In my ears

Been listening to Marina & The Diamonds lately. I’ve loved “I Am Not A Robot” since I heard it and have been listening to it faithfully for months. This week I heard “Rootless” and I love the lyrics and sound. “Dragging my roots through the snow / No home sweet and no sweet home” I think I’m a bit melancholy lately and this song fits that mood perfectly.

Oooh, I also just heard “Wolf Mother” by The Mynabirds. Lovely!

Other things I’ve been listening to: (which includes a couple of youtube vids)

Adele’s theme for Skyfall – soooooo good

Train – Drive By and 50 Ways to Say Goodbye

Wilco – I’ll Fight (which I just learned is written from the perspective of a Civil War soldier who was paid to fight as a substitute for a wealthy man. Sad but a good song.)

Also…pretty much every Christmas song ever. I’ve been listening to my own collection of seasonal music which is INSANE plus the all-Christmas station on the radio. I love it!

Grocery shopping is frustrating tonight. No turkeys, long lines and I have the urge to eat the head of a chocolate reindeer. CHOMP!

It takes so little to please me

Frozen and grumpy on the side of a dark road next to a broken vehicle...but my day is made brighter when the tow truck driver calls me 'darlin'.

Christmas cats 2.0

That last picture amuses me so much. Hunter is giving me the “one more picture interrupting my nap and I’m going to poop in your bed” look.

The difference between my cats

Cubby posing calmly for a Christmas photo. So pretty.

Hunter being a total spaz. As always. 

Yeah, that’s just a few of a series of photos where Hunter decided that eating the tree was more fun than getting her picture taken.

Commensurate with my values

So my reddit secret santa match this year was hard. He gave me a list of his interests and I stalked through his comments, but there were lots of things that were out of my depth (car speak is like greek to me) and what I did understand...I didn't like.

He's a big poster in r/trees which is the subreddit for marijuana on the site. Not only do I not support people doing illegal drugs, I'm not a supporter of people using marijuana for medicinal purposes. I've watched as people medicate with the drug and I don't believe that it helps any more than regular pain medication. Plus there are all hosts of issues with safety, regulation and not to mention the increased hassle for police who have to deal with the added frustration in states where it's legal.

In trying to shop for my match, I was struggling with what to buy and how to do so in a way that means he still gets a cool gift and I feel like I've not compromised my values. It wasn't easy. Even his shipping instructions (draw Jesus on a unicorn) felt like it would be pushing what I felt was appropriate and I almost just gave up. But then I realized that a) I made a commitment and to go back on that was lame and b) just because I didn't care for some of his choices doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve a present.

So I found some fun gifts, a little bit random and not as specific as the last few matches I've done...but still good. (also, chocolate...because who doesn't like chocolate?!) I hope that he enjoys his gifts and the awesome sombrero-clad Jesús on a narwhal that I drew on his box. I know that I'm a lot happier about shipping his gift out today when I know that it's something that I feel good about giving.

First Impression is Best Impression!

So there is a guy at church who doesn't talk to me. I find that unacceptable. I mean, I'm awesome and fun and quite a conversationalist, if I do say so myself. (and I do...because one thing I'm bad at is humility...) But for some reason, this guy is not really interested in being my friend.

Finally today I managed to exchange a few words with the dude...unfortunately it was due to the fact that I beaned myself in the head on a metal bar while standing in a closet. Oh clumsiness, my old friend, always around to make me look awesome in social situations.

On the plus side, I finally got to have a conversation with this guy. Well, it had to do with him checking to make sure I hadn't given myself a concussion...but I'll take it!

Why is everyone in this restaurant kissing? Did i accidentally enter a brothel. I hate when that happens!

Tales from Tim Horton

I’m in Canada? I’m not really, but apparently Google keeps wanting me to change to google.ca. I can’t decide if that’s because the HQ for Tim Hortons (and their wifi) is in Canada or if Google just thinks they are hilarious… I mean, I have made about 50 ‘eh’ jokes already, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility athat Google and I share the same lame sense of humor.

