Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sewing

I received a refresher course in sewing last weekend. I once sewed a vest when I was very young. It was beautiful. The fabric was black with all these bright colorful stars outlined all over it. I wore that baby with pride. I have decided that I want to start sewing. Simple projects. I just want to be able to make basic gifts and be able to fix things around the house. I think sewing is a very practical skill to have.
My mom found a sewing machine that she is going to send to Mexico with my brother next time he goes, but she has given it to me to use until next March when that trip rolls around. She spent a good hour showing me how to put the thread in so that I can actually start a project. I have already forgotten this little skill, but I am sure a quick phone call home will fix that. I decided that I would stick to straight lines for the first little while. It has been a long while and I do not have a steady hand. I cannot program this machine to go slower like I could on my mom's sewing machine and I have a pretty heavy foot so I am often out of control!
I made two pillow cases on my first day of sewing. They are perfect. I honestly love them and I do not want to give them away, but I made them specifically as Christmas gifts. None of my lines are straight and I messed up so I had to made a parallel line on one of them.... definitely not straight. At one point I think my parallel lines cross over each other. I love it though. I love that it is imperfect because it shows me that I have so much to improve on. I am so proud of those two little pillow cases. I made them. I made them by myself and they are functional.
There is something about creating something for someone else. It fills me with such joy! I was frustrated and ready to quit at many different times, but I thought of the recipients of this gift and it relaxed me. I enjoyed thinking about them while I worked and it really made me feel connected to them. It was a wonderful experience. One that I highly recommend. Here's the finished product... already wrapped.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Strawberry Picking

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I was home in Surrey this past week. I came down because Erik had to make his yearly trip to Alaska to go commercial fishing for three weeks.

It was busy at home. I learned how to knit, sew, and can strawberry jam. I helped my brother, Anthony, with the Amazing Race he puts on for his youth group. I went to my nephews kindergarten graduation and my nieces grade 8 grad. We went to my grandparent's house for a Father's Day barbecue on Tuesday. I saw Alicia who I haven't seen since August. And I spent an entire day home alone cooking and baking. It was great.

I went strawberry picking with Alicia, my niece Kaitlyn, and some of my little cousins. we picked over 90lbs. of strawberries in under 2 hours. It rained on us a couple times, but my cousins were troopers. When I got home I went to work washing and freezing some and then also making strawberry jam with some. We didn't actually do the whole "canning" thing with them. My aunt said that she just pours 2 Tbsp of vinegar on top of the jam once it has cooled off completely and then screws the top on. She doesn't even leave the vinegar on. She uses the same 2 Tbsps of vinegar for all of her jam jars. I'm a bit nervous about this, but we'll see how it goes.

Picking in Progress


Finally finished!


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Portabello Burger

Delicious!

If you like mushrooms then you HAVE to have a portabello burger! Grill the mushroom as you would a burger and then fix it with whatever you like. We had ours with basil butter, Diana's bbq sauce, caramelized onions, tomato, lettuce, and provolone cheese. With home-made fries on the side.

Delicious!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

=)

Things I am loving right now are:
  • Trying new recipes
  • Eating outside
  • Baking bread
  • Hanging out with Erik
  • Our herb garden

A Beaver

Erik and I went on a walk last night, as we often do. We ended up at the lake so we sat on a bench and enjoyed the peacefulness of it all. It was about 9:15 when we got there so it was pretty dark, but it was absolutely beautiful.

I saw something swimming in the lake right near the shore, in the dark it looked like a log gliding sideways. We were trying to figure out what it was as we watched is swimming closer to us. It stopped right in front of us (we were sitting about 40 ft from the water) and waddled onto the shore. We couldn't tell what it was because it was facing us, but I assumed it was a beaver, though I wasn't certain. It was munching on a tree branch that had fallen near the lake. When it had its fill of that it ventured up the shore, closer to us. By this time we had seen its tail and determined that it was, in fact, a beaver. It was beautiful to watch. Really. I was mesmerized. I felt joyful. When it was about 25 ft away from us it stopped abruptly and darted back to the lake and away... with four highschool/college girls in pursuit!!!

UGH! I was so frustrated!! What silly little girls! They had been sitting further down the beach and had just noticed the beaver. I was so disappointed. As they left the beach one of them said, "I guess we probably shouldn't have chased it away." You think?!?!

I never though I would see a beaver at the lake. I didn't even know there were beavers near Okanagan Lake. I don't know much about beavers at all actually. It was a neat experience none-the-less, and one I would love to have again.

Minus the annoying girls.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Italian Parmesan Bread

I have been contemplating putting up this recipe. I wasn't going to, but it is just too good to keep to myself. I made this bread four or five days ago and it is still soft and moist and delicious! Maybe I'm bad with bread, but my homemade bread is usually dry by now. It is from my Simply in Season cookbook.

Italian Parmesan Bread

2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
Combine in mixing bowl, stirring until dissolved.

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup butter
(melted) or oil
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp onion flakes or 2 tsps onion powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Add and mix well.

