Sort of Here

I don't even know when I blogged last. October 2012? I got busy, lost interest in this blog and also have been feeling more private with my life lately. In a sense, this blog has become a personal diary and anymore, I am feeling like less is more when it comes to the Internet. I've always been careful with what I say...but sometimes that holds me back from writing what I want. Truthfully, I may make this blog private and create a new one that doesn't focus so much on my personal life. Not sure but it is a thought.

So much has happened since I last wrote. Big things always seem to happen when I stop writing. Maybe that's the problem. haha

• Early November -- My 101 year old Granny was in the hospital for a blockage in her intestine. Since she was at a hospital nearby I was able to visit her frequently. Thankfully she recovered and is doing well. Whew!
• Presidential Election -- I was relieved to have that over with to say the least. However, it isn't the end of politics and there will always be bickering. *sigh* 

• December -- Busy time. Granny got moved closer to us. She has had a hard time transitioning, which I don't blame her. It has been great being able to see her frequently. I'm hoping she will be able to get more involved and get comfortable living in the retirement community. 
• GRADUATED, finally!!!!!!! On December 8th, 2012 I became a Master. Not a hooded one yet ;-) That comes in May. My Mom, Dad, Granny, my boyfriend and I had a good dinner at a favorite restaurant. I loved celebrating with all of them (wish my sister and her husband were there!) - I love small intimate celebrations. 
•  I will say it feels great to be done but there is much uncertainty ahead. I am ready to be done with subbing... So ready for a consistent schedule, consistent pay and room of my own. So with that said, towards late spring/summer I will be looking for jobs with a passion! 
• Christmas was very good but fast. My sister and her husband came down from WA to celebrate. They were here for about 4 days. We packed in lots of fun -- baking, going to Zoo Lights, watching Christmas movies and general laziness. I wish I could see them more often but I am grateful for the time that we have together.
• New Years Eve.... While some might think it was absolutely boring, I had a the best day! I spent a good majority of the afternoon shopping with my lovely friend Jennifer. We went to all kinds of stores. I lusted after many items in J. Crew and Nordstroms. I was pretty good at not going too overboard (the looming thought of paying for health insurance, along with student loans... and not getting many sub days certainly keeps you from going crazy with $). Anyway, then after our shopping adventure, I spent a relaxing afternoon with Brian... then mustered the strength to drive home around 8pm so I could hang out with Mom. We stayed up until 12, of course... and we had no choice as it sounded and looked like the 4th of July around here! Awesome low-key, no drama, filled with special people type of day!

This month

My goal this month is to create some sort of routine. I really feel out of place and like I'm on a never-ending vacation. I mean, it's nice buuuuut it certainly doesn't help with the finances. I do have a couple sub jobs lined up and hopefully I will get a few more. I need to also fix my resume, write a cover letter, continue helping dad with all kinds of things, and look for jobs. Oh, I also have some clothing items I am hoping to sell through Craigslist. I need to work on that too!

We shall see what this year holds.... The past two years have had lots of very lows and very highs. I'm feeling mixed about this year already. Just one day at a time, right?

Here's to another year of ups, downs, and a whole lot in between!

Currently

Ah... It has been two weeks since I last wrote on here. I have thought about writing several times, but at the same time just haven't felt like saying a whole lot. I've sort of been quiet online lately and I like it. Truthfully, I'm so-so on sharing my life through statuses and blog posts. I do like my privacy and also don't think that everything one thinks and does must be posted online either. I have been busy too in these past few weeks, which has been nice for a change since this subbing season is painfully slow. I've been collecting data for my action research report over the past two weeks and have what I need now in order to start writing the last few sections in my paper. It has been great being involved in my ESOL mentor's classroom; she always makes me excited about teaching and education. I wish I could team teach with her!

So what has been going on with life lately? For the most part, things have been pretty good. Since I don't feel like being overly creative right now I'm just going to make a list....

-- Happy happy news: My brother-in-law returned from deployment earlier this week. We are SO thankful to have him home safely. My sister is thoroughly enjoying having him home of course. She has been very strong through these past few months and their relationship has grown too. I can't wait to see both of them!

