Coffee shop crazies

Currently I am sitting in a coffee shop enjoying a delicious cup of coffee and people watching. And let me tell you, there are some crazies up in here! Now the coffee is nothing special but the environment is nice enough to get some papers graded.

However I have experienced enough people watching to make myself feel a lot more normal. Allow me to illustrate. The man in the chair next to me sounds like the kid in a wheelchair from Malcolm in the Middle. And he's not shy about joining your conversation. Or about watching videos with the sound on and laughing. Hysterically. Loud hysterical giggles.

Then there's a lady who has a bad back. You might wonder how I know that. That's because she told me. She told the barista. She told Giggles. She even took Giggles's seat because it was softer. But don't worry, he's used to sitting in hard chairs. After all, he has been sitting in one for 12 years. Must be rough.

Then there's recently divorced guy. Again I know this because he told me. I know his kids aren't too happy and that he is trying to begin dating. Between you and me though, I know why he's divorced. After I got settled and started grading he came over and started talking about an article in the New York Times. The article is about a how our bodies are keeping us fat. Apparently if our bodies get used to a certain weight, then if we lose weight our bodies will fight us to get back to that weight. Who says that to a stranger?

Then there's motorcycle man. His helmet is on my table and when he sat down RIGHT NEXT TO ME, he opened with the very cool opening line of,"I'm nosy...what are you reading?" Now he and divorced guy are talking about knives. Perhaps they are southern mobsters.

Then there have been 2 police officers. One of them shook my hand and the other one talked with motorcycle man about knives.

Now this might be a normal day at any given coffee shop but what I am finding it hard to believe that these are the ONLY people who have come in here this afternoon. I am tempted to come back every day to see if this trend continues.

I guess the one thing that I have learned is that I am not the weirdest person in my little town. That's something, I guess.

Christmas Reflections

• This year, my husband I and I spent our 3rd Christmas as a married couple. I can hardly believe it. It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but it has, I checked:) My husband loves Christmas. He LOVES it. He loves giving gifts, decorating, celebrating. He loves everything about it. He is a very thoughtful gift-giver and gets so much joy from giving a great gift. He spoils me. This year, he got me some amazing gifts that I am incredibly thankful for. 
• I was sick on Christmas this year. I don't know who gave me the cooties, but I did not ask for them! Seriously, it was on my list of things I specifically did not want for Christmas. I spent all of Christmas Eve coughing and was so stuffy I couldn't taste Christmas dinner. The food looked amazing though. 
• I am excited to get all of the Christmas stuff put away. I feel disheveled when the decorations are out and the furniture is in a different spot to accommodate the tree. I don't like change, so it will be good to have things back to normal. I am even going to put the mistletoe away this year. It has been hanging in our doorway since last Christmas. 
• We have spent a lot of good quality family time with my inlaws. They are so good to me. God knew what I needed when he gave them to me. I secretly believe that I am their favorite, but that is probably because I took my husband off their hands. 
• I am loving my time off from work. Being a teacher certainly has it's perks, and vacation time is the best. Of course, I still have some work to do, but at least I don't have to teach all day. My time off has given me some much needed me-time. Time to be lazy. Time to read. Time to drink a cup of coffee. Time to be a better wife to my husband. And the best part is that I still have a week left! 
• This year I tried not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. I didn't over-commit myself to lots of parties, too much shopping, or too many self-made deadlines. It really made Christmas enjoyable for me. My husband and I worked hard to plan ahead and shop early for Christmas. The only real shopping we did in the month of December was online shopping and that made for a really happy me. Nothing can steal my holiday spirit like a trip to Wal-mart a few days before Christmas. 
• Now I am looking forward to the new year. I like getting a fresh start. I like to make goals for myself and trying to follow them. I have already begun on my list of resolutions. I don't believe that making a resolution will make me follow it or make me a better person, but it is a good time of goal-setting. Simple goals like flossing my teeth every day, drinking more water, being a better friend, establishing a plan for world peace, solving the U.S. debt crisis, eliminating skinny jeans from the world, formulating a way to keep bad things from happening to good people. You know, the usual. 

I pray you and yours had a very Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! 

Fear not

Have you ever given much thought to the phrase "fear not"? Recently, I have thought about this over and over. While I was teaching the Christmas story to my students this year, I was drawn to the verse where the angels told the shepherds to fear not. Obviously, it was not a normal evening for the shepherds in the field when the angels appeared and announced Jesus's birth. I am sure that the shepherds were afraid and the words "fear not" were of comfort to them that evening.

When things don't happen as planned or expected, fear usually appears. I am not usually one to divulge weaknesses about myself, but fear is a very real thing that I deal with continually. Whether it is something silly, like coming in an empty house while it is dark or checking the bathtub for lizards, I am a big wuss. I have fears that don't even make sense, like a fear of falling and breaking my elbows, or a fear of having my armpits touched. Then I have bigger fears. Getting up in the middle of the night, staying home alone all night, speaking in public, failing. This list could go on and on. I even have unspeakable fears. Fears that I am so afraid of that I can't even speak them aloud, for fear that saying them would make them come true.

I don't want to live my life crippled with fears that keep me from doing all of the things I want to do in my life. So, as I prepare to get my New Year's Resolutions ready, this one tops my list. I am going to face fears this next year. Now I am not going to let people touch my armpits or fall down on purpose to see if my elbows don't break, but I am going to do some things that I have let fear keep me from. So stay tuned, I have some big things to face, and it is my goal to not let fear keep me from doing them all.

Bah Humbug!

I have been accused recently of being a Scrooge, and I can't say that I completely disagree with that title. This year I am having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit. We have our shopping finished. Our tree is up. There are decorations everywhere, but somewhere between watching people stuff cart-fulls of presents into their already full SUVs and hearing tales of people's homes being robbed and having packages stolen from their front porch, I have lost some of the joy of the season.

