When I Get Bored...

...and I mean really, REALLY bored.  I sometimes imagine that I have a $1000 gift card to Anthropologie and pick out the things I would buy.  I don't actually keep track with a running tally of the "dollars"  I've actually "spent" or anything.  Wow, that was a lot of quotes.  :)  I basically just pick out things I like but can't afford.  I know, I'm lame.  There you go.  Enjoy! 

Find it Here

 

 

Seriously, I LOVE this dress...scrap the tights though.  Find it Here.

And then we have the sweater....LOVE aka slightly obsessed.  I cannot get over the ruffles.  I love me some ruffles!          Find it Here.

So I am NOT a heels girl.  I never wear them.  But, let's pretend I do.  If I did, I would buy these.  They are lovely.           Find it Here.

And then there's this cheese dome.  Freak out so cool and so ridiculously expensive.  But I love it.

And these freaking cute Egg Crates.  I'll take one in turquoise and one in coral please.

Oh wait, and let's not forget about the Stonybrook Juicer.  Ok, so we'll ignore the fact that it's a $48 juicer...an old fashioned twisty turny by hand juicer.  But it's beautiful.  Admit it.  :)

And now I'm done coveting.  Thanks for letting me get that out.  Have a great weekend!!!

I Don't...

I saw this somewhere on someones blog who knows how long ago.  (Such specificity, no?).  Anyways, you list off your "don'ts".  Just another fun way to learn more about a person I guess.  SO, here we go...

I don't drive a new car (1989 Toyota pickup to be exact).
I don't like getting gas.
I don't always make complete stops at stop signs.  Yikes.  Sorry Dad!  :)
I don't have a desire to buy a house.  By the way, why is this may I ask?
I don't like decorating my house but I like the finished product OF a decorated house.  hmmmm.
I don't like the feel of lotion.
I don't like to wear shoes.
I don't eat breakfast.
I don't floss my teeth every night. Oops.  Sorry Mr. Dentist.
I don't take painkillers when I'm in pain. (Usually. :)  )
I don't do the dishes every night...more like every other.
I don't wear perfume.
I don't leave the house without a coat of mascara on my blond eyelashes.
I don't wear accessories.  (I seriously try and want to but I think I just need to give up)
I don't like to crochet/knit (though I LOVE crochet/knitted products).  *sigh*
I don't go cheap on shoes.
I don't wake up easily and when I do it's a sloooooow process.
I don't drink soda.
I don't know how to ride a unicycle.  Do you?  :)
I don't buy pants if it means I have to hem them.  (Did I mention I have really short legs?)
I don't watch T.V.  ( I so would if we had cable though...hence, no cable.)
I don't listen to music when I drive.  (usually).
I don't mind being silent with someone.
I don't like melon, lemon flavor, or eggs.
I don't remember movies after I've seen them.
I don't laugh at jokes usually.  (I don't get them half the time and when someone has to break it down and explain it...not funny anymore).
I don't snore. (or so Jason says).
I don't like too soft of a bed (when I was a kid I'd get out of bed and sleep on the floor).
I don't have much hearing in my left ear.
I don't shave my legs regularly.
I don't use transitions when shifting to a new topic during conversation.
I don't hold a grudge.
I don't pray nearly enough as I would like
I don't like picking out clothes for work.
I don't...
I don't think I can think of one more, "I don't".  :)

Happy Friday!

Part 3: Finding Time for the Relationship

Time to finish "the series" of what I've learned/experienced being married to a full-time grad student.

Part 1: Finances
Part 2: Selflessness

Finding the time.

I have two words for you.  DATE-NIGHT.  There, I'm done.  Go home, rest your weary head, your marriage will be a success if you have a date night each week.  Right?  RIGHT?

Meh.

Not really.

