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!

Lunch Date with a Dear Friend

This afternoon I drove down south a little ways to have lunch at Applebees (our usual spot) with my dear friend, Andrea, from college. We used to meet every month for lunch, but unfortunately haven't been able to be as consistent in the last year or so. I am thankful for any time that we get together especially since they are far and few between these days. Andrea and I had quite a bit to catch up on to say the least! We had so much fun talking and venting about various struggles in the past few months. I'm so glad that Andrea is one of my "bookmark friends" -- you can go for long periods without seeing each other but it is like nothing has changed. Thank you Andrea for being such a wonderful friend! Can't wait to see you again! (also -- I do hope the waitress won't spill dressing on me next time -- crossing my fingers it comes out of my blazer that I haven't ever washed before. What an afternoon!)

The road getting to Applebees was interesting! I got stuck behind a caravan of 6 large tractors moving at snail's pace.  There aren't many places to pass on part of this drive so I just had to deal with it. This is what I get for taking the backroads during the beginning of harvest season! Oh well! On the plus side I got to enjoy the scenery and listen to some good tunes. 

I couldn't pass up the Apple Pie on the dessert menu. Couldn't finish it though -- very sweet.

On the drive back...  The Willamette Valley is beautiful!

So pretty! Also confirms an odd occurrence while driving. See that  SUV (it has a U of O sticker on it)? At one point it turned off near an orchard then I was able to go a bit faster. I happily jugged along with no one in my way and then I caught up with a car.... pretty much the same darn car with the same darn sticker. I am SURE it was a different driver but it made me question my conscious brain. haha Strange coincidence!

Good friends help us to learn how to be like this... :) As always, good advice from Yogi Tea!

Happy Wednesday folks! (go figure it is Wednesday with some Wackiness)

Those Gray Days

Sometimes mornings don't start out right. Sometimes the whole day is bumpy from beginning to finish. Sometimes life feels bleak and irritating.

I will be honest, I don't like writing negative posts but life isn't always wonderful... I think I write about these days in hopes that someone will stumble across my blog and feel comforted in some way. I know how it feels to be lonely in a situation or moment. It's so nice when you find someone that understands and that says what you need to hear.

This morning started early with one problem after another, which eventually led to me crying when I had had my fill of all of it. I won't bother to review the issues, as really, they are minimal compared to everything else... but today, it just bummed me out. It doesn't help that I haven't been sleeping to well for awhile and that just escalates problems to another level. Sigh.

I am sure that it can all be worked out one way or another, but it is hard to think of that in the midst of frustration. I wonder if you're nodding your head in agreement.

While the morning was rough, I am thankful that rest of the day was good. I got to spend time with one of my closest friends and that greatly improved my mood. I helped her box up items since she'll be moving soon and the physical activity was nice. We also got sushi for lunch and watched an episode of "Frasier." Ah... Saving grace!

There are silver lining to gray clouds, that I believe. However, I also believe gray clouds can be nudged aside by a good friend. I am always, always, always grateful for my close friends. Perhaps these days are just reminders of that -- it's hard to see through the hard stuff but once it settles you get a more refined view of your blessings.

I will say this: it is important to feel what you feel. If you feel frustrated -- be it. If you want to cry, let it out. These are the things that make us human and allow us to better connect to others. Empathy is what we need in order to make the world a bit brighter. Perspective helps too (hence why I do recognize my bad days/mornings are not the worst but they do matter to me and that is OK).

I don't know how your day was. I hope it was great and beautiful. I hope it was less gray than mine. Maybe it wasn't. So I will leave you with this:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

and a little bit of beauty....

New Month, New Name

So, as you might have noticed, my blog is no longer "Cast and Catch." At some point in February, I got this huge desire to change my blog name but had no idea how to do so. While the name "Cast and Catch" served its purpose and was good, it felt vague and not as meaningful anymore (and hard to pronounce-- truthfully, sometimes I would forget which word would come first).

In the first part of this process, I came up with quite a few combinations and eventually decided against them (think the first one was Red Apple Highway). Then I started asking the help of my friends so I could get some feedback-- I didn't want to choose something silly sounding or that didn't represent ME.

After weeks and weeks of trying to figure out a name, I came up with several combinations:

Freckled Joy -- Joyfully Freckled
Freckled Delight -- Delightfully Freckled
Freckled Bliss -- Blissfully Freckled
Freckled Naturally -- Naturally Freckled
Sincerely Freckled
Freely Freckled

I sent an email out yesterday to some of my friends asking for their vote on the ones they liked along with an apology for bugging them for so long (thank you, you all are so special to me!!!!). They were all generous enough with their time to respond and give their opinions. It came down to Joyfully Freckled and Sincerely Freckled. Then one of my friends suggest I ask her aunt because she is good at problems solving (her aunt is also very artistic and talented). She suggested that I use the plural, freckles instead... and go with something like Freckles and _______ or _____ and Freckles. She made a good point that the word freckled gets caught in one's throat-- and why would I want people to choke on my blog name?!

