Off the Cuff and INDYpendent

Neat Wedding Ideas - Now Don't You get Any Ideas!

2011-09-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

The past few weekends, I've been to some weddings and a bridal shower. While there, I picked up some great do it yourself ideas. I thought they were very clever. Here I go sharing!

Jacki, the Maid of Honor worked with the "future" groom, Craig, to collect 24 reasons he loved Ashley (the Bride to be). Jacki then bought two dozen roses and wrapped them in ribbon. On the ribbon, she wrote the 24 things Craig loved about Ashley. It was so sweet!

Favorite answers: "I love smacking your ass," and "I love when you are always right." Smart guy!

Mindy had a very cute idea for the favors at her wedding. At the reception table, you were supposed to pick up a homemade fabric bag and fill it with homemade cookies!

One of the bridesmaids at the wedding shower had this great idea. She bought 20 anniversary cards and passed one to each guest. She put month 1, month 2, month 3, etc. on them. We each filled one out and gave it back to the bridesmaid, who will mail them each month after the wedding. A "happy anniversary" card each month!

This idea was cute. The maid of honor saved brown wine bottles and glued engagement photos to them as table settings. These will also serve as centerpieces for the rehersal dinner.

Leontien's Upcoming Battle

2011-09-19T23:04:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite people has been burdened once again with that nasty little beast - cancer. I have a good feeling this little lady will demolish the dragon- her attitude, determination and love for life are too strong for anything less! Leontien....Here are a few weapons to help you in your fight...

A sword for slaying. I hear Harry Potter used it, so it must be good!

Nun chucks - The only stipulation...you have to dress like a turtle and wear a red bandana around your eyes before you use these.

I hear he can help with anything!

And finally....

Always a must when fighting any battle!

I feel a bit rusty on blogging lately, so OOPS if my codey thingy doesn't work for the photo above! If it doesn't work, then just be sure to visit Leontien's blog Four Leaf Clover Dairy and leave her some love as she enters into her battle. We love you Leontien!

A new wardrobe for $62.61

2011-06-12T22:54:00.004-04:00

Due to my $15 monthly clothes budget, I don't shop very often; however today, I went on a shopping spree and managed to come home with 3 pairs of jeans, 2 blazers jackets, 4 skirts, 2 pair of capris, 1 pair of shorts, 2 pair of dress slacks, 1 pair of shoes, 3 tops, and 1 dress ALL for $62.61. (Megan, are you proud?)

How? One word...Goodwill. So yeah, in the past I have visited several times for breakfast club outfits, Halloween attire, odds and ends apartment furnishings and even jorts for my sand volleyball team, but I never took Goodwill seriously for real clothes shopping...until today. My good buddy, Amber, and I choose the Goodwills near and around Carmel, so maybe this is why we came away successful. If you don't mind used clothes that look brand new, then I suggest you visit soon. I was shocked to see all the name brands and barely-worn clothes.

Thank you American society addicted to consumerism...I'll take your "old" clothes...Check it out....

Dress shoes: $4.49, New York and Company Blouse: $.99

Barely worn shorts and A&F capris: $3.99 each.

Express skinny jeans: $.99

Mossimo jeans that fit so perfectly: $.99

Brand new Mossimo jeggings: $.99 (jeggings ha! gees)

Express tank top: $2.99

Blue fitted dress shirt: $4.29

Old Navy blazer jacket: $6.99

Black strapless summer dress: $4.29

Four skirts: Total $10.58

This skirt from Cache' still had the original tag on it for $88. I got it for $.99 and it fit like a glove!

Two pair of dress pants: $.99 each

Blazer jacket: $6.99

And now, I will be cleaning out two tiny closets so I can make room for these. That's my rule..if I buy new clothes, I have to get rid of clothes. Goodwill should be looking for my bag of donations soon...I just hope they will make a person's day like someone else's "old" clothes made for me!

Technology Shift

2011-05-15T22:12:00.006-04:00

I guess you can say that I'm pretty slow when it comes to keeping up with technology. Check out the camera and phone transitions I have gone through in the past few years.

The Nokia cell phone I had for 7 years up until one and half years ago was my prized possession, and to be honest I really wouldn't mind using this dependable little guy again. It's been dropped in the toilet, run over, thrown across floors all during my five years of college (and two years out of college), and it still works. As you can see from the picture, I even ordered some pimpin' green buttons from Japan. (I couldn't source them in the U.S.). Did I mention the original battery still lasts two days? I'm keeping it around in case Smithsonian calls and wants it for their cell phone history display.

My OWL Shot camera was my first camera I owned through high school. I took that thing with me everywhere, and it served its purpose very well. I took many many photos during those four years and have about 10 scrapbooks to prove it. Unlike the Nokia, I will not be taking any more photos with this beast.

My Nikon Coolpix camera broke last week, so I had to dig OWL out of the drawer for a wedding I attended. I got the film developed (it cost $12 for 24 pictures), opened the package excitedly to see the results and walah...

Pixelation nightmare!
Did you recognize LJB on the left from Jeans Boots? Her blog rocks!

Side note (Wasn't it the best getting that package film and opening it to see the treasure inside?!) I guess the curiosity alone and excitement of seeing the photos for the first time was worth the $12 I spent, but I doubt I'll ever buy a roll of 35mm film again.

Since my camera broke and since I'm obsessed with taking pictures, I had to buy a new camera. No question. Even though my dream is to one day own a SLR and take a photography class (see bucket list), I can't really afford that right now (see college loan line item in bucket list), so I went in search of the perfect point and shoot. I wanted a simple camera that could take great night photos, indoor photos, and macro shots. After some thorough internet research and help from some camera experts (thanks Megan, Rob and Leah), I settled on this little beauty:

Canon Powershot ELPH 300 HS.

Let me just say that so far, I am quite impressed with this powerful little camera, which made its debut in March. Here are some cool photo effects I played with today.

Original

Color Accent Selector

Color Replacement - Yikes!

(To all you lotion companies out there...I am available for hand modeling)

Here are some other features of my new camera:
Takes slow motion videos
Takes miniature effect video (check out this one from YouTube)
High burst continuous shots - for a fast moving target. It can capture 8.0 frames per second
Fish eye effect
Face detect - when a new face comes into the photo, it can detect it and start the countdown until photo snap.
Wink detect - It doesn't take the photo until someone winks to trigger it. (yep - it works. I tried it and laughed out loud when it actually worked!)
Handheld night scene
Under water mode - would have to get a protective case, of course.
It has the ability to record Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 videos at 24 fps with stereo sound, thanks to its CMOS sensor.
Very thin, yet still has a 5x optical zoom
Can capture 24mm wide-angle images
Long shutter
Stitch assist for panoramic shots

These are just a few features of this camera. I'm excited to try some more features out this week as I head to Florida (especially the Beach Scene Effect). Stay tuned!

Weekend in L.A.

2011-05-09T09:21:00.001-04:00

My first reaction when we arrived L.A. last weekend was, "Who are all these people and where the heck are they all going at 11 p.m." Rob wasn't kidding when he told me about the large quantity of people living in this town...er..city. Our small town visits and hospitality along Route 66 were over and L.A. welcomed us with open arms. So let me tell you about the last and final leg of our Off the Cuff adventure.

Saturday morning was spent helping Rob unload the U-haul, signing his lease for a new apartment and meeting his new "very outgoing" future roommate. We were curious how storage was handled in L.A. since there is barely even space for parking lots. Instead of garage storage units like we are used to here in the Midwest, the ones in L.A. were built upwards. We had to load everything on carts, haul them into the elevators and head up! Both of us were so excited for the warm weather, we wore flip flops without even thinking about the move! We did manage to make it out with no blisters though!!

Rob locked me in the storage unit for a while (ok for about 1 minute).

After the car was FREED of the back-end-nusiance it had been hauling around for 2,000 + miles, we headed to Santa Monica Pier to enjoy the sunshine and of course, ride the ferris wheel!

Saturday night, we treated ourselves to a very nice dinner of corn-fed steak and BBQ ribs at a restaurant and then watched the waves come in on Hermosa Beach Pier. As you all know I am not a very romantic person, but this was a pretty neat evening.

Sunday came quickly and our first stop on the Lord's Day was church. Rob scoped out the churches in the area and decided on Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church downtown L.A. The mass was very long- complete with three priests, incense, and all the old traditions, but it was neat to see all factors at play to make a beautiful service. I always enjoy visiting new churches when traveling.

After church, we continued being tourists and walked around downtown to see the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The walls reflected so much light and heat that it felt like we were in a sauna standing next to the building. Rob explained that some of the walls had to be sanded down on the back side, because they were heating up a nearby apartment complex.