I am drinking the most bitterest of coffees. Because cheap is key this morning and a small black coffee is the cheapest thing possible. How do people drink this and stay happy? Does everyone who drinks this just stay grumpy? I’m just imagining a bunch of truckers ordering black coffees and then standing around grunting and complaining about how the sun is too sunny and things aren’t as good as they used to be back in the day. It’s possible that my ‘truckers’ turned into imaginary 80 year old men halfway through that situation.

These two middle aged ladies came in and something about them struck me as familiar. They didn’t look like anyone I knew, I didn’t recognize their clothes and when they said each other names they didn’t sound familiar. Then when they got up to their coats shifted and I saw the badges on their belts. I think I was finding them familiar to Cagney and Lacey.

I judge people based on their books and which right wing pundit has written them.

When it’s too warm for the snowflakes to stay on the ground, it makes me sad. It also makes me feel like I should go out and catch them with my tongue. Am I saving them from a lonely death or am I killing them quicker? Either way, I’m a hero! (right?)

It’s hilarious how I can tell that the people discussing religion are Catholic. Or maybe it’s sad, I’m not sure.

Guy just indicated he wanted a huge amount of oatmeal. Like a bathtub sized amount. That is an impressive amount of oatmeal. (disclaimer: pretty sure he was being facetious) Things he could do with that much oatmeal:

• Treat massive case of winter poison ivy.
• Facial masks for him and all his friends.
• Sculpt a life sized version of himself. Then eat it.
• Slow, squishy, maple scented suicide attempt
• Paste (imagining kindergarten macaroni and oatmeal paintings)
• Pothole filler! (would only last in frozen winter months. Not squirrel proof)
• Dumped in water to soak up oil spills. Possibly creates even bigger mess.
• Oooh, the best one! He’s an evil scientist who has figured out how to create life and he’s going to create a morphing, moving, massive oatmeal monster. It’s slow and lumbering and leaves a trail of sugar as it lumbers towards you and your inevitable death. *shudder*

The Early Bird

Waking up before your alarm (and actually feeling rested) is the best feeling. It’s like this extra time is a gift! A boon which should not be squandered by simply lying in bed and going back to sleep.

Instead I squandered (heehhe, that’s a fun word to say!) it by watching videos about math-y cooking and defuzzing a sweatshirt.

Super productive!

Oh subconscious, why you gotta do this to me?

My dream this morning involved a Xander from Buffy lookalike, my childhood church, bigotry, confrontation and Christmas carols. It was like my brain took all the leftovers of a weeks worth of thinking and then made it into the worst meal ever. 

Worst part about dreams like this is the bleed over, the emotions that I was experiencing in my dreams always linger during the day. Most of the times I struggle with being a bit jumpy and paranoid after a nightmare; and on the rare occasion I get to bounce around with excitement and giddiness from a good dream. Today I'm just itching for a fight. I woke up just as I was starting to fight with the pastors wife over someone being close minded and rude and I feel like all that anger is just right under the surface.

Oh brain, it's like you don't even like me sometimes.

Unplanned Stir Fry

If I had been thinking ahead, I could have arranged chicken, or steak. I could have picked up pre-made rice at China East or Jade Garden. But there was no planning ahead for me! So I'm left making do with what I have in the kitchen.

Half a bag of rice left over from thanksgiving, a package of veggies that are only mostly freezer-burned, several onions (because you can add onions to ANYTHING!), a few cheesy brats and a bottle of BBQ sauce.

It's...well, let's be honest here, it's edible and that's the most important thing.

What I'm watching...

I'm so excited for the Les Mis movie coming out on Christmas day, (also, a bit nervous...seriously, can Russell Crowe pull off Javert?) so I've been watching the 25th anniversary concert pretty much on repeat. It's so amazing (even with Nick Jonas) and well done and just lovely!

Marsh Mellow

1 bag of marshmallows leftover from Thanksgiving yams = 1 bag too many for me

So far I've added them to hot chocolate, coffee, milk. I've put them on top of granola and inside a bowl of popcorn. I've played WAY too many games of chubby bunny. Last night I browned a bunch in the oven to add on top of my ice cream.

