Raising Joseph

This is why it takes me forever to take a shower...

2012-01-24T09:45:00.002-05:00

How cute is the puppy that has taken over our bathtub? Don't mind the shower chair.

2012 Resolutions...

2012-01-23T09:55:00.002-05:00

Here they are - some small, some large.

1. Finish repairing turquoise quilt
2. Organize the basement room
3. Make a ring with both mom's stones from their wedding rings
4. Make a quilt from blue fabric pieces of batik that I found in the bottom of the chest from Indonesia.
5. Play Golf with Joseph this summer - several times
6. Take a hot air balloon ride in early October
7. Walk the Detroit Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving
8. Be more optimistic
9. Blog more often - 3x per week
10. Love unconditionally (I'm pretty sure that I do this already - but I wanted to give myself a reminder!)
11. Write more handwritten letters
12. Recover successfully from my PAO surgery

Who did I let down this time?

2012-01-23T09:46:00.003-05:00

You may notice that today is Monday - Jan 23...the day I was *SUPPOSED* to go back to work. Yeah, well, that didn't happen. I had a slight (painful) setback this weekend, and I realized very quickly that I bit off more than I can chew, and decided to spend another week at home. Sigh.

I have my post op appointment this afternoon...we will see how that goes.

I have been going a little stir crazy at home. I know this about myself. I cannot sit still for too time - or I go bonkers.

I'm very frustrated with myself - for several reasons. (1) Did I ask/expect too much of myself? or (2) am I being a wimp? Maybe both. Maybe neither. Either way - I'm frustrated at the end of the day.

A million ideas in my brain

2012-01-19T22:50:00.001-05:00

I truly have to wonder what the side effects of Vicodin are...because I can't concentrate on anything for longer than 20 minutes that actually needs brain power. Maybe this is what adult ADD is like. I've been making a list (duh...of course I have) of all of the things I want to blog about. I think my challenge to myself will be to spend no more than 20 minutes on each post/topic...and get through them all. I have some funny stories. I also have some FYIs for anyone considering a PAO surgery ....lessons learned.
But I will leave you with one small bit of info. I have found some truly great friends in this whole experience, but I have also found out some people just don't have the time to care. While I realize that my surgery is not very exciting, I guess that my expectations of friendships has just been too high. Or...to put a positive spin on it...I have some amazing friends who set the bar SO high that the average friend/person has no chance of reaching it.

Love to you all--

starting the story

2012-01-13T09:01:00.003-05:00

Maybe I'll start in the middle of the journey. Maybe I will bounce around with the stories and then summarize with a timeline. I don't know. I have a million things in my mind...I wonder why.

Today is day three at home. The first day was OK. The second day was OK. The third day...I'm guessing it will be OK too.

I have so many thank yous that I need to get out there.

I have so many good things I want to say about the surgery.

I have a handful of complaints....(thankfully not too many)

I have some funny stories.

I have some tips and tricks for those individuals who may have to have a PAO in the future.

I have goals and wishes and dreams.

(Which made me realize that I haven't shared my resolutions yet...that will come...)

This really sounds like this will be a series of lists...interjected with photos. I highly doubt I will post a picture of my scars...mostly because I don't want you to lose your lunch. or breakfast, or coffee. So - I will leave you with picture of my amazing family:

First recap and highlights

2012-01-09T06:59:00.001-05:00

I know that i will have so much to say....i tried to keep a notepage in Evernote just to keep track of things that i wanted to remember and share:

I am on the pediatrics Ward.
I'm in pain. A lot.
Cpm = Continuous Passive Motion Machine. (In other words...torture device)

This list/posting is only a timeline of sorts....a brief summary...there will be plenty more later. Im tired and need another Vicodin...I'm in pain right now.

********
My amazing friends bought me a kindle to keep me occupied..I love them!
There was a hospital wide power outage (thankfully it was after my surgery was complete and i was in recovery.
I had Pain management issues to start.
Valium works wonders
Joe brought me fresh real coffee from home. That man is amazing!!
All nurses are being very wonderful and helpful
But...the Phlebotomist is horrible
I was not able to eat until I passed gas....which I proudly accomplished at 615 pm on saturday. Yay!
My friend/sister Betty came to visit on saturday night...which I really appreciated!!
I quickly achieved 90 degree on the cpm...wow.

Joseph is scared to come up to the hospital, after seeing me in pain and seeing the tubes all over the place coming out of me. We instead have decided to rely on email between just the two of us. He has his own email that I send letters to. I miss my little Guy a lot.

After not having a great first meal, i was starving at 130am on Sunday morning. The night nurse allowed me to have some Strawberry jello..which was awesome!!

The resident took the dressings 80 percent off on sunday morning at 8 am.

Sunday am ...switched to oral pain meds...Vicodin. I would rather have lortab though.

We finally figured out that I had a pediatric menu so there are no gluten free offerings on it.

Sunday morning - first attempt at crutches. Nearly vomited. Blacked out from pain and was unsuccessful at using crutches. i should not have taken painkillers right before...However ...an hour later , after the catheter had already been out I realize I had to pee... which meant I had to figure it out on my own how to use the crutches and the toilet. Luckily the nurses were wonderful and helpful.

Figured out how to order celiac food from the cafeteria... deli sandwich no bread. And more of that delicious pudding from last night.

Then...the Nutritional specialist came into informed me that the hospital does have gluten free bread upon request. Nice to know that now.

Joe came up to visit around 1130 on Sunday morning . He brought coffee again... which is wonderful.

Sunday night Dinner sucked...dry salmon and green beans.
Gf bread was horrible - why bother.

Slept on and off from 7 pm to 11pm on sunday evening. Vicodin and Valium interchanged. Valium doesn't seem to help, but it makes me mellow and sleepy. They always give me a Valium right before they ask if I want to attempt to go to the bathroom...which is quite a debacle in itself.

I have gotten Good at using the commode when placed right next to the bed. I can scoot to the edge, then support myself on my arms to inch over to the commode. It is still very difficult for me to not use my left leg, even as a weight bearing pivot point. I can not coordinate the use of a crutch yet which has proven to be difficult.

The pt assignments are hard.
1. Sit on edge of bed/ chair and lift leg (with hand) 500x
2. Sit on edge of bed/chair and move leg in (w/o hand) 500x.
3. Lie flat in bed...no cpm for 20 Mon. 3x. (Already done )
3. Sit in chair 3x. (I'm counting my time in the commode).

All for now. I'm tired and in pain. Waiting pTientlt doe my next Valium or Vicodin. I never know which to expect. Feel free to email or text me. Or even call me. However...if you do call, expect me to sound like I've had a few...which might provide for some fun on your end.

Love you all

Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T

I have a Very. Weak. Stomach.

2012-01-04T19:19:00.001-05:00

Oh. My.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t6RWO8uG-g

Go ahead and watch it…but this is NOT for the faint of heart. I couldn’t finish the video.

Here is another informational sheet: http://www.hipandpelvis.com/patient_education/periace/page1.html (Be sure to click through all 4 pages)

This is what I will be doing in less than 48 hours.

testing - are you out there?

2012-01-03T14:46:00.001-05:00

With the New Year, and this pending major experience in my life (surgery), I’ve decided to revisit the blog, and make a pact with myself.

“Blog: 3X”

That means 3 times a week. I’ll be blogging. If you aren’t interested and want to be taken off of the notify list – please let me know, and I will do just that. But, if you want to know all the details in my life – then, believe me, you’ll get them. At least 3 times a week!!

New Family Member

2011-11-13T21:22:00.002-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to Kess - our 9-week old German Shepherd female puppy.

By no means is she a replacement. But the house was feeling empty. And lonely.

little vent.

2011-11-08T09:02:00.004-05:00

Don't you wish you could just do MORE?

I listen to my friends that seem to have time to do all of the cool fun little things with envy. To me...it seems that I barely have time to crawl into bed at the end of the night. Exhausted. Now... I'm not running a marathon everyday... I know that. But my days are VERY busy. Is this a character fault or flaw? Or is it a character strength that I can handle so many different things? I sometimes feel like I don't know which way is up for the direction that supposed to be going... and I wonder if this is normal. And even what normal is for a working mom and wife.

Ok - vent over.

I am hanging out at home today...service call for the washing machine. Ugh.

First day of school picture - don't think I've posted this yet.

Halloween Ninja....

Back in the Groove, bit a little sad.

2011-10-23T13:05:00.004-04:00

Because I've been gone so long... I will start with a summary.

I ran in the Detroit Free Press marathon relay. 6 miles. Through the tunnel underneath the Detroit River. I know....What was I thinking? The race was ok - cold and wet though. I also have just a little touch of claustrophobia. The tunnel was long. But - all in all - it was ALOT of fun.

It is hunting season so you know what that means. The hubby is gone up north trying to get our dinners for the next year. I don't mind being a deer with no but I really like when he comes home on sunday night!!

I'm doing the teaching gig at LTU again. It has its ups and downs but at the end of the day I do enjoy teaching. What I do not enjoy is the fact that it is an hour away from Ann Arbor and I have to take afternoon away from my office to go into each. I am busy at work and this time away is very tough. I end up coming in early and mostly bringing work home even over the weekend. The semester is just about half done so we still have several weeks left.

No major news about my hip... except that I now have a surgery date. January sixth. A Friday. This time is different though instead of being scared I am really excited for the surgery and looking forward to having a painless hip joint. Yes...it will be tough but I'm okay with that. I am so going to own that cane.

Work is awesome. I don't know how else to say it. I love what I do and I feel like I am making a difference. The people are great in the community.

The boys are good. The munchkin is the tallest in his class...and he weighs 78 pounds!! He is going to be a linebacker!! He still loves Legos, and is startingt o show an interest in the robotic Legos. I'm not sure about those yet...

We had some sad news last month - Dax is no longer with us. Yes - I still cry when I think about her. She was an amazing part of our family...and will always hold a special place in my heart. I can't think about getting another dog to replace her just yet. But...the house is eeriely silent. I still look for her when I come home. I still leave a little food on my plate for her, only to realize that she isn't waiting in the kitchen for me. Sigh.

Random 25 Things. (I love Lists!!)

2011-10-23T13:03:00.003-04:00

1. I want to name our next dogs Sarek and Nyota. (both German Shepherds…btw)
2. I’m excited about my upcoming surgery (which, in turn, scares me)
3. I like red wine more than white wine.
4. I’m learning to like good scotch.
5. Nutella doesn’t taste as good as it did when I was in Germany (19 years ago).
6. I wish I had more time to be introspective.
7. I am constantly surprised with the way life turns out.
8. I like dinner parties.
9. I think of my mom when I see a penny on the ground. She is saying hi to me from Heaven, or wherever she is.
10. I also think of my Mom when the lights flicker. She is saying hi then too.
11. I think people complain too much.
12. I wish I knew how to pluck my eyebrows by myself. I can’t do them. I have to pay someone else at the salon.
13. I am avoiding our backyard right now because it reminds me of Dax.
14. I want a wine cellar in my house.
15. I’m really clumsy.
16. I’m a deer widow insomniac.
17. I’m singing with a Festival Chorale next summer. Verdi’s Requiem. (Yes – I’m very excited!)
18. I love our new camper.
19. I like gluten free graham crackers.
20. I love sunrises.
21. I don’t like clutter. But, I like piles. (Shut up – they work for me.)
22. I like snarky humorous artwork.
23. I collect coffee cups
24. My perfect vacation would be a cabin in the UP on Lake Superior.
25. I need to make time to run more.

2011-08-28T15:55:00.002-04:00

yeah, so...I posted too early for that previous blog post. We didn't buy THAT camper...we bought this camper.

:)

2011-08-28T08:03:00.003-04:00

We bought a camper. We take delivery tomorrow. It looks like this. Yes - I am in a little shock...I wasn't planning on buying one, I just wanted to go and look and see what I liked, and didn't like. but...we now have a camper. I'm a little excited, and a little apprehensive all at the same time.

School starts for the boy in a week. Wow. We will have a 3rd grader in a week. I remember my 3rd grade year very clearly. I had an awesome teacher, and I had awesome friends. I also got glasses that year. I loved math, and reading, of course. I loved horses (what little girl didn't?).

