Thursday, July 28, 2011

30 by 30

Let's see how I've done the past 6 months!!
  1. snow ski (I'm terrifed of dying)
  2. Go to Hawaii
  3. ride in a helicopter
  4. go to a nude beach
  5. parasail in the ocean
  6. run a 5K
  7. serve in a food kitchen
  8. do a Bible study in a prison
  9. Buy a tahoe
  10. pay off student loans
  11. backpack through Europe
  12. lose three inches off entire body
  13. play a song on the guitar (at least one but no wishful thinking)
  14. fly fish
  15. shoot and clean a deer
  16. dive off a diving board without holding my nose
  17. watch the mini series Pillars of the Earth and The Tudors
  18. Date outside of type (someone with a tattoo or piercing)
  19. Get a Macbook
  20. Drive a really expensive car (one that turns heads) Note I didn't say own. I will probably have to rent it.
  21. Study at a language school in Spain
  22. body wrap
  23. see Dave Barnes, Matt Nathanson, Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, Amos Lee, and/or Ben Harper live in concert
  24. stay in a hostel
  25. ride in a hotair balloon
  26. play tennis (on the most basic level--that means having contact between racquet and ball which might be impossible for me)
  27. go to California
  28. go to Jackson Hole, WY
  29. go to a dude ranch
  30. rock climb
I've knocked a few off the list!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Aunt Tricia update

My aunt got the results back from her PET scan today. The lymph nodes did show up as positive on the PET. However, they are too small to biopsy, and the doctor won't do anything without a biopsy. He wants her to come back in five weeks for another scan. Both breast and pancreatic tumor markers are normal. Dr. Tauer suspects it to be breast cancer that has become resistant to the herceptin, the drug she is taking for breast cancer. He is encouraged by the normal tumor markers though, and he said it could be something benign. Please keep praying for her! You can follow Callie's (my cousin) blog here.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Millions of peaches, peaches for me

Remember that song by the band The Presidents of the United States of America called "Peaches"? Well, that was the theme song this weekend. I took five girls home to Nashville to put up peaches. It was a busy but very entertaining weekend.
We canned 45 jars and put up some to freeze.
We got there Friday around 3:15, and then hopped back into the car to go see my cousin Tela's house in Saratoga. The house looks amazing! I can't wait to see it finished. Tela and Russell are expecting twins in January so that makes it way more exciting! Then we went back home and started supper. I cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra (from Dad's garden), cream corn (from Poppa's garden), and we did a salad. It was greasy and good! Mom made mocha cheesecake for dessert, so we devoured some of that. Then it was bedtime.

Of course I didn't sleep a wink. I just don't sleep well with people, AND if there is a sound (the fan making noise) I follow it the whole night. Needless to say, I was pooped before the day even started. For breakfast, we had homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing and fresh fruit (that's the healthy part!). Then the fun began! We peeled, chopped and cooked those peaches up! I was more of the teacher this year, and I coached from the side. They all made beautiful preserves. We got seven jars each. Not bad at all.

For an afternoon break, Dad took us all to the Coke plant to see the museum. I hadn't even been yet, so I was excited. It was so cool to see 100 years of memorabilia, some of it I hadn't seen before. There was an actual Model T Ford that we had to snap a picture in. We also posed on the forklift and in an empty semi truck.  We could be the new Coca Cola spokesmodels. I can't wait to sign my contract. Granny and Poppa came over for supper. Dad grilled chicken, I made squash medley, and a Greek salad.
The Model T Ford

A little pose in an empty Coke truck.


Then the real cooking began. I made peach fried pies with the help of Mom and Dad. Granny gave me her sister's recipe. Dad rolled out the dough (I was shocked too), and Mom flipped pies while I filled them and crimped them. I loved spending that time with my parents. That's one of those things I'll always remember, ya know? The pies turned out great! It needs a little more of "something", but I'm not sure what that is yet. Dad says it needs more salt in the crust, so I'll try that next time. I've got to perfect them before I open my bakery; those will be a necessity.

It was a great weekend! I can't wait until next year. Who's coming?!

Let me backtrack to July 17...I went to visit Jonathan, Meredith, and Chandler Bryan. It was such a great visit! Chandler is the sweetest little girl, and she's so active. She took her first steps while I was there, so of course that filled my heart. I was scared she wouldn't let me hold her, but we quickly bonded. Oh yes. Two peas in a pod we are. And Mer and Jon are such loving parents. It's an out of body experience watching your friends with a child. It's an awesome feeling. I was sad to leave on Thursday; I wanted to take them with me.
Sweet Chandler

Chandler walking!

This is what I found on the day I left. She almost did go with me.
My next post will be London...and I have video footage. YES!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Good, the Bad, and the Not So Pretty

Hey ya'll. So since my trip, I haven't been inspired to write. It left me feeling incomplete in the sense that I didn't spend the time I needed to over there. It's not that I'm unhappy here because that isn't the case at all. I just need to spend more time rolling around in God's creation because ya'll, it is breath-taking. I'll go back next summer. FOR SURE. If you haven't figured out by now, I am writing again. Something obviously inspired me, so I will share that with you.

Let's start with the ugly or the uh....
The Not So Pretty
  • My Aunt Tricia who has battled cancer three times had to go in for a pet scan today due to swollen lymph nodes around her original breast cancer site. We won't know the results until Tuesday when Dr. Tauer returns to the office. I ask for diligent prayers on her behalf. You can read more about this on my cousin's blog Mostly Sweet

The Bad
  • School starts back for teachers August 8. Why?! Why can't we have until September?! I BEG YOU wonderful state department.
  • I was at dinner last night with my friends Annesley and Meredith. We went to a restaurant called Sangria and ordered different kinds of tapas. I was eating one of my favorite tapas that I had often in Spain and the tears began to flow. I miss Spain and the food and the people and the culture and outside cafes where the heat doesn't melt you.
The Good
  • I just got back from a wonderful visit with Meredith, Jonathan and baby Chandler. It's always hard to say goodbye to those you love!
  • I leave tomorrow for Nashville, AR with a group of wonderful girls for our 2nd annual peach weekend. Unfortunately, there may not be any ripe peaches but that won't stop us from having a fun time. That's fo sho. The menu for this weekend is yummy and heart-clogging. You don't want to miss it!
  • I still have to update you on London, so yay for me for getting to reminisce some more!! For those of you that could care less, go clip your nose hairs. That will be your intermission. London will be in a separate post fo schnizzel.


Palma de Mallorca, Spain