If you know much about me, you know that Christmas was never a big deal for me growing up. We were poor and we didn't have much at all, so the holiday was never something to get too excited over. We did always read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas morning, and I do love that tradition. Now that I am married to a man who gets as excited about Christmas as Santa himself, I try to enjoy the season as much as possible. I don't need a million presents to make me feel special, but I do love a gift that shows that someone really knows me. My husband is the King of Gift Giving. He is incredibly thoughtful and is an amazing gift giver. He makes Christmas really special.

So now it is my responsibility to get myself out of this Scrooge-like state.  I am going to buckle down, focus on the reason for this festive season, and try my hardest to get in the Christmas spirit! On tonight's agenda, gift wrapping. Complete with hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. Perhaps that will do the trick!

Souper new soup recipe!

Tonight we enjoyed a new soup. It was far better than I thought it would be, and I am pretty sure it will make it into the fall/winter soup rotation. Oh, and it was a crock pot recipe, which makes it even better!

We shall call it creamy chicken enchilada soup. 

What you need:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 big yellow onion
1 green pepper
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn
1 can of enchilada sauce (we used medium heat, I highly recommend it)
1 can of Rotel (just the regular one, tomatoes and chilies)
2 cups of milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
Any kind of shredded cheese
A huge amount of cilantro, for garnish
Salt and Pepper, to taste

What you do:

Dump the beans, corn, and Rotel, chopped onions and chopped green pepper into crock pot. Give it a little stir. Lay the raw chicken breasts on top of this glorious pile of goodness. Pour 1/2 cup of the chicken broth over the chicken.  Then in a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook for about a minute, then add 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and whisk until it is smooth. Let it begin to bubble and then take if off the heat. Slowly add the rest of the milk and the can of enchilada sauce. Once it is well whisked, add it all to the crock pot. Cook it on low for 6-8 hours. After it has cooked, take out the chicken and chop it into teeny pieces and then toss it back in with all the other stuff. I cooked it for about another 45 minutes and the smell was so amazing, we had to eat it!

We topped it with a bit of monterrey jack cheese and loads of cilantro. My husband put some sour cream in his. It was a hit! I highly recommend it. I love a good soup, especially when it is cold outside.

Mmmm! Mmmm!

I was ready to eat, but my husband demanded that I make some cheddar biscuits to go with it. I can't lie, they  were so good. Perhaps I will share this recipe one day:-)

Yum, yum! This was a great meal. A perfect meal for a chilly, cloudy Saturday in.

A month of updates

I cannot believe it has been almost a month since I have updated my blog. This has probably been the busiest month of my life. School is a flurry of activity, my husband and I have both had birthdays, we took a trip, I took a trip, and most importantly, I haven't had a Sunday afternoon nap all month! That is probably the best indicator of a busy month! So, here is a quick recap for those of you who are dying to get caught up on my amazing life (insert appropriate sarcasm here).

• My Birthday Bonanza--my birthday was on the 8th, which just so happened to be the time that the 9 weeks at school ended and the day before our teacher's conference in Pensacola, needless to say, it was a difficult time to have a birthday. But, my AMAZING husband surprised me with tickets to see Wicked in Atlanta on my birthday! I have been dying to see it, but every time I have tried, I couldn't for various reasons. It was just as perfect as I knew it would be. The theater in Atlanta is incredible and the show was the perfect birthday present. We spent the night in Atlanta that evening and raced back the next morning. 

The spectacular Fox Theater in Atlanta

• Quick trip to Pensacola--The moment we got back in town from the birthday trip, I had to change clothes, pack a bag and head to our teacher's conference/convention in Pensacola. We left on Sunday and got back Tuesday evening. It was a good trip. I got some good ideas to use in my classroom and I found some awesome things in their teacher supply store. Unfortunately, when I got back, I realized that I did not have my keys. No car. No way of getting in my house. No spare. Thankfully, my mother-in-law rescued me. 
• Grading, grading, grading--This year has been killer with all of the grading I have. I have a large class. I have great students. I have a TON of grading though. I think I have spent more time grading so far this year than I have in the last 2 years combined. And now we are starting on research papers. 

• Hubby's birthday bash--My husband's birthday is on Halloween. I jokingly call it the devil's birthday:) This year his parents hosted a mystery party at their house. We each arrived in costume and throughout the evening had to try to figure out who was the thief. In between each of the rounds there were some hilarious games and contests. We had a pumpkin carving contest, a dance contest, a rap contest, charades, and a few others. It was SO much fun! I even won a few of the contests! 

Can you believe that this one didn't win? 

• Chuckwagon Festival--This last weekend our church hosted a fall festival. This was a blast! Hubby and I worked at a booth. At our booth, kids would shoot a Nerf gun at a pyramid of cups and knock them down for candy. It was so much fun. I will admit that I shot a lot of kids with the guns. We had a pitch-in dinner and I made a yummy Peruvian soup. It was my first real attempt at it, and it was so delish! I will have to make it again sometime. 

This is really just a small snippet of what has gone on this month, but I can tell you that I am so thankful that it is November. We have a few days off this month, and for that I am extremely thankful. I need a few days to rest and recharge. I need to plan for Thanksgiving, I need to clean my house and finish the laundry and maybe take a quick trip to the grocery store, but for now, I will relax. At least for a few minutes. 

Food Expectations

My husband alleges that I am the pickiest eater in the world. I insist that I just know what I like. I have what I call "food expectations". I know what I want and I know EXACTLY what it should taste like. For example, I made some homemade sausage gravy a few weeks ago, but I used a different brand of sausage. It was terrible, or at least I thought so. I knew what it should have tasted like, and this wasn't it. Now, you might think sounds pretty normal, but this extends to everything I ever eat. Every time I go to a restaurant, I order the same thing. The exact same thing.