Work is good. crazy busy, but good. I also start teaching this week at LTU. I'm excited, but also kicking myself...I'm going to be so busy for the next 4 months. ARGH!!!

Blue Angels and the Air Show

2011-08-02T10:02:00.002-04:00

I love the Air Show. I mean, I REALLY love the Air Show. We went this year, and it was Hot. But the heat didn't matter...because we saw the BLUE ANGELS!!!!

They also had a WWII re-enactment camp going on - and the boy (of course) had to check things out over there. I should have gotten him some dog tags too! The re-enactment also included ground artillery fire during the Zero vs. Aces Dogfights going on in the air. So cool.

Detroit Zoo

2011-08-02T09:58:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, we went to the Detroit Zoo with some friends, as a part of a Walk-A-Thon for the Clinton River Watershed Council. (yay!)

Just a few pics of the boy:

I can't believe how old he is getting...and how grown up he looks.

Kayaking.

2011-06-26T08:54:00.002-04:00

Have you enjoyed the break from blogging? I haven't...I've just been busy with work and life. This Summer has started off so busy for us - which is good, I suppose. So - I'll just jump right in -

2 weeks ago, there was a snafu with childcare. I had called to reserve a spot for Joseph at the day camp at Lifetime. When I called the day before to confirm it, they politely told me that the day camp wouldn't be open until the following week. So - Joseph came to work with me. and he was VERY good - he was quiet, he read books, he played on his PSP, and he even came to a few meetings with me. The last meeting of the day was at Gallup Park, for Huron River Day. (If you aren't going - you should be.) Anyway - he was GREAT, and the woman who operates the canoe liveries (she was in the meeting with us, and has raised 2 boys) commented on how well Joseph behaved, and asked whether I would be doing something special for his good behavior. I said that I would probably stop for a chocolate shake on the way home - to which she replied "Not good enough!!" and then proceeded to offer us the opportunity to go kayaking on the Huron River. Right. Then. and. There.

Joseph hasn't stopped talking about it since then!!

However, it did give me a few moments to reflect on why I enjoy my career path...If you haven't been kayaking on the Huron, or kayaking on ANY river for that matter - Do. It. Now.

And check out Joseph's video:

Changing Places and Roles

2011-03-20T09:26:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about friendships. Are they more or less important as we grow older? Do they mean the same thing to others? Do they mean the same to me? Are friendships worth the effort? Are friendships important as we grow families and careers?

I feel pretty lucky to have some amazing friends in my life. Some of them I have known for almost 30 years. Some of them shared growing up and teenage troubles with me. Some of them I have only known since college. Some of them I have only known since I started my career. Some of them I have only known for less than a year. Are they all important to me? YES. Am I important to them? I hope so...but I'm not so sure anymore. Bear with me...

I understand that friendships change over time. I also understand that some friendships take a wrong turn somewhere and can not withstand difficulties. I have lost a few friends from change in geography. I have lost only a few friendships for stupid reasons (some of which I still don't understand). But it still isn't easy to lose a friend.

Losing a friend, or losing contact with a friend hurts. It hurts a lot. It amazes me how *little* some people value a friendship. Sometimes there are trite issues that split people apart. But what I find is this: people don't put effort into friendships.

A good friendship doesn't come easy. A friendship needs to be nurtured. If both people don't actually put in the effort to BE friends - then the friendship won't work. I've seen this so many times...and it hurts. I tend to always be the one that makes the effort - because I care about my friends. I think I care too much. I don't like losing friends. Friendships are needed. Friendships make you a better person.

When was the last time you nurtured a friendship?

Plants and Digging to the Inner Crust of the Earth

2011-03-20T09:13:00.002-04:00

I think I overdid it. Like usual. I planted all 72 plugs with seeds...and every single one germinated. I think I will be giving away baby plants to friends, once they get big enough. You know - I do this every year...I should know better. But, better to be safe and have too many veggies than none!!

Joseph has decided that he wants to dig to the next layer in the Earth's crust. (Those were his words...not mine....Thank you Second Grade Science.)

He has made alot of progress...in the MIDDLE of my garden. He isn't very happy when I remind him that the holes will be filled in by April 15. He can stand in the hole, and is still working on it as we speak. The sanitary lead is under there somewhere - I'm hoping it is deep though.

Cookbooks

2011-03-20T08:37:00.003-04:00

Ever notice how a memory that doesn't really exist can seem so powerful, even if you KNOW you were there, but you just can't remember it?

I've been doing some spring cleaning (er...getting rid of clutter)...and came across something that is clutter, but I won't ever get rid of...My birth Mom's cookbooks. I don't know the story behind why she wrote down and chronicled about 8 spiral notebooks full of recipes. And some mini-3-three binders. And a photocopied packet from an Indonesian cookbook.

Many of the pages are splattered and stained. Some are crossed out. Some have notes in the margin; "Great" or "made 3/13" or "needs more salt". Some phone numbers are jotted down in the margin. Some pages even have crayon scribbling across the entire page. I have to believe that is my doing. Which means I was there.

I was there when my mom made Banana Bread, or Mud Cake, or Lemon Chicken (yes - those are all written on the same page). I was there when she found a recipe to write down and make for her family. I was there when she spilled the 1/2 cup of water onto the cookbook (which explains a lot...seeing that I spill EVERYTHING also).

But more importantly - I. Was. There. You see - I can't remember anything about my mom. I spent 6 years with her, but who can remember times from before they were 6? I have photos. I have events that are vague. I have what people have told me...but I don't have my own memories. And that isn't fair.

Crazy Bugs, Seeds and Chocolate

2011-03-13T08:54:00.004-04:00

How many of you forgot to spring the clock forward? I did...of course. I feel like I have lost half of my Sunday morning! (yes - I realize that it is only an hour!!)

Not for the faint of heart: check this bug out!! I found him on the blinds in the bathroom...no clue how he got in the house though. I *think* he is an assassin bug...which means he is harmless. He actually eats the other little yucky bugs. However, he looks a little like a stink bug too - which are gross. I caught him and threw him outside. Yes - he'll probably freeze to death - but that is the Circle of Life, my friend.

I started my seeds already. (only 6 weeks until May!!) I have 72 little plugs of: oregano, basil, morning glories, poppy, yellow tomato and butternut squash. There are other veggies that I will directly sow. And there are other veggies that I don't have luck starting from seed, so I will just buy the plugs at Schwartz's.

As for self-indulgence...this chocolate bar is heaven. Last week, I was on my way back to work from a meeting - and found that I hadn't had lunch yet. I wandered over to Sparrow Market in Kerrytown, and though I *love* this little market - I was struggling finding something that I really wanted. I grabbed an apple and a box of GF crackers...but wasn't excited about it. As I was checking out, I pondered the chocolate selection. The cashier shyly asked if I was interested in any chocolate. I told her no- because nothing was really jumping out at me. She recommended the "Lindt with the Sea Salt" Huh? Seriously? She assured me that I would like it..."Just try it!!" So - I did. Holy Crow! She was right!!! I'm in love with my new found chocolate bar!!

Busy week coming up...and I can't wait!! I've been in the new job for 5 weeks...and I am learning so many new amazing things! And I LOVE IT!!!!

Wine, Sunrises and the Rouge River

2011-03-06T08:09:00.003-05:00

I started a new batch of wine last week. A French Sauvignon Blanc. It is very sweet-smelling right now. And it is bubbling away in the basement. Joseph helped me start the batch...I had him smell the yeast to see if it was activated.
He also stirred the batch for me. (Yes - I put him to work!!!) I haven't racked it off into the carboy yet - the SG is still too high, so I'm waiting, and checking.

This was the sunrise view from our front window a few days ago. Gorgeous, huh? Joseph woke up early and came out into the living room and pointed out how beautiful it was. I hadn't really noticed - but...Wow.

As you know, I have spent the past 15 years of my career working in and around the Rouge River. I have a soft spot in my heart for this abused urban river. Mr. Ford ruined it, and we are doing our best to restore it. However - my son has now also caught the bug...and he knows more about the Rouge River than any normal 7-year old should know. He built a model for me....a bridge, over the Rouge River...out of Legos. How cool is this?!?!?!

In other news - I just finished my first month at my new job. (Wow - time flies when life is awesome!!) I'm overloaded, busy, overwhelmed, and LOVING IT!!! I have some amazing opportunities to work on some great projects, with great people and can really make a difference. The workplace has respect, integrity, passion, creativity, collaboration...in a word: perfection. Good times.

A2 and Happy People

2011-02-18T16:17:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Ann Arbor? Not just because I work downtown now. Not just because I work FOR the City now. Not just because they have an awesome Art Fair in the summer. Not just because they have a great University here. This entire community is just that. A COMMUNITY. People here are helpful. People here are kind. People here are welcoming. People here smile. People here are happy.

So - in short order...YES. The new job is wonderful. I am busting my behind getting caught up on so many amazing projects - and they are really a forward-thinking place...which makes me happy. I haven't ventured out to the many eateries here (only becuase it is so darn COLD, and I don't want to go outside).

We have a 3-day weekend coming up, and I'm looking forward to a relaxing day of doing nothing with my family. Absolutely nothing. Whoot!! maybe I'll upload photos to the blog or something productive like that.

On a side note - I've joined the Ypsilanti Community Choir. Yes - you read that right. It is odd, it is bittersweet, it is sad and happy at the same time. But, I'm enjoying it.

Lonely

2011-02-04T05:35:00.001-05:00

How can one be lonely, yet happy?

It’s not that I AM lonely…but right now, I am alone. But, I don’t think that it is necessarily a bad thing. Big Joe went on a mini-vacation to the Caribbean, he left this morning at 4AM. And, not that I’m EXACTLY alone…Little Joe is sleeping in his bunk bed, rather…he is snoring and seeming very restless. So, technically, I’m not ALONE…and the dog is here with me too. Not that I could forget her!

These weekends when Joe leaves, I miss him like crazy – but it is a little opportunity for me to spend some quality time with my son. We play. We read. I TRY (yes, TRY) to get him to eat something new and different. I’m thinking of maybe taking him out skiing or snowboarding. Hmmm… We also have Valentines to get ready, homework, reading, and he needs to help me go through his toys. We need to downsize his stuff….majorly.

But these weekends are also a little recharge time for me. I take care of the things I’ve been procrastinating about. I do some heavy cleaning. (The breezeway is on the list for this weekend, moving everything out so I can wash the carpet!!) Yes, I know…you are thinking I’m CRAZY for getting excited about steam cleaning the carpet in the Dax’s room…but it is good. It FEELS good. I get to reconnect with myself, eat what I want, have the whole bed to myself and watch chick flicks all weekend. Well...I may be a LITTLE more productive than that:

So – the agenda is to:

1. Work my LAST DAY EVER in a job that I truly loved and will immensely miss. (Yes – there will be tears, and a post about it…)

2. Celebrate my NEW job with my awesome girlfriends whom I am lucky to have in my life!

3. Clean the house, grocery shopping, laundry, etc.

4. Get a massage at the spa (YEAH!!)

5. Maybe visit some friends that we haven’t seen in a while

6. Maybe go snowboarding?

7. Go to a Super Bowl Party with family and drink wine.

8. Start a new batch of wine (just remembered that one…)

9. Start my new job on Monday. Start a new chapter of my life. Start a new journey. And hopefully find a good parking spot too…

10. Love my life.

Hope you enjoy YOUR weekend and watch a chick flick too!!! J

getting back to the positive.

2011-02-01T19:18:00.003-05:00

Our lives have been busy for the past few months, and I have not been doing any decent job keeping things caught up with photos, etc. So - I am going to see what photos I have to upload and go from there.

Dax is getting older and older...we caught this great picture of her (with a wizard hat on. What? Your dog doesn't have a wizard hat? SHEESH!!) Look how GREY she is!!!

And I'll bet you are just DYING to know what this is....Joseph made it for me from Legos. It's the ROUGE RIVER with a BRIDGE over it!!! :) (Yes - my kid rocks)

And my new favorite thing: Vodka Martini with a jalapeno-stuffed olive. (Chopin potato vodka!!)

