another summer day

I love Saturdays, have I mentioned that?

Tea makes the world a better place. We've gotten in the habit of making pitchers of it and turning it into iced tea. I'm drinking a cup in the only tea cup and saucer I own. I got it on clearance at Starbucks, it's purple (of course) with gold and teal swirly flowers. It makes my heart happy to drink tea out of a proper tea cup. 

I went shopping today. Got some new shoes for my trip to Boston next week. I'm quite please with my purchase. I also found an awesome green floral maxi dress at Marshall's for 10 dollars.  gotta love a good deal. its long, but for a change its just the right length and doesn't need to be hemmed.

I'm making chicken noodle soup for the first time. in my grandmothers cast iron skillet, it makes me miss her. Her birthday is in 4 days, she would have been 71.

I am unemployed again, but not too worried about it this time. I have an interview Tuesday, I hope it works out. if not God has better plans.

my family is imploding again, but my life is happy. My family of 2 is good and my apartment is adorable.

I heart weekends

so I now have weekends off,i'm on weekend #2 off and I think i'm making the most of them.

Last weekend we spent our entire weekend at ikea, ok maybe not the whole weekend but a lot of time.  it was well worth it. I now have a table for my sewing machine, we have a "tv stand" it was a 12.90 coffee table from the as is section. we also found 3 chairs for our dining room off craigslist. I heart craigslist. our apartment is coming together

This morning I was perusing craigslist for a food processor and more chairs when I came across a burr coffee grinder and a little espresso machine for my husband. so I jetted down to the mission to check it out and see how much they wanted ,and for all 3 he was only asking 7 dollars! i ended up not taking the food processor because it didn't have all it's part but for 6 bucks I go the other 2. I was looking at the other stuff they had and there was a little hutch. I asked how much and the guy said 10 bucks. I couldn't pass that up. waiting on Jackson now so we can go pick it up, couldn't cart that on the bus!

here it is. It needs some serious tlc, but sooo cute,and really 10 bucks?

I have laundry to do, books to put in the bookshelf we got back Wednesday and I have bread rising now. This is my first time attempting bread from scratch. Yeast scares me. but if it doesn't work, I'll just try again right?

I love the weekends!

Content in now

I did the kind of shopping I would love to do all the time today.a couple extra things to make an every day meal a little special.A block from the BART in my new neighborhood is this fancy shmancy organic grocery store. Ive walked passed it dozens of times but never gone in. I was thinking about what to make for dinner and what I had on hand and decided on a frittata.

I had everything I needed to put in it but decided I wanted a little bit of spinach and maybe some bread. So I wandered in and being that it was dinner time it was quite busy. I didn't explore that much, but I did notice that they have beans and grains and other bulk items for not that much more than my cheap produce market I go to. I came out for under 5 bucks with spinach, a fresh baguette (nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside) and tomato to add to salad makings I already had and spinach.

My husband said to me last night, we have no food. Ha! granted my normal shopping and cooking schedule has been thrown off because I was out of town, in town and out off town again all with in 2 weeks. but with almost everything I had on hand (and really it could have been everything, I just wanted to add a couple of  extra touches) I now have a frittata in the oven. it has roasted peppers, spinach, white corn, sausage, garlic, and feta cheese. not half bad for having no food if I do say so myself. served with a side salad and crusty baguette.

It's a beautiful (clear!) San Francisco evening, with just a touch of a breeze. I have an amazing husband, a cozy apartment that's slowly coming together and a God who is oh so amazing that I thank for my home at every meal.

If only I could always remember this moment, and to always in every situation be content in my now

Ups and downs

so much going on. recipes, awful cell phone pictures of dinner concoctions that need to be posted.

we're still at the church. in theory (well kinda actuality) we're looking to move out this month. we're having a hard time finding an apartment. we have our Dave Ramsey budget people, rent to us!!!

God's got us, He knows the timing. I just need to as always learn yet again to trust in Him and His timing.

yeah, and stuff.

