tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74764266429212962902024-02-19T05:23:02.228-08:00My life as a Mrs. to my best friend.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-59804164371298353552009-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:002009-01-01T07:53:58.256-08:00new yearit's a new year, so i have a new blog. :-)<br /><a href="http://www.morningreveries.blogspot.com"><br />www.morningreveries.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />happy new year, loves.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-61213364556418702042008-12-31T07:17:00.000-08:002008-12-31T08:14:26.988-08:00new year, new changesThe relationship aspect of marriage is wonderful. Getting used to cooking every night, all of the dishes each meal creates, and this haunting tower of dirty laundry is not so wonderful! Amy, Jolyn, how do you guys DO it?!?! My meal creativity is running low, it seems the dishwasher is always running, and I'm struggling to complete LAST week's load of laundry while the bedroom hamper is now full and waiting for a wash! Perhaps it's more difficult now because we're still trying to unpack boxes and put things away. The house isn't completely put together yet, so that's another thing I feel I'm always two steps behind on.<br /><br />One thing Josh and I are excited to do once life calms down a little bit is get back into our community. We're looking for a place to invest some time into through volunteer work. It will be really great to start that up in the near future.<br /><br />We're having a New Year's party for a few of our friends tonight, and I'm really excited! I guess this is kind of easing back into social life. I got a great cheese dip recipe from Jineane that I'm anxious to try out, and other people are bringing snacks and such too. The apartment is really starting to look nice! We need to get some more wall art and such, but it's becoming such a home! It's amazing how wonderful it is to have a place to call your own.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-11675315049709670672008-12-29T10:47:00.000-08:002008-12-29T11:03:30.761-08:00sleepoverI think it will be nice to blog again so I can keep up with people who aren't always in the area. I am absolutely cherishing this brand new marriage. I've had middle aged people who are cynics by time tell me that it will fade, I'll chop off all my hair, we'll hate each other in no time, etc etc and all that nonsense. <br /><br />Josh and I are having SO MUCH FUN!<br /><br />Last night we cozied up on the couch and ate Christmas goodies while watching Dead Poet's Society. It's one of my favorites, and he'd never seen it before. After the movie, we crawled into bed and started chatting. We talked about the movie, our theories on certain concepts of it, and how much the story line resembles the Messianic story. Then we started laughing out heads off over stories from junior high and high school. We shared stories that showed our naive side, our nerdiness, how we'd changed, and even some serious stories about how we'd been shaped by events in our past. <br /><br />"This feels kind of like a sleepover, doesn't it?"<br />"I was thinking the same exact thing!!!!"<br />"You know those sleepovers where you stay up late talking in bed till your voice is hoarse and you're so tired? Then you look at the time and think, 'Wow, we better go to bed!'"<br />"I loved those! Especially where you built a fort with sheets!"<br />"Oh my forts were the absolute BEST....."<br /><br />We continued laughing and talking about sleepovers, forts, and other things.<br /><br />Then he grabbed my hand.<br />"You're my best friend."<br /><br />I think I'd be very happy if everyday with my husband felt like a sleepover with your best friend. :-)Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-55866546796662349872008-12-28T13:53:00.000-08:002008-12-28T13:55:49.604-08:00UnityI thought I had known togetherness and communion with Josh when he was my fiance. But it's nothing compared to the incredible sense of unity we feel now. On the last night of our honeymoon we laid in bed chatting together. We agreed that already, we'd felt so much closer together than before. It's this mysterious thing that I felt as soon as we were pronounced married, and I've only felt it growing more and more every day. <br /><br />I can't explain the concept of "one flesh."<br /><br />I just know now how real it is. And it's wonderful.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-30449337152208214272008-12-16T08:54:00.001-08:002008-12-16T08:57:06.921-08:00resurfaceI've been abandoning this blog because I just haven't had a whole lot of time lately. It's been very interesting.... <br /><br />I am going to graduate. I think. There's just a little bit left to finish, and I think I can do it. <br /><br />I'm waiting to hear back today about an amazing job opportunity. It would be a dream job for me--amazing and humbling. I'm so anxious. Just to have an interview made me feel honored and even if I'm not selected for the position, I may opt to volunteer there after the New Year begins. <br /><br />I'm getting married this Saturday. I will be Mrs. Joshua Miser. When I went to a Dr.'s appointment and scheduled a follow-up for six months out, the receptionist put my married name on my appointment card. "Kelly Miser." <br /><br />Wow. <br /><br />I don't know if I'll ever get used to that! <br /><br />But I can't even begin to say how excited I am right now, so I won't even try. :-)<br /><br />This Saturday... <br /><br />It's gonna be sweet.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-50377864156425784102008-12-03T11:26:00.000-08:002008-12-03T11:32:36.510-08:00my parentsI seriously have the best dad EVER. <br /><br />I'm struggling soooo hard to graduate and get married and move and stay physically healthy all at the same time. He sees my stress and instead of pounding over my head what a dumb decision trying to do all this at once was, he's been nothing but an encouragement to me. <br /><br />Every morning, I wake up and find a new piece of paper on the kitchen table. The first day, it was of a runner crossing the finish line. Yesterday, it was a picture of "The Little Engine that Could." This morning, I found a cartoon character charging ahead with determination. <br /><br />I've been hanging every single one on the refrigerator and I intend on keeping them as a memory. <br /><br />My mom has also been amazing in her own ways too! She has totally stepped in and taken on my wedding plans for me. And I LOVE IT. She doesn't even ask anymore... she just sees and does. It is such a relief to know that someone else thought of the garland or the fake snow, and that she decorated the wreaths and flower girl baskets for me. I would have NEVER gotten around to those things. She leaves me notes of questions about things still to be done and reminders of things left to do. (Like this morning. Marriage license? Yeah... totally forgot about it. Seriously.)