We renovated the house for six months straight. God gave us strength to labor over the home every weekend and every weeknight, with many nights into the wee hours of the morning. Burnout was experienced and I still feel the effects.
In February the Holy Spirit led me to ask my church if there is someone needing a free place to stay until they get back on their feet. That is when I was introduced to a woman named Teresa and her dog who stayed with me for a couple months. We looked over her finances, helped cut out expenses, and waited for her to save money to move into her own apartment. Food, shelter, and a bed was provided for her and she left in April.
The spring and summer was filled with garden fun. I grew vegetables, flowers, and raised two chickens! That was a neat learning experience and I felt empowered to realize the simplicity of nature's ability to provide food for us. Ben's sister, Sarah got married in May to James. Ben lost his job in May too. I also got licensed as a CPA in May.
In September I purchased my coworker's 2002 PT cruiser for Ben. After expenses it came out closer to $3700. His jeep kept having issues for years, and the brakes kept going out. He was so happy when I told him, that he stared at the envelope with his finger rubbing against his name for along time.
The fall flew by with only one trip to the Cider Mill this year. On October 19th, Ben asked me to marry him. We have dated for the past 5.5 years. He got me a sparkly diamond just under .74 carats. I love staring at it in low light or in the car. Ashley provided Ben with hourly work in construction earning $12/hr. In November Ben got a part time job as a paralegal for $13/hr. He is still considering law school if he can get in somewhere close to free. 2013 will be telling of whether that is still something to pursue.
November brought us tons of time spent with family. December brought 6 parties! It was a whirlwind season.
My struggles this year consisted of difficulty getting up in the mornings, bad attitude about work, and loss of motivation and drive. No physical issues this year which I am grateful for. No OCD flare ups this year which I am also very grateful for. I also got really out of shape while renovating, and had to start watching my diet at the end of the year.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Happy New Year!
If 2013 was your last year on this earth, how would you live it?
What activities would you fill your days with, what would you prioritize?
Now compare those thoughts with your New Year's resolutions. Any tweaking necessary?
Don't put off people for another day...you may not get that someday.
How stupidly busy some of our resolutions seem when compared to spending time with someone, caring for someone, helping those in need. Would you mend a relationship? Would you travel to visit a relative? Be Jesus to those who need His healing in their hearts? I wish I could live more fearlessly.
When I think about having a year left to live, things that flash through my mind are to:
Visit my uncle in CA
Visit friends around the states
Hug my family, hug my distant relatives
Be a little more extravagant for wedding stuff
Go find a bunch of hurting and homeless people to volunteer for
Give my money away until there's nothing left
Start an initiative at church to connect people to house guests temporarily
Offend people by speaking to them about the love of Christ and the transformation of the heart they can experience when they put their trust in Jesus. Care more about their eternity than about whether they will stop talking to me.
Travel
Have conversations
Wear my heart on my sleeve and tell people what I think about them.
Be out there serving others
What activities would you fill your days with, what would you prioritize?
Now compare those thoughts with your New Year's resolutions. Any tweaking necessary?
Don't put off people for another day...you may not get that someday.
How stupidly busy some of our resolutions seem when compared to spending time with someone, caring for someone, helping those in need. Would you mend a relationship? Would you travel to visit a relative? Be Jesus to those who need His healing in their hearts? I wish I could live more fearlessly.
When I think about having a year left to live, things that flash through my mind are to:
Visit my uncle in CA
Visit friends around the states
Hug my family, hug my distant relatives
Be a little more extravagant for wedding stuff
Go find a bunch of hurting and homeless people to volunteer for
Give my money away until there's nothing left
Start an initiative at church to connect people to house guests temporarily
Offend people by speaking to them about the love of Christ and the transformation of the heart they can experience when they put their trust in Jesus. Care more about their eternity than about whether they will stop talking to me.
Travel
Have conversations
Wear my heart on my sleeve and tell people what I think about them.
Be out there serving others
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
wedding bells and more debt
Getting married soon means my man's debt is soon to be my own. When I last asked how much he has, it was 40K. It's been at 40K for a year now so I'm not sure what's going on and haven't been privy to finding out what the real balance is. It's going to feel so defeating to have debt again after I tried so hard the first three and a half years after graduating to get rid of mine. I guess it's back to the drawing board. Here are some things I had to do when paying off my debt:
In order to conquer this giant I have to come to terms with some important principles. Everything we have is a gift from God including our skills, talents, and past experiences. If we give God the glory, we don't have to be upset with where someone is in life. The conversations I was a part of, the school I enrolled in, my natural subjects of interest are all examples of what makes the foundation that helped me to do what I did. If I were raised by someone else's parents, or had a whole new personality, I may not have the will to create my personal jail in order to get out of debt. If I keep this mentality, then I don't have to get upset or frustrated at my future husband for where he is at today being the same age as me. God help me to remind myself of this fact and to have humility to never think that what I have done is of myself but only by the grace of God and the intangible gifts God gave me. And may he help us pay the next 40K off.
- Not get a smartphone despite how backwards that is for someone in professional services
- Not get cable
- Not buy or own a TV
- Didn't eat lunch out with coworkers
- Lived with my parents in my high school bedroom from age 22-26 (NOT an option when married)
- Bought a house for 26K
In order to conquer this giant I have to come to terms with some important principles. Everything we have is a gift from God including our skills, talents, and past experiences. If we give God the glory, we don't have to be upset with where someone is in life. The conversations I was a part of, the school I enrolled in, my natural subjects of interest are all examples of what makes the foundation that helped me to do what I did. If I were raised by someone else's parents, or had a whole new personality, I may not have the will to create my personal jail in order to get out of debt. If I keep this mentality, then I don't have to get upset or frustrated at my future husband for where he is at today being the same age as me. God help me to remind myself of this fact and to have humility to never think that what I have done is of myself but only by the grace of God and the intangible gifts God gave me. And may he help us pay the next 40K off.
Devo - Currently Reading
Currently reading Beth Moore's "Breaking Free." It could be that I'm reading two books/Bible studies from the same author, but I keep reading about themes like prayer and idolatry lately. We'll see what Jesus has to speak to me about this season. I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I lived completely immersed and pursuing God's word. Instead of studying up on the next license you can get for work or making sure your spending is in order, what if you just devour as much as you can about God and grow close to him in reading and prayer? How much more fulfilling would life be if we went to the source of our peace and strength as much as we can and pursued it as hard as we pursue everything else in life?
5 Days Til Christmas
December is going by so fast. I've been really busy at work, so that's been contributing to feeling like I haven't prepared for Christmas. Two more days in the work week and I will be off for a week! I haven't gotten to do anything to get into the holiday spirit yet - like baking cookies, wrapping up gifts, doling out treats while listening to Christmas music.
