We got John's last test back .... and he practically Aced it!
The average for the class on the test was an 81, and John got a 99! (He totally broke the curve). He made the highest grade in the class!
He actually missed three points ... but actually was given two extra points because some of his answers were so good!
He is thrilled, and I am so stinkin' proud of him!!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thanksgiving Drama ... Part One
Now that we're a week out ... let's talk about Thanksgiving!!
Hmm. Perhaps some backstory is in order.
My in-laws own a chicken farm; they have two chicken houses that can each house between 25-30 thousand birds. (And since I've had more people ask lately - no, the birds are not in cages. They can wander where-ever they like inside the houses, which are each longer than a football field.) Basically, the birds that my in-laws raise go to the company that provides chicken for places like Zaxbys.
Well, my in-laws work super hard on the farm and on the chickens; the days leading up to getting the birds and the days leading up to getting rid of the birds are almost non-stop - full of crazy hours, hard work, and little sleep. They get paid by how much the birds weigh, so not only is it important for the birds to be alive and healthy, but they need to weigh a decent amount.
That being said, I didn't realize until I married the son of a chicken farmer just how hard it is to keep these birds alive. These birds are dumb. Really dumb. As in, you have to shuffle your feet along the ground when you walk through the house because they don't know enough to walk out of your way so that you step on them. Since my in-laws get the birds practically just out of the egg, they need to keep those birds at a very strict temperature - even a 5 degree difference can kill thousands of birds. They are always praying for the weather to cooperate whenever they have birds!
My inlaws latest batch of chickens were scheduled to be picked up on Thanksgiving evening at 8 pm. A "Catch Crew" would come out with all the trucks, catch the birds, and take them to the company plant. About 6-7 hours before the scheduled catch, my inlaws took the birds off their food and water; this is a requirement by the company so that the birds don't contaminate the factory. What this means is that they are now dependent on the catch crew showing up on time and doing their job; from here on out, the birds will just lose weight - and if they wait too long, the birds will start dying.
Because my inlaws were both working so hard prepping the chicken houses on Thanksgiving, my MIL put the meat in the oven (we had a standing rib roast instead of turkey - So much better!) and I did everything else. While they were working outside, I made the mashed potatoes, the corn on the cob, the zucchini, the veggie tray, and the biscuits. Right before the meal, my MIL came back up and helped me with the gravy and the cranberry sauce.
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving meal! And I'm not just saying that because I made most of it! ;o)
Anyway ... we were planning to go Black Friday shopping after the catch that night, so John and I took naps that afternoon, while my inlaws continued to work in the chicken houses.
Finally it was almost time. My FIL was down with the birds, while my MIL was with us in the house watching for the catch crew. 8 pm came and went. By 9 pm my in-laws were starting to get really frantic - in their almost 20 years of chicken farming, the catch crew had never been so late. The birds were starting to lose weight at an alarming pace, and would start dying soon. My MIL tried calling everyone she knew to call, but only got voicemails - it was Thanksgiving Night - who's going to answer their work phone?
After some quick, frantic discussion, we agreed on a course of action - a rather desperate thought, but the only one we could think of. We left out FIL in charge of the birds, and John, my MIL, and I hopped in the car, and at 9:30 that night we started the 30 minute drive to the plant. Maybe, just maybe, we'd find someone who could help us.
Before this gets too long - I'm going to break here. Part Two is Here!
Hmm. Perhaps some backstory is in order.
My in-laws own a chicken farm; they have two chicken houses that can each house between 25-30 thousand birds. (And since I've had more people ask lately - no, the birds are not in cages. They can wander where-ever they like inside the houses, which are each longer than a football field.) Basically, the birds that my in-laws raise go to the company that provides chicken for places like Zaxbys.
Well, my in-laws work super hard on the farm and on the chickens; the days leading up to getting the birds and the days leading up to getting rid of the birds are almost non-stop - full of crazy hours, hard work, and little sleep. They get paid by how much the birds weigh, so not only is it important for the birds to be alive and healthy, but they need to weigh a decent amount.
That being said, I didn't realize until I married the son of a chicken farmer just how hard it is to keep these birds alive. These birds are dumb. Really dumb. As in, you have to shuffle your feet along the ground when you walk through the house because they don't know enough to walk out of your way so that you step on them. Since my in-laws get the birds practically just out of the egg, they need to keep those birds at a very strict temperature - even a 5 degree difference can kill thousands of birds. They are always praying for the weather to cooperate whenever they have birds!