<br /><br />If it weren't for my parents love and support, I would NOT graduate this year and I would have a half assembled wedding and a completely broken down body and emotions. But because of them.... I can see the end in sight. I'm not there yet. There's still a LOT of work to accomplish. But because of them, I know I'm going to make it. <br /><br />I really love my parents. <3Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-5947492176929607382008-11-25T21:20:00.000-08:002008-11-25T21:25:23.197-08:00life lessonsIt's a beautiful thing to learn from your friends. <br /><br />To share a piece of your soul with them. I love having relationships like that, because each one is different and unique. That means that only the two of you can know the depth of the relationship and only you two will be shaped in a certain way from that connection. <br /><br />I have learned some valuable lessons from the people in my life lately. And I've learned that life is good. Life is beautiful. It's worth living. It's an opportunity to grow, and there's always a way to move forward.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-26304968131851219852008-11-22T05:51:00.000-08:002008-11-22T06:07:15.570-08:00winter beautyThis morning my eyes drank in a beautiful sight.<br /><br />I walked to the patio window in the dining room and froze from what caught my gaze. Everything was covered in inches upon inches of white. It rested on the grey-brown trees, on my neighbors roofs, and created a rounded pile upon the picnic table. The stone bird feeder had a poofy mound of the snow bursting from it. The world had that echo-y and insulated feel to it, and with my breath caught up by the sight, there was not a sound to be heard.<br /><br />And then I saw the birds. Scattered all through the yards on our many, many feeders. Their features and flutters were accentuated by the white background around them. I saw little brown sparrows near the door clinging to a nylon sack of seed. Swooping in to join them was a full bodied red cardinal with a regal head and beak. To my left on a cluster of feed hung a large woodpecker. He had the rusted red head with the intricate black and white wings and white belly. He sat there pecking away at the seed block, and he was very very large. Back a little ways with the brightest Bluejay. He was not in their typical fashion of obnoxiousness, for everything was quiet as can be. <br /><br />There was only a glass window and a whole other world separating me between this community of birds. It was gorgeous and rare. Some of them flew in and out, but not one truly left because the other was there. For some reason, not even the big birds gave much intimidation to the little ones. They all settled into their places and continued feeding and gathering. All of these variations of birds eating, living, and flitting about together in a gorgeously colorful existence. Against the crisp winter background, it was a truly mind capturing sight. <br /><br />I thought of their diversity. Their community. Their mutual existence. And the peace and quiet. As I backed away from the glass, I wondered to myself what humanity would be like if we all behaved a bit more like these birds.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-90334081642933655862008-11-18T20:03:00.000-08:002008-11-18T20:19:35.920-08:00it's coming together!Of course it's not finished yet, but things are really coming together for the apartment! So I just wanted to post some pictures of the main rooms to give out of town people an idea of what it looks like. :-) (You can click on the pictures to get a larger view)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAvnk0iqJk1SX_RrzqdXQ-YzpW6p7Q4xcWWlEKzAUQ-qFlvQXEv1Rr17rNwXX6FWigiFPGgWLeU8ejGCMGRqQ-p3tdKZC3GEmyU59EtdpO7X89gqnfCHCTO5yvH4kmJy9CZ7PCreXw-A/s1600-h/IMG00773.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAvnk0iqJk1SX_RrzqdXQ-YzpW6p7Q4xcWWlEKzAUQ-qFlvQXEv1Rr17rNwXX6FWigiFPGgWLeU8ejGCMGRqQ-p3tdKZC3GEmyU59EtdpO7X89gqnfCHCTO5yvH4kmJy9CZ7PCreXw-A/s320/IMG00773.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270216156228970034" /></a><br /><br />This is the overall view from near the door.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDd6wbffw3_JYCw1I6BQbxmC4WLgSEgxDFXK6LwLmJvP_5W2I9-qozXJQFOVM2XOTcDsVvmBaRPow_iwVav4DcBT3Rb67BZLXozIxgk1LFaTDsSq1apLfbrG_ZigAhBrqzL15MzPBij4/s1600-h/IMG00772.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDd6wbffw3_JYCw1I6BQbxmC4WLgSEgxDFXK6LwLmJvP_5W2I9-qozXJQFOVM2XOTcDsVvmBaRPow_iwVav4DcBT3Rb67BZLXozIxgk1LFaTDsSq1apLfbrG_ZigAhBrqzL15MzPBij4/s320/IMG00772.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270216471391441378" /></a><br /><br />Our dining area<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga199TzyV0hWWYKu152uXkIplOOeIokyaForiXFU-6bwfsrGkfyByOp1FlKlj_ylK-MCsvHWa6p6yWp_YgL-r8CuzAM8ztAFKq-jR5cnlNSyfO-XrKqKdZaNZ9IHRfWy8cu55RpCB8X_Y/s1600-h/IMG00774.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga199TzyV0hWWYKu152uXkIplOOeIokyaForiXFU-6bwfsrGkfyByOp1FlKlj_ylK-MCsvHWa6p6yWp_YgL-r8CuzAM8ztAFKq-jR5cnlNSyfO-XrKqKdZaNZ9IHRfWy8cu55RpCB8X_Y/s320/IMG00774.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270216767449484578" /></a><br /><br />The buffet acts as a great room divider<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf8Hyl9byu-EJzr9E8cqgu45HM9aU49j8uuywJEVUELCYuGt_psIBWoWrBCHLy4syQkppJ41C8_YoxYKz4gfv3yarqhxg25SKv5wdfB5mIPNaLCTZS2E46_m5I7yVgyWf0jnx8o24XLE/s1600-h/IMG00775.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf8Hyl9byu-EJzr9E8cqgu45HM9aU49j8uuywJEVUELCYuGt_psIBWoWrBCHLy4syQkppJ41C8_YoxYKz4gfv3yarqhxg25SKv5wdfB5mIPNaLCTZS2E46_m5I7yVgyWf0jnx8o24XLE/s320/IMG00775.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270217028709738802" /></a><br /><br />Our cozy couch and record player<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrstSv3Mr14Y3WK5D541yyMi_LwNZNRE05ZosDEDqQpjFI4dCnG-p8ww7jzFJujY1G_29DHdjTocEZO5XUO_ap2JpDN9rNPd0d3T_KZZiY7aEXetR-k9nZPweKT4rH4N3L0VSpdvx6q4/s1600-h/IMG00776.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrstSv3Mr14Y3WK5D541yyMi_LwNZNRE05ZosDEDqQpjFI4dCnG-p8ww7jzFJujY1G_29DHdjTocEZO5XUO_ap2JpDN9rNPd0d3T_KZZiY7aEXetR-k9nZPweKT4rH4N3L0VSpdvx6q4/s320/IMG00776.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270217264565175506" /></a><br /><br />One corner of the room--Josh's techie-ness<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbEvpjxLS6IEuUu6VwX9RP_nMHr6yypy3uwverVVvAINbCFyiQV1HHON8Dv6GkXtOpJ6jJxLanQVAl2LWnQUh_QlguGx4Bf9iIhXJbnkb11lwc6I20f5idQlwgw8oMnAQLZ6KWBHAGTc/s1600-h/IMG00779.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbEvpjxLS6IEuUu6VwX9RP_nMHr6yypy3uwverVVvAINbCFyiQV1HHON8Dv6GkXtOpJ6jJxLanQVAl2LWnQUh_QlguGx4Bf9iIhXJbnkb11lwc6I20f5idQlwgw8oMnAQLZ6KWBHAGTc/s320/IMG00779.