Hm.... So there I was back to the drawing board again. Hemming and hawwwwwing. Lots of it. However, I was determined that on March 1st-- TODAY, I would have this crazy trivial dilemma figured out.

I got stuck on the word sincerely. I love how it sounds. I love what it means.

Like all wonderful thoughts, they happen in the most random of times and rather unexpectedly (ya know the kind where you're on the edge of falling to a deep sleep or driving somewhere). Well, my winning name occurred to me in the shower this morning. One of the greatest places to think. Today, the name just came to me and it was sweetly simple:

Sincerely Angela

As soon as I thought it, I had that happiness all over and was like "OF COURSE! That is ME." I will always be Angela and I am sincere. 

In this blog, I write about all kinds of topics and will continue to do so. I'm not defined by any particular thing and that's just who I am. I love hot days and cold nights- if I could choose my own climate I would have it be 80F in the day and 20F at night. I love blue and red. I polka dots and plaid. I believe in structure but freedom. I love Jesus but am not confined to any particular church or theology. I love fashion but I also believe in living simply. I love the snow in winter but the sunshine and warmth of summer. I love rainbows for their order and variety-- but I also love all the colors splattered on a canvas. I see the value in limits but also believe in a life without limits..... and so on.

Through all of this I have learned that I was made to love and appreciate opposites, but to find my place somewhere along the middle. I am learning how to do that, while embracing life's many treasures. 

Perhaps this is all due to me turning 25 years old. Maybe I am going through a "quarter-life crisis," or I am simply trying to figure out who I am in this wonderfully made world. Whatever it is, I will always hold true to being.....

Sincerely Angela

Welcome to my newly named blog :) 

FPC, Day 21: Fave Picture of You

February Photo Challenge

Day 21

"Fave Picture of You"

December 28th, 2010

One of my fave pictures of myself. This was after having lunch with my dear friend Andrea. During our traditional photo shoot, we got drenched and it was pretty hilarious. We laughed, got soaked and had a great time!

FPC, Day 20: Handwriting

February Photo Challenge

Day 20

"Handwriting"

 Birthday gift from Jennifer

"I'll buy you an outfit from Forever 21 that is NOT: Teal, Blue, Aqua, Cobalt, Navy, Turquoise, or Cerulean."

Jennifer gave me this gift for my birthday when I saw her today. Good friends take care of each other huh (as in trying to break me of my 34+ blue colored clothing items)?!  Unfortunately, it was slim pickins at F21. Hoping that the store will come out with some appealing items this Spring. I'm excited for that fun item that will fulfill this special certificate!

Friendly Luncheon Outfit

I took Granny home this afternoon and then met up with my friend Andrea for lunch at Applebees. We hadn't seen each other for about 7 months!

Below you'll see my outfit and then a few pictures from today. It's been another glorious sunshiney Winter day!

Really wanted to make these pictures of me into a collage, but Picnik has removed that feature as it is closing in April 19th (really disappointed!!). Anyway.... I am wearing:

Sweater dress: Forever 21 (about 2 yrs old) *
Hidden item: Black t-shirt from F21
Cardigan: Forever 21
Leggings: Forever 21
Boots: LifeStride Yonkers from Famous Footwear (gift from Christmas...how I love these boots!)
Jewelry: H & M pink pearl earrings & an awesome coconut necklace from my Costa Rica trip

*I love this sweater dress but 1) it is pretty short so I don't feel comfortable wearing it for teaching-- though all parts of me are covered... 2) it is short sleeved -- would like to come up with other warm things than this cardigan.