Tea Bag wisdom

My mom and I have this thing. I think it may have started in 8th grade when we were extremely poor and one of the only things we had a plethora of to eat for a couple of weeks was an 8-10 variety pack of tea we had gotten for Christmas.  not positive though


well anyhow we always read and alot of times save the tea bag wisdom. you've seen it before you just don't know it, certain brands have little inspirational  quotes on the little tag you pull the tea bag out with, kinda like fortune cookies but better.


well for my birthday she sent me a bunch that she had saved for me and it made me smile, happy memories and such. I had to toss them when we moved because i just had no way of keeping them.


today I am sick and made a cup of tea and the brand i have has no such wisdom to impart on me. made me sad a little because Ive been on my death bed since yesterday (ok maybe thats the fever making me a drama queen) and I was needing a small pick me up.


also if you like sewing, quilting, crafts or the ramblings of me you should go to my other blog, Lilac Barries. Not much there yet but i'm going to try and remedy that sooner rather than later. wooohooo Mama it worked, twice!

Thankful

Everyday I am thankful for my husband.


Today I am especially thankful after talking to a single friend. who wants to casually date just because she's never gotten to. 


I am thankful for not ever have wanting to casually date and for the man I get to go out on a date any 'ole time I want to (budget allowing of course)


I could not have gotten through the last few months, heck weeks without him by my side, much alone with a smile. But I have, and he gives me a smile everyday.

Things I do know

Alot has been happening lately, that should be recorded. Mostly though I've been busy.


I'm trying to figure out what what we're supposed to be gleaning from this situation. Haven't figured it out yet. 


I may not have this whole grown-up/adult thing figured out completely, but there are some things that I knew before and have been confirmed in the last couple of weeks:

• I know when you move that you need to change your address with the post office

• I know when you move you have to inform your various bill companies, including your credit cards of your new address

• I generally know when my bills are due, and how much they're due for.

• I know you can find the phone number to your credit card company on the back of the card.

• I generally know approximatly how much is in our checking account at any given moment

• I know when I get paid

• I know if I pay X bill I'll only have X dollars in my checking account

• I know that X dollars means ill only have X dollars for groceries until I get paid next.

These are things I have either been told to do, or been informed of in the last few weeks. with out going into too much detail, because of our living situation we're having to do financial and job counseling with a couple from our church. I agreed to it because I didn't have a choice and didn't know what to expect.I went into it with an open mind. So far Ive gotten added stress to an already stressful situation and the distinct impression this couple thinks we're lazy idiots.


We've been married for almost 7 years, we know how to take care of business. 99.9% percent of our current situation is not due to the fact that we don't know how to take care of business, it is sheerly lack of income in a horrible economic atmosphere. 


Like Ive said, i'm generally a glass half full kinda gal, but lately I've been struggling and ill be over it eventually. I just need to keep praying and keep working and hopefully sometime soon I'll figure our what He's trying to say to me and I'm being to deaf to hear.

Gilmore Girls

I love Gilmore Girls, the names i have used to protect the innoncent are characters from Gilmore Girls. My friends also love the show and we all have nicknames from there. I am Sookie, therefore I am married to Jackson.


I was watching an episode today (God bless the library they have 3 full seasons on dvd to check out, for free)


anyhow I was watching an episode today and here's a quote quite apropos for this blog


Rory: There wasn't really a point you know because I get it. He is starting his first real job. I mean, he needs time to adjust and focus and learn the lay of the land. I mean It's good that he's trying to be a grown-up. You no so now I'm trying to be a grown-up. So why am I gonna get all pouty because I don't get to do it?
Lorelai: Hmm. Well, that sounds like a real grown-up talking.
Rory: Thank you.
Lorelai: You know the one thing that grown-ups don't call themselves?
Rory: What?
Lorelai: Grown-ups. Huh they say "adults," and they pronounce it "ah-dults."
Rory: It stinks


so aparently I am indeed not a grown up, for the sheer reason I use the word grown up. And yes Rory Gilmore, it does stink

monday evening

I'm having to redefine my down time.

no more television ( we didn't want to move it to our room, so we gave it away, not that we would have anything more than movies anyway)

currently I have minimal Internet. my computer is wonky (my father in law thinks my mother board might be going out) so I'm having to share with Jackson.