I feel like this is pretty normal, but apparently everyone else thinks this is weird. Especially the lady at the Arby's in Atlanta. I ordered my usual sandwich, and my husband ordered something else, and I told him how I always get the same thing, because I know what I like. Well the lady at the counter overheard this, and was shocked! She could not believe that I would only order the same thing every time.

Everything I make at home must be the same as the last time. This means using the same brand of ingredients every time. And using the same pans, spoons, utensils, etc. Which also means obsessively cleaning the kitchen before I cook, but that is another issue altogether.

I am sure this is another manifestation of my OCD. Or just another item in the long list of things that make me so awesome!

New Wall Hanging

If you don't know what Pinterest is, I feel so sorry for you! I love it so much. It is the best of the best of the internet and it has tons and tons of great ideas. I have been drooling over one such idea for months now, and finally today I made it! The best part of this project is that I purchased the parts of it at Hobby Lobby for 50% off! The ampersand was only $5, and the letters were $2 each, so it was only $15 plus the cost of the spray paint.  I feel like it's Christmas! And it was really easy to make, which is good for me, because I don't have much of an attention span and I certainly don't have a lot of time.

The letters and ampersand were gold, so I spray painted them black and red. Then my honey hung them. I really wanted them to go behind our bed, but since the bed is at an angle, it won't look right, so it just hangs on what used to be a very boring wall in our room.

One of the best things about my hubby!

TA DA!! I love the way it looks! 

Weird week!

This week has been incredibly busy, incredibly stressful, and full of unexpected surprises...not all good surprises. I feel like I have had a mountain of work all week. I get to school early, stay late, and still bring things home to work on in the evening. Thankfully, tonight, I left school with no work! What a huge blessing after the week I have had.

To begin, my Monday started off as any other stressful Monday. Busy, busy, busy...not much of which I can even remember.

However, Tuesday is when the excitement began! I was teaching my students to divide with fractions, when suddenly there was a fire drill. I have come a long way since my first year of teaching in regards to my reaction to a fire drill. The first fire drill I ever experienced, I ran out of the school, leaving my students to fend for themselves. This week's fire drill seemed pretty normal until I noticed that the students toward the back of my line were moving around and jumping out of line. I went back there to see what was wrong, and there were fire ants everywhere! This is one of those things that I never experienced back home in Indiana. So, I was trying to get my class under control and brushing ants off of some of them, when suddenly I was viciously attacked by the same ants! They were up my legs almost to my knees before I felt them. By the time we got back to the room, my legs and especially my feet were freckled with bites. That was enough excitement for one day!

Jerks of the insect world! 

Wednesday was full of surprises too! It was picture day, so after getting my hair under control, or as under control as I could, I headed to school in the rain. The rain stopped just in time for us to have prayer at the flag pole. The humidity was incredible though. I could feel my hair growing bigger and bigger. Just in time for us to have our school pictures. I can just imagine how that one is gonna turn out.

Mrs. P-sixth grade teacher

Wednesday afternoon, some of my students were heading to cross country at the other campus, and through a series of circumstances, I got to drive them over in the school's van. On my way back, I nearly hit a squirrel and was a nervous wreck. Little did I know that was the least of my concerns. As I turned to head up the drive toward the school, I saw a stick in the road. A stick that moved. It was a snake! A SNAKE! I still can't think about it without shuddering! It raised its head when it saw me coming toward it. And I drove right over it! Hopefully I killed it, but I didn't see it there when I left that day. I was so afraid to get out of the van. I just knew it was hanging on to the wheel to jump on me when I got out. So, I got all my stuff together and jumped out of the van, as far as I could away from it! I am so thankful no one was there to watch me look so crazy!

I almost can't look at this picture! I still have the heebie-jeebies!  I also don't know if this is the type of snake it was, but it looked kind of like it. 

This has been my first encounter with a snake in my life. I have never seen one outside of the zoo. This is also my first experience with the fire ants. I hope I am done for the week with my random encounters with nature. So help me, if I get attacked by a rabid raccoon this week, I am going to be furious!

Finding a balance

We are about 7 weeks into the new school year, and I am really struggling to find a balance between being a good wife and a good teacher. I feel like when I am doing great things at school, my home life is a mess. The opposite is also true. I try to remind myself that God will not give me more than I can handle, but that doesn't always give me the comfort that I need.

I love what I do. I love teaching. I honestly feel that I am called to be a teacher. Really, what other job can you play games, talk about bugs, and do art projects all day? Ok, I do a bit more than that. I love the challenge of teaching. I love watching a student understand something for the first time. I love getting to celebrate small victories with my students, like finally understanding how to change a mixed number to an improper fraction. I love that every day in the classroom is an adventure. There are no two days the same.

I also love being a wife. I love my husband and I love to cook dinner for him and clean the house and do the laundry and all those other chores. (let me clarify...I love doing those chores for him...I don't actually love cleaning) I love having time to spend with my husband in the evenings and on weekends. We love a quiet night in or a date night out.

My problem is that I want to be perfect at both things. I want to be the perfect wife and the perfect teacher. Deep down, I know this isn't possible, but I am trying. And usually failing at one or the other. The other day, I had a small meltdown because we didn't have any groceries. I couldn't even imagine finding a time to get to the store to get the groceries. I felt like a terrible wife. Especially when the only decent thing I have made for my husband for dinner this week came out of a take-out bag.

When I feel like I am being successful in taking care of my husband and home, I feel like I am a terrible teacher. I want to do more in the classroom than I actually do. I want to have extra activities and I want them to look effortless.

I know that this year will fall into place soon. I know that. And perhaps the whole point of this blog is to help myself realize that. Every year, I feel overwhelmed, and every year I get on track, and everything eventually straightens itself out. But until that happens, I am going to keep trying to master the balancing act I have going on, all why trying to look like I am not completely crazy.

Where were you?