However, this sweater dress has lots of accessory options... like I can wear a scarf with it, a variety of necklaces, and am considering using a belt with it sometime. I'll keep this clothing item for awhile!

 ~~~ 

On to the fun stuff:

A lunch/hang out tradition: we take pictures at the end. Some are normal and some are super, super silly! Love you Miss Andrea! (P.S. You can check out her awesome blog, Finding Happiness at Every Turn )

Sweetest Thing

This was such a fun day!! Mom, Sarah and I got together with a friend of ours, an "ex-neighbor." We met her (Christy) her daughter and granddaughter at a lovely cupcake shop called the Sweetest Thing. Oh, and it is the sweetest thing. These delightful treats are made with high quality natural ingredients. They also look too good to eat!

I will tell ya'll, I am not a big fan of cake or cupcakes for that matter, but the moment I tasted the "Lady in Red" my mind changed instantly. These cupcakes are so good! Not something I could eat all of the time because they are quite sweet, but certainly perfect for a get together with a dear friend. :)

Lady in Red

After having delicious cupcakes we went to see Christy's house and then went with her to CAT Adoption Team to see her newly adopted kitty. We enjoyed chatting and catching up :) What a wonderful day-- and it was full of sunshine too!

The darnest thing is though... I had my camera and did I get a picture of us together?! Guess that's what happens when you get up in chatter. Oh well. More of an excuse to see each other soon. ;-)

Great Extra Day Off

I feel somewhat guilty for not having this post be dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I do have things to say but am not wanting to link the words together tonight. I don't think there is no wrong time to write about him, however. Talk about him and his legacy shouldn't be confined to a particular day.

I do owe MLK thanks for this awesome Monday, the extra weekend day was a blessing. Besides having to take my cat to the vet (poor thing he had to get a wound fixed up and is now sporting a bright blue Elizabethan collar), the rest of the day was great. My friend Jennifer and I finally got to get together and we did some shopping. I have had a big hankering to go shopping, been feeling rather hemmed in these days. I felt "free as my hair" today :)

Before getting to my priority item, I got my cell phone cover screen replaced. Nice to have a screen that isn't full of bubbles-- the guy at kiosk was kind enough to replace it (had been there a lil over two weeks ago). Thankfully it didn't take long and we browsed H & M in which I bought a $14.95 navy cardigan. I would've tried on my other items but the lines were long. I'll go back another day next month.

Jennifer and I needed sustenance so we got a Jamba Juice drink. I thoroughly enjoyed my Orange Dream Machine... Mmm tastes good on any day but better when recovering from a cold.

Then we were off on my main clothing item: a pair of skinny legging jeans. We checked Gap but no luck, but I did get to see and touch their super cute (and probably nearly perfect) "1969" skinny jeans... For about $90, those pants weren't coming home with me. I didn't try them on either. Why pine over something like that?

So we went across the way to Hollister where Jennifer has had success. A nice gal was working on the jean wall when we walked in and offered to help. I told her what I was looking for and we figured out three sizes of stretchy skinny jeans to try on. Within two tries I found the pair!!

I will admit it was challenging thinking of spending $49.50 on a pair of jeans BUT I have been needing a new pair for quite some time, Hollister (I am hoping/believing) is decent quality, and these can go with a couple different outfits. So with that said it was a good purchase. It is so nice to have a pair of jeans that fit right! Guess bras and jeans are two things worth spending a little extra money for -- though I have yet to spend more than $30 on a bra.

After getting my happy jeans we checked out several over stores. I bought another blue cardigan at Abercrombie & Fitch, a store I never ever shop in (and I was quickly reminded when I was nearly gassed with their perfume as I walked in the entrance, whew). I am fairly happy with my $22 cardigan. I think it is reasonable to spend up to (about) $20 on tops (a good rule I learned from a very frugal cousin!).

So overall today was good and productive. I didn't go crazy with spending and got three good pieces of clothing. :)

Hope y'all had a great Monday whether you were working or playing!

A Bad Day That Got Turned Around

~

Yesterday was just one of those days...

I woke up to low-level droopy clouds, damp ground, and stickiness in the air. Not my favorite kind of day. I am not fond of days like that because I feel boxed-in and a little claustrophobic. I need the sunshine desperately!

Anyway.... so that didn't help. I also had been woken up from the sounds of my mom hollering to my sister about the cats - they were trying to coordinate with them and were making lots of ruckus....

Then another irritating thing happened after another and within a few hours of waking up, I was in a nasty mood. I typically am not an angry person and don't get super cranky, but man... oh man... I did not feel good yesterday.  All I wanted was out of my house and away from everything that was driving me crazy.

Part of my annoyed mood was that I had hoped to get my laundry done (seriously needed to do that!) and I am doing two ESOL courses online. I needed time and space for both of those, but could not get it...

I got myself ready for the day and around noon I gathered my stuff and left.

I went to the library- no, I didn't quite run away, though the thought of it was enticing. ;-) I breathed a sigh of relief once I sat down at a table and got myself organized. However, just as I was starting on an assignment someone very dear to me showed up. :) We didn't know that each other would be at the library at the time, and funny enough, he couldn't find a seat farther down so had to check out the area where I was. He didn't expect to see me there (though I thought he came my direction because I had sent a text 5 minutes prior to seeing him haha). So anyway, he sat next to me and we both worked on our own things. I started to feel a little better...

After doing a few hours of work, we decided to take a walk around the park. Much to my surprise and happiness, the sunshine came out and I felt it on my face. Mmm... That was just what I needed. I felt a lot better getting some fresh air...

