The Daffodil Principle II

Day 21

2010-07-30T06:36:00.001-07:00

Last night, I was driving home from a shopping spree in Syracuse and was listening to NPR. I enjoyed hearing this funny song from "My Fair Lady." It's called "Hymn to Him." Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Ac0B7NDDk&feature=fvsr

Day 20

2010-07-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, after our conversation today, I discovered that tomorrow you will be looking for a new hair style and perhaps a new hair color. You are SO beautiful that no matter what you choose, you will remain DROP DEAD gorgeous. But none-the-less, might I provide some suggestions for you.
Martita, the carrot-topped babe

Martita, the blonde beauty.

Martita, the sheek goddess.

Martita, with the same hair style as the current president of Pacific Union College, Heather Knight.

No matter what style and color you choose to go with, you will ALWAYS be DROP DEAD gorgeous, inside and out.

I love you SO much Martita. I wish I could be there to help you choose, but I'm sure Susy will do an amazing job. Argentinians have good taste, so I trust her. :-)

BESOS Y UN ABRAZO para ti y Dafito!

Day 19

2010-07-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted (two days to be exact) and much has happened in the Valles household.

Here's a brief list, to catch you all up to date:

1.) Had the McLean family from church over for Sabbath afternoon and dinner. I cooked a dish called Angry Chickpeas (as shared to me by the lovely Christina), rice, fresh cucumber, and tomatoes from my CSA and my garden. For dessert, we had ice cream, raspberry jam, and blueberries all swirled together. It was ULTRA yummy! We also had a great time hiking Buttermilk Falls. Good times indeed.

2.) On Sunday, we went to a local production of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth." We met our friends the Sutter's, had a picnic dinner, and watched the production. It was very well done and tons of fun. I forgot how violent Shakespeare can be, and did not appreciate "the wierd" sisters, but overall, really enjoyed the experience.

3.) Today, I went to a dentist appointment and the dentist complimented my teeth. It felt great, since I have put SO much effort into keeping them well maintained i.e., brushing twice a day with my HANDY TOOTHBRUSH :-), flossing once a day, rinsing with fluoride once a day since our water isn't fluorinated here, and finally, using a retainer at night. I know. It's kind of depressing, but since I have no dental insurance, prevention is my only option!

Bueno Martita, espero que tu estes muy bien despues de tus citas hoy dia. Lo siento por llamarte tan tarde. Deje un mensaje para ti. Nos hablamos manana seguro.

Sigamos orando para ti y Dafo. Les queremos MUCHISIMA!!!!

Besos y que se duermen bien. Chau chau!

Day 18

2010-07-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today I did two great things:

1.) Talk to my Daddy on the phone. I love my Daddy. He is funny, balanced, and one of the best men I know. I really look up to him a lot.

2.) Went raspberry picking AND made jam! :-) There's nothing like a fresh raspberry, right off the bush. Martita, you really need to come in the summer to visit me and go berry picking with me. It's definitely one of the highlights of my summer.

I love you so much Martita. I tried calling you today, but you were away. You are so popular, I should probably just take a number...:-) I can't wait to see you! Eighteen days and counting...

Besos y carinos para ti y Dafito tambien.

2010-07-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today, I took the time to read through one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple. In an age where all everyone wants to do is be online, I can't help but continue to savor a good magazine.

In the issue I read, I learned more about how to organize myself, which foot scrubs to use, and how many times I should wear a skirt before I wash it. Useful tips and fun anecdotes presented in such a clean, and appealing manner is what Real Simple is all about.

Perhaps, when you have some time, you can pick up and peruse this magazine Martita. I really have enjoyed it.

I also hope you go with the Afro and a pick, Martita. :-) I think it will suit you well!

I love you so much. You are so brave and courageous. I admire you so much. I can't wait to have children someday who can look up to their Tia Martita. We continue to pray for you everyday. You are always in our hearts and minds. Until tomorrow...

Day 17

2010-07-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my trip to Iowa. I hope you enjoy these as well. :-)

My Mama and I.

My cousins, Melanie and Steph.

Nick and my Mom have a very loving and special relationship!

Nick and Ian are two peas in a pod.

My first motorcycle ride! Wahoo!!

Isn't she gorgeous?

Grandma always says "That Nicholas has such a nice voice."

So happy together...

One of my favorite places in all the world, Storm Lake Iowa.

I hope you enjoyed Martita! I love you so much and am praying for you today.

Day 16

2010-07-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite pictures from camping. I hope you enjoy! :-)

Brenden LOVING flaming hot cheetos! :-) He's my East LA boy!

Amy and my feet were SO dirty! :-)

Wild raspberries! :-)

Nature is so theraputic. When you feel able, I encourage you to take a leisurely walk at Huntington Library or in the San Bernardino mountains. Someday, when you feel good enough. I love you Martita. I'm glad you're feeling better!

Day 15

2010-07-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

I love camping! Nick and I arrived at the campsite around 6:30. We set up camp, had a quick dinner of beans, rice, avocado, tomato, and salsa, and then sat around the campfire and relaxed. The next morning, we got up, had breakfast, relaxed some more, went on a 3 hour hike, took a nap in the hammock, made veggie hot dogs, corn, grilled vegetables, and smores, and then talked around the campfire again. At 1:30 a.m. I woke up to the sound of thunder and saw bright flashes of lightening from our tent. Then the rain poured. It was beautiful, and maybe even a little frightening! This morning, we got up around 6:30, broke camp, and then headed home. We didn't go a mile before we noticed that even though we weren't on a gravel rode any more, the ride in our car was extra bumpy. We looked at the tire, and as you can see, it had blown. It took about an hour to put on the spare and then we headed for home again. Since the tire shop is closed today, we plan to get up early tomorrow morning, and get a new tire.

Overall, we had a great time. Like I said, I love being outside and in nature. It relaxes me and connects me with Jesus in a very unique way. I am grateful for friends who like to camp and a husband who will camp with me.

I have lots of fun picture that I plan to post tomorrow. As for tonight, I am going to bed early.

I love you Martita. I hope you had a great day. As soon as I sign off, I'm going to give you a quick call. You sounded so good on Sabbath. I am pleased with your progress. Keep being positive and prayerful. It's working!

Besos y un abrazo para ti y para Dafito tambien!

Day 14

2010-07-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Nick and I are going camping near Watkins Glen with our friends Amy and Leland.

I can't wait!

When I return, I will post pictures of our adventures.

Today was filled with packing, running, pesto making, beet boiling, beet green sauteeing, picture editing, and the stowing of Nick's great grandmother's china and glasses.

I hope your day was good Martita. I love you so much and hopefully, will talk with you some tonight.

BESOS y FELIZ SABADO!

Day 13

2010-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Top three things I did today:

1.) Mowed the lawn. I love to mow the lawn.

2.) Made a peach/black raspberry cobbler.

3.) Had pizza and played games with Nate and Mandy.

Tomorrow, we go camping! I can't wait.

Martita, I tried calling you today, no answer. I left a message. I love you very much. You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

Day 12

2010-07-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday, which means it's my day to go to the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Although it takes about an hour out of my day, it's refreshing and totally worth it. Today, the produce included zucchini, summer squash, kale, salad greens, beets, carrots, and garlic. After grabbing the produce in the barn, I meandered back behind the barn and picked some fresh flowers. The flowers are bountiful and colorful. I picked two bouquets for my house. One for my office and one for the dining room table. Here's a picture of the lovely field.

Since pesto is one of Nick and my favorite spreads, I also invested sometime in picking some basil. After picking for about 15 minutes, my fingers had a light and sweet fragrance.

I'm so glad that you got a chance to read my blogs Martita. I hope I don't ramble too much and I hope you enjoy them.

Here is a verse of encouragement I leave with you tonight:

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You."

Is. 26:3

I love you so much. May God continue to give you peace.

Day 11

2010-07-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

My garden is doing well this summer. One of my favorite plants is my zucchini. It grows so quickly, the flowers are lovely and prolific, and produces like mad.

Here is a picture of a few of the flowers.

Look carefully and you will spy my first zucchini of the season.

And finally, here's the zucchini and cheese casserole I made. It was so tasty, I invited my friend Joya to come over and share in it's glory.

Here's the recipe Martita. I got it from my friend Tiffany.

Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:
4 ½ c sliced zucchini
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 can (10 ¾ oz) tomato puree
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
2 cans (2 ¼ oz each) sliced ripe olives, drained
3 cups (12 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ c grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large skillet, sauté zucchini in oil until tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; stir. Transfer to an un-greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
In the same skillet, sauté onion until crisp-tender. Add garlic; sauté 3 minutes longer. Stir in tomato puree, tomato paste, sugar, Italian seasoning, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in olives. Pour over zucchini. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
Combine the eggs and Parmesan cheese; pour over the zucchini. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Today was a good day. It sounded like it was a good day for you too. I love you so much.

Day 10

2010-07-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to share a simple, and perhaps over used poem, that for some reason, touches my heart every time I read it. I pray Martita that you find comfort and peace in His arms, as I have so many times.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson

Day 9

2010-07-10T21:13:00.001-07:00

In a few words, I love Iowa and I love my family. I truly am very lucky to have been born an Ingram.

In another life, I would be a farmer's wife near Storm Lake, IA.

For now, I will come and visit and enjoy sweet corn, fire flies, and a cool night ride with my uncle on his motorcycle.

I hope you are doing better Martita. I will call you tomorrow. I love you!

Day 7

2010-07-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today is the day Nick and I drive to Iowa! We are excited, and a little nervous. Please keep us in your prayers as we drive 18 hours striaght, through the night. It will be fun though. We plan to listen to the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" as we roll.

I will try to post some on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday but may not have internet access. If that is the sad case, I promise to resume on Monday when I get home.

I love you lots Martita. You will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers! Besos y un abrazo grande para ti y Dafito.

Day 6

2010-07-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today was hot again, but good. One of the simple and happy moments of my day was eating a few of my black raspberries on my cereal. Yum! (Note to Larissa: I have been freezing them so I can use them later and share some with my parents this weekend). Another highlight of the day For some strange reason, I had horrible cramps today. I know you can identify, Martita. I should probably start drinking that tomato juice your mom gave you every morning. Maybe that will help. None-the-less, I was in severe pain today. Luckily, I took some advil, and that helped me get through a meeting I had scheduled with the parents who want to fundraise to help their kids go to Costa Rica. I am so thankful for modern medicine.

Just before I went to my meeting, Nick and I had a light supper which consisted of a sandwhich and a smoothie (frozen strawberries I picked 2 weeks ago, frozen blueberries I picked last year, and peach yogurt).

It was good chatting with you today Martita. You have a lot of wisdom. I like your description of who I am. It helps put things into perspective. I love you so much and can't wait to hear how good you are doing tomorrow. BESOS!

Day 5

2010-07-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today I started teaching summer school. I have one student during the first session (9:00-10:30) and then 2 students during the 2nd session (10:30-12:00). It's a pretty easy job, and provides a little chunk of money to travel with. After I taught some literacy (helped kids improve their reading skills), I came home, had lunch, helped mow (Nick hates when I mow, but I enjoy it so I try to help out some), and picked more black raspberries! Please excuse the horrors of my camera phone. It sucks. Period. BUT, it gives a quick and easy glimpse, as blurry as it may be, into my daily grind. Here's a few shots of the black raspberry experience at the Valles abode.

By the way Martita, Sadie says hi and hope you feel better soon! :-)

After I picked black raspberries, I zoomed over to Cornell to do another family photo shoot. I had a blast. No really, I had a wonderful time. The family I had the priviledge of photographing is super sweet and fun. So that you don't lose all faith in my photography skills from the abominations I posted above, here's one of my favorites from today.

I am SO glad you were able to come home today Martita! You are doing so well. Your positivity and trust in God inspires me. I love so much. Sleep well. XXOO.

Day 4

2010-07-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today was scorching HOT! The temperature hovered around 96 degrees all day. Who knows what the humidity was, but all I can say is we both felt oppressed all day. We do not have air conditioning, so as you will see, we found other ways to cope.

Nick and I were so tired from shooting the wedding, we got up at 9:00 a.m. We ate a quick breakfast, and I dropped Nick off at work and did a few errands. He came home for lunch and we spent the afternoon doing a few projects, and snacking on watermelon to try to stay cool and hydrated. I especially like watermelon, Mexican style (with chile and lemon seasoning).

In another attempt to beat the heat, Nick and I went swimming at a local park on Cayuga Lake. It was refreshing and good exercise.

We spent a great day together. Tomorrow will be my first day teaching summer school, so I should definitely hop into bed. I love you Martita and I hope you are able to be discharged tomorrow. We are continuing to pray for you to have a speedy and pain-free recovery! Nighty night!

Day 3

2010-07-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

Today is the 4th of July, 2010. I got up around 7:15. Nick and I ate breakfast together (left overs from yesterday) and had worship. We prayed for you again Martita, as we always do :-).

Then, we went on a run with the dogs and finished the final preparations for our shoot.

I am so grateful to say that today, I shot my second wedding. It went so well. For you, Martita, I am posting my favorite pictures so far. I really haven't even had a chance to review all of them, but from a few that I have scanned, here's my favorite. Feel privileged! You are the FIRST and only person, other than Nick, to see them before I show them to the happy couple. :-)

When we got home tonight, Nick and I were both beat. We stopped by Panera and got a light dinner to share. After dinner, we climbed on our roof and watched the fireflies and then the fireworks around Cayuga Lake. It was beautiful.

It is time for me to go to bed. I am 100% exhausted!

I love you. It was nice chatting with you for a few minutes today. You sound happy, healthy, and at peace, trusting God. I look forward to hearing more about what the lab results say. Until then, sleep well tonight, and I hope you enjoyed seeing a few Rosebowl fireworks from your hospital window.

Day 2 (which just happens to be the 3rd of July)

2010-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today is Sabbath. Sabbath is almost always a great day around the Valles household. We get up a little later, which meant 7:30 this morning. I made sauteed potatoes, eggs and fruit salad for breakfast. At around 8:45, I got a special call from you, Martita! You were so sweet and sounded so good on the phone. We are continuing to pray for your speedy recovery. It really made my day to hear your voice on the phone!

Once we got to church, Nick led the children's song service while I prepared to teach Juniors. I taught Juniors while Nick prepared to do song service. We did song service for the worship service. During the praises, I praised God for your successful surgery and prayed for continued healing while you recover. As soon as we finished the praise and worship portion of the service, I had to rush downstairs to prepare for the potluck meal.

We spent most of the potluck meal talking with one of the wisest people we know. Nick's considering applying to work for the NSA, and we wanted his perspective. We had an interesting conversation. We are continuing to pray for God's will to be done as far as Nick's career is concerned.

All in all, church went well and Nick and I got home around 2:30. We then took a hike around Lucifer Falls, which is at Treman State Park. Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took with my phone on the walk. When you come visit someday Martita, you will love to see this park! It's especially beautiful in the fall.

Nick and Sadie! :-)

When we got home, I made pasta with a a special sauce that included kale from my garden. It was very yummy!

Sabbath is almost over. The sun will set in about 10 minutes. I will then get everything ready for the wedding I'm going to photograph tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but will have Nick to assist me so I'm not alone.

I love you Martita. I still wish I could be there to help give you sip of water or maybe even fix your hair or paint your nails so you feel beautiful. Instead, I will have sundown worship and pray for the peace of the Holy Spirit to be felt by you tonight.

Day 1

2010-07-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite Aunt in the whole wide world recently underwent a surgery. I promised her, for at least the month of July, to write in my blog regularly. This way, she would have something especially for her to read and enjoy. But the truth is, this is really for me. I want so badly to be in Los Angeles with her and help her in the healing process. Unfortunatley, due to a lack of funds and a job committment, I am unable to be there. So instead, I write a blog in hopes that she is able to feel my love through the letters on her screen and my strong and steady embrace holding her in the colorful pictures. There will be nothing especially unique or captivating shared, but just my day to day life adventures and some simple joys and anecdotes. So this is for both you and me Martita. Enjoy.

Today I thought and prayed for you a lot. I know you must have been in a lot of pain and felt woozy while waking up from your surgery.

I just spoke with Dafo. I'm glad to hear that everything went well and you are waking up and doing well.

Nick and I love you so much and we will continue to pray that you heal quickly, with little to no pain.

As for us, today was a busy day. I drove 2 hours away to check out the location where I will be shooting my 2nd wedding on Sunday. As you can see, the church is beautiful. I hope the wedding will be just as beautiful. :-)

When I came home, I made Nick and I a simple dinner, which included a fruit salad. It was yummy with a little cool whip on top! :-)

In an attempt to ruin our meal, we had a bit of a dog fiasco tonight. Lucy, another black labrador we were watching escaped. We spent about 15 minutes calling out her name and searching for her through the streets. We soon found out that the neighbor behind our house had snagged her running by and kept her secluded in her house until the owners she had left a message with called her back. Needless to say we were SO thankful that the prodigal lab had been found. She now is only allowed in our backyard with a leash. Grr... Remember your crazy dog?!

