The Power Struggle

I can hardly wait to leave work today and get to our new house! You might ask, "didn't you move in on Friday? What's special about today?"

Well, it's true that the lease started and we moved a great many of our belongings in on Friday; however, we have not had electricity until today... It's been a bit of a saga, but to avoid much of the drama, let's just focus on lessons learned:

1) When renting a house, be sure to ask the landlord about the expectations for electricity- Will it be on when we move in? Will it need to be in our name?
2) If the answer to the questions above are "No" and "Yes" respectively, recognize that some energy companies will take three business days to turn on power.
3) Take the time to research said energy companies-- some of them will only take ONE business day and may be cheaper...
4) Number 3 is better known before all of the other lessons because if you cancel a contract to switch, the first company just might play tricks that will keep your new company from being able to keep their promises...

But now that's all behind us- we have power which means we have air conditioning! I've loved the house from the moment we first walked in, but I have a hunch that I'll love it even more when I get walk in today and can enjoy being it!

Although, I will kind of miss the "sauna affect"- I'm pretty sure I lost all of my water weight this weekend alone... Just kidding- I won't miss that at all :)

Joyful Obedience

Well, it's January- the start of a new year. I've never been much of a resolution maker, but the beginning of 2011 seemed like a good time to start! My resolutions include but are not limited to these:

• Take better care of myself. No "work out everyday" or "swearing off restaurants"- I'm trying to set myself up for success, here!
• Be a better and nicer wife. Tripp insists that in no way have I been a poor or mean wife, but I can just see some areas for growth.
• Most importantly-- teach myself to become joyfully obedient.

I've heard the phrase all my life- joyful obedience. The first Sunday of the month, every Chrysalis retreat (sever times over each weekend)... Page 12 of the United Methodist hymnal at the end of the confession and pardon prayer. "Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

I have had the communion ritual memorized for a number of years (as I'm sure many in our congregations do, but still, we start at the book...). Since my realization of this fact, I have quit "turn[ing] to page 12 in [my] pew hymnal" when the minster asks and I have had a series of epiphanies about the meanings of the words we recite month after month, thoughtlessly, only because I've put thought into them as they are said. Still, I can be quite slow and some phrases get over looked all the same. Admittedly, the feeling of complete stupidity that follows the bliss of making a revelation is incredibly humbling and therefore all part of the process, I'm sure.

I marvel at the timing of God's wonders, but clearly, Christmas eve was the night where my ears were first opened to hear what my life has been so lacking, then reinforced when we took communion again on January 2. I'm lazy. I procrastinate. I've been actively working on it for a handful of years now with little success. And it makes so much sense now, looking back- I told myself to get up and do work but I felt like there was no purpose in it. Why do I need to clean up? Why do I need to do my homework? Why do I need to study stupid subjects? "Because it needs to be done." That was never sufficient for me. On the rare occasion it was, then my obedience was begrudgingly.

I didn't understand the truth in "it needs to be done" and how that IS enough purpose for me to do work. As I was talking to my friend Stacy this morning, she reminded me that work is a blessing and always has been: Adam was to tend the garden even before he and Eve sinned. God did not make us capable and smart people with the intention for us to just sit around, doing nothing. Working is just as much a part of our nature as sinning is (but helps us stay focused and avoid sin- a topic for another time). We constantly busy ourselves and I have had a habit of busying myself with stupid, inconsequential tasks when I have real jobs to be doing!

If the dishes need to be done, then I need to do them and I need to be joyful in doing so-- I have dishes and there was food on them! The laundry is piling up, and I'm so grateful we can clothe ourselves. The bathroom is dirty, but praise God for our privacy, the sanitation advances we have made since the beginning of time, and especially for the good health we have and would like to keep!

It comes so naturally to me in the office! My job is so simple and incredibly mundane, but I am so happy to do it! I have a job and an income! Maybe the fact that my position is technically temporary helps me keep a grasp on the joy of the situation- every mindless and numbing task they find for me is another hour/day/week I get paid. I've started really trying at home in the last few days to practice joyful obedience and it's going to take some getting used to, a lot of discipline. But my overall joy is greater because I feel a sense of completion and purpose.