You know what ice cream needs? Not marshmallows. Not even a little bit. (I may have given myself sugar overdose) 

I don't want to waste food, but it's possible that I'm going to need to throw out that bag or before you know it I will be adding marshmallows to stir fry or meatloaf.

Thanksgiving 2.0

The second dinner of the weekend went really well, my turkey was much browner and while the yams were runny...they still were tasty!

And despite all the cooking I did this week, I only set one oven mitt on fire! Yay for me! Personal best!

Eucharistia

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm struck by how much I have to be thankful for this year. I keep trying to write something and really, I'm not in the mood. (also, I'm distracted by family, parades, turkey and tumblr) I really don't feel like explaining...just feel like praising God. I am so blessed and I'm so thankful for all that He has given me and done for me.

Jen's List of Awesome Things that she's Thankful for!
1. Free Wifi!
2. Family that I can spend the day with
3. Family far away
4. Heather's chocolate chip banana bread! Yummy!
5. My church family
6. The freedoms I have as an American
7. My cats (who are spending the holiday at home alone)
8. Feliz Navidad (my favorite Christmas song)
9. My God who loved me enough to send His son, who loves me enough to provide for me every day and has created an amazing and good world.

Lowered Expectations

Do you remember that bit on MAD TV where they did horrible dating videos? (Side Note: If you have Comcast or Xfinity or whatever they call themselves now, you can watch dating videos on their local on demand programming. All the videos here are Detroit local and while I feel guilty about it…I do laugh hysterically at every single one.)  The sketches weren’t funny all the time but what I remember was the softly sung 90’s jingle with the couple walking towards the barb wire fence. Every time I think about my Thanksgiving dinner this year that little jingle sings in my head “Lowered Expectations!”

I’ve been searching for cookbooks for my aunt and have kept a few for myself. I’m not a great cook, but I do enjoy challenges and I do like making food for my family. I’ve experimented with some recipes this year that have not sent anyone to the emergency room, so I was pretty excited about Thanksgiving. It’s a day devoted to cooking and eating and just seemed ripe for me to get my chef on.

Unfortunately, it’s a pretty standard fare around these parts. Turkey – slap some olive oil on the bird and stick it in the oven. Stuffing? It doesn’t get better than Stove Top. Cranberry sauce: we’ve had both canned and relish over the years and I’ve eaten neither. Gross. Give me my cranberries in a muffin form only please! As I got to thinking about it, the only things that I could conceivably experiment with were mashed potatoes and dessert. I scoured the internet for potato recipes. Mashed, baked, twice baked, jacket, fried, scalloped, and a multitude of other ways to cook ze pomme du terre. I really liked the creamy garlic mashed potato recipes, or the super delicious looking jacket potatoes.

As for dessert, I really wanted to make a pie. Apple, to be exact. For some reason, apple pie is the epitome of a perfect dessert. I think it’s just because it’s so iconic, not necessarily because it’s the tastiest dessert ever. I’ve always wanted to make an apple pie from scratch, peeling the apples in my sunny kitchen, wearing a frilly apron and smiling at my adoring husband and perfect children…and you know what, this fantasy might be about more than just dessert.

So my first step in pie-making was looking up recipes online. Do you know how many recipes there are for pie? Many. A multitude. A plethora of pie procedures. (HA!) After being overwhelmed I attempted to pick just a few recipes (ones that had “easy” in the title) and see what I could do. Which turns out, not a lot. I know how to cook…and sorta bake…but the instructions for these pies were not easy. In fact, that whole “easy as pie” saying is a lie. Pie is not easy at all. It’s full of sifting flour and crimping and tears. Despite my pie-in-the-sky (ha again!) dreams of baking from scratch, I decided to spend my thanksgiving not sabotaging myself.