In other news:

I am happy.

I am moving in a direction that I want my life to be.

I have a new job, and I start on Monday. WHOOT!!!

Expect greatness from me!!!! (well...sorta. Give me a chance to get back up to speed!!)

And, just in case you were worried...I can't forget a list:

1. I need to have surgery on my hip. This will be a topic of blogging.

2. Little Joe is growing up WAY too quickly.

3. We are in the midst of SnowPocalypse 2011

4. I love my new IPod

5. I already have a list of plants for the garden - YEAH!!

6. I'm going to miss my friends in Troy, and in the Clinton, and in the Rouge.

7. But I'm not going to miss everyone.

8. I'm thankful for my training buddy!

9. I love Slows BBQ

10. I'm thankful for BK finding an awesome GF Bakery in the Grand Rapids area!!

Good things.

2011-01-17T14:31:00.001-05:00

I am in transition. I am changing the way I look at things. I have been a pessimist for way too long. I can pinpoint the day I became a pessimist: December 18th, 2009. That was my last day in Troy. After that, my world got turned upside down. I thought I knew the answers....but I didn't. I have had a year of soul-searching to figure out what I wanted, and didn't want. I think I know. No - I take that back - in the spirit of optimism - I KNOW what I want...and I'm on my way there.

Things will be changing. You will hear from me more. I will have more to say.

Just know that we are good. The family is good. And that is what is important.

Holiday Preparations

2010-12-22T12:29:00.001-05:00

Wow. I always pride myself on being prepared for the Holidays. Gifts are usually purchased throughout the year, and they are wrapped during hunting season. The decorations are up right after Thanksgiving, and the Holiday letter is done by Dec 15th. Well...at least I reached one of those goals. However - the gifts aren't wrapped (I still was purchasing things this morning!) and the Holiday letter isn't done. It will be a HOLIDAY letter, being delivered after Xmas. Get over it. I'm busy - and I can't do everything.

That has been a lesson for me this year: I Can't Do Everything. It needs to be my mantra while I run. It needs to be written on the bathroom mirror so I see it every day, just to remind myself this little life lesson.

Speaking of running: I won't be running much in 2011. I have to have hip surgery. Again. The same PAO surgery that I SHOULD HAVE had a few years ago, but I CHICKENED OUT...and the problem wasn't fixed...thus...surgery. April 5th. Unless I reschedule it. I might. Life has a tricky habit of getting in the way, and the date might not work for me.

Have you thought about your 2011 resolutions yet? I have. I have one per month, then some overall ones. No - I'm not sharing until January 1.

Not much else is going on...I am working throughout the week between the Holidays...at least the office will be quiet. I am pretty busy at work - I have some big things I want to get off of my desk in January - so I am busy with that.

More later -

yes. I am alive....

2010-12-15T11:12:00.001-05:00

Sorry to not have posted in so long. Life has gotten too busy for me to be me. Seriously. and I'm stressed out about alot of things - and I won't vent about them in public.

Needless to say - the family is awesome. Little Joe is amazing. We have deer in the freezer. We are getting excited about the holidays. I throughly enjoyed teaching at LTU this semester...and it sounds like they MAY ask me back next Fall to teach this same class. (SWEET!)

Our christmas tree is huge, and fully decorated.

I am trying to find a Gluten-free recipe for lefse.

I am going to meet with the orthpaedic surgeon about my hip....again.

I recently bottled a shiraz, but need to get some more bottles. and I am planning on starting a Cab over the holidays.

Dax had surgery. She looked like Franken-dog. The vet cut a 12-inch incision. :( but she was a trooper.

I miss my mom.

Work is crazy.

more later...I promise. I have tons of pics!!!

nothing much...

2010-10-06T09:21:00.001-04:00

Things here are hectic for me. I’m working a lot, and don’t have much time for myself. I know this is a bad thing…I need to learn to say “NO”. It has been a problem of mine for a long time. I keep thinking that maybe I’m not doing my job well…but I’ve realized that I have too much on my plate. And I need to cut down some stuff. I know where that needs to be – and I’m working on it. It won’t be overnight, but I need to make sure that I am happy, and not just making others happy.

Other than that realistic view of life – things are good. Little Joe had his school pictures on Monday – and I let him dress himself. Hee! He chose to wear dress pants, a button-down oxford and a tie. Seriously. His teacher said he was, by far, the most handsome student of the day. And he had his hair cut on Sunday, which made him look like a teenager! I swear…he is growing up so fast, right in front of my eyes, and I can’t believe it.

He has to read every night, as well as do any homework assigned. And some nights…we argue, and he gets mad because he wants to play, rather than do his homework. Other nights, (like last night), we sit at the kitchen table, do the homework quickly, and neatly, and then have a great night of lego-building and cuddling or movie-watching or bike-riding. He is like a little lawyer – he tries to trade and bribe and make side deals. “If I write one sentence, can I play with my legos for 15 minutes, then I’ll do another sentence?” Ugh. He keeps me on my toes – that’s for sure!

It is also hunting season…and I can’t wait until our freezer gets newly stocked with fresh venison! I’m looking forward to yummy venison. I’d like to try making breakfast sausage…but I have to find a GF spice mix/cure…which is a little difficult. Maybe I have to make my own spice blend…we’ll see.

Office Coffee

2010-09-29T08:59:00.001-04:00

This past weekend my boys went to Mackinac Island for a boys weekend. They swam in the pool, took the ferry to the Island (under the bridge!!), visited the fort, and had a great time! And, they brought me back some gifts. (yay!)

First and foremost: fudge. They made me so happy! Even though nobody needs the extra calories from fudge...HELLO?!?!? Who can resist it? Chocolate with Pecans. Oh yeah. and Choclate with Peanut Butter. Double Oh yeah.

But, even better...(and what could be better than fudge??)...they brought me back some house blend coffee from Java Joe's. This place is in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in St. Ignace. They have pizza, and omelets, and crepes, and COFFEE!!! They have WHITEFISH PIZZA!!! and they have LOBSTER PIZZA WITH WHITE SAUCE!!!! they have some seriously yummy food. Including OREO PANCAKES!!! (Yes, I realize that I can't eat anything that I just yelled about, but they sound so yummy!)

Oh, back to the coffee...I made a pot of it on Monday morning. Heaven. So good. Smooth, not bitter. Hearty flavor. Good stuff.

Fast forward to today...I arrived at the office early, thus needing a cup of coffee. I made a pot of the office coffee...and sat back to wait for the brewing to finish. I poured a cup, mixed in fresh half and half, took a sip...and almost spit it out!! Office coffee is nowhere near as good as Java Joe's. Darnit.

Proud Mama...

2010-09-26T00:06:00.002-04:00

So, I previously about Joseph getting his library card...and now, I can proudly say he is reading chapter books, and really getting into them. He is required to read for 15 minutes a night (thank you, Ms. Ciupek). He is reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and I *think* he likes it.

Needless to say, when I caught a picture of him, reading on the couch...my heart swelled.

Growing up, I was a reader. As in...I never went anywhere without a book, and my Dad would constantly get mad at me if I had my nose stuck in a book during dinner at a restaurant. I loved Nancy Drew, and the Black Stallion, and all of the VC Andrews books. (the early ones). I couldn't put Stephen King down (on second thought, I was probably much too young for S. King...but what did I care).

Hopefully, this is the start of something amazing. I can't wait to see what he reads next!!!

Dax

2010-09-22T07:14:00.001-04:00

I am worried. I am freaking out. I had to bring Dax to the vet last night. Again. Sigh.

She has a growth on her back that won’t go away. And won’t heal. And won’t stop oozing. And won’t stop growing. I brought her in a few months ago, and the vet cleaned it up and gave me some medicine for it. And….it didn’t work. The growth came back.

So, I brought her in last night, and the vet took a look and said “We can remove it.” And of course, I asked the inevitable question…”Could it be Cancer?” He said no, not likely. He said it looked more like a cyst, and it didn’t seem to have any roots, so he thinks removal outright will be the best solution.

So, the proposed plan is for pre-surgery blood work done in the next 2 weeks, then full anesthesia surgery after that. And a chunk of change out of our wallet. But, she is our baby…and our FIRST baby. I want to do the best for her. I’m scared.

Borrowing Books...

2010-09-11T16:42:00.003-04:00

It's a rainy day, and I feel like there are a million things that I want to get done - most of them being outside though.

Instead - Little Joe and I went to the Library. Firstly, to pay a late fee for one book that I forgot to turn in. All of 10 cents. Secondly - because it was raining, and I felt like I HAD to get out of the house. So, off we went. I love the library - so many books...so many possibilities for learning about new things. And...Little Joe loves the library too! He more so likes the idea of picking encyclopedia-type books...but hey - they count, right?

So - as we are checking out...I ask the lady at the desk "How old do you have to be to get your very own library card?", (thinking at least 10 years old....) She says "old enough to sign your name!".

So....guess what Joseph got today:

His very own library card. Yup.

yummy easy butternut squash lasagna in the crockpot

2010-09-08T19:49:00.002-04:00

Yumm!!!

mixture 1:
2 packages of frozen butternut squash (or roast a big one in the oven) - thawed
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (or more...I used 1/2 tsp)
mix in a bowl

mixture 2:
32 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
S&P to taste
6 cups fresh washed spinach
mix in a bowl

1 package uncooked lasagna noodles (I used GF ones!!!)

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
12 oz (or more) of sliced mozzerella cheese

layer in a crockpot -
mixture 1
noodles (break to fit)
mixture 2
several slices of mozz cheese
mixture 1
noodles (break to fit)
mixture 2
more mozz cheese

continue layering, finish with parmesan sprinkled on the top.

cook in crockpot on LOW for 4+ hours, until noodles are done.

SO GOOD!!!!

I'm still alive!!!

2010-09-08T19:41:00.003-04:00

I keep saying that I will get back to blogging, and then I never do. My life is very busy right now, and I am trying to figure out what is best for me. I’m happy, but I’m frustrated about some things. Mostly career-wise…but I’m not going to talk about it online. So...Other news in our lives: (yes, in a list format)

Joseph started 2nd grade yesterday. Wow. I can’t believe he is already that grown up. I remember my 2nd grade year so well.
Big Joe is in Vegas. He is visiting Sid Wright, whom many of you may know – He had a stroke a few weeks ago, and isn’t able to fly back to Michigan yet. Joe decided to go and visit him in the hospital. He is leaving this afternoon, flying home on Saturday.
I love teaching. It is tough and challenging – but it is so cool.
My garden is dwindling. Tomatoes didn’t fare too well this year – except the blasted cherry tomatoes – they are out of control. The heirlooms were OK, and the Better Boys didn’t perform at all. Very disappointing for tomatoes. However – the zucchini are on steroids. I can’t get a zucchini under a foot in length. ARGH!! Peppers did really well – wish I knew what to do with all of them!
Little Joe has got to be one of the most independent kids I know. He scares me sometimes, how much he wants to go grow and be an adult. He does things HIS way.
Another batch of wine is brewing - an Australian Shiraz. Yumm.
I went running earlier this week....and hurt my hip. Badly. the same one I had surgery on...I'm a little scared that I did something to it.
Dax turned 12 a few weeks ago. She is getting old, and I am worried about that. And, she has this weird growth on her side that won't go away, and won't heal. Ew.
Why is it that I feel incredibly unorganized all the time??
And I feel disconnected from myself...like I'm watching myself going through the motions. Hmmm...kind of philosphical, but I think I need to center myself.

Tomato Thief

2010-07-31T08:44:00.001-04:00

I could shoot the dog right now. After waiting for 6 weeks for the most perfect luscious Purple Cherokee heirloom tomato to ripen in my garden...I looked out the window this morning...AND SHE WAS IN THE GARDEN EATING IT! She. picked. it. off. of. the. plant. ARGH!!!

Now, I realize that in the whole scheme of world problems – this is minor. Nonetheless…I can’t believe she had the gall to do this. She usually just sticks to eating the cherry tomatoes off of the plant…this is going a step too far.

