Christmas Crafting & FUN!

So, my sewing machine has been getting a little workout lately.  Unfortunately I haven't made a ton of progress on my Christmas presents because I took a slight detour to sew a new purse for me!

I made the purse from a little kit from Springs Creative (a company from Rock Hill, SC) that I picked up at a Hancock Fabrics store on Black Friday for about $7.  I actually planned to make it as a gift for someone eventually, but when I started working with the brown and black fabric I decided that it would go with pretty much everything I wear.  So Merry Christmas to me! :)  

We have had so much Christmas fun lately.  My work threw a great Christmas party Friday night and we were able to hang out with a great work friend Starr and her husband Daniel afterwards.  Yesterday, John and I braved the crowds to finish our Christmas shopping -- everything that was to be purchased is now sitting under my tree in the bags from the stores.  We also got our gifts for each other because they required the other person to try them on:  nice new sunglasses for me and shoes for John!  

We have friends coming over tonight so I'm going to hustle to wrap up those gifts!  I'm hoping to get moving on those makeup brush rolls that I'm sewing tonight or tomorrow night.  Happy Christmas crafting to you!

Christmas Crafting

Howdy, friends!  I know, I know.  It's been so long.  It's all my fault.  You know how it goes: life gets busy and the blog just gets...forgotten.  And I'm sooo sorry.  Can we be friends again? 

Okay, great, thanks, because I'm ready to blog again!

My friend Katie has asked people to mention what homemade gifts they are making for Christmas this year, and I've found tons of inspiring ideas from craft bloggers out there.  For example, the family tree that my friend Liz channeled Martha Stewart to make is stunning and I will totally be copying that idea next Christmas!

Well, John and I traveled down to SC for Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled up in one, so many of our Christmas presents have already been exchanged (since my side of the family is much bigger than his) and unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the homemade ones!  Of course, part of that is because my digital camera does not want to work properly right now, so I didn't take any pictures at Thanksgiving/Christmas at all!

I used a cute navy floral fabric to make pillows for my sister-in-law's couch using (roughly) Amy Butler's pillow pattern.  I actually used the pattern from her book, In Stitches, but she has posted a very similar pillow pattern on her website for free here!  The one in her book does not have the hourglass design, so it is just one fabric.  I used a different fabric for the covered button in the middle.  Her patterns and fabrics are so gorgeous that one day I might just have to try one of her quilt designs! 

I also made a knitting needle case from the same two fabrics using a free pattern that I picked up at Joann's a while ago.  It was really fun to make and super easy.  It was pretty much just simple cutting, straight seams, and a lot of ironing.  No fancy stitches, which is good since I don't really know how to use my machine very well yet!  I got it last Christmas but I really haven't used it much until recently.  I'm dreading the day (soon) when my bobbin thread runs out or when I don't want to sew with navy blue thread!

Because that project was fun, I'm making these cute make up brush rolls from Little Big Girl Studio next to give as gifts to John's sister and step-mom.  I got them both a small makeup bag from 31gifts, so I picked out coordinating fabrics last night (on sale!) to make the make up brush rolls to go with them.  I'm not quite ready to transition to fully homemade gifts because I don't have a lot of confidence in my abilities yet!   

When holiday fabrics are on sale after Christmas, I think I'll make some fabric gift bags to use next year (and the years to come).  I know we currently fill several trash bags with wrapping paper, tissue, etc. after gift opening time with my family!  These are some cute ideas I can't wait to try from Lark Crafts and the Green Bag Lady! 

Let's see how much of this list I actually get done...

I'm Still Here!

Sorry I've been so bad about posting lately.  I had to actually get out my planner to see what the heck I've been so busy doing for the last month.  It's honestly quite a blur.

Turns out that mostly I just worked, nothing too exciting.  Since I work at a small college the beginning of a new school year was pretty busy at work!  I did go to Greenville at the end of August to visit my family and see my 1 niece and 5 nephews.  That was fun!  In the past month I've also run/walked a 5K, attended a really fun girls' night party, helped with a fairly elaborate birthday celebration for a co-worker, and hosted our small group from church.  Also, I've started taking an education class -- it's actually only 1 night a week, but it's been fairly time-consuming with the homework, papers, group work, required online forum posting, etc.  It's also the first class that I've ever had that required a full weekend "retreat!"  That's a first!!  Oh, I guess the other things we've had going on were John's first P3 exam block, hanging out with friends a good bit, and finally having our kitchen ceiling replaced after it fell in.  I can't remember if I ever posted pictures, but if not I will soon.

Okay, tonight I seem to be into exclamation points, so that's probably a sign that I'm tired and need to stop posting...

Wooot wooot!