We then made our way to Rob’s workplace – RTKL architecture firm in the Bank of America building. Side note - Apparently Richard Gere’s office in “Pretty Woman” was in this same building.

I get giddy any time I enter a creative “space.” (yeah, you should see me when I step into Hobby Lobby) and this was no different. It was pretty cool to see his cubicle and the projects he has been working on.

Then, the tourists ventured on to Hollywood! I’m not much on keeping up with the Hollywood scene, celebrity gossip, etc., but I was a little star struck when I met Darth Vader, Cat Woman, and Charlie Chaplin. It was also pretty neat to see the stars lining the sidewalks and the Hollywood sign adorning the mountain side. So famous yet so small! I was shocked at how tiny it appeared.

Camera zoomed in all the way!

We finished our day on the beach in Hermosa enjoying the sunshine and playing in the sand. Let me reiterate how great it is to have someone to play and act silly with!

We made our own walks of fame.

Our final dinner before my flight was at In and Out Burger – one of the best burgers you’ll ever taste. If you’ve been there before, you know they only offer about five options on the menu, but do you know about the secret menu (or "not so secret" menu as they proclaim on their web site). Yep, we got our burgers “Animal Style” with caramelized onions and extra sauce. If you are ever out West, don’t miss one of these burgers of greasy goodness. The In and Out Burger was right next to the airport, so we picnicked outside and watched the planes come in over our heads (Bucket List – check!).

And that is it my friends. It was a great end to a wonderful trip with a great person, and I managed to check five items off the bucket list. (Visited three states I haven't been to, watched planes come in over my head, and visited and hiked the Grand Canyon). Hopefully we'll have more adventures to come. The first adventure will be figuring out this long distance relationship stuff, but I'm looking forward to the challenges and the rewards of seeing how we can grow together from here on out.

Friday: Almost to L.A.

2011-05-03T18:50:00.002-04:00

Lack of computer connection and lack of Rob's photos prevented me from posting this weekend, so even though it's late, I'm continuing to post so I can remember our wonderful trip!

We started off Friday morning, visiting our friends, Fred and Wilma. Yup, that's right. Who knew Bedrock was so close to the Grand Canyon. And we were pleased to find that everything still looked really good for being over a million years old. I guess it is made out of stone...anyway..check it out!

We said goodbye to the Flintstones and headed...I'll let you take a guess..Westward! Onto L.A. For lunch, we stopped at a famous little restaurant in Needles, C.A. - recommended by a gas station attendant- called The Juicy's River Cafe. Our appetizer was fried fettuccine. I think I'm going to bring the idea to the State Fair this year. Delicious.

During the drive to L.A, we jaunted off I-40 down to I-10 so we could take a pit stop at Palm Springs. Getting down to I-10 was quite the drive. Let me paint the picture for you...two lane road lined with nothing but lone cacti, scattered bushes, barren rock formations and every so often, a solar powered call station. There was not a house or electric line in sight. No other roads were seen for a 70 mile stretch. We did stop to get a few pictures of the cactus.
Also, check out this sweet video I just learned how to create on my camera. Too bad I didn't know about this feature when we started!

When we arrived in Palm Springs, it was getting dark, but we decided to do what we had come for anyway. Head up the cliffs of the Chino Canyon via the Aerial Tram. This tram ascended up 6,000 feet from the hub station in about 10 minutes, as the picture of Palm Springs got smaller and smaller and smaller. We did get some really neat views of the city lights 8,500 feet below us and got some quiet moments under the stars alone before we caught the last tram back down.

The last two hours of our road trip to the West Coast went fast and we arrived in L.A. around midnight to stay with Rob's brother who lives there. It's a little sad for me knowing that we don't have any further to drive. This is it...I'm hoping that maybe there is a chance we can just drop off the U-haul then I can take him right back to Indiana...well, at least we still have a whole weekend to enjoy L.A. together!

Thursday: Cars, Craters, and Canyons

2011-04-30T01:26:00.003-04:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Rob and I stayed at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona Wed night. It felt like we had entered right into a scene from the Cars movie...The parking lot around the teepees was filled with old time cars and historic signs from the Route 66 days. We arrived late Wed night, so the hotel staff left our key under the mat and also left the light on for us. Small town hospitality and trust is something we very much appreciated.

Breakfast for us was enjoyed at a local cafe called Joe and Aggies.

During breakfast, we asked our waitress about the town - famous for dinosaur sculptures and petrified wood from the Petrified Forest - and she explained that the man who had created the concrete dinos had plans to create a dinosaur museum in hopes of attracting more visitors to keep the small town viable. After dying a few years ago, his dream never came true. The kids sold many of the dinosaurs and the town never got its museum.

She also explained that Radiator Springs in the Cars movie was actually based off Holbrook and two other towns in the area. The movie producers came out to see the town and start drawing! It was cool to see the book of Cars drawings and then look out the window and see the buildings that inspired them.

After breakfast, we walked across the street to see some of the dinos and the petrified wood.

After the dinos, we carried on westward towards the Grand Canyon! Two desperadoes on the road again. Crank up the Willie Nelson!

Before arriving at the biggest ditch in the West, we took a short detour to see the Meteor Crater, the breath-taking result of a collision between a piece of an asteroid traveling at 26,000 miles per hour and planet Earth approximately 50,000 years ago. It is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep.

p.s. Check out where we were...middle of nowhere.

We arrived to the Grand Canyon early afternoon and enjoyed a 5 hour hike down the Canyon and then back up. Icepacks for the calves anyone? This was my first time visiting the Grand Canyon aside from seeing it out of a plane window, and man oh man- what a sight! The depths and angles and massiveness of the place was absolutely breathtaking. I could have stayed there gazing for hours. This was definitely one of God's greatest works of beauty.

I'm almost hesitant to post pictures, as they just don't do the place justice, but it does give you a good idea.

We hiked down a trail that started about seven miles from Grand Canyon Village called Hermits Rest. It was pretty easy going down the rocky canyon trail, seeing the beautiful formations, the changing landscapes and the incredible views. We started late, so we were some of the only people on the trail, which made it seem like we found a private untouched place. Every so often, we would look up and splendor to see how far we came, but then we would shutter thinking about climbing back up to get back!

We made it back up huffing and puffing, wishing we had worked out a little bit more and vowing to hit the gym again when we got back to our respective cities.

After enjoying a breathtaking sunset sitting on the edge of the canyon, we headed back to our hotel to end another very fun day.

Things Learned Today:
"When traveling in the West, pack more than one sweatshirt. Those desert nights sure are chilly."
"Tumbleweeds explode when you hit them while driving on the Interstate."
"Be nice to everyone who takes your picture at the Grand Canyon. You may run into them again the next day at a small gas station 70 miles away."
"Always stretch before hiking down the Grand Canyon."
"Drive slow down the barren Arizona roads and watch out for cows"
"The word 'moderate' when describing Grand Canyon trails really means 'sorta extreme.'"
"Sammy Hagar was really describing Rob's car when he wrote his song 'I can't drive 55.'"

Wednesday: Pedal to the Metal

2011-04-28T23:30:00.003-04:00

For those of you who are reading my blog each day, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to write last night. During the last leg of our Wed trek, we decided to watch the movie Cars instead(I watched and Rob listened). Why Cars? Well, we ended our night staying here...

The Cozy Cone Motel in the movie was based off this Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ. More about that for tonight's blog post. Back to yesterday...

Last minute on Tuesday night, we decided to call the Big Texan motel in Amarillo after seeing signs on the side of the road. They still had rooms available, so we entered our saloon style room, complete with Wanted signs wooden shutters, and swinging saloon doors (Ours was in the Cattleman's Hotel).

Wed morning, we went to breakfast across the parking lot at the Big Texan restaurant - famous for it's 72 oz steak. If you eat the steak meal in under and hour, it's free! If you don't finish, it's $72. According to the steak dinner legend, in 1960 on Route 66, a table full of hungry cowboys competed for Big Texan bragging rights by eating 1 pound steaks over a 1 hour period of time. When the hour ended, one cowboy had eaten four and 1/2 one pound steaks, shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato and bread. From then on, the tradition lives on. The current champ finished his 72 oz steak meal in 8 minutes and 52 seconds.

After the delicious breakfast, we headed deeper in the heart of Amarillo to see these...

Rob shrunk again! These were very impressive and so random. There were even cows grazing nearby. I wonder what they think every time they look up at these naked legs intruding their pasture space. Down the road, we found this giant cowboy standing outside of a restaurant..

Hopping back into the car, we drove a bit further down the road and stopped at Cadillac Ranch, a public art installation that consists of what were (when originally installed during 1974) either older running used or junk Cadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the car line (most notably the birth and death of the defining feature of early Cadillacs; the tail fin) from 1949 to 1963. I'll let the pictures explain.