-- My boyfriend's medical test results came back quickly and he is fine. Thank goodness! I feel so relieved that he is healthy! So what happened over Labor Day weekend was not from anything serious. Whew.

-- Speaking of test results, I am pleased and relieved to say that my boyfriend's father does NOT have cancer in his lungs. So maybe my intuition was off that day or my feelings were for something else (gotta love the subconscious).

-- Received a post card from a soldier that I been writing to for awhile. A friend of my sister gave me his address because he was not getting much mail. Anyway, I was totally surprised when I opened my mailbox this week and found that! He told me how much he appreciated the support at home -- as it is horrible in Afghanistan  Seriously, anything we can do to help these men and women is needed. I can't imagine how strained they must be mentally and physically.

-- I am getting closer and closer to being done with this degree! Yay! December 8th is my last day; I give a presentation and then I am d-o-n-e!  (and when I say done, I mean until I can figure out the finances for the next degree..hahaha)

-- Still contemplating the SLP career. Hoping to do some observations next month.

-- I've started working out on a fairly consistent basis. My friend in AZ and I have come up with this plan to text each other after we have worked out as way to stay accountable and to not feel like we are on our own. This has been so helpful to me! Plus it is fun sharing workout ideas so it keeps my interest a lot more than if I were attempting to do this alone. My physical goals are to have more endurance and upper body strength. For now I am focusing on my arms -- love doing those workouts! I have used a few from Pinterest too. Once I get to 14 days of working out (not consecutive but just total) then I am allowing myself to buy one bottle of Julep nail polish. Monetary: yes. Motivation: it's helping!

-- Overall I have been good about not spending too much. Trying to save as much as I can right now and also because my dad's birthday is next month and Christmas is not too far away either. Everything adds up so I am trying to be more mindful of purchases.

-- Wondering what to do if subbing continues to be this slow. I'm not getting any calls and all but one sub job I am requested for is a full day, rest are half. I'm thinking of going to a temp agency to see if I could get some sort of data entry job (had a fabulous one five years ago for the summer). I really do need more income especially once I turn 26. Ah... it's only October so we will see what happens.

-- I'm happy about our Warrior football team having a 7-1 record. Unfortunately they lost last week. They have a game at home this Friday so hoping they can rally together and win!

-- Am loving that our house is all decorated for Fall! :) I put up the decorations this week and it has certainly made our home cozier. We have lights around the front window, mantel and in the kitchen window. The added light helps on the dreary days.

-- Loving Fall foods: stews and soups. Mmm... Actually, I eat soup year round so that isn't anything new but we just cook it more during this season and winter.

--Yes I still need to load a few more weeks of garden pictures. Gah, been terrible at that! I'll admit, I am feeling lazy about dealing with my pictures. I take so many that I overwhelm myself. haha Still have several more to load from summer onto Facebook. While people may enjoy seeing these pictures, I put them on here and FB primarily for myself. I like having a record of what has happened over the year(s).

-- A little part of me wants to start a fashion blog. No, not to get sponsors or have a thousand readers but as a way to improve my style... and it is fun being girly. I don't know when or if I will do this. Just a thought!

Think that is about all for now... I've covered several bases. Hope that you all are having a good Fall and October -- that or a good Spring depending on where you might be. :)

Like an Anchor (Part II)

To continue on with this roller coaster ride....

Down -- June to July: Unfortunately, in between and during the time I went with Brian to Spokane, my young kitty was not doing so well. She started having some serious issues and we could not figure out what was wrong with her. They came on suddenly and were "fixed" for a brief amount of time. We took her to our vet and an emergency vet twice -- neither could pinpoint the issue. So that was very stressful and sad! (Also I must note that I was doing summer school in the month of June; very exhausting time)

Down-- July: A dear family member had to go out of town for job purposes and will be gone for awhile. :(

Down-- July 22nd: On this day my mom had to get surgery for a hernia. Crazy thing, she was exercising in the early morning and soon after did not feel good at all. Her abdomen swelled up and we knew that it was most likely a hernia. She contacted her doctor and in the afternoon we headed to go to see her. Her doctor quickly set up a surgery appointment with a hospital downtown and by evening, Mom was in surgery. While it was a fairly hectic day I didn't worry too much. I knew that the surgery was routine and felt confident Mom was in good hands. Thankfully all turned out okay and her body has healed fine. Whew. (and last year about the same time she broke her wrist while on a walk with co-workers haha)

Up -- August: Took girl cat to an internist and he found out the problem quickly! Yippie! He found that she has Inflammatory Bowel Disease and it is treatable. So lots of money later.... haha Guess her 'formal name' has real meaning now: Coco Chanel. We love her dearly and are thrilled she is a healthy cat! That was a huge relief as we were leaving for SoCal soon.