1 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated).
Add with enough additional flour to make a soft dough (I needed almost 3/4 of a cup in the end).
Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise 1 hour.
Divide in half and divide each half into thirds.
Roll into 15 inch ropes. Braid loosely into two braids and tuck ends under.
Place on greased baking sheets, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.
(Instead of braids you can make it into three loaves).
Bake in preheated oven at 350F until golden brown, 35 minutes.

And that, my friends, is all. Delicious.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Investigating

Lately I have been feeling the need to be creative, resourceful and motivated. I always talk about wanting to change how I live and "go green", but I don't feel as though I am really making an effort to do so. I don't "look outside the box". I always make an excuse like "when I'm done with nursing" or "when I have kids" or "when I have energy". The thing is, I would much rather start changing how I live NOW so that I can focus on implementing what I have learned when I'm done school or have kids. I would rather do the work now and start the change so that I can continue rather than start my journey when life gets even more busy. I realize that it is a process and that it won't change in an instant (although I would much rather it did) so I just have to take baby steps.

This "Going Green" bandwagon that I am more than willing to jump on has been frustrating and rewarding. It's difficult to always be conscious of what you are doing, what you are wasting, what you can recycle, and what you can somehow reuse.

Green Practices already implemented:
  • Canvas and cloth grocery bags
  • Walking to the grocery store
  • Stainless Steel water bottle (Purica Steel from Nature's Fare)
  • Glass containers for left-overs (both sets on sale)
  • Eco-friendly cleaning products (Shawna, do you know if your homemade laundry detergent works in a high efficiency front loading washer?)
  • Run the washing machine on cold
  • We recycle everything possible
  • Growing our own Herbs :Greek Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Lemon Basil and Rosemary
  • We use our local library (currently reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood)
  • Erik rides the scooter to work
  • Simply in Season Cookbook - We need to use this more, but we love it!
Things I want to do when we have our own home:
  • Compost - My sister hates the idea and we live with her right now so that's a no go.
  • Garden - Vegetables, Herbs, Grains, Fruit
New things we are trying/going to try:

  • Buying Local Food
  • Buying Organic Food
  • Using Whole Grains in meals (Does anyone have recipes or ways of doing this?)
  • Eating less meat (this is going to be tough as I LOVE meat)
The main thing am focusing on right now is buying local foods. I needed to do some prep work with summer being just around the corner so I did some investigating yesterday. In the past, all my attempts to find "Local Produce - Kelowna" came up with stores selling local foods. Although they are all great stores (Nature's Fare, Paul's Produce etc.), I am interested in making a connection with the actual farmers. I want to learn more about the process of growing the food and, let's face it, I want to remove the middle man.
As I said, all previous attempts were in vain, but I finally found an excellent website. If you're living in BC and want to find out which farms are certified organic go to this website. Please. It is awesome. I found farms all within a half hour of where I live that sell many of the things I am interested in buying!

Some of the organic produce I am most excited for are:
  • Raspberries
  • Tomatoes (I wish we were growing our own)
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Corn
  • Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Vanilla Beans
  • Beans
  • Cucumber
  • Asparagus
  • and seeds for when we have our own garden!
And we have some local, but not organic:
  • Grapefruit
  • Oranges
  • Honey
I also found an organic whole grain distributor... I need to look into this more as I have no idea what to do with whole grains, but we'll see. They are from Saskatchewan, but their prices seem reasonable and shipping and handling wasn't too bad. I'll keep you posted.

I. Am. Pumped.

Friday, June 05, 2009

My First Injection

I gave my first injection on my second day of clinical in September. Nothing big, just a subcutaneous heparin in a patient's arm. He was an elderly man and we technically weren't supposed to be doing injections yet because we hadn't had our lab on it, but I had one patient and he had no medications other than this 0900 heparin. I quickly read up on what I was supposed to do and as I walked into the room three of my classmates asked if they could come in a watch. I was shaking because I was so nervous, but I needed to maintain my cool exterior so I said, "sure, come on in". I feigned a confidence I did not have and approached my poor unsuspecting patient (who obviously did not know it was my first injection). I cleaned off a little section of his arm with an alcohol swab and took a deep breath to try to calm my shaking hand. My instructor gave me the permissive nod and I picked up my little needle and pinched the little section of fat together. Let's be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. The way I darted that needle into him you would have thought I was trying to inject a brick wall. I shot that little thing in. Evidently I didn't need quite that much force. The needle was tiny and the fat cells are quite receptive. The patient was none the wiser and said he didn't feel a thing when I confessed that it was my first injection.

Needless to say I am much better at it now.

Monday, June 01, 2009

lookin fine with his pony

His ponytail that is. I honestly kinda like it.
Both of these were from our first date. The second one here is a picture that Erik begged me to take. It's actually called Black Angus but Erik prefers this alternate name. We did have some delicious steak there.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Friday Fun-day

Erik took me on a wild and crazy adventure on Friday! Ok. It wasn't wild or crazy, but it was fun!
He decided that we would drive to Osoyoos on Hwy 33 and then loop back on Hwy 97. It was an all day affair that was quite enjoyable for all of us except for Erik's burnt right arm. As you can see from the map below, it was quite a long drive... but well worth it.
Our first stop was Kettle River Provincial Park. We really only stopped because our stomachs were growling and I was getting snarky. It was a beautiful little spot and I'm glad we did get to see it. The pictures really don't do it justice. My camera isn't the greatest so it doesn't pick up the depth of color that we were actually witnessing.