I had to get home before 6 because I had my belly dance class with my neighbor-friend. Let me tell you, there's a lot to be said about dancing the day away. You may look silly, mess up multiple times, and struggle to get the right movements (even after multiple times of practice! haha)... but it is a great release. My neighbor and I laughed with each other quite a bit. We also were brave in being in the front row last night! I wasn't sure about that but it ended up being okay. The thing is, no one is really watching you in those classes. Everyone is attempting to their best and having a good time as well. I enjoyed being in the class full of ladies and our teacher is amazing. My teacher is Sedona-- who is popular in the belly dance world. She's won lots of awards and does tons of shows. I'd love to see her perform one of these days!

When dance class was over I went to my cousin's house for a family BBQ. I had a tasty burger, a healthy glass of Oregon Blossom wine, and enjoyed the company of my family.

So the day started out bad and got worse... and then it slowly dissolved and got better. Thank goodness! And today is alright...

~

P.S. This is my 100th blog post! Kinda cool.. yeah I'm a nerd ;-)

Happy First Day of Summer!

"Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you're not required to be who everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool, give you a courage you don't have for the rest of the year. You can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you and no past. Summer just opens the door and lets you out...." --Anonymous

~

Well, today is the official first day of SUMMER! That's right folks-- it is my favorite season of the year, SUMMER! Yippie!! Guess what else?! The weather actually matched what the calendar said about today. Oh man, what a glorious day-- and let me tell you, I sweat a lot (I'm sure you're glad to know).

Today was a good day underneath the hot summer sun, blue skies and of course, a few clouds. I spent most of the day with my friend Jennifer and we did a little shopping. I got myself a Jamba Juice and bought two little necklaces. I'm happy I didn't spend any more than I did! I've had a horrible time with my urges to buy things lately...

Anyway, after shopping we sat outside for awhile and talked, which was really nice. Nothing like a good conversation and being able to talk about anything! I feel so thankful to have Jennifer in my life :)

I ended the day with attending my first belly dancing class! I signed up for this series of classes several weeks ago but knew I wouldn't be able to attend the first two classes due to my work schedule. I was a little unsure of how I would fair through this class, but I ended up doing alright. I also enjoyed spending time with my neighbor, Nancy. We had fun laughing about our inabilities to do certain movements!

The rest of the evening was relaxing.... I took some pictures around the yard... ahh... summer. I love it!

Pictures to come tomorrow... Happy Summer!

Last Weekend of May

Since I mentioned in my last post that I was going to talk about the other days I figured I better to do so! I have a very busy day ahead tomorrow and want to get this up here now. I'm going to try to give brief explanations along with a few pictures ;-)

Friday
(Not technically part of the weekend, but I'm including it this time!)
My good friend Jennifer and I hung out together. She came over to visit the new little one so that was fun. I'm glad she got to see the baby! After meeting lil Miss Cocoa Puff, Jennifer thought it would be good to get her some more toys. So we headed up to the shopping center area and went to Petco. We found some good items (like the one pictured with the girl in yesterday's post). Then after shopping at that store, Jennifer and I decided to go to a few others in the area. We ended up going to Payless Shoes, Ross, Old Navy (hadn't been in that particular store for over two years-- worked there for awhile), and made a trip to Jamba Juice. I was good about not spending too much, but I did come across a purse that was on sale at Payless. I've been wanting a larger one and this definitely works for me:

I'm thrilled that I only had to pay $14.99 for this beauty! ;-)

Saturday
Mom and I did some some "mouse housing." We went out and about to stores to get some items. One of the places was Borders and I ended up finding one of the books on my list on sale. Yippie!

$3.99- yes please

We also checked out the new DSW store near us, where I lusted over the purses... but they were way too expensive. In addition to DSW, we went to Trader Joes and then to Fred Meyer. I remembered I had a gift card from Granny for Freddy's and found something I have been wanting for awhile, a new wallet. I was surprised to find one that I liked at Freddy's. I've looked many, many times. 

The wallet cost more than the purse (~$18) but I discovered  I had a little more money on the GC than I thought. Thanks Granny!

One of our other stops included the Dollar Tree. I wanted to get my Hallmark co-workers treats as my "goodbye gift" to them and had the idea to make a bowl full of goodies. Lo and behold, the DT had everything I needed (minus the bags of chips). They had a cute popcorn bowl and lots of candy packs. Such a deal! Mom and I went to Winco to get the chips so overall I didn't spend too much and got everyone covered that way. :)

Sunday
Sunday was my last day at Hallmark. Thankfully it was very low-key and I got to chat up a storm with my co-worker. We talk about a variety of things from here to the moon so it was a good day. I will certainly miss those people, but I feel so blessed to have made some great friends. Though I'm not working there anymore I know that my friendships will continue with them. What a wonderful experience!

Oh yes, I must mention... For all the months I've worked at Hallmark there has been only one product that I have wanted. Though I couldn't seem to justify spending $6.99 on it the whole 9 months I was there. Of course, I could have gotten a discount from my manager had I bought it while she was working, but I kept telling myself  "no, no, no... you don't need that." Well, I start thinking different on Sunday, "I am going to Forest Park on Monday, I don't want to take my giant purse with me..." And then my co-worker only encourages me to indulge. Well, I bought this lovely item and here she is:

This is a cute claspy wallet! And if you're wondering, I am very glad I got it! Came in handy yesterday :) And I did get Rewards points for it... haha

I don't know why I was so silly about buying this item. In the past month or two I have bought things that I don't necessarily need, but want. I guess it was just that it was at my work and I tried to only buy cards or sometimes gifts for people. Oh well! I'm glad I have it now. We can be funny with what we want huh?

