First Day of Work

I will admit it....I LOVE MY JOB!!    It's only been a week, but I love everything about it. 

I am blessed to have found such a great job and I am so THANKFUL!!

I Made It!

I just like this photo, that's all.  Nothing that has to do with the blog.  :)

Anyway, I passed the background check and got all of the immunizations and the food handlers card!!!  I'm good to start work tomorrow!!  Yay!  Yay!  I'm so excited.  I have orientation on Monday and Tuesday and then I'm hitting the ground running.  YES!!

Waiting

While I await my background check and drug test results for my dream job (it's taking FOREVER!), I've been puttering around the kitchen.  Today, I made a blueberry crisp.  I mean, I think it's a crisp.  It might have been a buckle.  Whichever one is topped with oatmeal.

I made that one. 

And it was decadent!  :)  It's so nice to be able to walk into my own kitchen and whip something up. I like even more that it's amazing.

But, I really hate waiting for everything to clear.  (It'll clear, I just want to get to work!!!)

Coming True

Today is one of the best days of my life!! 

I was offered the job of my dreams!!!!  And I jumped all over it before the girl could get the formal offer completely out!  (I'm sneaky like that) 

Go me!! 


(I'm still in awe)

Wishcrafting Wednesday

After taking a small break, Jamie Ridler is back with Wishcrafting Wednesday.  I'm thrilled.  I've missed it (and her!).


Today she asks, 'What simple pleasures do you wish to enjoy?' 

Mine is going to sound weird, but I wish to enjoy the making of bread.  Homemade bread.  The kneading, the rising, the baking smells.  I want to get my hands in the dough, mix and see that smooth, therapeutic dough in the bowl.  I finally have counter space in my little house, I should be making more bread.

 I really love this little recipe.  She has a couple of really nice, easy and quick recipes. 

 

Keurig Planting

Not having any peat pots, I decided to use what I have....lots and lots of Keurig cups!! (I love my Caribou Coffee in the morning!)  Woo woo!  Let the planting commence!

I gathered all of my Keurig cups, potting soil, and clippers.

 

 

The first thing to do is to remove the little liner on the top of the cup.  Make sure you don't spill the coffee.  Yet.  You want to put it on your compost pile.

 

 

After getting the lids off, dump the coffee in the compost pile and you'll have a filter underneath....

 

 

 

 

Just rip these off and put them in the compost pile too.  (It's not quite as easy as that, but it's fairly easy once you know what you're looking for.)

 

After cleaning those up, you'll want to head back over to your Keurig.  That little hole on the bottom of the cup that your coffee drips out of?  Yea, you want a couple more of them.  I had my youngest daughter drop the cups into the Keurig and punch a couple more holes in each cup.  You end up with something like this:

 

I then dropped a little potting soil in there and a few tomato seeds and I was good to go.  The seeds came up fairly quickly and since I didn't have grow lights, they got kinda leggy.  Which is okay, I have Blue Bell ice cream pints ready for them to go into.  :)   (Those pictures will come a little later, I just got them transferred over. It looks like we eat a TON of ice cream, but I rounded a few outsiders up!)

And that's how you can completely justify your Keurig!  :)  LOL

 

Workforce

I have applied for tons of jobs and my interviews are starting.  It's a weird thing, doing interviews.  I'm not a good interviewee, I feel too nervous most of the time.  But, these last couple have gone pretty good.    I won't hear from anyone until after Monday so I have the weekend free.

While waiting for that phone call, I got another call to fill out another online questionnaire...one of those 'what would you do in this situation' type of things.  I hate those even more than interviews...they never have exactly what I would have done!  I got as close as I could (which they tell you to do), but nothing ever sounds like me. *sigh*  I'm hoping for the best.

So, I've got those out of the way, and this weekend, I'm heading to a seed saving clinic and a farmer's market in Austin.  I might start some seeds - picked up some squash and since I have developed this parmesan cheese on zucchini fetish, I need to get some starts!
 

Compost Bin

I forgot to post the completed compost bin photo! 

 

 

I only got three good pallets, so I did what I could.  No worries, however, it seems to be working like a charm.  I will keep my eye out for another pallet to make it better enclosed, but I'm more than happy with it.

Photo From Yesterday

The Hunny and I went for a drive yesterday.  We found the local swimming hole and I snapped some photos on the drive home...

And:

 

Compost Baking

After getting my recycled compost bin up and together (holypostdrivers, Batman! and photos will be posted later, when I can lift my arms), I decided that it was time to bake some bread. I've always loved making bread and needed that comfort,  I guess.  I had read earlier on Facebook that a friend of mine had brain cancer.

Actually, she wasn't a "friend", really.  She works in my old local running store.  We shared a name and she was always, always, always kind to me.  It upset me that someone that wonderful was going through something so dreadful.  I needed to be creative and bake.  I needed to make something.  So, I was off to the kitchen!

I realized instantly, that I needed to be really be creative - no bread pan.  I had to do some Internet hopping to find recipes.