In order to relax a little, after the disaster with Lucy, Nick and I went on a walk at a local park. Here are some of the nature shots I took with my phone.

When we got home, we got the praise and worship service ready for church as well as some sign up sheets for the deacon. I don't know if you know this but Nick is currently the head deacon of our church. I am just a mere deaconness. Being apart of a small church sure is a lot of work! :-)

Well, I should get ready for bed so I can be vibrant at church tomorrow morning. Have a restful night Martita. I hope and pray you sleep like a baby. You are so loved and I leave you in the strong and constant hands of our Savior tonight.

Washinton D.C. Trip

2010-04-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

What an amazing trip to D.C. with Newfield's 8th grade class! The Cherry Blossom's peaked the day we toured the FDR's Memorial. Here are some of my favorite pictures from my time there. Enjoy!

Winter and NYC

2010-03-27T13:56:00.001-07:00

During the winters in New York and Michigan, I feel like a special part of me dies along with the leaves on my oak tree. No exciting pictures to share. No outstanding stories to tell. Just the day to day routine which probably involves me watching too many television shows.

But now it is March, and the daffodil greens are reaching, just a hair, above the cold hard dirt. And the sun, yes the sun is coming out again.

Earlier this month, I went to New York City with the Travel Club at my school. We had such a wonderful time and I have confirmed, yet again, that yes, I am a city girl.

Me, drinking boba, in China town. Happy as a clam.

New York City on a clear day. Just perfect.

Photography!

2010-03-17T19:24:00.001-07:00

I now have an official site for my photography! It's been a lot of work, and promises to continue in the same trend, but I am now adequately happy with my progress and am willing to share!

Please check it out at:

www.annekevallesphotography.com

SVD

2010-02-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year, Nick and I decided to frequent a quaint, local chocolate shop for their annual dark chocolate fondue event.

It was marvelous as expected. Here are some shots from our time together:

It was truly spectacular!

My New OFFICIAL Photography Website

2009-11-02T18:44:00.001-08:00

I've been uber busy with my photography lately.

I've compiled my work so far and created a website. I am SO excited by the prospects and possibilites!

http://annekelvallesphotography.daportfolio.com/

Enjoy!

More Fall Photos

2009-10-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of another hike I took recently at Buttermilk Falls.

Treman in the Fall

2009-10-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Jen, Charles, myself, and three dogs went hiking at Treman. We had a wonderful stroll and thoroughly enjoyed the autumn color parade and icy waterfall. The dogs had a blast, running free.

The waterfall.

The view from the stairs at Treman.

This is the view from Charles and Jen's place.

Probably one of my favorite hikes of the season!

New Photography Website

2009-10-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

One of my hobbies is taking pictures, and recently, I've had aspirations of making it something I do for a side income. I just love the beauty that is captured. Cooking, writing, and photography are my favorite means of artistic expression.

Well, the big news is two weeks ago, I did my first engagement session and next week will be my first wedding. I am so excited, and to be honest, a little nervous.

Feel free to check out my new site. It has a few pictures from the engagement session and some of my old favorites. Facebook is all I can afford, for now:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ithaca-NY/Anneke-L-Valles-Photography/121544849857

Camping Near Watkins Glen

2009-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went camping with Amy, Leland, and Brenden. Tiffany and Kris came up to hang out too. It was a blast. Enjoy the pictures! :-)

Family Lovin'

Blowing up the airmatress, just like the pioneers!

Mr. Mountain Man, my neighbor.

I think he likes me! :-)

My tent with the about-to-go-flat air-mattress...I think a rock made a whole. Thank goodness Amy and Leland lent me an extra pad! :-)

Grilled veggies and veggie hot dogs. YUM!

Isn't she lovely? :-)

Tiffany trying to look nonchalant with a large cleaver.

Brenden had a chair by the fire. I got to sit in it! :-)

How sweet! Mommy and baby in the hammock! :-)

All in all, a great trip. Did I miss Nick? Yes. Can I survive in the woods without him and a large cooler of vegetables with a roaring campfire? Absolutely!

Plum Jam

2009-09-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

This past week, I made some plum jam.

I ordered about 15 pounds of plums from my CSA and started jamming. Plum jam is one of my favorites!

As you may notice, some spilled over...

It was a mess, but TOTALLY worth it!

Pad Thai

2009-08-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I made Pad Thai, accompanied by lemon cucumber from my CSA.

It was yummy. Next time I will splurge for the peanuts and beansprouts! :-)

Here's where I got the recipe:

http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2007/01/pad_thai_for_be.html

Camp Cherokee

2009-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Nick and I took a rather spontaneous trip up through the Adirondack mountains to an Adventist camp called "Camp Cherokee."

The idea all began when Nick and I were laying in bed, talking. I told him that I felt bad for him since he didn't have very many vacation days this summer and I wanted to make sure he did really fun things during his days off. He said he wanted to try windsurfing. After doing some research, Camp Cherokee seemed like our best option, so, I e-mailed the conference, and we planned to go up for a night.

The scenery on the 4 1/2 hour trip up BEAUTIFUL!

I especially like the green, tall trees, and the serene lakes.

The fun sign that greeted us as we rolled in just in time for dinner.

Our first night, we took paddle boats out onto the lake. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

The dock from out in the lake. The camp is situated right on the lake.

We went to bed around 8:00 and read to each other Madeline L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" until 11:00. We slept well and were up early the next day. We gulped down some French Toast and headed out to try windsurfing.

Luckily, or should I say, providentially, a staff member by the name of "Joel" got us set up and showed us the basics.

After about a 15 minute summary on "How to Windsurf," Nick was off. He did a great job and got down the lake and even back up, with only a few falls.

After watching Nick, and seeing it was doable, I got on a different board and got all the way across the lake without falling. Sadly, the winds died down and so I couldn't get back to the dock. Nick was SO sweet and came and rescued me with a single kayak. He's my hero! :-)

We had a great time and definitely plan windsurfing again on Lake Cayuga.

Since the winds weren't the best, we decided to head out in kayaks around a few of the islands. It was nice using the single kayak.

We had a fantastic trip and hope to do it again soon. During the week, they offer waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, more windsurfing, and other fun activities. Who knows, we might even go again this week! :-)

Indian curry, from scratch!

2009-08-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the most exciting things in life are the simplest.

Today, I made an indian curry from scratch. I got a recipe book from the library. The specific recipe's title is : "Simple Lahori Chicken Curry with Tomatoes and Onions."

I substituted veggies from my CSA for the chicken. It turned out awesome. Nick loved it too.
I'm going to make a few more currys from the book and then move on to two other un-mastered realms: Thai food and Chinese food.

As an added note, here are some flowers I was able to pick as apart of my CSA this week.

Rachel, Brandon, and Kirsten come to visit!

2009-07-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

There are few things more enjoyable in life than spending quality time with good friends.

Nick and I were SO excited to learn that our dear friends Kirsten, Rachel, and Brandon were going to donate 5 whole days of their summer vacations to spend some quality time with us!

We had a WONDERFUL time connecting, hiking, eating, and talking. We do hope they come again very soon (hint hint...:-).

Here are some pictures from our time together:

Rachel and Kirsten at Cass Park.

Kirsten enjoying the seagulls.

Brandon teaching Rachel how to skip rocks.

The ladies by Cayuga Lake.

A waterfall we saw along our Taughannock Falls hike.

The whole gang at Taughannock Falls.

Rachel and Brandon canoeing by the lighthouse.

One shot I got of the beautiful couple at Treman Falls.

My second favorite.

Moe's burritos...

...offers one with tofu!

Kirsten at Nate and Mandy's home.

My favoritist picture of Kirsten EVER!

Nate showing off his garden, more specifically in this picture, the blueberries he has grown!

Out for Thai food.

An abundance of food, good people, and good conversation.

Pad Thai!

It was sad to say goodbye, but we are already planning our NEXT get-together! :-)

Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria

2009-07-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

This summer, I had the incredible privilege joining my mom and Europe and visiting four countries: Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria. I enjoyed the trip immensely. Here is my photo journal.

This is a picture of a little town Sheryl (she was my wedding photographer and is now a dear friend) and I stopped at on our way to the Alps in Switzerland. I was struck by how clean and pristine it is.

Sheryl and I meandered our way down to the docks. Here is a picture of us taking in all the beauty.