Planning a wedding can get stressful if you think too much about everything left to do. There's a lot of random details that have to get taken care of and that's the most annoying part for me. I covered all the big to-do's in the first month and now I have to start tackling the small things. There are a lot of random costs popping up that weren't budgeted for. There might be some time during my week off to cross some other things off the list.
The dress: I get measured for the wedding dress on January 5th. After that, I can't eat anymore fattening food for a few months! For the first night of the wedding the plan is to pig out and eat pizza.
The shoes: Bought my something blue!!! Lulu Townsend Corabel in Navy blue satin.
Working out: I'm actually making it to the gym once a week now. Sad to say that is actually progress in 2012. I fell off the work out wheel after renovating the house.
Christmas parties: I've gone to three Christmas parties so far, and three more to go Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. That will probably make it feel more like Christmas!
Planning a wedding can get stressful if you think too much about everything left to do. There's a lot of random details that have to get taken care of and that's the most annoying part for me. I covered all the big to-do's in the first month and now I have to start tackling the small things. There are a lot of random costs popping up that weren't budgeted for. There might be some time during my week off to cross some other things off the list.
The dress: I get measured for the wedding dress on January 5th. After that, I can't eat anymore fattening food for a few months! For the first night of the wedding the plan is to pig out and eat pizza.
The shoes: Bought my something blue!!! Lulu Townsend Corabel in Navy blue satin.
Working out: I'm actually making it to the gym once a week now. Sad to say that is actually progress in 2012. I fell off the work out wheel after renovating the house.
Christmas parties: I've gone to three Christmas parties so far, and three more to go Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. That will probably make it feel more like Christmas!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Let the Holiday Parties Begin
Tomorrow will be the first of several Christmas parties this year. We are supposed to bring 5 $1 gifts for a fun gift exchange. I don't know how this game is going to work, but it was definitely fun. I bought a box of candy canes, a lottery ticket, reindeer socks, carmex cherry lip balm, and a black and white nature calendar. How did I do?
The day after that will be my work holiday party at the owner's house. It will be interesting having a Christmas party without so many people who have left since I have started working there. There's only one manager left at the firm now. Last year, I passed out at the Christmas party and went to the hospital after drinking half a glass of wine. I think this year, I will just "pass" on the wine. My blood pressure is too low to drink or run for very long (without swollen, tingly, red feet).
The Christmas tree is up in the house :) It was a 9 dollar tree from Wal-Mart that I bought after Christmas in 2010. I figured I might need one some day. It is a little sparse and there aren't a lot of greens on it, so you can totally see through all the gaps of the tree. This is perfect for a single gal though. I already have presents wrapped up under it for the various parties I am going to.
This year I get to enjoy the holidays with joy and optimism. I've slowly been learning to enjoy life and have fun. Allow yourself to get excited about things, and you will start seeing so much more joy in things you could have dismissed while being a humbug. So far I can make every Christmas party that I usually like to go to since they are all on different days. Thank you, Jesus :)
2012 will be my last Christmas as an unmarried woman. That is an interesting thought. What are some things I need to be sure to do in order to relish this Christmas? Am I forgetting things that I do now that I take for granted, that I won't be doing anymore?
What's on your Christmas list this year? My Christmas List?
-Washing machine
-Dryer
-TV
Funny how much more practical our wants become. Yes, I have lived without a TV. Yes, I have saved money by not having cable. I also don't have a washer or a dryer. Maybe Santa will come by next year! In all honesty, clothes, shoes, furniture would be so much more fun. In all honesty, I'm just happy to see friends and family get together, people loving others, and seeing everybody get warm fuzzies.
Jesus gave Himself as a gift to us. A gift is free. Unlike the gifts we may give or receive, His gift isn't earned by our behavior. It isn't earned at all. It's there for us to accept it just as we are, covered in sin. There's no such thing as becoming a better person before accepting this gift from God. In fact, it's just the beginning of a journey with Christ to transform your heart into His likeness through His power, not yours. When you accept Christ as your Savior, you accept that Jesus already died on the cross for your sins, and that since God accepts Him, you are now accepted because of Him. It's like a stamp. He stamps you as His, and you obtain the benefit of what He did on your behalf. We are sinners, but because Jesus was sinless, God will see us as sinless when we go to meet Him. This should remove all judgmental attitude because it is not what we do that attains our salvation. It is the mercy and grace of God and when we are gifted something we could never achieve, all we can do is have gratitude. After receiving such a wonderful gift, how can our hearts not overflow with love for others? Let God fill your heart and let your heart overflow in His goodness that never runs out.
The day after that will be my work holiday party at the owner's house. It will be interesting having a Christmas party without so many people who have left since I have started working there. There's only one manager left at the firm now. Last year, I passed out at the Christmas party and went to the hospital after drinking half a glass of wine. I think this year, I will just "pass" on the wine. My blood pressure is too low to drink or run for very long (without swollen, tingly, red feet).
The Christmas tree is up in the house :) It was a 9 dollar tree from Wal-Mart that I bought after Christmas in 2010. I figured I might need one some day. It is a little sparse and there aren't a lot of greens on it, so you can totally see through all the gaps of the tree. This is perfect for a single gal though. I already have presents wrapped up under it for the various parties I am going to.
This year I get to enjoy the holidays with joy and optimism. I've slowly been learning to enjoy life and have fun. Allow yourself to get excited about things, and you will start seeing so much more joy in things you could have dismissed while being a humbug. So far I can make every Christmas party that I usually like to go to since they are all on different days. Thank you, Jesus :)
2012 will be my last Christmas as an unmarried woman. That is an interesting thought. What are some things I need to be sure to do in order to relish this Christmas? Am I forgetting things that I do now that I take for granted, that I won't be doing anymore?
What's on your Christmas list this year? My Christmas List?
-Washing machine
-Dryer
-TV
Funny how much more practical our wants become. Yes, I have lived without a TV. Yes, I have saved money by not having cable. I also don't have a washer or a dryer. Maybe Santa will come by next year! In all honesty, clothes, shoes, furniture would be so much more fun. In all honesty, I'm just happy to see friends and family get together, people loving others, and seeing everybody get warm fuzzies.
Jesus gave Himself as a gift to us. A gift is free. Unlike the gifts we may give or receive, His gift isn't earned by our behavior. It isn't earned at all. It's there for us to accept it just as we are, covered in sin. There's no such thing as becoming a better person before accepting this gift from God. In fact, it's just the beginning of a journey with Christ to transform your heart into His likeness through His power, not yours. When you accept Christ as your Savior, you accept that Jesus already died on the cross for your sins, and that since God accepts Him, you are now accepted because of Him. It's like a stamp. He stamps you as His, and you obtain the benefit of what He did on your behalf. We are sinners, but because Jesus was sinless, God will see us as sinless when we go to meet Him. This should remove all judgmental attitude because it is not what we do that attains our salvation. It is the mercy and grace of God and when we are gifted something we could never achieve, all we can do is have gratitude. After receiving such a wonderful gift, how can our hearts not overflow with love for others? Let God fill your heart and let your heart overflow in His goodness that never runs out.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Wedding Planning
It's officially past the one month mark since we got engaged. It seems like a lot more time has passed since I've already gotten a lot of wedding to-do's out of the way.