My inlaws latest batch of chickens were scheduled to be picked up on Thanksgiving evening at 8 pm. A "Catch Crew" would come out with all the trucks, catch the birds, and take them to the company plant. About 6-7 hours before the scheduled catch, my inlaws took the birds off their food and water; this is a requirement by the company so that the birds don't contaminate the factory. What this means is that they are now dependent on the catch crew showing up on time and doing their job; from here on out, the birds will just lose weight - and if they wait too long, the birds will start dying.
Because my inlaws were both working so hard prepping the chicken houses on Thanksgiving, my MIL put the meat in the oven (we had a standing rib roast instead of turkey - So much better!) and I did everything else. While they were working outside, I made the mashed potatoes, the corn on the cob, the zucchini, the veggie tray, and the biscuits. Right before the meal, my MIL came back up and helped me with the gravy and the cranberry sauce.
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving meal! And I'm not just saying that because I made most of it! ;o)
Anyway ... we were planning to go Black Friday shopping after the catch that night, so John and I took naps that afternoon, while my inlaws continued to work in the chicken houses.
Finally it was almost time. My FIL was down with the birds, while my MIL was with us in the house watching for the catch crew. 8 pm came and went. By 9 pm my in-laws were starting to get really frantic - in their almost 20 years of chicken farming, the catch crew had never been so late. The birds were starting to lose weight at an alarming pace, and would start dying soon. My MIL tried calling everyone she knew to call, but only got voicemails - it was Thanksgiving Night - who's going to answer their work phone?
After some quick, frantic discussion, we agreed on a course of action - a rather desperate thought, but the only one we could think of. We left out FIL in charge of the birds, and John, my MIL, and I hopped in the car, and at 9:30 that night we started the 30 minute drive to the plant. Maybe, just maybe, we'd find someone who could help us.
Before this gets too long - I'm going to break here. Part Two is Here!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A word of advice for the service industry ...
Don't be so snobby!
I'm planning an event for my company - about 200 people, evening reception at a fancy venue.
I'm calling around to get information from the various caterers in the area. Once I have all this information, then I will decide who to ask to cater the event.
I'm calling and representing a large company - one that is very well known in the area. It's not like I'm just a random person walking in off the street.
The questions I'm asking:
We don't discuss business like this over the phone. I can email you our menu with prices if you'd like, and we can meet in person to discuss the event next week.
Umm ... what?
I'm calling because I don't have time to go to every catering business in the area to get one-on-one meetings. I'm calling to see if I want to work with you! Not to set up a face-to-face!
Needless to say, I crossed them off the list before I even hung up.
I'm planning an event for my company - about 200 people, evening reception at a fancy venue.
I'm calling around to get information from the various caterers in the area. Once I have all this information, then I will decide who to ask to cater the event.
I'm calling and representing a large company - one that is very well known in the area. It's not like I'm just a random person walking in off the street.
The questions I'm asking:
- Are you available to cater this event?
- Would you be able to work within my budget?
We don't discuss business like this over the phone. I can email you our menu with prices if you'd like, and we can meet in person to discuss the event next week.
Umm ... what?
I'm calling because I don't have time to go to every catering business in the area to get one-on-one meetings. I'm calling to see if I want to work with you! Not to set up a face-to-face!
Needless to say, I crossed them off the list before I even hung up.
Backing up a bit ...
It's been far too long since I've written - there's so much to catch up on!!
Maybe brief points?
That weekend I was worried about karaoke and Western Day? Interesting.
Karaoke wasn't scheduled until 9pm that Friday night (9 pm!), which makes me feel old at even thinking about going out that late. So, we had some time to kill that evening. We tried a new Chinese restaurant (so good!) and then watched silly youtube videos for a few hours. We took Honey for a walk, and played with her for a while.
And then ... we found ringworm on her belly. John took a picture and emailed it to his dad (a vet) to get an unofficial official diagnosis, and so we could figure out how to treat her. (Basically we had to rub cream on her belly for 30 days, and wash everything in the house). This of course changed our plans dramatically for the next month!
But, we couldn't do anything that night, so we were still planning on karaoke. Until John got a text from a classmate - karaoke was canceled. Instead, John's classmates were getting together for a party at someone's house.
We got there about 9:30 pm. And were the first to arrive - the hostess was still in the shower! She let us in, and then rushed out to the store to get chips and dip. By this time, John and I were just looking at each other in shock - I couldn't get over the fact that it was after 9pm and the party hadn't even started yet!