I guess that's really my only resolution, because everything else seems to fit into that one concept. If I'm taking care of everything I need to be taking care of, everything will be as it should. And that thought in itself is so freeing...

One Year Ago Today

I was about 3-4 hours early for a flight from MSP to DFW, my flight was delayed just over two hours, my luggage was lost, and then all of the stress of the day was forgotten when my then boyfriend became my fiance.

We were supposed to make a delicious meal together, but in my cranky and famished state, I forced him to take me out. So tonight to celebrate the passing year, our personal Christmas, and remember this monumental date in our relationship, we are going to make beef wellington! Tripp always has the best ideas when it comes to making nice meals and new recipes. I'm definitely lucky to have him as my husband this time around :)

Our Daily Bread

Is baked every Sunday by yours truly. We registered for a beautiful metal "bread couche," if you will, from Williams Sonoma and got it with a gift card shortly after we got back from Spain. Everything was changing at that point so my ambition of homemade bread was put off for a few weeks, but I am proud to say that it is week two of fresh and delicious bread not from the store!

Last week, I started simple with the crusty french bread recipe that came with the pan and it was successful! It tasted just like the french bread from a bakery and so I was pleased, regardless of it's slightly odd appearance... The proofing process was a time of growth and learning for me: there is no "warm area" in our apartment. It is all cold-a fact that we like most of the time, but does not make for conducive bread rising conditions. I found that if you run the microwave empty for about 30 seconds, it makes a great "hot box" for a couple of hours, but by this point, the bread had already suffered slightly. It didn't help that I was distracted by pizza dough making and marinara cooking, but it all turned out great in the end!

This week, I started a dinner of baked potato soup to cooking in the crock pot and then took to the interwebs to find a new bread recipe. Tripp and I saw something about pretzels earlier on tv and since I rejected his suggestion to bake both the weeks bread AND pretzels tonight, I settled on pretzel bread. Easy enough- the normal bread process, except you add a baking soda bath after the last proof and baking. I don't mind the extra step, mostly because I enjoy entertainment of the fizzing and bubbling when you add the baking soda to the boiling water :)

They turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. They look like the Snyder's Brand Pretzel Nuggets. Really, really big pretzel nuggets.

Once cooled, one loaf is bagged and stored in the bread box and the other is bagged and frozen to help preserve it. My original intent was to bake off two loaves to last us two weeks, but during both trials, I've ended up with fairly small loaves. Either I'll be content with that (it's not like I don't have time on Sundays) or if life gets crazier, I might double the recipes, make larger loaves, and only bake every other week? We'll have to play it by ear, but I'm liking the bread every week for now. It's cathartic and peaceful. Helps me wind down before starting another week of work.

Big Changes, Big Joy

Since the wedding, just over a month ago (which was the most perfect and wonderful day of my life), I have read three whole books and am working on the fourth. I have to note that the three books were all read from start to finish on our honeymoon in Spain!

These are the books I've read as a married lady:
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M Gilmartin Ph.D.
- Dr. Gilmartin is not a writer by any means and frankly, his editor needs to be replaced for the number of times I noted spelling (yeah, laugh Michelle) and grammar mistakes. Other than that, it was a very insightful read. Dr. Gilmartin's Ph.D. is in clinical psychology but once he acquired that degree, he became a career deputy sheriff. He writes with much humor and much of the book is redundant, but I think perhaps if a law enforcement individual who was already doing poorly at emotional survival for the job, maybe that would be exactly what is needed to drive the point home. I was nice for me to read and understand what Tripp will, and to a certain extent already does, experience and feel on the job. Honestly, though, I think that the book applies to most everyone, law enforcement or not, in saying that everyday you have choices and in order to stay healthy, you have to make the decision to be actively involved in your life. You don't come home and veg after work when you should come home and interact with your family. You make your physical health a priority along with your mental health and you work at it rather than expecting it to take care of itself. Would I recommend it to just anyone? Not necessarily, but it is a decent read and especially important information for law enforcement to know in order to avoid the traps that lie in their lives.