Done so far:
Found Reception Venue, deposit down
Found Wedding Dress
Found Ceremony Venue, deposit down
Found DJ, deposit down
Found photographer, deposit almost down
Upcoming:
Free facial with a friend
Makeup trial run to see if the lady I picked is okay with Asian faces
All dress related tasks like fitting, altering, trying it onJewelry hunting
Shoe hunting
Register/Finish registering
Ceremony timing and other details
Transportation details
Getting ready location details
Decorations
Table Settings
Cake stuff
Wedding music stuff/lists
Entrances
Invitations
Table seating arrangements
Finish the website
Rings
Guestbook
Who did I pick as our photographer? Kristen Taylor. I picked someone with good composition, and great editing. For me, it's about light. Lots of light.
Look at this cute little vintage bus:
Done so far:
Found Reception Venue, deposit down
Found Wedding Dress
Found Ceremony Venue, deposit down
Found DJ, deposit down
Found photographer, deposit almost down
Upcoming:
Free facial with a friend
Makeup trial run to see if the lady I picked is okay with Asian faces
All dress related tasks like fitting, altering, trying it onJewelry hunting
Shoe hunting
Register/Finish registering
Ceremony timing and other details
Transportation details
Getting ready location details
Decorations
Table Settings
Cake stuff
Wedding music stuff/lists
Entrances
Invitations
Table seating arrangements
Finish the website
Rings
Guestbook
Who did I pick as our photographer? Kristen Taylor. I picked someone with good composition, and great editing. For me, it's about light. Lots of light.
Look at this cute little vintage bus:
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Engaged
When I first entered, there was a "station" with a candle and a note. I read the note and followed the rest of the petals that were scattered in a path.
I went through about 6 candle-lit stations. Each one had a different colored rose. The note attached to each rose went with the meaning of the rose color.
The last station was my room and it had two dozen roses in a vase as well as two roses tied together.
He was hiding behind the door (not well) and then came out to ask me if I would marry him.
He picked the ring all by himself. It's quite unique and brilliant. It's a little shy of .74 carats. It looks huge, and it's very sparkly. He went for a "brilliant" cut and sacrificed on the flawless front since you can't really notice the flaws. The note says it is "hearts and arrows."
R, My Friend - This rose symbolizes the friendship that our relationship is built on. You are my closest and dearest friend. I have cherished our friendship for as long as I have known you, and it has given me great joy to have that friendship blossom into love for each other.
R, My Beauty - This rose is only a shadow of your beauty. God has truly made an exquisite beauty in you. This is both a beauty of the heart, and one that radiates from your heart into a person truly beautiful to behold.
R, My Delight - This rose is to show you how you have enchanted me. Not a day passes that I do not find myself thinking fondly of you and the time we have shared, and wishing to be in your company.
R, My Inspiration - This rose symbolizes my admiration for you, Darling. Your love for God, enthusiasm for life, delightful humor, and brilliant mind, has inspired me to be the best man I can be.
R, My Support - This rose cannot begin to express my gratitude. Your support and encouragement have given me the strength to keep going. You have encouraged me in my walk with God in ways no one else could. Thank you, Sweetheart.
R, My One and Only - These roses symbolize the intertwining of lives. My desire is to give you all the love I have, and cherish you all the days of our lives. You are the one I have chosen to love forever.
Friday, October 12, 2012
It came
I got a package today and was surprised to find:
Oh yeah. I guess I ordered that this week after my coworker talked me into it. I wasn't going to buy it until I raised the money for it, but she suggested that I start on it, and get the money for it later. Oh, I am so easily persuaded. I will work on these when I have down time. I didn't buy the book because I'm too cheap so I will be learning from doing questions and reading the answers when I get them wrong.
Contentment Week 1
Today marks a week after I have asked God to help me with contentment while waiting on God. I had a wonderfully motivated Monday, a less motivated but great Tuesday, a Backtrack Wednesday, a pretty motivated Thursday, and a pretty peaceful Friday.
I discovered a song by Chris Tomlin today which I can't buy on iTunes yet:
I discovered a song by Chris Tomlin today which I can't buy on iTunes yet:
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side
I also read the book, "Fearless" by Max Lucado this evening, which I have been wanting to read for a long time. I looked through my Amazon Wishlist, and searched for every book I had on my local library's electronic database. It wasn't available at my library, but I requested them and I picked them all up. My next book I will start reading tonight is "Get out of that pit" by Beth Moore. I wanted to get Breaking Free but that wasn't available at any of the libraries. I even picked up 5 Christian CD's. I didn't use to like going to the library to borrow books since I'm germaphobic, but I'm allowing myself to touch the books this time around...
On Wednesday I had a fallback day, and then instead of working out like I did on Thursday, B and I went to eat at a hole in the wall restaurant inside of a Mexican grocery store. It was delish, and our total came to a little under $20, and I left a $20 in the tip jar, and bought a $.99 avocado. Then we randomly found a Bloomberry and shared a soft serve covered in goodies. I decided sometimes you can steal your own joy by being so hard on yourself about not wasting money. That was my live and let live moment of the week.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Best things in life are free
The best things in life are free and you can't buy them! Today I'm thankful for my precious boyfriend.
- He tells me he loves me every day
- He always puts my needs above his, because he is selfless
- He always wants hugs and back rubs, and tells me he could hug me forever and ever
- He tells me I'm beautiful every day
- He always opens the car door for me
- He cleans my house even if I'm not home
- He thinks of all these precious things to do for me without me asking
- He does cute things like gets me a bouquet of roses and sets it in a vase after cleaning my entire house
- He renovated my house with me like it's his own
- He's building me a patio
- He made my entire kitchen, installed cabinets, appliances
- He brought home a farm door and told me that he asked to keep it so he can re-purpose it and make me a desk.
- He helps to cook food
- He washes dishes
- He helps me with anything heavy
- He is a man of good character with a really sharp sense of right and wrong
- He is godly and goes to God in prayer and goes to the Bible for wisdom
- He is a good, loyal friend to the few friends that he has
- He massages my feet and my arches when they hurt
- When I have PMS pity fits, he melts them with a sweet kiss on my forehead
- He's so kind to me even when I don't deserve it, which is the sweetest part of it all
- He treats me like a queen and I don't know where he gets all these ideas of how to be the most precious boyfriend. I always tell him he came trained.
- He gets really geeked out about Lord of the Rings/Star Wars/The Hobbit
- I don't have to feel like I'm speaking to a zombie when he's thinking about sports. He isn't sports obsessed.