I need to get back into the habit of reading, I don't do it nearly as often as I used to. I guess starting tomorrow Ill have plenty of reading to do, class starts back up

work was exhausting today, on top of my normal walking I tripped and fell with a 24 lb baby. In the process of making sure he didn't get hurt i twisted and moved and fell on the floor.so now I ache all over and I think its being increased by my minimal amount of food today.

ok now I'm just slightly whiny and rambling on, time to wrap it up.

new year

I have goal for the new year, that I need to get out of my head and onto paper. mostly they're linked with a fast Im doing with our church, but theres some other one as well. ill get to those later. I need a nap

for now happy new year. 2009 wasnt exactly bad, just not great either. Im excited what God has in store for me personally and my family of 2.

I got to spend the new years with a great group of people bowling, we had a blast I got home way to late but I was with my husband and really thats all that matters. oh and we really did have a great time.

ok nap time. must get gowls down today, preferably by 6.

New Residency

I have a new residency, I am now a resident of my church, in San Francisco.I always said I wanted to live in this city, and now I do, its wonderful.

Besides my husband I now live with 7 other guys. its not as odd as it sounds, or maybe it is, either way it doesn't feel odd.

the building was built in 1916 or something like that- its really old. our room is at the top of the choir loft, actually one of our doors goes directly there.

I thought I would be extremely heart broken over not having a whole apartment to ourselves anymore and not being able to entertain, and no Christmas and all that. alas that is not the case, there are 2 huge (15 foot? maybe taller) trees with pretty sparkly lights and tomorrow I get to cook dinner for the interns and staff that also live here, all the guys that usually eat out, eat leftover cake people bring or at most make scramble eggs.

I'm thinking tuna noodle casserole and one other casserole type dish with veggies and salad, or something along those lines. its cold and rainy hear maybe some sort of soup.

our room is still slightly disorganized, all of our boxes are stashed away but I still have suitcases of clothes everywhere, ill work on that tomorrow.

I think I shall enjoy my time here, its different but it feels like home. it will definitely be a statement of faith and a story to tell my grandchildren, I once lived in a church.

hunger, or something

today after church (the big Christmas musical,good stuff but for another post) so today after church I went to lunch with a group of people.

we had all participated in the musical and were all starving. we were so hungry and there were so many choices we sat starting at our menus, frozen in indecision.

I am now home and I have a almost identical feeling. this week I have:

a final for a class that got cancelled last week(the classes are only 4 weeks long,the last class is basically just the final so missing a day is huge) there's 16 chapters I'm currently on chapter 5 or maybe 6.

we move Thursday, i have stuff all over my apartment. a good majority of it is intended for salvation army (hopefully coming Tuesday)

have I mentioned despite massive amount of preparation we haven't started packing? (I have some boxes, there's nothing in them yet)

oh and yeah, I got a job. a huge blessing but currently a huge inconvenience

we move Thursday, why am I such a bad procrastinator, or really good one. or something.

so yeah, I'm frozen in indecision where to start first? the packing? the organizing of the packing? 10-11 chapters of reading?

I want a nap, or a quilt. or both.

it will get done, it always gets done.

27 candles

I am 27 today.

Not entirely sure how it sounds, I greatly enjoyed being 26, 25 too. 27 sounds less like mid 20's (cuz its not,lol) and more like oh goodness I'm almost 30.

yes I thought I would be in such a different place at 27 than I am, but I'm ok with that. If I were where I thought I would be, I would not be following the perfect plans HE has for me, so its a good thing.