Thankful Thursday came 3 days early this week! My iPad arrived! John has taken my laptop to use for school since his laptop was stolen early this year. We decided that it would make sense to get an iPad for me to use as my main home computer - much less expensive than a whole new Mac. I'm on the computer all day at work so I just wanted to be able to do some light web browsing at home. I can't wait to learn how to use it! Did I mention that John had it loaded with my iTunes and photos when I got home? He had even downloaded iBooks and Pride and Prejudice for me!

How YOU doin'?

I haven't updated the blog in a while, so I thought I'd check in and let y'all know how things are going...

School - John has started back to school, so we're adjusting our schedules to get used to a "school schedule" again.  It's nice this year because it's not a huge change from the summer.  While he had to work crazy retail hours last summer, he was given fairly standard Mon - Fri work hours this summer.  The adjustment for John will be spending his evening hours studying again; the hard part for me is that my evenings will be lonely again because he'll be off studying at school! 

Hobbies - I'm hoping to fill some of that evening time by dabbling in various hobbies.  I really want to take advantage of my evenings and be creative -- I know it's a total luxury to be home between 5 and 6:30 pm and not have kids to watch over, homework, etc!  This summer I've focused on my patio garden and learning a bit about canning.  For the fall I think I'll try to get going on the sewing machine again...

Home - I've made some fun changes around the apartment lately.  I tend to re-decorate and re-arrange whenever I feel like things start to feel...static.  John thinks that's pretty weird.  We moved our little dining room table into the kitchen recently, which has been great.  We use it a lot more in the kitchen -- John will sit and work on homework on his laptop and talk to me while I'm making dinner. :)  This weekend I decided to turn the old dining room into more of a study (his desk, printer, big map, lots of bookshelves, etc.).  We had my desk in there, but it's typically a COMPLETE disaster, so I've instead moved it into our extra bedroom to be more out of sight.  The extra bedroom used to be John's "study" but he doesn't ever use it, so I'm taking over!  I'll have to post some pictures when I'm finished.  Right now our house looks pretty bad because I've been moving furniture from room to room.  John asked me about my "mess" and I said he should instead call it my "project -- a mess with a purpose." 

Church - Oh, I love our church.  We got a new pastor recently and he's really good.  I was skeptical because I liked our old pastor (he's still around, just in a more administrative/director type role) and it's always an adjustment to listen to someone new.  But he's great, so I'm psyched.  I'm also excited about all that we've been learning in our financial group -- it's nice to go through this together so early in our marriage so that we know our priorities are aligned.

Career -  My current job is going well -- it's getting really busy!  Sometimes I still feel "new," but I've actually been at this job for 6 months!  It's not the most exciting job in the whole world, but I really like my co-workers and the work environment.  We were talking with some friends last night about work, and it reminded me once again that I am very lucky to work in a place that respects work-life balance.  As far as any future career plans...today I officially submitted my application for the MLIS (library) program, so keep your fingers crossed for me.  It's a step! 

Philadelphia

John and I returned Sunday night from a great trip to Philadelphia, Bensalem, and Hershey, PA.  We followed his mom up there (she left TN the day before us) to visit his aunt who lives in Bensalem.  His aunt Peggy has had some back trouble lately and we were really excited to just be able to hang out with her and see her.  We flew out of Nashville Friday night and they picked us up at the airport.  We expected to sleep on the floor at Peggy's apartment, but they decided to treat us for our anniversary and put us up in a hotel for our trip and gave us authentic PA chocolates!  That was a great surprise -- especially because our flight had been delayed and we were pretty exhausted.

Mmmm...chocolate pretzels

The next morning we headed up the PA Turnpike to visit my mother-in-law's best friend, Maureen.  They've been best friends since high school!  Maureen and her family (husband + 4 teen-age/college-age sons) hosted us for a lovely relaxed lunch and she showed us around Hershey.  Of course we had to visit Chocolate World! 

Yay...more chocolate

After visiting the free mini-museum and taking the tour/ride that explains to kids how chocolate is made, we hung out at the food court area that has booths selling every type of chocolate product imaginable and tons of non-chocolate Hershey's merchandise.  Unfortunately they no longer give tours of the real manufacturing process.  I didn't feel well from the drive and I'm not as chocolate-loving as my dear husband, so I had a nibble of my free sample and purchased a Christmas ornament instead.

No more for me, please

Hershey, PA (the city itself) really impressed me.  Milton Hershey wanted to provide well for his employees, so he built a model town all around the plant, providing his workers with lovely homes, community pools and recreation centers, schools, etc.  All this in the early 1900s.  Sort of like the SC mill towns, but nice. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hershey had no children so they started a boarding school for orphans or youth from difficult family situations to give them an education and a trade.  It is still open today and it is NICE!  Let me tell you, I'd go there!  The area has beautiful farmland too -- all that chocolate needs milk, and all those cows need corn or other feed, so you see corn fields on every corner.  One other thing I noticed about this area of PA is the lack of chain stores or " 's " restaurants -- most shops are mom and pop establishments, which is refreshing.