This picture makes me wish I had a horse. I have always dreamed of riding through the rolling hills. The Man from Snowy River was that inspirational for me... Jim Craig certainly left an impression.

Above is a picture of Osoyoos from a lookout that we stopped at. We drove through Osoyoos and Oliver, but didn't make an actual stop again until we reached Penticton. Erik attempted to go swimming on the south end, but it was far too windy so we went north to the other lake. The weather was just gorgeous and Erik did make it into the water and swam for about 45 minutes. Unlike Erik, I usually only swim when I cannot handle how sweaty I am getting... and I can handle a lot of sweat.


The day may me think of when my family used to go for drives together. With the current gas prices you don't really go for drives just for fun anymore, but it was a lot of fun... and we did it before they rocket up again for summer.

Scrap Fabric

I have decided to try sewing. I have been looking around and have found some little things I would like to try out. They are pretty much fake quilting. I was wondering if any of you have any scrap fabric lying around. If you do... I'd like it. Please. With a cherry on top. I don't feel like going out and buying 1/8th of a yard over and over only to cut it up into smaller pieces. Mom, I know you have some. Shawna, you're bound to have some from your gift bags lying around. Aunties?? Anyone??

Friday, May 29, 2009

Self Check-Out

At the grocery store yesterday I decided that I am not a fan of the Self Check-Out stations.

I think there is something communal about food and this includes grocery shopping. I love grocery shopping. I expect it to take a while. Erik and I usually walk there together and then poke around. I don't mind standing in line and making a bit of small talk with the cashier. Just yesterday I was complimented on the hat I was wearing and the bread I was buying. No self check-out could have done that.

I feel as though the self check-out is taking something away from grocery shopping. It is giving us an opportunity to become even more distant from our neighbors. Sad.

That being said, I have a confession: I have used the self check-out. But that was only because I used to DREAM of being a cashier. I used to play store in my parents garage which served as out pantry. I worked at a thrift store a couple summers ago and that was my favorite part... and we didn't even have the bar code beepers... I had to type in every price. The beeper... now that, my friends, is the best part!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Turning off the Flash

Erik and I visited his sister's family in Minnesota last Christmas (2007). Little Truen was just a couple months old at the time and I snapped these two photos one after the other and this is what happened in the time it took to turn off the flash.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Circa 1955

Look how cute my dad was. Aww.

Cross-Stitch Update

It has been a painful process, but I think I'm enjoying cross-stitching. Scratch that. I AM enjoying it.

I have pulled apart many miss-counts, twisted my thread too often, pulled some stitches tighter than others, and done the wrong color in some areas, but I am seeing progress. I think that is what I really enjoy about it: progress. At first it is a bunch of little lines on the fabric. Then the lines become "x"s. Then the "x"s start to make a picture. I enjoy the (sometimes) rhythmic in and out. Well, I guess it's not that rhythmic as I am constantly taking out stitches and redoing then. It's amazing to see how if you look at the first couple rows and colors I did you can tell that I really didn't know what I was doing, but I think I am really getting the hang of it. I sometimes cross-stitch for so long that the squares start swimming and I cannot see what I am doing. I just guess where I am supposed to go and press on rather than stop like I should... I have learned that is bad. Swimming page = making quadrilaterals other than squares. It also = twisted thread.

Cross-Stitch is frustrating too though. I can work for three hours and get this much stitched...
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A bit depressing, but it works. After all, it's progress.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

While You Were Sleeping

Night shifts are such a drag. I don't mind them while I am at the hospital, but coming up to them is awful and coming home is awful. I cannot sleep during the day and then when I am "re-adjusting" I just get overtired and don't sleep anyway. What a drag.
I was talking with my sister's friend, a nurse, who was telling me that she enjoys night shifts because she "gets to be awake when everyone else is sleeping". She thinks it's a fun little game she plays with everyone else. I tried to play this game. It lasted for all of 10 minutes.

