Domesticating myself

I have decided that once a week I want to cook something new. I have been thinking a lot lately about how I want to know what I am doing when it comes to things around the home. I want to be able to cook a nice meal. I want to be able to hang fancy pictures. I want to learn about how to decorate the inside of a home. I want to learn what things around the house take out stains, and how to have wrinkle-free clothes without spending a lot of time with the iron in your hand. I want to learn how to be crafty and make things with my own sense of style.

So here it is. Cooking one new thing each week. That will be my first goal. I found this great blog for a woman who cooks for a living, and creates zesty, vibrant, healthy meals, and I would really like to try some of her recipes.

So game on... bring it kitchen. I will not be defeated.

Should I be expecting a call from PETA soon?

The image you see above might just look like a goofy picture of me playing with my umbrella in the rain, but that umbrella has become my weapon of choice. A while ago I blogged about the geese at the pond at work, and how geese tend to freak me out a lot. Well, my fears were placed in the wrong species.

Let me explain. I now live in this great little village community which is convenient to work... the metro... my younglife kids... and is pretty kick butt and has a great community feel to it. That being said, it is this great community feel that made me first look to move there, because I was not interested in moving to a place where I would be nervous to walk my dog by myself at night. And let me assure you, there are many of those in this area. So I have fully enjoyed this dog walks, and have never had my sense of security threatened. Until 2 days ago...

There are these birds that sit in the tree right outside my apartment. I had noticed them before, but never really paid much attention. Then on Wednesday I was walking with the pup, and one swooped down out of the tree and "beaked" her in the side. Then "beaked" her again square in the tush while she was doing her business!! That is wayyyyyyy over the line, there is no reason someone's tush should be attacked mid-tinkle, and I think that is a fair statement to live by. Fortunately it was raining, so I shook my umbrella at the birds to warn them off.

Then yesterday, I went for the walk again, and they got me this time! Bird swooped down and hit me square in the left side of my shoulder blade/back area. So again I ran away, becuase I don't know how you handle attacking birds! On the way back I walked on the opposite side of the street, and they still came after me! After three swooping attempts, and three midly spastic movements from me, I made it to the apartment and was safe - for the time being. But I tried to convince Katie and my friend Steve who came over for dinner last night that they were attacking me, and of course, both times they have watched/walked out with me... nothing.

This morning... the damn bird came close to clipping my ear! Literally, I heard something, and turned, and saw this bird flying right at my head and again spastically ducked in just enough time to hear the bird and feel the wind from the wings go RIGHT BY my ear! I am just fortunate that I turned my face away, there was a good chance he coulda nipped my nose! (or like I said before, my eyes!! How terrible!)

(The attacking birds look like the one on the top left)

It's kinda funny to know that attacking birds are not the most uncommon thing in the world, but I am really struggling with the thought that these birds are bullying me! How am I, a grown woman, and my 90 lbs yellow lab being bullied by birds?!? And this is serious bullying, I walked my dog back to the apartment this morning through the car garage, because I didn't want to deal with the birds.

I mean this will make a great story, maybe even a halarious segway into a club talk one day, but man all man! It's crazy!

MAN! Two posts in a week...

What a weekend, my goodness!

This was just a beautiful weekend of restfullness and enjoying life one day at a time. And for somone like me who always finds herself dreaming of what is to come, times that really allow you to live in the present are just SUCH a blessing! Friday I went to an event at church of the redeemer, this big mega church in Gaithersburg, and I met some people very similar to me, and think I might go back there again! Then Emily came over and we hung out and watched 21, starring the beautiful (and with an accent to boot!) Jim Sturgess.... yum.

Saturday I knew I would be all sorts of busy, simply running errands all day, but Katie and I went to the farmer's market downtown, which by the way I love. There is nothing like a farmer's market to make you feel fresh and get you excited about the delicious veggies and fruits that we can grow! This may become a regular ritual I am thinking.... :-)

After the farmer's market, I bought my first cowgirl hat, and headed to Virginia for the George Straight concert! Granted I like his music, although I am not the biggest fan, but it was still such a blast, the weather was good, we made some friends, and let's admit it, I am kinda a live music junkie, and don't care who it is! But we sat out on the lawn and got caught in a thunderstorm, which made it so much fun!! (thankfully Kristen had the insight to reccomend wearing a bathingsuit underneath our outfits!) Would love to share some pictures, but I forgot to charge my battery! What a shame!