The city with Kisses for streetlights

The actual Hershey's plant

I think that's a dorm

After a delicious dinner that evening, we checked out the Penn's Landing, Front Street, and South Street area on foot.  We saw fireworks being shot off on the Jersey side of Penn's Landing!  We also saw several historic landmarks like Christ Church.  We had a great tour guide -- John's mom, Kathy.  She was raised in Philly so she knew the area well and pointed out the great restaurants, etc. 

On Sunday morning we went to Mass with John's aunt, had "authentic" philly cheesesteaks from her favorite diner, and headed off to hit some of the touristy sites: Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, a portrait museum in the old Second US Bank, and the Museum of Modern Art.  We even ran into a historical marker for the American Pharmacists Association.  After a whirlwind tour -- and LOTS of walking -- we were back on a plane to Nashville! 

Big stuff happened here

I'm told these are the "Rocky steps"

I always win in Wii boxing

Awkward tourist picture - take it fast!

Jam & Bread

I've loved reading my friend Liz blog about her canning and pickling adventures this summer, so I thought I'd share my first canning experience. 

I tried strawberry freezer jam this summer and it worked!  I got the recipe from a co-worker.  She's a true TN grandma so I figured her jam was probably fantastic -- and it was!  Here is her simple recipe:

Buy a package of ‘Sur Jel’ not sure of spelling, it would be in the section of ‘canning’ jars I think.
Or possibly in area of jello but more likely in the canning area.
As best I remember, you put certain amount of water with pkg. of sur jel & bring to boil to dissolve.
You mash the strawberries in layers, I think about 2 -3 cups.
Then add LOTS of sugar (maybe 3 or 4 cups) - yes, it’s mostly sugar.
You stir & stir; stir & stir; let set a few minutes,
then add the sur gel mixture & stir; stir & stir; stir some more.
Pour in jars & seal; let sit out over night, then put in freezer.
Just take jar from freezer, spread on biscuits with butter - yummy.
Put remainder back in freezer. It’s ok to have frozen & then re-freeze.

When I picked up the Sure Jell at the store, I opted for the low-sugar variety so I wouldn't have to add the full 3-4 cups of sugar in our jam.  Bev's recipe made it sound so laid back and easy, but the instructions in the package were extreme!  I felt like they were written by evil grandmothers.  Basically, you had to follow them exactly -- no lowering the quantity or sugar content from what was posted, etc.  DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING IN THIS RECIPE OR YOUR JAM WILL BE TERRIBLE.  I'm not a big recipe follower, so it was torture.  I was hoping to add in some mint, fresh herbs, or orange zest but I caved to the printed instructions of the evil grandmothers and just used fresh strawberries and sugar.

In the end, I was shocked that I actually created jam/jelly.  Of course, freezer jam is totally taking the "easy" way and I didn't have to boil the jars and lids and do canning the "real" way......but it was still a new adventure for me!

Next up: trying my sister-in-law's "easy" recipe for bread!

Comforting Quote

A friend posted this quote on Facebook today and I LOVED it and want to share it with you:

"That we may not complain of what is, let us see God's hand in all events;
and, that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God's hands."
--Matthew Henry

I tend to either complain or worry, so that's wisdom (from 1708!) that I needed to hear. 

Would I make a good school librarian?

I'm back. 

I've felt a bit vulnerable knowing that "everyone" (all 3 people that read my blog!) knows just how confused I am, but at the same time it's freeing to admit how far I am from having a plan!  But I did want to re-visit this to show that I am making some progress. 

City Planner
Speech Therapist
Dietitian - Let's face it, I pretty much eat what I want.  I think it would be fascinating to learn so much about food, but if I had that degree I probably wouldn't take my own advice!
Guidance Counselor
Therapist/Counselor - I could see this being something that I come back to later in life.
Teacher - With my undergrad, I would have to certify to teach Social Studies, but apparently that is a subject that is not in demand at all.  I don't want to be doomed to job-searching for the rest of my life.
Librarian

If I could go to school for all of them, I would.  But realistically I'm down to 3 options.  For guidance or speech, I would have to take out student loans. 

John and I have recently started attending a financial group with some people from our church to help us think more about what we're spending, saving, investing, etc., and to learn more about Biblical principles regarding money.  We've been trying to focus on getting a handle on our spending (eating out!) and save towards several goals, including a "new" (used) car for me in the not-too-distant future when my Honda gives out.  One thing that we both hate is the looming shadow of his student loans.  I know student loan debt isn't the end of the world, but being in debt is new for both of us and we don't like it at all.  If I'm going to be in debt, then I want it to be for a mortgage for a cute little house with a real garden! 

So of course this is shaping my decision a little.  I've been giving the Masters in Library and Information Sciences program a good deal of thought recently and I'm pretty hopeful about it.  I'm still gathering information, but I could see this being a good fit for me (if I was to be accepted into the program).  I met with a faculty member of the program and received the application paperwork to look over.  So it's a step! 