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270217494195545314" /></a><br /><br />The drop-down ceiling above the couch/buffet<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwdfjfHiZEsQHq6N_dnM0ul70Db2fJNKCHjeLQEHT0Taie70WADulIEBcXybeTklndjLNO6oZ5moPd9CKE2a9xxs18H5ndWDeLeps-1hfESo25nHewyCDoc_oPyNPxFflkAhUZuLGSjc/s1600-h/IMG00781.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwdfjfHiZEsQHq6N_dnM0ul70Db2fJNKCHjeLQEHT0Taie70WADulIEBcXybeTklndjLNO6oZ5moPd9CKE2a9xxs18H5ndWDeLeps-1hfESo25nHewyCDoc_oPyNPxFflkAhUZuLGSjc/s320/IMG00781.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270217774063734610" /></a><br /><br />The other corner of the room--our cute little reading area. (Notice the table and chairs!!!!!)<br /><br />Sorry if the pictures weren't very clear or if they were grainy. I took them with my BlackBerry camera, so they're not the best. But it gives you a good idea. :-)Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-60751338460733990162008-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:002008-11-17T19:36:10.094-08:00Hitting close to homeI read this article in my local news paper today, and I felt the tears brimming across my eyes. This is my community. These are the people I live with, drive on the roads with, shop with, and breath the common air with. I want to do something, but I'm not really sure what to do...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Pantries see more in need</span><br /><br />Group aims to stock shelves as layoffs fuel dilemma<br /><br />By JOSEPH DITS Tribune Staff Writer<br /><br />SOUTH BEND -- Arthur Hensell is beat. A diabetic, he admits that he doesn't eat enough some days to keep up his health. He can't afford the food.<br /><br />So he climbs aboard his bike. His right leg still gives him pain, amputated last year after a bad fall in 1996 led to eight surgeries and an infection. But he extends his artificial leg to the pedal and rides a short distance from home to the tiny food pantry at 2406 Mishawaka Ave.<br /><br />"I've been through a lot," says Hensell, 37, washed out from spending the last week and a half in a hospital. He takes a seat and a cup of coffee here at The Church Lady and Friends Outreach Ministries. He says the doctors want to test him for lung cancer.<br /><br />Another face, another pantry. It could be anywhere in this country or this county. Check just about any newspaper, and you'll read about the same dilemma.<br /><br />Incessant layoffs and lack of jobs are forcing a dramatic rise in the number of clients at food pantries, including those who once were donors.Pantries are reporting from 30 percent to 70 percent increases over last year.<br /><br />That's why the United Way of St. Joseph County and several agencies are urging the public to join People Gotta Eat. The initiative seeks dollars because it's more efficient than a food drive. Numbers vary, but the Food Bank of Northern Indiana estimates $1 can garner up to $8 worth of food.<br /><br />The goal is $180,000 through this winter, the estimated cost of feeding 1,000 families of four for six months, says Karen Sommers, the United Way's vice president of community investment. About $4,000 has been raised so far.<br /><br />A proposal is being written to access United Way dollars for People Gotta Eat, too, she says. The United Way is asking several companies to join its own fundraising campaign for the first time; if they say no, Sommers says, they can help People Gotta Eat instead.<br /><br />Half of the money would go to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. The other half would go to 46 pantries in St. Joseph County.Pantry donations started to dry up this summer at the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph County, says pantry director Penny Cyr. Clothing and furniture donations are down now, too.<br /><br />But the phone rings so much that the staff can't keep up with it. Needy callers get testy, she says.<br /><br />"There's a certain desperation out there," she says. "It's frightening."<br /><br />The requests for food there have leapt from 10,500 in 2006 to 17,630 in 2007 to 19,000 in 2008, Cyr says.<br /><br />The Penn Township Food Pantry sets a new record for clients each month, says Director Mike Hayes -- 451 households in September with 1,124 people, 388 households in October with 1,188 people.Nine out of 10 of the Penn pantry's clients say they were laid off, he says.<br /><br />Most pantries give out a two- to four-day supply of food, allowing one visit per month. But if they're short on food, they give out less per household.<br /><br />The Rev. Mary Booth Lyons says she opened her pantry in September 2007, and it's grown quickly. (Yes, The Church Lady is named after the old "Saturday Night Live" skit.) This month Lyons served 75 households, or nearly 300 people, here in a space she shares with the Mountain Top Faith Apostolic Church, which has about 13 members.<br /><br />She drops food into plastic bags for Hensell, and except for canned salmon, he agrees to everything -- canned beets, peanut butter, Jell-O.<br /><br />"I count on these people to get me through," he says, adding that he hits this and other food pantries, but not every month.His disability benefits from Social Security, a total of $538, leaves him $38 after he pays rent.<br /><br />He says he has about $100 in food stamps, but he cannot use them because he lost his state benefit card and other IDs. He's been trying to replace the card for more than a month, to no avail.<br /><br />The mess-up, he says, is that the local welfare office knows where he lives, but the place that issues the card has an old address for him.<br /><br />"Can't slow me down," he says, explaining how he's managed to climb a ladder with one leg so he could do odd jobs -- painting or roof work -- for cash.<br /><br />As he talks, Lyons softly exhales, "I can't take it.""The Lord has just put a burden on my heart," she says. "My definition of neglect is seeing a need and not trying to take care of it."Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-6038984435508774432008-11-16T16:49:00.000-08:002008-11-16T17:04:28.912-08:00mmm.... homeI'll try to put up pictures in the next few days, but Josh and I have moved into our new apartment! Well, I don't sleep there yet, but we've started to arrange it how it will be once we're both living there permanently. <br />Saturday there was a call for rain and snow all day long, so I was dreading the move. I just imagined wet boxes, wet furniture, wet and grumpy people. But except for a short time and after things were moved in, all the rain held off! We definitely praised God for that! <br />I felt so extremely blessed by the help and generosity of people. So much has been provided for us by friends and family that it got a bit overwhelming at times. Our families were amazing, but I was also blessed by the friends that came to help us move. It let me know just how special Kevin and Anna are in our life! Kevin has been helping us for almost a week now with packing and now unpacking the apartment, and Anna put in so much gumption with those boxes, cleaning, and helping me decorate! Watching Josh, Kevin, and Jeremy take the couch up three floors was also really amazing! I can't believe they did it.