- He goes to my house when I'm not there and makes my bed for me!! On soo many occasions.
- He's working 10 hour days overnight this week in construction. He didn't want to be on unemployment so he took a temporary hourly job doing something unrelated. God doesn't make any mistakes, and surely he will use everything.
- He pursued me even when I wouldn't date him.
- He always sends me flowers.
- One day after I got home from class, he had been waiting for me at my house. He asked if I was hungry and after I said I was, he pulled out two bowls of salad for us, and he cut out the shape of a star out of an apple slice and had it sitting in the middle of my salad.
- One time I came home from work and he was at my house painstakingly making me ravioli from scratch. It took him three and a half hours. He shaped all the ridges with a fork too.
- I honestly don't know how I got so lucky. He didn't fit any of my traits on my dumb "boyfriend list." So go ahead, make your lists, but your real man will not fit that list, and that's a good thing. Maybe it's because my dad said he has been praying every day for my spouse to be a godly Christian man since the day I was born. It's too bad my dad won't warm up to him, even though the guy he's asked God for has already been in my life for years. Sometimes families can be really awkward, and I have one high up on the awkward list. I think with each generation of a Christian home, you build a stronger family tree with the kinks worked out every generation. I am really hopeful for the kind of relationship Ben and I can share with our children!
- I love him more and more and we've been together for over 5 years
- Even if my parents won't be excited for my marriage, we will be, and that's all that matters.
 |
| The cover of a card he got me one Valentine's day |
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Contentment Day 1
Yesterday night I admitted to God through my tears that I don't understand how to have contentment and how I get it. My dear friend A pointed out that I only suppress my desires but it's there.
Most simply speaking, if I wish for anything that isn't what I am currently living today, I have not contentment. I had denied the extent of my discontentment because I did such a good job not thinking about my desires. I told myself contentment is for people who want to buy a bunch of things and want a big house or a job that pays a lot of money. I kept it to materialism and dismissed that I needed any help being content. Oh, but contentment extends so much further. I can lack contentment even while wishing for something good.
I believe that I can only have contentment by allowing the Holy Spirit to fill me with it by spending time in God's word. How do I spend time with God? Reading my bible and meditating on his wisdom. It's that simple. I don't need to plan how to tackle the million things to do in a day. I don't need to wonder if I'm doing the right things or if I am spinning my wheels. I am supposed to love the relationship with God. I am supposed to be in love with his presence, and nothing else is supposed to matter more. That's the only part of my responsibility, and if I am obedient in this, God will change my heart each day and equip me to handle only that day. I don't have to plan, I don't have to ponder, I only need to be still in his presence. Then God will make everything else fall in to place. I will do His will effortlessly without trying so hard by my own might.
This morning, I slept in til past 11. I just kept on laying in my bed even after I gained consciousness. I didn't care if I had a million I'd like to do. I wanted to get the rest. I awoke and studied his Word some more after last night. After spending quality time with God, I ended up cooking, grocery shopping, prepared 6 nights of taco meat, 2 nights of fajita meat, froze all the meals in individual bags, made fruit salad, cleaned the house, organized my shelves and all the papers, washed all the dishes, cleared off the dining table, ordered pea gravel for the patio to be delivered on Monday, cooked and ate dinner with B, walked 2 miles with my next door neighbor, met a new neighbor, made a flower arrangement, took a shower, had more Bible time, blogged, all before 10 pm. Without the kind of stress that accompanies a usual day like that. When I spend quality time with Jesus, He sets my desires and my heart to do the things he wills me to do. When I try to do things on my own, I become a stressed out, pout-y disaster. I have to tell God I am surrendering my day to him.
So how do I change my heart so that I won't be impatiently counting the days that I spend waiting on God? By not doing anything about it. By putting my mind on Christ and enjoying the relationship. By living in the moment and nothing past today. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
1. Read my Bible, spend time with God
2. He will lead my heart, mind, and actions for the day, and everything else will fall into place.
It seems so counter intuitive. There's so much to do, yet you let everything go and just enjoy the moment with God? Funny how everything God teaches is so simple.
If I:
-get impatient with my situation and where I am at,
-think I am created to have a different job, to do something else,
-wish I had more time in my day to get everything done,
-wish to be married,
-wish for a change of scenery,
-wish to get on with my life,
-think how long I must wait for my boyfriend to find a salaried job working in his field of interest (he is temporarily working hourly in construction)
-get impatient wanting to see my boyfriend's job situation line up with his area of study,
then I am discontent.
Most simply speaking, if I wish for anything that isn't what I am currently living today, I have not contentment. I had denied the extent of my discontentment because I did such a good job not thinking about my desires. I told myself contentment is for people who want to buy a bunch of things and want a big house or a job that pays a lot of money. I kept it to materialism and dismissed that I needed any help being content. Oh, but contentment extends so much further. I can lack contentment even while wishing for something good.
I believe that I can only have contentment by allowing the Holy Spirit to fill me with it by spending time in God's word. How do I spend time with God? Reading my bible and meditating on his wisdom. It's that simple. I don't need to plan how to tackle the million things to do in a day. I don't need to wonder if I'm doing the right things or if I am spinning my wheels. I am supposed to love the relationship with God. I am supposed to be in love with his presence, and nothing else is supposed to matter more. That's the only part of my responsibility, and if I am obedient in this, God will change my heart each day and equip me to handle only that day. I don't have to plan, I don't have to ponder, I only need to be still in his presence. Then God will make everything else fall in to place. I will do His will effortlessly without trying so hard by my own might.
This morning, I slept in til past 11. I just kept on laying in my bed even after I gained consciousness. I didn't care if I had a million I'd like to do. I wanted to get the rest. I awoke and studied his Word some more after last night. After spending quality time with God, I ended up cooking, grocery shopping, prepared 6 nights of taco meat, 2 nights of fajita meat, froze all the meals in individual bags, made fruit salad, cleaned the house, organized my shelves and all the papers, washed all the dishes, cleared off the dining table, ordered pea gravel for the patio to be delivered on Monday, cooked and ate dinner with B, walked 2 miles with my next door neighbor, met a new neighbor, made a flower arrangement, took a shower, had more Bible time, blogged, all before 10 pm. Without the kind of stress that accompanies a usual day like that. When I spend quality time with Jesus, He sets my desires and my heart to do the things he wills me to do. When I try to do things on my own, I become a stressed out, pout-y disaster. I have to tell God I am surrendering my day to him.
So how do I change my heart so that I won't be impatiently counting the days that I spend waiting on God? By not doing anything about it. By putting my mind on Christ and enjoying the relationship. By living in the moment and nothing past today. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
1. Read my Bible, spend time with God
2. He will lead my heart, mind, and actions for the day, and everything else will fall into place.
It seems so counter intuitive. There's so much to do, yet you let everything go and just enjoy the moment with God? Funny how everything God teaches is so simple.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4And our desire should be God. So simple. And when He calls, I will say "yes."