People finally started arriving at 10 - and that's when the party actually got going. And let me just say ... I love John's classmates. Late Friday night ... bunch of Grad Students ... after a week of their hardest exams yet ... and there was practically no alcohol to be found. I think 2 of the 15+ people who showed up had one drink. Everyone was just having fun and enjoying each other's company. We played board games, and then had a dance competition with the Wii. I got some priceless video of John dancing to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" (we got Rickrolled!!) and dancing to Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me Maybe". The night was amazing - we left about midnight, and the party was going strong.
Thanks to Honey's ringworm, we didn't go to Western Day on Saturday - we spent the whole day cleaning everything in the house! By the end of the weekend, the house was cleaner I think than it was when we moved in!
We'd been planning and had actually invited several couples from our church to spend Thanksgiving Day with us ... but we had to cancel because of Honey. Apparently ringworm is a bit like Athlete's Foot - not really that serious unless it affects small children - and all of the people we'd invited had small children. We did NOT want to be responsible for causing a ringworm outbreak among the children at our church! So, instead we canceled and made plans to go to John's parents for Thanksgiving.
Which is another story coming up!
Maybe brief points?
That weekend I was worried about karaoke and Western Day? Interesting.
Karaoke wasn't scheduled until 9pm that Friday night (9 pm!), which makes me feel old at even thinking about going out that late. So, we had some time to kill that evening. We tried a new Chinese restaurant (so good!) and then watched silly youtube videos for a few hours. We took Honey for a walk, and played with her for a while.
And then ... we found ringworm on her belly. John took a picture and emailed it to his dad (a vet) to get an unofficial official diagnosis, and so we could figure out how to treat her. (Basically we had to rub cream on her belly for 30 days, and wash everything in the house). This of course changed our plans dramatically for the next month!
But, we couldn't do anything that night, so we were still planning on karaoke. Until John got a text from a classmate - karaoke was canceled. Instead, John's classmates were getting together for a party at someone's house.
We got there about 9:30 pm. And were the first to arrive - the hostess was still in the shower! She let us in, and then rushed out to the store to get chips and dip. By this time, John and I were just looking at each other in shock - I couldn't get over the fact that it was after 9pm and the party hadn't even started yet!
People finally started arriving at 10 - and that's when the party actually got going. And let me just say ... I love John's classmates. Late Friday night ... bunch of Grad Students ... after a week of their hardest exams yet ... and there was practically no alcohol to be found. I think 2 of the 15+ people who showed up had one drink. Everyone was just having fun and enjoying each other's company. We played board games, and then had a dance competition with the Wii. I got some priceless video of John dancing to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" (we got Rickrolled!!) and dancing to Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me Maybe". The night was amazing - we left about midnight, and the party was going strong.
Thanks to Honey's ringworm, we didn't go to Western Day on Saturday - we spent the whole day cleaning everything in the house! By the end of the weekend, the house was cleaner I think than it was when we moved in!
We'd been planning and had actually invited several couples from our church to spend Thanksgiving Day with us ... but we had to cancel because of Honey. Apparently ringworm is a bit like Athlete's Foot - not really that serious unless it affects small children - and all of the people we'd invited had small children. We did NOT want to be responsible for causing a ringworm outbreak among the children at our church! So, instead we canceled and made plans to go to John's parents for Thanksgiving.
Which is another story coming up!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
School Update - with an expected apology for my hiatus with an unexpected explanation
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!!
Sorry for the brief hiatus - life got crazier than usual lately. Which I will detail a bit in a later post. Just as an appetizer ... the story may involve the police, a van full of mexicans, loose cows, and a car chase.
Not necessarily in that order.
Anyway ... update on John's schooling...
John really likes the lab he's currently in. He loves the research (eye research - something he's been interested in for years)He gets along very well with the PI, who is and would be working closely with him. The only other grad student in the lab is graduating after 4 years (would have been 3.5 years, but she had to take a personal leave of absence for a few months) and is the most decorated and honored student on campus. Not even exaggerating - she received about 4 different awards and scholarships at the beginning of the year.
That being said, there's two things against her ... one, she's thinking about moving on. She's putting out feelers to move to another university. If that goes through, then John would have to move with her. There is no guarantee that if she moves, that John will be able to get into the new university (especially with his record of having dropped out of medical school). Also, he loses all kinds of contacts from this school; as well as being faced with people accusing him of "coming in the back door". Second, he's not sure that this lab would put him where he wants to be long term. It would be amazing for the short term 5-10 years. But not where he wants to be in 15 years.
So, we're back to the original first lab. It might not be as ideal in the short term - but it really is pointing him to where he wants to be in 10-20 years. And to be honest, that is the biggest difference between John and his classmates; he knows what his final goal is. They are focused on the here and now. He is focused on where he wants to be.