I will say that our date night though kept us afloat.  Barely.  Really in the end we were both so darn tired come Friday that all we could muster was maybe watching a movie from Redbox together (let's not forget the budget from Part 1 that inhibited us from spending much money on said "date night").  Not exactly the atmosphere for good, tender conversation.  But it was time spent together.  And if all else failed, and we hardly said a word to each other all week long that didn't have to do with school/work...we could always count on date night.  It was the unmovable must.  It would happen always.  We would at the least be together.

I think though I learned a lot about myself through this whole grad school ordeal.  I love being alone.  When I was a little girl I played with my friends often.  There were many times though where I chose to play alone, getting lost in my crazy little head playing games of make believe.  I like to be alone.  I have little fear in it.

You know that "love language" talk?  Everyone has there love language yada yada.  I would never have guessed mine is "quality time".  It is though.  I think that in some ways being very independent and loving my alone time is a gift.  It's also my worst enemy.  I am independent enough that I can trick myself into being content with separation.  That it's ok and not necessary.  One day you wake up though and realize that this person you gave yourself to is almost a stranger.  That you share very little in common and the full relationship that you once had is a distant memory.  All it took though was one day...or for that matter...ONE HOUR of quality time together and *Boom*. I felt connected and loved again.  Crazy stuff.

Fortunately I only got a small taste of what I mentioned above.  It was enough though for me to realize that we need each other.  We need to be WITH each other and be purposeful.  We need to hang out, and talk, and do things that we mutually love like hiking, and etc.  Not just sit next to each other and watch a movie.

It also meant that I needed to enter into his world.  I was purposefully interested in his studies and teaching the first year.  The second year became difficult.  In the end I really didn't relate and I was just plain tired at the end of a work day.  It took prayer and "forcing" myself to step out and be interested and supportive again.  Eventually though it came naturally and I was/am very thankful.

So, in the end does this tie back into "selflessness" ?  Probably.  But I can definitely say that "together" is better than "one".  And "together" sometimes takes a lot of work.  But it's always worth it.

Let's talk about...

Well my "Part 3" is soon to come...  (scroll to the post before this if ya ain't got no clue as to what I'm talking about).  Buuuuuuuut, I have no brain power for a well thought out post so...

Let's talk about:
Skinny jeans.
Yes, skinny jeans.  Everyone is wearing them.  They are rather "in".  You would think that I too would be rockin' some skinny jeans.  I have tried on a couple of pairs though and it has been a big.fat.NO.  Apparently my calf to ankle ratio is not what the creators of skinny jeans deem as "appropriate".  I cannot for the love get those ridiculous pants over my ANKLES.  I mean, I'm pretty scrawny people!!!  It fits everywhere but they are so tight around my ankles that I'm at risk of losing my feet from my tourniquet skinny jeans.  What's up?  Cankles.  That's what's up.

Let's talk about:
The weather on Saturday in lovely San Francisco.
Oh my word it was glorious.  The sun, oh the sun.  It was shining for all to see and we relished in it.  This is no exaggeration.  I believe it has been a good month at least since I've seen the sun in our city.  Anyways, we had a picnic on Chrissy field with the Golden Gate Bridge as our backdrop.  We enjoyed fancy meats, cheese, and soda.  We read, relaxed, and enjoyed each others company.  It was wonderful.

Let's talk about:
Chicken pot pie.  We had it for dinner tonight.  Is there anything more comfy, cozy, and yummy???

Let's talk about:
Friends.
Friends have been hard to come by in this city.  I work a lot and commute so there leaves little time to build friendships.  It makes me sad.  I love friends.  Anyways, last week I had coffee with an oldy moldy high school friend who literally made my week.  We laughed...a ton...and also just shared.  Shared and laid it all bare.  I love a good friend.

Happy Monday!!!

Part 2: Selflessness

Part 2 of my little series!  :)  What series?  THIS series!

Look!  I spelled the title right!  Yay me!  On the last post I spelled the title "Finanances" or something fantastically illiterate like that!  :)

“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.”
― St. Francis of Assisi

Oh dear.

Selflessness.