I used to want to be a librarian (yes, I have always been a dork) but was dissuaded because of threats of "never having a job" and "no one is going to use libraries in the future."  After research, I no longer believe those comments.  I'm hoping to shadow a friend soon who is a school librarian soon to see what her typical day looks like.  I'm not sold yet...but I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere...

Mull this over with me...

Sorry I've left the blog quiet for a while.  I've had some things on my mind lately, and I was hoping to iron them out before blogging.  I don't seem to be making any progress with my thoughts, so I'll just put it all out here "as is."  No organization, no conclusions.

I had a mini-meltdown Tuesday night.  I don't think my sweet husband knew what hit him! He came home at about 9:30 p.m. and I was fine.  Just hanging out, reading a book.  We were talking after I finished my book, and I literally "burst" into tears.  John was asking me what the book was about and I explained that it was one of those funny "chick lit" books where the heroine just "has it all" (noble career, shopping sprees, perfect house, cocktail parties, baby on the way, etc.).  I'm not sure why I was surprised by the crying -- I've been in a slight funk the last few weeks, and I guess it all came out.  Cathartic...but not fun.

The book itself didn't make me cry [I do understand the difference of fiction and reality!], but it definitely played on some insecurities about where I am right now and what I should be doing.  The gist of it is figuring out what I want to be when I "grow up."

Am I being a poor steward of my time right now? 
Am I not being brave enough...or smart enough...or driven enough for a "real career"? 

I've been thinking about this topic for a while, but it has been really troubling me since my birthday a few weeks ago.  I'm not much closer to having a career or a "plan" than I was on my last birthday.  It's not that I'm worried about getting older; it's more of a concern of wanting to use this time (the years before having kids) as wisely as possible.  

So what DO I want to be when I grow up?  Well I'd like to be a dreamer, an artist, a teacher, a guidance counselor, a nutritionist in my own kitchen, a home librarian, a fort-city planner, a costume-maker, a team snack-taker............basically, a MOM.


Unfortunately, being a mom doesn't pay the bills. So, I'm trying to figure out what I can do -- sometimes I make the mistake of thinking of it as what I should "be" instead of what occupation should I "do"--- that would be flexible toward possible future family demands and yet also incorporate my interests and passions.  The big question is whether I should pursue graduate school. Should I be getting a degree in a "mom-friendly" field that would enable me to leave and re-enter the workforce easily in the event of having children one day? Are ANY jobs mom-friendly?

I've considered many careers over the past few years... 
-a city planner/commerical real estate
OUT.  Due to the economic downturn, every young city planner or architect in this area seems to be out of work.  I'm just not interested in the time it would take to: get my masters, wait for the market to turn around, compete against the currently unemployed individuals who DO have a background and work history in the field and will naturally be the first re-hired when jobs do open up, finally find job at bottom as someone's assistant's assistant's assistant, not be in a good position to be able to leave to have kids and then re-enter workforce. 

-a speech pathologist
Still considering.  Would require several "hard science" pre-req's and then pursuing a masters degree ($$).  Would be able to work with 2 groups I LOVE (kids and the elderly -- I'm not kidding, I love old people!) and would also be able to study language development which interests me.  It's the Latin major coming out in me.  It also interests me because you can go into the school system; I went to Speech Therapy for several years when I was younger in public school.  Bonus: good job market and good earnings.

-a registered dietician
Still considering.  Would also require several "hard science" pre-req's and then pursuing a masters degree ($$).  I've been interested in nutrition/dietetics since high school, especially from a public health point of view.  This interest has increased lately as I've learned more about urban farming, community gardens, etc., and I've thought more about what I'm putting in my body with each bite.  I could see using this degree in a clinical setting (one on one appointments, diabetes education, etc.), a policy manner (school lunch plans, etc.) or in a more creative manner (teaching cooking classes, etc.).  I've also vaguely considered culinary school!  Bonus: as healthcare becomes more preventive-focused, good job market.  Not great earnings compared to how much school it would require for me, but that's okay. 

-a guidance counselor
Still considering.  Would require a masters degree but no pre-req's if any ($$).  I love discussing career ideas and I like school settings, so this has been a career I have considered for a while.  Also, my mother is a guidance counselor and I've always thought that her job seemed so interesting.  Unfortunately she's also recently lost her job due to budget cuts in the school district, so I'm not sure about job stability or possibilities with this career.  Bonus: good schedule for a family.

-a therapist/counselor
Considering.  I would have the potential to receive this degree for free if accepted into the program at the university where I work.  I'm not sure about this degree though.  I could do Marriage and Family Therapy or Clinical Psychology, but with any kind of therapuetic counseling where you are seeking state licensure, you may have to work for years and years under supervision (internship, practicum, clinical hours, etc.) before you ever actually get paid for the counseling you are doing.  You do get to set your own hours typically (if you are doing one on one counseling rather than in an agency).  The job market is good, especially if you want to go into mental health or addiction counseling through state-funded agencies.  Unfortunately I would probably be more inclined to take this degree towards working in a ministry or working with adoptions. 