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| Made this for my friend that I am seeing tomorrow to celebrate her birthday. |
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| I'll have to plant some of these next spring! |
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
A Good Leader
A good leader never blames problems on someone else, but takes full responsibility for the tasks he has agreed to take on. A good leader is quick to compliment and encourage others and is slow to compliment himself.
Seeing the Positives of Today
There are things about today that really aggravated me, but instead of dwelling on those things, I decided to think about what I did do today, and amazingly I found a few positives:
The positives:
+I created several colored flow charts to explain the flow of structured notes from different accounts
+Got close to finalizing a bunch of exhibits or diagrams that could be used in arbitration
+Had 8 hours of billable work constantly working away
+Found some free CPE webinars that I can do tomorrow
+Ran on the elliptical for 20 minutes and burned 200 calories, hey, 20 minutes is at least something
+Didn't drink soda for two days in a row
+Ate the last of the slow cooker pot roast I made and froze into four meals
+Listened to Taylor Swift - Begin Again on replay
+Resisted my 5 chocolate bars in my work desk
+Used a buy one get one free for the Big Macs and a free Monopoly sticker for the medium fries
+Downloaded a bunch of free Kindle for PC books
+May have finally gotten an idea for what I want to do as my next job
+Haven't gone on Facebook since Saturday, despite getting emails of notifications
+Crossed two things off my running to-do list in my Google Task List
The negatives:
-Ate two Big Macs and a medium fry for dinner
-Wasn't content with my blessings today. I shouldn't be getting frustrated at my job or my bosses if this is where God wants me to be right now.
-Didn't cook a dinner
-Didn't pay a lot of attention to the neighbor children today even though they all greeted me. I usually talk to them a lot, but today I was so mad about work that I just went home and said, "hi." and went inside. They also asked me where I was leaving later and I told them "McDonalds," to which one boy said, "The usual for me."
-Didn't read any free Kindle for PC books I have been amassing
-Didn't work on the patio
And that's a typical Wednesday. Now I am blogging and will read my Bible soon and go to bed. This is me attempting to really cut down all the things I do. I want to have a lot of "veg" time at night on weeknights. Weekends I want to make time for freezer cooking and crock pot cooking/meal planning, and cleaning my house.
The positives:
+I created several colored flow charts to explain the flow of structured notes from different accounts
+Got close to finalizing a bunch of exhibits or diagrams that could be used in arbitration
+Had 8 hours of billable work constantly working away
+Found some free CPE webinars that I can do tomorrow
+Ran on the elliptical for 20 minutes and burned 200 calories, hey, 20 minutes is at least something
+Didn't drink soda for two days in a row
+Ate the last of the slow cooker pot roast I made and froze into four meals
+Listened to Taylor Swift - Begin Again on replay
+Resisted my 5 chocolate bars in my work desk
+Used a buy one get one free for the Big Macs and a free Monopoly sticker for the medium fries
+Downloaded a bunch of free Kindle for PC books
+May have finally gotten an idea for what I want to do as my next job
+Haven't gone on Facebook since Saturday, despite getting emails of notifications
+Crossed two things off my running to-do list in my Google Task List
The negatives:
-Ate two Big Macs and a medium fry for dinner
-Wasn't content with my blessings today. I shouldn't be getting frustrated at my job or my bosses if this is where God wants me to be right now.
-Didn't cook a dinner
-Didn't pay a lot of attention to the neighbor children today even though they all greeted me. I usually talk to them a lot, but today I was so mad about work that I just went home and said, "hi." and went inside. They also asked me where I was leaving later and I told them "McDonalds," to which one boy said, "The usual for me."
-Didn't read any free Kindle for PC books I have been amassing
-Didn't work on the patio
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Haircut
I chopped off my hair this weekend. It was kind of an accident- I said "shoulder length" when asked if I was really sure I only wanted to cut 2 inches off. At the end, when given the mirror, I was kind of shocked at how short "shoulder length" actually looks like. It's not so bad now, and I'm not sure if I just got used to it, or if it just looks better since it isn't as poofy now.
After my haircut, I went to see my sister and had lunch at Chipotle. I saw her new apartment/studio and her air mattress on the floor. The bathroom is a shared one by the whole complex. I also lost one flip-flop and had to go home with only one on. When I borrowed my sister's boots, I must have dropped a shoe while walking with them in my hands.
I also got to go see the Tigers play this weekend with my bf and his family. It was cold, and I didn't talk to anybody, because I wasn't sure if people who love baseball want you to shut up while they are trying to watch a game.
After my haircut, I went to see my sister and had lunch at Chipotle. I saw her new apartment/studio and her air mattress on the floor. The bathroom is a shared one by the whole complex. I also lost one flip-flop and had to go home with only one on. When I borrowed my sister's boots, I must have dropped a shoe while walking with them in my hands.
I also got to go see the Tigers play this weekend with my bf and his family. It was cold, and I didn't talk to anybody, because I wasn't sure if people who love baseball want you to shut up while they are trying to watch a game.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies & Potato Soup
I made a ton of chocolate chip cookies the other night and then froze a bunch in the freezer in zip blog bags, so that I can take a chocolate chip cookie to work every day for a week or two. The idea came to me when I was at the store and grabbed a box of Famous Amos Cookies (a 30 pack) and thought I wanted some for my lunches. It costs $10 though, and I thought about how I already have all the ingredients at home including fresh brown eggs from the hens, so I figured a creative way to save money is to put back the box of cookies and make my own. I can freeze them so that I make it last just like a box of 30 packs of cookies! I'll keep making some more batches until I have a lot frozen! I'm amazed how well cookies keep in the freezer. It doesn't change the taste or texture. Even though it's not a healthy thing to eat, I figure if I make my own practically free cookies available, it sure beats spending $2 on one cookie as an impulse buy at the snack shop at work, and still beats buying a package of cookies at the grocery store too! I'm getting really serious about making sure I don't spend like Congress and the Government does. It requires more arm grease and prior planning/thinking, but it feels great.
I also made some potato soup last night as something I can eat throughout the week. Now I have to think of a couple more things to make tonight so I have food for the week.
I also made some potato soup last night as something I can eat throughout the week. Now I have to think of a couple more things to make tonight so I have food for the week.
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| the boiling |
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| the cream |
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| the finish |
Goodbye, Hens
I said goodbye to my two hens on Saturday morning, to someone from Craigslist with 10 acres. It was sad, and I still move about my day with the assumption that they're in the back yard. I sold my hens, the coop, and all of their supplies because I want to streamline all the different things I do, so I can focus on what God may want me to do. I think that I do too much, and I need to start having concentrated focus. That led me to create a Do Not Do list. I thought about all the things I have going on and what I can deliberately get rid of doing.