<br />Our home looks so nice! The spare room/office and bedroom are still being worked on, but the main living space is basically complete! The dining room is beautiful with the red lace tablecloth, Asian placemats and bamboo wall paintings. We have the antique table and hutch that's been in my family for years, and it the hutch is a nice focal point.<br />We set up the bookshelves in the living room and they look really nice with those chairs and little table I painted! Oh yes! Remember those that I bought at the beginning of the summer? My dear mother finished them for me, and they look amazing! <br />It was so fun cooking for Josh and I this Sunday. Josh went "Awwww" when he realized it was our first meal together in our new home! He'd gone out for a while and when he came back he said, "It was so comforting to walk up the stairs and smell dinner and know it was coming from my home." <br /> For lunch, I made penne noodles and for him there was beef and gravy to pour over it, and I made a peanut sauce with tofu for myself. For dinner I made Mujaddarah, which is an Egyptian recipe of rice and lentils and I put in cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, and raisins. Josh said that out of all the meals I make, this one smells the best. :-)<br /><br />I'll try to put up pictures of the apartment soon so everyone out of town can see!Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-47177433563805998052008-11-13T19:33:00.000-08:002008-11-13T19:38:30.457-08:00So I've seen a LOT of people taking this new online quiz lately. It's basically one of those personality quizzes that matches you to something. At first, I thought, "Oh that's such a waste of time--I already know what my personality is." But then I thought, "I love vintage era celebrities. It'd be fun to see who I'm matched with."<br /><br />I obviously never knew Ingrid Bergman, but I can attest that these personality traits listed are DEAD ON when it comes to myself. Hmm.... kinda fun. :-)<br /><br /><br />You Are an Ingrid!<br /><br /><br /><br />You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"<br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cosmomovieawards.com/actors/images/ingridbergman.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 385px;" src="http://www.cosmomovieawards.com/actors/images/ingridbergman.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /> <br />Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br />How to Get Along with Me<br /><br /> * * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.<br /> * * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.<br /> * * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.<br /> * * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.<br /> * * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br />What I Like About Being an Ingrid<br /><br /> * * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level<br /> * * my ability to establish warm connections with people<br /> * * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life<br /> * * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor<br /> * * being unique and being seen as unique by others<br /> * * having aesthetic sensibilities<br /> * * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br />What's Hard About Being an Ingrid<br /><br /> * * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair<br /> * * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved<br /> * * feeling guilty when I disappoint people<br /> * * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me<br /> * * expecting too much from myself and life<br /> * * fearing being abandoned<br /> * * obsessing over resentments<br /> * * longing for what I don't have<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br />Ingrids as Children Often<br /><br /> * * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games<br /> * * are very sensitive<br /> * * feel that they don't fit in<br /> * * believe they are missing something that other people have<br /> * * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.<br /> * * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood<br /> * * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br />Ingrids as Parents<br /><br /> * * help their children become who they really are<br /> * * support their children's creativity and originality<br /> * * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings<br /> * * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective<br /> * * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbedBugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-91295533637095802072008-11-09T07:45:00.001-08:002008-11-09T07:45:59.040-08:00touching<script src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=dom&vid=/video/us/2008/11/09/jaffey.wa.last.wish.komo" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript>Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a></noscript>Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-14591416796375382222008-11-05T07:05:00.000-08:002008-11-05T07:39:30.853-08:00the next morningI don't care how one or another person voted.... I feel that everyone should be excited to take part in such amazing history. <br /><br />Sitting alone on the couch late last night, I was knitting away at some fingerless gloves, when I heard, "There will be children in the white house...." and I looked up and my eyes bugged out. "Wow," I quietly whispered. <br /><br />I have a lot of respect for both candidates, and my favor swung back and forth between them a LOT. And my respect only grew last night for both of them. <br /><br />McCain's concession speech was beautiful, honorable, and full of dignity. I've rarely heard a more beautiful concession speech, and he was so respectful. As I listened, I thought, "He's a good man. He's a really, really good man."