-a teacher
Considering.  I would have the potential to receive this degree for free if accepted into the program at the university where I work.  I never thought that I wanted to be a teacher but I'm starting to consider it more and more.  I especially think I would prefer to teach younger students -- 5th, 6th, 7th grade -- because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control high schoolers.  But I haven't had a lot of experience working with youth so I'm not sure about this career.  I do think that that teaching (especially in a private, classical, or interdisciplinary setting) enables you to bring a lot of creativity into your job everyday, which I would like.  I'm so sad that my job allows for NO CREATIVITY WHATSOEVER.  Bonus: good family schedule and a field that is open to taking a couple of years off and then re-entering. 

-a librarian 
Considering.  I would have the potential to receive this degree for free if accepted into the program at the university where I work.  It would incorporate my love of reading and academic settings, but it's not the best job market right now and I'm not sure if I'm organized enough or tech-loving enough to enjoy the field or not.  Definitely wouldn't want to be a research librarian -- think more a middle school librarian...peddling healthier fare than Twilight books though...Bonus: good schedule for a family.

This is especially a hard choice because there are so many things I love: language, food, family, relationships, adoption, the elderly, people's stories, books, cities and public transportation, small town main streets, listening, TALKING, discussing other people's plans and dreams, classical education, Latin, reading, homemaking, Romania, current events, travel, to name a few. 

Any comments?  I'm sure that I will post about this topic many more times!  I'm very far from having any answers. 

Another Thursday already?

I can't believe how quickly this week has flown by -- another Thursday??  But I am grateful for this week, even if it did slip away from me too quickly. 
My birthday is Saturday, so John asked me for some hints for what to get me as a gift.  Well, I've already received the wonderful gifts I mentioned here, and I really already have everything I could possibly need.  Of course I joke about wanting an iPad or a new car, but really, I'm grateful for our life together and what we share.  We have a cute apartment in a part of town that I love, we have cars that run, jobs, great families, and much more food than we could (or should) ever need!  Besides, my iPod Classic from 2005 still works anyway!

Another Thankful Thursday!

Today I am thankful for:

1. the BEACH
2. the BREEZE
3. the SEAFOOD
4. the generosity of my FATHER-IN-LAW for making this trip to the beach possible!

As you can tell from my list, John and I are enjoying a short vacation at Orange Beach, Alabama.  We haven't really seen any oil here -- there is a dark sheen on the water very far out (that I assume must be oil), but nothing in the water close to shore.  The only indicators that something is wrong at this beach is the lack of people and the line of boats "protecting" the beach and working on oil recovery efforts that are right along the horizon when you look out at the ocean.

I've never been to this beach before and I really like it.  It is very quiet and calm at the beach and the pool  (especially because it's so empty of tourists right now!), but there is an area about 10 miles away with great restaurants, activities, etc.  We've tacked ourselves on to John's dad's vacation this year.  Bob and Jamie rented a large condo and invited all their kids to come down with them.  It's definitely a full-house, but fun!

John and I are so grateful for a vacation!

Thankful Thursday!

Whew, I'm just squeaking in with this entry -- only a couple more hours before it's finally Friday!

Tonight, I'm thankful for:
1. Pei Wei takeout
2. A night in -- sometimes it's so nice to know that you have nowhere to be, no obligations, etc.
3. Getting to hang out with John (especially since he's worked evenings/nights this week)
4. ESPN (World Cup preview) and HGTV (House Hunters, etc.)
5. New books to read from the library!

What are you thankful for?  Gratitude is contagious, so pass it on!

What a Whirlwind Weekend!

It feels like Monday came too quickly!

John and I both worked full days Friday, then packed the car and headed to Winston-Salem, NC to attend our dear friend Molly's wedding.  It's about an 8 hour trip, so we actually split up the drive and spent Friday night in a small town past Knoxville (Dandridge, maybe?).  On Saturday we finished up the trip and enjoyed Molly's lovely wedding and reception.  It was so fun to celebrate with her -- she was absolutely beaming with happiness!  Just glowing.  It was great!

Sunday we made the trip back, and then had a lazy night at home.  We cooked dinner, did laundry, and had John's friend Jake over to hang out.  John and Jake played video games while I read more about the care and keeping of herbs -- I'm pretty obsessed!  I had so much fun experimenting with herbs in our pasta for dinner (I tried to take a picture but my camera wouldn't work).  I didn't grow up with an herb garden or a vegetable garden (that's next!), but I do remember helping my grandmother, Nanoo, with her garden several seasons.  My "help" was mainly limited to picking weeds and watering, so learning about the life cycle, family/genus, and care of plants is all new to me.  I told Nanoo that I was getting into it and that one day I hope to have a garden and also learn to can and preserve fruits and veggies, and she said that I had "farming in my blood" and that it was the "Huff coming out in me."  Of course, she's a pro -- she raised 5 kids, plenty of veggies, and thousands of chickens on her farm back in the day!  :)  Thumbs up: Nanoo, home gardening, and the way things used to be. 