I was kinda saddened that I wasn't going to get to do a party this year with the sate of our apartment due to the move. But now that the day is here I couldn't ask for a better day.

its raining beautifully, after I'm done writing this I'm going to cozy up on the couch with my husband whatch a few episodes of the big bang theory and drink some SLO roasted coffee that makes me think of my mom and then I'm going to quilt and work on Christmas presents.

later we're going to dinner at a restaurant called Max's. we went there on our honeymoon. My pastor and his wife gave us a gift card to there a few months ago that I asked if we could save for my birthday. it will be a good day.

a day perfect for a 27 year old.

Pesto and Peppers

I made roasted red and yellow peppers, mushroom and pesto sandwiches sprinkled with Parmesan for dinner last night.

They turned out delicious, even Jackson said he would eat them again and he's not a huge pesto lover. I personally thought I put a tad too much pesto ( I cant believe there is such a thing) but that would be easy enough to fix when I make them again. I would also like them on a different bread, but all we had were hamburger buns, which were fine but I imagine them more on a baguette or ficacia, ooh or the herb slab from acme bakery down at the ferry building, I love their fresh bread.

we had to leave for youth group early so we ate at the early bird special hour of 4:00, but they held their own and I wasnt hungry untill 11 after I had been running around with the kids and driving them home, so im usally hungry afterwards no matter what I had for dinner

here's how they looked fresh out of the oven, before I put them together. They're much prettier open faced, which I guess we could have eaten them that way, just messier.

fritata

i was quite proud of myself last week, I actually remembered to make fritata. Ive been wanting to try making one since my pastors wife brought a couple to a women's ministry meeting a couple of weeks ago.

before Thanksgiving I had managed to empty my refrigerator from anything not Thanksgiving related so Tuesday night I was struggling to figure out what to make for dinner. I was watching some television show and they were making fritata and I was like, hey that's what ill make. I pulled out some of the canned goods I had on hand for a crock pot recipe and 8 of the 5 dozen eggs my husband talked me into buying and starting making up a recipe.

half a can of corn, diced tomatoes, a whole can of diced chili's, a couple teaspoons of taco seasoning, a tablespoon or two of half and half and voila,fritata.

doesn't look too pretty but it was Delicious!

(please ignore my dirty stove top,i'm a messy cook)

Meal Plan Monday (on a Thursday)

so my bestest oldest friend has recently embarked on journey towards vegetarianism and has inspired me to take my own taking meat out of my diet to the next level

you should check it out http://newveginnings.blogspot.com/ (how do i make links pretty, so you don't see the whole link,anyone?)

so in light of this new dietary inspiration I went to the grocery store today as I am more or less out of thanksgiving leftovers

so here is my meals for the next few days in no particular order

crock pot pulled pork and peppers ala tempeh served with bake sweet potato fries ( this is an experiment on substitution for a previous meat filled recipe I love)

Nutty Lentil loaf with pecans

eggplant parmesan (I will conquer my fear of eggplant)

roasted peppers and pesto sandwiches oven baked with parmesan

I'm quite excited

procrastination

I'm a procrastinator, nothing new. Having to move in 18 days doesn't change anything.

Ive gone through most of my books to see what I'm willing to get rid of and what I want to keep. I have a couple of huge stacks to take to the used book store. I'm proud of myself for actually getting rid of stuff. I'm a pack rat by nature so this is kinda huge. I still have alot of books though. a good chunk of old textbooks that I haven't been able to bring myself to get rid of, I should though.

In the process I found a cookbook: Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way, healthy menus, recipes and shooing lists to keep everyone happy at the table.

I had forgotten that I like it, it has lists (i heart lists) and its arranged by season, so you cook things with season vegetables. Ive only done one recipe out of it, it turned out pretty good. It has re-inspired me to try more vegetarian cooking, and now that I am almost out of thanksgiving leftovers I can go back to normal cooking, now is a perfect time to do so.