FYI – my camera memory card isn’t talking to my computer anymore…so I can’t get photos off of the card. I need to find the cord to make the transfer. I think it is in the basement. And I have a TON of photos…

odd dream

2010-07-15T08:19:00.001-04:00

Is it strange that I dreamed I was taking my PE Exam for Civil Engineering…and when I opened the booklet, all the correct answers were written in pencil already?

What the heck does that mean? Is it odd that I am thinking about this? Even subconsciously? What the heck? I’d much rather have dreams about flowers and forests and beaches.

Hi there - blogging on a regular schedule is tough.

2010-07-13T13:29:00.001-04:00

Things are hectic. I’m trying to figure out life.

Quick recap:

We went to Minnesota. (Joseph loves tubing…and loves his Minnesota Bubb girls.)

We went to Las Vegas (just big Joe and I. We didn’t win, but we got a free room! And..I LOVE Brazilian steakhouses!!)

I got sunburned both in Vegas and MN.

I ran my very first triathlon…and I am hooked.

I ran a 10K…and sucked.

We are planning my graduation party for this August.

I am working…two different places, and actually enjoying it. Everything isn’t perfect…but it is close.

I have a ton of pics on my camera, but haven’t gotten them off yet.

My vegetable garden is abundantly producing already…YEAH!!

More later…and pics soon..I promise!!

95th Division Reunion

2010-06-16T10:20:00.003-04:00

My Grandpa Komp is an amazing man. Period. He was in WWII - and has opened my eyes to so much more history than my 26 years of education ever did.

We went to a military reunion for the 95th Division down just outside of Indianapolis...and we heard amazing stories from WWII vets. These men are heroes. I was pretty much in awe most of the weekend.

One of the families hosted a BBQ for all of the vets and their families at their farm outside of town:

Here is the inside of their house: (I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beadboard ceiling, so I took a picture of it, because I WANT IT!!) That's my cousin Elizabeth in the corner...

We also took a visit to the airfield at Camp Atterbury, who hosts the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum.

Grandpa gave Joe a 95th coin...and told him that the next time he sees him...he should have that coin with him. And if he doesn't...then he will have to buy drinks for everyone in the room. :)

And a pic of the boys - enjoying ice cream sundaes at Zaharkos (a cool ice cream parlor that has been restored)

catching up with pics...

2010-06-16T10:12:00.002-04:00

Joe playing pitcher...he LOVED playing the infield, and he really got into the game when he was a part of the action. If he was in the outfield however...forget it. He was more interested with the dirt.

For mother's day, my boys got me the most beautiful crock from the Greenfield Village Artisans. Handmade in the village...this is for chilling wine. It currently resides in my fridge...at the ready!! :)

And here is the start of the garden pictures. Joe was helping me plant the onion starts/sets I got from Luke's Feed Store in Troy. I love that place.

silly string and rain barrels

2010-06-01T07:07:00.001-04:00

Joseph's birthday party. Sleepover with 5 boys. A silly string fight. A flashlight scavenger hunt and a tent in the basement. Crazy.

I was able to get the Township to donate a Rain Barrel to Joe's school...here we are installing it.

Joe was very happy to get his own fishing license:

more pics...

2010-06-01T06:42:00.004-04:00

I know i've been lax about blogging...so I'm going to try and make up for it with a bunch of photos for the next few blogs...enjoy!! Sometimes I'll caption them...sometimes i won't.

Before I started my new job, I took a road trip by myself to New Jersey, (just on the other side of Philly) to see my best friend (practically sister)...B.

Windmills on the way....so cool.

we went out to eat at an AMAZING restaurant...Rat's. OMG. Best food ever.

Baseball

2010-06-01T06:32:00.003-04:00

Just a few pics from Joe's baseball games:

He bats left, but plays right in the field...

And yes - I'm coach Mom. I help out in the dugout, keeping the players organized, keeping score, etc.

2010-06-01T06:19:00.002-04:00

What an awesome horoscope for the day:

You may be stressed by your inability to logically describe what's going on in your life now. It's not that anything bad is indicated; it's just that you would feel better if you knew where the current events were leading. Nevertheless, you have an opportunity now to envision your ideal future, without the pressure of having to make it real. Set aside your concrete goals for just a little while and let your imagination be your guide.

How I wish I could just "set aside my goals". I am consumed by goals. I am consumed by expectations. Isn't everyone? I mean, if we didn't set goals, and just lived on imagination alone...it would be a very different world.

Musings

2010-05-10T11:31:00.001-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while, and I am trying to get back into it. but there is SO much that has happened since I last blogged. You know me and my lists...so, I'll start one (in no specific order):

1. I am now working at an environmental consulting firm in A2 about 30 hrs/week. I. Love. It.

2. I have discovered I like KIND bars (http://kindsnacks.com/)

3. I have been getting up at 4AM 4 days a week to train for a triathlon. I know..crazy, right?

4. I started back working 8-12 hours a week at my old job (the one that laid me off). It is for very specific work tasks...nothing like what I was doing, but still good stuff.

5. I'm very worried about Dax. She is getting old, and the sore on her side won't heal. I really need to take her in to the vet.

6. Little Joe is playing coach baseball with Little League. He isn't very good, but he is the youngest on the team. He thinks baseball is boring.

7. A few weeks ago, I made an awesome cake for my cousin's Quincineara. (pics to follow).

8. I ran an indoor triathlon a few weeks ago (10 min swim; 30 min bike; 20 min run). AWESOME!!

9. Joe turned 7 years old.

10. Joe had a sleepover birthday party, with a camp-out theme. We pitched the tent in the basement, roasted marshmallows, played flashlight tag, had a scavenger hunt, had a silly string fight, with 5 boys.

11. Big Joe went to St. Maarten a few weeks ago. He came back relaxed and refreshed...

12. I'm kind of glad that teaching this semester is done. I didn't have a good experience.

13. I signed a contract with the Department of Architecture at LTU to teach in the Fall.

14. We are going to Indianapolis this weekend to see family, and a military reunion. I'm excited!! I love seeing my family!

15. My boys are awesome. (I'm just saying...)

16. I'm really having a hard time staying gluten-free. I keep getting glutened when I least expect it. My stomach is constantly in pain.

17. I planted flowers in my yard this past weekend. Still waiting on the veggies until it is a smidge warmer.

18. I can't WAIT for this summer. Good things.

19. I am going to be starting a new batch of wine. Australian Shiraz. I need to finish bottling the chardonnay though...I ran out of bottles.

20. My birthday is in a few days.

21. I am having issues with anxiety...maybe because I am spreading myself thin? (duh!)

22. I miss some of my old friends.

23. I had a wine-tasting party at my house a few weeks ago. Lots of girls came - we had a great night.

24. I wish I had more free time, but I'm happy the way things are.

25. I need to find a replacement for scotch. (yes, the drink...) I told myself that I would learn to enjoy good scotch this year...but I have read that because of the way it is processed...it has gluten. I'm not sold on this...so I either need to clarify if scotch DOES have gluten - or I need to find another snooty beverage to learn to enjoy...Bourbon? I don't know. ideas?

26. I also need to start practicing pie crusts with gluten free flours. My rhubarb is RIPE...and I don't know what to do with it all!

27. My birthday is in a week, and I have barely had time to think about it. This year is going too fast.

28. Not only is little Joe playing baseball, but I am "Coach Mom" for the team. I help the other coaches by keeping the players in line, batting orders, positions, all the details, even keeping score! It is actually quite fun!

29. I missed my moms on Mother's Day this year...but not too badly. I thought good memories of them.

30. I need to stop procrastinating!!!!

My return

2010-05-05T20:27:00.000-04:00

I swear…I’m not dead. I’m just overwhelmed. Very.

1. I started a new job.

2. I’m training for a triathalon.

3. I started another new job.

4. I’m teaching at LTU.

5. It is springtime…and my mind is thinking about my garden.

6. I am officially “Coach Mom” for Joseph’s baseball team.

7. I’m a mom. Deal with it.

I promise I will update. There might be less pictures…there might be some soapbox rants. Deal with it.

Love and kisses to you all!!!

Random Info - 3 Quirks

2010-03-19T09:07:00.002-04:00

So, in an effort to share way too much information with you, I will be listing my top three "quirks" that drive me crazy, and they must be just so. I am by no means OCD, however, I have some OCD tendencies. (If you looked at my house, you would know that OCD ain't a problem...)

3. Water on my face. No. Not a good thing. When I shower, I lean back at a crazy ridiculous angle to wash my hair, but I NEVER EVER let the water touch my face. When washing my face, I must splash the water on with my hands. It probably is related to why I hate putting my face in the water when I swim.

2. Coffee cups. I don't have any matching coffee cups, and I NEVER EVER want matching coffee cups. I have many coffee cups, and they all tell stories, and make me think of either the person who gave it to me, or a special occasion. Silly, yes...but true. When I choose a coffee cup to use in the morning, it essentially defines me for the rest of the day.

1. Little spoons. When I eat soup, cereal, something that needs a spoon, I MUST use the small one. The smallest possible. I hate those "cereal" spoons, and the "soup" spoons you get at a restaurant. Too Big!! I don't need a construction shovel for goodness sake!!

OK - there. you know more useless random information about me.

Starting Anew

2010-03-16T06:29:00.002-04:00

Yup. Today I start my new job. At a place that I have admired for many years. I. Am. Happy.

Mind you, I won't be in the office today, they asked me to attend a workshop...so, I'm headed there instead. But, nonetheless...I. Am. Happy. !!!!!!!

Things are good. I am busy. LTU is kicking my butt. Teaching is hard. No matter what anyone says. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. Ugh.

Little Joe is good too. He finds out which baseball team "drafted" him next week. Yeah! Little League starts!!! I love watching him play baseball!

I started seeds last week, and yesterday. Tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, summer squash, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers. Whoot! pics to follow. You know me.

Short update - nothing exciting. Life is good.

Breakfast from Heaven.

2010-03-09T07:14:00.003-05:00

I made myself the most AMAZING breakfast today. I have to share...

Those of you who know me...know my passion for smoked salmon. (i.e. Gravlax or Lox). Not the dried out stuff...(though that does have it's uses). I LOVE the cured, raw-looking buttery melt in your mouth, salmon. I have yet to make it in my smoker...because I'm scared I'll ruin it. It is perfection...when done properly.

We have some AWESOME neighbors behind us that we share our garden bounty with during the summer. The husband is a foodie. Major foodie. He also has a smoker - and he has been smoking for much longer than me...and he can throw DOWN some awesome food. Including lox. LOX!!!! He makes his own LOX!!!

I stopped by their house on Sunday to drop off some things, and he hands me a package. I look in my hands...and I want to hug him. Fresh. Homemade. Smoked. Tender. Moist. Lox.

Hence....Breakfast today:

Oeufs en Cocotte with Lox:
1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Parmesan, Grated

1 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 oz. Lox, Chopped Fine
½ Teaspoon Butter

handful chopped red onion

dollop of sour cream

Butter a small 4-oz ramekin.
Crack the egg into the buttered ramekin. Take care not to break the yolk.
Add the lox to the dish. Add the cream cheese to the dish.
Sprinkle the cheese, salt and pepper to the egg.
Bake in a water bath at 350 º F until egg white is set, but the yolk is still runny or done to your liking. Baking takes approximately 12 – 15 minutes. Sprinkle red onion and sour cream on the top and enjoy!!

funk and feeling alive

2010-03-09T06:54:00.003-05:00

It's been a while. Sorry. Just getting some things done. Life, and all. You know how it goes.

I've been in a funk lately. For no good reason though. I'm happy with my life. I love my family. I'm alive. I have a roof over my head. I have food in the pantry. These basins of life should be all I need. Yet, I'm just in a funk. I'm imagining that it probably has a lot to do with the whole job thing. Yes, I still an officially unemployed. Mind you, I'm still teaching at LTU, and really enjoying that. But, I'm not integrated into campus life. I don't have an office on campus, I'm only an adjunct faculty member.

I visited a 1st year architecture studio class last week. One of the profs I'm working with asked me to help him jury his student's projects. I jumped at the chance. (A jury is a peer-based review of your posted/submitted work. All projects are hung up, and discussed. Sometimes called a "Crit" or a critique.) So, I show up in his class, talk with some of the students, and I feel...alive.