*Forgot to mention- not sure why... but after work on Sunday I drove across town for a lil family barbecue at my aunt and uncle's house. I enjoyed spending time with some of my cousins, two of my aunts, Granny and my uncle. I love how we talk about a variety of things-- from side effects of medications to old family memories. One thing that I remember most from our conversations was the topic of the natural disasters that had recently hit the South/Midwest. I love how my family cares about issues that go on around the country and the world. I feel so blessed for all that I have.


Monday- Memorial Day
I already wrote about this day yesterday so I'm just going to include a picture that I didn't put in that post. It's very important to note how simply wonderful yesterday was.... the weather was fantastic! A great end to the long weekend....

Hope you all had a blessed weekend!!!

Relaxing Memorial Day

"I thank God for my life, and for the stars and stripes, may freedom forever fly, let it ring... Salute the ones who died, the ones who give their lives so we don't have to sacrifice everything we love...." - Zack Brown Band, Chicken Fried

This has been a fabulous day! I feel so relaxed and refreshed. Really, since Friday, I have had a really good few days and feel so blessed. I'll talk about the overall weekend tomorrow-- right now I'm going to talk about Memorial Day through pictures.

About 9am I met up with a friend and we spent some time hiking/walking in Forest Park. I have been wanting to get up there in the worst way! Thank goodness, the weather was just right... partly sunny and no rain. Also the temperature was good even as we walked underneath the tall, tall trees. I just loved it when the sunshine illuminated all the ferns, little yellow flowers, and leaves on the trees. So beautiful! :) Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me (gasp!), but I will make sure to have it with me next time.

I have to note though, I am impressed with how well I did considering I haven't had much physical activity for awhile. My friend walks fairly fast (I do too normally but this was over a variety of terrain) but I was able to keep up with the pace. The hardest part was the little section getting on to the main trail-- it was somewhat steep and uneven. Once my body was warmed up (legs, heart and all), I was able to do just fine. We walked on the main trail for about 30-35 minutes and then turned around at one point to head back. Ah.... so refreshing. Yes, I feel cleansed even if my legs feel like Jello! I'm fairly confident I'll have a good sleep tonight!

Alrighty.... Rest of the day has pictures! In the late afternoon, we had a family barbecue, a Memorial Day tradition.

All the fixings for hamburgers and the tasty sides-- fruit, chips, potato salad and baked beans!

My plate! Mmmm...

I even managed to spill on myself-- I'm a pro at this, FYI.

Nothin' like some Vanilla Cream Root Beer to wash it all down!

Not your average dessert for this All American meal but who can say no to  Dr. Otker's Creme Brulee?

Our evening entertainment consisted of letting the baby cat (who we're now calling Cocoa Puff, will let you know of her official title soon) out of my sister's room or as we call it, the nursery. We haven't been letting her out as much lately because she has been a little meanie to Cheese Puff. We're trying to let them work things out but she seems to be bullying him. Yes, that whipper snapper is beatin' up on our extra large boy! I feel bad for him-- he's been a trooper through this whole integration process. Anyway- I thought that it might help to keep the baby busy playing so she wouldn't bother her brother... So we all played and played with her! Cocoa can do some amazing tricks! At one point she was practically doing flips as she jumped to catch the toys. I got some of her playing on video. Really funny! 

Wild girl!!! 

Cheese Puff appreciated his lil sis being occupied- he dozed off all evening.

 And there you have it!! Now I am going to get ready for bed and crash... Hope you all had a wonderful day and also took time to remember our amazing military men, women and their families. The lyrics by the Zack Brown Band say it all. Thank you.

Goals for New Schedule

Ever since I put in my two week notice I have been thinking about my new schedule. I'm excited for this change because it will allow me to get back to that thing called balance. Well, I may not ever achieve it but I might be a little better closer this time. ;-)

Since I will be working two nights per week, I will have more time of my own to control (that is the theory anyway!). I do plan on substituting as much as possible so that will affect things from time to time. However, I feel like I will be able to manage my time better because of how this part-time job will mesh with subbing.

So, one of my big goals is to exercise regularly. Unfortunately, I have cut that out of my life for far too long. I know it's important to be fit and I want it to be a part of my everyday routine. My hope is that once I'm able to get myself exercising regularly then whenever my schedule changes again I will be able to adjust easily. I think this problem was that I hadn't created a habit yet. When something becomes a habit, then you learn to incorporate into your lifestyle versus giving it up.

Speaking of exercising, I received a fun phone call from a neighbor-friend this morning. She said that the exercise studio near us is going to have an 8-week bellydance class. The studio is also having a deal too, $99 for the whole series. So that's about $12 per class. It's funny I cringe a little at spending that much money for an exercise class but then again, isn't getting healthy worth it? Plus I would be having fun with her and one of her friends. This is something we talked about several months ago and I wasn't able to do it because of my part-time job. 

I called the studio to check on the timing and then I also asked about their Zumba classes. I've heard good reviews on that exercise program and would like to try it one of these days. Once I figure out my work schedule then I'll see if I want to do one or both exercise classes.

Within this goal I also want to re-do the "Couch to 5k" running plan. I'm irritated at myself for quitting it when I was so close. I didn't make a conscious decision to quit, but I was sick for a good portion of October and then life got hectic... and then I left it in the dust. Time to try it again and make running a habit!