As the 10th anniversary of the September attacks rolls around this weekend, I am at a loss for words. I teach a class of 11 and 12 year old students who only know what they have been taught about it. They have no memory of that event, and yet to me it is still a very vivid memory. This must be how my parents felt about the JFK shooting, or my grandparents felt about the bombing at Pearl Harbor. They remembered vividly, but to me, these events were just something from my history books.

Until September 11, 2001. Then, I knew how they must have felt to be experiencing a tragedy that affected everyone. A day so horrific that my mere account of it cannot clearly express to my students the reality of that day. They will learn it as a fact in their history book, while I remember the emotion and grief and confusion.

I was a senior in college and running late to my algebra class. I remember running to the dean's office to drop something off, and the dean of men put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Have you heard? An airplane crashed into one of the World Trade towers and a few minutes later another plane crashed into the second." That small insight into the day's events will stay with me forever. I remember heading into class and no one knew yet. I told the girls that I sat with and by the time the class was over, it seemed that everyone on campus knew. We went back to the dorms and looked at video online. Then we headed over for chapel and we watched it on the TVs at the gym.

I still remember the next day, when George Bush addressed the nation, I was at Pizza Hut. Everyone stopped talking and stood up while he spoke. The restaurant was silent as he vowed to seek those who had committed such a horrible act. I can still remember how it felt to look around at all those people and feel a sense of closeness to them, even though we were all strangers. But our shared experience had given us a sense of unity. I remember how touched I was when Congress began to sing "God Bless America".

Looking back, my memory is still so vivid. I can recall the pictures I saw, the articles I read, the stories I was told.

Where were you?

Broccoli Salad

I love a good cook out, or a barbeque as some call it. I have always enjoyed going to these functions and preparing dishes for them. However, the food sometimes becomes a bit mundane. Burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, deviled eggs, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, and the usual dessert. Recently, while feeling too lazy to make potato salad, I thought that broccoli salad would be the perfect dish to take to a dinner. I scoured the internet for good ideas and after combining and tweaking, this is what I have come up with. And it was aMaZiNg!

Here's what you need:

2 bunches of broccoli
1 container of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 red onion
8 oz. cheddar cheese
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 pound cooked (crispy) bacon
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
black pepper

Here's what you do:

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces and cut the tomatoes in half. Put in a large serving bowl.

Then slice the onion into slivers and chop the bacon. Add those on top of the broccoli and tomato.

Next, add the golden raisins and the sunflower seeds.

Then take the block of cheese and cut it into very small cubes. You could probably use shredded cheese for this, but I love the way the little squares of cheese look in the salad.

Then mix all of these ingredients together.

Next, assemble the dressing. In a separate bowl, combine the mayo (you can substitute plain yogurt for the up to 1/2 the mayo if you want to cut the calories a bit) sugar, vinegar, and black pepper. Mix it well and then pour on top of the salad.

Finally, mix it all together!

This is really good if eaten immediately and it tastes even better the second day. Ours has never made it to the 3rd day, so I don't know how well it will keep beyond that.

Seriously!

I totally overuse the word seriously. Seriously! I seriously use it all the time. But, seriously, sometimes it is necessary. Recently, I have been mulling this word over in my head as it relates to a multitude of situations. See for yourself :-)

• While listening to the weather forecast each morning, I realize that the weatherman gets paid to say the same thing every day. "Today's forecast, highs in the 90's, with the heat index in the 'danger zone', chance of showers." Seriously! Every day, he says the same thing. And gets paid for it. 
• And on another related weather note, why don't the weather forecasters make use of the phrase "partly moony". Always "partly cloudy" or "partly sunny" but never, ever "partly moony". Seriously, weatherman? 
• And now a SERIOUSLY?!?! Does every picture on Facebook have to be a girl who is doing the following pose? 

Special thanks to our good friend for this one! 

Seriously, girls? This is what you want to look like? You realize that in 5 years, you will look back at these and be so embarrassed that ALL of your photos look like this. I mean, seriously, you want me to believe that this is just a natural pose? 

• And another seriously! As if this pose weren't enough, why do you insist on taking a picture of yourself in a mirror? I don't want to see your camera, or worse, your cell phone in your picture. Follow along closely here. Stand in front of the mirror, but turn your phone around. Now use your mirror to look into the screen of your phone or camera, and smile (don't smirk or pout). Then snap that bad daddy and behold! No tacky photo of your phone! Seriously! This isn't rocket science! 
• Seriously, I have said this one before, but it bears repeating. Grammar is our friend. Your is not interchangeable with you're. Effect does not mean the same as affect. And then does not mean than. They're going over there to their tent. See that? That is how these words are to be used. Seriously,  grammar!

See that? Seriously, seriously can be worked into a number of topics. I love it. No, seriously, I do:-)

First Two Weeks of School Re-cap

Seriously, we have been in school for 2 whole weeks. Already. Here are the blur of thoughts rolling around in my brain after these crazy weeks.

• Am I always this tired after school? My husband assured me that I am, but heading to bed at 8:30 seems like crazy talk. 
• My voice is a mess! It is so hard to get used to talking all day again after the summer off. 
• I have a larger class than normal this year and the piles of papers to grade are already making it clear just how much larger. 
• My tootsies are sore! Standing and walking all day is an adjustment after the summer. 
• I have a great class. Honestly. Good students who want to do what is right (most of the time) PLUS they still want their parents and teacher to be proud of them. What a blessing to have good students. 
• I am really thankful that I like the people I work with. I couldn't imagine working in an environment where I didn't get along with my coworkers. 
• I have a 25 minute break during the morning this year. I love it! I can actually get some grading accomplished during the day. 
• The beach theme in my classroom is making me long for sand between my toes and the sound of waves crashing against the beach. 
• I have hilarious students. One of them asked me if I had ever eaten a Krispy Kreme donut. When I told him yes, he said, "It's like eating a baby angel" Seriously? Where do they come up with stuff like that? 
• My classroom is next to the K4 classes. Almost every morning, we hear a little one who is crying because they don't want their mom or dad to leave. It makes me incredibly thankful for sixth graders. 
• I didn't have time to shop for a first day of school outfit this year, but my hubby did take me out to get some new things last weekend. So I had some great 5th, 6th, and 7th day of school clothes:) 
• For some reason, my house is messier than usual. 
• I feel like I am super-wife if my husband has a hot meal when he comes home. (even if it is take-out)

This is a much busier year than usual for me, but I am really excited about the challenges that are ahead for me and my students. I feel like I have more to do than ever, and at times I feel like I am not going to be able to keep up. I am so incredibly thankful that God does not require me to do more than I am able to do. I know that if He thinks I can handle all of this, then He will also give me the strength to get through it. 