The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein
-This book changed my life. I have always had a strange passion for reading books from the eras surrounding and including the World Wars. To read about the drastic changes and how quickly it all came about. I'll read fiction, non fiction, biographical... So long as it details how American men took up arms and fought, how American women left the home and joined the work force to support the troops and feed their families, how any part of Europe was completely transformed, how dreadful the concentration camps were and the experiences people had there. I feel like it is such an important period of time and reading about it makes me feel a part of it, makes me feel like I have a direct tie to the tragedies and the triumphs. It makes it personal-- I have to care and I have to remember. But this book, more than any other completely changed my perspective. Much of the other reading has been so dark and awful; the characters are completely tragic through and through. Mr. Bernstein wrote about the terrible things he saw and experienced as a Jewish boy in England during the early 1900's but there was a strange lightness to it, an innocence. Thing around him were miserable, but still he found joy. Even as an adult, he never let those experiences own who he is-- they will always be with him, but never will they take over him. Incredible.

The Deaf Sentence by David Lodge
-It was a funny book, but not my favorite type of read. I know that all good stories have some sort of scandal, however there's some types of scandal I don't really care to read about... Nevertheless, this book was amusing and resolved well; I laughed so many times at it's ridiculousness and even more at all of the blunders the main character makes in coping with his hearing loss (humorous mostly because of personal family experiences, partially because of the style of writing). Funny, interesting, good for a once through while lying on a fabulous beach in the Canary Islands.

My current book:
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
-This book is weird. And before anyone says anything, know that I have read and enjoyed reading Lucky and the Lovely Bones also by Alice Sebold. I know that she has a dark and jaded past, I know that it comes through heavily in her writing, but The Almost Moon- weird. It's just a bit too much for me at times. It contains the same core elements at the others (death, sex, awkwardness) but this one is way heavier than any of the other ones. I mean I was expecting and looking forward to a good Sebold book with all of its cold and creepiness. I've read one about every other fall for the past five years- they're perfect for being cuddled under the weight of a blanket or heavy coat, and even better if you can fit a scarf into the equation. But this one is weird. I'm going to keep on trying, hoping for some resolution, but I might just have to go back to the Lovely Bones instead... This one is really intense...



Out of the books and into the real world: life is great!
I love my husband; Grady is the most wonderful man and I am blessed for a husband as wonderful as him.
I love that I have a new job to start tomorrow morning (Wednesday, November 3)! I'll be working at Aprima doing data entry. Seated, non customer relations, part time- all of my needs met! God is soo good!

3:49 am

I just wanted it documented that I was awake at that time on the morning of my wedding... After a round of tetris online.

I'm just too excited!! I wish I had taken a benedryl, but it's too late now to take anything. Oh well! I'm just happy to get to marry Grady today!

Happiness and big big changes!

Brace yourself for this-- we, Tripp and I... are rearranging our apartment! I am more than excited to swap the bedroom and living room spaces! The living room is wider by about two feet which will accommodate our new queen size bed (courtesy of the Price family!) and the higher ceiling will give it a more spacious feel as well. And I think that the smaller space will make the "living room" feel cozier, kind of den like. It'll be a really good thing.



Oh and we're getting married in just over a week! That's kind of nice too. :)
We've been looking forward to this for a very long time and "excited" doesn't come near the euphoria we're feeling about our upcoming nuptials! I love Grady more than words and cannot wait to be his wife!

Wedding Weddingness!

It's getting down to crazy time! Yesterday, I had my final dress fitting and brought it home with me. Today, we got the invitations weighed, stamped, stuffed, and sent! We bought our wedding shoes and a guest book of sorts. I also went with Tracy to her first dress fitting today after running an assortment of wedding errands with her yesterday! Thursday we'll go to her final fitting--pray that they get EVERYTHING perfectly altered.