Sunday I headed to a new church, since I am trying to find one that is a bit more active in the social justice area, although Seneca Creek is really a great community church. I was hoping to go on the weekend of Lindsey's wedding, because all the friends I know that go there were going to be at the wedding, but they all came back Saturday night and were there. I mean don't get me wrong, it was great to have people to sit with, but I sometimes worry about checking out new churches where I already come in with that community, because it is so important to me that a church values and builds that community. All in all, I think I will go back.

And I finally got it!! The picture to complete our living room!! I went to IKEA yesterday and found it. Once it is hung up pictures of our new apartment will FINALLY make it to the blog! (I know all 3 of you that read this will be excited!) But I am so in love with this picture, the only thing we are missing now is the slipcover for the sofa which has been ordered, and we are just waiting for the arrival now! Of course I ran into a friend from Scranton at the IKEA in college park, so we had a nice little catch-up date, and it made the shopping trip only that much more of a joy and success. (Sneak preview of the picture before it goes up in the living room!)

The TerrordacYLs (the soccer team that the YL leaders in our area have) had our last game last night! We have played for the last two months on Sunday nights, and have not won a single game yet. I mean we came close a few times, and even tied last week, but with this week being playoffs, we didn't have too much hope of winning. Especially because half our team couldn't go! So I (being the only girl on our team that could make it) recruited a girl who is probably not only one the better soccer players I know, but also one of the better people, friends, and sister in Christ that I know... My girl Jackie Kahler.

Girl TORE IT UP!

And... we actually won the game!

I mean I suck at soccer but I definitely did my part of taking the Safeway sale on Gatorade and cookie dough, and fulfilling (which I have learned is probably my destiny) as a soccer mom and bringing cookies and Gatorade to the game for my team. I guess no team can be successful without a true soccer mom cheering them on! But it was really nice to win a game, and I am so excited about another season, because even though I suck, I am learning and getting better and am really excited about the game and my team!

So all in all a really great and joyful weekend of sunshine, friends, and laid back events. I love the summer, and just really need to thank God every day for the blessings he's bestowed in my life... <3

Pesto or a breakdown...?

So, it is Thursday night, I have just taken the dog for a walk, and I am cooking pasta for a nice grown-up night of teenage mutant ninja turtles and dinner.  The movie is on, Splinter has been kidnapped, the pasta has been boiled, and I am hungry.  So I grab my pesto jar out of the fridge, and the worst thing happened.  IT WAS STUCK.

Not stuck like work at it for 2 minutes and once your hand turns red it pops open.  I mean this sucker was NOT budging.  So here I am, determined to get this pesto open, trying with all my might, different angles, different muscular formations, and still- no budge. 

 Then it happened. 

After continuous minutes of fruitless struggle, I just started to cry.  

I wasn't crying about not having pesto (although I was really excited about it), I thought to myself "If I were married, my husband could open the pesto jar!"

That was all it took.  So complete breakdown over the pesto jar.  I was incredibly embarrassed by this, and it happened to slip today at work to a co-worker.  Apparently this is how it hits women that they are single.  I have had three people validate this with stories today, on how they broke down about being single when they couldn't open the jar!!

So whatever you do, if you are a single lady defeated by the dating game... buy food in boxes.  

Restlessness

So, I have always been one to get bored easily. I love adventure and thrills and new things, and when I get stuck in the routine, it pretty much drives me wild.

So on the one hand, I moved into the new apt this weekend (pictures to come!) and am so greatful and thankful for that. But on the other hand, I find myself struggling. For the past few weeks I have been feeling so restless in my job. I am just ready to break out of the office, throw the blackberry out the window, and never look back at the laptop.

I do like what I do - a lot. I like the work... I like that it keeps me busy... and I like having a career to develop. But I can't help but nudge that feeling of restlessness. Like I am ready for an unconventional job. A job where I can move around... make a difference... be outside...

As I said, I do love what I do, and for now the plan is to stay here and work as hard as I can at my job. Who knows what will happen in the future; and hopefully it will be after a lot of time and prayer. And hopefully, this nagging feeling will go away... and soon.

Somehow my heart and mind keep going back to wishing that the volunteering that I do in different areas could become my job. Like I said, who knows what the future brings...