I had a patient this week who made me tear up on multiple occasions. She was in her late 30's and had just been diagnosed with cancer two weeks prior. She had surgery to remove her uterus, ovaries, part of her colon, and half of her stomach to remove 95% of her cancer. The doctors aren't sure if chemo and radiation will be effective to remove the remaining cancer. On top of that, she had a spinal leak from her epidural and had to remain flat on her back for three days.
This woman was incredible! She was such a blessing to me in the days I cared for her. I don't even know how to describe it. She cared about me and invested in me and she was the one whose life had just been flipped upside down. She asked many questions about me and my family and remembered everything I told her even days later. She made a point of thanking me every time I came in to help her with something. Her face would light up when I came in the room and she would be so excited to show me the balloons, cards, letters, dvds, books or trinkets she received from people.
Watching her family dynamic was beautiful as well. Her sons would read her book to her because she couldn't focus on the words when she was reading. They would rub her feet with lotion, fan her face, wash and brush her hair, read her the cards people sent her, and help out as much as they could. The oldest told me how hard it was to see his usually active mom (a marathon runner) confined to her back in bed but that he would do whatever she wanted to show her he loved her.
The husband was a real gem too. He was creative in how he cared for her and met her needs. He made her wiggle up the bed so she could hang her head off the top. I held her head while he got a basin of water and we washed her hair over the side of the bed. On my second day I came into the room to check on her to find that he had crawled in bed beside her and was singing to her and rubbing her hair.
I don't think I will every forget this little family. They were truly amazing.

Friday, May 08, 2009

Breakfast for Dinner

On the menu for tonight: Bacon and Eggs.

Yummy

Friday, May 01, 2009

The Need to Create

For years I have been taught to think rationally and to logically come to conclusions. There has been one correct answer to every question. Sometimes that answer is hard to find, but you can use the process of elimination to reach it. I have been told exactly how to express myself and how to interpret information.

I've been feeling as though I need to express myself creatively. Maybe not even express myself, but I've been wanting to challenge myself, or learn something, or do something to be proud of. I can't quite explain this nagging feeling to be more. To stretch myself. Maybe learn how to express myself a different way. I want creativity to be a part of me and a part of my life.

Suffice to say I want to try something new.

Because of this I have been doing a lot of baking. I made Mrs. Reimer's Cinnamon Buns a couple nights ago. They were delicious! Not nearly as good as Mrs. Reimer's though. Those are unbeatable. I have also made many cookies. Although they are gratifying to make... and to eat... they aren't very kind to the waistline.

I have also decided to start up cross-stitching. We'll see how long I am motivated with this. I am looking for something small to start off with. Then we'll see if I can commit to something a little bigger. Something worth keeping... or giving away.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

i need sleep

My first night shift went well. I never felt excessively tired and I got to do a lot of research. I have yet to sleep though. I have to go back to the hospital in four hours and I have not slept since 3pm yesterday afternoon. That is bad. That is very bad. I will probably be sick tomorrow.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Night Shift

I am about to head to the hospital to start my first ever night shift. I break out in cold sweats just thinking about it.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Only a mother

This morning I was pestering Erik, as I often do. After a while (a long while, he is a patient man) the following conversation ensued:

Erik: Do we need to call your mother?

Nerfherder: My mother, why?

Erik: Because your mother is the only person in the world who would find you cute right now...

A post by Nerfherder.

Edited after much pestering by Erik

Sunday, April 19, 2009

A quiz

After studying for finals my head is currently full of useless information. Let's see how much of it you know.

1. How many amino acids compose the Amyloid Beta protein?

2. What is PARK2?

3. On which chromosome is the gene known as "huntingtin" located on?

4. What is neural plasticity?

5. What is the "Cheese Effect"?

6. What is the epidermal growth factor receptor of the breast cell called?

7. What is an immunotoxin (I actually find this one rather interesting)?

8. What is PSA? What's a normal value for it?

9. At what temperature is cryosurgery of the prostate performed at?

10. Name an antibiotic that is known to cause tendonitis and tendon rupture. It is not given to children because it damages growing bones/cartilage.

Let's see if I remember the answers later.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Rewarding Myself

I was the first one done my pathophysiology exam today. The first person! It took 35 minutes. I even checked every question over... then flipped through to make sure I didn't miss a page. My instructor was shocked when I walked to the back of the gym to hand it in. She said "Already?!?!" I flipped through one more time and said "I hope so".

I rewarded myself by watching The Biggest Loser and now I am off to study for my last final!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Time Out

Do you ever think about how big your decisions really are? Are there ever times that you realize the full impact they have on your life? I do.

I had that when I woke up this morning. I looked over at Erik and thought, this is my life. Then I thought, who in their right mind lets a 21 year old get married? I can't even decide on a career, but a husband, now there's something I can pick.

For a split second it is terrifying and then I get all warm and fuzzy inside and think about how comforting it is to be able to go through life with my best friend alongside me.

I love that man sleeping in my bed right now (yes, it is Erik). There are days I wouldn't get through if he wasn't with me (alright maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit). But in all honestly, he amazes me. Straight up. Love him.

Saturday, April 04, 2009

For the Love of Asparagus

I love Asparagus. Love it. I could eat it all the time. It has definitely become one of my favorite vegetables. I like to eat them after they've been marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then barbecued for five minutes. mmmmm.. Delicious.

We had asparagus yesterday with Erik's birthday dinner (which was also delicious). I made garlic mashed potatoes, steak, sauteed mushrooms, asparagus and Kelsey's salad. I even got crumbled blue cheese for Erik's steak.

We had dragon fruit in the salad. I had never tried it before and it was actually pretty tasty. It kind of tastes like a kiwi... only softer. A little more subtle. Does that even make sense?