This is something that I am not good at.

Before Jason entered grad school I thought that I was maybe, kinda, sorta, ok at it...sometimes.

Then grad school came and it invaded our lives, and I worked full time, and managed the house, and the finances and well...everything but Jason's school stuff, and I had about 212 "Oh woe's me, I'm so busy, and tired, and I do all the chores, and I don't want to do a single EXTRA thing on top of what I am already doing" moments.  You know those?  Ever had one of those?  Table for the Pity Party...Party of 1.  Yeah...good times.

I honestly feel like I'm better suited to write a how to NOT be selfless post.  I'm an expert at that.

Like when Jason wanted me to listen, like really NEEDED me to listen to him regarding his project and I rolled my eyes...literally, ROLLED my eyes as if I was a hormonal 14 year old being asked to do something by my parents.  Nice. (Don't worry, he gave me a speech about how I should support him because I'm his wife and that's what we do for each other...have no fear, I felt thoroughly guilty).

Or the 20 times he explained something that he was having trouble with and needed advice on...something that he really felt was important and I pretty much just stared at him...watching the words leave his mouth but not even attempting to put together any sort of thoughts or encouraging words for him...only in the end to say, "Oh, I don't know Jason".  Wife of the Year Award, right here!!!

Selflessness.

So hard.

But let me tell you...there were a few times where I was actually sorta selfless.  And it seemed to have nothing to do with me.  It had a lot to do with the amount of time I spent in the Word though.  A reliance and absolute dependence on God's grace and mercy.  A literal, "I am too tired and too brain dead to do this Lord.  YOU have to do this, give me the strength...somehow...please."  Yep, that's how it's done I guess.

In the end selflessness is the most unemotional action there is.  It's literally the act of pushing aside all the emotions and just doing something...even though you don't feel like it, even though you might be annoyed at the moment, even though it might frustrate you, even though you are so darn tired.  You do it despite the emotions that you are feeling.  You do it for the whole benefit of someone else.  Yeah.  Yet, in the end...I benefited.  It must be one of those cool "God design" things.  When you live the way He commands you to live you gain joy and love and all these things you didn't even realize lived with in you at the moment.

Thanks God.  :)

And that's my bit on selflessness....and how I failed/fail...and how God is so good and the ultimate model of selflessness.  He died for us. 

Part 1: Finances

It's really a shame that I don't know how to SPELL "finances".  My title was "Finanaces" for the first day.  Awesome.  I swear it was hasty typing and not ignorance!  :)

Part 1 of my little series!  :)  What series?  THIS series!

Photo Credit

Oh money!  How controlling you are.  So many of our choices we make are based on money.  Money is the most powerful inanimate object there is.  So, yes, like everyone else MONEY was a huge part of our grad school decision.  Jason applied to USC, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and SFSU.  He got into all of them.  Northern Arizona and SFSU are best known for their English as a Second Language programs.  USC has the best "image" and U of A has a relatively decent program.  In the end we crunched the numbers and SFSU came out on top as the most realistic option as far as the debt to "income after completion of degree" ratio went.  We also decided that we would try our best to go into debt with only the tuition...nothing else.  So there's that.

We also decided that at least at first...Jason wouldn't work.  We would be a one income family and he would completely dedicate his life to his studies.  IN SAN FRANCISCO people!  One of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.  And sure, I have a college degree...but it's in philosophy.  Not exactly a money making major alright!  Fortunately I had some optical experience and decided to keep with that.  It got us by.  Barely.  I mean baaaaaaarely.

Our budget was ridiculous.  I mean like for real.  Here's the low down.

Rent, Utilities, Health insurance for the both of us, car insurance, internet (had to have it with him in school), cell phones (not smart phones), and gas took up pretty much all our money.  What we had left was food and "fun $".  We spent $20/week for fun money.  That's all the extras...i.e. coffee, going out to eat, trip for frozen yogurt, etc.  That's it.  No more.  Sometimes we'd save a couple of weeks up to do something a little bigger and more fun.  Sometimes we'd go stir crazy and go into debt with ourselves and not do anything the next week because we spent too much.  You get the picture.