The lady gave me $5 more than I asked, and I thought that was super kind of her. I raised $120 from selling my chickens and the materials, and I am putting that toward my Goal of raising $900 to buy CFE study materials. $780 to go! I also am in the midst of opening up my Etsy shop in order to get to the finish line for my goal.
Things I will miss:
-Two fresh brown eggs a day
-Not having to buy eggs at the store
-The hens following us around, the stupid little things they would do
-The craze that came upon them when I came outside with a bag of their Happy Hen Treats
-Them
Things I won't miss:
-Feeding them in the morning before work in nice clothes
-The extra stop to my car to put my stuff away before feeding them
-The extra stop into the house to drop off the eggs they laid
-Hosing down the coop and bleaching it every week/two weeks/three weeks depending on when I had time
-The weird squawking noises they would make in the morning when laying an egg or perhaps fending off squirrels (not sure what caused these noises a few minutes before when I am supposed to get up)
-Hiding from them when pulling up to the house, because as soon as they saw me they would start squawking.
The lady gave me $5 more than I asked, and I thought that was super kind of her. I raised $120 from selling my chickens and the materials, and I am putting that toward my Goal of raising $900 to buy CFE study materials. $780 to go! I also am in the midst of opening up my Etsy shop in order to get to the finish line for my goal.
-Two fresh brown eggs a day
-Not having to buy eggs at the store
-The hens following us around, the stupid little things they would do
-The craze that came upon them when I came outside with a bag of their Happy Hen Treats
-Them
Things I won't miss:
-Feeding them in the morning before work in nice clothes
-The extra stop to my car to put my stuff away before feeding them
-The extra stop into the house to drop off the eggs they laid
-Hosing down the coop and bleaching it every week/two weeks/three weeks depending on when I had time
-The weird squawking noises they would make in the morning when laying an egg or perhaps fending off squirrels (not sure what caused these noises a few minutes before when I am supposed to get up)
-Hiding from them when pulling up to the house, because as soon as they saw me they would start squawking.
My Do Not Do List
My Do-Not-Do List is my attempt to focus what I am doing in my life. I do too much, and they all seem to be all over the map. I tried to think of things I do and try to knock some things off my plate deliberately. I just recently sold my egg laying hens, coop, supplies for $120 which gets rid of any coop cleaning/bleaching time, morning and evening feeding, and any distracting times I have spent watching them play. With the Fall/Winter coming, I have tapered off tending my vegetables. I currently only have peas, and so watering for 10-15 minutes before going to work is probably not going to be necessary soon. I will intentionally not plant any fall crops.
The Do Not Do List:
Buy study materials for the Certified Fraud Examiner exam
Raise $900 for CFE materials
Vegetable Gardening
Backyard Chickens
Build up Inventory on my Etsy Shop - Part of the Attempt to Raise $900
Photography Business & fulfilling client orders
Concentrating on my full time day job
Buy study materials for the Certified Fraud Examiner exam
Study for the CFE
Take CFE
Read and study the Bible even more
Ongoing House Renovations - a whole separate to-do list here!
Violin lessons
Becoming Efficient at Cooking/Meal Planning/Crock Pot Recipes
Building Flagstone Patio in Backyard Before Winter
Read all my Kindle for PC books that I have been accumulating
I'm not sure which other things I can cross off my list. If I had to pick one, it would be violin lessons.
The Do Not Do List:
Buy study materials for the Certified Fraud Examiner exam
Raise $900 for CFE materials
Backyard Chickens
Build up Inventory on my Etsy Shop - Part of the Attempt to Raise $900
Photography Business & fulfilling client orders
Concentrating on my full time day job
Buy study materials for the Certified Fraud Examiner exam
Study for the CFE
Take CFE
Read and study the Bible even more
Ongoing House Renovations - a whole separate to-do list here!
Violin lessons
Becoming Efficient at Cooking/Meal Planning/Crock Pot Recipes
Building Flagstone Patio in Backyard Before Winter
Read all my Kindle for PC books that I have been accumulating
I'm not sure which other things I can cross off my list. If I had to pick one, it would be violin lessons.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Impossibilities
Impossibilities always have a weak spot -Lysa TerKeurst
When opportunities seem to close, you don't have to completely give up. Just look for the weak spot and attack it. Can't see past the pile of laundry and to-dos? Find the weak spot. Can't perform at Carnegie? Perform for a neighbor. Can't cook? I bet there's something you can cook. Can't pay off all your debt? I bet you have a dollar.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Secret is out of the bag today!
Today, I dropped off a 2002 PT Cruiser at B's house.
I don't want to think about how much the car ended up being after the fixes. I know I'm at around market value, but I actually had a set fixed price that I wasn't going to go over. I have a tendency to buy things and outstretch myself, so I said that if it's not for X price I don't want to buy it. Well, that didn't happen after all the mechanical fixes. I will have to make sure I cut corners and not spend any money these next few months.
I'm so thankful and excited to bless Ben. This must be just a fraction of what God feels like. I have a hard time with guilt and sometimes I think I can't have anything good. But my friend tries to remind me all the time that God wants to bless us. It's just a little more complicated when we live in a broken world.
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11To me, I feel like I am loving someone when I can sacrifice my needs and wants in order to make someone else feel like their needs and wants are met. When it hurts a little in the wallet, it feels like a success. I end up in situations like right now, not having a washer and dryer for the past 9 months because I gave the ones that came with the house away to people who needed them. When I was debating buying the car, I thought it was funny that I was willing to jump on a car that would cost more than buying myself a washer and dryer. If I had the money, why didn't I get the stuff yet? I also knew getting the car was going to help his whole family, because his 16 year old sister is going to want to drive soon, and they would have to get another vehicle or she would not get to drive one. I figured this will help not just my boyfriend, but his 16 year old sister, his parents, and my coworker. It's a win-win situation all around.
I kind of made my upcoming situation a little harder, since I had some things for my photography business I had to get soon, but I like the idea of challenges, and I also really enjoy blessing people and making sure they feel God's love. I'm so deeply joyful about this, and I thank God for the opportunity. I'm totally going to sleep with a perma-smile on my face tonight. This is why I worked my butt off in high school in college, because I hated being the receiver and the wanter. I hated feeling trapped, I hated feeling like I was restricted to being a different person than I am. Maybe I have a complex that I have to have God heal, like I'm so desperate to make others not feel the way I felt...it may not be a good motive. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the bliss.