We were gone last weekend for Memorial Day and then both had very busy work weeks, so it's really nice to be home again.  It kind of feels like we haven't been to church in ages.  June is a busy month for us!  We still have to squeeze in a quick trip to Atlanta to see baseball and a trip to the beach!  It's a lot of driving -- and, unfortunately, a lot of eating quick fast food meals on the road.  :(  Thumbs down:  Modern lifestyle (on the road) with modern fast food.

We don't have a lot going on this week -- so hopefully that means I will finally get some more pictures on here!  

And the challenge is on..

Okay, I haven't wanted to post this on my blog, but I figure that maybe if I do I will hold myself more accountable knowing that it's out in cyberspace for all my "readers" to see (all 3 of you -- thank you!)...

I am trying to lose some weight. 

High blood pressure runs in my family and I didn't realize my BP had been slowly climbing until a recent doctor's appointment.  It was fairly high, but the doc thought it might be a fluke, so I had to go in 1 month later for a follow-up.  A month later it was better, but still high.  So I have to get my weight down to get my BP under control -- because I want it to actually improve, not just be artifically controlled by medicines.  I do NOT want to be put on blood pressure medicine. 

The funny thing is that I've felt perfectly fine and had no idea it was bad.  My doctor kept asking me, "are you tired all the time?  do you have frequent headaches? really, are you sure you don't have headaches?"  Well, no, no, and yes.  I feel great. 

We talked about the foods I eat, and overall I actually generally eat fairly high-quality, nutritious foods.  I just struggle with correct portion sizes and eat too MUCH of these foods.  I've written down everything I've eaten in the past 2 weeks so that I will be more mindful of what I'm putting in my body.  I was doing fairly well until last weekend's trip home to SC -- we had big servings of low country boil (frogmore stew) two nights, and plenty of junk while on the road.  The sad thing is, I do know what I should be eating, I just don't stick with it.  In the past, I even wanted to become a dietician!  Furman didn't offer that degree, so I changed plans, but I took a couple pre-req's, shadowed local dieticians with the hospital system, had a few nutrition appointments myself, etc. 

I've also tried to add more physical activity into each week.  I hate to work out, but I've found some co-workers who will work out with me a few days a week and also another local friend who wants to join me in getting into shape. 

I've enjoyed reading some blogs that talk about healthy food a lot and hopefully I'll work in more of those tips into my own life: sweettater (awesome blog!! and I actually know her a little bit in real life), katheats, healthyteacher, etc. 

So, wish me luck!  I'll try to post how things are going.  My next appointment is at the end of September. 

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it's been another week!  This Thursday I am thankful for...

1.  Feeling at home in Nashville -- I LOVED visiting family, friends, and Redeemer Church in Greenville, but I have to admit that there were a few times that I did actually miss Nashville, our church, and our friends here! 
2.  Our church here, Midtown 12South.  We went to our last homegroup meeting for the summer last night and we will miss getting to hang out with those friends during the summer break!  We officially "join" our church later this month.
3.  New and old friends in Nashville.  We had dinner with some new friends at their home the other night and we're meeting another friend and her boyfriend tonight at Chili's.  We've met some of the most interesting and fun people here!
4.  My early birthday presents:  an awesome potted herb garden from my mother-in-law for my back porch, a new haircut and highlights from my mom&dad, shams to a new quilt from my mom&dad, and the lovely new lightweight quilt itself as a gift to myself!  (happy early birthday to me!)
5.  My friend Molly, who is getting married this weekend!

Thankful Thursdays

I want to copy Becca and start posting weekly "Thankful Thursdays" - just listing a few things I'm thankful for every Thursday.  I've enjoyed reading these lists on her blog and others, and it always reminds me to live my life in constant gratitude.

Also, we've been working through Colossians lately at church and Col. 3: 15-17 jumped out at me.  I'm posting it here from The Message.  I'm not usually a huge Message fan, but lately I've enjoyed reading it as a variation.  It's nice to hear Bible passages that you hear often -- that become almost rote -- in different words.  Makes it sink in differently.