Up-- mid August: On the 11th to the 17th I went with my mom and sister to Southern California. We went first for a cousin's wedding and then stayed to go to Disneyland, a Hollywood tour and to Universal Studios. This was certainly not a restful vacation but it was very enjoyable.

My cousin's wedding was a blast (the above picture is from that day) and a beautiful experience. I was able to take lots of good wedding pictures and loved being out in a true Southern California setting, a summer day in Newport Beach/Bay. It was also so good to see him happy -- he has been through quite a bit over the years and it's great that he has found someone he is compatible with.

Disneyland & tours were super fun too! Believe it or not but as a 25.5 year old, I had never been to Disneyland before. As a kid I had no interest in going (yeah yeah.. have been told I was 3 going on 21) and still haven't been too interested, but am so glad I had the opportunity. On the first day Mom and I rode 5 rides (mind you, that stayed mostly horizontal, I do not like actual roller coasters or scary rides): a carousel, It's a Small World, Jungle Ride, Mark Twain boat ride and Pirates of the Caribbean. Each night that we were in Anaheim we watched the Disneyland fireworks. For two nights we were at the actual park and saw how epic they were and then the last 2 nights we watched from our hotel. Loved, loved, loved the fireworks!  Oh and I did get to see Princess Ariel. I wasn't able to get my picture with her but I sure tried. The lil girl in me was happy anyhow. :)

Hollywood tour was awesome! That was a very long tour but I got to see so much: Hollywood Walk of Fame, "Kodak" Theater, Hard Rock Cafe LA, freeway ramp where the famous scene from "Speed" was filmed, Hollywood sign (from a distance but good view), Farmers Market at the Grove (where I shopped at Zara!! A Duchess of Cambridge store!), Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach (just like PDX but with less laws haha), and Santa Monica/ Pier (where I got to finally eat Pinkberry Fro Yo). Big big day!

Universal Studios was alright. It was a super hot day and very very crowded. Yes, I am thankful I went but it was just one of those "I'd rather be in the pool" days. I did go on the tram which was pretty interesting and got to see "Wisteria Lane" from "Desperate Housewives." That was really neat! The rest of the time I waited for Mom and Sarah while they went on some rides. I hung out at the City Street Mall area, which had lots of good stores. Then after awhile I wondered around Universal-- that gave me the chance to see Mr. Beans car from his "Holiday" movie. Love Mr. Bean! On the last part of the day I did watch Mom and Sarah on the Jurassic Park ride -- saw them at the end where they dropped a fast 84 ft. That was funny!

On that Friday we three parted ways.... I was sad to not be with my sis anymore but was so glad she had spent the week with us.

Down: Shortly after the trip we learned that Granny had not been doing too well. During the trip she had fallen (thankfully didn't hurt herself seriously) and then she fell again at her house. She had about a week or so of not being 'right.' While she is 101 it was still disturbing to have any of these issues occur and there is probably going to be a change of her living situation in the near future....