Another big goal for this new schedule is to increase the time I spend reading. So far this year I have read 3 books... not great considering it is May. Right now I'm working on The Help by Kathryn Stockett and am really enjoying it. Here are the books I've read this year:

• Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor (of Jordan)

I have a huge book list and it keeps growing. So I must spend more time reading, reading, reading! In this reading goal, I also need to make sure that I spend some quality time with the Bible. That's something I haven't done much of lately and know my spirit needs it.

Hmm.. so exercising and reading. I suppose I should add in writing/blogging. I would love to be a consistent blogger because (1) I love writing and (2) it is a great way to process feelings. Of course, I don't write about everything going on in my life but this is a good outlet for recording important events and thoughts.

Well I think those are all good goals for this change that's coming soon. I hope that adding these things into my life regularly will help me to be a more well-rounded individual. Exercising, reading, and writing/blogging are all good ways of growing intrapersonally and interpersonally.

Oh brother, I sound like I'm writing a paper now.... ;-)

Have a great day everyone!

Welcoming Spring

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.  ~Anne Bradstreet

I feel like a cat on catnip. I have had the best two days. The rain may return tomorrow, but I am so thankful to have been able to enjoy two lovely Spring days. I've been able to be out and about and enjoy the sunshine. Ahh... so refreshing.


I forgot to mention two things about yesterday. One of the other reasons why yesterday was great was that I got to see one of my aunts. I delivered our birthday card to her before going to pick up Jennifer. It had been awhile since I had seen her so it felt great to catch up. So that was a great start to the day! I told my aunt I was going downtown in honor for her birthday-- she was thrilled. haha


The end of the day was very nice too. I had a good dinner in the evening and tried something new. A couple of days ago I got an Amy's frozen organic burrito. I keep finding myself tempted to eat the Reser burritos in the freezer, but stop myself every time I read the ingredients (0.5 grams of trans fat). So when Mom and I were at Fred Meyers last time, I decided to get an Amy's burrito-- the Southwestern flavor. I was quite happy with it too! I really enjoyed it and hope to get some more next time. :)

In case you want to try these here's a picture. Yum!

Today has been another uplifting day. Jennifer and I hung out again and did fun girly things. We decided to do one of our famous photo shoots. Taking pictures together has been a big part of our friendship over the years.


For our photo shoot today we dressed in blue jeans and black tops. To add some interest, we put on really dramatic eye make up, which ended up looking really neat. It took us a good 45 minutes or so to put on our make up. We had a lot of fun putting on the darkest eye shadow possible. I'm still surprised with how good it turned out! :) After putting on our make up we walked around the park near Jennifer's house to take some pictures. I'm sure people though we were kind of strange because I was carrying a tote, my tripod, and my peacock feathers (those were props-- yes we're silly!). It took us awhile to find a good spot but once we did we got some great shots. So much fun! I'll share a picture or two on here tomorrow. 


Now to work this weekend-- should be a good one though. Hope ya'll have a lovely weekend! Enjoy and savor the moments of Spring. :)

Refreshing Day!

Oh wow, today was wonderful. Just the perfect day! One I have been needing for weeks now.

My friend Jennifer and I spent the day together downtown Portland at a great place called NW 23rd. It's a street filled with fun shops that are modern, chic, and some are even eco-friendly/organic. I had a blast hanging out with her and loved the change of scenery.

What also made the day great was that we FINALLY had a day of no rain and some sunshine. It's been a miracle. haha Today is also the day we finally got to 60 degrees. Let me tell you, it felt great! The nickname for today should be "Breakthrough." (If you're a weather nerd and want to know exactly how glorious this day has been, check out the stats I'm posting at the very bottom of this post)

I drove us down to NW Portland and attempted to find parking on a side street. Unfortunately, it was a little too crowded so we parked in a paid parking lot. While it seemed nuts to spend $8 on an all day parking permit it was certainly worth it. I was happy to ditch the car and get on with the fun stuff!

Our first stop was at Lush, a bath and body store. Lush has lots of great products that are fresh and handmade. I love how they're full of organic goodness and humanitarian. You can their website here (this link goes to the main website-- that way you can click on which country you're from. Neat that they are all over the world!). 

After spending some time in Lush we walked up the street to go to the MAC makeup store (a total opposite of Lush in terms of organic goodness haha). Jennifer was interested in the makeup there and was able to have one of the store ladies try some eyeshadow on her. I had fun watching the lady beautify Jennifer and of course enjoyed looking at the makeup. Since I already have plenty of makeup I wasn't tempted to buy any, but it was certainly fun to see all sorts of colors and products.

Once we were done at MAC I was craving something tasty to eat. We walked down to one of the gelato shops, Mio Gelato. I got a bowl with two flavors, roasted almond (I think it's what it was called, it was something almond) and Dulce de Leche. Mmmm mmmm good. Jennifer got some gelato sorbet, which looked delicious. I'm so glad we stopped there. A very NW 23rd-ish thing to do! There's so many good places to eat there that it would be a shame not to stop at one of them.

After the gelato stop we walked up the street to some of the clothing stores and then stopped in another make up shop along the way. We spent some time in the makeup shop. They had lots of great trinkets in addition to their makeup products. I actually found some good smelling candles that were packaged nicely. I didn't buy them but am considering going there in the future when I need to give a little gift to someone.

Next we went to Urban Outfitters and spent some time checking out the clothing and accessories. There was a pair of earrings that I liked but I couldn't get myself to spend $12 on them. ;-) 

We decided to head home after looking at the clothing store-- so that was our fun day downtown! A perfect Spring day... so uplifting and lovely. :) 

