Books

I love to read.  Maybe too much.  I think I'm making up for all the years I couldn't seem to get through anything more than a magazine article.  That would be from the time Patrick was born in 1988, William in 1992, and up until probably about six years ago, which means approximately 16 years of reading magazines.

I just finished Kitchen Chinese, by Ann Mah.  A story of a Chinese-American girl living in NYC who loses her job and decides to move to Bejing.  A good book if you like true Chinese food and a little adventure.  It even has some of the recipes mentioned in the story at the end of the book!

One of my favorite books is Tales of a Female Nomad, by Rita Golden Gelman.  When I bought this book, I actually thought I was buying a novel; it turned out to be non-fiction.  I absolutely loved this book.  Probably, because the author traveled alone to foreign countries and entrenched herself in the community and culture, something I would never do! 

So on to my next book, Oxygen, by Carol Cassella.  More Later...

Rain! Rain! Rain!

It was such a cool day today.  The clouds let loose and the rain poured down.  And then the sun came out.   And then the clouds let loose and the rain poured down.  And then the sun came out.  Over and over.

Monday

• Couldn't get to sleep last night until around 3:00 this morning.

• Showered.

• Scraped the ice off the windows and warmed up the Camry because William was running late.

• Ate breakfast.

• Went to the Dermatologist after waiting 4 months for an appointment.  Good news...nothing of concern (always good to hear for the uninsured).

• Delivered an application packet for a job with the Area Agency on Aging.

• Ate lunch.

• Visiting teachers arrived.

• Vacuumed downstairs.

• Drove to Walmart.

• Stopped to enjoy the beauty of Mt. Ranier.

• Had a gallon of milk stolen off my cart as I'm loading the groceries into the car.

• Celebrated Celeste's 3rd birthday with cake and ice cream.

• Enjoyed  Orange Chicken, Happy Shrimp and Tempura with Sean and William at Seasons Teriyaki.

• A little knitting.

• A little reading.

• Bed

Knitting Nonsense

K2, work (yo,sl 1, K2 together, pass slipped stitch over, yo, K3) What the heck is this? I'm sticking with the squares I know I can do without having to start over 15 times! I only have 13 squares left. I'm not going to waste any more of my time.

Frustration abounds.

Spring Has Sprung

Mild temperatures. Partial sun. Bulbs sprouting. Buds forming. Light showers. Grass growing. Birds. Squirrels. Rabbits. Deer. Warmer days. Warmer nights. Sure seems like the emergence of spring to me!

Valentines Day!

I reverted back in time to when the kids were small and baked valentine shaped sugar cookies. They were just as good as I remembered them. Larry took some to the families he home teaches and it still left approximately 4 dozen for our consumption. As of tonight, we still have 2 dozen left. Happy eating! Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter (softened)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix sugar and butter. Add egg and flavorings; mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together and blend in. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hrs.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16" thick on lightly floured board. Cut with cooky cutter. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 6-7 minutes, or until delicately golden.
Makes apx. 2 1/2 doz.

"Me in 30 Seconds"

I am a creative, dependable, hard working person who enjoys helping others.  As a result, I was given the responsibility to start up and manage a customer service department for a successful satellite transmission company.  I also planned and coordinated the production and transmission of major events such as the Academy Awards, Rose Parade, and national election coverage.  Later, as a Sales Representative, I regularly solicited and closed sales in excess of $2 million.

I recently completed studies to earn a certificate in Applied Social Gerontology and desire to work in the field of aging.  I believe my enthusiasm and caring nature, as well as my problem solving ability will help me be successful as an advocate for the elderly.

Oops!  It looks like its a "Me in 45 Seconds."  Guess I need to be more concise.

Christmas in February

I received my last Christmas present for 2009 this weekend. Sean and I drove down to Seaside, Oregon, on Friday to spend the night. I've been wanting a trip to the beach for quite some time so Sean gave me that very thing as one of my Christmas presents. We stayed in the Surfer Room at the Seaside Oceanfront Inn, a boutique hotel. Friday night we walked downtown and had dinner and then spent time at the Fun Center. Sean found out he isn't as good at arcade games as he used to be, but he plays a mean game of air hockey. He beat me all three games. Saturday, we had a wonderful breakfast and walked on the beach. Very relaxing. Thank you, Sean.

Neighborhood Friends

Other than almost hitting one of these creatures because it leaped across the road directly in front of my car, I really enjoy seeing these neighborhood deer. This photo is from several months ago, but four deer were wandering the street yesterday. My guess is that they are the same. I will call them Huey, Luey, Dewey, and Daffy!

I started attending the LDS career workshop this week. It's four consecutive Tuesday evenings. My homework this week is to write a 30-second "Me" statement. In other words, a concise description of who I am. After a break of 15 years from full-time work, I figured I could use some (probably a lot!) help in returning to the job market. Stay tuned for next week's summary and more!