Up and then super steep Down-- August 23rd: After feeling good about completing a 5k with my mom at a work race I was looking forward to a relaxing evening at home with my feet up. However, in the evening my dad called and he didn't sound right. He asked me if I could come over and bring him to our house because he was feeling very exhausted and weak. Immediately, I felt like something was wrong and asked him a bunch of questions-- my first guess was a heart attack. In all honesty, I have been concerned about his health for the past 5 years. While I haven't wished for anything bad to happen, I have felt like there has been the potential. Anyhow, I got myself ready and went to his apartment...meanwhile, Mom was on the other side of town getting us dinner. When I got to his place I instantly knew we had to get help but I wasn't totally sure what to do. What sold it for me was his droopy face on one side -- a stroke. He didn't have good balance, he slurred and he seemed 'off' cognitively. When I saw his face I literally yelled and was like "Dad!!! Your FACE! Can you FEEL your FACE?! Can you FEEL your ARMS?" I completely panicked (and when it counted!ha!). There was part of me that thought I was crazy and made it up, but my intuition was right. As fast as I could I got him into my car and we went to urgent care. Within like a minute of signing him in they saw him and soon got an ambulance. In hindsight, I probably should have called 911 but it all worked out. I got him help and that was the important part. Also, I know that God was watching out for everything and put the right people in place for the whole process. My friend who is an RN in the ER at the nearby hospital ended up being on his call. When Mom and I got to the ER I told her "Oh! Mom Joy works here!" and within a second of saying so she came out and whisked us away to dad's room. Such a blessing. Dad was int he hospital for two days and then stayed at our house for recovery. Thankfully he is doing much better but does have some noticeable changes. We are so lucky it wasn't any worse and hope that future strokes can be prevented.

Up-- August 25th & 26th: Brian's brother and SIL came to town with stuff from his mom's apartment. They took items to their sister's home and then came over to this part of town to deliver things for Brian. I hung out with all of them Saturday evening, which was a great way for me to relax some. Then on Sunday Brian, his brother, SIL and I spent most of the day together. It was so much fun being with them! I really love his family.

Up and then another steep Down -- September 6th: My family and I decided to go to the beach for a day and hang out with family members who were already there. The day started out awesome-- beautiful sunshine from here to the coast, easy/fast drive, lots of fun chatter on the way there and a wonderful morning talking with everyone. Then about mid morning we all wanted to go down to the beach and see what was going on. We sat on the beach for a little bit and then had fun putting our feet in the water. My aunt and Brian wanted to climb the cape so I went along with them. I really did not feel like going that day as the sand was hot and I was not prepared (it's a very steep climb)...but I figured oh well it's a gorgeous day and it will be worth it. Plus, Brian had never been on the cape. Anyway, we took some time getting up (except for my aunt she is in shape!) and I felt so-so... and when I got to the first ridge I felt winded. Brian felt that way too but 10x worse than me. After my aunt went down the hill, I noticed that Brian was getting worse and worse-- there was little color on in his face. Within a few seconds, he leaned back (fainting) and then his body started to convulse (and his eyes were open - absolutely terrifying to see). I started to yell for help and water -- now I was super super super panicked and freaking out. Thankfully there were amazingly helpful people on the cape and a God thing -- there was a medic and two nurses who came to his aid. The one gal tried to calm me down so I could call 911. I called them and help did come fairly quickly. They were able to get Brian off the hill, got fluids in him and then we rode an ambulance to a hospital. He was able to recover well and we weren't in the ER long. Mom and Dad picked us up from there and we went home... Oh what a day. I am just SO thankful he is okay. You just never know when the "fit" will hit the "shan."

Since that last drama everything has been fairly good.... Though recently Brian found out his dad hasn't been doing too well so we are hoping for the best. Ahh....

I recently went in and had a check up with my doctor. We had a good talk and she made a comment that will stick with me and I can draw upon it when I am feeling weak, "The beauty in all this is... it has happened outside of you... You have been like the anchor."

I hadn't thought of it like that and I honestly have never had be that way before. An anchor. I like that. I hope I never forget how strong I have had to be this summer. I also hope that there is a long road ahead of peace.

4th of July Celebrations

"This nation will remain the land of the free only as long as it is the home of the brave." -- Elmer Davis

I have much blogging to catch up on but I thought I would do a separate post for the 4th of July (as I have done each year) and then do a few posts with updates. I think I will let the pictures do most of the talking....

The day started out with picking lettuce... I got a bit carried away and picked it all! haha It's not the best kind, very limp. So we are growing Romaine which will be better for salads. We are first time gardeners so this is all a learning experience!

Picking away, quite happily. 

LOTS of lettuce!