Forgetfulness

Every year when school is getting ready to start, I feel like I  turn into an Alzheimer's patient. I get my mind going in a thousand crazy ways and I forget the normal day to day things. Like today, my mind is racing...gotta sort those papers, I wonder what is on those 22 new science worksheets, I need to find mini surfboard cutouts, or maybe palm trees, or hibiscus flowers, or flip flops, or something beach-y, why do I laminate when I hate to cut it out? why am I so afraid of heights that I can't stand on a chair in my classroom? Why don't I keep a list of things to do at the beginning of the year so I don't forget everything? I should make one and laminate it and keep it from year to year....but then I'd have to cut it out...You get the point. A million things are rolling around in my head. And they have time limits. School will start whether or not I finish everything.

So, when I am doing the mundane everyday things, I seem like a total crazy person. I just went to the store to pick up things for the weekend and if you were to see me there, you would be ashamed to know me.

I was going to get my hubby some diet citrus green tea. It's on sale for $4. Not bad, so I loaded it in my cart, and then decided that he doesn't need it, since $4 now seemed like an outrageous price. I went and put it back. I did contemplate abandoning the tea in the toilet paper aisle, but I thought that if another teacher came along who is suffering from the same bout of crazy that I am, that they might pick it up absently, and thinking it is TP, receive quite the surprise in the bathroom later. So I took it back to its home.

Then at the check out, I was obsessing over a gum purchase and didn't realize the lady was ready to start ringing up the groceries that weren't even on the conveyor belt yet. Needless to say, the people behind me were less than thrilled. Then I gave her my discount card and grabbed my wallet to pay, but there was no debit card in there. Now for the frantic digging. I was searching and searching and fighting the urge to tell everyone, "Yes, I really do have some money, I just can't find it" but I quietly looked instead. I gave a big sigh of relief upon finding it, paid for my groceries and promptly left my entire wallet (which now contained my debit card) on the counter. The cashier waved it at me and I went to get it and began to head to my car. Too bad I had lost my keys by this time. You guessed it. They were on the counter as well, but well camouflaged, so when I came back I could feel either pity, sympathy, or just plain disgust from all the people around the counter. I couldn't tell exactly. I grabbed my keys, trying not to make eye contact.

I got my stuff, loaded my car, headed home, where I sit now still in the teacher haze.  I can't be the only one who suffers from this! A support group may be necessary, although we may not all be able to find our way there, or remember where to meet, or when to meet, or why we are there. Perhaps I must just suffer silently.

Or maybe, the sign of a good school year is relative to the amount of crazy the teacher possesses prior to the beginning of the year. If that is the case, then prepare for the best year ever!!

Dipping Oil

If you have ever been to Carrabba's, then you have experienced that magical concoction of spice and oil that you dip bread into. My husband and I love that stuff so much. I honestly could make a meal out of it. I shouldn't, but I really could.  Because we liked it so much, I tried to come up with something that tasted just like it, but that we could enjoy at home. First, I went blindly to my spice cabinet and grabbed any spice that seemed Italian. I added oil and dipped the bread, and it was mediocre at best. Then, I scoured the internet. I found hundreds of recipes for this. One of them caught my eye so we tried it that night. It still wasn't perfect so the next time, I left out the rosemary and it was PeRfEcTiOn! It has become one of our favorite things. It is a good addition to anything Italian as well as other meals. I have served it with steak and grilled chicken.  

Here is my variation of the recipe. 

salt

pepper

red pepper (definitely adds some spice, so use a small amount if you are not feeling adventurous)

dried basil

dried parsley

dried oregano

garlic powder

fresh garlic (or jarlic, as I call it when I am too lazy to cut garlic and use the pre-minced garlic in a jar)

(I remember this recipe by saying salt, pepper, pepper, 3 green, 2 garlic)

Use equal parts of all these herbs and spices. For me and the husband, I usually do a 1/2 teaspoon of each. I double it if we have company. I also usually put a little extra of the fresh garlic in it. We love garlic in this house. Anyway, I mix the dry ingredients together with my measuring spoon, then add the fresh garlic and mix again. Then when it is time to eat, I will either divide it into small dipping bowls or leave it in the shallow bowl that I mixed it in and add the olive oil. I serve it with toasted french bread. Use any olive oil that you like, soon you will find a favorite. Our favorite is from World Market. It is fairly inexpensive, but has a rich taste. 

This is so yummy! Now I think I may want to have it for lunch:-)

Summer Projects

I love having the entire summer off from work. It is a time for relaxation above all, but like any good woman, I have filled my summer with some small projects, and some not so small ones. I feel like I have accomplished so much this summer, but I still have a thing or two left on the ole to-do list. 

First I made this: 

It really is straight:) I just can't take a picture very well. 

This hangs above our TV. I found the idea online and then went to my local Hobby Lobby for the supplies. It was pretty simple and I finished it in one afternoon. Here is the quick version of how I did this. I purchased 3 pieces of Styrofoam. They were 12"x36" and my brother cut them into 12"x12" squares. Then I put some spray adhesive on each and then put a piece of scrapbook paper on them. Scrapbook paper is already 12"x12" so there was no trimming. Then I used tacky glue to glue a ribbon along the edges of the Styrofoam. It gives them the illusion of being framed. I used picture hangers to hang them, which are really easy to attach to the Styrofoam, no hammer needed. I did put a little tacky glue on the nails just for some peace of mind. After it was dry, I decided how I wanted them hung, and my husband hung them up. I like the mix of patterns and if I get tired of them in a few years I can change the scrapbook paper. Plus it is large and fills the space perfectly. 