Another shot in the same town.

Some of the alps. This picture in no way captures the grandeur of this mountain range.

Some quaint buildings in Interlaken, Switzerland.

Taken in Collogne, France.

Sheryl and I were bedazzled by the fields of sunflowers that seem to grow in plentiful supply in both France and Switzerland. We loved them so much we did a photo shoot in a field close to Saleve Adventis

Twins!

Joy!

Taking in the sheer volume of happy faces smiling at me.

French bread in Paris.

I think I win the biggest mouth contest...

Look carefully and you will see the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Notre Dame.

I have such a beautiful Mommy.

A wonderful hotel in Fuessen, Germany.

With the castle that inspired the castle for Disney's "Cinderella" in the background.

A better look at the castle.

A luxury bus all to ourselves, and an odd Turkish man, for 12 ours. It was hilarious.

One of the buildings in one of the many medieval towns we stopped in.

We had to go into about 5 "Reformhaus'" ("Health Food Store" in German)

Rothenburg.

A Schneeball in Rothenburg.

One of the many fruit stands.

Whizzing through Germany.

A few of the towns we visited along the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) were completely walled in cities. This is a picture of the interior of one of the lookouts from the wall.

A yummy sandwhich I picked up during a 20 minute lunch we had in Oberstaufen, Germany.

My one and only encounter with Vegetarian German food. It was delectable.

My Mom enjoyed it too.

A picture my Mom took. I have several that are set up in a similar fashion. Perhaps she's on the verge of a career in a new type of photography and we all just are clued into her real photographic talent.

A Lebanese joint we found in Frankfurt, Germany. I was so tired of bread and cheese I splurged.

It was probably some of the best I've ever had.

A sign on the bathroom door in a Burger King in Oberstaufen, Germany.

A sweet sign by a church along the road.

Austria.

More Austria.

An ornate castle nestled in the mountains between Germany and Austria. Seeing it was one of the highlights of our trips.

One of the gardens surrounding the castle.

Another garden.

So happy together!

Mom and the crazy Turkish bus driver. He talked about everything from liking "big women" to abhorring "erotic massage." Let's just say he opened up about much more than we were interested in hearing. If you notice the bus picture, we seated ourselves near the back. Overall he was weird, funny, and harmless.

A shot of a young boy watching the sunset on the lake in front of Hotel Alpenblick.

The view from our room at Hotel Alpenblick.

On our sunset walk.

It was breathtakingly glorious.

Another shot, same time, same place.

It was such a blessing to be able to spend quality time with my Mommy as we journeyed through four classy countries. I look forward to more adventures together.

The week we visited the land of "Los Borinqueños"

2009-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Nick and I are both firmly committed to traveling as much as we can before we have children.

This summer, we decided to take a short excursion to Puerto Rico.

We had a tremendous time. Here's our photo journal from the trip.

We had a 6 hour layover in Atlanta, GA. Neither of us had ever been, so we decided to take a walking tour. It is a lovely city that I hope to visit again. Our favorites from this leg of our journey was the Turkish food (pictured above) and Centennial Olympic Park.

Even though we tore up the town in Atlanta, we still had to wait in the airport for several hours. This is Nick's reaction to CNN's continuous "coverage" of Michael Jackson's death story.

After two days of travel, we finally made it to the little and rather isolated island of Culebra.

Our itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny room, that did, as a matter of fact, have air conditioning.

Our first night, we were exausted and needed refreshment, so naturally, we went to the beach. It was just about sunset, so we took advantage of the warm water and the picture opportunity.

Same place, almost the same time.

We finally had made to paradise.

The flora around the island were bright, cheery, and colorful.

One of the three top beaches in the world, according to Culebra's website; "Flamenco Beach."

Ouch! I had sunscreen in my eyes.

After spending some time at Flamenco Beach, we wanted to snorkel, so we took a 20 minute hike over to Rosario Beach.

Nick at Rosario Beach

Same.

Getting ready to snorkel at Rosario Beach (we saw a lobster, TONS of colorful fish, a barracuda and a blow fish).

Eating lunch under a ledge after getting caught biking in a thunderstorm.

Our reward for biking for almost an hour, up and down hills, through a thunderstorm, and past a fleet of land crabs: Zoni Beach.

Playing in the waves together.

Kayaking around the Island to Luis Pena Island.

Walking around Luis Pena Island

Serenity.

A fancy restaurant on Culebra called "Juanita Bananas." The only time we ate out on the island. The food was sensational.

Monfongo

Puerto Rican beans, rice, and what they said would be "tostones" but turned out to be grilled zuchini.

After a few days on the island of Culebra, we returned the "big" island of puerto rico (as the native Culebran's call it), rented a car, and drove through El Yunque.

One of the incredible vistas.

Tropical indeed.

We also drove to Old San Juan and enjoyed the Spanish insipired architecture and funs hops. Here I am at a monument in Old San Juan.

In Old San Juan, I drug poor Nick in a hunt for traditional Vegetarian Puerto Rican food. Let's just say Nick was right when he suggested that we stop at a french bagueterie.

Another sunset, another ending, 'twas bittersweet indeed.

Sadie

2009-07-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Nick and I adopted a 9 month old female lab puppy from a rescue the day Michael Jackson died, June 25, 2009.

Sadie's back story is simple. She was found on a snowbank in a towel when she was only 5 weeks old. Since then, she has lived in two different rescues.

Her personality is classic lab: she loves people, snuggling, playing fetch, getting wet, and just being around her "pack."

We love her so much and enjoy her more every day.

Here are some pictures of her.

Our first day together.

Sadie sure loves the water! :-)

We went canoeing with her and we did NOT tip! She did exceedingly well.

On a hike at Treeman.

The Fruits and Vegetables of our CSA

2009-06-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, Nick and I decided to join a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

After much deliberation, we decided to join the "Full Plate Farm Collective," thanks to the sugestion of my good friend and colleague Jen, who is also apart of our group.
http://www.freewebs.com/fullplatefarms/

Our first harvest was on Wednesday. I got the farm around 4:30. When I got there, I found a beautiful head of fresh lettuce, garlic scapes (I had never heard of them before), Hakurei, turnips (I had never heard of them before eithe), kale, collard greens, radishes, TONS of mixed greens for salads, and a few potatoes from last season. As I was about to leave, they informed me I could pick 1 pint of fresh peas and 1 quart of fresh strawberries.

I was in my heals, a skirt, and a nice blouse, but the farm is about 15 minutes from my house and I am way too lazy to come back twice in a week, so I decided to brave the dirt. It didn't turn out so bad, especially since I was hungry and peas were sweet and the strawberries held a unique, delicate flavor.

Granted, with such a fun variety of produce, I will be trying some new recipes, like mashed potatoes and kale
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001566.html. I am open to any suggestions, so feel free to pitch a few!

All in all, a fun experience. Although it took me about an hour to "pick up" all the produce I need for the week, it felt good. There's just something about eating a fresh pea for lunch and knowing it was you, just yesterday, who picked it.

Kayaking, BBQ, and planting progress

2009-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Instead of just relaxing around the house this weekend, Nick and I, along with our friends Tiffany and Kris, decided to go kayaking on Cayuga Lake, have a BBQ and do some gardening.

It was so much fun!

The group!

Fun int the sun!

<3 of my life!

Tiffany and Kris tipped over!

My first tomato plant.

Kale that I grew from seed.

2nd tomato plant.

BBQ! We grilled THE BEST veggies!

My new hanging flower plant.

I also made 23 vegan waffles and froze them. They are YUMMY and easy. Just pop them in the toaster!

24th Anniversary of Nick's Entrance onto the world's stage

2009-04-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my dashing young husband Nicholas turned 24. Every morning I wake up overwhelmed with thanks to God for Nick. He truly is the best husband any woman could ever ask for. Here's how we celebrated his life, his way.

A picnic with pitas in the park after church.

It was fairly windy, but pleasant.

Us in front of our home just before Nick's small party

Our forsythia bush that is now blooming.

Nick, prancing with glee! :-)

Lots of decorations and pictures of Nick's favorite video game was posted: halo.

Party food, per Nick's request: rosemary/olive oil bread, homemade pesto, mayo, 3 kinds of cheeses, lettuce, tomato, onion, chips, and grilled vegetables. It was yummy indeed.

Nick's birthday brownie, made by Mrs. Tiffany Adams. It was delicous!

The Adams family!

The Sutters!
Everyone minus me.