<br /><br />Seeing the excitement on people's faces for Obama's win was also really endearing. For me, all political feelings were set aside, and I just watched the crowds. I saw the smiles, the jumping, the flag waving, and the tears. And you know what? I cried too. There's things I disagree with Obama on, but I was proud of my country. Like McCain said, I can't imagine how all those who have felt marginalized by society must have felt for a black man to become president. <br /><br />What was really cool is that this is NOT a black victory. It was not just minorities crying and cheering last night. It was all races, all socio-economic classes, both genders, and multiple religions. This is an American victory and American history. Seeing everyone cheering together made a feel a little like we're a lot more unified. I'd been so tired of all the race remarks and all the accusations the last few months, and it did my heart good to see that it wasn't entirely true. There IS unity in this country. <br /><br />I've been wary and cautious of Obama at times, but I sat there last night and thought, "I can't wait to tell my kids about tonight." I have high hopes for Obama. Josh mentioned that seeing the crowd last night was amazing, because he hadn't seen hope and joy in Americans like that in years. And it's true. So, I hope he doesn't let these people down. I hope Obama does great things and is a great president. There's some policies I'm not looking forward to, but others I am very interested in. <br /><br />Democrat or Republican, I feel this is a very exciting time in America. I'm praying that it stays this way. <br /><br />I feel like it's a good day. <br /><br /><br />Song for the moment: "Last night I had the strangest dream" by Simon & GarfunkelBugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-57196548663415589622008-11-04T18:36:00.000-08:002008-11-04T18:41:41.841-08:00Election Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6puKjLsEGhpz6UoBJK4X8JxyK2UhP8dNFx1QyD1lR_4AzVYjgdQL2NTTB43zPIbO2juKROdA6uFz7jc2wjnRVWwaJ9omhV5ScNmhBbUsJvnnrgJX1QrBl6BOSUcaiHrofi2o2aY6b_k/s1600-h/vote.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6puKjLsEGhpz6UoBJK4X8JxyK2UhP8dNFx1QyD1lR_4AzVYjgdQL2NTTB43zPIbO2juKROdA6uFz7jc2wjnRVWwaJ9omhV5ScNmhBbUsJvnnrgJX1QrBl6BOSUcaiHrofi2o2aY6b_k/s320/vote.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264997623754313554" /></a><br /><br />I VOTED! <br />My first presidential election ever! <br /><br />It was a beautiful day today, too.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-83631133951783288302008-11-03T10:51:00.000-08:002008-11-03T11:27:26.417-08:00tomorrowSo here's my plug to go out and vote.... <br /><br />VOTE! :-)<br /><br />I'm really excited this year, because it's my first election. I actually get to participate! If you don't know WHERE you're supposed to go vote, both Obama and McCain have resources on their web site to figure out your polling location. <br /><br />This weekend was pretty eventul. Josh and I went to see about getting approved for a lease, and if we are approved, we move things into the new apartment on the 15th of this month! O_O Filling out the application was such a wave of emotions for me. It made it more "real" that Josh and I aren't just throwing a big ceremony, but our LIFE will actually be spent together. It made me feel both joyous and also heavy with the weight of responsibility. I cannot believe that I'll be married in six weeks.<br /><br />Anna and I drove down to Cedar Point yesterday to meet up with Josh and some of his "coaster buddies." We had a great time! I even got Anna to try a few roller coasters she didn't think she would have normally tried. It was great to spend the time talking with her in the car, and except for a few times, the weather was REALLY nice! <br /><br />Tonight Josh and I are planning on finishing the invitations while watching Once. :-) I'm going to make him some Mexican Hot Chocolate, and I'm bringing home Cambodian-Thai food for dinner! YUM!Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-25053229695232336212008-11-01T19:39:00.000-07:002008-11-01T19:55:39.763-07:00edward hopperI am an avid Edward Hopper fan. <br /><br />Josh and I were talking this evening about how to decorate our living room. I'd already chosen the colors blue and white, and I'm incredibly excited about the blue and white stripped couch slip cover I registered for. I painted two antique chairs and a little table a distressed white. But we hadn't paid much attention to wall art!<br /><br />Together we decided on a Maritime theme. We both love beaches, marinas, and water, and coastal living, so I feel it suits us nicely. Another added bonus for me? Edward Hopper. Here are the paintings which I hope to acquire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.areaofdesign.com/americanicons/hopper/martha.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 345px; height: 221px;" src="http://www.areaofdesign.com/americanicons/hopper/martha.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Martha McKeen of Wellfleet<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.globalgallery.com/prod_images/mcg-pf1460.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 275px;" src="http://www.globalgallery.com/prod_images/mcg-pf1460.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Lighthouse and Buildings, Portland Head<br /><br /><br />I have some sea glass that I've collected from the shores of Lake Michigan, Hawaii, Maine, California, Spain, and Portugal that I would like to display creatively somehow, but I'm not quite sure what that would look like yet. Hmmm.....Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-14393142854652777402008-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:002008-10-30T19:34:03.557-07:00overwhelmedSometimes, this is all just way too much. I am trying to conquer so many giants in my life. I feel like a minuscule version of David--without his sling, or like Joan of Arc without her sword. <br /><br />I always vowed that my marriage would NOT revolve around money. Being in Sociology, I know the statistics. Money stress is the number one cause of divorce. It grays your hairs, blackens your heart. I realized tonight that my mind has been filled with budgets, credit card payments, how to be a frugal wife to save money, apartment renting, etc. I've felt so much pressure because I desperately need a full time job, and right now, I've had my doubts about acquiring one.<br /><br />A couple years ago, I have this naive and ideal image in my head conjured up by fiction books and Hollywood movies. It was the romantic story of a young couple, poor as can be, probably artists or something, and they didn't know where the rent was coming from or how long the electric would stay on, but it didn't matter. They were happy, and it was as if financial issues could never touch them. They were the young, indie couple surviving on love. Maybe it's the whole "RENT" philosophy. <br /><br />As much of a swooner as that story may be, it's not nearly as easy as you may think. I called Josh tonight, crying and freaking out. I told him that I was scared, because we've been preparing to be married in the worldly aspect SO much lately! Our time has been consumed with budget spreadsheets, apartment hunting, job searching, trying to figure out where the rest of our furniture needs will come from... And that's all good, responsible, and extremely necessary. But I felt scared because I felt like the relational aspect of our lives was suffering. We were preparing for married living, yes, but I felt like we stopped preparing to be a married couple! The development of the relationship, the most important part of a marriage, had stopped amongst growing dollar signs. <br /><br />I expressed all of this to him, and he said, "You're right." So, he said that as soon as we can next week, we should have a "Josh and Kelly night." For one night, we get to lay aside all talk of wedding planning, me trying desperately to get my school projects done, finances, and moving into the apartment. Oh praise Jesus! When he said that, my tears were a mixture of relief and joy, but also still filled with stress and fear of the future. Such a mixture of emotions I can't fully explain. For the first time in quite a while, I will simply get to bask in the joy of having a soul mate. We will get to enjoy each other's company for who we are and the relationship we've built. As important as everything else is, for one evening, we get to TRULY build our home--our relationship. It makes me cry again out of utter happiness and appreciation for my man. <br /><br />I know we'll make it.