My next project was something I also saw online. It was super easy as well. 

Dry erase board

This was the easiest ever and it looks lovely hanging on our fridge. I found a frame this week at Hobby Lobby for $5. It was 12"x12" (which is scrapbook paper size!) I took a piece of leftover scrapbook paper from the living room project and framed it, used a pretty ribbon to hang it from 2 picture hangers (also left over from the other project). I tied the ribbon and then hung it from a magnetic wreath hook that I found at Michaels. I just love this new board. It is so cute. Plus it is functional which is important for me as well. 

I also wanted to find some perfect things to go on top of our DVD shelves. I did have a grouping of pictures  hanging above them, and some things resting on top, but it was just too busy for me. So, again it was off to Hobby Lobby. They were having some great sales, so I got some of these items for 50% off, which makes me feel better since I hate to spend money. 

makes me happy:) 

From left to right, here is the rundown. The clock is something that I have had for years. I found it at World Market. Then the two little red candle holders are from Michaels. They were only a dollar! What a deal! The "Happy" sign was my splurge. It was $12 and it wasn't on sale, but I loved it and it came in the perfect shade of red. The framed "P" was from Hobby Lobby as well and it was 50% off. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of colored glass as well and I found the red vase there and it was the perfect height. And the "flowers" that are in the vase are so ridiculous, but I love them! They are black and white feathers glued to foam balls. Then the big black candle holder is also something I have had for years. It's from Pier 1. I love the way this looks now! 

This summer I have also finished 3 classes for my Master's degree.  That is way more than I thought I was capable of. I am so thankful to have them out of the way. I have one more that I would love to finish before school starts. If I can do that, then all I have left is my thesis! 

Hooray for projects completed! Hooray for saving money! Hooray for finding things I love! Hooray for a husband who lets me decorate! Hooray for summer! 

A modest proposal for modesty

I bought my first pair of shorts about two weeks ago. First in a long time, not ever. I cannot remember the last pair of shorts that I bought with the purpose of wearing them in public. I grew up in a house where I didn't wear shorts that often. Pants were ok, but shorts, no. What was the answer then to the no-shorts rule? Culottes.

Long, past the knee, very full and skirt-like. I can remember wearing these all the time. To camp, to youth activities  and anything else where I would be running or playing a sport. And to school. I also remember sneaking shorts under them and taking the culottes off when I was out of my mom's sight. (don't tell!)

The introduction of capris pretty much was a life changer! They were long and modest, could be worn in the summer, and weren't so full and skirt-like. As I got older, I tended to wear capris or a skirt. And now, after 6 years of Bible college and 8 years of teaching in a Christian school, I tend to mostly wear skirts. I have lots and lots of them. The dressy ones, the ones good for teaching, the casual ones, etc. 

Growing up, I was very aware of modesty. My mom would constantly remind me that some girls grow up to be women, but some will grow up to be ladies. That statement was usually followed by, "Now brush your hair" or "Now cross your legs". But to me, modesty has always been a part of my life. Keeping myself covered was important. But, somewhere in the rest of the world, modesty has become a lost art. 

Now it is impossible to go out in public without seeing people, men and women, dressed immodestly. Whether it is men with their underoos hanging out because their pants are sagging to their knees, or women who are baring too much skin or leaving nothing to the imagination by wearing things that are too tight, immodesty has become the norm in American society. How sad. And even sadder still, when this obsession of being trendy to the point of allowing oneself to be immodest has slipped into our churches. I'm not one to get up on my soap box very often, but this one really baffles me. I don't want to have to worry about what my husband is seeing on people in church. There, I'm stepping off my soap box now. 

When I grow up, I would love to open a store. I would name it The Modesty Shoppe. It will contain so many wonderful and beautiful, and even, dare I say, trendy items, but they will all be modest. The skirts will be longer, the necklines will be higher, and there will be enough material in the clothing so that something is left to the imagination. You will be able to come to my shop and purchase a shirt that you don't have to wear a tank top under. And it will be super cute. The skirts will be long enough to not have to worry about them being too short when you sit. And I will sell slips. You know, those things you wear under a skirt or dress to keep them from being see-through. There will be pants that are not skin tight. And shorts, modest and comfy. Sounds like a great store, doesn't it? It's every modest girl's dream store!

Now, about those shorts I bought. I wore them 2 or 3 times and Saturday night, I ripped them when I was getting in the car. Totally ripped them. Guess I will have to pull out some capris to wear today. Or maybe I will go buy some new shorts. 

word.

A love note to Wickles

Dear Wickles Pickles,

When I first met you, I knew my life would change. I still remember the first time. The way you crunched in my mouth with that salty sweetness and sourness that only sugar mixed with vinegar can give. Then, I remember when I realized just why you are called a wickle. You bad, bad cucumber. You have been dancing around with some hot peppers, cause I could taste them on you. And I loved it.

Now every time I see you on the store shelves, I can't resist you. And when I bring you home, I just want to rip off your lid and crunch into that amazing flavor again. Good thing you are so low in calories. I have had about 10 this morning, and it's only 9:30.

I love you so much that I wrote you a poem:

My sweet little pickle,
My wicked little Wickle,
You are so sour,
I could eat the contents of your jar in an hour,
I'd like to try you on a sandwich,
I'd eat you right out of a ditch,
I like your sweet spice,
It is so nice,
I love you sweet pickle,
My wicked little Wickle.