Alive.

The creativity flowing out of that classroom was amazing. I wanted to badly to be a part of that. The studio. The creativity. Holy Crow - I am in heaven. I spent about 2 hours there, listening, giving feedback, and really enjoying myself.

We'll see.

Other than that - things are going OK. I'm starting to get my rear end to the gym on a somewhat regular basis, thanks to my workout buddy! I will DO this triathlon. Period. I may suck at it - but I will DO it!! I've planted some seeds. Planning out the garden. Getting ready for Little League and (maybe) Football. (Little Joe wants to play football, and I found a youth league here in Redford!!!)

I'm enjoying some of the smaller things in life...and I love it.

Music...A common language

2010-02-28T08:27:00.003-05:00

Check this out...even in this crazy world we live in...there is a common language that we all speak. Some people know the language better than others...but we all can hear it, even if we can't "say" it exactly correct. Wow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk

Makes you think a little bit about all the hateful and horrible things that people do to each other. I've never understood hate. I don't see what a person could have done to make you so angry, and lose all compassion for human life. Don't get me wrong, there are people that I don't like, there is one guy that I REALLY can't stand (pretty close to hate), but life is too short to waste on being angry.

If music can be a shared language for us, maybe it can also make us realize that we aren't that much different from the person sitting next to us. Maybe it can help us realize that the "Horrible things" aren't so horrible...and the hate isn't worth the effort.

Enough pondering for an early Sunday morning...I already went to the gym this morning, now I am enjoying my coffee, listening to Little Joe snoring on the couch (yes, he slept on the couch last night), and getting ready to read my book!

Happy Sunday!!

Do You Have a Passion? (Or are you a passionate person?)

2010-02-22T07:26:00.004-05:00

What is your passion? I mean, TRULY? What is something that you love to learn about, engross yourself in, surround yourself with, and/or simply love?

Can you have more than one passion? Yes
Can your passion change daily? Yes
Can you share your passion? Yes (you should!!)

I'll share a little bit of what my passions are today...(yes, in list form...)

1. being an awesome mom & wife - I still haven't figured how to do this exactly...but I try darn hard to do so! Whether it is making sure that my husband is taken care of, or showing my son how to tie his shoes (for the umpteenth time). This will be a lifetime passion of mine. Sometimes I think it comes easy; sometimes I feel like I have lost the "passion". But I know that this is one thing that truly brings joy to me: my husband and son.
2. music - so many different forms and sounds and colors. I know music. but I don't know EVERYTHING about music. I know what sounds good. I know what brings a good resonance to my ears; I know that I love Beethoven and Mozart and Verdi and Bach and Handel and Tchaikovsky and Dvorak and Mahler and ugh...I could go on with who I love...I'm OK with Stauss, Wagner, some Italian operas, opera in general isn't my favorite. I love some folk music, but not all of it. I like some Gershwin, but it depends on who is singing it. I love R&B, but not the new nasty stuff. I love Jazz, but not all the time. I love choral music, but not modern stuff. Daniel Pinkham is an exception. I love movie soundtrack music, but only if the movie was good too. Enough about music...I seriously could go on forever.
3. landscape history - how does the built environment and the existing landform create a landscape for human interaction? Ugh. This could be a dissertation...but I find that looking for pattern and proven successes in landscape can teach us lessons for the future and cultural development. (I think I want to teach a class in this!!!)
4. Michigan history (including Detroit history) - Detroit has such a colorful history. Looking solely at the census for the past 100 years, Detroit was once an icon of what a city should be. Now it is an icon of what a city DOESN'T want to be. But the bones are still there. The architecture is still there. The art is still there. The people, maybe not so much.
5. french horn - I wish I still played. I love listening to horn music. There is something sultry, smooth and bold about the horn. It isn't used enough. (I think that is the complaint of all horn players...we were always relegated to playing the peck horn part, which sucks!!)

Tomorrow, I know my passions will be different. Maybe they will be similar...but that's what I like about me. I have so many interests, and I truly enjoying so much.

What are your passions?

I'm not getting a kickback...but HOW COOL IS THIS??

2010-02-21T09:14:00.002-05:00

This would help me achieve one of my goals for this year. Most of the GF recipes have the amounts in mass/weight, rather than cups of whatever. So...this would be PERFECT. Now, I just have to find one at a store near me, or order it from Amazon.com. I could have bread again!! YEAH!!!

cakelove.

2010-02-20T12:00:00.003-05:00

Here it is. The cake I made for my cousin's 16th Bday party. Yes, I worked hard on it. Yes, I learned lessons about mixing fondant colors. But..how cool is this cake???

On a random note - I found the cake stand at an antique market in Livonia. That place on Plymouth Rd., just west of Wayne Road? The one that looks like a flea market? Yeah - that one.

Feeling Creative

2010-02-19T07:42:00.002-05:00

So, I've had some time on my hands recently, and I was feeling rather creative. I love papercrafts, and I love sarcastic art. (Heck, I just like sarcasm). Anyways...I decided to MAKE a Valentine's Day Card for my dear friend, B. She is a cardiologist. a HEART DOCTOR. So...I made her this card...

How cool, right? I thought so. :)

I'm feeling somewhat creative lately - nothing major, just want to create. We'll see where this path takes me. :)

Blabbering.

2010-02-17T06:59:00.001-05:00

Horoscope for today:

You want to meet your obligations today, but may be fearful about making a promise that you cannot keep. You are particularly aware of your own shortcomings and don't want to set yourself up for failure. However, being overly concerned about your ability to follow through now is counterproductive. It's of no value to judge the current situation by what you did or didn't do in the past. Keep things as simple as possible; do what you can and then let it go.

Can you say “INSECURITY”? Sheesh! This horoscope makes me want to crawl back in bed and not even try to start my day! I get it..”you can’t do everything, you aren’t perfect, do what you can do” blah blah blah…Wow. I’m in a foul mood, and it is still early today!

Just a few things going on here in the Lawson house…(yes, I am going to make a list)

1. Joseph got his hair cut. This might seem minor and inconsequential, but this was the first time he actually took an opinion when the barber asked what he wanted, and he didn’t say “Princeton” which is the style he has had ever since forever. He decided he wanted “long” hair…not supershort. So, he looked so different now. I like it…but different, nonetheless.

2. I went to the gym this past weekend and I am still feeling it. I tried a class called “Strictly strength”…which apparently used to be called “Basic Training”. Wish I had known THAT DETAIL!! Just this morning I can bend my right arm again…my bicep was destroyed during the “lift until fatigue” part of the workout. Ow. Ow. Ow. But – I had a great time doing it, and oddly enough, I want to go back! New leaf, People. Get Jen in shape for a triathlon. We’ll see how this goes this summer.

3. As for the career things…I can’t say much, because nothing is in writing. I have SO many things going on, but nothing has been set in stone…so I am in total flux. Just know that I am scared out of my mind, but looking forward to SO many awesome changes. For the better. It’s not that I was unhappy in my previous job, but getting laid off has opened my eyes to so many other possibilities that I never even considered. Yeah!

4. Making a cake for this weekend. My cousin’s sweet 16 bday party…I’m looking forward to making it!! I LOVE making cakes! It is very relaxing…and creative. So FUN! I’ll post pics when it is done.

Racking the Wine...with a little help.

2010-02-12T06:29:00.002-05:00

So, last Sunday evening...I decided to rack my wine. I started this wine on December 29th...so it has been fermenting/etc. for a few weeks now. It has been stinky, and cloudy, and now...check. it. out:

I had a (little) bit of difficulty though...and I'm SO glad my favorite 6-year old son was there to show me how to do things. First...after siphoning the wine into the bottles...I couldn't put the cork in. Yes. You read that correctly. I couldn't figure out how to work the corker....Until...MY SON SHOWED ME HOW. No joke. geek. But, I hadn't soaked the corks long enough, so there was some difficulty there....AND....to make matters worse, I didn't have the corker screw set correctly. (I learned this after "finishing" each bottle with a hammer to pound the cork in the rest of the way). But....this is the end product:

Yumm!! Chardonnay. I'm going to let it rest for at least another month...and then start drinking it in April-ish. I did taste it while racking it...it was bright, fruity, not very mellow, but tasty. We'll see what happens!!!

Spoonbread isn't BREAD!!!

2010-02-03T16:36:00.002-05:00

OK. Anyone who tells you that spoonbread is good...is incredibly mistaken. And GlutenFree Spoonbread? Disgusting. Incredibly disgusting. I found a recipe that was GF, and looked easy. It was made with cornmeal...and the recipe made it sound so yummy. It even looked REALLY pretty when it came out of the oven:

Instead, what it did taste like was cornmeal mush souffle. Yup. I just typed that. I don't think cheese would have helped this recipe out. And cheese usually fixes EVERYTHING! So, if you are ever offered spoonbread...be forewarned.

Self-Realization

2010-02-02T09:13:00.003-05:00

Some really cool things are happening right now. I "THINK" I have a job offer. Well, i do, officially - verbally...but nothing is in writing, and I have NO IDEA about any of the details. am I frustrated? A Little. Am I ecstatic? A Lot. It's the one I want. It will be cool. When I know more - I will tell you more. but, for now...just know that things are working out.

Having this time off of work (that is, being a full time working mother/wife/woman), I've had some interesting insights to life. Some are random...some are not so random...some are philosophical...some are life-altering.

1. I am NOT a stay-at-home type of person. I know I have mentioned this before...but it is SO true. I talk to the dog, and I assume she also understands me. I also will admit that I have dropped my son off at school in my PJs.

2. I love a good cup of homemade coffee in my favorite mug, watching the snow fall.

3. We have too much JUNK in our house. We need to purge. And it mocks me. All day long...I stare at the junk, and it stares back. I tell myself that I will get rid of it - but then another pile of junk starts mocking me...and pretty soon I'm overwhelmed. I'm working through it slowly...but there is still a LOT of stuff.

4. I try to do too much. I know I love lists...but my to-do list for today has 38 things on it. No Joke. Some are small. Some I know I will never get to today...or tomorrow. I try to over-achieve, and then I fail.

5. I have no willpower. Not about food...but about working out. I should be exercising every day. And I'm not. I have no excuse for it either.

6. We, as a society, place too much emphasis on success...without any specific definition. Different people have different expectations of success...and until we ALL learn that success is defined by each individual...we have a LONG way to go to respect others, much less ourselves. I know...Heavy. But so true.

7. I like teaching. But not teaching kids. I like teaching adults. I want to be a professor. Wait...I know I already am an adjunct professor...but one of these days...I want to work at a major University and have an office and be the COOL professor!!

8. I am a people person. I need to be around people to thrive. Adults, kids, doesn't matter...but I am a social creature...I do not do well whilst by myself.

9. Our mail lady is very nice, but VERY afraid of Dax.

10. I am a HORRIBLE procrastinator. The worst. Definitely the worst. I always do a good job on whatever it is that I need to do - but I try to fit too much in, and end up procrastinating. Maybe there is a connection between this item and #4. Yeah, probably.

11. I love to cook. I love to share food with people. I love to share my love of food with people. Being GF doesn't HAVE to mean that you can't love food anymore - you just have to not love certain kinds of food, and learn to like new kinds. This ties into one of my goals for this year. Yeah...learning to cook with GF flours. I haven't necessarily started that...but I did learn that cornmeal is really gross. :)

Naked Joe (!!!)

2010-02-01T12:48:00.003-05:00

Ok - so...anyone else have trouble keeping clothes on their kid? Seriously.

Little Joe would rather run around in nothing but his skivvies and a pair of socks. All. The. Time. If we don't leave the house on the weekend...he will never ever get dressed. When will he grow out of this? I mean, I would understand if it were the middle of summer, and we had no air conditioning...but this is ridiculous!!

Even on Xmas morning - I was taking pictures, and of course, he was half naked...at least he had a shirt on! but this kid cracks me up!