Friday, April 03, 2009

Of Babies and Anniversaries

Babies! Babies! Babies!

- My cousin Rodney had a little girl named Jocelyn Deborah weighing 7lb.

- My cousin Caleb had a little boy named Seth Jonathan weighing 8lb 1oz.

My brother's name happens to be Jonathan Seth. He and Caleb have always been great buds... obviously.

Sadly, both babies live in Alberta. No sweet baby smell for me. My favorite part of newborns is when you pick them up and they automatically curl their little legs up as you lift them. Oh, and their smell. And their little yawns. And their grunts and smacks. And their erratic stretching at times. And all their little body parts. And their little diapered bums. And their sleepers. And the fact that they let you snuggle for hours. Babies. Love them.

Anniversary!

Congratulations to Mom and Dad on an impressive 37 years.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Pregnant Women

I love them.

April!!!

Tomorrow is my last day of classes. I have a final exam in my 8:00am class. It shouldn't be too bad. It's worth 50%, but it's pass/fail. Woop-dee-doo.

It's Erik's birthday tomorrow. He'll be at work when I get home from school and I'll be in bed when he gets home so we are celebrating on Friday. I didn't get him anything for his birthday... That's bad. I'll make him a card when I get home tomorrow.

Well, I'm off to go study. Have a good night.

This is Erik after his wrestling tournament in February. Isn't he cute?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

not cut out for the job

I have my summer practicum in April/May/some of June so I'm looking for part-time work to do on some my days off. One of my sister's co-workers is looking for someone to work at a store she owns downtown.

Sounds pretty perfect, eh?

I had an interview yesterday morning. I am quite embarrassed to admit it, but the store is called the Pampered Pooch Boutique or something of the sort. That makes me cringe.

I think I blew it though (thankfully).

Interviewer: So, do you like dogs?
Ashley: Nope.
Interviewer: Oooooook

Honestly though... this place was creepy! It looked cute when you walked in, but why do you need to dress up your dog? Why do they need specially ordered collars, charms, leashes, toys, carry bags, hair pieces, booties, or LIFE JACKETS!?!?! Life jackets?? Are you kidding me?!?!

Dogs I can handle. I can tolerate them. I can even enjoy them at times, but I will never understand accessorizing them.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ugly Picture

I was reading on the couch one evening when Erik decided to pull out the camera. Erik never pulls out the camera. Erik doesn't take pictures.

I was reveling in my husband's attention but I didn't want him to know so I continued reading.

A couple minutes later I nonchalantly asked him what he was doing.

"Trying to take ugly pictures of you"

And ugly they were. Here is a photograph of my disgust... It happened to be one of the worst in the bunch.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Ready for Summer

I am ready for summer. I am sick of school, studying, writing notes, reading, driving to vernon, clinical. All of it. I am ready for summer.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Chicken Masala

Yes, I have yet another recipe. We had this one yesterday at our friend's house and it was absolutely delicious. It's a bit spicy though. Just a heads up.

Chicken Masala

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken
6 tsp ground corriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp salt


Dice chicken, rub spices in and marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

2 cups thinly sliced onion
3 Tbsp Olive Oil


Brown the onions and olive oil in a pan then add:

2 tsp minced Garlic
2 tsp minced Ginger


Set this aside.

Then take your chicken out and throw it in your pan (I recommend a cast iron skillet). Once it's cooked (or even almost cooked) add:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups chopped Tomatoes (or more, I love tomatoes)
1 tsp salt

Stir for 5 minutes with chicken and then add the onion mixture you set aside before.
Now stir in:

2 tsp ground poppyseed
1/2 cup water

Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve with rice and naan bread.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Kelsey's Salad

My girlfriends and I like to have potlucks. They are especially great just after a study part, but only if it was an early study party. They are not recommended the weekend before an exam!

Anyway, back to the point. We always have potlucks and Kelsey always brings this incredible salad. The same salad each time. Without fail. And it is delicious each and ever time. Without fail.

This past potluck we got smart and asked Kelsey for the recipe and Erik and I have been enjoying it ever since.

Kelsey's Salad

- Spinach and Mixed Greens
- Feta Cheese
- Roasted Pine Nuts
(this can be done on the stove or in the oven. careful though, when they start turning brown take them out or they will burn)
- Pomegranate (can be substituted for any fruit really - strawberries or mandarin oranges are highly recommended)

And for the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
(the good stuff)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
(I don't usually put any in)

My Bare Necessities

Eat.

Poop.

Sleep.

That's all I need. When I am in a bad mood it is usually because one of those is unfulfilled. Thankfully Erik has caught on quickly.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I love the weekend after midterm week. After working solidly for a couple weeks I take a weekend to myself. I do absolutely nothing... and it feels GREAT.

Erik is working this week which is kind of a bummer. It does mean, however, that I get to read! And I love reading! It's wonderful. I have laundry, housecleaning, baking, and grocery shopping to do, but it doesn't bother me right now because I am just relaxing. Beautiful.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

March Already, Eh?

I can't believe it's March already. I have two midterms this week and then I am home-free until finals! What a beautiful thing. Except for the fact that I have been having trouble motivating myself to study at all.