Yesterday John signed up for his elective classes for next semester. The lab he wants to go into requires a certain class - Genomic Medicine - and as of now he's the only one signed up for the class. He's excited because all the people teaching the class have been some of best lecturers this semester - and having a one-on-one class would be an interesting experience!
He still has some decisions to make, and details to work out. But at least we're headed in a specific direction.
I'd better pick up that Mandarin Rosetta Stone course again. Something tells me it would be a good idea to learn it.
Sorry for the brief hiatus - life got crazier than usual lately. Which I will detail a bit in a later post. Just as an appetizer ... the story may involve the police, a van full of mexicans, loose cows, and a car chase.
Not necessarily in that order.
Anyway ... update on John's schooling...
John really likes the lab he's currently in. He loves the research (eye research - something he's been interested in for years)He gets along very well with the PI, who is and would be working closely with him. The only other grad student in the lab is graduating after 4 years (would have been 3.5 years, but she had to take a personal leave of absence for a few months) and is the most decorated and honored student on campus. Not even exaggerating - she received about 4 different awards and scholarships at the beginning of the year.
That being said, there's two things against her ... one, she's thinking about moving on. She's putting out feelers to move to another university. If that goes through, then John would have to move with her. There is no guarantee that if she moves, that John will be able to get into the new university (especially with his record of having dropped out of medical school). Also, he loses all kinds of contacts from this school; as well as being faced with people accusing him of "coming in the back door". Second, he's not sure that this lab would put him where he wants to be long term. It would be amazing for the short term 5-10 years. But not where he wants to be in 15 years.
So, we're back to the original first lab. It might not be as ideal in the short term - but it really is pointing him to where he wants to be in 10-20 years. And to be honest, that is the biggest difference between John and his classmates; he knows what his final goal is. They are focused on the here and now. He is focused on where he wants to be.
Yesterday John signed up for his elective classes for next semester. The lab he wants to go into requires a certain class - Genomic Medicine - and as of now he's the only one signed up for the class. He's excited because all the people teaching the class have been some of best lecturers this semester - and having a one-on-one class would be an interesting experience!
He still has some decisions to make, and details to work out. But at least we're headed in a specific direction.
I'd better pick up that Mandarin Rosetta Stone course again. Something tells me it would be a good idea to learn it.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Decisions, decisions ...
John's taking his test right now; he said that he felt ready for it. I hope that he does well!
After the test, a bunch of his classmates are going to a Korean BBQ Restaurant (John says that it's not really BBQ) to eat and do karaoke. John really wants to go, while I'm a bit more ... ambivalent.
First, by the end of the week I'm tired. I want to go home and get into some comfortable clothes and relax! Going out with a bunch of people I hardly know isn't very relaxing. Of course, then the arguement is that I won't get to know them if I stay home.
Another thing is the karaoke - I've never been before, but I know what it is, and I'm not sure I'd like it. Not sure why - but I get way too uptight about music. I don't know most of the music, and it really bothers me when music isn't sung properly. I looked up a list of the top 500 karaoke songs ... and I barely knew 7 of them well enough to be able to sing them. John and I were looking at some last night, and let's just say I didn't react well when John started singing horribly on purpose. I don't know why it grates so badly, but it drives me up a wall!
On top of that is the whole social anxiety deal - I've been prepping myself to go to Western Day on Saturday. That's an annual event that our church puts on. We went last year, and I had the worst attack of anxiety yet - it took everything in me to not collapse in tears when we arrived. I spent the entire time sitting quietly in a corner while John played flag football with the men. It wasn't fun.
I know I *ought* to go to both... karaoke tonight and western day tomorrow. I honestly don't want to go to either. But I promised John I'd go to at least one of them with him. I don't know what I'll do.
John will want to get out of the house and have fun this weekend; he always does after a test! So, we'll see what happens!
Happy Friday!
After the test, a bunch of his classmates are going to a Korean BBQ Restaurant (John says that it's not really BBQ) to eat and do karaoke. John really wants to go, while I'm a bit more ... ambivalent.
First, by the end of the week I'm tired. I want to go home and get into some comfortable clothes and relax! Going out with a bunch of people I hardly know isn't very relaxing. Of course, then the arguement is that I won't get to know them if I stay home.
Another thing is the karaoke - I've never been before, but I know what it is, and I'm not sure I'd like it. Not sure why - but I get way too uptight about music. I don't know most of the music, and it really bothers me when music isn't sung properly. I looked up a list of the top 500 karaoke songs ... and I barely knew 7 of them well enough to be able to sing them. John and I were looking at some last night, and let's just say I didn't react well when John started singing horribly on purpose. I don't know why it grates so badly, but it drives me up a wall!