After Cadillac Ranch, we continued west, had lunch at a Route 66 Restaurant in Santa Rosa, New Mexico (This was my first time in New Mexico, BTW).

The reason for the title of my post is because Rob's car had quite the experience hauling its trailer up the gradual rolling hills of New Mexico. Sometimes, he had the pedal all the way to the floor and it wouldn't go past 60 mph...but so far so good, and the car is doing one heck of a job getting us to L.A.

When we reached Albuquerque, N.M., we decided to hop off the Interstate and drive Historic Route 66 for about 20 miles. The nostalgia and old neon lining the streets took us back in time to what this place could have been like for those living during that era.

We also stopped and walked around in Albuquerque's Old Town, complete with street vendors, tiny old shops made of stucco, and Hispanic heritage.

After that, we drove all the way to Holbrook AZ, aside from stopping at Blakes LottaBurger for a nice greasy dinner. Yum!

Things Learned Today:
"Food eaten in local diners always tastes better than the chains."
"There is only one clear radio station in between Amarillo and Albuquerque."
"The game of 20 questions is the best when you are trying to get the other person to guess Roadkill."
"Cars can haul Uhaul trailers just fine...as long as there is some coolant on hand at all times."
"Gas is much cheaper out West."
"Bugs Bunny always takes wrong left turns in Albuquerque."

Question of the Day:
"I wonder who lives in those lone homes out in the middle of the desert..and what is their career?"

Amarillo By Morning

2011-04-27T03:33:00.003-04:00

It is currently 12:30 p.m. Indiana time and Rob and I are still driving to finish out our Tuesday. And my what a Tuesday it has been. Let me show you...'

So you remember that Bed and Breakfast I was telling you about last night. This was my first B and B experience and it was quite enjoyable. Each room in the Walnut Street Inn was themed after a famous person from Springfield, MO. We were placed in the O'Neil room...after Rose O'Neil. She was a famous illustrator who first created the Kewpie Doll. Look it up..I'm sure you will recognize it!

Here is the Inn from the outside and inside.

We started out our Tuesday heading to the first and largest Bass Pro Shop in the country. 150,000 square feet and about every wild animal you could imagine..stuffed, posed, and placed in natural looking man-made environments. The entire time, I was thinking, "Would you like some merchandise with these museum scenes?" It definitely made for a fun shopping experience.

Next, we headed to the World's Largest Fork also found in Springfield.

Then we visited Askinosie Chocolate Factory (www.askinosie.com). Our B and B innkeeper told us about this hidden treasure found in the rough part of town. The founder first spent his time in Springfield as a criminal defense lawyer, making big bucks defending criminals. After some time, he decided to quit and make chocolate. Not just any chocolate. His is unique in that he has complete control over the entire process of the chocolateering, including the bean itself. He has visited numerous countries around the world, creating a more economical point of sale for bean farmers by introducing them to profit sharing. He made sure the communities he sought out were one of low economic growth, so that the bean production would bring it back onto it's feet. We tried chocolate from beans grown in Tanzania, Ecuador, Philippines, and Hondorus. Each one was a little different, but all were so good. (I even bought a chocolate bacon cupcake).

Next on our stop were The Fantastic Caverns, the only drive-through caves in North America. They was discovered by a farmer who immediately called for people in the town to come help him explore further. Twelve women were the only ones to show up to do the exploring. Ya! During Prohibition, a back cavern in the cave served as a speak easy for the locals needing a refreshment.

Even though we weren't able to take the jeep ride through the cave because of flooding, we did get to walk though and see some of it..for FREE.

By this time, it was noon and we hadn't left Springfield. Hence why we are still driving at 2:30 a.m. Amarillo by Morning! On with the trip...

Our plan for lunch was to eat at a cliff side restaurant embedded in the side of a large hill in the Ozarks, but the flood waters kept us from getting there. Not without a fight though!

Here's Rob maneuvering his big rig backwards. This was before we tried another route, just to get turned down again by high waters.

So, we drove on towards Tulsa, stopping along the way to see this large concrete beast in Catoosa, OK.

Can you find Rob in this photo?

We arrived in Tulsa and found our very first Tall Man at a traveler's center. And check this out...something crazy happened when we were there...

Rob Shrank!

And I Grew!!

Next stop...Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Home of the World's Largest Praying Hands.

To all my Jasper friends and Family, check out below to see what we found!!! Made me miss those arcade games and free plastic checkered cups.

After Tulsa, we hopped back on the road and headed for Oklahoma City, searched for a giant Indian, jammed to "Runnin on Empty" and debated about where we wanted to stop for the night. We still had a couple stops to go, so we kept on moving!

Our last stop in Oklahoma was a giant wind turbine (photo on Rob's Camera), and then we cruised on into Texas. Texas greeted us with a lighting show on the horizon that we quickly caught up to. At that time, we welcomed back our dear old friend...rain. From here on out though, it should be clear blue skies.

About 45 minutes ago, we left a small town named Shamrock, Texas - a town complete with an Irish Inn, Blarney Inn and Shamrock Country Inn. They even still had their St. Patrick's Day decorations adoring the streets. We couldn't find the famous Blarney Stone, but we did find a mural and plaza dedicated to their Shamrock Water Tower. Yeah...who knows! We were a little disappointed there were no stores open to buy official shamrock paraphernalia. What? No where open at 1am? :) Honestly, who can blame them?

Well, we are almost to Amarillo and after I get done blogging, the sweet sound of George Strait will be filling our ears as we arrive at our final destination to crash for the night. I'm excited to see what tomorrow holds for us!

Oh and Mom, I promise we will not make it this late tomorrow night!

The Little Mazda That Could

2011-04-25T23:56:00.003-04:00

If you have been reading my posts for the past couple of days, you should know I am now traveling across country with my boyfriend, Rob, to help move him to L.A. If you haven't, check out my post titled L.A. or Bust to find out more.

We started our trip this morning around 10 a.m. packing a few odds and ends and stuffing his final pieces of furniture into the U-Haul trailer.

His '97 stick shift Mazda 626 has never hauled anything other than passengers before this trip, so he didn't know what to expect. Not only that, the weight limit for the trailer is 1000 pounds. Well, the trailer is filled beyond its capacity, so the drive has been interesting to say the least. Everything has been fine so far, but it has taken some getting used to...Especially when going over roads like this in St. Louis...

We were searching for a place to park our 25ft ride and were forced to drive down this narrow one way bumpy road. After a few hitch drags and bounce outs, we found a spot about 20 minutes from the Arch. A fun little jaunt in the pouring rain led us right to the metal gates of the Arch being closed for the day.

We missed it by just a few minutes!

But that didn't stop us from taking some pictures!

As we speak, we are still on the road, driving in the rain, recovering from a food coma induced from a meal of fried chicken and fried potato wedges. It feels like State Fair already!

Lee's Fried Chicken in Rolla, MO is famous for their potato wedges, so we didn't pass at the chance to try them. They were soft, yet flaky and oh so good.

We are trying to stop at restaurants neither of us have been to before (non-chains if we can), and have been successful so far...ok so Lee's is a chain, but neither of us had heard of it, so we dove in for some greasy goodness.

In Marshall, IL we found Los Tres Caminos with tacos as big as your head! Well Rob's was anyway.

Well, that is about it for tonight, folks. I better get back to keeping my awesome driver company for our remaining 30 miles to Springfield. A key will be waiting for us at the quaint Walnut Street Bed and Breakfast. http://www.walnutstreetinn.com/ when we arrive. A hint to all travelers...call on the day you are staying and you get a huge discount. Worked for us!

until tomorrow..Goodnight!

Breakfast of Champions

2011-04-22T19:48:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to eat healthier lately. So this past week, I started each morning with an egg. My kind of breakfast.

I also had rabbit, however he only lasted two mornings. I usually go for the ears first. What body part is the first to go on your Easter rabbits?

Thanks to Rob for the Easter care package and Adrienne if you're reading this, the egg did come with a side of apple...

Happy Easter!

When Someone You Care For Is Hungry

2011-04-21T00:38:00.002-04:00

Last week, I got nailed in the head. Yeah, those reality checks hurt pretty bad sometimes. My sister forwarded me a blog post written by a girl, Heather who is currently in Kenya doing the same program Haley did one year ago.

On this particular post, a name stuck out to me as I continued reading. That name-Maurice.....One year ago, when I visited the country, I had a chance to sit down and talk to Maurice for some time. I clearly remember that day we sat on the curb outside of St. Teresa school in Kabula and talked about his family, his passion for school and his dreams to become an engineer.