Happily, I found this: Easy No-Knead Skillet Bread.  Having lugged my grandfather's skillets down from Montana, I was ready. (I had been wanting to try another no-knead bread for a while, after pretty decent success with this recipe, but my mother was not parting with her dutch oven.  I really
recommend it if you're fortunate enough to have a 5 quart dutch oven.) 
I got flour on my bare feet and my fingers are still a little greasy from the dutch oven seasoning.  It was wonderful and exactly what I needed. 

 

It was kind of an ugly thing - I should have used the 8 skillet, not the 10.

 

 

But, it tasted great.  The kids ate it up and it'll be a great base for herbed bread this fall.

 

 

The Canvas

The backyard, roughly where the garden will be placed.  The scaffolding will be out of here in a couple of weeks.  This fall, I'm going with a 10'x10' plot, maybe to extend out to a 20'x20' in the spring.  It depends on how much soil I can get my hands on.

The frontyard.  (The bags of trash have been taken to the trash/recycling)  I'm thinking of a climbing rose to the right of the window on the right.  Hanging baskets on the porch and maybe some other nice homey things.  The kids are already planning their pumpkins on the porch for Halloween.

Empty Canvas, Except for the Chickens

I have two rooms more or less completely unpacked.  Of course, the first one was the kitchen.  Dishes were unearthed and holding spots chosen.  I am unfamiliar with having such a large kitchen and the walk from one side to the other bothers me. 
Sometimes.
Other times, I'm thrilled with the cabinet space and all but dance from dishwasher to cupboard. 

The dining room is done and we have more books than the Thrall, Texas library.  (There is no Thrall, Texas library.  It's too small for that even)  Why a gardening fanatic married a science/history teacher is beyond me, bookwise, anyhow.  We have more shelves of books than we have furniture.
Godshonesttruth.

I am slowly beginning to get my driving bearings and can at least get over to my in-laws' place.  As long as the Walgreens, HEB or gas station is along the way, I'm good.  If I have to find anything, I'm sunk like a U-boat.

New friends have made their way to our feeders, dive bombing each other the whole time.  I've begun to recognize their chirps and beeps at one another.  This little beauty made her way to food while the others were arguing.  Good girl.

The neighbor has the friendliest, egg-laying-est chickens I'd ever met.  They're sweet and I save bread crusts for them.  It cracks me up to watch them race to the fence when they see me heading their way.  I'm hoping that we can get the property that separates our yards so that  I can have them over to our yard once in a while.  The grasshoppers here are fierce and the hens race like rugby players trying to get them. 
The Youngest has made a friend across the street, making parents and siblings all around dance in delight. 
Seriously. 
She was driving me insane, always underfoot and "bored".

I took some photos down at a (sorta) local park.  They get a lot of my beloved wading birds so I try to stop by whenever I can to get some shots.  The blasted furnace of the sun was setting and the tree made a decent shot.  What you can't see is the large amount of cattle and great egrets on the branches.  Still, a nice shot.

Happy Solstice From A Moving Box

Happy Solstice and Supermoon!  :) 

We have begun moving into the house, boxes and boxes of books and stuff sitting all over the house at this time.  This group of boxes belong to my husband, mine arrives tomorrow.  Happily, my boxes will be moved by others, unlike yesterday hauling box after box from truck to living room.  (whew!)
By Wednesday, we should be into the house full time!  Woo woo!  I can't hardly believe it!


 My. Own. Home!!!

Living in Texas is so similar to spending summers with my grandparents in South Carolina that it makes me tear up sometimes.  I don't know if it's the birds, the smells, or the attitudes, but I half expect my Grandmother to come around the corner. 
On that same subject, the Hubby's family has decided that our nuptials are more than reason enough to throw a BBQ/wedding shower.  (The just want a get together)  The invitation list is on its third page.   (Insert shocked face here)

And, yes, before you ask, I have already scoped out the landscape for planting purposes. My herbs will do wonderfully and I'm plotting and planning as to where they go.  And then plotting and planning on what  things I'm going to make with all of those herbs.  :)  I have access to a water bath canner that I'm going to use to full extent!

On The Road

The Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park.  :)    We've been on the road for a week, finally in Amarillo, Texas  for the last night before getting to our destination. It's been an interesting and, often, very exciting week. 

The big news is that the girls cannot be stuck together in a vehicle for more than two days without getting pissy.  I've got one more day before getting home and I'm dreading it.  I understand now why some animals eat their offspring on vacation.

The other big big news is that The Hunny and I got married in Jackson Hole!!!!  Woo woo!!!  

Actually we got married here:

It was wonderful and I couldn't ask for a better husband!  :)

Babies!

 

 

Merganser hen and ducks!

                                                                            Diving down!