Nick had a wonderful birthday--full of generous gifts (Grandpa and Grandma, Mom and Dad, New Mom and New Dad, Martita and Dafo, Taleah, Tiffany and Kris, Nate and Mandy, and of course me, Nick thanks us all), amazing food, if I do say so myself, and lots of love and appreciation from all who know Nick.

He's an incredible guy worth celebrating. I pray God grants him many, many more years of happiness with me, of course! :-)

Easter Celebration

2009-04-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

This year, we went all out and celebrated Easter with some "family" in Ithaca. We went to a service for good Friday, church on Sabbath, and then another celebration on Sunday. After the service on Sunday, we feasted and dyed Easter eggs. It was a blast. Almost like Christmas in April. :-)

Here are some pictures of the event.

The place setting

Dafo's bread...my favorite! :-)

My sweet and sour vegetarian meatballs. Yum yum!

Tiffany's DEElicous broccoli casserole.

T&K. Our flamy here in Ithaca.

Leland, Amy, and active Brenden. More flamy!

Amy's key lime pie desserts. AMAZING!!

Tiffany and her eggs. Let's just say they didn't win any prizes...

Amy's egg. Muy bello.

Leland's egg. Spells Beemer (Nick name for Brenden).

My dyed eggs.

Nick's dyed eggs. Mine are clearly prettier. :-)

Brenden. Pretty much the best baby in the world. For now...:-)

March

2009-03-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

March certainly has been the whirlwind all my teacher friends promised it would be.

Here's a simple update on life for me.

Nick and I continue to be really content in Ithaca. We have good friends, spring is coming soon, we're still very much in love with each other and the work that we are doing here. We are blessed, indeed.

The latest book I am reading is "The Light Within" by Thomas Kelly. I highly recommend it as a devotional.

Here are some pictures fo

The promise of Spring in our backyard

Our good friends Crystal and Tyler came to visit.

We had a lot of fun.

We also made a Philipino dessert called "Gunitan." SUPER delicous. One of my favorites.

Nick and I have also been increasing the time we spend outside.

A sweet walk by the lake.

Nick by a gorge

It's been a great month!

Winter Break 2009 part 2 : Chili Fest

2009-02-21T21:01:00.000-08:00

Today, Nick and I went to the annual Chili Festival in Ithaca. It's new to be apart of such an active community. I like it.

The chilies we tried included: pumpkin 3 bean, 5 bean, and one that had topping options of sour cream, cheese, and little M&M's. My favorite booth served free chunks of bread with their chili.

It was cold, and there were horrific lines, but we'll definitely be back next year!

Winter Break 2009 part 1

2009-02-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

I am an overambitious overachiever. If you are in any way getting the drift that I am at all trying to brag about accomplishments etc., please know that I mean nothing of the sort. Actually, I consider this attribute of my personality a character flaw. I am constantly w orking,doing; reaching. I rarely find satisfaction in what I do. Instead, I run on to the next task that needs to be completed.

This week has been eyeopener for me. I have tried to accomplish about 3.5 more things per day than is physically feasible. I am learning that in order to live, not do, but live, I really need to "work" less, and savor more.

Anyway, here are some pictures of a few of the activities I tried to enjoy so far this week:

Hung out with friends from work and won 2nd place at a trivia contest

Made a peach pie for Kris' birthday:

Babysat a 6th month old boy, Brenden:

Spent a delightful morning with a 5 year old boy, Lukas:

Today, I laid in bed for 3 hours this afternoon exhausted. It felt good. I need to do it more often.

Love Day Happenings

2009-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

My Valentine's day celebration actually started on Thursday when I got a call in my classroom asking me to come to the office at the end of the period.

I seriously thought I was in trouble and scoured my brain to think what I could have done wrong. As I sheepishly walked towards the secretary's desk, I saw a huge, green proflowers box and realized that Nick had sent me flowers. It was a total surprise.

On Valentine's day night, Nick and our friend Kris made our friend Tiffany and I cheese fondue with different dipping choices: broccoli, cauliflower, boiled potatoes, fresh bread and apples. The cheese was very stringy and we all laughed and laughed about loosing broccoli in the pot and having to cut yard long strings of the cheese sauce. I did found out that I am not a huge fan of the flavor of fondue cheese, but I did thoroughly enjoy the experience.

As a nice cherry on top of our Valentine's day sundNick and Kris then took us to a small chocolate shop in Trumansburg for dark chocolate fondue. This really was the highlight of my evening.

The owner of the shop came announced and served us three separate and incredible courses.

Course 1 was...

Course 2 was...so good, I didn't take any pictures. :-)

Course 3 was...

Double dating tonight was really fun. I go to sleep so thankful for having met the perfect man for me so early in my life. I hope to enjoy his sense of humor, his patience, and his surprises for 50 plus years.

Two Not-So-Fun Projects

2009-02-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Nick and I decided to tile part of the wall in our bathroom and I decided to re-upholster my dining room chairs.

The tiling took for freaking ever. Wow, I really need to practice writing more. Anyway, there were definitely moments where I got frustrated with tedious tasks and how long it took. I am SO thankful to say it is done!!

The re-upholstering, on the other hand, took 2 hours. Clearly my type of house project. Easy, quick, and makes a huge difference. I really need to work on developing patience before I have little tykes.

Here are some pictures of both.

Working on the wall...

After two and a half LONG weeks...

With my new shower curtain!

Our re-upholstered chairs.

Our next projects:

Tiling the floor of the bathroom
Painting the bathroom
Painting the living room
Painting the wall of the basement
Finishing the paneling outside the house
Starting a garden

Whew...I think that's enough for like, 5 years of work. I'll have plenty of opportunities to work on that patience thing! :-)

Christmas in a Nutshell

2009-01-07T19:14:00.003-08:00

Seeing a preview of the floats for the Rose Parade with Martita y Dafito and selling programs with Will at 5:30 a.m.
Yum...Mommy's guacamole...
Good times with my HS girls...

More flowers from the Rose Parade.

Visiting Nick's Grandparents in the mystical Napa Valley.

Enjoying the company of my beautiful sister Taleah.

Loving my Mommy close up.
GOOD TIMES (as always) with my girls Kyra, Janene, and Jess.

Hitting up In and Out with Liza, Josh, Christina, and Dan.

PCH. Where Nick first said "I like you." ;-)

Taro slush with BOBA!
Lovin' it up @ Huntington Beach.Quality time with Erdal and Chris

Our favorite Hwy: PCH

My only regret is not taking more pictures. I have no shots with some of the most important people in my life.

Oh well, that will be my New Year's resolution: Make sure to take pictures with EVERYBODY.

SNOW DAY!

2008-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

At 5:37 this morning, I got a call from a co-worker who gave me the good news that today, December 12th, is a SNOW DAY!

Here's a picture of our frosted house.

A pine tree from a 1 1/2 hour walk I took this morning.

A few poisonous winter berries.

My walk was the highlight of my day.

Oh, and I got another picture approved by istock. One more to go!

Pictures...

2008-12-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

I wanted to upload these pictures from the weekend a while ago, but life has just been too crazy.

Our living room tree.

The lights I put up on the balcony.

Our stockings.

Our wreath.

Sweet Laura.

Goofy Janelle.

Our tree at night.

Nick with Brenden.

Brenden looking happier with me! :-)

BEAUTIFUL Brenden.

The best picture I could get of our house tonight. There is a huge snowstorm brewing.

A closer look.

We're Parents...for the weekend! :-)

2008-12-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Bethany and Mark have entrusted their two beautiful daughters Laura and Janelle into our care this weekend.

So far, we've had haystacks for dinner and the cheese was the biggest hit on the table. Both girls were enthralled not only with the cheese, but with the glass of milk they were allotted. I like kids that are easy to please!

Later, we had evening worship and then watched 2 episodes of "Adventures in Oddessy." Here's a picture of them watching the shows, while Nick pretended not to be paying attention to the drama. :-)

Sweet Janelle with super smart Laura in the background.

Hosting

2008-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Although these past couple weeks have been incredibly difficult, the holiday helped to lighten the mood some. A big thanks to everyone for all your support.

Nick and I went to our new "family in Ithaca's" home and feasted. Sadly, I can't seem to find a way to get the pictures from the event off of my card. Grr...

Last night, we had the Mattias and Lexa family (Nick's advisor from Cornell) over for dinner. I made tortellini--one batch with a tomato sauce and the other with homemade pesto. We accompanied the pasta with a bright green salad, broccoli, and artisan sourdough bread from Wegmans (the less expensive version of Whole Foods Market). The meal turned out wonderful and the guests seemed to have a good time, all in all.