In positive news...he is almost 50 inches tall! Wowza! He'll be taller than Aunt Barb by the end of 2nd grade! :) His feet are huge...(size 3) and he is wearing a size 7 pant...he needs the length! He is going to need a new bike! I should probably start looking on Craigslist for a taller bike for him! and more long pants! I was hoping that the snow pants I got for him this winter would last through next winter...now I'm thinking that they probably won't.

Vegetable Goodness

2010-02-01T12:25:00.004-05:00

So, last Friday I went to Meijer after I dropped Little Joe off at school. I figured I might as well get my grocery shopping done, so I wouldn't have to fight the crowds on Saturday. Holy CROW!! Have you ever been on a Friday morning, before 9AM? The people there are NICE!! and SMILING! And...the produce guy puts out CLEARANCE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!!! Each pack you see in the picture...no more than a dollar. the cukes were 40 cents. the oranges were 50 cents. And since most of the fruit is going into the juicer...SCORE!!!

But, I had to figure out what to do with the tomatoes (all romas) and peppers. So...I oven roasted them. The house smelled so incredibly GOOD!!

Post-roasting pic of the tomatoes:

And for the peppers...just a little EVOO under the broiler for a few minutes...and look at this!!! They peeled easily and are now in my freezer to toss into GF pasta or whatever. OMG - YUMM!!

Save Our Water Resources...

2010-01-28T09:03:00.005-05:00

How much can I get done today?

2010-01-26T07:57:00.003-05:00

To be done today:
Get Joseph to school on time
break down bed in basement and store
Jillian Michaels (work out)
vacuum
dust
clean kitchen
laundry
send card and pic to Aunt Pat
work on lectures
post lecture
work through labs
email Janus
review presentation for Storm water lecture
mock cake for Mary
wash floor in basement
oh yeah - shower. can't forget that one.

It intrigues me why I am so obsessed with lists. I mean, they float around in my head, and make my decisions for me. I think that there is some small part of me that likes thing JUST SO. Orderly, not chaotic. But if you look at my house, it sure the heck isn't orderly. It is lived in...not messy, just lived in.

I'm having some problems with insomnia. Yeah...not sleeping so well. It's like my mind just won't shut off. Stress, job, life, money, bills, house, Joseph, future, gardening, music, Dax, my car, running, exercising, yoga, the basement...it's like one big party in my head, only I wasn't invited, so I watch from the sidelines. The party is loud, crazy, energetic, and always wants to watch whatever stupid movie is on at 1AM. I've seen the end of Twilight for the past 3 nights. Not the beginning mind you, just the end. (which isn't all bad...) Regardless...I need some sleep. I've all but cut out coffee after noon. I drink tea. I tried warm milk last night...which ALMOST got me sleepy, then by the time I put my head on the pillow, I was wide awake again. ugh.

sigh. enough whining. back to reality.

It finally fell out!!

2010-01-26T06:46:00.002-05:00

Check out the missing tooth! That sucker was holding on FOREVER!!!

Another visit to the Henry Ford!!

2010-01-21T09:51:00.002-05:00

Little Joe and I went to the museum this weekend...

He's isn't only 6, is he?

2010-01-21T08:58:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe the discussion we had with Little Joe last night at the dinner table. He came up with a game for us to play while eating. And yes...it was a little mind-blowing...

The gist: One person gives 3 clues about a Star Trek Spaceship...and the other 2 people have to guess which ship it is. (and, by the way, there is more than one Enterprise...depending on the show, season and timeframe).

This kid never ceases to amaze me. He knew the DETAILS. And I mean DETAILS, people! I simply cannot believe that a 6-year old knows so much about a fictional (OK, to some people it is real) world of starships and space travel. Holy Crow. He even knew the Kelvin!! (An often ignored ship, it investigated an unusual anomaly in the form of a spacial lightning-storm. Upon the captain's death, James T Kirk's father became active captain for 12 minutes, enough time to save almost the entire crew, including his wife and newly born son, and distracted Nero's modified Romulan mining vessel long enough for the evacuation shuttles to escape unharmed.)

My kid is such an awesome scifi GEEK!!!

And then - icing on the cake...as we were getting ready for bed, the show "Ghost Hunters International" was starting...and within 0.5 seconds, he heard the theme music, saw a blip on the TV screen, and knew exactly what show it was, and was extremely excited to watch it.

He is such a curious little munchkin...

good and bad and anxiety.

2010-01-19T09:47:00.004-05:00

Positive #1: I am drinking the most wonderful coffee right now. I went to Meijer's bulk coffee section, and some idiot had filled a ton of bags with coffee beans, and not labeled them. I mean, c'mon. JERK!! So...in my bid to do something nice...(so the beans wouldn't be wasted)...I picked up a random bag and put it in my cart. I have no clue what kind of coffee I'm drinking...but HOLY CROW! It is GOOD!!!

Positive#2: I slept well last night, and I even had a good dream...not a nightmare (which I've been having lately...or at least bad dreams that scare the heck out of me!) This dream was pleasant!!

Negative #1: I am feeling very overwhelmed by so many things right now. too many to list.

Negative #2: I stepped on a sliver of glass yesterday and sliced open my big toe. It hurts. there is an inch long gash on the bottom of my toe. and there was LOTS of blood. (but, Little Joe took charge, and played doctor. He even put the band aid on and told me to keep my foot up).

I'm feeling very anxious today. I have alot to do for lectures over the next few weeks, and I'm having difficulty putting together an organized lecture schedule. I just need to buckle down and do it.

Today, I also am having lunch with a friend from Troy. He was a fireman that retired when I was there, but we kept in touch. He wants to take me to lunch. But, this also entails me to 1. go to Troy. 2. return my books at the library, which is next to City Hall. and 3. potentially see people that I don't want to see. I'm not mad at anyone. Well, I'm mad at a few people who have made some pretty insincere comments, and they had better stay out of my way. but, I'm really not mad...I'm embarrassed. I don't have a full time job yet. I have lots of things in the works...but nothing really happening. so, I look like a fool. ugh.

Movies that surprise you

2010-01-17T11:44:00.003-05:00

Ever have one of those late evenings, or early mornings when you start flipping channels? I mean, REALLY flipping channels...because there is absolutely NOTHING on television that sounds remotely interesting, yet you have no desire to be productive at that moment, so you KEEP flipping channels until something catches your eye? Yeah...that was me, this morning.

Right now, we are getting the movie channels for free, as a bonus thank you from the cable company. (sidebar: we are never going to actually pay for the movie channels, because nothing good is ever on them anyways!!!) anyhow...I happened upon The Soloist. Recent movie with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr., it is the true story of a homeless man living on the streets of Los Angeles. In a life prior, he had been a Juilliard student, classically training in the Cello. However, because of mental illness, he left Juilliard, and ending up sleeping on the streets.

If you ever need to appreciate what you have, watch this movie.
If you ever need to learn to love the music you hear, watch this movie.
If you ever need to take a step back in life and remember what is important, watch this movie.

Let me preface though, by saying this: I REALLY don't like Jamie Foxx. Never have, never will. He is the reason I didn't want to watch the movie - I didn't like him on In Living Color, and the fact that he named a show about himself, after himself? C'mon. He's full of himself. Nonetheless...his performance was good in the movie. Very good. RDJ, though....WOW! He redeemed himself from Ironman in my book. His portrayal of Steve Lopez (the columnist that starts writing about the musically inclined homeless man...) was astounding. I know he isn't alot of people's favorite actor...but he really impressed me this time.

So - enjoy your afternoon, see if you can find this movie on your OnDemand...make a bowl of popcorn and cuddle with the one you love.

This is the Enterprise...

2010-01-14T12:09:00.003-05:00

Oh dear goodness. Little Joe's room has been taken over by the Entire Solar System (including Pluto, the non-planet...), as well as the Starship Enterprise!!!! The lamp in the fan is the SUN, hence all of the planets are orbiting around it...

And yes, before you ask, we even let him put up ALL of the glow in the dark star stickers that came with the set. His room looks SO amazing!!! The planets all glow in the dark too. He is ONE HAPPY KID!!! and yes, the Starship Enterprise makes noises too...:)

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

2010-01-14T11:59:00.004-05:00

Tell people about the GOOD you see in them. You have nothing to lose by informing people of their good points.
Wow. this was rather profound this morning when I read it on the back of some cheesy "self-help" magazine while at the car dealership, waiting patiently for my 2-hour long oil change. But, I digress.

But this quote got me. It got me good. I mean, how obvious is this? But, aside from praising your kids latest coloring attempt...how often do you tell people how awesome they are? Seriously. Really. I can't tell you the last time I did. and I mean it. I probably complemented my husband about something...he looks darn good in jeans...but above that...I'm gonna have to give myself a ZERO.

So - goal for the day: complement a stranger. about something, anything. Cute purse, nice hair, thanks for being courteous...whatever. and a hand gesture doesn't count!!!

The good things...

2010-01-07T11:02:00.004-05:00

Things that have made me happy this week:

Being able to run errands all day - On Tuesday, I went to the gym, had a good run, spent time in the steam room, went to Ikea and realized that I really don't like it, went to the mall for returns, found a gift card that I thought had expired, but still had $30 on it, (got 2 sweaters, some unmentionables, and 2 pair earrings all for under $30. I love the clearance rack!!) went to the grocery store, came home, cleaned, and had a good day.

Volunteering at Joe's school - On Wednesday, I spent 2 1/2 hours at Little Joe's school, having 1st graders read to me. Now, some of them were awesome readers...and others....well, not so much. BUT, each and every single one of them was excited and WANTED to read to me. The smile on their faces when I told them "Good Job!" or " Wow - you were Spectacular!"...made me all mushy inside. I didn't think it was going to be so amazing...and fulfilling!

Gluten Free Banana Bread - nuff said. This is HEAVEN!! The recipe is on the back of the Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour mix that Meijer was selling for $3.79!!! Not a bad price!!! And check it out....

However, this morning...I attempted to practice yoga for a bit. So, I moved the coffee table, laid out my yoga mat, went to get a bottle of water...and came back into the family room to see this:

The dog made herself NICE AND COMFORTABLE on my yoga mat. And when I politely asked her to move, I think she was sending me daggers with her eyes. She did NOT want to move. Therefore, I just did my yoga around her...sometimes ending up with a sloppy wet kiss from her while in down-dog or while stretching...she would get up occasionally, then plop back down always partially on my mat.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/beyond-the-motor-city/video-preview/861/

2010-01-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Check It...

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/beyond-the-motor-city/video-preview/861/

First Day.

2010-01-04T13:26:00.002-05:00

Today is my first day in almost 13 years that I have stayed home for no reason. (Well, the reason is that I got laid off...) but, I'm not sick, I'm not on vacation, I don't have anywhere to go, anything major to do, Little Joe isn't sick...this SUCKS.

What have I accomplished today?

Took Little Joe to school.
Spoke with his teacher.
Changed his Latchkey schedule.
Spoke to the principal.
Drove home.
Yoga.
vacuumed.
washed some blankets.
caught up on old work emails.
emailed some friends.
blogged.
went through and tossed some old clothes out of the closet.
went through a chest and sorted out material and doilies.
salted the front porch.
entered the publishers clearinghouse sweepstakes.
made a to-do list for the week.
made lunch (gluten-free pasta!!)
worked on some presentation slides for lecture.
put away some xmas decorations.
started repairing a quilt that my grandma gave me many years ago.

notice...I didn't say SHOWER.

The TV hasn't been on, I've been listening to music, which is somewhat motivating. But, now that I just finished my lunch - I am SO ready for a nap, which is rather pathetic.

I still have to:
shower.
go get Joe from school.
clean the shelves in the old fridge.
write some letters.
figure out what to make for dinner. (Any ideas?)
make said dinner.

holidays

2010-01-04T12:35:00.004-05:00

We started off the festivities at Grandma Khris' house with my niece, Ashlyn. Opened gifts, etc...

Here is Little Joe opening his gift from Grandma, the Harry Potter Lionel Train!! Whoo Whoo!!

Cousins!!!

And Christmas Eve continued over at Aunt Sara's house...where Little Joe met up with some more cousins...

And then subsequently pouted, because he didn't get many presents.

ALL the cousins...(except for those that weren't in attendance...)

