the game. And hanging with John, Laura, Emily, and Ethan was pretty fun too.

Spring Break already! A week off from class and tutoring will be nice....now if I could have just gotten off work too!

Do you listen to the Harding radio channel (95.3 fm) much? I've been listening to it more and tonight I'm listening to some nice jazzy stuff. It has a good mix.

Life

Life cereal is pretty good. So is the pineapple angel cake (angel food cake mix and crushed pineapple), especially topped with whipped cream (light is great!). Not to mention fish tacos.

So things are still busy and I'm really glad I'm not married with kids while working full time and going to school. How did Mom do that?! I guess overall things are going well - I'm trying hard to stay caught up and not let the little things go (like my contacts spreadsheet, my office appearance, phone calls, etc.). But it's a constant struggle - put out the most pressing fires first, and maybe I'll get around to the small fires later!

I've been thinking a lot lately. About decisions - have I made the right ones? Should I have done that? Should I have said yes or no? Should I not have let my stress level decide for me? Should I have let those little things bother me so much? Should I have been more assertive? affectionate? Should I have tried harder?

Emily's birthday was fun - backwards is the way to go! Mom & I went to Jonesboro to the new mall and shopped some too. That was fun!! I'm glad Mom got to come up and hang out - party, shop, church, just hanging out at home drinking tea. Thanks for your visit Mom - come back soon!

I'm really looking forward to Elissa coming back next week - planning food, things to do, things to talk about (why is she out of the country when I'm dying to talk?!?!?). And of course, I can't wait to sigh over Michael Buble. sigh.

Hope you have a great week.

BBBBBBBBBBBBUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

That's me - busy as a bee. bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :-) Or me being silly. Take your pick.

So, school is going well. I did well on my first test. I'm working through the Universal by Design Stage 1 Planning. I think I'm starting to "get" it now although sometimes it still seems like a lot of busy work. I'm still trying to get my tutoring hours in - I have three different things so most weeks I can get at least one hour in! If you need a little help learning something new in nutrition, health, wellness, combating heart disease (the number 1 killer of women), money management, etc. - give me a call.

Work is going well. If you are interested in Strong Women, I'm teaching 2 classes again. Mondays & Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the Family Room at College church, and Tuesdays & Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall at the First Baptist Church in El Paso. I get to go to LR three times this week - ugh.

Supper Club is Thursday night. The good thing about being in it so long is that I can "recycle" recipes. So I'm making "white chili" which is what Staci made when we were partners in January 2004 or 2005. If you haven't used www.eVite.com it is pretty nice for party planning stuff.

Emily turns SEVEN on Sunday and I get to go party on Saturday!!! Yeah - I feel like it's been forever since I've seen them. I can't wait to see the Tuckers house - unpacked. And Mom will be coming & staying with me. Fun!

I don't have any deep thoughts. I'm looking forward to Elissa coming in a few weeks and we're going to see Michael Buble in concert!!!!! Can't wait!!! www.michaelbuble.com

It's Not Easy Being Green....

I already knew I was a "green" personality (NT for those of you not familiar with the colors). I came up with a lot of gold for my learning personality but I think I'm still green. But I didn't know it was more rare than, say, blue. I keep thinking of Kermit for some reason....

It's been a long but busy week. School is interesting - we even had a socratic seminar on Wednesday. After class, I went to Lara Noah's office to check out her "skylight" from the wind damage. It was good to see her!

I got my Harding magazine today. Best article is the last one, although reading about some of the history and customs of Harding was pretty interesting also.

I guess I don't have a lot to say tonight. I'm sleepy and I have to teach Best Care tomorrow. I should probably go over my lessons again! I get to teach about tax credits and sandcastles & mud puddles. Should be fun.

Shut up & kiss me

is playing on my new sound system right now. What? You were expecting something else? :-)

The holidays were fun! I had fun hanging out with Mom, the Tuckers, Patti. Mom & I had the pleasure of hitting every Wal-Mart between Fordyce & Ashdown the day after Christmas. We picked up a few goodies, nothing really big though. The next day, we hit T-town and I finally found a bigger, newer Christmas tree for half price! It's a prelit, 7 foot, TWINKLE lights tree. Yeah!! Now I'll for sure be excited for Christmas this year - I'll have that new tree to put up. Mom put up with me for most of the holiday and I enjoyed being with her alot. Patti is fun to add to the mix.

So the new year is getting off to a good start. I got all my ducks in a row for grad school. Managed to do good on the GRE, even though I didn't start studying until 2 days before. I was surprised by the things that came back easily (algebra) and the things that didn't (geometry). I think I can tie it back to the teachers I had - the more I liked the teacher, the better I did in the class, and the more I remember. Which would explain why I'm so bad in biology.

My grad class (yes, just one - 4 hours) is going well. I know the teacher, and that helps 'cause she is AWESOME and fun (and she might read this!). We have some interesting projects, learnings, and stuff. We've talked about personality & learning styles (I think I'm a green/NT), library (WOW - you don't even have to GO to the library anymore), and tutoring (although I have figured out that Algebra 2 is beyond me). It's fun to be learning, at the moment. I'm sure I'll tire of using my brain after a while, although it probably could use the exercise.

Work is going well also. Lots of projects - I feel like I'm juggling a whole bunch of things. But they are interesting! I'm even getting experience teaching college students - I'm teaching a ServSafe class to one of the FCS classes. Interesting.

Fun things I've done:

• climbed in the laundry room window of Laura & John's new house - because the garage door wouldn't open, Laura didn't have a key, I was freezing, AND I had to go to the bathroom.
• Dusted the walls in my den.
• Put together a mobile "Balance Your Meals" - a teaching tool from 1962. Yes, it's for real - I found it in my closet at the office. It fits in pretty well with my other retro kitchen stuff.
• Got my new Ipod nano going, hooked up my new stereo system.
• Learned how to podcast and vidcast. Now THAT'S cool.

(I tried to upload my first try at this, but was unsuccessful.)

I'm hosting a Ladies Gumbo Night tomorrow with Ellen. Bunco will be here next Monday (any ideas for prizes?!?!?!). Then Supper Club is finally getting off the ground this year, and Allison & I are hosting in February. Hopefully, I'll have company next week-end for the basketball game. But it's been quiet this week-end.

Hope you all have a great week!