Mr. took a picture of me - I need to teach him a few tricks of photography but hey, I made him pick lettuce... a girl can't complain too much right?! ;-)

We had so much it was more efficient to wash it all in the sink. I enjoyed "swishling" it around.

My B and I went to the Blues Festival on the Waterfront in PDX. I loved watching people and the music was pretty good. He is so good at getting me out and about!

Yes! Our corn is "knee high by the 4th of July" :) Yay!! As of today it is even taller!

I was attempting to do a slow shutter picture of Mom with a sparkler.

The day ended with watching people around the neighborhood set off illegal fireworks. We hung out with our neighbors from next door and lit a few sparklers. I loved hearing people out and about hooting and hollering as they lit off fireworks. What a great 4th of July! 

Two Days is Not Enough

This weekend went by super fast just like the rest of them! Saturday was our last day of decent weather and now we're back to gray and rain... Sigh. I enjoyed the little visit of spring/summer - those sunny warm days put a smile on my face!

Anyhow, here's what my weekend was like... (via Instagram, follow me @ sincerelyangela1 if you'd like!)

Saturday -- Went to a small Farmers' Market with my B. Loved checking out the fun little produce stands along with other great homemade goods. I always enjoy the soaps and jewelry! We had a great day together which was super nice. Life gets pretty hectic sometimes and it's good to have moments to just BE.

 I almost bought myself a bouquet but decided against it. Perhaps next time! They're so lovely.

Had dinner with my parents at Mongolian Grill and then Baskin Robbins after... Yum!! Nothin' like some chocolate chip cookie dough as the finishing touch :)

Sunday -- Rainy, rainy day. Mom and I had several items we needed to pick up from stores so we putzed around town. We found some fun decorations for the bathroom and for outside the house, as you can see with this fun patriotic star. We'll probably keep it out until 4th of July!

Yesterday was a good day to get some running around done and it also included Starbucks. Yum!

 We went to a gardening center near home to get vegetables and flowers. We got three herbs (french thyme, basil and dill), two tomato plants, two varieties of corn and lots of seeds for different veggies. We planted the seeds in small containers so that they can start to sprout. I sure hope we get lots of vegetables out of our garden! :)

Once again.. here is to hoping for a good week!

Mother's Day

Hundreds of dewdrops to green the dawn,

Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the wide world over.

--George Cooper

As I said in my previous post, it was an awesome weekend! Yesterday was absolutely delightful. I love it when special events are lovely like this! :) We had a small family gathering at my aunt and uncle's house. We enjoyed sitting on the deck eating our meal and chatting. After dinner, we toured through my aunt and uncle's gorgeous garden. I just had to share a few pictures! The sunshine put a lovely spotlight on the flowers and made the colors so vibrant.

It was a great day to celebrate mothers!!

A cookie Mom and I thought was appropriate for Granny -- "The Queen" :)

With my momma

Hope that you all had a lovely weekend...whether it was celebrating that special woman in your life or remembering or doing the usual.

Born to Fly

And how do you keep your feet on the ground

When you were born

You were born to fly, fly, fly, fly.... 

--Sara Evans

A week has gone by since the major change at our household. On Friday 4th, my little sister moved to be with her husband. I knew she would be moving at some point but when the day came it hit hard. After 20 years of living with my sister, it was strange to have the house weighted down by the quietness. We always laugh about my sister being the spice because she is full of chatter and spunk.

Now, she is on to life of being a soldier's wife. She has been anxiously awaiting this change. So, last Friday all her belongings were gathered, put inside a U-Haul truck, along with her beloved green chair, coffee table and the love seat.... and by noon, they were off.

Goodbyes came with floods of tears. I cried because I would miss the evenings watching TV with my sister and mom. I cried because I would miss hearing my sister's radio playing in the night and her usual loud kick on the wall with her leg while she sleeps (she has done that consistently for years and it always jolts me). I cried because I wouldn't see her everyday. I simply cried because this was a big milestone in our lives. The kind that makes you think, "How did we get here so fast?!" Those hit to the core because it reminds you how fast life continues to move along.

Tasty Cinnabon rolls as a moving treat

Wide open spaces -- Mom and I now have resorted to using a Igloo cooler for our coffee table.