On top of that is the whole social anxiety deal - I've been prepping myself to go to Western Day on Saturday. That's an annual event that our church puts on. We went last year, and I had the worst attack of anxiety yet - it took everything in me to not collapse in tears when we arrived. I spent the entire time sitting quietly in a corner while John played flag football with the men. It wasn't fun.
I know I *ought* to go to both... karaoke tonight and western day tomorrow. I honestly don't want to go to either. But I promised John I'd go to at least one of them with him. I don't know what I'll do.
John will want to get out of the house and have fun this weekend; he always does after a test! So, we'll see what happens!
Happy Friday!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Studying and Texting ... with the hint of baking yet to come
Yesterday was John's last day in the lab. He starts his new lab on Monday.
Hopefully this new lab will be better than his old one. He's still planning on going into his first lab, but he'd at least like a good lab rotation!
Meanwhile, he's been studying almost non-stop for his tests! He had a test on Monday, and then has another one tomorrow. I am so proud of him the way he's handling all of this. The first few tests he took were hard for him - not necessarily because of the material (although that also is insanely difficult), but because it brought back flashes of medical school. After his first test, we went to the park and walked for about four miles just to get away from everything so he could recover.
After Monday's test? He felt great! No test anxiety whatsoever! I think he's finally put medical school behind him!
He's still enthusiastic about studying - probably because he can actually see the results of his studying while talking to classmates and taking tests. It's gotten to the point when I have to call him to come home at night - he's so wrapped up in studying that he loses track of time!
Meanwhile ... I got a new phone! One that finally has texting, so that John and I can keep in touch during the day. I also have a few friends who all they do is text, so it will be nice to get back in touch with them!
I volunteered to make poundcakes for the GSO for a Bake Sale fundraiser they're doing end of November/early December. That, plus the fact that I'm going to make poundcakes for all my co-workers and friends at church for Christmas ... I'm going to be busy baking! Last year I found a relatively easy pound cake recipe that is utterly divine, or so everyone who has had it tells me. Everyone who tasted it said that it was the best pound cake they'd ever had - one of my coworkers even started crying and said it was exactly like the poundcake her grandmother made when she was a little girl.
So ... my tradition (started last year!) is to make a poundcake for Christmas for gifts. It's easy - people seem to like it - and is relatively inexpensive (although with the cost of butter and eggs ...).
I expect that by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I'm going to be so sick of poundcake!
Hopefully this new lab will be better than his old one. He's still planning on going into his first lab, but he'd at least like a good lab rotation!
Meanwhile, he's been studying almost non-stop for his tests! He had a test on Monday, and then has another one tomorrow. I am so proud of him the way he's handling all of this. The first few tests he took were hard for him - not necessarily because of the material (although that also is insanely difficult), but because it brought back flashes of medical school. After his first test, we went to the park and walked for about four miles just to get away from everything so he could recover.
After Monday's test? He felt great! No test anxiety whatsoever! I think he's finally put medical school behind him!
He's still enthusiastic about studying - probably because he can actually see the results of his studying while talking to classmates and taking tests. It's gotten to the point when I have to call him to come home at night - he's so wrapped up in studying that he loses track of time!
Meanwhile ... I got a new phone! One that finally has texting, so that John and I can keep in touch during the day. I also have a few friends who all they do is text, so it will be nice to get back in touch with them!
I volunteered to make poundcakes for the GSO for a Bake Sale fundraiser they're doing end of November/early December. That, plus the fact that I'm going to make poundcakes for all my co-workers and friends at church for Christmas ... I'm going to be busy baking! Last year I found a relatively easy pound cake recipe that is utterly divine, or so everyone who has had it tells me. Everyone who tasted it said that it was the best pound cake they'd ever had - one of my coworkers even started crying and said it was exactly like the poundcake her grandmother made when she was a little girl.
So ... my tradition (started last year!) is to make a poundcake for Christmas for gifts. It's easy - people seem to like it - and is relatively inexpensive (although with the cost of butter and eggs ...).
I expect that by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I'm going to be so sick of poundcake!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Project Garden Makeover!
Before it gets much closer to winter, I'd better post these pictures of my front garden! Considering the day is cool and wet and dreary, it's nice to remember the absolutely gorgeous weather here!