But tonight I am packing a bag full of ‘stuff’ (scientific term) to take with me tomorrow so that I can experiment with mashed potatoes. Garlicy stuff, ranch flavored stuff and normal loaded potato stuff! It might not be the Julia Child/Martha Stewart masterpiece I wanted, but it’s more attainable and hopefully attainability will make my Thanksgiving much more enjoyable!

Alva FTW!

Crossword puzzle while waiting at USCIS. I'm so proud that I know Thomas Edisons middle name!

Like the song says

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes!"

It's the first snow of the season and I'm happy to finally see one of my favorite things!

It's novel time!

Writing music: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Writing environment: Far away from any distracting windows
Writing accessories: Afghan and wrist warmers (it's cold!)
Writing procrastination: THIS BLOG POST

I'm excited to write, but I'm still struggling to figure out just what to write. Each time I go to start on one of the ideas, my mind goes to another. I filled out my profile on the nano site yesterday and got intimidated by the page that has you enter your novel information. Title? Summary? Excerpt? COVER? Are they kidding me? The pressure of having all that information makes me want to avoid putting anything on that page, but then it makes me feel lame that I don't have a novel listed. Can I just enter nonsense? Are there rules? WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME WITH YOUR HIGH STANDARDS NANOWRIMO?

Okay, I'm back. Took a little breather and decided to avoid the nano page for the rest of the day. I've also decided to just start writing. Any writing is better than no writing!

Wait a second!

I could write about zombies! I love zombies!

NaNo Oh No!

Actually, it’s not that terrible….I’m just melodramatic.
So, it’s the day before NaNoWriMo starts and I’m full of ideas! Too many ideas. I really need to pick one thing to focus on, but I can’t seem to narrow things down.

“That’s a Novel idea!”

1. Young woman has spent the last several years caring for her aging grandparents. After their death (or after they are moved to nursing home) she struggles with acclimating to life as a young adult. Shenanigans ensue: dating, workforce, interpersonal relationships with people under 80. Maybe romance? Certainly comedy. Heartwarming level…eh…upper 70% range.
2. New family visiting a church notices that beyond the surface of happy hymns and yummy potlucks, a deep evil lurks. As they begin the process of becoming members they are thrust into a world of secret leaders, shady ceremonies and dangerous practices. Will they be able to free the church and themselves from “The Right Hand of Fellowship?” *
3. Group of 30-something friends/coworkers are forced/challenged to end their lukewarm ways and start being passionate. Or, you know, the opposite. Pros: Get to put those Revelation Sermon Series notes to good use. Cons: Forced/challenged how? Contest? Dying wish of friend? Hunger games-type fight for ULTIMATE SPIRITUAL CHAMPION?

“Procrastastic! – Abandoned ideas ripe for reuse!”

1. Wikikiller – Serial killer who edits wikipedia entries BEFORE he kills. Armchair detective catches on when he sees an note in an article about his town that states a gruesome murder happened on this day. He watches the news that night and realizes murder happened after the entry so it could only be done by the killer. The police either don’t believe him or think he’s a suspect. His friends are scared for his life. He just wants justice. – When I started this story, the main characters were teenagers. Then I discovered that I can’t write teenagers so I quit.
2. A really great action story that involves tanker ships, custom agents and explosions. Unfortunately every time I try to write characters for this it just ends up being Hawaii Five-O fanfiction. As much as I love me some Danno…I don’t intend to write that.
3. Amnesia fic! – Woman gets into car accident and loses ten years of her life, including her intro to church, exploration of faith and decision to become a Christian. As she struggles to relearn about the last ten years, what she’s most shocked by is herself. Her responses, attitude, even her feelings are so different. Can it just be ten years of maturity or is it this ‘holy spirit’ that she’s apparently accepted? – I’ve always loved the concept of amnesia and mind/muscle memory and the influence God has on a person’s life.

“That’s so random!”

1. Time loop. TIME LOOP! My favorite trope ever. I enjoy reading any and all time loop story I can get my hands on so it would be fun to write one!
2. Nonfiction? Not sure what to write about…and every other time I’ve tried this I’ve just ended up blogging instead. Yay for easy formats!
3. Joke book. (why hello, it looks like we’ve reached the point of our program where Jen has run out of ideas and is just typing random things down. Elephant. Tractor beam. Fluff.)