"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

I'm thankful for:
1. My wonderful husband, who made me a peanut butter and honey sandwich foldover this morning as I was running late and trying to get out the door.
2.  The laugh that I had when I realized (in the work parking lot) that somehow I had gotten sticky honey on the arm of my sunglasses and, hence, down the side of my face!  Don't really know how that happened unless I was holding my sunglasses and my foldover in the same hand as I left the house...
3. A job.  I'd be thankful for any work in this economy, but I'm especially thankful to be working with encouraging co-workers.
4. The start of the summer.  I'm so thankful that John's P2 year is finished.  Of course, now he's working 32-40 hour weeks at Walgreens, but that's nothing compared to the hours he put into his spring term.  At least when he leaves the WAG he doesn't have to come home and do tons of studying!  By the way - he would never brag for himself so I'll brag for him -- he made all A's this past semester- the hardest semester he's ever had (20 semester hours of grad classes) and he made all A's!!
5. My family.  I'm going to get to see at least my mom and dad over this Memorial Day weekend and hopefully more relatives.  I have the best family in the world.
6.  A car that works.  My Honda has 224,519 miles on it -- I'm not exaggerating, that is the true and accurate odometer reading -- and ole' Betsy is still going strong *knock on wood*!  Although I do need an oil change so we won't be taking my car to SC this time.
7.  A great local public library!

Finally Friday!

This weekend I am:

Working out today with Starr
 Attending this performance tonight - SO excited!
Working at the sad ole' Swooz
John will be working at the WAG
Cleaning my apartment!
Going to church

Attending this concert Sunday at the Ryman

Hopefully posting a few pic from Aug 2, 2009 - now

What are you doing this weekend?

August 2, 2008 - August 2, 2009 in Pictures

 

Wedding Service

Walking to Reception down Main St.

Lake Lure, NC

John's White Coat Ceremony

Wilson County Fair

Christmas in our apartment

Music City Bowl -- Freezing!!  First time in a pro stadium too.

Chattanooga, TN

Seeing Ashley & Vance at Ben & Carrie Beth's wedding

Sounds game!  (I think we had on hats before we took this shot.)

Greenville, SC

Anniversary -- it took us a whole year to print out any wedding photos!

Even when the rain falls...Even when the flood starts rising....

This is what a flood can do to a home.

I'm sure y'all have all heard of the recent devastating floods in Nashville.  Our county and all of the surrounding counties have been declared federal disaster areas.  I didn't mention anything about the floods in my last post...simply because I didn't know what to say.  Even though I saw the images on TV and donated items to a Red Cross shelter that was set up across the street from us, it still seemed surreal.

John and I were out of town weekend before last, so we didn't experience the 48 hours straight of driving rain -- 15" I believe.  We saw some reports in our hotel in NC that Nashville was getting hit hard and experiencing some flooding, but we had no idea what we would be coming home to.  Our friends were amazing at calling and texting updates of what was going on as we were on the road -- 1 friend lives on our street and we were checking with him to make sure our road would be open.  His response:  "Belmont's ok.  Everywhere else is horrible.  All you can hear is thunder and sirens."  After driving through some INTENSE rains Sunday evening as the storm system moved east out of Nashville, we finally made it home to our apartment -- dry, undamaged, and with power.  If I had not seen the TV footage, I would've thought we were just getting a hard spring thunderstorm.

Despite the Governor and Mayor's pleas for folks to stay home and off the roads on Monday, my job required all staff to come in because it was finals week/graduation week for the students [they gave the students the day off and re-arranged their exams!].  My trek to work was a little scary, but nothing like the images on TV.  At work, I discovered that several co-workers had experienced water damage in their finished basements or some lower rooms in split level homes, but one co-worker, Darla, had lost everything.  Everyone in Nashville probably knows at least 1 person who lost it all or sustained great damage.  

On Tuesday of last week, we went to help a co-worker, Candis, whose lower family room had been ruined.  They had already ripped out the flooring and lower drywall, so we mainly helped by pulling debris out of her yard. 

On Friday of last week, some co-workers and I finally got to go help Darla.  The picture at the top of the page is of her living room.  She and her husband had to evacuate their home Sunday morning, and grabbed only the bare essentials as the water was rising.  Her high school daughter, Abby, was spending the night on a youth group so she had an overnight bag with her.  Darla saved Abby's prom dress and her scrapbook, and then grabbed their family Bibles, some Bible study materials that she has worked through over the past year, and her knitting.  Her husband (a studio musician) was able to save some of his instruments, but had to abandon his keyboard.  Darla, being the sweet soul that she is, immediately went to help her neighbors get out as well.

The theme I've heard from many survivors is: the water came SO FAST.  Her street was rapidly filled with water and her house flooded all the way to it's roofline, and they were not able to get back on their street by car to acess the damage until that Thursday.  Her husband and the headmaster of a nearby school were able to travel in by boat and take the video below.  Darla's house was red brick with a black roof (2nd shot of the video).  So the water moved through or sat in their house for almost 5 days.  The whole home was ruined.   