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-16407741624276878782008-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:002008-10-28T21:13:35.336-07:00supper = failJosh and I set out to do some wedding things this evening at his apartment. I wanted to cook dinner for us just to make it a bit more special. I experimented again. It faaaaailed. lol <br /><br />I bought some sushi rice and cooked it up. I also bought some tofu. I got this great idea of flavoring it with lime juice and ginger. The flavor was actually quite good, however.... I forgot and bought the wrong kind of tofu. I don't know why, but there's this one brand of tofu that no matter how I prepare it, it falls apart and feels too soft and even slimy. It doesn't keep a firm texture or hold. So, the flavoring concept was great, but the tofu...... bleck. But then, I was thinking about the lime. I thought, "What could I do to the rice to spice it up and go with the lime flavoring?" The correct answer was NOTHING. But what did I do? I searched the Internet for recipes that included ingredients similar to what I'd already used. Somehow, through a long time of recipe searches that got more and more abstract, I came up with the "brilliant" idea of vodka. Yes. VODKA. I thought I would put vodka in the rice to simulate vodka sauce. But without the tomatoes. Or the sauce. Uh-huh. Yeah.... it was SO BITTER. Never doing that again.<br /><br />But I swear, I am getting the best husband EVER. Because get this: HE ATE IT! haha! He admitted to me that it wasn't very good, but he still ate it. He ate more than I could handle! And then.... my darling even ran out after dinner and brought us back some Dairy Queen. :-) I haven't had dairy queen in over a year, I believe. He was sweet enough to bring me some--even after my horrid dinner.Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-2179738961742125262008-10-27T18:50:00.000-07:002008-10-27T18:59:51.410-07:00FIRST SNOW!!!!!!!It snowed tonight. The first of the season. :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qysQujCxwQbvxJAUFgMYXvCJW8KJYZhPoyMsZ9F5SGJwF-3Lkb6fUcl5GlTUfxO6NCGuaumQ8t_E0x1r7fOwU7bcfsjopkFDbh_Tr4_Rktb6Wa5KOCOhCjxwwT2Evc091yZ8OD_Or1E/s1600-h/snow2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qysQujCxwQbvxJAUFgMYXvCJW8KJYZhPoyMsZ9F5SGJwF-3Lkb6fUcl5GlTUfxO6NCGuaumQ8t_E0x1r7fOwU7bcfsjopkFDbh_Tr4_Rktb6Wa5KOCOhCjxwwT2Evc091yZ8OD_Or1E/s320/snow2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262017298349974818" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TDm9tIhfmc4_mkz93-CHzWp4_kP2gaX7qi59DIGqNqO37rkUqsCr4vVK3vRp8fIY2vpOtRvbRb8rBb28qzk0ysCTGI5JRB95c7vV40qmkDH9ep3RMrvvZ_JwB_Z3izxNAO0AJyDISW0/s1600-h/me.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TDm9tIhfmc4_mkz93-CHzWp4_kP2gaX7qi59DIGqNqO37rkUqsCr4vVK3vRp8fIY2vpOtRvbRb8rBb28qzk0ysCTGI5JRB95c7vV40qmkDH9ep3RMrvvZ_JwB_Z3izxNAO0AJyDISW0/s320/me.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262017533926684786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCBS-dnvZl0lrzm4opJBPHrJsXu2FU1sL1SnAPcddZqFxaWLiFtH42FrT-WQQ4RfIGbMR73i6RJAEp_8Pxj735WsomGzZUXsIi3dVV9ap5HnvmPTONhSfrKJfE7_KdqNEKTouJ1AD6K8/s1600-h/josh.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCBS-dnvZl0lrzm4opJBPHrJsXu2FU1sL1SnAPcddZqFxaWLiFtH42FrT-WQQ4RfIGbMR73i6RJAEp_8Pxj735WsomGzZUXsIi3dVV9ap5HnvmPTONhSfrKJfE7_KdqNEKTouJ1AD6K8/s320/josh.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262017896796757794" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrITA7SKbnu6ZIhwfbxx0Powx0ZAfJ61lWm5TBYll8frxslFrGIz9oDD7Ilsj7DfeUcW7xm6ynSqb9ZR4ZxgTtq3F3PzUdJK2ZHh1yoktglLkOcwVdhsJeDebR8E8-GIqa0xKZf8l0BI/s1600-h/snow.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrITA7SKbnu6ZIhwfbxx0Powx0ZAfJ61lWm5TBYll8frxslFrGIz9oDD7Ilsj7DfeUcW7xm6ynSqb9ZR4ZxgTtq3F3PzUdJK2ZHh1yoktglLkOcwVdhsJeDebR8E8-GIqa0xKZf8l0BI/s320/snow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262018236821552226" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDPRaR9mjSWukh2dCSBSN0PwaFqK5NWh1R3eoSL-E7eOPiPpF5a2_m0PF-1gPHNBbtYaVDZSJVFn17R7OxJcYq0D7vjqPaTB7uOSyeocREz_ISrQPOz8ulCqzh0MXqHHvV5O2H1QUFKs/s1600-h/us.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDPRaR9mjSWukh2dCSBSN0PwaFqK5NWh1R3eoSL-E7eOPiPpF5a2_m0PF-1gPHNBbtYaVDZSJVFn17R7OxJcYq0D7vjqPaTB7uOSyeocREz_ISrQPOz8ulCqzh0MXqHHvV5O2H1QUFKs/s320/us.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262018411779583618" /></a>Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-36625054632788168732008-10-27T11:16:00.001-07:002008-10-27T11:26:56.390-07:00possible flu???Well, there seems to have been a sickness coming around, and it has finally reached me. I thought my steady stream of vitamins, walking, and healthy food would make me invincible to the evil virus, but I was wrong. <br /><br />This morning, I ate a delicious breakfast of oatmeal, some vanilla yogurt, and peanut butter. It didn't stay in my stomach. :-(<br /><br />So, I've been sitting on the couch with the heat turned up abnormally high and a couple of blankets spread over me. I watched "The Importance of Being Earnest" in the morning after a failed attempt at going back to sleep. Recently, I discovered the amaaaaazing blog <a href="http://www.vegandad.blogspot.com">VeganDad</a>, and I've been sifting through his food recipes to write down in my recipe book. I'm starting to build a collection! Maybe I won't be as stumped on what to cook for Josh and I after all! <br /><br />I did manage to eat a small lunch. I cut a piece of bread in half to make a small sandwich. I made a grilled apple peanut butter sandwich. All you do is slice the apple thinly and lay it onto the bread and spread the PB onto the other slice and then I grilled it in my panini maker. It's actually reeeeally delicious, and then you just eat the leftover apple!<br /><br />Hopefully I feel better this evening. Josh and I are supposed to have our first premarital counseling session, and I really don't want to cancel!Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-3527928983786763442008-10-26T14:28:00.000-07:002008-10-26T15:01:58.093-07:00Apple Lentil StewFor the first time in awhile, I have an original recipe to share with you! Tonight I threw together something I'll just call Apple Lentil Stew. But FIRST! A poem! By Robert Frost.<br /><br />October<br /><br />O hushed October morning mild,<br />Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;<br />Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,<br />Should waste them all.<br />The crows above the forest call;<br />Tomorrow they may form and go.<br />O hushed October morning mild,<br />Begin the hours of this day slow.<br />Make the day seem to us less brief.<br />Hearts not averse to being beguiled,<br />Beguile us in the way you know.<br />Release one leaf at break of day;<br />At noon release another leaf;<br />One from our trees, one far away.<br />Retard the sun with gentle mist;<br />Enchant the land with amethyst.<br />Slow, slow!<br />For the grapes' sake, if they were all,<br />Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,<br />Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--<br />For the grapes' sake along the wall.<br /><br /><br />Josh and I were sitting on a bench swing by the river this afternoon as the wind was blowing and the leaves were swirling around us, and I read this poem to him while we were sitting there. I thought it was perfectly appropriate for today. And now... my recipe for Apple Lentil Stew. (I warn you, my spice measurements are approx., because I don't actually measure it!)<br /><br />(makes 2 servings)<br /><br />1/2 c. green lentils<br />enough water to make soupy lentils (maybe 3 cups???)<br />2 tbs olive oil<br />1/8th onion, chopped<br />1 carrot, chopped<br />1 apple, peeled and cut into cubes<br />a few shakes of garlic (1/8 t???)<br />1/4-1/2 t. curry powder<br />1/2 t. allspice<br />1/2 t. cinnamon<br />salt to taste<br /><br />Bring water to a boil and add lentils and chopped carrot. Cover and let cook. Meanwhile, in a small pan, saute onion, garlic, curry, allspice, and cinnamon in the olive oil. When the lentils are about half way cooked, add the apple cubes. Then, add the onion and spices mixture to the lentils. Add salt to lentils according to taste. Lentils should still have some water in it--enough for a stew consistency. Pour into bowls and enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIszitVrlB5fMS77WqWt-xK8eCU8QgsJjJhbTftroVQ5ro2S7OhDJMHtgEYQK0n1oDQDGIIVDzapBcJ_BIUffIobGVRp2CRbeAH07wtKcOUVycIMpSM_yoSRJLndSssclY7AvUEfg42Sk/s1600-h/applelentilstew.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIszitVrlB5fMS77WqWt-xK8eCU8QgsJjJhbTftroVQ5ro2S7OhDJMHtgEYQK0n1oDQDGIIVDzapBcJ_BIUffIobGVRp2CRbeAH07wtKcOUVycIMpSM_yoSRJLndSssclY7AvUEfg42Sk/s320/applelentilstew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261581695608196738" /></a><br /><br />Mmmm.... the apples make a nice sweetness to the stew and pairs with the spices really well. This is a great main dish, and it's vegan!<br /><br />For dessert, I had a bowl of vanilla yogurt with three sliced strawberries. (It could easily be made vegan through soy yogurt.) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO_XCNT2BBTfXy-jv6IOmFDpsinIPE6RWLjjNSZrrfMkLAKZthCMu1_7SoiAnXOyBK1bR-aSPZc6eHP7FoVc419YxQ-Mke6KAdDd2qKB9RXZTSIWpXQYG_Zw2pQUdZtzsxZkfWT8LREU/s1600-h/strawberriesandyogurt.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO_XCNT2BBTfXy-jv6IOmFDpsinIPE6RWLjjNSZrrfMkLAKZthCMu1_7SoiAnXOyBK1bR-aSPZc6eHP7FoVc419YxQ-Mke6KAdDd2qKB9RXZTSIWpXQYG_Zw2pQUdZtzsxZkfWT8LREU/s320/strawberriesandyogurt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261582244237402418" /></a><br /><br />My mother walked into the kitchen and said, "You remind me of a hippie--cooking all this natural food and wearing long flowy skirts like that." I smiled and laughed at her. I'm just trying to be comfortable and healthy!<br /><br />Hmm... I'll let you guys decide:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkTWyokD6BNoNBrYWSa6Jt2N2i7e-qYwfZc-IlTcDbjPd8VbvwK3kEmmITd17o2q_ou8Jd8vKEgsXWpHT6ELLhQ8O8VGiINh-3ueLN_rW2EpQF6XU5fG2fO0MrJNXVPsyrNGKmFttrR0/s1600-h/hippie.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkTWyokD6BNoNBrYWSa6Jt2N2i7e-qYwfZc-IlTcDbjPd8VbvwK3kEmmITd17o2q_ou8Jd8vKEgsXWpHT6ELLhQ8O8VGiINh-3ueLN_rW2EpQF6XU5fG2fO0MrJNXVPsyrNGKmFttrR0/s320/hippie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261582868190865010" /></a><br /><br />(And because I get asked this all the time--yes, that is my natural eye color)<br /><br />My "song of the day" -- <span style="font-style:italic;">You Don't Have to Move That Mountain</span> by Nickel CreekBugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-60343162176520475152008-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:002008-10-26T13:04:57.972-07:00Photos!!!!So here's the pictures from Saturday's canning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXixu5NOwomk9RGUXX9MRL6tBABOB4QRMOQu6yxaKzyX1KXHUQZJ4VlpbLxJB_TGdyAQ0i7sJkuQjQCJZSdD_xYPA2lp6UgZC_GMSMyCudojCMI_KADYahv9qBv1GsKvJtwEDJt5NTaFA/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXixu5NOwomk9RGUXX9MRL6tBABOB4QRMOQu6yxaKzyX1KXHUQZJ4VlpbLxJB_TGdyAQ0i7sJkuQjQCJZSdD_xYPA2lp6UgZC_GMSMyCudojCMI_KADYahv9qBv1GsKvJtwEDJt5NTaFA/s320/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261554670448304418" /></a><br /><br />Mmmm.... a whole bushel of apples! And they were ALL peeled and cut by hand!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7UU_n6SKLdiiWdnFP7AJzlMt7Pg1K9BXl5dEWaRt3fmTrne8te2PS0F097wrAbScEQbVD_eNrtkbwPhYTDvzFV5jJ4XxU2vaPV-sL7Cxz7EfJ_muUm9zPGSK8xFndjP4a3wQOtb_QBM/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7UU_n6SKLdiiWdnFP7AJzlMt7Pg1K9BXl5dEWaRt3fmTrne8te2PS0F097wrAbScEQbVD_eNrtkbwPhYTDvzFV5jJ4XxU2vaPV-sL7Cxz7EfJ_muUm9zPGSK8xFndjP4a3wQOtb_QBM/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261554953220644914" /></a><br /><br />I've always liked the look of Ball and Mason jars. Such a homey and country feel...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNw9WKS_7sGaXsRKedOkHvDs-PBIWVIPZPD734gGDEyx0njdb4bvGGGsIIh5SvsSNBqFnZ7TYUF04w1HrV6diejRQDDha3ZP3pBwcVp3-SLTkIubP3K9tnpLdZesFYMcud4tDXKBRki2g/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNw9WKS_7sGaXsRKedOkHvDs-PBIWVIPZPD734gGDEyx0njdb4bvGGGsIIh5SvsSNBqFnZ7TYUF04w1HrV6diejRQDDha3ZP3pBwcVp3-SLTkIubP3K9tnpLdZesFYMcud4tDXKBRki2g/s320/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261555159937015634" /></a><br /><br />A batch of apples ready to be cooked!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPBrgTmb7YLdvaI268l_IG2vDBIyKuVUdrUARREgvvJpHJPIuzHav5VBOJoQIKuRp0SEvDCde8Ib3lVMuQF5p-FMLFMn0fcyJ7iS7_H5TSt3eKAe7yUi-Lsei8kctlPmEMw9qFfwR0_4/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPBrgTmb7YLdvaI268l_IG2vDBIyKuVUdrUARREgvvJpHJPIuzHav5VBOJoQIKuRp0SEvDCde8Ib3lVMuQF5p-FMLFMn0fcyJ7iS7_H5TSt3eKAe7yUi-Lsei8kctlPmEMw9qFfwR0_4/s320/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261555300441891378" /></a><br /><br />Can you see how tired my eyes are??? Canning is exhaustive!