Between now and the birth of November, I will need to pick an idea and write. Or I could pick a couple and write for both until one looks better? Is that allowed? Are there rules for this? Do I care if there are or not? ANARCHY!
*in other words, Jen gets confused reading church bylaws and has late-night-pizza induced nightmare. Seriously, it was like B-Movie scary!

Favorite Things

My friend is running the youth lock-in at her church tonight and I promised I would pray for her. Apparently that means that I need to stay up all night to do so. Seriously, I am thankful that God gives me opportunities to pray for my loved ones…even when those opportunities give me insomnia.

November is just a few days away and my mind has been busy trying to come up with ideas for NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately almost all my fiction ideas have turned out to be plagiarized from movies I’ve seen over the past decade. (No kidding, I came up with a lovely idea about an aunt adopting her niece and nephews and all the pitfalls of childrearing and it wasn’t till I was thinking on titles that I realized it was the plot of Raising Helen) I may end up doing nonfiction this year, which wouldn’t be horrible. I tend to get all ADD about halfway through the month anyway and abandon whatever I’ve written to troll wiki and edit pages to spice up historical figures.

Apropos of nothing, I’ve decided to make lists tonight. It’s like writing with no actual talent needed! Yay!

Favorite Real or Fictional Animals

1. Hengroen – King Arthur’s horse. I have no idea how this is supposed to be pronounced (is it Welsh?) so I say “Hen-Grrr-En”. If I ever had a horse, this would be its name and together we would conquer our enemies for the crown!
2. Ham the Astrochimp – The first chimp launched into space. There was a time in my childhood when I wanted to be the first kid in space. I imagined the experience would be much like Ham’s…adorable spacesuit, tiny helmet, hilarious pictures of scientists training me to push levers for banana pellets. (like you wouldn’t have accepted candy as salary when you were a kid?!)
3. Curious George – Cute monkey who gets into everything and causes problems but still is loved by his ‘dad’ at the end of the day. Substitute ‘plagued by daddy-issues Jen’ for ‘monkey’ and you’ll see why these books appealed to me.

Favorite Random Movies That No One Else Watches

1. Ladyhawke – I first read a movie novelization (a total guilty pleasure) of this and searched for the movie for years before I saw it one night on television. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a woman cursed to be a hawk during the day while her love is cursed to be a wolf during the night. The reason I love it is Matthew Broderick who plays Mouse, a skinny little thief who is roped into helping the lovers and manages to be both adorable, hysterical and earnest.
2. Surf Ninjas – You know those things that are so woven into your life that you can’t remember where or when you picked them up? My siblings and I have quoted this movie so often at each other that we should probably pay royalties to the actors. “Money can’t buy knives!”
3. Congo – This movie has scary gorillas, diamond laser guns, a character named Herkermer Holmoka, a volcano and a hot air balloon. It really doesn’t get any better. It also encouraged me to read H. Rider Haggard’s works which was an unexpected but awesome bonus.

What is up with polo?

Polo. The sport of kings. Several men riding horses and hitting a ball with sticks. I'm sure there's more to this game but that's really all I know. 

Oh...and it's haunting me. 

Yup, that's right. The sport of polo is following me wherever I go. I thought it was just a TV thing. You know how television works, one person has a good idea and other people think it's awesome and the next thing you know every show has a character with a brain tumor. Half a dozen shows I watch have mentioned, shown or been focused around polo this season like it's the most common sport in the world. (disclaimer: I don't think its all that common but my knowledge of sports is small). But it turns out it's not just TV with the horsey-sport obsession. 

Two movies I've watched in the past week have had passing mentions of polo, neither of them particularly large mentions...but they were there. Later I was reading a book about Nazi gold and all of a sudden the characters were at a polo match. I escaped to the internet only to find polo on my tumblr dash and in my reddit feed. 