I can't really explain why this was so high on our priority list, but both John and I agreed that we wanted to plant the flower bed in the front. Maybe we wanted to make the house look ours; or maybe we were just taking advantage of the rare lovely weather. It's only nice here maybe 5 weeks out of the year - we need to spend all the time outside that we can when it's nice!
Here are some BEFORE pictures:
John and I spent about 2 hours in Lowes, wandering around the gardening section. Neither one of us had any experience doing this, so we were reading all the plant labels, and finally tracked someone down to talk to us. This is what we ended up buying:
We also bought a honeysuckle climbing vine - but I guess I didn't take a picture of it.
Next: THE PROCESS!
I broke up the dirt, and John decided that all the bricks surrounding the bed needed to be raised. So, we re-sized the bed, and raised each of the bricks by a few inches. While John was doing that, I was pulling all the weeds out of the bed. I may have gotten a bit carried away with it (John says I'm too much of a perfectionist), but the end result looked nice, I think!
And so, we began planting - by far the most fun part of the afternoon (and the quickest)!
John's parents had given us a large box of bulbs (both orchid and lily), so we planted those along the back of the bed, close to the house. We then placed a medium sized trellis to the right of the window, and planted the honeysuckle vine so that it would climb the trellis. (That is a total experiment on our part. If it grows out of control, or attracts bees or something, we'll tear it out. We don't want to deal with bees that close to the front door.)
Next, we placed a few rows of the Dusty Miller, and planted the mums in the very front.
Ready to see?
All in all, this project took us about 4.5 hours (including the time in the store), and cost us about $80-$100 (we had to buy all the tools, and the soil). We're hoping that they last through the winter, and we can enjoy them this spring. We're not expecting anything to grow this summer. 100+degrees does not equal a good garden!
I can't really explain why this was so high on our priority list, but both John and I agreed that we wanted to plant the flower bed in the front. Maybe we wanted to make the house look ours; or maybe we were just taking advantage of the rare lovely weather. It's only nice here maybe 5 weeks out of the year - we need to spend all the time outside that we can when it's nice!
Here are some BEFORE pictures:
 |
| Confession - this is after I dug everything up. I'd forgotten to get a true BEFORE picture. It didn't look much better, though. |
 |
| Yay, front of my house! |
John and I spent about 2 hours in Lowes, wandering around the gardening section. Neither one of us had any experience doing this, so we were reading all the plant labels, and finally tracked someone down to talk to us. This is what we ended up buying:
 |
| Mums! Honestly, not our first choice, but we liked the colors, and they were on sale. |
 |
| Apparently these are called "Dusty Miller" We thought they looked cool - especially next to the colors of the mums. |
We also bought a honeysuckle climbing vine - but I guess I didn't take a picture of it.
Next: THE PROCESS!
I broke up the dirt, and John decided that all the bricks surrounding the bed needed to be raised. So, we re-sized the bed, and raised each of the bricks by a few inches. While John was doing that, I was pulling all the weeds out of the bed. I may have gotten a bit carried away with it (John says I'm too much of a perfectionist), but the end result looked nice, I think!
 |
| Totally ready for planting! |
 |
| John was so right about raising the stones. It looks so much better! |
And so, we began planting - by far the most fun part of the afternoon (and the quickest)!
John's parents had given us a large box of bulbs (both orchid and lily), so we planted those along the back of the bed, close to the house. We then placed a medium sized trellis to the right of the window, and planted the honeysuckle vine so that it would climb the trellis. (That is a total experiment on our part. If it grows out of control, or attracts bees or something, we'll tear it out. We don't want to deal with bees that close to the front door.)
Next, we placed a few rows of the Dusty Miller, and planted the mums in the very front.
Ready to see?
 |
| Doesn't it look nice? The Dusty Miller is supposed to grow taller than the Mums, which is why they're toward the back. You can't see the bulbs. |
 |
| Yay! Project, successful! |
All in all, this project took us about 4.5 hours (including the time in the store), and cost us about $80-$100 (we had to buy all the tools, and the soil). We're hoping that they last through the winter, and we can enjoy them this spring. We're not expecting anything to grow this summer. 100+degrees does not equal a good garden!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Election Day
Today is election day in the US. John and I went to vote after I got off work this evening, and it went fairly smoothly. No riots, no excessive lines ... very orderly.
I'm not going to say much about politics here. We're having a quiet night in. John is studying for his test on Friday, while I'm purposefully not watching the news, because I get angry with the media and I'm pretty sure it's not healthy to get as worked up about it as I do. We had the news on briefly, but when I figured out that the news was predicting states based on less than one percent of the votes in each state? Oh, that made me mad! Just give us the news - stop analyzing and discussing everything ad nauseum about all the possibilities that may or may not happen!