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPsJ90X9yS04QFkXKBT072BB7YTpYs6h2gLSt8V6aK5_2lppls8BFkqfagjOGpjb731mAxWKXodTJtqI40KhElbXdyZtntdnJbsWzRwUEF97qEwSR4iJfL7Ko3pGB8NiOOlNctc7vPmI/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPsJ90X9yS04QFkXKBT072BB7YTpYs6h2gLSt8V6aK5_2lppls8BFkqfagjOGpjb731mAxWKXodTJtqI40KhElbXdyZtntdnJbsWzRwUEF97qEwSR4iJfL7Ko3pGB8NiOOlNctc7vPmI/s320/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261555454538769682" /></a><br /><br />This is my friend Anna--seeming very excited about her apple slice!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejxhQoOu10GHA8M7erZd85JD7eiBBZQShpvP5aQtQkhrMoqT4SiInv_N2-k-uxpxWGn2mJn-RHO5A-hg8xmbwgjLjylXX2MbesWgEofrRVVNIYeGxL1eCH24Hka5Q7pvPwwTuQ_F7v0w/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejxhQoOu10GHA8M7erZd85JD7eiBBZQShpvP5aQtQkhrMoqT4SiInv_N2-k-uxpxWGn2mJn-RHO5A-hg8xmbwgjLjylXX2MbesWgEofrRVVNIYeGxL1eCH24Hka5Q7pvPwwTuQ_F7v0w/s320/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261555863209045554" /></a><br /><br />The jars are sealing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbQKx8vaYYLWUABDqCal719q7g5Ia4NphJsMOnf9SQ9d_2uDePAeUbObzQ5mgiG5awbhurev5I7VDDGTLBoSs5BHOD6MlubWYqahRU1_g2Qy7QRywSwkok1KWFnWogcVNvjIMv6pXjIM/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbQKx8vaYYLWUABDqCal719q7g5Ia4NphJsMOnf9SQ9d_2uDePAeUbObzQ5mgiG5awbhurev5I7VDDGTLBoSs5BHOD6MlubWYqahRU1_g2Qy7QRywSwkok1KWFnWogcVNvjIMv6pXjIM/s320/008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261556014714886738" /></a><br /><br />HOORAY!Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-76376664878745368402008-10-25T18:37:00.000-07:002008-10-25T18:54:45.906-07:00Canning and CookiesI spent almost ALL day making and canning applesauce for Josh and I to have for the winter season. At 10 am, I went to Shelton's which is a local grocery store that sells produce and such from the local farms in our area. While I was there, a really nice older man showed me the apples they had available. He showed me their "utility grade" apples, which are basically apples that have blemishes on the skin or a small bruise, but are still good for eating or cooking. They're also half the cost of the "perfect" apples! So I bought a 1/2 bushel of Mcintosh and a 1/2 bushel of Crofton apples for 6.99 each. <br /><br />I decided not to add any sugar or cinnamon to the apples, so I just cooked them in a large pot. I like more chunky applesauce, so I mashed them with a potato masher. I'd never canned anything before, but I'm proud to say that ever single jar sealed!!! It was such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to make the applesauce and can it. I think that home cooking and canning is such a lost art in America today. My mom told me that hearing the popping sound of the lids was a comfort memory to her because her mother used to can goods all the time and they would listen for the pops. Some of the jars I used today were my grandmother's, which is also kind of a neat thing. :-) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://homecookhost.homestead.com/files/images/successfulcanning.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 367px;" src="http://homecookhost.homestead.com/files/images/successfulcanning.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />(I love vintage advertisements! This reminds me of when I was a kid with my mom!)<br /><br /><br />It took me till 4 pm to finish everything! I was exhausted by the time I was done, and the kitchen was so hot from all the steam and boiling water! Anna came over in the afternoon and she helped me with some of the peeling and cutting, and my mom helped me out too. I was so grateful!<br /><br />I'm really glad that I have a friend who likes to "be domestic" with me. :-) After dinner, Anna and I also made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but we both agreed that what made them so good was adding cinnamon to it. The chocolate and cinnamon together reminded me of a cookie version of Mexican hot chocolate. (Mmmm.... one of the best winter treats!) They were quite addicting--I won't say how many I had!<br /><br />We put the jars of applesauce in a box, and now they're just waiting for a pantry to be stored in! I hope Josh and I can get the apartment fairly soon. I'm thinking of also canning some butternut squash while it's still in season. It would be so convenient for making soup in the wintertime. <br /><br />I'll post pictures of the canning process soon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1042/537658228_f72bb5491e.jpg?v=0"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 358px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1042/537658228_f72bb5491e.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a>Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476426642921296290.post-74898827002342745722008-10-21T17:17:00.000-07:002008-10-21T17:26:43.434-07:00The Food ProjectIn doing research for my independent study, I ran across two really cool organizations. One of them is the <a href="http://www.added-value.org/index.php">Red Hook Community Farm</a> project in Brooklyn. They created a miniature urban farm right in southern Brooklyn to help their community gain access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and they also employ teenagers to work their farm for them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thefoodproject.org">The Food Project</a> is a similar and slightly larger operation in a town just outside of Boston. They own several urban farms and a great big suburban farm just outside of the city. Half of the food they produce are donated to the local food pantries, and the other half is sold through CSAs and Farmer's Markets at more affordable prices. They also employ local youth to work the urban farms. Another interesting project of theirs is the backyard gardener mentoring--they teach those living in the urban area to grow a backyard garden and offer free lead testing for their soils. <br /><br />Organizations like these are really amazing because they help deliver healthy foods to people who have less access to it, they employ teenagers to give them a productive activity and it helps them gain useful skills, and it is also an advancement towards sustainable and environmentally helpful agriculture. <br /><br />Here is a video about The Food Project that goes into greater detail about their organization and mission:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ov6ct8x-m24&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ov6ct8x-m24&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Bugettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10384310957845316117noreply@blogger.com0