His father had recently died from HIV, his mother and younger sister were suffering from the disease and he, being the eldest son, was left to care for his other siblings. Being from a poor family is not uncommon in Kenya as one may expect, but Maurice touched me that day in ways that were unexplainable. Maybe it was his positive attitude despite his circumstances, maybe it was his drive and determination to succeed and learn despite so many challenges that I knew lie ahead for him. Finances, corruption, disease, family suffering. We became friends that day. We connected. He was a writer, as am I in my job. I even got to check out the magazine he helped design for the school........

As Heather wrote about going to visit Maurice's family, who lived one hour from St. Teresa's, she wrote something that stung..that struck me hard..."It was so humbling to see his village and the compound on which his family lives. They have a one room hut which is used for eating, sleeping, and living space. They hadn’t eaten for the past 3 days, yet still managed to prepare a large dinner for us of cassava ugali and fish. The leftovers were then eaten by the family. I felt awful eating their food when I knew I could easily go without and was assured of a meal this evening."

The family hadn't eaten for the past 3 days, yet were so giving. I think about my life now and I shutter to think about the many times I complained that I was "starving" or those times when I didn't get the kind of food I was craving. I also think about the hundreds people in this country who even have the nerve to complain about the food on their plates right in front of them. Seriously?

Her post hit me pretty hard. It made me humble myself to God and thank Him for the many many many blessings in my life. For me, hearing that people are hungry somewhere out in the world never had much meaning. It was something I heard on the news, felt bad about for a few minutes and then forgot about. This was different. This is someone I knew. Someone I had connected with. Someone who shared with me his life. His dreams. His passions.

It is different when I actually know someone who could be going without food tonight. But it shouldn't be like that.

When the typical reality checks hit, they usually don't leave scars. The wound heals until I'm hit again just to remember what it felt like the first time. In a weird way, I don't want this one to heal. I want this bump to remind me what I have in my life to allow me to live, but more importantly..to remind me what I have to give.

L.A. or Bust

2011-04-19T09:07:00.006-04:00

March 8 was a tough day for me. That was the day my boyfriend broke the news to me that he had accepted a job in Los Angeles. I had just gotten used to the non-long distance relationship we had started to bud - since November to be exact - and now he was heading across the country to embark on a new adventure. Thanks to Skype, snail mail, email and texting, we are able to have a semi-non long distance relationship, but it still stinks by gee golly! He's been sending me postcards since he's been gone, so now I have a small sense of what it's like out there in the Land of Stars.

It's been two weeks and one day since I dropped him off at the airport, so I'm definitely excited to see him this weekend over Easter. Oh and one more thing...

I'll be leaving with him on Monday. ok...wait wait wait..now don't get too hasty. You see, he took off for L.A. to start working but left all his furniture and belongings here in Indiana. Now it's time to hitch up the ole wagon and make our way West. We're going to cross many roads, climb mountains, and maybe even forge some mighty rivers. Hopefully we won't have to kill any bison along the way.

That's right, we'll be embarking on a 5-day roadtrip cross country - Hiking the Grand Canyon, sleeping in teepees, visiting parks, taking pictures with the "world's largest" crazy tourist destinations, taking a sky tour of Palm Springs, visiting a meteor crater, and finally arriving in L.A. for a weekend in Hollywood.

Here are the trucker hats we designed together and ordered.

We also have a song list going using Google Docs (a file sharing system online) that we have been updating for the past few weeks. We hope to have a good playlist ready...here is a taste of our songlist:

On Road Again - Willy Nelson

Born to Be Wild- Steppenwolf

I've Been Everywhere- Johnny Cash

I Get Around- The Beach Boys

Rambling Man- The Allman Brothers

Start Me Up - Rolling stones

I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar

Route 66 - Rolling Stones

Amarillo By Morning - George Strait

Free and Easy - Dierks Bentley

California Love - 2Pac

Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Beverly Hills - Weezer

Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger

Other California songs (Who would've thought there would be so many!!) - check out all of these songs about California!

It is exactly six days until we leave, so be watching for daily blog posts. I plan to post each evening so you can follow along with our adventure.

How do you frost?

2011-04-14T19:53:00.002-04:00

I'll admit one of my guilty pleasures....

I bought these a few weeks ago ( gasp, I know- they lasted longer than a week!) That is...until tonight! I finished off the last two just a few minutes ago. Oh so good! That's my problem...I can't stop once I start. So usually I just don't buy them.

Growing up, beginning the morning with a Toaster Strudel was a treat. Mom didn't buy them very often, but when she did...watch out because they would be gone in a matter of hours. Breakfast...after school snack...sneaking them out of the fridge when mom wasn't looking... with three kids obsessed with them, they wouldn't last long.

One of my favorite things about eating a toaster strudel is the frosting. I love tearing off a lone packet of frosting and then "working it." Thats right, squeezing that sucker till it was warm and liquidy...

Rob and I were eating them the other day and got into an argument about the correct way to frost these little monsters. He thinks you should make it look just like the box...so perfect and pretty. Ha! Who has time for that when you want to enjoy that tiny inch of frosting on every bite...and before it gets cold, mind you. Ever since I was little I have frosted mine the same way...

First you start with a plain strudel.

Then, you squeeze out all the oooie gooey goodness in a big blog.

Then spread it to every corner with your finger. One of the best parts is then licking your finger after the spreading is complete.

I know you're probably getting out your car keys now to hit up Kroger! Happy flavor hunting!!!

It's official

2011-04-14T00:27:00.002-04:00

I'm back! Don't worry, I'm not going to waste another post trying to explain why I have been absent from the blog world for so long. No excuses this time….well ok…to put it quite frankly, my wireless card and my computer were in the middle of an “it’s complicated” relationship. But it’s ok now, because my computer has found a new relationship with one whose initials are ATT.

So let’s go! In no particular order, here is a quick snapshot in photos of what’s been going on since Freezo-Rama!

My Goddaughter, Brooke turned 3

The Palladium, a new concert hall in Carmel opened up and we went to see free concerts.

Work party at JJ's Backyard BBQ

Home for Christmas...fresh snow on Christmas Morning

Traditional Christmas date nights with Grandmas. Here is my sister, grandma and I at the Mill in Jasper.

Holly's (bottom) bachelorette party in Nashville TN

New Years

Holly's Bridal shower. I love this hard core pic

Harlem Globetrotters

She's hitched

Valentine's Day Dinner

Belly dancing lessons

My first ever hockey game. Tampa Bay Lightning

Trip to Tampa, Fl for work

Bill Cosby

I fell on the ice and tore my ligament and chipped a bone. Had to wear this puppy for 6 wks

Rob's (middle blue) going away party.

Chicago view

I'm from Ireland, Indiana so I went home to celebrate. Always a great time

My boyfriend, Rob! He joined me at a banquet I helped plan through work.

Church group fun. So blessed

Children's Museum

Skiing date. One of the coolest dates, I must say.

Having fun with fresh snow at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. See Rob's snow angel next to mine?

Good friend, Erika's (next to me) Bachelorette wine tour party.

The loaner (2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee) Honda gave me while one of the four new transmissions was being installed in my Hybrid.

Ice skating double date

The Eagles that have made a home in my parents' tree

Adrienne's birthday party at the Ratheskeller

Game night with my family...one of my fondest memories of the winter. This one was EXCEPTIONALLY fun!

Testing testing

2011-04-04T19:32:00.001-04:00

Can you hear me in there? Hello....is this working

A Lot of Food for One Single Gal

2010-11-16T22:48:00.001-05:00

This weekend was a treat. Literally. I got together with 11 of my fellow bloggin' buds this past Saturday for a Freeze-O-Rama fun time! (click the icon to see the whole crew)

You may be asking - as all of my friends and family have already done - what the heck is a Freeze-O-Rama? A genius idea if you ask me. Twelve of us got together to cook masses of food. We were tasked to cook enough food for twelve other people and then share with everyone at the end. I decided to cook a dish I fell in love with this summer. Kale Pesto Pasta. I got the recipe from my friend, Jaimie, (the amazing cook) after I asked her to find an easy kale recipe for me. I had the leafy vegetable coming out of my ears after growing it in the garden this summer. Anyway...back to Saturday.

Because the stovetop was full most of the day, I decided to cook my entire dish in an electric skillet. At first I didn't think this could be done, but don't be fooled folks..it can! and it was!

I first had to cook down the Kale.

Gotta have garlic!

Walnuts - lightly toasted in the skillet.

Then, I blended the kale, walnuts, salt, garlic and parmesan cheese (sort of looked like the rumen of the fistulated cow I saw in my animal science class) sorry if you lost your appetite...

Then it was noodle cookin' time! That's right - in a skillet! Eight boxes in a row.

Finally, I divided it all up into 12 portions!

Even though I don't have an immediate family to feed as most of my fellow bloggers do, I still received all the food from everyone else. It sort of felt like Thanksgiving! Take a look...