Food.  Ah, yes.  Food.  Food is the HARDEST thing for me to cut back on.  There is only one thing we put into our bodies...one thing our body draws from, incorporating it into our very being...and that's food.  I buy organic when I can and refuse to buy non-free range/organic meat.  I like fresh food, never prepackaged, rarely canned.  I like to make it from scratch.  And guess what?!  You can't always do that with $45/week.  So, I had to suck it up and either not eat, go into debt over my food obsession, or make some sacrifices and move on.  The money wasn't there and that was all there was to it.

So, how did we do it?

Here are a few tips:
1) Stay the heck away from places like Costco.  Seriously Costco will make you go broke in 0.5 seconds.  (With $45/week Costco will buy you...um, 3 things?)  A married couple with no kids really in the end has no reason for a place like Costco.  We ended up getting a membership for the tires because you got better tires PLUS a membership for less than just tires other places.

2) Freestyle shopping is a no go.  No list, no trip to the store.

3) Cash.  We pull the cash out for the week and when there's no cash there's no more purchases.

4) Snacking will kill your food budget.  Snacking was basically obliterated.  There was enough money for one "snack food" a week.  Once it was gone, that was it.  Honestly, we decided it wouldn't kill us to be a little hungry sometimes and just wait until the next meal (I hated this really but it was necessary).  Funny thing was that eventually it trained our bodies to not be hungry but at meal times. Buh bye snacking.

5)  Make a full dinner, as the recipe calls for, and use the leftovers for lunch the next day.  The food goes farther and there's no purchasing of lunch while we're at school/work.

6) The crockpot goes a loooooong way.  I am not a crockpot fan.  It smells up your house and I feel like everything that comes out of it tastes the same.  I know, I have problems.  But, I used mine because we needed to.  And really, I think I'd eat just about anything if it means that dinner is done and ready for me when I get home.

7)  Shop and plan strategically.  If you know you have to buy things like Parmesan that are more expensive....use other dishes that need it that week too.

8) Pasta! Pasta is CHEAP...and yummy.

There you have it.  $45/week on groceries.  I totally and completely hated it sometimes.  Like completely did.  And sometimes I DID cheat and go a little over.  For the most part we stuck to it though.

So, here's an example of a menu.  Ready?!

Fri: Date night--YUMMY burritos at our local burrito joint (it only uses $10 of our $20 fun money).
Sat: Homemade cheese pizza (have flour on hand usually)
Sun: Sausage and Broccoli Rabe pasta
Mon: Spaghetti and Bread
Tues: Chili
Wed: Garlic Soba Noodles
Thur: Chili leftovers with cornbread

Shopping List ($)
Mozz. cheese ($4) 
Pasta sauce ($2)--doubles as sauce for spaghetti and pizza sauce
2 bags of pasta ($2)
Baguette ($2)
Broccoli ($2)
Sausage ($3)
3 cans of beans ($3)
ground beef ($2.50)
Stewed tomatoes ($2)
Tomato paste ($1)
onion ($1)
Soba noodles ($2)
garlic ($2)
tofu ($2)
Parmesan ($3)
Cornbread mix ($3)
Cereal ($2)--Jason eats breakfast, I do not.
milk ($2)
half and half ($1)--for coffee
snack food ($3)

Grand total:  $44.50
P.S.  During this frugal stage I pretty much only shopped at Trader Joe's.

Granted this is assuming I have all the staples, i.e. olive oil, flour, chili powder and etc.  I usually do but on occasion you obviously may need to replenish these things here and there.

So, no snacking, lunch as leftovers, and TIME and creativity spent on meal planning.  This is how we lived for the first 1 1/2 years of grad school.

Now Jason has been teaching the last 2 semesters and we have a little bit more money to work with.  I have one word for this...