I have a couple of theories as to what is happening. 

a.) God is obviously trying to get my attention with this whole polo thing. Maybe the odd trivia of knowing the rules of polo will solve a dispute. Maybe I'm about to get trampled by a horse. Maybe I need to buy more polo shirts?

b.) Polo has always been prevalent but due to a horse-related incident as a child I have had some sort of mental block. I've been walking past polo matches for years but instead of yuppies on horses I've just been seeing...I don't know...prairie dogs or something. Due to maturity and personal growth, I've started to overcome my mental polo block and have been able to see the world around me as it has always been...full of polo. 

c.) Aliens. 

(okay, that last answer may be a little vague but I think it has merit. If aliens had abducted me and recreated an artificial environment for me, it only stands to reason that there would be abnormalities. Glitches in the matrix. Why couldn't one of those glitches be the over abundance of polo?) 

So...has anyone else noticed this? Is polo haunting more than just me? 

Either the smoking man in the peacoat is messing with me or he is stuck in a time loop.

Things NOT to do before you go to bed...

Browse through a Reddit post on the most disturbing articles people have read on Wikipedia.

I probably would be less disturbed if I had just marathon-d horror movies all evening.

Fall's many splendors would be more easily enjoyed without its abundance of spiders. Never again, pile of freshly raked leaves. Never again.

Yum!

Sunday school: achievement unlocked!

A Reminder

The Peace of Wild Things - Wendall Berry

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Vile Rat – Sean Smith

http://themittani.com/news/rip-vile-rat 

I don’t even know what to say about this, I’m in tears here. I don’t understand the violence or the motives behind it. I’m just so sad.

o7 VR

Housework Fail

There were some…issues with laundry. On the plus side, I found two socks that matched! Or at least they used to match!

Whoa!

Harvest from the garden was big today! (which is after a weekend of giving away tomatoes to friends and family) Our pepper plants aren’t producing as well as what I thought, but we have gotten a few good-sized peppers.

This is probably the biggest tomato so far. It’s huge and super healthy. I picked tomatoes today for taco salad, but I think I’ll save this one for burgers. Perfect size for a nice cheeseburger!

For scale, this tomato is bigger than a horse! Okay, that may not be as helpful as I would like to illustrate the size, but trust me…it’s a big tomato! It’s also a very small horse.I found this in the garden today…weird. I’m not exactly sure where it came from, but I thought I’d wash it off, pose it next to a giant tomato before tossing it out. Because that’s my sort of nutty.

I love Michigan

Kitty photobomb

Cubby occasionally sits like a person and it’s hilarious. I always want to dress him in little pants and shirt and take pictures but it’s Cubby, who is terrified of person al contact, so I am restraining myself to photos.

Of course Hunter couldn’t let Cubby hog the camera lens. The little princess is pretty sure that whenever the camera comes out, she should be in front of it.

And when I try to move away…this happens-

 

“Excuse me, Jen, I’m not finished being cute yet. Bring that camera back.”

I love The Big Bang Theory

“Or thinks Don Quixote is a book about a donkey named Hotay.”

Comfort Food

Okay, it’s not comfort food. It’s comfort movies and right now, my comfort movie is The A-Team. When I’m stressed or feeling down, it’s nice to pop in this film and watch cheesy dialog, pseudo-military operations and massive explosions. It’s the right mixture of fun and mindlessness that I need tonight.

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Or: What Jen did on her Sunday afternoon - (presented without commentary because this sort of thing is tiring)

   

Recipe from here

The Jungle

Remember my garden and how wee and cute it was? Here’s a link to pics. Super cute, right?! Well, here it is now.

That’s a (very poorly done) panoramic shot of my current garden. It really is like a jungle. My theory in using so many of my plants was that I would still have options if some of them died. Only problem was that nothing died. To the point where I actually have dug up and thrown away a few tomato plants just to give others some breathing room. My green thumb (which has been missing all my life) was super effective this year. I’ve got upwards of 20 tomato plants, 10+ bell pepper plants and even spinach! Even the  marigolds I planted for pest repellant have blossomed! I ran out of tomato cages and had to use bamboo shots, tent stakes and plain old sticks instead. Even the plants that are in cages have outgrown them (we’ve got tomatoes that reach as tall as me).