Now that's a lot of food for one freezer!!!!

My solution...feed the family I do have in Indy. Aunt Mary, friend Linda, and sister Haley!

I took the food over to Mary's house, and we filled our bellies with fresh shepherds pie, sausage cornbread bake, hamburger soup, kale pesto, and pumpkin muffins. The funny thing is..this didn't even seem to make a dent. I was thankful they helped me and happy to share! As for the rest of the food...

Anyone want to come over for dinner?

___________________________________________

Here is the full recipe:

Pesto
¼- ½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ -2 teaspoons salt
½ pound lacinato kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped (1 medium bunch should do)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Ground black pepper to taste
Whole grain pasta of choice
Add chicken if desired

Toast chopped walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet (such as cast iron) over high heat, stirring constantly until they start to brown and become fragrant. Alternatively, place on a baking sheet and toast at 325 degrees. Keep an eye on nuts – they burn quickly and will get bitter!

Bring about two quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, then add kale. Cook, uncovered, until tender (10 minutes) Remove from pot and drain.

In a blender or food processor, add garlic, walnuts and drained kale and whiz until well combined. Pour in oil in a steady stream, and pulse until combined. Add ½ teaspoon salt, pulse, then taste. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt if necessary.

Spoon pesto into a bowl and stir in cheese and pepper.

For ½ pound pasta, use 2-3 tablespoons pesto. Keeps really well in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

Freeze already-made pasta dishes in glass or plastic baking dishes and cover with aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Makes about one cup of pesto.

Want Some Christmas Cash?

2010-11-15T11:52:00.001-05:00

Hey Friends and Followers! Check out the $35 giveaway hosted by my fellow blogger GalintheMiddle! I know for a poor girl like me, this $35 from csn stores.com will sure help with some Christmas shopping! Happy entering!

Playing in Photoshop

2010-10-24T19:55:00.001-04:00

Here are some photos of my Goddaughter. I have recently learned some neat photoshop tricks thanks to Miss Cris over at Goodeness Gracious and also from Thecoffeeshop blog. I am a new fan of photoshop Actions!

Fun on the Farm

2010-10-21T16:04:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had fun with Maize...

and a Maze...

And so did my sister, Haley!

We were visiting a farm nearby called Kelsay Farms located just south of Indy (check out their site to see a ariel view of their amazing Maize Maze..so SWEEET that they change it every year!) Thanks to the ladies at Two Maids a Milking for allowing us to come share in some fall fun on your farm! I'm so glad we heard about this!

Individually, Haley and I are pretty goofy people to begin with, but get us together and we are one crazy duo. We would prob do anything someone asked us to and if it causes an immature scene, we will probably be even more apt to take part! This is why I love her. We don't need kids to act like kids. Did I mention, I'm glad she is in Indy?

During our time on the farm, we became farmers..

Acted like children...

and hurt our rear ends at the bottom of a slide.

We also wished we were these kids...

If you haven't been to Kelsay Farms, you should probably skip that wedding you have this Saturday and go! The pumpkins, corn maze scavenger hunt, baby calves, pumpkin bowling, corn sandbox, peddle pull contests and straw climbing tower are perfect if you want to pretend you're kids again. They are open every weekend in October, which means only two more weekends to go! So fun!

Over the Edge for Special Olympics

2010-10-19T15:38:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday, I was able to experience a rush of a lifetime! Three weeks prior to Saturday, I decided to try to raise $1,000 for Special Olympics so that I could rappel down the side of a 17-story building. Thanks to the support and donations from friends and family, I was able to raise $1,625 for this wonderful organization! Added Bonus: Rappelling.

Saturday was quite the rush, I must say. I was very nervous as I was eating my breakfast across the street from the building I would soon be rappelling down. I'm glad mom, dad and haley made sure I was always thinking about something else. And thanks Dad for telling the homeless man and other passersby all about how I was going to "jump off" that building in a few hours. haha. When I arrived, the Indy firefighters and rappelling crew first allowed us to rappel off a 3-story parking garage, so we would understand how to work the harness and what to do in case of an emergency. The whole process of staging and getting ready took longer than anticipated, so I had to wait an additional 1 1/2 hours after my original start time. My cheering section stood strong with necks cranked upwards, however, waiting for me to descend. They were great!

My cheering section taking photos

Barnes and Thornburg Building Downtown

When I arrived to the top of the 17-story building, my anticipation was mounting and I just wanted to go! The view was nothing but blue skies and a few other building that were taller than the one I was standing on. They told me there would be a photographer there to take our pictures as we went over, but he was nowhere in sight. I was a little disappointed, but then a staff member checking our names off took out his personal camera and took about 10 pictures of me up on the roof. I was humbled by his willingness to do this and make sure the pictures got to me. I can't wait to see them!

I don't really remember what those firefighters on top of the building were telling me as they were strapping me in. Maybe it was because I was standing a foot away from the edge with nothing but a carabineer attaching me to the roof?? Or maybe because my cheering section, who had seen my red shirt started cheering sooo loud and yelling my name. The firefighters said I had the loudest spectators by far!

So, they had me kneel down and scoot backwards until my feet were hanging over the edge of the building. "Ok Hannah, just fall backwards nice and easy," was all I heard. My heart was racing the entire time, even though I knew I was safe. They had me hooked up with a radio, safety harness, backup cable, and a little seatbelt-like thingy that would catch if you traveled down too fast.

Coming Over the Edge

The building had a 40 inch lip, so they encouraged us not to try and swing towards the building, but to just travel straight down and enjoy the ride. I was a little disappointed I couldn't push myself off the walls (I really wanted to look like one of those professionals, you know!), but it was probably good because, I was able to twist around and get a good view of everything, ground included. It took me about 10 minutes to get down to the ground...safe and sound.

I also put together a video from the day! Click below.

Who's up for it next year?

Deep fried goodness - Just can't get enough

2010-08-24T12:01:00.001-04:00

Last night was a treat! Literally. After a lovely dinner at my friend's, Jaimie and Shauna's, new apartment, conversation led to the State Fair - partly because it has been consuming my life for the past few months. And partly because the fabulous fair food is always a good topic of conversation. The deep fried cookie dough, we agreed, was amazing. Feeling inspired and thanks to recent technology, Shauna's boyfriend, Will, looked up a recipe for deep fried cookie dough on his cellular. We already had the cookie dough - so we needed the "deep fried." Flour? check. Sugar? check. One large egg? check. Baking Soda? check. Club soda? hmmm... Will this work...

Sure! We had all the ingredients, so we were off. Since I was the only one who grew up with a deep fryer in the group, it felt a little like home. Every Sunday growing up, we would cut biscuits into fours, throw them in the fry daddy, and smother them in powdered sugar. I miss those little doughnuts...So this literally made my night!

We rolled the cookie dough into balls and threw them in the freezer.

We made the batter.

Heated up the oil on the stove to 350 degrees. Good thing we had a meat temperature checker!

Into the pan they go!

Look at that oil!!

Top off with powdered sugar. Deep fried goodness. They actually tasted just like Fair!

Some candid photos!

The aftermath....a little gross...but soo worth it!

The recipe:

For the dough, use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and roll into balls.

Batter - we did half this recipe and it made about 16 balls.
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (or 1/4 cup pasteurized eggs)
1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda, plus more if needed
Vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the egg and half the seltzer and whisk well to combine. Add more seltzer as needed until the batter is thick and the consistency of heavy cream.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Dip the chilled dough balls in the batter and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry a few at a time, turning them over from time to time, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm.

Happy cooking!!

Great Prayer

2010-08-18T21:53:00.001-04:00

Heard this today while at the State Fair. 2010 AgriVision Award winner, JoAnn Brouillette repeated it and I really liked it. Thought I would share.

Disturb us, Lord - a prayer by Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

A Japenese cheese KISS and a cup of tea with the executive director

2010-08-16T00:09:00.001-04:00

“Each day begins with a big cup of strong black coffee!” These were the words spoken by Cindy Hoye, Executive Director of the State Fair, after being asked what a typical day looks like when those 17 days of fun are in full swing. I had the special privilege to interview Cindy during my blogging visit to the fairgrounds last Monday. Energetic, humble and fun would be three words to describe this dynamic woman who has been working for the State Fair for the past 23 years.

Her position as executive director is a very important job, yet Cindy transfers the credit of the Fair’s success to those doing the little things to make everything happen. Some of these people include the parking crew, electrical crew, and the busy bee volunteers out there every day making sure the pieces of the puzzle fit together to make the fair happen. “In the grand scheme of things, the front line volunteers and crew are the most important people on these fairgrounds right now,” she says humbly with a sureness that makes you just want to get to know her more!