HALLELUJAH!!!

:)  Oh, and congrats for making it all the way to the bottom of this loooooooong post.  Yay you!

A Series.

I think I'm going to start a 3 part series.

"How to Survive your Spouse Entering Full-Time Grad School"

Hmmm.  That title just doesn't seem to do it.  It's lacking something.  How about...  "How to not go broke"...or "How to not kill each other...let alone love each other" or  "How to push aside your desire to sit on the couch and relax after a long work day when your husband really wants/needs you to edit his paper for the third time."  I think any of those would do.  :)

No really though.

This full time grad school thing is not for the faint hearted.  Now that we are coming to the end and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel I can look back and see how we've grown through it all.  It's a nice feeling.  Someone told us to be careful when entering grad school...that it can bring you together or push you apart.  I thought that was a little melodramatic.  I was wrong.

So here are my topics:

1) Finances/Debt
2) Selflessness
3) Finding Time for the Relationship

Really in some ways these are all a part of one another.

Anyways, tomorrow I will chat about finances, the choices we made, and how we had to survive on $45/week for food (for reals!  And I didn't use no stinkin' coupons.  So glad that's behind us by the way)...including a sample grocery list/meal plan.

Until tomorrow!
<3

Happy Monday!

The start of a new week.

A new work week for me.

Fall is on it's way.  Usually this fact is some what depressing to me.  Since moving to San Francisco though...fall is a glorious thing.  Summer is by far the worst season here.  Cold and foggy.  You drive 20 minutes either direction and you get heat and sun.  Weird.  Fall though is actually some what warm...and the sun shows it's lovely face.  I love me some fall in San Francisco.

Jason is in his LAST semester of grad school.  Did you hear that people?  LAST!  Yes, in 3 short months I will have my self a husband with an M.A. in English.  What a road it has been.  I would be lying my face off if I said it was easy.  In some ways it hasn't been bad and in other ways it's been quite hard.  At the end of the 2nd year I began to wear thin and just feel very jaded and eternally cranky.  Seriously.  It was an issue.  God was so gracious to help change my attitude though.

Jas is working on this thesis/final project and teaching.  After he graduates he will be teaching full time starting January.  Kinda exciting.  He'll continue teaching at SFSU through winter and summer semester and then the plan is to move on come next Fall.  Maybe abroad?  Maybe maybe?  Yes Puh-lease.  But it's all in the Lord's hands.  :)

As for me.  Ah yes.  THAT question.  There are some ideas.  They're still in the works.  I'll let ya know what happens...  :)

And there you have it.  A small little update.

Have a great week!!!

Speaking of Change...

Lookey here.

A new look.

I'm kind of a fan.

Is it lame to be a fan of your own blog? Not sure.

I just yelled at Jason for trying to untie my shirt for the 6th time (this shirt --scroll to the bottom of the post).  bah.  I think he enjoys torturing me.  :)

Have a great weekend!

Change.



Photo Credit

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

I feel like I'm coming to a fork.
And I'm not entirely sure what to do.
I could go this way.
Or that way.
Neither answer seems right per se.
Neither answer seems wrong.
One answer though seems easy...comfortable.
The other not so much.

Photo Credit



I've never thought of myself as one who runs from change.

I'm Anna.

I say "yes" to adventure.

Or that's what the blog says at least.

I got married and a month later moved to Chile.

I didn't speak any Spanish.

I taught in the poorest school in my city and I wasn't afraid.

I'd get up and leave this second if Jason was offered a job abroad.

But that's him.  I'd follow him to the ends of the world.

I can follow with joy, I can do that.
What about me though?  What about when an opportunity opens for ME?

I'm not so sure about that.



Photo Credit

 I think I'm afraid to make the wrong choice.

Afraid that I'm mixing my wants with what's right.

Afraid that I'm doing something selfishly.

Afraid that in the end I'll end up failing and feeling like...