March. Well, it has been entirely uneventful. I received a birthday card from my SIL... two months late. Thank you kindly Shawna. January 8 is the big day. Other than that, it's snowing right now, which is a bummer. I want spring to come. I love spring. Spring means summer is just around the corner. I'm thinking of joining a soccer team this summer. I need to find me a real bad league though as my legs are highly uncoordinated. We'll see how that goes.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wrestling

Erik and I had an impromptu trip to the lower mainland for a wrestling tournament that he participated in. We heard about it on Friday night and drove down on Friday for the "weigh in" and a practice. Then Erik had some matches on Saturday morning. He hasn't wrestled competitively since high school and is quite out of shape. He did well though. Won the first match by pinning the guy in the first round. I was impressed! More to come later.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

My Shoes

Erik hates my shoes. When I say "hate" I mean he loathes them. He is always asking me to buy new ones. I admit, my shoes aren't too pretty, but who cares? The ones I have function quite well.

First, there's this little number. These are old faithful. Lindsey gave them to me just before I graduated from high school after she'd warn them for a couple years. They are my everyday shoes. Nothing special, but well loved. Mom got me this next pair from the dollar store three years ago. I LOVE them! Yes, they are bright yellow and hideous, but they are COMFORTABLE! I worked at MCC Thrift store two summers ago and if I wasn't wearing these babies I would come home with sore feet, knees and back. They are wonderful! I do wear them more often then I should, but they work in all environments! They are great for running errands, or running out of the house when you are going to miss your bus, or even just for a nice walk around the neighborhood.Speaking of the thrift store. I pick up these next two pairs while I worked there. I don't know why Erik doesn't like either of them. I thought he would love the red ones because they're his favorite color. Oh well, my brother-in-law likes them so that's good enough for me (this is the same BIL who told me I should go shopping for jeans with my sister because mine don't quite fit).Come on Erik! These are Hi-Tec!!! And they say SQUASH!!! It doesn't get better than this.These next two are the main culprits. Erik would love to see them burned. He would burn them too if he knew I wouldn't flip. He has dubbed this first pair "The Torpedoes". I understand they are hideous, but I got them for $2 when I was in Grand Cache once in high school and they still function rather well. I wear them to the hospital. I don't want nice shoes for that. They are strictly for clinical, but he doesn't even like seeing them in our closet.And these beauties are lovingly called "the Belugas". Erik even has sound effects for them when I wear them. And then we do the beluga foot dance... which is rather embarrassing when I think about it. They are so nice and easy to slip into. They also date back to high school, but I find them tolerable. They're ROXY! Doesn't that make me hip? They are undoubtedly comfortable. I think they will turn into hospital shoes when I lay the torpedoes to rest. I'll have to tie them up properly though.But this pair... Erik loves the Dexters. They are his favorite. Notice that they are size 7... I'm size 8-8.5. I saw them when I worked at MCC as well and I could not pass them up. Who doesn't want bowling shoes. They are not comfortable, but they actually fit quite tolerably. I can wear them all day long without complaining so they can't be that small (unlike the cleats I once wore for ultimate Frisbee that left all my toes bruised... those were terrible).This is my lovely shoe repertoire. I'm not planning on making any changes, much to Erik's dismay. I can't wait till I can wear flip flips all summer long so we can avoid this whole argument.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Writing Week

Well I am half-way through reading week and only half-way through the paper I have been trying to write. That's just the first draft. I still have the endless amount of editing to do! I hate needing to be productive on reading week, but every year I have exams or papers due the following week (except when I went to CBC... which is why CBC is the best). I have worked on this stinkin paper every day and have been making minimal progress each day. This could be due to the fact that:

a. It's reading week and I want to go play
b. I am awful at articulating myself in writing
c. I just don't want to do it

It really is a painful process, but I am persevering... and so is Erik. Let me tell you, it's probably just as painful for him.

In other news: we got free tickets to the Rockets game tonight. So that's where we are heading after dinner. Haystacks. Mmmm.

Monday, February 16, 2009

You Keep Us

You keep us waiting,
You, the God of all time,
want us to wait for the right time in which to discover
who we are, where we must go,
who will be with us, and what we must do,
So thank you... for the waiting time.

You keep us looking,
You, the God of all space,
want us to look in the right and wrong places
for signs of hope,
for people who are hopeless,
for visions of a beeter world that will appear
among the disappointments of the world we know,
So thank you... for the looking time.

You keep us loving,
You, the God whose name is love,
want us to be like you -
to love the loveless and the unlovely and the unloveable;
to love without jealousy or design or threat;
and most difficult of all, to love ourselves.
So thank you... for the loving time.

And in all this you keep us,
through hard questions with no easy answers;
through failing where we hoped to succeed
and making an impact when we felt we were useless;
through the patience and the dreams and the love of others;
and through Jesus Christ and his Spirit,
you keep us.
So thank you... for the keeping time,
and for now, and for ever. Amen.