Love,
Jill

P.S. The manufacturer of this product has not paid me for such an awesome review of their awesome pickles. I just love them. However, if they wish to contact me and send me some for free, that would be even more awesome. I just might write a song for them...and choreograph a little dance number.

Super Anniversary Weekend

This weekend, my husband and I were so blessed to spend time celebrating our 2nd anniversary. In so many ways, I can't believe it's been 2 years already, and yet in so many other ways, it seems like it's been longer. I am so thankful that I have a good husband, who loves me, who takes care of me, who puts up with me, and who loves to spend time with me.

He took off Friday and Monday, and we have had 4 days together. We thought about heading to the beach, but since the weather didn't look that great we stayed home. We made only one plan over the weekend and that was to make no plans, it was the no-plan plan. It has been incredible. We slept late, went out to eat a lot, stayed in and watched shows and movies, went to see a movie, played games, shopped, and talked a lot. We love to take a trip down memory lane and remember what we were doing on the days leading up to the wedding. We talked about every detail of our dating relationship, and talked about plans for the future. We sat up late on Saturday simply talking about how much we loved each other. Mushy, I know, but it sure was good to spend some time with the man of my dreams. Now, before you try to take my man's man card for the mushy talk, just know that he spent the morning doing jobs around the house with some power tools. And that is one more reason I love this man so much. He spent a part of this long weekend helping me do things around the house that get overlooked when we are both busy.

Here are some of my favorite memories of my wedding, as seen by some of our guests:

That's my pastor in the front, giving the blessing over our ceremony , and  my associate pastor (who was my youth pastor) behind him. And that's us on the top of the stairs. This is my favorite picture of the whole wedding. Thanks, Susan for keeping your eyes open during the prayer and capturing this!

These are the girls that got me through the day. My BFF Karen is at the top, Anna in the middle, and Angela is the one wiping the tears at the bottom. Then there is my sweet niece Deanna at the bottom. They look so amazing! 

The Kiss! and I love that you can see Mr. Salazar, who performed our wedding, looking up at us. I was super nervous about the kiss! As soon as we stopped locking lips, Mr. Salazar announced that we were man and wife and my good friend Jen sang "At Last" as we exited the sanctuary. It was a perfect moment.

I do apologize for the blurriness of this one, but I love it so much. This was when we stepped into the reception and they announced us as Mr. and Mrs. I love how happy we both look. Thanks, Jen for getting this picture! 

I am so grateful to have spent these last two years as the wife of my amazing husband. I would love to say that they have been perfect, but they haven't. We have endured some rough times, but we have grown as a result of the rough times. Plus, the good far outweighs the bad, so for that I am extremely thankful. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us.

Independence week recap

This has been a super busy week. Clearly, blogging hasn't been my top priority. Last Thursday, my brother arrived for a long weekend. I am so glad he got to come since I don't see him very often. We made fajitas on Friday night and then we had a nice evening hanging out and talking. Then on Saturday, my BFF Karen arrived for the weekend as well. We hung out at my in-laws pool on Saturday night and then headed home for some rest and church on Sunday. After church on Sunday, we came home and made some food to take over to the in-laws for the big shindig. My brother made some amazing hot rice and I made a flag cake and chocolate covered strawberries and some green pepper salad and an aMaZiNg broccoli salad. Then we spent the afternoon in the pool with all the family and lots of friends. When it was finally dark, we watched some fireworks. My brother had to leave on Monday morning, so my husband and Karen and I headed back to the pool for some sunshine. Tuesday, the hubs had to go back to work, so Karen and I spent the day relaxing and watching movies and then Wednesday we shopped a bit before she had to go home.

Thursday, the husband had to go to work and I spent the day cleaning and researching a bit. I use the term researching loosely, because the moment I started to research, I fell asleep. When my husband got home,  his long weekend began. We are celebrating our anniversary this weekend and our only plan is to have no plan. We are going to do what we want to do, whenever we want. So far, it has been amazing. I am so glad we have 3 more days of this:)

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

Like everyone else, I like to save a little money. A little over a year ago, I started making homemade laundry soap and it has saved us so much money. Because the laundry soap was a success, I wanted to branch out and try other money-saving ideas. After some research, I decided to try dishwasher soap. I found a great recipe online and after a trip to the local Wal-mart for supplies, I was ready to go.

What you need:

1 box of Borax

1 box washing soda (Arm and Hammer, yellow box, NOT baking soda)

3 cups Epsom Salt

24 packs of no sugar added lemon drink powder

BIG container to hold it all

Washing soda and Borax were in the laundry aisle, Epsom salt  was in the first aid section.

This was in the kitchen section, cost about 5 bucks. 

What you do:

In a VERY large bowl mix together all ingredients. I added a little of each at a time and stirred with a wooden spoon. Once it is mixed, transfer it all to the storage container. Use 1 tablespoon per load. 

My mixing bowl. Ironically it is too large to fit in the dishwasher. 

Ta Da! Soap! 

From start to finish, this only took about 10 minutes. Most of that time was spent on opening all those packs of drink powder. 

And here is the math. 

Borax-$2.98

Washing Soda-$2.77

Epsom Salt-$2.86 (plus there is enough from this bag for the next batch)

Lemonade powder-12 cents a pack-$2.88

Total=$11.49 per batch 

This made about 19 cups of soap so at 1 tablespoon per wash, that's 152 loads of dishes. It comes down to 7-8 cents per load. I compared with the brand I usually buy (a generic brand). It was 20-25 cents per load, so the savings here is pretty exciting. I also like that it makes so much, so I won't have to buy it that often. 

I just washed my first load of dishes with this and they came out really clean. 151 loads to go! I did read several different accounts that suggested to add some white vinegar as a rinse aid. Apparently this keeps the spotties away. 

What is your favorite money-saving idea? I am looking for more things to try! 