Right now the fair is being bombarded by pigs of every shape and size, which is appropriate as it is the Year of the Pig this year at the Fair. Cindy looks back to one of her favorite State Fair memories, which ironically involves a couple of these 4-legged beasts….It was a few years back, a couple had just purchased a few hogs at the fair and were driving them off the grounds in the back of their old pickup truck. “I like to say the pigs loved the Fair so much, they didn’t want to leave, because they hopped right off the truck. If you can imagine the expressions of the fairgoers seeing a group of people trying to corral two pigs running around the grounds and Binford Blv., it was definitely a site to see!” They even had the Indianapolis Police Department running after these pigs to get them back on the truck! Now, I wish I could have seen that!

We shared a laugh and then I found out a little bit more about Cindy:

Favorite Fair Food: "Too many! Grilled Cheese, pork ribs, ribeye sandwich.."
Coolest person to meet at the Fair: Morrie Williamson, the man who started the Pioneer Village on the grounds. "He epitimizes what the fair is all about, and still to this day contributes ideas to make the Fair better each year!"
Being a city girl, how did you get involved in agriculture? "I was involved with 4-H as a kid and showed rabbits. After that, I bought a steer and showed him, then got hooked on 4-H and Marion Co. Extension. I'm a 'wanna be' ag person and the fair is a perfect place to live that."
What is your favorite part of your job? "Seeing people - our guests - happy about this place. Recently, I had a woman stop me and ask if I were part of making the fair happen. I answered, yes, and she just thanked me and thanked me for such a great time. This is what it's all about."

...................................
To my pleasant surprise, Cindy told me we would be visiting a few places during the interview! Off we went…

It was fun being “in” with the "cool kids" for one day!

Here are a few of the adventures we went on…

Cheese Sculpture

Cheese sculptor Sarah Kaufman, a friend of Cindy’s who actually stayed with Cindy during her time here, created a 7-foot wide cheese sculpture on site. This is the sixth straight year for the big cheese display.

Japanese Exhibit in the Expo Hall

The new "Bridges to Japan" exhibit in the Grand Hall, shows Indiana State Fair visitors what the Japanese culture is all about, as well as the many agricultural connections between the state and Japan. We had a chance to watch fairgoers take part in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

KISS - Backstage

Cindy took me backstage of Grandstand to see the crew putting together the KISS concert for that Monday evening. It was interesting to see the hospitality room –complete with zebra striped table cloths, the underground production room beneath the stage, and the people who help get the stage ready for a performance.

John Royer (left) the “sound guy” as he referred to himself, has been working for the Fair for 27 years and explained to me the concept of Live Sound Mixing. The two kinds of sound mixing he explained were Front of House, which is the sound the audience hears and Monitor mixing, which is exclusively for the performer's ear. So basically, the audience hears something totally different than the performers. He explained that the monitors can be very selective for the performers. The guitarist may just need to hear the drummer to stay on track, so his monitor is controlled so that he only hears the drummer. The proper monitor mix can minimize time delays on large stages to help synchronize the performance. In addition, the monitor mix can overcome the level of the House (audience) sound which can be confusing for performers to listen to on the stage. Interesting!

Overall, interviewing Cindy was such a great opportunity! I'm so happy she took the time and effort to show me around and go beyond "normal interview style" to give me a deeper look into the makings of the State Fair. Thanks Cindy!

And the winner is...

2010-08-10T21:22:00.002-04:00

...Ndysmom! Ndysmom just won four free state fair tickets off my blog! Congratulations! Please email me your name and address and I will mail them out to you tomorrow. hbrescher@yahoo.com Thanks for participating and thanks again to Indiana Soybean Alliance for providing the state fair tickets.

Stay tuned to read about my off the cuff adventures at the state fair! As a preview:

Thoughts on a Tuesday

2010-08-03T23:34:00.001-04:00

Every other Tuesday, I am blessed to hang out with a really cool group of people. Let’s see…we have two new sets of parents, a retired biochemist, a newly engaged couple, a director of HR for a large grocery chain, an environmental consultant, an ER nurse for a children’s hospital, a painter, a lovely Lithuanian woman who lived in a concentration camp as a baby and an architect. Well…and then there is me.

Thirteen people who randomly showed up at the same information session one day about 2 years ago. We all marked Tuesday as our “day of the week” preference and wahlaaaa....together we still are, two years later!

The group I am speaking of is my church group. Despite our drastic differences in background and age, we all have one important thing in common. We all share a love for our faith.

Tonight was my turn to lead the discussion, and the topic was, in fact, “Faith.” Such a vague word to me at times. I tend to use the word “faith” so often that I don’t take time to really understand what I’m saying. What is faith? A belief in God and heaven, right? Man, I’m deep.

Well, I was determined to think a little deeper this week. Bare with me if you dare.…so, we reflected on the upcoming Sunday readings, Wis 18:6-9; Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 and Lk 12:32-48. A verse that stood out to me tonight was from Hebrews: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Realization? Evidence? These are “present” words. My faith, i.e. belief in Heaven, is focused on the “future”… At first I was a little confused, but then when reading on about Abraham, I realized it all made perfect sense. His faith was so closely linked with his present that he let his faith - his profound trust in God- guide his present. I mean, who takes his own son to the alter for sacrifice, because God told him to? A man with full trust and faith in God. So..my realization…I learned that my faith is calling me to live from a depth of trust that enables me to do what God teaches now in the present. Puts a whole new perspective to “living out my faith.” Light bulb!

Alright, I love a good brain challenge, my brain kinda hurts…here’s a few light-hearted “faith” quotes I picked up during my research...Enjoy!

Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel. ~Author Unknown

Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. ~George Seaton

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. ~Ramona C. Carroll

Want free tickets to the Indiana State Fair?

2010-08-02T09:07:00.001-04:00

Some friends and I are getting ready for Family Fair Days with GOODEness Gracious 'N Friends at the Indiana State Fair! We will be visiting the State Fair and giving you some behind the scenes looks at awesome State Fair activities!

To kick things off right today, the Indiana Soybean Alliance has given me four Indiana State Fair tickets to giveaway on my blog to my readers!

So here is how you enter:

Winner of 4 Indiana State Fair Tickets will be chosen at random on August 10.
Each person is eligible for 2 entries: 1 entry for following this blog and 1 entry for commenting.
Please leave a separate comment below for each entry.
Hop on over to all of the following blogs for multiple chances to win!

2 Maids a Milking
3 Kids and Lots of Pigs
Alarm Clock Wars
A Latte with Ott, A
Beyer Beware
Fence Row to Fence Row
Frugalista Farmlife
Gal in the Middle
Going Jane
GOODEness Gracious
Life is a Highway and Mine’s Surrounded By Corn

The things you learn & RECEIVE at trade shows

2010-07-27T18:49:00.001-04:00

I have been at an agricultural conference in Minneapolis the past couple days (have never traveled to Minnesoooota before - bucket list item -check!) and have had a great time meeting people, eating good food, and listening to great presentations. One cool part about attending conferences such as these is the tradeshows and the FREE stuff that comes along with them. As the economy has gotten worse, many companies are starting to cut many of the freebies given away at tradeshows, however you can still seek out some hidden treasures - not to mention some good information as well. Did I mention - cute boys?

Well first...I arrived to my hotel room and found this on my bed. Lavendar pillow and sheet spray? Do people perfume their sheets now? I'm guessing this helps one fall asleep but I think this may come in handy when I'm too lazy to do laundry.

I had to sign up for a model Case IH tractor to receive this beauty. Not to mention, I talked to the very handsome booth attendant. Too bad I was too chicken to go back after the first encounter. From now on, every time this flashlight helps light my path, his memory will bring a little light to my life.

Everyone needs a good beef-temperature checker.

A snack for later! Yum! These chips are unique in that they are fried in a soybean oil that is high-oleic! What the heck does this mean? Well it's basically a dream for consumers, farmers, and food companies. It's oil with 0 trans fat and a long shelf life, which is important for food companies. Plus...the soybeans used for this oil are straight from our local soybean farmers! This mix doesn't occur very often in oils. Interesting!

(Also note, you won't be able to buy this oil until 2011-2010. It's still in testing stages) http://www.plenish.com/

And...finally...this has got to be - by far - my favorite find of the day. At first glance, I thought - what in the world can I do with a faux credit card looking plastic puzzle piece??

To my surprise, it was not a puzzle piece! It was a jump drive - and it can fit in a billfold! Seriously - coolest thing ever.

2GB on this sucker. Upon opening up this jump drive, I learned a ton about agriculture. Look at this myth/fact I found!

MYTH: Farming in the United States is controlled by large corporations that care about profits and not about animal welfare.