My boyfriend is so patient and selfless. I don't like to say people "deserve" material things, but I am so hopeful for him to be blessed or catch a break in life. He struggles, but he waits patiently on God with such a positive attitude, that most people probably have no idea that he even struggles, or that he's been waiting forever on God. To be able to do something outlandish for him is so exciting. When I told him about the car, I put a picture of the PT in an envelope and wrote his name on the outside. When he opened it up, he laughed because he thought I gave him a picture of a car. When I told him I bought it for him, he was in disbelief. He had the biggest smile on his face. Then, after he tried to get it to sink in, he kept staring at the envelope with his name on it and was speechless. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I'm so glad he gets to drive a reliable car (at least for the time being, who knows what will happen later). I know that if he had the money he would buy me one in a heart beat. He is the kindest guy out there, and I don't use superlatives much. I wish that I could clone his heart and give it out to my friends to put into their men. :)
Monday, September 3, 2012
Labor Day Weekend
I planted my fall bulbs today. I bought these beauties:
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| Hyacinths |
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| Ranunculus |
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| Allium |
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| Muscari |
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| Yellow tulips |
We are getting flagstone from someone on craigslist for $160 ish (1 ton) to make the patio. Then I want to make a curved sod path that goes from the fence to the shed area. I also have a circle in the middle of the yard to surround in bricks or stones and I plan on putting a statue or bird feeder in the circle with some annuals around it. I currently am planting peas in that circle. I don't have stones around the circle yet, but we dug a circumference with a shovel.
We also did the English garden corner gate on the edge of our drive way today. I put it around the rose bush and some perennials that are behind it. I decided to put some of the hyacinths there and two symmetrical bunches of the Ranunculus bulbs.
Under my Yellow Bird Magnolia Tree, I planted the yellow tulips, with the blue muscari in between each of the tulip bulbs. Let's hope the squirrels don't dig up my bulbs. I should put out tons of squirrel feed like peanuts and popcorn or other seeds all winter.
It's so relaxing to play in the garden. I was in the Upper Peninsula this weekend at my boyfriend's family's cottage. It was fun fishing and kayaking, but after Amy, Melissa, and I landed on a little island and picked wild flowers, I started to miss home. Specifically I really missed the garden and I kayaked back alone and told B that I wanted to make it back in time to garden.
Here are some nice pictures from the weekend. We lit up paper lanterns and sent them up into the sky. No pictures of fishing and kayaking for obvious H2O reasons! I got to see Amy, whom I haven't seen in a while! Next time it will be Thanksgiving! It's crazy how a year has gone by so fast.
Thank you for a wonderful time!!! What a great way to end the summer.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Fresh Lavender
My neighbor has a huge lavender bush because she has had them for several years. Since I could barely pick much lavender from mine, I gladly took a basketful of clippings from her!
I put some in a tin can I bought from Target in the dollar section and put it on my white antique night stand by my bed. It smelled amazing!
Aren't they beautiful??
Things like this make me so happy my heart feels like it's going to explode! Before I went to sleep last night, I was thinking about how excited I get going to sleep in a pretty pale green bedroom with a tin of lavender on my white night stand. I smiled closing my eyes to sleep while whispering that my heart is going to burst.
I put some in a tin can I bought from Target in the dollar section and put it on my white antique night stand by my bed. It smelled amazing!
Things like this make me so happy my heart feels like it's going to explode! Before I went to sleep last night, I was thinking about how excited I get going to sleep in a pretty pale green bedroom with a tin of lavender on my white night stand. I smiled closing my eyes to sleep while whispering that my heart is going to burst.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
How to Own Backyard Chickens
This year I raised two hens in my backyard in a city. I wouldn't say NYC kind of city...more suburban. It has been a success and it's such a joy. One is black and the other is orange. I had my boyfriend's sister pick two up for me so I didn't get to see what kind I got. B and I have some guesses. Each one is laying now so I get two eggs a day. They are delicious. The yolk and the whites are so sturdy and the shell is extremely hard to crack. I'm kind of a meticulous person so they are very healthy and clean.
The black one is King Kong and the orange one is Godzilla. They follow me now and run up to me; they also squat when they first see me. I thought they were asking to get picked up or pet, but when I googled it they are actually saying "I submit to you" like I'm an awesome rooster.
I have been sharing eggs with my parents, a few neighbors, and some relatives. I also made a quiche (ham, sharp cheddar, broccoli) and took it to my neighbor with cancer. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat because she is doing badly now, but she enjoyed it immensely. She said it was something different since she's never had quiche before. I'm really glad she was able to eat some good stuff!
The winter is coming and I'm not sure what I will do about their water freezing over, but my plan so far is to just go out in the morning before work to give them some warm water; come home in the evening and give them another load of warm water.
So do you want backyard chickens too? It's pretty easy since nature just works like a miracle. Thanks, God! You can either get adult/pullet hens from craigslist or a farm. I went the hard way and bought chickens from Tractor Supply Co. in the spring and raised them from little furry yellow chicks.
Build a coop for your chickens when they are old enough to live outside. You can also buy a coop for around $100-150 from Tractor Supply Co. or buy one off someone on craigslist. Make sure it's surrounded in chicken wire. For the tops I used bird netting from Lowe's (to keep out birds from berries) and put it over the top of the chicken wire fence.
Feed them chicken feed until they are old enough to eat layer feed. Then switch their food to layer feed. You can also feed them almost any kind of vegetable. They also love yogurt, mealworms, and corn on the cobb. I also give my chickens fruit when they are starting to look beat up.
They make their water dirty almost instantly, so I would suggest buying a shepherd's hook and a Cheery Chick water feeder. It's such a time saver!! Chickens are actually smarter than people give them credit for, by the way.
I clean their coop out with bleach and water every week. I sometimes go every other week if I'm too busy. Make sure to put their coop near shade because if they get too hot, they can die because they can't lay an egg.
The black one is King Kong and the orange one is Godzilla. They follow me now and run up to me; they also squat when they first see me. I thought they were asking to get picked up or pet, but when I googled it they are actually saying "I submit to you" like I'm an awesome rooster.
I have been sharing eggs with my parents, a few neighbors, and some relatives. I also made a quiche (ham, sharp cheddar, broccoli) and took it to my neighbor with cancer. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat because she is doing badly now, but she enjoyed it immensely. She said it was something different since she's never had quiche before. I'm really glad she was able to eat some good stuff!
The winter is coming and I'm not sure what I will do about their water freezing over, but my plan so far is to just go out in the morning before work to give them some warm water; come home in the evening and give them another load of warm water.
So do you want backyard chickens too? It's pretty easy since nature just works like a miracle. Thanks, God! You can either get adult/pullet hens from craigslist or a farm. I went the hard way and bought chickens from Tractor Supply Co. in the spring and raised them from little furry yellow chicks.
Build a coop for your chickens when they are old enough to live outside. You can also buy a coop for around $100-150 from Tractor Supply Co. or buy one off someone on craigslist. Make sure it's surrounded in chicken wire. For the tops I used bird netting from Lowe's (to keep out birds from berries) and put it over the top of the chicken wire fence.