There’s a part of me that is overwhelmed by how well my garden has grown. The watering, constant replanting and re-staking has taken its toll and there are times when I want nothing more to do with the project. But then I see something growing and  am reminded of putting each seed in tiny containers in my bedroom. It’s kind of amazing to eat a salad with food from my garden, food that I grew myself. Actually, it’s amazing just to see things grow. It makes me want to praise God and His amazing creation! Because as much as I brag and boast about my awesome gardening skills, I’m well aware that God has His hands all over this.

 

Boredom and Buttermilk

 

Remember how I was bored today? Well, I decided to bake a cake! Well, not a cake…banana bread! Even better! Mostly because it doesn’t need icing! I’m overrun with exclamation points!

Let me tell you all the reasons why I love this banana bread. First off, I got to use my bundt cake pan. I bought it for orange cake reasons but I’ve never gotten around to making that (mostly because when I get oranges that are delicious, I end up eating all of them, natch.) This is the first time that I’ve used it and it was a lot of fun! And while I was worried about how the bread would hold up in bundt-format, it worked out well. Secondly, this recipe called for buttermilk and I didn’t have any so I turned to google and discovered that you could make your own buttermilk. So I did! SCIENCE, BABY! Thirdly, I love it because it’s tasty and moist. My baking isn’t always edible and even when it is, it’s usually super dry (not sure why excatly) so I was surprised that this was both tasty and incredibly moist. Yay!

Plus, it’s huge so I have some to take to other people. BANANA BREAD FOR ALL!

Meh

I’m up and dressed and raring to go…nowhere. There are lots of things that I could do today, but nothing feels right. A trip to Marshall, yard sale-ing, chores, even the limited re-release of Avengers is a possibility, but I’m just not feeling any of it today.

I think I want to starfish. Did you ever do that as a kid? You pick a spot on the grass or your living room floor or the sand on a playground and just sack out. Your arms and legs stretched out, taking up as much room as possible. Then…you just lie there, stare into the sky or the ceiling or the underside of your kitchen table and think about nothing. It’s probably the laziest game I ever played as a kid, but there’s something mindlessly comforting about it that appeals to me today.

Hunter waiting for the vet. She is chill but Im freaking out a bit.

Evil bacon!

Home again, Home again

Jiggety jig. I'm home and happy and about to eat pizza! Thanks for following my updates and for your prayers!

The difference between a free and a dollar water at DQ

On the other side of Chicago! Yay!

We're in the Funk's Grove rest area. Awe. Some!

This rest area is not terribly refreshing!

Rest stops for dogs! Dont you think they should have doggie vending machines?

Stopping for gas just past springfield

On the road!

Today's verse is Ephesians 5:1-2. Good reminder to love others as we are loved by Christ...a big challenge at times!

I love having a dog to walk...even if the end of our walk got a little rainy!

Another sunrise!

Leaving early for me is 4:30...leaving early for other people is 9:00. We r comprimising at 7:00.

Mississippi!!

Getting gas (and pop) in Marceline.

Jealous?

Bridge over Missouri! How cool?

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Packed and hitting the road...finally!

At warehouse. It is an ACTUAL warehouse.

Several times I've seen packages, gifts, postcards and crafts from me packed to bring up north. It makes me smile!

Yay new clean car. Moving on to warehouse. Stll have not left KC

Working at the car wash! La la la!

Still to do before we leave KC: car wash, church, warehouse, dog. At the bank right now. I'm people watching!

The insulin that I almost forgot at the hote. Thank you, God for the reminder!

Complimentary waffles. Tastier because they're free!

Good morning my happy campers! I slept like a log! Nobody is up yet so Im reading. My bible verse for today is Ephesians 4:2. Good reminder for me!

Teeth brushed, pj's on, and list made for tomorrow. Now it's time for bed. Good night all!

Everyone is now chilling out at the hotel. Yay sleep!

Out to eat