FACT: Of the 2.2 million farms in the United States, 87 percent are owned by an individual or a married couple responsible for operating the farm. If partnerships – typically a parent and one or more children or other close relatives – are added to this total, 97 percent of U.S. farms are family-owned and operated, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Even those farms that are legally corporations are generally family controlled, with USDA reporting only 7,000 non-family-controlled corporate farms in the United States. (source: animalag.org)

Oh the things you learn and find!

Good Tune - Good Advice!

2010-07-20T08:58:00.001-04:00

I recently heard this song by Montgomery Gentry and loved it! Agreed 100%

Life is too short to put it off anymore
You gotta live it before, it's too late
Can't turn that clock back around
On what you’re dreamin about
You better do it now don't wait
Do what they say can’t be done
While you're still young

~Montgomery Gentry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojwd94wqauM

Now I know why he's called the tight end

2010-07-15T22:59:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday was an exciting day for this girl. Dallas Clark, tight end for the Indianapolis Colts, is a spokesperson for one of the programs we implement at work. Check it out...Hoosier Horsepower. AND...He was to make an appearance at one of our events! Many of my coworkers had already had the opportunity to meet him earlier in the year, but since I'm new to my job (7 months - can't believe it's already been that long) I still needed my chance. I'm not one to become star struck and drool all over myself when I see a famous person. But....this was different. Let me explain what happened...

I was waiting at the photo area where Dallas would soon arrive. I waited. We all waited. It became quiet. Dallas walked in. All eyes were on him. We made eye contact. He escaped from his entourage and walked over. I looked at him. He looked at me. I floated on air. He swept me up in his arms. Then we danced together. He was the best dancer. He whispered to me sweet nothings and took my hand in his. Then I grabbed his tight end.

(screeching record) ok ok...actually....As sweet as that may sound, this is how it really went down...

I was waiting at the photo area where Dallas would soon arrive. I waited. We all waited. Dallas walked in. All eyes were on him. A few walked up to him. I waited in the shadows. I inched closer, hoping he'd make eye contact. Not a chance. The photos were taken of Dallas and awestruck fans. I wrote down the fans' names. I ran up to get a picture. He said "yes, the one doing all the work has to have a picture too." I grabbed his waist. I smiled big. He laughed. The picture snapped. I shook his hand. He went on his way.

Needless to say, it was still pretty cool to meet the man who helped lead the Colts to an "almost" Superbowl win with his 100 catches this season. Did I mention he farms? Could he get any better? or better looking?

I don't know how impressed they were with me grabbing both their waists - but I was fine with it. Also pictured is retired U.S. General Wesley Clark. We danced too. He actually polka'd with me.

Super Bowl XLI champs! Vince Lombardi Trophy

My coworker, Shelia and I ran onto the Colts practice field to do some pushups before leaving. She's a hoot!

Due Thanks

2010-07-15T08:57:00.001-04:00

Here is a shout-out to Megan, Cris, Leah and Meggie who have encouraged me enough to get back to blogging. Hope I stick with it this time!

Thanks ladies! Hope you are ready for more off-the-cuff adventures!

Check them out. Their blogs are some of my favorites!

Gal in the Middle
Goodeness Gracious
BeyerBeware
Hoosier Farm Babe

Wordless Wednesday - Cake Attack!

2010-07-14T12:57:00.001-04:00

My first Linkie party!

First Birthday Parties Never Get Old!

You really can't help but laugh!

Wordless Wednesday

Irish Road Bowling

2010-07-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

Back where I'm from, you don't have to go too far for a good drink, a good conversation or just a plain ole' good time. I was reminded of this recently upon a visit home. Mom informed me the neighbors were having a family reunion and would be participating in an Irish road bowling competition. Irish Road Bowling?! Huh? Yep, that's right. All you need is a repurposed canon ball, a few teams of four, and a 2-mile stretch of road. Easy!

This is how it works...

One team starts. Each person on the team takes a turn chucking/rolling/hurling the ball down the road. The more curvey, bumpy, and ditchy the road..the better! The team continues moving with the ball, and each person takes their turns, all the while keeping track of the number of times they have rolled. After two miles, whichever team rolls the least amount of times is the winner!

This sport has actually been around since the 17th century. These days, it's played competitively in Ireland, Boston, New York, Vermont, West Virginia and now...yes...my hometown. I suspect very soon, you will see Indiana added to that list on Wikipedia (search subject: Irish Road Bowling). It was brought here this past year by our town's "fun" committee who traveled to West Virginia to witness for themselves. Beth, pictured below rolling, is on our town's fun committee and was trying it out with bowling balls during their family reunion. We'll call this the very first Irish Road Bowling "Test" Competition.

September 18th marks the very first official competition in our hometown. The County Commissioner (or Commish as we call him) has approved the closing down of a 2-mile stretch of road and sign ups for 50 teams will open very soon. Believe me, when that weekend comes around, I will be ready with a team of four, a rolling cooler and cannon ball ready for some road rage. Let the traditions begin!

Bank Account..closed

2010-06-19T14:55:00.001-04:00

Today was another pitiful (I would call it) stepping stone in my grown up life. It was time. Sigh. After moving to Indy, I had made the decision to keep my hometown checking account open juuuuuust in case I needed to withdraw money when I was home or for an emergency - and I think it was also a subconscience descision to feel like a piece of me still existed at "home."

Who knows--logically the decison was ridiculous...I never used it, and the money was just sitting there idle. I mean, they were spending more sending my parents paper statements every month than I was helping them make. The account became so inactive, they started taking $1 out a month as a service "inactive account" charge. I didn't notice until this month...last time I looked there were $5 more dollars. Like I said...It was time.

So, I marched in and walked away with $11.75 cash and freedom from good ole German American Bank....Growing up, one step at a time. Sometimes, I can't help but shake my head at myself.

Encouragement Needed

2010-06-17T22:55:00.003-04:00

Alright peeps, I need help. Since I've returned from Africa, I feel like nothing in my life is exciting enough to blog about! The same with pictures...I haven't gotten my camera out since! What is wrong with me? I need some motivation to start blogging again... HELP! Anyone? Someone?

Or maybe I just need a free evening to relax. The past two "off the cuff" weeks have been filled up once again. I'm going to document below, so I remember them down the road. If you don't read anything else (and I don't blame you), at least read the last sentence... I received the best news tonight...

Friday June 4 - Thursday June 17
---------------------------------------------

Friday - Ratheskeller with Adrienne to see Blessid Union of Souls. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsovXU9OxVw . Wore some sweet cowboy boots with a dress - totally Miley - and totally not like me to wear a dress to a bar.

Saturday - Vintage Indiana - Wine Festival Downtown. Discovered a great new spiced pumpkin wine from Winzerwald Winery down in Southern Indiana. Saturday night, I traveled to Danville to celebrate my "other Pudue half," Sammy's, graduation..a few Busch lights, mini weenies, and pieces of cake later...

Tuesday - Made African-style dinner for a new friend, Monica, from my church group. We got to know each other and connected both personally and spiritually on so many levels - Thankful for a new friend to share with.

Wednesday - Drinks with the Jasper gals downtown - from now until mid July (when my best bud Adrienne leaves for grad school) we'll be getting together at a unique venue downtown.  Two menu requirements: beer and fried pickles. So far - Scotty's, Slippery Noodle, Creations Cafe..wonder what Kasie is going to pick for next week?

Thursday - Haircut and Congressional Insight at the Statehouse. First time in the House Chambers. Good thing Katie works for Mitch Daniels! Our team got "re-elected!"

Friday thru Sunday - Haley came. Ran the Monon. Were drenched as we arrived at Ratheskeller with Nick, Holly, Creagger and Bart (Best Ratheskeller concoction - Woodchuck and Guiness - TRY IT!) Made an African lunch, although not quite the same as the real deal. Church. Went through videos. Shopping. Trader Joes. Aldis.   Great - relaxing weekend hanging with the sis.

Monday - Dinner and tennis with Mary and Linda. Nope...it was too hot to play tennis, so we watched Bonanza, ate dinner, then watched the storms roll in with hopes of seeing a Tornado. Although, I can't wait to finally swing the tennis racket this summer...hopefully soon.  Returned home and watched the four episodes of Desperate Housewives Aunt Mary taped for me...can we say 2 a.m.? OUCH!

Tuesday - Lunch with Robin! The girl is so full of insight...a snipet of insight over lunch..."We all have a God hole, and we tend to fill that hole with things other than God in hopes they will fulfill us!" Went to bible study on Tuesday night. Daiva and I danced, and we saw baby Emerson for the first time. Michael led the group, and we talked about angels...Do you believe there are angels among us?

....Committed to a sand volleyball team...Another fun thing to add to my summer activities!

