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New Year, New Blog Post

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It’s been almost a year since my last blog post. Ha ha! *cough* Sorry. That is going to change! The last year has been full of many changes. My computer died. I switched jobs and apartments. Went from regular internet access to buying coffee and borrowing a friends computer when I desperately needed to email anything longer than a paragraph. (Smart phones are only good for so much.) I just bought a new (refurbished) computer and my friend and I are sharing internet…one of the many perks of living next door to one of your best friends!

This year contained several other significant changes. Like I said, I changed jobs. I found my perfect play job! I get to cook at a place where I have the opportunity to spend my free time hiking during the summer and snowboarding or snowshoeing during the winter. Pretty much perfect! My co-workers aren’t half bad either. Actually, they’re pretty awesome 🙂

Other changes… One of my best friends had a BABY and I moved next door to her and her adorable little son. It’s so much fun! Because my work takes me out of town all the time it is incredible to know I’m coming home to two people who are always excited to see me.

Work has been crazy busy this year and since two of my jobs take me out of town pretty often, I haven’t been able to make it to my home church regularly. That’s been the hardest part of my “perfect job”. Thankfully, when I’m traveling for my catering job, I am able to go to my parents church or some other church in the area where I’m working! I’m pretty sure I’ve been to my parents church more often during the last few months than I have to my own church. I’m extremely thankful for a church family that calls to check up on me when they haven’t seen me in a while! I’ll be there this Sunday!

Here’s to friends, and church family, and family family. Here’s to change, and new beginnings, and fresh starts. Here’s to a whole new year!

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When I Like Rain

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I don’t (as a general rule) like rain. I am a sun person to the core! (Weird how I ended up in NW Washington.) There are, however, a few exceptions to the no-rain rule. My favorite rain of all time happens in the desert in the middle of summer and is ideally accompanied by thunder and lightening. Any summer rain beats winter rain in a heartbeat.

And right now… tonight… I love the rain that is falling outside. Keep it up a few weeks more and I’ll be sick of it. But for now… I am content.

There is something so completely refreshing and cleansing about getting done with your job in a hot kitchen and stepping out into the dripping pouring dusk.

I love driving in pouring rain just as it’s getting dark. Add wind and I’m not as happy, but rain I like. Everything looks so dramatic… Black roads cut only by shining beams of yellow lamplight. The mist that covers the far edges of the fields makes it easy to imagine that ghosts exist. I can see a softly glowing figure walking alone in the distance with trailing hair and dress.

The rain is coming down and most of my car windows are fogging up and I smile as I near the well known spots on my drive home that are sure to capture extra water. Water that will tug my car to the right and surge over my tires. It’s fun when you’re prepared for it!

The spray from the road combines with headlights to create a friendly yet visibility destroying glow around each passing car.
For now – I like rain.

Winter Blues Solutions

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During these cold, gray days of winter it can be extremely easy to fall into a less than cheerful mood. Ok – maybe I’m understating the problem. We can get depressed, grumpy, mad at the world. We can start to go just plain old stir-crazy! Clouds and below freezing temperatures seem to amplify the rest of life’s little problems.

It is important for our sanity (and the sanity of those around us) to go to battle against these bad-mood monsters!
*Check out this post my mom mentioned that takes a creative look at a similar every day challenge many of us have: here.
I decided to write this post because the gray skies of winter have a pretty big affect on my mood. It is much harder to be grumpy when the sun is shining brightly and it’s warm enough for shorts and a tank top! I have to continually fight against my bad mood. Everything I do can affect my mood in some way or another when the sky looks gloomy.

So how do I fight? There are the obvious ways: reading the Bible regularly, spending time in prayer, getting enough sleep (all areas I could improve).
There are other things we can do that may not be quite as obvious… I take liquid Vitamin D and an herbal extract Good Mood Tonic every day. Reducing sugar intake and increasing “good fat” (coconut oil, cod liver oil, etc.) intake is important for energy levels and over all well being. Having a clean (and organized!) living space is key to a positive outlook on life. Consciously enjoying the little things in life is very important! Take the time to enjoy and appreciate those things that we wouldn’t get a chance to do if it was warm and sunny outside. Things such as – savoring a cup of hot tea… Working on a puzzle while the wind howls outside… Filing your taxes in less then fifteen minutes because you live in Washington and don’t have to file state taxes! Walking through a field of untouched snow in the moonlight… Watching the snow falling outside while you fall asleep. Little things can provide some of life greatest joys!

Don’t let those winter doldrums get you down… Fight back with every “little thing” you’ve got!

What are some of the ways that you combat the winter blues?

Quick Post

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I know… I know… I’ve taken WAY to long of a break from posting. So here’s a really quick post about – My mom’s blog! Check out someone who DOES post on a regular basis here!

This is what my mom has to say about her blog, “I would like all Christian women to pause regularly in the midst of their busy lives and think about what choices they are making with their time.  Are they living their lives in a way that will most profoundly influence the next generation to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ? This means being there; fully (not distracted by too many activities or even church commitments). I am encouraging women everywhere to get a bit more introspective, to recognize their great worth in God’s kingdom, to learn to say “no” to false guilt and “yes” to joy and peace.”

Check out her inspirational articles and advice on practical living!

(In the meantime, I’ll get back to working on MY posts.)

How to create a mess in your kitchen OR Preparing the harvest…

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Yesterday Ayla and I were given 7 boxes of fruit and vegetables that were on their way to being compost! Let me tell you – I have never been that excited to see rotting produce…
So last night, we went to town – sorting, peeling, cutting, freezing, cooking and canning. It’s a good feeling to know that your freezer is full of enough french fries to last the rest of the year, and that all those plums are going to make some great BBQ sauce – but boy does it take a toll on your kitchen!

More change is in the air…

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Today I was woken up by a call from the Great Harvest Bread Company here in Bellingham – asking me to come back in for a second “interview”! This one will consist of me pretty much hanging out for a couple of hours and trying to prove that I have the perfect personality to be the best addition to that group. He told me that they just can’t decide between me and this other gal so their having us both come in on different days to hang out for a while. What do I say to that?? “Sounds great! What’s my competition like??” Oh well… if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be – at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the last three months 🙂

Sunday is when I will be able to start moving into our new house! SOOO excited! We won’t have to be stuck in this tiny pod of a room anymore… and I’ll have a kitchen again! And we’ll get to have our kitties back with us! So many reasons to be excited…

I’ve decided it is TIME to get back in shape. I am tired of not being happy with the way I see my body and I know that if I worked out even a little bit every day – that would change. Plus I have a family that can provide a home gym set-up as well as built in running partners in the forms of Kealen and Noah! Of course – tonight Kealen’s leg “hurt” so I ran while he rode his bike in circles around me… still motivating though! Great summer body – here I come! (Just in time for winter clothes)

Possible new job…New house…More energy and better legs 🙂 Fun stuff!