And then on Christmas morning...we only got a few photos...as Mom was a little overwhelmed with stuff on her lap and the couch...but...One of Little Joe's FAVORITE presents from Uncle Steve (of the Minnesota Bubbs): An AIRHOG!!!

And here is that blackmail photo for his future girlfriend...I swear. This kid NEVER wears pants. Ever. In public, he will...but around the house...nope. Just his little skivvies!!!

Random Thoughts and Vents.

2010-01-04T12:26:00.003-05:00

A couple of random things...

I love hanging things on the walls of our home. Love Love Love it. it makes it seem like more of a home than a place with four walls and a roof. My latest framing project: Nothing fancy, but it fits well between the window and corner in one of those weird small places.

I have a vent...

I cannot stand when people feel the need to tell the same story over and over. To different people, mind you...but all in a small space. And, to boot - the story is completely irrelevant to anything of substance. I (nor anyone else) care what you had for dinner, and what your sister and brother fought about, and what your mom bought at Walmart. Seriously. C'mon people. This is trivial information that you can keep to yourself, unless I ask for something to bore me to death.

Graduation. I Did It.

2009-12-28T20:17:00.006-05:00

I did it. On December 20th, I walked into Crisler Arena, and wore the traditional cap and gown and hood of a University of Michigan Graduate. After 10 years...I did it!

Can you see me? Underneath the sign for "Natural Resources & the Environment".

The procession of all the REALLY important people...

The speaker at commencement? Jeff Daniels!!!

Me...holding the school's sign...on the way up to the stage.

And walking back to my seat, after shaking hands with the Provost (whom I have never met), and the Dean (whom I have never met).

My proud son...

Acting goofy!!

Me and Joe...after I graduated...in front of the whole Arena.

The closeup of my hood...the color is Russet.

Good news...and a possible future (part-time) career

2009-12-28T20:05:00.002-05:00

So, sometimes when a door is slammed in your face, something else might present itself. And...it did.

In a roundabout way, and because of a good friend whom I owe massive baked goods to...I was offered an Adjunct Faculty Professor Position at Lawrence Technological University. Holy Crow. I still can't believe it, even as I type it out!!!

I will be teaching one class this January (GIS and Land Use Planning) to Civil Engineering students. However, LTU has asked me to develop some other courses for this Fall - in Sustainability, Ecological Design, Environmental Ethics, or something similar.

It isn't going to pay the bills, but this has opened up my mind for so many possibilities for the future. I don't know what I am going to do...but I am excited for some of the potentials that I might be able to pursue...

And Yes...you have to call me Professor from now on!! :)

Bunk Beds and Hunting

2009-12-28T18:48:00.003-05:00

Santa made an early visit to the Lawson House this year...to deliver a Bunk Bed. Boy, this was interesting.

First, let me tell you WHY Little Joe wanted a bunkbed...

To. Be. Closer. To. His. Yellow. Grandma. Yes - you read that correctly.

He called my mom (Denise) his "Yellow Grandma". Not sure why, but he did. Anyways, before she passed away, she was quite spiritual, believing in spirits that return to the world that we live in, and making sure that their loved ones are safe. And, according to him, she visits him. Often. And sings to him. And hangs out near the ceiling in his room. So...he wanted a bunk bed, so he could sleep on the top, and be closer to her. (Yes, let the tears commence...)

So, now we have a bunk bed in his room. The boys went away for a Saturday (hunting), and I had a girlfriend help me pick up the bed from ArtVan, bring it home and assemble it over the course of a long afternoon. Ugh. But...the boy is happy!!!

And - here are some of my favorite pics of the boys...on their way up north to go hunting!!
They sat in Dad's blind for a few hours. Well, maybe 2 hours. According to Little Joe, they saw 6 DEER!!!

The Inevitable...

2009-12-28T18:36:00.002-05:00

Well, for those of you who I haven't told...

It. Happened.

I received my official layoff papers. Yep. I am officially laid off as of January 8th. However, I had a lot of sick days to use, before I lost them, so my last day at the office was December 18th. And I am (cough, cough) sick until January 8th. At which time, I will be unemployed. I will be receiving all of my vacation days paid out, so I essentially have a total of 6 weeks off, paid.

However, that doesn't mean that I am not busting my rear end to find a job...I am following lots of leads, and I REALLY hope that the right one presents itself. The Holidays are a tough time to be looking for a job. Nobody thinks about work during the Holidays. Heck, I certainly don't want to!!

So, I am going to be doing things around the house, spending time with the family, working on things that I have wanted to do for a while, make wine, organize files, clean out the basement, etc. So...if you are in the area, give me a call. I have NOTHING on my calendar for the next few weeks...and I'd love to see ya!!

No Cheating.

2009-12-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

I learned my lesson the hard way. I thought I was being so coy, so sneaky, and I figured that everything would be OK...

Yeah, right.

I thought that I could eat some of the frosting off of the top of a cake that we had at home. Yes, I realized that there were little crumbs of cake (i.e GLUTEN!!!!) on the bottom of the frosting...but I thought that didn't matter!! Stupid me.

I was so sick the next afternoon. My stomach was cramped and I felt miserable.

So - lesson learned...and this is my warning to myself!!! Do Not Eat Anything That Has EVER TOUCHED ANYTHING WITH GLUTEN!!!!!

The Little Artist AND the Vintner.

2009-12-26T22:52:00.002-05:00

Little Joe came home from school with this piece of artwork. He was extremely proud, and I thought it was quite colorful...until he started to explain to me WHO the artist was whose style and precedent he was following. HUH? He said it was Keith Haring.

Who? Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.

So...I did what any proud mom would have done. I framed it, and hung it in the kitchen, for all to see.

And, on the Vintner front...My husband is freaking AWESOME!!! He gave me my Christmas gift early this year...because he wanted to make sure I had something to keep me busy. He So Rocks. He got me a whole wine-making setup. SWEET!!!

There is a place in Livonia, only about 4 miles away. I never even knew it was there...but he found it!! I'm going to start with a Chardonnay. I'll be sure to put up pics and blog about it. I'm not sending all my readers a bottle though. sorry.

Christmas Tree!!!!

2009-12-26T22:24:00.004-05:00

We decided to get our tree this year on a weekend that was nice and warm, and when Big Joe would be home...(it IS hunting season, you know!!) So...we went to get the tree early in December.

We drove to a U-cut place on Willow Road, owned by some friends of the MIL. They grow Douglas Firs...which are PERFECT for hanging ornaments - they are soft. (Friendly Firs!!)

Little Joe...standing in front of the still standing tree. Yes, it was entirely too tall to fit in our house, but it had such great shape...

Little Joe helped me with the ornaments...and hung most of them on ONE BRANCH. I had to explain to him the theory of BALANCE...and why you can't hang all of your favorite ornaments on the same branch.

We also had a bit of a mishap this year...I had a big "cleaning/donation" session this Fall, and gave a TON of boxes to Purple Heart. Including:

The. Tree. Lights.

Yup...I gave away all of the tree lights that we had...stupid me. So, I have been slowly replacing them. I borrowed some from our neighbors, only to find out that they were still using those big outdoor lights that get ridiculously hot when plugged in. My wonderful husband suggested that I not use those, as he didn't want the house burned down. Nice.

And the finished product...

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-12-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

Oh dear goodness. I found a local bakery that makes GF peanut butter cookies! They aren't labeled as such, but I called the bakery (it's actually a woman and her daughter that are doing this as a small business venture...) Anyways, YUM!! dipped in a little bit of chocolate, and soft and chewy and PERFECT!!!! http://www.suezdelites.com/ Check it out!!!!

Detroit's Urban Core -

2009-12-23T17:26:00.002-05:00

This is a part of a rant I had about Detroit and the loss of it's urban core.

Maybe this MIGHT be some of the D's problems? Too much land to handle????

Isn't this FUN???

2009-12-18T09:57:00.001-05:00

Today's horoscope:

Be thankful for what you have. A recent change may have you doubtful, but time will show this change was for the better.

Hmmm.. Today is my last working day at my office. Am I sad? Yes. Am I happy? Yes. Am I scared out of my mind? Yes. Will I be OK? Yes. I have alot on my mind right now, and I have SO much that I need to get done. For work, for school, for life in general. And I know things are slipping through the cracks. My sense of stability is gone right now, but I can't let that stop me. I need to pick up the pieces and keep going. I know things will be tough for the next few days/weeks/etc. I have SOME options, but none of those options are the perfect option...sigh.

Much love to you all...I will be putting up a slew of pictures from my blog backlog over the weekend.

Concertgoing - an open letter to Mom.

2009-12-16T08:37:00.001-05:00

Dear Mom -

You would be be so proud of the choir if you saw them now. I mean, I know that you were probably there watching anyways, but I really want you to know how amazing they were last night. First of all, the concert was at Pease. The acoustics there are great - MUCH better than Emmanuel! But, that aside, the choir gave a fantastic performance. The soloists were beautiful, there was one woman that I didn't recognize who had a solo...she started out very quiet and shy, but she had the sweetest tone to her voice when she really came in singing. So pretty. They did all the favorite christmas songs, a few new ones that I hadn't heard before...but overall, it was wonderful.

I brought Little Joe with me, you know how I want him to be exposed to music as much as possible. He thought that the auditorium was really cool - but mostly because we sat way up in the balcony. The view was great up there.

After intermission, the band came out and performed...they only did 3 pieces, but...WOW! The first piece was an amazing organ piece that shook the entire auditorium. Little Joe thought that it was too loud. They finished with the Russian Christmas piece by Reed. I remember when I played this - the horn was is AWESOME!! The band sounded great - the brass section really played well...such a big sounding piece...but they didn't overdo it at all. (Little Joe still covered his ears though...I think he is sensitive to loud music).

But the best of all, was the finale...with both the choir and the band performing Handel's Messiah 'Hallelujah Chorus'. Holy. Crow. Of course, everyone stood...(as we had learned that on March 23, 1743, The Messiah was performed for the 1st time in London, England. Present was the King of England. The king was so moved by the singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus," he spontaneously stood to his feet and remained standing until the end of Handel's masterpiece. (And when the king stands up, EVERYBODY stands up.) Ever since that day, it has been customary for the audience to stand whenever the "Hallelujah Chorus" is sung.)

Anyways - so, everyone is standing, the choir is singing their hearts out, the band was playing, the organ pulled out all the stops...and....

Wow.

Tears.

Little Joe turned around at one point and said to me "Mom - are you crying AGAIN?" Hee! He knows me too well.

I hope that you had a chance to listen to the concert - I'm sure that you would be so proud of the choir - they have done a fantastic job. I didn't get a chance to talk to many of the members - it was late, so we didn't go to the afterglow at Tower Inn - maybe next concert.

Love you,

jen

Feeling Humble and Insignificant..

2009-12-15T08:33:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you what they all are - but I know most of them. And...wow.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091209/SPECIAL01/91209001

This is the top 100+ photos of the last decade from the Associated Press (AP). Check it out...and bring the tissues.

MIA...sorry.

2009-12-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

I've been absent for a while...Sorry. My life kind of got flip-turned upside down. but, it will all be OK.

Positive#1: I will be teaching a course at Lawrence Tech Univ. this January.
Positive#2: Little Joe and I watched our wedding video together last night.
Negative#1: The ax fell. I was laid off, and my "official" last day is January 8th. (I won't be in the office after December 18th though).
Negative#2: I have a chemistry paper due in roughly 56 hours. That I haven't really started.

There are a ton of things that I need to add to the blog...all in good time. Pictures, funny stories, sad stories, you know, life. Please be patient with me as I sort out things right now. I have lots to tell you -

Rockin'

2009-11-27T18:39:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite songs (for no other reason than the mere mention of "Detroit") is Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. Yes, it is a 80's hair band song...but it's got a great rhythm, and the lyrics are pretty cool...but the best part is when your awesome little boy decides that he likes to rock out to your favorite part of the song too...(you have to go to the website to see this, not in email).

I really hope the video works!!!

Just a city boy...Born and raised in South Detroit...

Good things happening...