Amazing, eerie video of their house under water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zADehgc4Q

These shots show us working on Darla's house.  My main job was to cart items to the street as they were removed from the house.  The local government arranged a trash pick-up for flood items, but it had to be divided into 4 piles and placed on the street (debris, appliances, household items, etc.).  It was so sobering to see all the things, all the 'security' that this family had worked for dragged out to the street and put in 4 muddy piles.  Really gives you some perspective on the "stuff" in our lives.  It's humbling to hear these flood survivors say, "it's only stuff."  Would I be like that or am I too tied to my things?

Darla came in to work yesterday and we all went to lunch to hear her relay her experiences.  It has been amazing to hear the stories of people just pouring love over this family and other flood survivors.  I have been so impressed with middle Tennessee overall.  When we were at her house last Friday, volunteers, city employees, policemen, firemen, youth leaders, church members, her high school friends, her former students -- pretty much everyone in Hendersonville-- stopped by to help or drop off food and supplies.  And it sounds like that kind of community involvement is happening everywhere.  People are just coming out of the woodwork to help.

One thing I've been thinking about a lot since this happened is: 

what would I grab if I had 1 minute to get out of my house?  

Lyrics courtesy of Needtobreathe, Photos from Candis Thornton, Starr (perryplayground.blogspot.com), and Jenn (togocup.wordpress.com).

And 475 Days Later....

I've decided to come back to my blog. 

John has been getting on to me about not blogging, and every excuse I have been using is now void.  Hopefully as I explain my excuses and the reasons that they are now worthless, I will also be catching everyone up on some of the things that have been going on for the past year.  Warning:  this will be long.

"Oh, I don't have any time" - well, I (mainly) only work 1 job now.  Whoo-hooo!
If you know me, you may know that in the past 1 year and 9 months that I have been married and living in TN, I have been unemployed and then worked 4 different jobs.  For almost 2 months, I couldn't find a job.  Job searching is very hard for me because I don't have a career "field" or really know what I want to do with the rest of my life.  So, it's hard to narrow down which jobs to research, what to apply for, what to pass over, etc.  It can be completely overwhelming!  It was also terrible timing for job-hunting in the fields I thought I might be interested in.  At first I thought I might want to work in public health/city planning, and that I would try to find an entry level or assistant type job in a real estate office or for a non-profit....right as the recession really hit.  Who was hit first?  Real estate.  Who cut jobs next?  Non-profits and local or city goverments.  So it was back to the drawing board. 
I eventually found the medical marketing job that was mentioned below and we mutually agreed that I would work 3 months as a full-time 'contract' employee before going full-time for real.  Well, after just over 3 months I was ready to move on to something different.  Amazing surgeon, but not the best office environment.  During this time, I had picked up some evening seasonal retail work at a cute gift store named Swoozie's.  I thought Swoozie's probably wouldn't need me after Christmas, so I lined up part-time work at the local YMCA to work during their big season:  New Year's Resolution time.  Somehow, for short time (maybe a month and a half?), I ended up working all 3 jobs: full-time office job in the day, gift store in the evening, and YMCA on weekends.  John and I decided it would be safe for me to quit a full-time job since I had 2 part-time jobs to fall back on, so I took the leap and quit -- exhilarating!  Amazingly, Swoozie's was able to bring me on full-time after that, so I worked full-time there and a couple of mornings a week at the Y.  I liked what I was doing, but that was a fairly hard time to keep in touch with anyone because I was pretty much working at one job or the other mornings/days/nights/weekends/holidays...you name it.  So at one point I did have a fairly valid excuse of no time.  In February of this year I started a new full-time job at a small Christian university.  I have a real, grown-up job again!  Sadly Swoozie's is going out of business, so lately I have been going back to work a few weekends with them as they go through the liquidation process but that won't last for much longer.
 
"Oh, I don't have a computer" - well, that was quite a debacle, but it's solved now. 
Shortly after we moved to TN my laptop died and we started saving up for a new laptop for me.  Well, around last October or November we were finally able to get me a new laptop -- a beautiful Mac!  Unfortunately, on the night of the Super Bowl, John's laptop was stolen out of his car, so he now uses my laptop for school and we attempt to share it in the evenings.  But, since I do sit for hours staring at a computer screen at work now... 

"Oh, I don't know what to say" or "Oh, there's nothing new to talk about" - well, I'm sure I've done or thought SOMETHING worth mentioning in the last 475 days!  But this blog post will be long enough already.

"Oh, maybe we should start a new blog together" - well, we tried that here and discovered that John has no personal interest in blogging, he just wants to encourage me to write my thoughts in my own venue.  Which is another reason I came back to this blog instead of the one we started together.  [Besides, I felt bad about stealing Needtobreathe lyrics.]  This was a blog that I successfully updated for quite a while, and it was a great outlet for me.  Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the routine of updating, and maybe make a few changes - like updating the blogroll (many of those links aren't good right now!) or giving it a blog face-lift.  But I don't think I'll change the name or start a new blog for now.  Even though Glad Oaks is no more, where I'm from is still a big part of who I am. 

So we'll see where this goes!