Lately, I've been taking a lot of bird photos.  The babies are out at the wildlife refuge and my fiancé is nuts about birds, like me.  He can tell the bird by the call, so it's really nice to have him go with so I know what I'm taking pictures of.  Plus, it's a great family thing for us to do.  The Oldest (deep breath) will practice her driving while I take pictures, the Youngest with the other camera and The Hunny is driving coach and bird identifier.  LOL 

 

Male Marsh Hawk

 

 

 

We are all packed and meeting the movers tomorrow morning at the storage unit.  Whew!  I'm so excited to get going!!  At this point, I've just decided that if I forget something, I don't mind.  I'm too tired to care.  LOL

June - Kicking It All Off

whew! It's finally here.

 June.

For the last 8 months, I have been working towards this month.  My hard work has paid off and I am just beginning to relax and enjoy it all.  I have had my last day at one of my works and will be done with the second job on Thursday, when the kids are done with school.

But first, I have a few more boxes to go through in my storage unit....

Ticking Down

I have spent the last three months working two jobs - at the school's cafeteria and at the cleaning company.  I'm tired.  But, the end is in sight!!  My last day at the cleaning company is this coming Friday and the following Thursday, I am done with the school.

Whew!

But, the good news is that all of the work has made it possible for us to get the most beautiful little house!!!  It's a 1940s house with all new insides! 

 The Main Man found it a couple of weeks ago at a family get together (his cousin is installing new carpeting, I love how this all comes together!) and it should be completed by the time we get down there in June.


Needless to say, I'm beyond excited!  I have mentally landscaped the entire yard hundreds of times over.  I'm still a little lost on the inside, but am leaning towards the "french country" style.  (It appears that's what they call it when you have old stuff and lots of flowers....just so you know.)  I need furniture first, however.  (oops)

So when I'm not working, I'm ruthlessly going through my storage unit.  (A word to the wise, begin shredding old check copies NOW.   I discovered that you can get rid of those old check copies.  I'm shredding years and years of copies.  Just start shredding now if there's a chance that you could be moving anytime in the next five years.  You just may be done by then.)

Deep In the Heart

I went down to Texas recently to meet the new family and get things lined out for schools and such for the move down.  Texas was not what I thought, although I'm not sure what I had pictured.  Something between Dallas and The Beverly Hillbillies, I think.  (yes, forgive me, Texas)

I did meet the family, or, at least, some of them.  I learned to play canasta and really enjoyed myself.  My future family are good people and I look forward to meeting the rest of them.  (Let's all remember me writing this for future reference)

My hunny and I went down to Port Aransas to do some bird watching and I managed to get some great shots.....

I love all the birds.  My beloved blue herons were everywhere and we even managed to get a couple of shots of the whooping cranes.  We talked of taking the girls down next year so that they can enjoy it also. 

And now I am home, getting things organized and working as much as I can.  Only three more months before the big move and I want to feel that I've done all I can do so that I make a clean break...that may not be the right word.  'Getaway' isn't what I want either.  'A fresh start' may be better. 
Trips to my storage unit, going through clothes, packing books (lots and lots of books!), and general organization is in my future!!

Happy Sunday

It's a good month.  A fabulous month, actually.  While I am not any closer to any w
edding ideas, I have gotten my old Ford sold.  It's a great truck, but not one that I need in Texas. So I was able to get it a good home and some cash in the savings account. Yay!
My fiance and I are looking for chickens and this month we found a local supplier! I hated the thought that the poor little chicks would have to be mailed in the heat!  Now we can drive down and get them!  The girls will be thrilled.
I bought my tickets to fly down to Texas for Valentine's Day. I am so excited.  We have B&B reservations and plans for a coastal visit.

Wishing Wednesday!

Today, Jamie asks what we wish to try. 

Boy!  That's a loaded gun if ever there was one.  But, luckily, I have more than enough experience with armed weapons like these and I'm ready. 

I wish to try a new way of life, with a new way of being in a relationship.  A new way of being a parent, partner, wife.  I'm scared to death, but so excited about this leap I'm making.  A new relationship, a new place to live (we're getting chickens!!!), a new everything.   So, with this I want a little confidence to take that first step and leap into a new life.

Cold Winter Day

Today had a high of 5F degrees.  I stopped by the wildlife refuge on the way to the grocery store for supplies.  It was bitterly cold, but I'm thrilled with the pictures.  :) 

Here I am!

Oh man!  I have been away far too long (this is sounding like a broken record), but I have decided to get with it and write, write, write.  I need somewhere to bounce ideas off of.

I am in the hunt for wedding ideas, I surf Pinterest like mad and try everything.  Recipes, favors, etc.   Some of it is great - I need a photo booth - and some of it wasn't so much (I need some flower arranging help).   My daughters and I went to a wedding faire on Sunday. 

Uhm, yea.  It wasn't what I thought and being in a raffle for $300 worth of Botox wasn't my idea of a good time.

Pass.

I'm also working with my fiance (I love that) on deciding what we want in our house/property.  Chickens!  Gineas!  My hunny wants turkeys, I'm balking.  But, I want honeybees so I may go with turkeys if we have the room. 
We are both very sure we want a big garden and lots and lots of herbs!!  :)

Sorry this is short and so convuluted.  I'm trying to get all sorts of information out there and get back into the swing of writing again.  :)