I saw a "haven't heard from you, hope you are doing fine" message from an online friend, and decided that it is time to update, since I hadn't blogged since November!
Gee, time really zoomed passed me.

 

I am doing well, as well as I can be.  I am still enjoying my job as a speech-language pathologist and will be get my CCC soon.  Yay!  Besides work, I am busy helping my boyfriend with his business. I answer the telephone, and do a bunch of marketing material. Business is hard these days - small businesses are suffering and I doubt the situation will get any better.  Right now, we are able to provide jobs to some 15 or so local folks in small town Arkansas.  But, without tax breaks, higher taxes, and the impending health-care plan that the president is proposing, we are worried.  It has been a learning process, especially learning about the great "system."  We realized that government is taxing more than an individual worker knows.  We would love to pay those guys working for us more - many have families with little kids and would probably appreciate more in their pay checks.  But, there are a lot of hidden taxes employers have to pay, and employees usually don't know about what all go behind the scene.  We would love to hire a few more workers, but we can't afford it.  It is no wonder why jobs are going overseas. 

 

Other than that, my life in small town Arkansas consist of picking tomatoes, squash, and peppers from the garden. We have too much of that and I am running out of ideas what to do with those vegetables.  I am still cooking, even though not as frequently as I would like.  It also feels like I have a lot of responsibilities added to my load this year.  I thought I was an adult, but now, I am really one! :)

 

I also saw new babies in the familiy, saw friends getting married, getting divorced, and am dealing with some deaths in the family too.  The daily life goes on.  No one is stopping, time is not going to stop while you celebrate, cry or mourn.  That's just life. 

 

In a few days I will be off on a vacation. Maybe I will come back recharged. :)

It has been a long time since I last wrote.  I still have a lot of random thoughts circling in my mind, but I just havent had the time to write. 
Life's pretty good and busy.  It has been almost 2 months that I have not turned the tv on in the house.  It has been about 2 months that I have not complained about being bored or having nothing to do.  After my work, I would go and help Keith at the company.  It seems like things are working well.  Helping him at the company is the only way to spend time with him.  And I will make sure I use that opportunity. 

I have been cared for and loved and supported by a wonderful family.  LIfe does not get much better than this.  Definitely feels like having a family away from my family. 

 

It is rare that I get the chance to put a face mask on and pamper myself. 

I feel .. pretty. 

 

 

I am trying to establish a certain normalcy in my life again.  Life after graduation has been filled with a lot of changes. 

 

I have moved (even though my belongings are still in two different houses), found a job, and trying to get back into my regular swing of things. 

I have joined a gym, and have made a personal pact with myself that I will start working out on a regular basis again. 

I am trying to organize my office things into my new office.  And today, I am very proud to say that I set up the entire printer/scanner/fax machine combo all by myself! I am by no means stupid, but I definitely lack the patience to read installation manual (for cellphones, remote controls, iPods, printers) and follow instructions.  Today, I sat through it - I didnt give up and I did it! HA!!

I am still trying to unpack those things that I have moved from Ruston to my current place of residence. :) I have the pantry done. And I have a lot more to do.  In a way, I kinda dread doing it because I need to work all my stuff with the stuff that is already in the house.  It will get done. 

I inherited 3 dogs - Whitey, Adventure, and Buttercup.  I have come a long ways with dogs. I am still a little wary of stranger/new dogs but I am definitely more rationale and able to react calmly to them now.  As for Whitey, Adventure and Buttercup, we are getting along fine.  It is nice to have the dogs run up to the driveway when they see you drive in from work, ready to welcome you home. :) I love it.  Buttercup and Whitey are my friends - they listen to me about my day and they keep me company too. In fact, I feel safe when Buttecup sleeps outside my door at night. I feel like she is protecting me. :)

 

Work have been great. I love it. The little kiddos and of coz' my really supportive and helpful colleagues. They are great and are making learning a tad easy!

I am still thrilled that I have a job and am absolutely floored that I have THIS job! :)

Life is pretty good so far. I am rather contend with what I am blessed with.  Perhaps having a family of my own is the next thing on my list -- perhaps it will come, perhaps it won't.  I still don't know. 

 

 

Have a great weekend.

The holiday season is around the corner.  Time to think about gifts. 

This web site butcherblockbistro.com has gifts to fit most budgets. 

After seeing Matthew McConaughey cooking up a storm in his kitchen with a butcher block island in "Failure to Launch," I am growing slightly obessed with that. 

I am sure butcher block *whatever* is going to be the BIG thing in kitchen decor. :)

 

 

 

 

It has been quite a while away.  Life has been changing. I had planned to go straight, but managed to steer away and did a little detour.  I don't know where this will lead.  Perhaps I will be kicking myself when all this done.  But I figured, life strong alone or life with someone I love even though he may not want what I want, I chose the latter.

 

I am slowly making my way/ my move to the good Natural State.  It will be a small little town, but there is beauty in every place.  At least, I live somewhere far from people.  I look out of my window, I see land and more land. No other houses next or in front of me. Just a big piece of land. Sometimes, the dogs run around. Sometimes I see deer - a family of three, in fact. At night, the stars are bright.  You hear nothing but crickets, and sometimes, you hear Buttercup, Zoya, Whitey, or  Scraggly bark.  Perfect. 

 

Life isn't like the big city.  Some think I should explore the outside world.  But, when he is there, my heart is quite complete.  I am not lost, alone, or fearful of what's coming.  I have said it before, it is like "I am home."

 

 

A number of my friends have gotten married this year, and many more will be having their weddings in the next few months to come. Then there are some of my friends who are still searching for love, and there are some who wonder what is it that they not doing "quite right."
Regardless, I thought this is invaluable - a reminder for those who found love, and a beacon of light for those who are searching the answer to love.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoice in the right.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

So, I haven't been writing much about my kitchen experiments this summer.  Life has been quite different -- with many rather life-changing events. 

But in brief,  I have been experimenting.  Of the more memorable ones, I roasted a duck. It was quite interesting. I didn't care too much for duck meat.  I used to love duck meat, but now, I just don't really like it that much.  Then, I shredded the duck meat and made some duck gumbo out of it. Much better. Anything with lots of spice, lots of onions, lots of celery, lots of thick soupy gravy on top of rice is great! 

Keith experimented with bread making. He is definitely much better at making bread than I am.  We had a sage loaf, a Spanish paprika and cracked black pepper loaf, some a somewhat sourdough-like loaf.  His bread were delicious and added that extra perfect touch to our dinners! 

I made a regular sheet cake -- omitting oil and used apple sauce instead.  On top, I used a lemon glazed-like icing.  It was yummy! The glaze hardens and forms a nice shell-like covering on top of the cake. 

And today, I experimented with cream puffs. Choux pastry weren't really intimidating. :) It was fun and different.  It was good. It didn't deflate, and it wasn't too eggy or too "styrofoamy" -- the words of Keith.  I made two different fillings for it -- French vanilla and lemon.  It was great. I can definitely work on making the filling sinfully creamier and a little less lumpy. 

Here is a picture!