Well, like a fool.

I'm also aware of the joy that comes from the jump.

The rush that comes from knowing you are trying something new.

And it draws and pulls me toward it.







So, how do we know?

I guess we try.

And know that God is merciful.

That He calls us to honor Him and love others no matter what we do.

And if we're doing just that through out our endeavor of trying something new...

Well, then I guess it's ok.

He'll be there if we fail.

He'll be there if we succeed.

And in the end, I guess I'll have tried.

Because behind every great thing...

There was someone who decided to try.



Here and There.

Got me some pics on the camera that I thought was about time to "dump".  So, "dump" I will do!

Did you know that it was my day of birth a couple of weeks back?  Yeah, it was.  28 years of age.  Anyways, the man decorated the house and helped me celebrate my b-day.  We started the day with a hike.  My co-workers thought I was psycho being that we had just returned 4 days before from a backpacking trip.  Meh.  Whatev.  I like the outdoors ok!?  :)  

 Lunch time.  We found this lovely spot.  Truly serene...although my camera really doesn't do it justice.  :)

Not entirely sure what's happening here but I look truly albino.  Truly. 

 Oh, it's just the Golden Gate Bridge that we have to cross to get back home.  NBD.  :)

 Decorations!!!  Yay.  Ok, so the balloon.  Let's chat about the balloon.  The balloon sings.  As in, Elmo's voice sings Happy Birthday every time you hit the balloon.  Awesome.   I thought it was cute and funny when I first saw it.  Having Jason hit it and make it sing with it's high pitch Elmo-ey voice at 7am when you just woke up and certainly have not had your coffee yet...not so cute and funny.

 I decided that for my birthday cake this year we would try out one of San Francisco's many yummy bakeries (visiting bakeries=joy of my life).  Sift is the name and it was the sweetest shop.  So cute.  I wanted to go to this shop because I was told that they had a beer batter cupcake with salted caramel frosting...topped with paprika dusted candied bacon.  How's THAT!?  It was delightful.  Seriously yummy.  Even the paprika dusted candied bacon. :)  yum.

 So, although it was tempting to gorge on 4 cupcakes at one time we managed to save 1...yes, only 1...and brought it home for later.  Jason crammed it with candles when I wasn't in the room and turned out the lights.  He serenaded me quite well.   :)  And THAT folks, was my birthday.  A lovely one at that!

And on a completely different note.  I demand you make these onion rings.  Seriously, just do it.  You will not regret it.  They were amazing and I've been thinking about them since Sunday...seriously.  I know...I have issues.

I made a pie too.  Since summer does not exist in San Francisco I thought I'd make something that screamed summer even though the cold foggy weather outside is screaming, "put on your ugg boots and jacket".  Boo on you San Francisco.  Anyways, a berry pie seemed very summery. 



And finally, a little birthday treat I was able to purchase.  I'm not a huge shopper.  I mean I like clothes alright and I like to feel pretty blah blah blah.  I have a really hard time though finding things that I love.  I just like unique cuts, fun patterns, etc and sometimes have trouble attaining such things.  I LOVE Anthropologie.  L.O.V.E.  I do not love their prices.  Boo.  I've tried on many things before for fun but have never actually purchased anything there (mostly because I lived far away from one and because we ain't loaded)  But for a birthday treat I was able to get a little something.  The front is cute right...but not amazing.  But then look, just look at that orange bow on the back.  Yay.  I'm such a sucker for random details like that.  There is also orange contrasting stitching through out the shirt but it's hard to see.  Anyways my first "Anthro" product.  Do I get to call it Anthro now since I've purchased from there?!  :)  Just wondering. 

Have a great rest of the week all!  <3

The "You Bake Me Happy" Winner!

It's time to pick the winner of the very first You Bake Me Happy Wednesday!  Not sure what that is?  Scroll down to the post below and you will see.  :)

So, www.random.org has chosen number...

drum roll please...

excitement building...

oh the anticipation...

chosen #4.