~~~

Now for the nerdy part-- but I must note this because it's pretty crazy. Perhaps these weather stats are related to my slump (I think I'm no better than a wilty flower when we have days on end without sunshine). I got these stats from a KGW news article, which you can find here.

• Portland also finished March with 29 days of measurable rain during March, breaking the old record for 27 days of rain in March.
• Portland also wiped out its record for consecutive days of measurable rain. The old record was only 16 days. On Tuesday, Portland had recorded 23 straight days of measurable precipitation.
• By early Wednesday, March 2011 had also earned the distinction of being the fifth-rainiest on record, with 6.49 inches recorded at PDX Airport.
• In 1989, 6.73 inches of rain fell in the city. Portland's wettest March had 7.52 inches of rainfall back in 1957.
• Before this year, March 27 was the latest into the year before reaching the 60-degree point. (This year makes it the 31st, sheesh)

Stuck Like Glue

"There you go making my heart beat again,

Heart beat again, heart beat again,

There you go making me feel like a kid,

Won't you do it and do it one time?

There you go pulling me right back in,

Right back in, right back in,

And I know I'm never letting this go...

I'm stuck on you,

Stuck like glue,

You and me baby we're stuck like glue...."

~

I just love this new country song called "Stuck Like Glue" that's out by Sugarland! Sugarland sings this song with a lot of enthusiasm, as usual, and the beat is very catchy. It is one of the songs that I blast in my car when it plays on the radio!

"Stuck Like Glue" is really a love song but I think it can actually be about friendship too. I think that good friendships can be likened to glue. The effort, love, commitment, acceptance, respect, joy, sympathy, empathy, memories (and many other things) are the ingredients in that bond called friendship. For your visual purposes, when I say the word glue I'm actually thinking of that liquid Elmer's stuff. The kind that makes us shudder when we think little kids experimenting with it because... well, glue has the potential to be very messy, especially if there's glitter, feathers and pom-poms involved.