Mattias and Lexa's little boy is SUPER cute. Thought I would share a picture of Lukas, probably one of my favorites in the kid department. He dressed himself in the green tie and jacket.

Empty

2008-11-21T16:03:00.001-08:00

Most of my posts have been about the beautiful things in my life. This, unfortunately, is not.

Wednesday was the worst day of my life for 2 reasons:

1.) Charm was returned to the humane society in hopes that we would be more effective dog lovers/trainers with one puppy.

2.) On Wednesday, due to a horrific accident, Bella was taken from this world.

Over the course of 3 days I was a mother to two beautiful little babies, and now they are both gone.

Our house is so cold now. Empty.

Please keep Nick and I in your prayers as we mourn the loss of our sweet Bella and Charm.

My little loves...

2008-11-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's going to be so hard to say goodnight...

My favorite pictures from today: :-)

Two new additions to our little family

2008-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Meet Bella (14 weeks old):

and Charm (also 14 weeks):

Today:

*they had their first baths
*they went on their first walk with us
*they rolled in our leaf pile

We love our new Labrador babies! :-)

Hip hip...

2008-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

I have wanted a digital SLR camera since what seems like forever ago.

I won a writing contest for Insight Magazine and used my prize money to buy myself a:

Canon Rebel xs

It's a beautiful piece of machinery that Nick and I continue t0 tinker with, trying to figure out what exactly it can do..

Anyways, here's a few pictures from a walk we took today.

More to come from my new black beauty!

Manhattan 2008

2008-10-27T19:19:00.001-07:00

I love to travel and want to go all around the world someday and see India, Thailand, New Zealand, Austrailia, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Ireland, China, Russia, Romania, South Africa, Rowanda, Costa Rica, Greece, Lebanon, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, and Tahiti, to name a few.

This weekend, I settled for Manhattan.

I realized that I'm a major city girl. Don't get me wrong, I love Ithaca. But I can't tell you how exhilirating it was to be in the city this weekend--honking horns, rushing people, a bazillion shops and restaurants.

Here's a few pics:

Me in the city. Where belong.

Nick at this fabulous Indian restaurant. If we were Indian, that portrait would totally capture our love.

The spread+naan. I'm still reeling from the textures, flavors, and spices!

The cafe where I people-watched/did homework.

The best starwhich I've ever eaten. Grilled veggies on toasted, freshly made whole grain bread with some exotic melted cheese on top and a jalapeno pesto. It was incredible.

A man painting a plate for all to see.

My best shot of NYC. At least you know I didn't steal it from google images...:0)

GOT to love it!

When I become rich and famous someday, I would LOVE to live in a small apartment in Manhattan for one year. The area is vibrant and diverse with so much to see and learn.

As I was sitting in Starwhich and walking the streets, I felt so adventurous and alive.

Sometimes, when the travel itch is relentlessly craving relief, exploring local culture does just the thing to tie me over.

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, our good friends Tiffany and Kris came over and we ate pizza, made pumpkin pie from scratch, carved a pumpkin, and watched Russell Peters.

Here's a picture of all our pumpkins:

Here's a picture of the pumpkin Nick and I carved:

Here's a picture of me starting the lemon seasoned pumpkin seeds. YUM!

Apple Picking!

2008-10-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

BRUSSEL SPROUTS!!! I ate one raw. It was...a brussel sprout.

Pickin' apples!!

A sunflower patch we happened upon.

It was MARVELOUS!

The Other Road

2008-10-02T16:39:00.001-07:00

Today, I decided to take the "other" road home today. It's definitely not the fastest, but it's worth it.

The fall is unbelievable here in New York and I felt as though on the "other" road, I was able to drink in a huge, refreshing glass of color, shape, and design as a welcome change to my chalky, protein-like shake of business that usually consumes my appetites.

I also took some time to browse my friend Beth's myspace and happened upon a delightfully hilarious picture of her nephew. Nick even laughed when he saw it...

New Era

2008-09-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

So this week, I successfully completed my first 3 days of teaching. It had its good moments, and not-so-good ones.

My point in bringing this up is that I am going to be starting a new stage in my life with little free time. Here is a simple list of my responsibilities this semester:

Cook
Make lunches
Do 1/2 of the cleaning in the house
Grocery Shop
Laundry
Mow 1/2 of the lawn
Keep up on my Student Teaching Class (It's like 2-3 papers in 1 semester)
Lesson Plan
Grade Papers
Prepare for classes
Teach
Keep up on admin paper work for school
Maintain my car
Prepare for 3 NY standardizd tests
Complete the 2 workshops
Help as a Sabbath School Assistant

AND

Go to class every Tuesday night in Elmira (15 min. drive from school and a 40 min. drive home)
Keep up on homework for the class

So, if I do 1 thing a week that fits within the "daffodil principal" plan, I will be blessed.

Today, that one thing will be read some of my book, "The Spirit Catches You, and You Fall Down."

I'll check in again next week.

New York State Fair

2008-08-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Nick, Kris, Tiffany and I went to the New York State Fair. Experiencing the culture of New York is definitely one of my aims while Nick and I live here.

Here are some highlights of our day.

Baaa...
No lie. From left to right, a short-haired white bunny, a long haired white bunny, and a short haired black bunny.

Sweet 'lil pigglets feeding

My first taste of an elephant ear.

My favorite treat of the fair: roasted corn. Don't I look lame. :)

It was a fun time. But to be honest, it doesn't hold a candle to the L.A. County Fair.

VBS

2008-08-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, and my sweet creative husband kindly agreed to be "The Scientist" at the Church of the Nazarene's VBS (our friends are the pastor and his wife) this week.

One of my goals in life is to be open to inter-faith relations. Am I an Seventh-Day Adventist? Yes! Do I believe I can learn from and contribute to other communities and traditions of faith? Definitely.

Update and Canoing

2008-08-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

My list is coming along fine.

I read the newspaper almost every day.

I HAVE been picking up my running pace some. Little by little.

I HAVEN'T edited my video...but someday soon I will...I hope...

So our friends Karen and Eric are visiting and we went canoing. It was such fun. In some ways, I like it better than kayaking. I feel more stylish. It's rather quaint.

I love Karen and Eric. So does Nick. I feel like we get each other...

Anyway, here are some pictures of our adventure!

Falls 8 minutes from our house

Eric qua Eric was the master at canoing!

We were clearly novices!

My artsy picture of the day.

Indeed, good times were had by all!

P.S. The tamales were EXCELLENT. They are all frozen now, so NO pictures to come. Sorry folks...

Oh, and one more thing

2008-07-31T19:38:00.001-07:00

I want to make TAMALES this week.

I have been craving, for like 5 years now, Green Chile and Cheese Tamales.

This week, I will make them. And when I am done, I will post pictures of their deliciousness.

Here is the recipe I will follow:

Green Chile Cheese Tamales Recipe
Source: Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
Makes about 12 tamales

All it takes is a great cheese and a great salsa to make a terrific tamale. We like our green tomatillo salsa uncooked for the best bite.

Other necessary recipes:
Green Salsa

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 8-ounce package dried corn husks

1 pound Mexican cheese, such as Ranchero, queso fresco, panela, or manchego, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, (about 3 cups)

4 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 1/2 cups Green Salsa (see recipe)

1 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pound cold prepared ground masa for tamales

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening or cold lard

Twelve 6-inch square foil sheets

Sour cream

RECIPE METHOD

TO PREPARE THE TAMALES:
Soak dried corn husks in hot water 2 hours or overnight. Drain on paper towels. Combine cheese, chiles and 1/2 cup salsa in medium bowl. Set cheese mixture aside.

Combine 1/2 cup salsa, chicken broth, salt and baking soda in 2-cup glass measuring cup. Set broth mixture aside. Using electric mixer, beat cold masa in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Gradually beat in broth mixture. With mixer on high speed, beat shortening or lard 1 tablespoon at a time into masa, beating well after each addition. Continue beating and scraping down sides of bowl until mixture is light and fluffy, about 15 minutes total. Test for lightness by dropping 1 tablespoon masa into cold water: If it floats, masa is light enough to use. If not, continue beating at high speed a few minutes longer.

TO WRAP THE TAMALES:
Spread 1 or 2 whole husks lengthwise on counter with narrow end pointing away from you. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons masa mixture over 3-by-2-inch area of husk. Top with 1 heaping tablespoon cheese mixture. Fold sides over, then fold in ends to enclose filling completely. Place folded tamale on foil square and fold foil to enclose tamale. Repeat with remaining husks, filling and foil squares.