2009-11-25T07:42:00.003-05:00

Positive#1: I have realized that I have a lot of really amazing friends.
Positive#2: Little Joe started reading another book last night..."I Am the Turkey".
Negative#1: I don't have a very good feeling about work right now. Kind of like a pending doom...
Negative#2: I didn't run the dishwasher, which means I have to do it tonight. Not a big bad thing, but another nod to my inability to do things that I know need to be done. (i.e. PROCRASTINATION!!!)

It's getting tough to think of positives and negatives for the previous day. Not because there aren't enough moments to choose from...I guess I'm still in that funk...which is affecting me. Whatever.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I have lots of things going on:
1. tomorrow morning, my best friend and I are planning on going to the gym for a pre-turkey spinning class. Yes, she's the only other person crazy like me to get up this early and do this. but, then I don't feel quite so guilty about eating Thanksgiving dinner!
2. Thanksgiving dinner. YEAH!!!
3. Black Friday shopping. Yup - I'm one of those crazy people who get up at 1 AM to get in line at the stores to get some crazy good deal. Thing is, this year, there isn't really too much that I need/want. There are some small things that I'd like to get for the boys for Xmas, but not necessary. It's more about the tradition that Denise started with me. And I have chosen to continue it.
4. On Saturday evening, my 3 "sisters" are coming over for dinner. Yeah!

Other than those things, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend, interspersed with homework and reading science journals. Joy.

In a funk...

2009-11-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

Positive#1: I found an awesome recipe for gluten-free chocolate cake that is simple with no freakishly weird ingredients!!
Positive#2: the GLRI RFP came out. OK - I know this is work-related, but it has been a long time coming, and it may provide additional work for this region.
Negative#1: OK, so the career news isn't as great as I thought it was going to be...back to the hunt.
Negative#2: I need to not use my cell phone. If I don't call you, that's why.

I'm in a funk today. Life never goes as planned, and that frustrates me. things were just supposed to go a certain way - and they haven't, and they probably won't. (Wow, I'm being a pessimist!) anyways - I just need to dust myself off and start again. darnit all!

Little Joe did an amazing thing last night...He read an entire book by himself. Not a easy one either. I had to help with only a handful of words. And it took him a half hour to read it - but he didn't give up...and he finished it. I was SO PROUD!!! And, the best part...he was proud of himself too. What a rockstar.

Looking towards Turkey Day

2009-11-23T09:04:00.002-05:00

Positive#1: Turkey Day is in 3 days. 'nuff said.
Positive#2: I found a recipe to make for dinner on Saturday night for my "sisters". Yeah!!
Negative#1: I was a little but lazy this weekend...I felt sluggish and didn't want to do anything. and now I feel guilty about it.
Negative#2: I'm thinking about cancelling Little Joe's piano lessons. He is good, but he doesn't want to put forth the effort to practice. and I don't want to force him.

I'm looking forward to this weekend...friends will be home, family will be around, lots of football, food and fun. There are some longstanding traditions that we will pay homage to...and of course, there will be pictures. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No decorations, no cards, no parties - just a big festive stuff-your-face day. My kind of day.

Thanksgiving is also when you can start drinking eggnog. I have a personal rule about this....Eggnog cannot be consumed before Thanksgiving, and after New Year's Day. Copious amount of spiced rum are not required to be mixed in, but highly suggested. Served warm with a little bit of nutmeg on the top. Perfection in a festive mug.

Work will be good this week - lots to do, hopefully some good grant stuff, the GLRI comes out, and this might mean lots of good stuff for the region. Yeah!

Back to Reality

2009-11-23T08:42:00.002-05:00

This past week has been a daze for me...too much going on, emotions running high, stress through the roof, and being a hunting widow/single parent for the week.

(there are general for the past week, not specific to yesterday, I'll do a specific list for yesterday later)

Positive#1: my future career plans. I won't go into detail...but just know that it is positive.
Positive#2: Little Joe has been reading a whole lot more...even though I have to push him a bit, he's getting so much better.
Negative#1: I missed Joe like crazy last week, and didn't sleep for crap because of it.
Negative#2: I didn't make it to A2 to but my cap gown and tassel, and now they can't guarantee that everything will be available. (I need to make some time to get there ASAP!!!!)

Joe had a bountiful week up north hunting...He got 2 deer, a buck on Opening Day, and a doe later in the week. (YEAH!!!) I'm very very very happy about this! Meat to fill the freezer! Venison is so good - no crazy hormones pumped into it, and you know exactly where the meat is from. AND, it is very lean - so it is MUCH healthier for you. Love it!

We went to Little Joe's parent-teacher conference on Thursday - he got a very good report card...mostly 2's and a few 3's. She doesn't give out 1's unless they are REALLY overachieving. She said lots of good things about him, and that he is doing very well. she did say that he tends to not pay attention though...so we will have to work on that a little bit. but, over all, a good report.

Lots more stuff that I really can't talk about on here, too public. Just know that EVERYTHING went well...and my future looks VERY bright. call me or email me if you want the details. and thank you ALL for for your love and support. This past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me, and I made it through with no scrapes, only a smile.

Family Pictures...

2009-11-13T06:17:00.003-05:00

These family pics were taken by Joe's cousin...Maegan. She is simply amazing. She needs to go into photography. People would pay major money for quality like this. She did an amazing job!!! There are more - but these are some of my faves. I'll be ordering prints on Snapfish this weekend. Yeah!!

points for anyone who knows where we had them done.....:)

And not least...Little Joe on Halloween...Firefighter Joe. We went to Grandma's neighborhood - and made out like a BANDIT!! He even had to get a grocery bag from someone to hold all the extra stuff that wouldn't fit in his pumpkin! Too cool! Mind you, he didn't eat any of it...he only like PB cups and hershey kisses.

Worn out...

2009-11-12T09:57:00.004-05:00

Positive#1: I was able to determine my final project scope for one of my grad classes, and I have a clear direction on what needs to be done.

Positive#2: Little Joe called my Dad and Grandpa to say thank you for their service in the Navy and Army, respectively. My heart swelled with pride and joy. He came up with the idea on his own.

Negative#1: I wasn't very motivated at work, and didn't finish what I should have accomplished.

Negative#2: I didn't do my chemistry homework, and I think I have a short abstract due tonight.

In other news - Little Joe FINALLY lost his front tooth! This is the same one that was knocked loose during a wrestling match with a friend...last night, he and Dad were wrestling, and it came out! Dad even texted me a picture of his toothless grin while I was in class...(I got all teary-eyed!!!) the tooth fairy didn't visit last night, though because he forgot to put it under his pillow...:)

I realized something last night during my drive home...I'm getting to a point of physical exhaustion. I can tell that my temper has a very short fuse, I'm easily irritated by the smallest things, I'm tired all the time, I don't have the energy during the day to concentrate on things. This happens when I try to do too much. And top the hectic to-do list with the stress at work right now...it ain't pretty. This semester is turning out how I expected it, with a big old cherry on the top. I just have 5 more weeks of craziness....maybe 4.

Nonetheless...I'm asking for some patience. I'm asking for some understanding. If I snap at you, if I don't call you back...you know why. If I look exhausted - you know why.

Hard on ourselves...

2009-11-11T08:30:00.003-05:00

I talked with a girlfriend recently, and we were talking about how hard working moms are, on ourselves. We are so critical of ourselves, and we tend to expect perfection, even it can't be achieved. So...she shared with me one of her self-indulgences that makes life a little easier:

2 positives and 2 negatives. Every Day. At the end of the day, she comes up with 2 positives and 2 negatives for the day. So...I'll going to completely STEAL her idea, and put it on my blog. Every day. I'll start out with this little tidbit. OK, maybe not every day, but when I do blog - I'll put it at the top of the post.

So...here goes: (these are for yesterday (Tuesday))

Positive #1: I checked out 2 passes for Little Joe and I to go to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour this Weekend...
Positive #2: I sent a thank you letter to my professor to thank her for taking some extra time with me to explain some things before my exam last week.
Negative #1: I lost my temper with Joseph after dinner. Big time. I told him that I was tired of cleaning up after him.
Negative #2: I was in a bad mood for most of the evening - I even got mad at the blender and can opener. Inanimate objects. Oh yes, I was in prime form.

(Just as an FYI - the negatives were SO much easier to come up with!!) And I could have listed so many more negatives...

How Sewers Work...according to a 6-year old.

2009-11-05T08:43:00.002-05:00

Only my child...would draw a profile of the sewer system.
Only my child...would understand sewers
Only my child...would be interested in sewers
Only my child...would draw a stick figure of his mother, IN THE SEWER.

Apparently, he is telling his friends that "My mom works on the sewers".

Uh...we need to have a little discussion about what Mommy does for a living....

Do you see me in the drawing? Can you see the smile on my face?

************

T-minus 9 hours until my chem exam. I tried to study a little last night, but my brain wasn't having it. I gave up. I wonder if she'll give extra credit? Maybe she'll give a makeup exam.

insights and epiphanies

2009-11-04T15:02:00.001-05:00

Horoscope: Take on tasks and responsibilities only if you are prepared to see them through. It is time to be a doer rather than a thinker.

***************

Hmmm. I wonder what the fates are trying to tell me...should I not plan so far into the future? Should I not start new projects? Or what?? Why do horoscopes have to be SO vague? Argh! At least Mercury isn't in retrograde, so I'm Ok there.

Am I a "doer"? Are you a "doer" This is an interesting concept for me - I like to be the "doer", but I think there is a large part of me that is also the thinker, the planner, the organizer...maybe I just want to do it all! :)

******************

In other news:

I have my geochem midterm exam in about 27 hours. yeah...so....I'm not holding my breath for this. I seriously am so lost in this class. I think a major part of it is that I am not a "student" anymore - I have about a million other things going on in my life - and some of those things have priority over geochemistry. I know, sad, but true. I understand the lectures, but then recalling what the lecture was about is pointless for me. It's like my brain doesn't retain the info that we just talked about. Why is that? Ugh. This plain sucks.

I'm also a crazy procrastinator. I'm the WORST at putting things off...and I think I have procrastinated too much about studying - I haven't put in the time that I know I should have. It has been sporadic - and I know that is part of my problem. I try to study at home, I try to study during lunch at work...it's tough though.

OK - enough bellyaching. I'm leaving the office in a bit, and going home to STUDY! And I mean it this time...seriously!!

The Little Things

2009-11-01T17:08:00.003-05:00

One of my awesome "sisters" is redoing her basement...and wanted to get rid of a piece of strained glass that she had in one of her basement windows. So - she shared with me! How cool is this?? Joe is going to solder some loops on, and we are going to hang it in a window...probably the kitchen window, seeing that the blues match our kitchen perfectly. Thank you B!! Love ya!

I love coffee. You all know that. It holds a special place in my kitchen. For a while, I had been storing it in an antique Blue Mason jar. But...Little Joe broke the glass lid, so it wasn't exactly working properly...So, I went shopping with a girlfriend last weekend - and we found THIS:

How perfect is this jar, right? I know, a minor thing...but majorly important in my world!!!

I also celebrated Fall by canning out of my garden...BEETS!!! How beautiful are these? The red is just amazing! And they smell so good! The brine had cinnamon and clove in it too - perfectly spicy, perfectly tart.

BUT...nobody told me hoe unbelievably hard it is to make beets. My fingers were stained red for a week! and I'm still scrubbing the red dye off of the counters and grout. Seriously. I'm not so sure I ever want to make these stupid things again!!!

And...if you ever want to buy a beanbag and stuff it yourself....DON'T!!!! We have these stupid Styrofoam bean-things all over the house. The directions SUGGESTED doing it in the bathtub. Boy, was that a good recommendation! but, Little Joe loves his new beanbag chair!!!!

And just a glimpse...this is one of my favorite coffee mugs EVER. True Norwegian...that's me! but..sadly, I noticed a crack in the mug this past time I used it. I guess it isn't exactly made for microwaving, etc. I have to be careful with it now. But, I'm going to get another one...just in case. Aside from going to MN, anyone know where I can find this? For a reasonable price too!??

playing piano

2009-11-01T16:38:00.003-05:00

A little bit of the Maestro playing...