Tips for the single lady (or single guy) and a great bbq rib recipe

So as my hubby and I sat down for an extremely messy dinner last night, we began a very funny conversation. Sadly, this is not the first time we have talked about this subject. We were eating ribs and corn on the cob and a lovely salad for dinner, and while I was up to my elbows in barbecue sauce, we talked about things not to eat on a first date. Let's face it, some foods you need to be alone or with someone you love to fully enjoy. A new guy or girl may not appreciate seeing you slurp messy foods down your gullet.  Dining with a new person is not the place to eat certain foods. So here is a list of what NOT to eat on a first date. Trust me, you will thank me later.

1. Corn on the cob
2. Spaghetti (or any other type of long pasta)
3. Ribs of any kind
4. Fried chicken
5.  Tacos

I am sure this list can go on and on. Some foods, like the rib recipe below, are something that you must wait to share with that special someone. If you eat it too soon in a relationship, they will run from your sauce covered hands and face. You must wait until just the right moment. In my case, it was well after I married my husband. 

Ribs are a great summer food, but I don't grill outdoors. Even if we had a grill, I wouldn't. It's way too hot and I am afraid of lizards and snakes. This recipe is an indoor rib recipe, but it can be finished on the grill if you are more adventurous than me. 

What you need:

1 Slab ribs

1 can of Coke

Holy Trinity (Seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic)

Chili powder

Crushed red pepper

BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's original sauce)

What you do:

First cut the ribs into manageable pieces, about 3 ribs to a piece. Then sprinkle them with the spices. Once they are seasoned, rub the spices into the meat. Add your can of Coke to the crock pot and then place your ribs into the pot as well. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Once the ribs have cooked for a good long time, carefully remove them from the crock pot and put them on a plate. This is where you can decide to finish them on the grill if you would like, or if you are a chicken like me, you will finish them indoors. If you are going outside, be sure your grill is hot. Add some BBQ sauce to the ribs and finish them on the grill. Be careful though, they are super tender and will fall apart, so don't turn them over too much. If you are finishing them inside, dump out the juices in the bottom of the crock pot, add sauce to ribs, and put them back in the crock pot. Leave it on low for about 30 minutes to an hour and then taste and be amazed. 

These ribs will practically melt in your mouth. Ours were falling off the bone and were extremely messy and wonderful! Serve with corn on the cob if you are feeling like being extra messy. You'll be glad you are with someone you love. 

A crazy person's guide to making dinner, starring me:)

Last night, while browsing Pinterest (Thanks Anna, you have me HOOKED!), I received the usual text from my husband saying that he would be home in 30 minutes. Since he has a long commute, this text is essential for dinner preparation. We were having an easy supper last night, salad with lots of yummy veggies and grilled chicken.

As soon as I got the text from him, I jumped into action. If I don't, he will know that I have been a slacker all day. So these are my steps to making a fine dinner last evening.

1. Empty dishwasher
2. Fill dishwasher with dishes that I have been avoiding. 
3. Dump goo from sinks into trashcan. 
4. While at trashcan, notice that I forgot to make the bed. 
5. Make bed. 
6. While making bed, see shoes on floor. 
7. Put shoes in closet. 
8. Finish making bed. 
9. See hair bands on dresser. 
10. Return hair bands to bathroom. 
11. Return to kitchen. 
12. Empty old breakfast coffee. 
13. Get new coffee ready for tomorrow. 
14. Check time. 15 minutes till hubby arrives. 
15. Assemble all veggies. 
16. Find old cantaloupe. 
17. Hurl old cantaloupe into trash. 
18. Look for chicken. 
19. Begin cutting veggies. 
20. Open trashcan. 
21. Throw trash from veggie area to trashcan from across the room. 
22. Pause for a little dance when I got 5 in a row in the can. 
23. Pick up pieces that I missed from floor. 
24. Wipe tomato goo off floor. 
25. Wash hands. 
26. Remember that the chicken must be cooked. 
27. Begin grilling chicken. 
28. Frantically begin assembling salads. Husband 3 minutes away. 
29. Pull chicken off grill and then put back on. Still pink. 
30. Finish salads. 
31. Find salad dressing. 
32. Check chicken. 
33. Remove chicken from grill as husband enters house. 
34. Survey kitchen for signs of insanity. 
35. Greet husband calmly. It is important to remember to act naturally here. 
36.  Act as though I have been working effortlessly. 
37. Enjoy a quiet dinner with husband. 
38. Explain to husband why making salad is so tiring. 

There you have it. These are the actual steps I used last evening. Feel free to give them a try:) 

Produce Ponderings

I tend to do some real thinking while at the produce stand. Not deep thinking, mind you, but thinking. I was shopping for some fresh fruits and veggies and I began to ponder some questions. Here is a sampling of what I remember.

• Asparagus:Am I the only person who thinks about the song from an episode of Alf every time I see or say asparagus? "Asparagus, Asparagus, help put us on your table, Asparagus, Asparagus, something, something, Aunt Mabel". (You can see that amazing song here. The awesomeness appears around the 3 minute mark.) 
• Onions: Do people really need onions the size of their head? I can't think of anything that I cook that would require onions any larger than my fist. 
• Old bananas: Is it just me, or is getting old, freckly bananas for 10 cents a pound really exciting? Think of the possibilities: banana bread and...ok, that's all I have, but banana bread is exciting, right? 
• Corn on the cob:Why are they 3 for a dollar? Do most families have just 3 people in them? Or multiples of 3? Mark those suckers 33 cents each. I don't want to feel pressured to buy 3 ears of corn when the hubby and I are only going to eat 2. 
• Yogurt:Is it completely necessary to put that yogurt contains milk on the label? That's a given, isn't it? Are there milk-less yogurts available? 

With all of these questions and thinking, it shouldn't be a surprise that I bought blueberries twice today. Yup, once at the grocery store and once at the produce stand. Also, I cannot confirm or deny that I was the one who did this as I entered the parking lot. I was in a hurry, it was raining. You get the idea.