Tissue paper, beads, and cotton balls aside, friendship-- like glue, is that wonderful adhesive between two people. Of course, like hardened glue between two sides, there is the possibility of the bond weakening over time through aging and weathering. To prevent this from happening, sometimes the glue needs to be reapplied in different areas--- the weak spots need to be evaluated and filled in (if it is meant to be). Sometimes a little more glue is needed just to strengthen the bond even more. And in the case of new friendships, that glue is fresh and takes time to fasten together. If you've ever watched a kid with a whole wad of glue, attempting to stick two pieces of material together, it's quite hilarious. It is particularly interesting because the glue tends to get everywhere. The two pieces of material tend to slide against each other until firmly pressed in place.

With that said, I had a great Labor Day weekend. I spent most of my time with my friends, which was such a blessing. I enjoyed being out and about-- enjoying that thing called freedom. ;)

On Saturday evening, after work, I went over to Janelle and Drew's apartment. They were hosting an open-house party for Janelle's birthday. I enjoyed getting to see their friends again (met them at Drew's party in July). I also learned that when one turns 24 it must be the "Year of the Flower" or something gets tweaked in the minds of party-goers. Yes, everybody, including me, that came to Janelle's party brought her flowers-- bouquets or potted ones. It was pretty hilarious! Janelle's apartment looked like a very pretty spring garden. haha

Janelle's party was very fun. I'm so glad that I was able to celebrate with her and everyone else. I enjoyed getting to know her friends better. We also played a few rounds of a Bible Trivia game. We started out with the adult questions but they were a bit too challenging for us. So, we went on to the kids' version... much better!

On Sunday, I went down to Salem for the day to visit my good friend Andrea. We both try to see each other every month. When I visit her for lunch, I usually stay with Granny overnight. However, Granny is staying at my aunt's house now as she recovers. I didn't see Andrea last month because my schedule was hectic and I didn't know what all was going on with the family. Since we've made the commitment to see each other, I felt it was important to uphold that-- totally worth the gas and drive (love the drive actually- it's through the beautiful country). I'm so glad that distance cannot separate good friends.

When I got home in the late afternoon on Sunday, I had a little time to change out of my cute outfit to something more comfortable. Drew, Janelle and Jason picked me up to go to Drew's company picnic. Friends and family were included in the picnic announcement, which is why Jason and I were included. The four of us had a great time hanging out together-- it was fun to get to know Jason better too. While Drew participated in some of the funny company activities (like the water balloon toss and seed spitting contest), Janelle, Jason and I attempted to keep ourselves warm- we sat around most of the time and chatted. Yeah, it was a VERY chilly day for a picnic. There is no doubt the seasons are changing.

After the picnic was over, we still wanted to hang out. We attempted to go to the 24 hour Starbucks but it wasn't open, probably due to holiday hours. So, thankfully, Moonstruck was open! Even though we had been cold from the picnic we decided to sit outside in the courtyard, but it wasn't too bad. The courtyard was fairly protected from the wind and my hot chocolate kept me quite comfortable. Plus, we all were thoroughly enjoying each other's company. That was a great way to unwind (as Janelle perfectly stated)...

Hope that you all had a great Labor Day weekend too!

Friday Wrap-Up

"A man who does not think for himself does not think at all." --Oscar Wilde

I really enjoyed writing my "What I'm For" poem-- it was liberating and fun. Often times I feel like I'm a "Plain Jane" but when I wrote that poem, it brought out all of those parts of me that make me who I am. Who I am is not a label of some kind. I've always felt frustrated that I could never be in one category or another, especially in terms of politics. Sometimes I agree with the Left side and sometimes I agree with the Right. Really though, I'm a combination of values. To some, I may seem apathetic but I'm not. Like everyone else, I have my own opinions too.

So with that being said... there are plenty of more things I could say in my poem. But when I wrote that poem last night, that's how it all came out. I did make a list throughout yesterday but when I sat down to write, it all came together in that way. I like it. I feel like I represented myself well. That was me writing in the moment.

Besides reflecting on the poem, I also wanted to share where I'm at with the things I'm working on...

Couch to 5K Running Plan: Just started the 4th week! Today was definitely the most challenging day. I'll write more about this week's plan tomorrow or in a few days.

Bible Reading Plan: August 31st marked the 50th day of reading! I'm now a few more days over that of course.

Budgeting: Just got paid today for the last two weeks... Need to re-evaluate some of my plans. So far, I feel pretty good about my spending.

Alrighty, sorry this was a little rushed at the end. I need to get ready to head downtown with my mom and sister to the first football game of the season (my alma mater is playing a Portland school tonight). We're mainly going to support my sister's boyfriend. Go #45! haha. And we're going to ride the MAX! Should be an adventure! (And in all honesty, I am dragging my feet a little bit... I'm not a huge fan of this sport)

Hope ya'll are having a good Friday night!