I'm savoring the last few weeks in my own place. I know this wont be the last place that we will have of own, but its been home for 3 1/2 years, and it was the place where I really embraced my love of being a wife and all things domestic.

ok I should go back to sorting. I have too many books and too many clothes.And stuff. so much random stuff I don't know what to do with.

Quincy

its 12:57 and Im still up. why you ask? because im crazy. instead of buying the donuts my husband wanted for breakfast tomorrow, I offered to bake muffins. well since Quincy the turkey (yes we named the turkey, yes we're demented) has to go in at 6:30 in the morning. I have to bake the muffins that I opened my big fat mouth and said I would make tonight. if it wernt 1 in the morning, I would just go buy donuts. but oh well. I like baking, I love sharing my baking with others, it will be worth it.

my in-laws are here for Thanksgiving. since we've moved to the bay area the tradition of celebrating my birthday when we're together for thanksgiving has come to be. I dont complain, I get early presents. well this year is like no other, I got my birthday present early.

wanna know what I got? we regardless if you do or dont, I will tell because it makes me very happy and very excited. I hugged it

a Pfaff expression 2.0 sewing maching. as always Im technology defuncked and have yet to take a picture with my own camera so no visual. but i assure, its beautiful.

it has an extra long throat so I can quilt and a walking foor (something my current machine has lacked for the last 3 years ive had it) and it has all kinds of fun stitches and its just beautiful.

I cant wait to try it out, weeeeeee.

ok im delirious and my timer for the first batch of muffins is almost done and i have to find the camera battery and I really dont know how im still functioning much alone typing this.

needless to say, ignore all spelling errors and typos. too tired to bother editing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

T minus 2 days to Turkey day

3 days or so ago-ish my apartment was nearly ready for Thanksgiving company. My kitchen was a disaster but that is always the last thing to get cleaned.


Today? Today it is a disaster. I couldn't find 1 (1!) of my matching napkins that I'm using for Thanksgiving. I have another matched set, but I was gunghoe (sp? gun hoe? whatever) on using that set (its brown with orange and tan stripes, the tan stripes match my tablecloth perfectly, and they just look like thanksgiving) so I had to go in search of it. well I found it, but in the process started sorting clothes to get rid of since we're moving. which turned into sorting clothes for laundry, and then laundry.which actually got folded for a change, but not put away. I have stacks of towels and dish towels in my living room. so I was productive yesterday, you just cant tell

then at like 8:00 last night I decided it was a good time to organize my fabric, because I need to start Christmas presents, and I couldn't get to anything in the hall closet that I actually needed.

well needless to say, I now have fabric and sewing notions all over my hallway.

I'm supposed to have people over in 2 days for dinner, tomorrow Lulu is coming over to help prep. I have class tonight. so I need to get my act together, instead of writing about it I need to get up and do.

regardless of all of this I have almost all of my separate piles for my various Christmas gifts and I'm really excited about what I'm making people. it just needs to go on the back burner for now.

ok, off to fix my disaster of an apartment

the best time of the year

So we're entering my absolute favorite time of year.

Not only do we have the holiday, but my birthday is right around the corner. With the the month of December and part of November comes all the pretty decorations and lights and Christmas wreaths and just general holiday cheer.

Going into it this year I'm really trying to hold onto my holiday cheer. We've been ridiculously poor for the holidays before, so I'm not worried about that. But despite the lack of fundage we've always been able to decorate, even if it just means putting up my nativity scene and angel Jackson bought me the first Christmas we were married.

this year, that cant happen. 6 days before Christmas we have to be out of our apartment. It looks like we will be moving into a room in our church.

And I know that Christmas isn't about the twinkle lights and the tree and the ornaments, but oh how do I love those, they bring great joy to my heart. the memories that come with every ornament, the great smell the tree brings to my whole house. the Christmas music playing as I make my apartment pretty.

This is only a season and if we do move into the church, I wont have one tree Ill have at least 3 and the whole place will be decorated and Ill have a roof over my head and Ill be with my husband. these are the things that matter. I know this. I just really, really like making my apartment pretty.