TO COOK THE TAMALES:
Add enough water to large pot to come 1 inch up sides. Cover bottom of steamer basket with remaining corn husks. Arrange tamales upright and in layers in steamer basket. Cover pot and bring water to boil. When water begins to boil, place steamer basket with tamales into pot. Reduce heat to low. Cover and steam tamales until husks just pull away from masa without sticking, checking water level occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove basket from pot and let rest 10 minutes. (Cold tamales can be reheated in a steamer over simmering water for 30 minutes. They’re delicious for breakfast the next day, topped with a fried egg.)

Transfer tamales to platter and serve hot with remaining salsa verde and sour cream.

NOTE:
If you cannot find masa for tamales at a Latin American market, mix 1 3/4 cup dry masa harina with 1 cup warm water and then chill.

Back on Track

2008-07-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

So now it's time for my daffodil goals again:

1.) Read "El Clarin" everyday, at least until school starts
2.) Pick up my running pace ( I will time my pathetic walk/jog and then see how much I can improve it)
3.) Can peach jam and blueberry jam safely
4.) Start editing our wedding video (still haven't started...)
5.) Do one fun community thing a month (ex. local play productions, jazzercise, etc.)

AND

(Here's the biggy!!)

6.) I am going to start ANOTHER blog. This one will be a journal of my teaching experiences. I will make it private, so if you want to see it (Larissa, I don't have your e-mail address, please send it to me!), I will be happy to invite you, if I know you.

Well, that's enough for now.

Thanks for popping by!

Gooseberries and such...

2008-07-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today, my Dad, my Mom, and I canned gooseberry and blueberry jams.

Silly Mr. Ingram. He grew up making jams, jellies, and canned corn on the farm. He was literally giddy from the nostalgia.

Mom with her private stash of gooseberries.

Me with blueberry jam (left) and gooseberry jam (right).

As a little side note, I've noticed that this blog has evolved into a journal/daffodil principle forum. So that is what it will be.

More on the daffodil principle next post...

Got the Job!

2008-07-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

So I got it!

You're looking at the NEW Middle School Spanish teacher for the Newfield School District in New York!!! I'm skipping student teaching, getting my Masters in December, AND I got a job.

God has blessed us so much. We couldn't be more grateful.

Local Travels

2008-07-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

So one of my life long goals is to travel to as many new places I can afford. Today, a 3 1/2 hr drive to Canada and Niagra Falls is all that works in to our rather pathetic travel fund.

My parents are visiting us for a little while, and we had a good time watching a glass blower make a vase on the Canadian side of the falls and and a refreshing stroll on the American side.

Today, I can check off:

See Niagra Falls (where my Grandpa and Grandma spent their honeymoon)
Visit Canada
Have a romantic kiss <3

Friends for a Lifetime

2008-07-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

So I made the decision a couple months ago to leave Nick for a total of 12 days (unbelievable, I know). Part of that trip was to go to Rachel Fetroe's (previously Dettwiler) wedding.

At this point in the blog, for those who know me pretty well, might be reading thus far and thinking "Wow, Rachel must be a pretty amazing person as to keep Anneke (Annie) away from Nick for so long." The answer to that question is yes, she is.

On top of being able to be part of such a momentous occasion for Rachel and Brandon, I was able to spend quality time with some of my bestest friends in all the world (in alphabetical order): Candice, Janene, Jess, Kirsten, Kyra, and of course, Rachel. I also got the opportunity to meet some great new people and get to know acquaintances much better. Here are some pictures of our romping good times that can only be had with a group of girls, on vacation, with little to do...

Kirsten, Jess and I after potluck on Sabbath

Prepping for the Bachelorette Party

Dido

One of the post-able games at the party (notice the tail). High five Janene!

Letting the good times role, as is Jess' tradition

Rachel!

All the ladies at the Bachelorette Partee

Lovely Bridal Brunch

The lovely bride

Bridesmaid Jess' hair done by yours truly

The darling couple

A taste of Mrs. Michaelis' decorations

The BREATHTAKING reception

JANENE and STEVEN!

Nicole, Kirsten, myself, Jess, and Jen

Jess, Ky Ky, and Candice!

Exhausted after the wedding

Sweet and Funny Guy!

Breakfast @ Clarettes with Jess, Kyra, Candice, Jordy, Kirsten, and myself

It was hot, so we decided to take a walk and run through the sprinklers of random peoples yards. SUCH good times!

On our way, we found some onioney sort of plants

MONGOLIAN!

KIRSTEN!!!

Mike, a good friend from high school

It seems like I started out this daffodil principle listing the things I wanted to do, and doing them. I definitely see this as beneficial. Recently though, I have posted about what I'm doing, and then reflecting on how that relates to my purpose for this blog. I think that is okay too. So what have I learned so far this summer? I want to keep in better touch with my family and my amazing friends. I have found a way, whether it be skype, a quick e-mail, a myspace update, a lengthy phone conversation, or a get-together ever 1.5 years, to keep in touch with each person on my ongoing list. Relationships are so important to me and I don't ever want to lose those that matter most.

So to all my family (this includes you too Martita y Dafo) and my precious, crazy, irreplaceable friends, thanks for enriching my life with your presences. I love you all!

Blackberry Goodness

2008-07-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, I have to write about my vacation, which is the reason I haven't posted anything, because I haven't felt like I had time to write a long post, etc.

So I will write something simple for now, and do a more complete update later.

Yesterday, I went outside and was surprised by a huge array of blackberry bushes right in front of our backyard!

I quickly ran out, and picked a bowl of these small sweet delicacies.

Later, I paired it with Haagen Daz French Vanilla Ice cream. It was UNbelievable!

I promise, more later...

Incredible times with the INGRAM'S!

2008-06-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

So I was ULTRA lucky this week because I got to hang out with my big bro' JAY and his lovely wife and DARLING girls! Here is a brief summary of the GOOD TIMES we shared...

Watching the four cousins party like it's 1899

DELICIOUS Chinese food with J3

The sweetest "fishergirls" in the world (Grandpa Terry would be proud!)

Sweet Juliette making a heart with an "N...A" :-) Miss Insightful!

BEAUTIFUL Jenna making a pretty flower

Jay and the munchkin after a refreshing swimaroo

My favorite picture of the girls...fun at the pool

Dim...but how many CORNELL's can you find?

Can't stop dreaming about...

I had a wonderful time with the Nor. Cal Ingram's at a GREAT museum and sumptuous bakery treats from "Bake-sale Betty's." Hope the Breckenridges and the Nor Cal Ingrams can visit Ithaca SOON!

Overwhelmed with love and appreciation, I sit here in the Pasco airport, waiting for the final phase of my vacation to begin...

These times are what life is made of...

The Fam'

2008-06-24T12:52:00.001-07:00

One of my goals in life is to make time to see my dear family whom I love so much.

My sister Shannon and her husband Paul and she has two of the sweetest little girls in the world. I love them SO much.

I have just spent to days with them and am bubbling over with joy from our time together. Here are a few shots of our special time together!

The BEAUTIFUL Breckenridge Clan

Making castles at Tahoe

My Fishies

My lovely ladies

My beauties

On the cell with Nick. We talk like 10 times a day, minimum. :-)

I'm having such a great trip, but I miss Nick, desperately.

I can't wait to see my brother Jay, his wife Jill, and their two little girlies!

Moving Time

2008-06-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Moving is probably one of the most stressful transitions in life. I can't stand it.

But thankfully, there are some bright spots along the way.

There is much work to be done on our new little house and sadly, money and time are scarce. I have never been so thankful for Walmart and The Salvation Army. :-)

Here are pictures of our new house and our journey to finding it:

Our over-packed cars

Saying goodbye to AU.

Celebrating the Closing on our new house with some delectable Thai food.

First picture with the new house!

Great bread, bad picture.

Looking up towards the backyard

Right half of backyard

Left half of backyard

BEAUTIFUL flowers that were sent to us by the very thoughtful Martita y Dafito

Our home theater (to watch Dwight Nelson, of course)

Part of our living room

Other part of the living room

Oh, the joys of not renting...

This is just the beginning of our new life here. More to come...

P.S.

So I planted a garden this week. The only thing that relates to one of my daffodil goals! :-) I'll post pictures later.

A Spontaneous and LOVELY Goodbye

2008-06-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, some amazing friends suggested we have a picnic on Lake Michigan. It was probably one of the best days of the year.

Lovely Lisa and Jumping Josh (sorry, couldn't think of another adjective) made a DELICIOUS array of salads, and we ate and laughed while it drizzled.