Since moving out a week ago, my sister and her husband have gotten settled in their apartment. She's managed to cook him some meals and they have organized their belongings so it feels home-y. We've been enjoying getting pictures.

Home feels like a "new normal." The emptiness is still quite noticeable (doesn't help that half of the living room is not there!) but the sadness has dissipated. It's good to know that my sister is with D. Being that they have been married since December 31st, it is about time that they live together!

Someday it will be my turn to leave home but till then I am going to grow a garden, enjoy my kitties and hopefully redecorate my room one of these days. I am hoping for all kinds of adventures- big and small!

An Evening with Apolo Ohno

I'm a weekend writer... I can't help it but that is how life is right now. I am in the last two weeks of the semester and have been subbing quite a bit this month. I'm happy to report that this weekend has been just as wonderful as the last one-- perhaps even better!

So I guess I better start in chronological order... Starting with FRIDAY!

 Buddy TV? 

On Friday night, Mom and I had the opportunity to see Apolo Anton Ohno speak (the most decorated Winter athlete of all time! YEAH!) !!!! She got an email last week about him being at the Elsinore Theater in Salem and impulsively we got tickets. He was the motivational speaker for this benefit by Project Assist and Med Assist. These programs help people without insurance to obtain medical services of all kinds in the Marion/Polk County. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get pictures (they were not allowed -- drove me crazy!) but I certainly did enjoy listening to him. Yes he is a great speaker and motivational. Yes you can see his muscles through his suit ;-)

It was awesome hearing him talk about how he learned to live with "zero regrets." He went through very intensive preparations for his last Olympics in 2010. I didn't know he was able to leg press 2,000 pounds! Talk about mental strength! When he talked about that everyone in the crowd was like "Whoah." Needless to say, he is inspirational and motivational. I also appreciate his passion for helping children be successful because he knows how easy it is to fall into traps. I would love to see him again!!!

Besides the whole experience was quite fun. Something that Drs. Niles and Frasier Crane (we've been watching lots of "Frasier" lately) would have enjoyed this event. I saw some very formally dressed ladies, men in top hats, there were hors d'oeuvres and wine. I was very amused and loved it!

I was semi-formal -
Blazer: White House Black Market ($70 on sale, it fit me perfectly and I love it)
Top: Romy ($15 - yes you can wear a cheap top with a spendy one -- also had to wear gold for this)
Jeans (not pictured): Dark skinny jeans from Hollister
Boots (see below): Cathy Jean

Delightful evening dahhhling... and then afterwards we drove to our 5 star hotel -- known as Granny's. :)

Another Good Day

This has been a wonderful weekend! I have enjoyed spending time outside, having my brother-in-law home (he's in the Army), eating good food, and also being productive. I'm loving these fair weather Spring days!

Finally, vacuumed and wiped the insides of my car! She looks like a beauty now :)

Weeded for a little while today after cleaning my car. Got two buckets full! That makes 6 for this weekend! The yard is looking much better but we have a ways to go.

Weeding = Instant Gratification ... A little way to add value to life. Felt so good to be smelling the dirt, hearing the funny sounds of people outside, sun beating on me, cool breeze... very satisfying.

Cheese Puff was very funny this afternoon! He looked so cute wherever he chose to snooze. I call him "Resourceful Cheese" in this picture with the wood block. He loves having a place to rest his head!

Also, finally planted my Cat Chia Grass (my first Chia Pet LOL- it was a Christmas gift). Hoping this will bring some joy to my indoor kitty. She has been going crazy having the windows open, sensory overload this weekend. haha Will be fun to watch these seeds grow!

Here's to a good week!!

Delightful Saturday

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything" -- William Shakespeare

Happy Cheese laying in the sunshine -- see that smile?! :)

Crocus had their turn first, then daffodils and now tulips are in the spotlight

It was a lovely fair weather day - passing clouds, cool breeze and warm sunshine

Flew our flag today since my brother-in-law/my sister's husband got to come home and visit

 Picked 4 buckets of weeds!

Ended the day with a delicious dinner and dessert at the Macaroni Grill

I feel so blessed :)