Menu this week

Menu for the week of December 6th to the 11th

• Sunday - Turkey and Dumplings with homemade turkey stock

• Monday - Beef Stroganoff with whole wheat noodles and broccoli on the side

• Tuesday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup, with raw veggies on the side (this is a quick dinner because Julian has his winter choir concert this night)
  

• Wednesday - Oven Fried Chicken, chili corn, green salad

• Thursday - Whole Wheat Chicken Ravioli with Tomato Sauce, Garlic Bread

• Friday - Homemade Bean and Cheese Burritos (totally a cop out quick and easy friday night dinner, I know I'm lame)
  

Is there an Ark near by?

It's been raining for DAYS. I'm serious. Not, just your run of the mill, PNW, gray drizzle either. We're talking full on, cats and dogs fallin' from the sky. OH and the puddles. They are every where. And those puddles are turning into rivers that are flooding parking lots and streets and driveways.

The power was out last night for about 3 hours. I was right in the middle of making some delicious homemade cream of broccoli soup when *cough* *sputter* *darkness* happened. Uh, hello, who turned out the lights? Apparently a large tree did when it toppled over on to some essential power lines from the GAIL force winds that appeared from nowhere.

So, the soup? We're eating it tonight.

Ho hum.

It's raining. It's been raining. And according to the forecast, it's going to continue to rain. It makes me want to bake cookies and bread. And make homemade soups.

My darling Husband is getting his last wisdom tooth pulled tomorrow and hunkering down in a warm house is just what the doctor ordered. I'm sure he'll spend most of the day beating off the anesthesia, slipping in and out of sleep, while I meander around the house avoiding the rain, and work! Yippee!

Obviously, I will hold off on baking, because that would be plain mean to make delicious things like the chocolate butter cookies on the cover of my new Cooks Illustrated when he won't be able to eat them. I'll be a good wife and wait until after he can eat solid foods again. So, I'm thinking next weekend I'll try the recipe.

Marty and I attended a weather spotter training last night put on by the National Weather Service. We signed up to become weather spotters. These folks help the weather service in better forecasting. They provide real time information to the weather service by calling in or reporting over the internet weather conditions in their area. By doing so the weather service can better predict weather and issue proper warnings and statements. We got a rain gauge and a snow measuring stick and boards. Hopefully we can get the rain gauge hung up soon, considering all this rain we're getting. It doesn't look like it's going to give up anytime soon either.

Fork in the Road

There has been much conversation lately about the future. Where we are going, where we want to go, and more seemingly how we are going to get there. Marty and I think about the future often. Or I guess I should say we daydream about the future. We both have longing for something more. More creative. More fitting to our natures. More rewarding.

We both have our dreams and desires. We both think we know what will fill that gap between just a job and really pursuing our dreams. The conversations have been about that pursuit. They’ve been deep and serious, silly and full of laughter, quiet and reflective.

What may be more spiritually uplifting and rewarding may not be more financially rewarding, and that is scary. It is not just “us” we have to take care of… We have responsibilities that need to be at the forefront of our minds. We have a son who will be in college next year, and three more to follow in the next several years. And there is talk of adding another in the near future. But that’s another post.

Sometimes I think we get so accustom to what is comfortable, or maybe that’s just me, but we lose track of those dreams. We feel secure and safe and taking a risk, well is risky. I’m a “play it safe” kinda girl. I have always been and most likely will always be. Risk is change, and change is different, and different is not what I know and am comfortable with, and “oh my gosh” I’m overwhelmed. So, naturally, I am hesitant, and realistic and maybe even downright negative. My amazing Husband is a risk taker. He’s bold and daring, and has really challenged me to think about our future and taking a risk. I admire him so much.

We have been talking, but we’ve also been praying. Praying for God to show us our future. Set us on our path when the timing is right. To place a fork in the road to an opportunity, an opportunity to pursue those dreams we have and turn them into reality.

I feel change on the horizon.

The evolution of cover up

Last friday Marty and I headed to Tacoma to celebrate my birthday... sort of. I should say to celebrate my birthday gift since my birthday was actually monday. I've been wanting a new tattoo for some time now, and that's exactly what my sweet Husband did for me!

Shortly after I turned 18 I got my first tattoo. Then a couple years later I got another, and then another. That third one is on my back and it's undergoing cover up. I never thought I'd be one for cover up. I thought "yeah, I know what I'm doing. I'll love this forever!" That's being young for you. Thinking you know it all. Obviously, things change, and now I'm less than happy with it.

I've chosen a piece for my arm by Alphonse Mucha entitled "Dance". I am very inspired by art nouveau and the delicate nature it embraces. I love how feminine and soft his paintings are. Here is the piece that I chose for my arm.

You can see the tattoo on my back as well as the new piece that will start the cover up process. Marty had this brilliant idea about adding an umbrella turned inside out by the swirling wind. I think it turned out amazing! The tattoo artist is still working on the flowers that will cover up the existing tattoo. They will be flowing out of the umbrella.

My first session lasted three hours and all the outlining is complete. I go back in November for color on my arm. This will be my first tattoo with color and I must say I am very excited to add this element.

It will be a lengthy process totaling over 10 hours I am sure. But I am up for it and can hardly wait to go back. More progress to come....

Soap, punk rock, and a baby

I've been trying to write this post since Monday. Yes, it's Thursday Wednesday of the following week now and I still can't seem to write anything worth posting. *sigh*

So maybe I'll just get to the point? We traveled to Oregon last weekend before last to visit our new nephew, see a punk rock show, and Julian made soap with my mom.

There.

But, seriously, how boring is that? Pretty boring if you ask me. When I am not sitting here trying to write all these fantastic stories pop into my head of how I could make this post exciting. Now I am here and meh, they are gone. What gives? Maybe I need a pocket tape recorder. Interesting idea. Can you see me now, driving the kids to school, coffee in one hand, tape recorder in the other steering with my knee? Okay, maybe not.

The weekend was great, aside from the bed we have to sleep in when we visit my mom. It's hard as a rock. We both woke up paralyzed. We recovered though. Barely.

Our new nephew, cute as a button. You know babies have this amazing power to turn you to a big mushy pile of mush. Or maybe that's me telling myself I am not getting any younger. *gulp* I held him for some time rocking and patting him until he could hold his eyes open no longer. He made me so warm and his little noises melted me. See, there is the mush again.

The show was fun... we drove into NE Portland to find this little bar called The Know, and you know there was really nothing to know about it. It was small and pretty bare inside except for a few pinball machines and a pretty good jukebox. They did serve an acceptable jack and seven, so I was happy. The show was fun and loud and you know, punk rock.

Anywho, we bailed after the band played we came to see and made our way back up to my mom's only to return to that damn bed. Ah nuts.

That evening my mom and Julian made soap. I seriously think we have a little crafter on our hands. He LOVES this kind of stuff. He made 10 bars of brightly colored and smelly good soaps. I think I may need to try this at home....

Okay, there, finally. See, I can blog.

Things I'm into lately

Kerrygold Blarney Castle cheese with bartlett pear slices.

Leggings.

Top Chef. WORD. I picked Jennifer. She's tough and curt and cooks like one mean mo'fo'.

Fall. Yes, the leaves are changing and I busted my coat out.

Baking bread. The smell is overwhelmingly good!

Putting the heating pad on at the bottom of the bed about 20 minutes before I get in. Can you say, INSTANT warm feet. Ahhhh.

Grizzly Bear