Charming Christina and Dedicated Dan brought great flowers and lemonade.

Then, we took a walk on the pier and here comes the best part, Lisa and I jumped off into the "freezing" water

We then played volleyball and went on an ice cream hunt. After being rejected by Udders, Dairy Queen, AND McDonald's, we settled for bulk at Hardings.

The perfect night was topped off by a game of Farkel.

Michigan: Great Friends, Good Times.

So here's to another part of my daffodil principle--making time for spontaneity.

P.S.

I did my standardized tests today.

Blah.

The Pizza and a Whole Lot of Spanish

2008-06-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. I have NOT been reading "El Clarin." Something about the third day and beyond of not meeting a goal for me; it just seems impossible to pick up.

So in response to my laziness, I will BINGE on Spanish today and watch a complete 4 hour novela series as I do work. It's called "Clase 406." Very cheesy and tons of cheating and drama, but, LOTS of Spanish! Here's what the cover looks like:

To continue my binge, today and tomorrow, I will read "El Clarin," update myself on accents, AND look over my "new vocabulary" sheet I made. Since I haven't mentioned it, I'm taking a certification exam in Spanish this Sunday, hence my hard core motivation to brush up "El Espanol."

On a lighter note, I have finished the pizza goal. It really was delicious, and surprisingly, an easy recipe. Check it out!

Dough before:

Slightly overcooked, but still amazing pizza afterward:

Yum!

I'll let you know how the binge goes or in other words, les digo como va el jaleo.

YAY HOORAY!

2008-05-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

RANDOM side note before I get down to business...

Here's the ring Nick got me. Oh my gosh. It certainly was worth the wait.

So May 27th was our 1 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been year. I am still SO in love.

Here's a 1 year married portrait:

Okay, now for getting down to business...

This next week I want to:

1.) Be less delinquent about reading "El Clarin" and read it Monday through Friday.
2.) Upload our wedding clips onto lacie, my hard drive.
3.) Try a cool new pizza crust recipe that is just delicious. Really, it's scrumptious.

Taken from: "The Baker's Apprentice"

Makes 6 to 8 pizzas
6 cups (27 oz) unbleached bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (.56 oz) salt
1 3/4 teaspoons (.190z) instant yeast
2 1/4 plus 2 tablespoons to 3 cups (19 to 24 oz) water, ice cold (40F)
semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Combine the flour, salt, yeast and 19 ounces of water in the bowl of the electric mixer with the paddles attachment and mix for 2 minutes on low speed. The dough should be sticky on the bottom of the bowl but it should release from the sides of the bowl. If not, sprinkle in a small amount of flour until this occurs ( or dribble in water if the dough seems too stiff and clears the bottom as well as the sides of the bowl. Lightly oil a large bowl and immediately transfer the dough with a spatula or bowl scrapper dipped in water into the bowl. Mist the top of the dough with spray oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
2. Immediately place the bowl in the refrigerator and retard overnight.
3. The next day, check the dough to see if it has risen in the refrigerator. It will probably be partially risen but not doubled in size (the amount of rise will depend on how cold the refrigerator is and how often the door was opened). Leave the bowl of dough to wake up, lose its chill and continue fermenting.
4. When the dough has doubled from its original prerefrigerated size, liberally sprinkle the counter with bread flour (about 1/2 cup). Gently transfer the dough to the floured counter with a plastic dough scraper that has been dipped in cold water, dipping your hands as well to keep the dough from sticking to you. Try to degas the dough as little as possible as you transfer it. If the dough is very wet, sprinkle more flour over the top as well as under it. Dry your hands thoroughly and then dip them in flour. Then use a pastry cutter to make as many pieces as you want crusts. Make sure to use the pastry blade as a pincer, pinching the dough cleanly with each cut.
5. Then shape the pieces into crusts, spread on the sauce and toppings and bake on a pizza stone or unglazed tiles at 425F for about 15 to 20 minutes.

I'll be packing, working, etc. next week, but this should be just the right amount to do for this week.

Keep you posted! Ha ha! Wow, that's so lame...

Editing and a Summery Sabbath

2008-05-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

So here's the picture I finally had time to do some editing on:

Before:

After:

I'm not claiming to be a professional. I simply need practice. Obviously. :-)

Sidenote:

I had 10 people for lunch this Sabbath in Nick and my minute apartment. It was cramped, but I'm glad the food turned out.

After everyone left, Nick and I ran outside to enjoy a rare sight in Michigan: the sun. Here are a few pictures from our lovely afternoon.

Nick and his casterboard.

Telling me a funny story.

Almost 1 year. May 27th is coming up.

Tomorrow, I will make a new list!

The First List of Accomplishments!

2008-05-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

So this week has been insanely busy, I'm not going to lie. BUT, I've managed to accomplish a few of the things I listed a few days ago...

So I made zatars and other exotic treats with my friends Danielle and Rachel. Super yum!

Bottom line, I feasted with friends and accomplished goal 1.

Now, for the avocado pie. :-S I wasn't a huge fan. Some really liked it. My suggestion: give it a whirl.

Never-the-less, goal 2, wabam!

Estoy feliz para decirles que si, vi una hora de una novela en espanol. (Basically, watched 1hr of a Spanish novela)

Tambien, he leido "El Clarin" cada dia desde escribi mi promesa (I've also read "El Clarin" everyday)

Checked out www.meetgroup.com and was NOT impressed with the groups in Ithaca, unlike Larissa's super cool food co-op.

This weekend, I will edit a picture with gimp AND come up with more things I want to do to replace the billions (almost) I just did.

This was a good week. Perhaps one of the next things on my list will be forcing myself to rest...

The Daffodil Principle II

2008-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

We are all overly busy and worn out. But during the rare moments when we get to stop. When we get to really think. When we simply are. Sometimes, we think about what we really wish we could be doing during our days.

Larissa, a good friend, recently shared with me the following story:

The Daffodil Principle
By: Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, 'Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.' I wanted to go, but it was a two hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. 'I will go next Tuesday', I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house, I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

'Forget the daffodils Carolyn! The roads are invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!'

My daughter smiled calmly and said, 'We drive in this all the time mother.'

'Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I am heading for home!' I assured her.

'But first we are going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks,' Carolyn said. 'I'll drive. I'm used to this.'

'Carolyn,' I said sternly, "Please turn around.'

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, 'Daffodil Garden'.

We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned the corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

'Who did this?' I asked Carolyn.

'Just one woman,' Carolyn answered. 'She lives on the property. That's her home.' Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster.

'Answers to Questions I Know You are Asking

50,000 bulbs.

One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, one brain.

Began in 1958'

For me, that was a life changing experience. I thought of this woman I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.

One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one baby step at a time and learning to love the doing, learning to love the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find that we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world....

'It makes me sad in a way,' I admitted to Carolyn. 'What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think of what I might have able to achieve!'

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct manner. 'Start tomorrow,' she said.

She was right. It's pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The only way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?'

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting......

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs
Until you gain 10 lbs
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die....

In response to this story, Larissa started a blog:

http://larissasdaffodilprinciple.blogspot.com/

She posted a bulletin on myspace, and I was intrigued. After a few weeks, I decided to start my own.

I want to say here and now that hers is way cooler and has better pictures and designs. She is the originator of the idea and she gets 100% of the credit for her brilliance.

But here I am, ready to start my humble list of things I want to do, one at a time.

Here is the first list I will put up for this week, since I am in a transition, moving soon, and quite over extended. As Larissa, once I accomplish one, I will make another.

The List

1.) This week, I will make a cooking date with a friend, teach her to make pita bread, zatars, and tzatziki sauce and feast.

2.) I will make Avocado Pie this week (recipe below) as inspired by one of my best friends, Christina. She says it tastes like lemon pie, but is much less work.

Avocado Pie

2 ripe avocados-peeled, pitted, and pureed

½ c. lemon juice

1 (5oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl combine avocado, lemon juice, and condensed milk. Blend well and pour into graham cracker crust. Chill before serving. Garnish with whipped topping.

3.) I will watch 1 hour of a Spanish novela (soap opera...I know, but it helps me learn more Spanish and improve my accent)

4.) I will read "El Clarin" (Argentinian Newspaper) every day for 3 weeks

5.) Check out meetgroup.com

6.) Edit 1 picture with GIMP

LONG TERM

Edit my wedding video
Learn to make home made sourdough bread
Buy and learn how to use Digital SLR
Buy "The Bakers Apprentice" as suggested by Josh

That felt good. Keep me accountable.

Annie out!