Now I'm getting upset again. Ugh.
John and I watched this video a week or so ago. And found it interesting, and actually agreed with several points made in the video.
I don't know if it's been made clear on this blog yet, but John and I are both relatively conservative, and attend a Baptist church. So, obviously, there are some things that we don't agree with from this video.
Just as a warning, this video is NSFW, due to some language.
I don't know how the election will turn out, or who will be president in a few months. Yes, it's important. And yes, I'm hoping it's a particular candidate. But if the person I voted for loses? It's not the end of the world. God is still in control.
And God tells us in the Bible to pray for our nation's leaders. He told the Christians in Rome to pray for their leaders - even the ones who were persecuting the church and trying to stomp out the church. So, no matter who wins this election, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to respect the office of President, (even if I don't agree with the person in that office) and pray for them.
I don't tell people who I vote for. I take full advantage of my constitutional right to secret ballots. So this is about as political as I get outside my own private conversations with John.
I hope you voted today.
I'm not going to say much about politics here. We're having a quiet night in. John is studying for his test on Friday, while I'm purposefully not watching the news, because I get angry with the media and I'm pretty sure it's not healthy to get as worked up about it as I do. We had the news on briefly, but when I figured out that the news was predicting states based on less than one percent of the votes in each state? Oh, that made me mad! Just give us the news - stop analyzing and discussing everything ad nauseum about all the possibilities that may or may not happen!
Now I'm getting upset again. Ugh.
John and I watched this video a week or so ago. And found it interesting, and actually agreed with several points made in the video.
I don't know if it's been made clear on this blog yet, but John and I are both relatively conservative, and attend a Baptist church. So, obviously, there are some things that we don't agree with from this video.
Just as a warning, this video is NSFW, due to some language.
I don't know how the election will turn out, or who will be president in a few months. Yes, it's important. And yes, I'm hoping it's a particular candidate. But if the person I voted for loses? It's not the end of the world. God is still in control.
And God tells us in the Bible to pray for our nation's leaders. He told the Christians in Rome to pray for their leaders - even the ones who were persecuting the church and trying to stomp out the church. So, no matter who wins this election, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to respect the office of President, (even if I don't agree with the person in that office) and pray for them.
I don't tell people who I vote for. I take full advantage of my constitutional right to secret ballots. So this is about as political as I get outside my own private conversations with John.
I hope you voted today.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
You should've come to my house at 6 pm last night
I meant to post this on Thursday, but it took me till today to get a picture.
Last night was my very first Halloween.
My family didn't "do" Halloween when I was growing up. We never decorated, we never dressed up, we never trick-or-treated. In fact, I think I remember missing out on some of the halloween activities in elementary/middle school because of a note from home.
When we got married, John and I never really talked about Halloween, except to agree that we didn't want to do Halloween at our place. That neighborhood was scary! Any kids that we might get (and we never expected any - especially after dark) more than likely went to better neighborhoods.
But this year ... we have a nice house in a quiet little subdivision, and we knew that we'd get trick-or-treaters. And we decided ... that's okay.
So, the first order of business was decorating.
Honestly, I love fall - I love the weather, I love the colors, I love just about everything fall. I love getting my sweaters out of storage. So, all of my decorations are Fall decorations - not Halloween decorations.
We didn't do much. John and I went to the store and picked out two pumpkins for the front porch. We were going to carve the pumpkins, but then got busy and didn't get around to it. So, we've had some pumpkins sitting on the front steps for a few weeks now.
Next, we went and bought a fall wreath to hang on the door. That wreath makes me happy every time I see it - red and orange and glittery!
That was about it. John had a study session last night, so he didn't come home in time for trick-or-treaters. I'd filled two large bowls of candy to give out, and changed into a t-shirt with a big pumpkin on it, and that was it for me.
Unfortunately, I ran out of candy far too soon, but that's my fault. The first 20-30 kids who came by got a large handful of candy, before I realized that I really should be stretching the candy out. I managed to last a bit longer when I started giving each kid 3-4 pieces of candy, but I still closed up much earlier than my neighbors. Oh well.
I'm a little bummed about it, but considering it was my very first time EVER? I'll know better next year.
And as far as I'm concerned? John totally missed out.
Last night was my very first Halloween.
My family didn't "do" Halloween when I was growing up. We never decorated, we never dressed up, we never trick-or-treated. In fact, I think I remember missing out on some of the halloween activities in elementary/middle school because of a note from home.