Feed them chicken feed until they are old enough to eat layer feed. Then switch their food to layer feed. You can also feed them almost any kind of vegetable. They also love yogurt, mealworms, and corn on the cobb. I also give my chickens fruit when they are starting to look beat up.
They make their water dirty almost instantly, so I would suggest buying a shepherd's hook and a Cheery Chick water feeder. It's such a time saver!! Chickens are actually smarter than people give them credit for, by the way.
I clean their coop out with bleach and water every week. I sometimes go every other week if I'm too busy. Make sure to put their coop near shade because if they get too hot, they can die because they can't lay an egg.
How to Save Tomato Seeds
I found this on a website about seed saving, and I'm amazed! I might try this so that I can use some of my seeds from this year.
PLANT: Separate varieties with short styles (most modern varieties) by at least 10 feet. Varieties with long styles (heirlooms and older varieties) need at least 100 feet to ensure purity. If solitary bees are prevalent, separate all varieties at least 100 feet and place another flowering crop between.
FLOWER: Tomatoes produce perfect, self-pollinating flowers. Anthers are fused together into a little cone that rarely opens until pollen has been shed and the stigma pollinated. (Older varieties with wild tomatoes or L. pimpinellifolium in their genetic ancestry may have stigmas that stick out beyond the cone containing the anthers. Varieties with this trait can be identified by looking closely at mature flowers and need to be treated accordingly.)
red: pink flesh, r covered by a yellow skin, r
pink: pink flesh, r and colorless skin, r
crimson: bright, purplish-red flesh, r and yellow skin, r
purple: bright, purplish-red flesh, r and colorless skin, r;
yellow: yellowish flesh, r and yellow skin, r
white: yellowish flesh, r and colorless skin, r
orange: reddish-orange flesh, D and yellow skin, r
HARVEST: If possible, allow tomatoes to completely ripen before harvesting for seed production. Unripe fruits, saved from the first frost, will ripen slowly if kept in a cool, dry location. Seeds from green, unripe fruits will be most viable if extracted after allowing the fruits to turn color.
PROCESS: Cut the tomato into halves at its equator, opening the vertical cavities that contain the seeds. Gently squeeze out from the cavities the jelly-like substance that contains the seeds. If done carefully, the tomato itself can still be eaten or saved for canning, sun-drying or dehydrating.
Place the jelly and seeds into a small jar or glass. (Add a little water if you are processing only one or two small tomatoes.) Loosely cover the container and place in a warm location, 60-75° F. for about three days. Stir once a day.
A layer of fungus will begin to appear on the top of the mixture after a couple of days. This fungus not only eats the gelatinous coat that surrounds each seed and prevents germination, it also produces antibiotics that help to control seed-borne diseases like bacterial spot, canker and speck. After three days fill the seed container with warm water. Let the contents settle and begin pouring out the water along with pieces of tomato pulp and immature seeds floating on top. Note: Viable seeds are heavier and settle to the bottom of the jar. Repeat this process until water being poured out is almost clear and clean seeds line the bottom of the container. Pour these clean seeds into a strainer that has holes smaller than the seeds. Let the excess water drip out and invert the strainer onto paper towel or piece of newspaper. Allow the seeds to dry completely (usually a day or two). Break up the clumps into individual seeds, label and store in a packet or plastic bag.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Pizza Night
This weekend, R came over from an hour away. I really appreciate how friendly she is and that she is willing to take the time to build a relationship even if it requires driving. I know that you and I probably have "friends" who don't see you because they won't spend the gas money to drive more than 7 miles. I picked up Papa John's because she really sounded like she wanted to get a pizza there. I found a half off coupon code online ("summer50" good through August 12) so we got it half off. I have been reminded of how delicious their crust dipped into their special garlic sauce is. She ended up staying over until three in the morning so she is probably taking this Saturday to sleep!
Today we are going out to Barbeque with the boyfriend's cousins. This should be fun getting to know them better. They are really sweet.
I also need to start preparing all of my camera equipment for my next few photo shoots in August. I oddly got a lot of requests in August even though I have completely stopped advertising or talking about the business and was kind of going to let it drift away into dissolution. I also have a nagging part of me that needs to start my violin lessons back up. What's stopping me is that my teacher is upset that I haven't called him in a year. I'm scared to talk to him on the phone now to beg for him to give me some more lessons knowing I probably have hurt his feelings because violin is his life. He can't imagine anyone not taking it as seriously as he.
This past week Ben bought me a magnolia tree - Golden Bird. It was so expensive and I can't believe he bought it for me even though he is unemployed. I feel like I'm so blessed beyond belief because I couldn't have asked for someone like him in a million years. You should see my old wish list in a boyfriend. Pretty funny.
Current Song I'm Hooked on: SMS (Shine) - David Crowder Band
Happy Weekend!! xox
Today we are going out to Barbeque with the boyfriend's cousins. This should be fun getting to know them better. They are really sweet.
I also need to start preparing all of my camera equipment for my next few photo shoots in August. I oddly got a lot of requests in August even though I have completely stopped advertising or talking about the business and was kind of going to let it drift away into dissolution. I also have a nagging part of me that needs to start my violin lessons back up. What's stopping me is that my teacher is upset that I haven't called him in a year. I'm scared to talk to him on the phone now to beg for him to give me some more lessons knowing I probably have hurt his feelings because violin is his life. He can't imagine anyone not taking it as seriously as he.
This past week Ben bought me a magnolia tree - Golden Bird. It was so expensive and I can't believe he bought it for me even though he is unemployed. I feel like I'm so blessed beyond belief because I couldn't have asked for someone like him in a million years. You should see my old wish list in a boyfriend. Pretty funny.
Current Song I'm Hooked on: SMS (Shine) - David Crowder Band
Happy Weekend!! xox
Gardening
The fruits of labor - a table overflowing with fresh garden vegetables! What I planted from seed got eaten by animals twice. So this year was a costly garden lesson. In the end I just ended up buying huge plants from English Gardens on sale and I should have spent the money there instead of on the seeds. The lettuce was the only thing that worked out from seed.
I bought a large eggplant plant that already had flowers on it. I also bought a huge green pepper plant that had 10 peppers growing already. These have turned out prolific. I also went to the Farmer's Market on the weekend to buy a tomato plant that was still a baby. This plant however took off and is producing an insane amount of roma tomatoes. I harvest around 7 a day! Next year I'm just going to use my money on plants that are already started with really strong stalks.
Tip of the day: pick off all your flowering fruit when the plants are small. It will make the plant grow longer, taller, stronger which means better and more fruit later. It's a lesson in delayed gratification and sacrifice! It hurts to pull off that baby green fruit!! Just like how God works you through hard obstacles in life which are painful, but it produces better fruit later!
It's a joy to bless neighbors and family with abundant fruit and eggs from the chickens.
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