Iona Community, Scotland

A Home

Lately I have been craving a home. I mean I have a place to live, but I want a home. I haven't felt at home since before I left for college; I have felt like a transient the four years since. I miss the enveloping peace that comes from feeling at home. The comfort that drains you of energy, but makes you blissfully happy.

My dream home:
- a couple acres
- little fixer-upper house
- couple cows, chickens, goats
- a relatively large garden
- a wood fireplace

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Weather

I hate the winter weather in Kelowna. I love the spring, summer and fall, but the winter is just dreadful. It's just blah. It will snow a little here and there, but nothing substantial. Then it will stay foggy for a couple weeks. Then maybe snow a little more. Then be just freezing, then sunny and warm and then snow again... but not enough to go out and play in.

I miss the rain.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Some of the fam

I have been meaning to post these since Christmas. I know that was almost two months ago, but I just love some of these.
This is Jon after digging Zachary's truck out of the snow.
Christopher made a Christmas card for his parents. Cute.
The boys while we were snowboarding behind the truck. I use the term "we" loosely, I didn't even make an attempt.
Leah Joy and me at a family shindig.
Christopher proud of his loose tooth.
Mom and Erik.
Some of the cousins with Oma and Opa. We went out for breakfast on boxing day.
Mom and Auntie Ange.
Sharlene and Courtney.
Jon took a picture of himself.
Christopher showing us his flexibility.
Laughing during one of the many games we played.
Erik almost looks like he's crying, but I assure you he was giggling.
My nieces (Kaitlyn and Jessica) and cousins (Dineke and Sarah).

Thursday, February 12, 2009

the SILs

I acquired two sister-in-laws when I married Erik. I think they are both nuts... but I love them dearly. I found this gem on my computer just today. What beauties.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Car Troubles

Our car wouldn't start last night. We had it towed to the dealership today (thank you BCAA). It's going to cost upwards of $1000 to fix.

Shit.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Random Things About Me.

*Warning: Long Post

I am inspired by Facebook, but don't have the heart to write this on there. I will not conform!!! Erik, must be rubbing off on me. It was kind of fun to think of things about myself. I have been leaving random notes around the house so that I had enough to write here... but I ended up with way more than the allotted 25. The beautiful thing is, this isn't Facebook. There are no rules. And I can have as many as I want.

1. I love lists. I sometimes make them just so I can cross things off. It makes me feel productive and motivates me to do more.

2. I hate cotton balls. Even thinking about them makes me shiver. I would dread Sunday School when we had to make sheep out of cotton balls. They made us pull them apart and spread them out. I still have nightmares.

3. I am jealous of anyone who travels. Genuinely jealous. I sometimes get mad about it. I guess that makes Lynn my worst enemy. I need to get out there.

4. I am really quite selfish when it comes to food. I will let Erik share off my plate, but I will get upset if he takes the "best" piece. I always save the best bite for last!

5. I love to read, but wish I could do it more. I miss reading for pleasure. I read 9 novels in 2 weeks over Christmas holidays and it was DELIGHTFUL.

6. When I am reading a great book, nothing else matters. Nothing.

7. I am obsessed with photography. OBSESSED! Ask Erik. Ask anyone. I would love to be a GREAT photographer. It is one of my goals. I would love to document everything in photos. If I don't have pictures of something it's like it never happened. I am most interested in taking pictures of life. Just life. Mainly strangers... but I don't because I feel... rude? I'm not a good photographer yet, but I will be. I also want to learn how to edit photos.

8. I can't fall asleep in my own bed unless Erik is home. That isn't good when he works until 12am and I have to be up at 5. I have no trouble falling asleep at other people's houses without him there though.

9. I did not sleep through the night in our first three months of being married. I would wake up every time Erik moved or I moved and accidentally touched him. It was frustrating. I enjoy the extra warmth now.

10. I love writing letters. I think they are much more intimate. Snail mail is wonderful.

11. I was a First Year/Freshman in college three years in a row at three different schools in three different cities. Man it feels good to be a second year (although I would rather be graduating).

12. I love human biology. Mainly anatomy and physiology. Grade 12 Bio was a great course, as was my anatomy and physiology course last year.

13. I love Disney movies. LOVE THEM!

14. I wish I could play the piano. My sister Sharlene and my niece Jessica are both amazing and I could sit and listen to them for hours. Jessica played for my wedding and her playing alone brought tears to my eyes.

15. I walked down the aisle to Glasgow Love Theme from the movie Love Actually.

16. My sister Lindsey picked it out. She wanted to walk down the aisle to it, but got married in Costa Rica so that didn't quite work out for her.

17. I love people watching.

18. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I cry in movies, commercials, books, from hearing a story or listening to music. I cry in anticipation for something tragic or wonderful in a movie that I have already seen. I even cried in the Little Mermaid last summer.

19. My favorite part of a bag of crackers is the very end. I love the salt and the crumbs at the bottom. I also love the brown side of the Stone Wheat Thins.

20. My mom buys books for us at Christmas. She always has. It has always been what I most look forward to. She has given us books that we read as kids over the years... and we all get the same ones. It is quite fun.