When we got married, John and I never really talked about Halloween, except to agree that we didn't want to do Halloween at our place. That neighborhood was scary! Any kids that we might get (and we never expected any - especially after dark) more than likely went to better neighborhoods.
But this year ... we have a nice house in a quiet little subdivision, and we knew that we'd get trick-or-treaters. And we decided ... that's okay.
So, the first order of business was decorating.
Honestly, I love fall - I love the weather, I love the colors, I love just about everything fall. I love getting my sweaters out of storage. So, all of my decorations are Fall decorations - not Halloween decorations.
We didn't do much. John and I went to the store and picked out two pumpkins for the front porch. We were going to carve the pumpkins, but then got busy and didn't get around to it. So, we've had some pumpkins sitting on the front steps for a few weeks now.
Next, we went and bought a fall wreath to hang on the door. That wreath makes me happy every time I see it - red and orange and glittery!
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| Welcome! |
That was about it. John had a study session last night, so he didn't come home in time for trick-or-treaters. I'd filled two large bowls of candy to give out, and changed into a t-shirt with a big pumpkin on it, and that was it for me.
Unfortunately, I ran out of candy far too soon, but that's my fault. The first 20-30 kids who came by got a large handful of candy, before I realized that I really should be stretching the candy out. I managed to last a bit longer when I started giving each kid 3-4 pieces of candy, but I still closed up much earlier than my neighbors. Oh well.
I'm a little bummed about it, but considering it was my very first time EVER? I'll know better next year.
And as far as I'm concerned? John totally missed out.
Friday, November 2, 2012
A little bit of pampering
A few weeks ago, John mentioned to me that I never seem happy anymore.
That really hit me between the eyes. And started a few weeks of soul-searching.
There are so many things that I should be happy about - my husband, my dog, my house, my job, my coworkers, my brother. Everything with us seem to be going well.
But I was dwelling on the things that weren't going well. My parents have been having marital trouble - and I'm very seriously considering breaking contact with my dad. (Not gonna happen right now, but considering it). I've developed social anxiety over the past year or so that hits me sometimes with the force of a two-by-four. I just recently found out that I have PCOS, and without treatment (and even with treatment), there's a distinct possibility that I can never get pregnant. The medication for that makes me exhausted and nauseous, and honestly neither John nor I think its working. I've gained about 40 pounds in the past four years, and have been feeling overweight and ugly.
John told me that he wants me to do things that make me happy. To take care of myself, so that I feel better.
So ... I am.
I am focusing on things that make me happy. I got my hair cut - and highlighted. I've never had color put into my hair before. And I love it! I bought new make-up and am experimenting with eye shadow. I'm not quite sure what I think about it, but I'm having fun looking different. I'm proud of myself for figuring out how I want to look, and putting in the time and effort to get there. I'm proud of myself for figuring out that by putting a pinch of mousse into my hair, I can prevent fly-aways. I've started counting calories, and keeping an eye on what I eat - the only thing in the past few years that has worked for me in losing weight. Tonight I'm going to a jewelry party - hosted by one of the ladies in my church - where I will spend some money buying myself some jewelry that I like.
I've considered and looked into finding a therapist for my social anxiety, although I'm not going to act on that until after January because of work issues. I've got an appointment with my Ob/Gyn in two weeks, where I'm sure we'll have a serious talk about my medications and some decisions will be made. And I've handled learning that my sister-in-law is pregnant by crying in the shower for 30 minutes before getting a hug from John, and us talking about it, and coming to the realization that God is in control. He saw it fit that my brother and sister-in-law have a baby, and that John and I have to wait a bit longer. I just need to trust His timing. And now I'm ready to be happy for her, and to get excited about becoming an aunt. (John, by the way, is beside himself with excitement!)
I'm forgiving myself for when I make a mistake. For when the house isn't clean, or the laundry isn't done, or dinner isn't cooked. I'm realizing that John and I are in a unique place in our lives - that really no one else near us is in this place we're in. As such, it's okay that I don't have any close friends to spend time with and talk with. That will come later as God wills it.
I'm thankful for God blessing my with my job - this job has opened up so many doors and the possibilities spread before me are astounding.
Yes, this is a self-centered post. This serves more as a reminder to me to focus on the things that are worthwhile; to take care of myself, so that I am better able to take care of others. And to remind myself that it's okay to make mistakes - every day is a chance to do better and start over.
And it's also a bit of a commitment. That I will lose weight - I want to be down to at least 140 pounds by my brother's wedding. That I will take care of myself, and not feel guilty about spending a little bit of time or money on myself. And that I will forgive myself when I don't live up to the expectations I build for myself.
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