Friday, Tracy and I embark on Tracy's Wedding Week Travels- we'll head toward Columbia, SC so we can have a bachelorette partay for her on Saturday night with her delightfully funny and sweet college pals (Celia and Sarah, respectively, to be specific)! Sunday, at our leisure, we'll make it to Topsail Island, NC. Monday and Tuesday, Tracy will deal with military movers shenanigans while I bask in the sun on the beach across the street from their house :)
Wednesday, we pack up and head towards Fredericksburg, VA. I'm not sure how long we'll be there--passing through, I think-- and sometime shortly after that, we'll move to Vienna, VA where I'll be baking the cakes in Alex's aunt's oven. Thursday, we head back to Fredericksburg and the wedding weekend hoopla commences!

I'm extremely excited for every bit of this trip and adventure! I am more than happy for my seester to be marrying such a wonderful and kind man and I am grateful for one last unmarried road trip together. I've had a great summer with Tracy around, so I'll be sad that she'll once again be far away, but it's been a summer for the books and I'm sure this adventure will be too!

When the Texas Heat Gets Me Down

I take to the books! In the past few months, I have tackled a number of books and have had a wonderful time doing just that! Over serveral months, I've been working on A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. My sweet fiance gifted me the collectors set for my birthday after declaring my love of the movie! Of course, the books are better and of the thirteen books in all, I am currently on the tenth book, The Slippery Slope. Yes, I realize that these are children's books, but they are skillfully written and really quite amusing! The Baudelaire children have such miserable luck but I am dedicated to these books: I must know how they fare in the end!

In between books in the series, I have slipped in some others: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein for one. I thuroughly enjoyed that book, although I will say that much of it was sad and frustrating. All signs of good writting though; the book overall was excellent and brought me to tears a number of times. I'll admit that I can be quite the sap when it comes to the written word (and movies) but this one was particularly tearful for me. Between the love I have for Tripp and the intense adoration I have for Akira, our dog, this book kept me thinking about the two of them and how grateful I am for my life just the way it is.

Most recently, I picked up The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. I am most excited about this book!

{A quick aside, indirectly related to the book} To be completely candid and honest, I'll confess that for the past few months, I've been doing some serious soul searching to find the answer to these questions: what do I really want to make my career? What am I sincerely passionate about? What could I wake up in the morning and be excited about going to work for? I thought that earning my degree in Baking and Pastries would be suitable for me, at least for a little bit, but after obtaining said certification, I have come to realize that it is not enough to be truly satisfying for me. Don't get me wrong, I have a terrific time making cakes on the side for friends and family; my skill has improved drastically, if I may say so myself. For that reason, I am grateful for my formal education in the area as well as my experience, albeit short lived, working in bakeries. I have come to the conclusion that I will need to find a job that I can enjoy for sometime, save up money, and continue my education to feel satisfied. I would like start by pursuing my bachelors in food science/health & nutrition, or something of the sort.

Such has been my thought for some time, however the excitement and passion that literally (regardless of the cheese factor) sprung up in me upon finding this book is undeniable. I love food science. I want to be able to understand the chemistry of food, of ingredients and how to make food more available for those who have to go without often because of disease or disorder! I want to teach others about food, how they interact, why they interact, and what is good for us.

After reading the first two chapers of this book, all about the ingredients, substitutions, ratios, whatnot, I could not wait to experiment! And my first recipe attempted- SunButter Greenies- was a smashing success! I care soo much about bringing happiness and content to others and I feel that I can do that best through food. This book is already revolutionizing my thoughts and understanding of baked goods and I look forward to more experimentation soon.

WHOA! SPAIN?

So Tripp's parents called us earlier this week to discuss the honeymoon plans before they booked them (a HUGE courtesy, btw- I anticipated not having any information until at an airport!). They wanted to run this idea past us:

October 3/October 4- Fly to Madrid, Spain!
October 5- make way to the Canary Islands!!
October 13- head back to Madrid
October 15- come back to the States!

That's almost two whole weeks in Spain! SPAIN! I am more than excited!

I can guarantee that I'll be doing all sorts of research on Spain and Spanish for many days to come!