21. I'm pretty last minute. My mom made my grad dress the day before grad... without a pattern.

22. I am forever calling people (usually at the last minute) asking to borrow clothes when I need to dress up. I usually rope whoever it is into doing my hair and make-up for me before I head out.

23. I have only put mascara on myself (I finally bought some for my wedding). If I need more than that I recruit someone else.

24. I have never owned a brush. Or a blow-dryer.

25. I cut my hair off for Locks of Love two years ago and never once regretted it.

26. Erik loved my long hair.

27. I have played every position in a college volleyball game, except libero. I have started a game as a setter, right-side, power and middle.

28. That being said, I don't excel at any of those positions. I'm just an all-around kinda player.

29. I love laughter that brings tears to my eyes.

30. I love fresh sheets.

31. I baked my first loaf of bread from scratch and by hand last week. It was whole wheat, pumpkin seed, flax bread. Keeps you regular.

32. I have had all my thank-you cards completed since before Christmas but haven't sent out any. All the addresses are on my computer that pooped out on me.

33. Both college volleyball teams I played for won the Team Academic Awards. We were pretty smart.

34. I have been riding the bus for months now and I'm still nervous navigating them. I am especially afraid of the doors not opening when I want to get off. Some you have to push, some just open, some you aren't supposed to touch at all. I always sit behind them so that I can see what other people do. I have even missed my stop intentionally because I didn't want to look silly... thankfully someone got off at the next stop so I didn't have to walk too far.

35. I am addicted to cards. Buying them, sending them, collecting them. I have tons from when I worked at the thrift store. That was a rockin' job.

36. My all-time favorite job was working at Schneider's. I packaged smokies for two summers. It was awesome. I still dream about it and i get excited when talking about it!

37.I put hours into teaching myself to crack my knuckles. My friend, Rachael, did it and I loved the sound. It was a painful process, but I can now crack all of my knuckles.

38. I had one day to pick out my wedding dress.

39. I hate taking showers because I hate being cold when I come out of them.

40. I hate drying off with a damp towel. Same reason.

41. I used to use Q-tips infrequently just so I could have a lot of gunk on them when I did use them. That was a while ago. I promise.

42. I wish I was more resourceful and creative.

43. I aspire to be like my sister-in-law Shawna. I don't feel I'm ready to commit to living that much "greener" though. She recommends all these great books, but I feel as though I would be momentarily enthused and then forget all about it. I'm hoping to do some canning etc in the summer. I need to take baby steps. We recycle.

44. I have always dreamed of living in Africa for a while. Now I'm up for anywhere...

45. Transitioning into married life was more natural than I thought it would be. I love it.

46. I am addicted to the game Bohnanza. I make Erik play it with me all the time.

This is Joey. I like to call him Joseph... or stinky.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Apache Blessing

This has been on my sister's fridge since we moved here and I never actually read it until today. I kind of like it. I've always liked blessings.

may the sun
bring you new energy by day,
may the moon
softly restore you by night,
may the rain
wash away your worries,
may the breeze
blow new strength into your being.
may you walk
gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Update

Ashley is lazy and she always tries to get me to update her blog.

Love,

Erik

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Notice of Vehicle Impound

Our car broke down on New Year's Eve as we were returning from Stanwood, Washington. To make a long story short, the alternator died we were going to buy the part and Erik's brother was going to install it. We used the cops phone to call Erik's brother to come rescue us. We left the car on the side of the road because the guys assured me that we had a couple days until it was towed. That was before it snowed. We went back the next evening to install the alternator and our car was not there. No one could have stolen it because there is no way you could have started the thing. We spent the next day calling around trying to find out car. Then, after being charged an astronomical fee, we pushed our car out of the impound and came back later that evening to install the alternator before coming home.

Today, I received in the mail a "Notice of Vehicle Impound" informing us that we have 120 hours from the time of impoundment to redeem our car or else it will be declared abandoned and sold at an auction to the highest bidder.

Our car was impounded on January 1, 2009 at 8:30am and we received the letter at roughly 6:30pm on January 7, 2009... that's about 152 hours after impoundment meaning our car would have been auctioned off yesterday.

Thanks for informing us.

Happy New Year

We're three days in and I already didn't have to go to clinical today.

I am not looking forward to this semester. First, I have to commute to Vernon three days a week for clinical. Second, I am on a medical floor which does not interest me in the slightest. Third, I am so sick of school.

The longer I'm in nursing, the less I want to do it. I don't want to work in a hospital. Ever. I'm hoping this is a phase I am going through. You know, like the terrible two's... There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to get through 15 more weeks... then two more years, but I'm hoping those will be better. It's not even that I'm doing poorly. I think I would make a great nurse, but I don't know if I will LOVE it. I want to love what I am doing. There are so many things you can do with with a nursing degree that I don't even know about and I am hoping to find something I do love.

On a more positive note Erik gave me my birthday present yesterday, two days early, because he works tonight and tomorrow night. He gave me a lovely picture frame with three of our wedding photos in it. I think it is beautiful!