Which means my lucky winner is: 

ME!  haha, totally kidding...although I am the 4th comment.  :)  But I guess I don't count eh?

Anyways, the real winner is:

Jenny: Ooh, I love peanut butter blossom cookies too. But my favorite are chocolate chip - but really chewy, gooey, LOADED with milk Chocolate chips. :-) 

Seriously, though I wanted to bake all your cookies.  Some of them I'd never even heard of.  So exciting.

Anyways, the goods will be baked tomorrow and sent out on Monday!  Hope you enjoy them Jenny!

Have a great weekend everyone! 

You Bake Me Happy Wednesday

So, I love baking.

Really, that's sort of an understatement. 

I'm borderline obsessed. 

I scan and peruse cookbooks like you wouldn't believe.  I'm slowly chipping away at a culinary arts pastry text book.  I.Love.It.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about baking, this blog, my "life path," who I am, who I want to become, what the Lord has in store for me, do I give enough, am I kind enough, do I exude a life that is FULL...full of Christ, full of joy?  Maybe it's because I'm inching towards 30 (which is like the end of life practically SO KIDDING) but I feel like I've been extra reflective as of late.

Anyways, back to baking.

One day I would like to incorporate baking into my life...like my every day life.  I'm not exactly sure what that looks like/will look like but I thought that I would start here.

Start with you.

'Cause I love ya.

So, here's the run down, the D.L., the deets.

The first Wednesday of the month will be "You Bake Me Happy Wednesday".  Where I, yours truly, will bake you something amazing, something delish, something probably totally and completely fattening....bring on the butter, and then I will mail it to you.  FOR FREE.  I love baking, I love giving.  How much better can it get eh?

All you have to do is leave a comment with the treat that you would be overjoyed to have show up on your doorstep.  This month, it's COOKIES!  Bring on the cookies.  Cookie, cookie, cookies.  And if I pick your name (very randomly of course) I will mail you said treat (so you better pick wisely).  Por ejemplo: Say my name is Judith and I left a comment saying that I would love snickerdoodles to show up on my doorstep.  If I choose Judith, then I will mail her snickerdoodles.  Understand?  Bueno.

The little drawing ends Sat at noon!  So comment before then.  Sat evening I'll let ya know who the lucky winner is!

yay!

I'm excited!

:)

So, what cookie would YOU want to magically appear on your doorstep???

Grits.

I've been rockin' this blog lately huh?  Yeah, I pretty much told myself, "Blog, or shut it down."  So, I'm trying to be more intentional...really because when it's all said and done I like blogging.  What's the fun in a month with no posts? 

I have grits cooking right now.  Yum.  I love grits.  It must be my childhood raised in the south.  We skipped dinner because we had BBQ at this place in Pacifica.  It was a TON of food and no hunger was had once dinner time rolled around.  Now that it's 10:30pm though I'm ready for a little snack.

My house is gloriously clean today.  It took most of the day but it was in need of one of those "deep cleans".  Included in this of course was a mopped kitchen floor.  As I was taking down the above mentioned grits from the cupboard I thought to myself, "wouldn't it be lame if I dropped this on my sparkly clean floor?"  2.3 seconds later I drop it.  Grits everywhere. Really? 

So, did you ever see that weird movie The Secret Life of Bees?  Well, as punishment Dakota Fanning's character is forced by her dad to stand on her knees in a pile of grits on the floor.  She has to do this for quite a while and ends up with bloody knees.  I thankfully had never heard of this (Jason was sure I had since I grew up in the south). Anyways, looking down at the pile of grits all over my clean floor I decided to try it.  You know, they were already on the floor so why not?  It hurts, just so you know.  I didn't even put my full weight for more than  3 seconds.  And oddly...my skin where the grits were in contact burns now.  Weird.

Grits, good for the belly...and apparently a some what legit torture device.  Who'da thunk???

Just thought I'd tell you about that.  :)