Wednesday - Haley had a job interview, so she came to Indy AGAIN. We ran on the Canal Downtown, and then joined Adrienne at Creations Cafe for Wed night drinks- If you haven't tried it, I would highly recommend it! YUM! We then came home and watched Dirty Dancing - on VHS, mind you. Dreamed about Patrick....

Thursday - Lunch with Kristen - a good friend from Disney, Purdue, and now Indy -- found out she is 7 mo. pregnant - We DEF needed to catch up. Drinks with Jeremy (JJ) at Traders Mill Bar and Grill. So good to see him, catch up and receive his famous teddy bear hug. We had a nice talk about grain buying. :) He buys soybeans for a large processing facility in Northern Indiana and sells soybean meal so our Indiana piggies and cows can eat.

and the best news of the day....

EXCITING NEWS! HALEY GOT A JOB TEACHING IN INDIANAPOLIS AND WILL BE LIVING IN THE CITY - JUST LIKE ME!!!!!! EEEEKKKKKSKSSS! She had an interview yesterday and got the offer today- dang girl! Let the off-the-cuff adventures continue!

Meet Haley

Blonde Haired, blue-eyed, strong-willed, hyper-active, bumper and tripper over everything, high-energy, fun-loving, adventure-taking, sugar-craving, kitten-loving, stick-shift driving, daddy’s girl who can get anyone around her to feel energized.

The school my sister fought for

2010-06-06T23:55:00.001-04:00

(To share this story in its entirety, it would have taken the space for a small book and much more "Haley's insight" regarding this specific situation. These words were written from my own limited perspective).

While my sister was in Africa, one of her duties (aside from teaching at a secondary school) was to help out the community by taking part in some special project. They identified a project through conversations with a man, Benedict, from a nearby community, whose vision included further developing a primary school for children and orphans who lived near. Haley and her teammates partnered with the people of the village, empowered them to come together to finish this school, and provided some funding to help with the cost of desks and materials. The village developed a committee whose role was to keep the school going after they left Africa. (Haley explained that the people of the community do have the abilities to develop this school…they just needed a kick start and some creative minds to help start the process). The school was finished with success and the first classes were held – what a great moment for the community to finally have this school for their kids.

To preface the next part of my post, let me describe Benedict for you in a few words. Visionary. Minister. Thief. Money hungry. Power hungry. Dominant personality. Large man.

Because Benedict is a thief and is pocketing much of the money being donated to the school by unknowing beneficiaries, the volunteer crew decided to open a P.O. Box for the teacher, Gardensia, instead, so she could use it not only for personal mail, but for supplies and money sent in from them in the future. This P.O. box was paid for by one of the volunteer’s parents, who came to visit.

Gardensia - The teacher

Benedict became irate with Haley (she was the only one left of the original volunteer crew), because they did not buy him a P.O. box. He called and threatened her not to bring us to see the school or else. After chatting with some people Haley worked with, she decided to take us to see the school anyway. (She is strangely fearless at times, but the only things running through my head were “What!! We are in a foreign country with different laws…why is she risking this!!”) So we went and all was fine. The next day, we left for the morning, and while away, Haley received a phone call from Benedict saying he was waiting for her at the farm. He waited four hours until we returned, so he could speak to her. Talk about a nervous sister right here...I mean...this was the real deal. Not a movie script. Not a fictional book. Here we go...

Haley, Tyler, Jeremy and I arrived to the farm and were introduced to Benedict. My heart was pounding out of my chest…I could not believe how strong Haley appeared in the presence of this angry man. Mamma Betty joined us (She is the mom/owner of the farm who has a heart of gold and is very well respected) and we listened intently to what he had to say. I was ready with my pepper spray about five feet from Benedict, ready to pounce if he tried to do anything to my sister…

This was one of the most emotional conversations I have ever had to witness. It took all I had to stay sitting with my mouth closed for the full hour. I became frustrated when Benedict told Haley she had no right to bring her American ways to this country and do things like this. Africa was different than America. I shared tears with her as he told her he was going to remove Gardensia as a teacher and send all of the donated supplies with her. (And all because he wanted complete control over a P.O. Box.) Haley was strong, passionate, and logical with her words, and back and forth they went as we bystanders stood by...waiting for resolution. Her words were not making an impression and she, feeling desperate because she was leaving in less than 24 hours from a village she grew to love and a people she grew to care so deeply for, turned to Mamma Betty with tear filled eyes – looking for anything she could do or say. Desperation. I was so moved by this and was angry to see what was unfolding.

A community empowered to come together. A school built for a common purpose. Kids who can now go to school and learn. Many hours of hard work. New school supplies and donations. Freshly painted walls. All heading right down the drain, because of ill-willed intentions and the greed of one man. The law didn't matter. The voices of the community would have been stifled. Nothing could have changed the drive of this one man. The school was one phone call away from being back to square one.

Enter the calm, collected Mamma Betty. A true angel. She reached deep in Benedict’s heart and brought him back to reality, all the while teaching us a lesson of forgiveness. Her calm, soft way of speaking sucked me in and it did the same for Benedict. I will try to quote her the best I can from what I remember...

“Benedict, don’t forget the vision. Think about the children. They are the ones that matter. Going through life, we always have those who want to destroy a vision. These obstacles are ones we all have to get through. You have a good heart Benedict. I know your heart and I know you want what’s best for these kids. Don’t think about the other things going on. Think about those kids and what their future looks like…”

There was much more said, but these are some of the words that struck me.

Mamma Betty

I saw a wild lion turn to a gentle kitten in those few moments of speech. The man melted like butter, and asked us all for forgiveness by the time it was over. Gardensia will remain as the teacher, and the school will continue running. Halleluiah. Praise God. After ending the conversation, Mamma Betty invited Benedict to stay for tea and bread. Like I said…a true angel unknowingly teaching forgiveness.

I was so thankful for his submissiveness, not only for Haley’s sake, but for a community and teacher who would now be molding young minds within four strong walls… I was so proud of my sister and will not look at her the same after seeing her tackle this battle – an emotional fight for something so worth fighting for. I can only image how I would have been in that situation....curled up in a ball begging at his feet crying probably!! She's one tough cookie with such confidence, drive and passion. Go Haley Go!

Slow Food - Africa Style

2010-06-04T00:51:00.001-04:00

First off, it's great to be back Blogging again - I feel like it's been ages since I've written, and man what an exciting past couple of weeks. My goal is to describe different aspects of my African Adventure in my next few posts...so I'm starting today. So much to report.... here we go....

So....I've heard quite a bit of talk lately about the slow food movement and the importance of growing your own food and eating local, yada yada, which I think is all fine and dandy if someone chooses to do that. I cultivate a lovely garden myself and you really can't beat fresh lettuce or tomatoes you've had a part in growing. It's the closest thing I have to kids right now. (Clapping! Something I can take care of all by myself!) Apparently this is a new concept to many people - but I, like many of my neighbors and relatives back home, did grow up eating from a garden and collecting eggs and it was just a way of life. Seems this "new concept" has really taken off again...haha. People have really discovered something that is going to change the world...right?! Growing up this way, I understand the work that goes into eating from a garden (and a chicken coop) and I also understand why many people don't have the time, patience or resources to do it anymore. It's hard work, folks. I'm thankful for my ability to grow my own food, but I'm also very thankful for our food system, the choices we have, and the knowledge we have to make the choices we want. This became even more evident after my trip to Africa...Let me describe one very fun full-day event...

A family my sister got to know during her time there invited us over to prepare and eat a meal with them. This was so nice of them to offer, so we kept our bellies empty and our minds open. Let me preface by saying that the whole process of preparing the meal and eating took about 7 hours. We started at 4 p.m. and finished eating at 11 p.m. It was honestly one of the most memorable parts of my trip. Africans are currently living the slow food movement -- growing majority of their diet and buying minimal ingredients to accompany. The foods are limited and include flour, rice, kale, beans, corn, fresh fruits, eggs, cabbage and chicken (on special occasions). Some special food is grown occasionally, but the above list about covers it...hence our dinner on this night! ok..now for the pictures...

Here is the hen that gave its life so we could be nourished. Haley bought this hen alive for $7. Yes, chickens are very expensive to buy and eat in Africa, and they don't come shrink wrapped. Their eggs are a valuable nutrition source too.

If you want chicken, you have to kill it yourself.....as you can see, slow food is not easy. Not gonna lie, my heart was racing at this point. I'm not a heartless person at all and love animals, but I believe some animals are God's food sources for man's nourishment. There is a certain sense of respect you gain when you kill your own food.

De-feathering. Notice the women are doing the work and the boys were behind the camera. I tell ya...

Nangella helped me butcher and keep the edible parts of the coo coo (chicken in swahilli). This included the head, feet, back and eggs. It is considered rude if the woman of the house is not allowed the honor of cooking for her guests and her family. Before this point, we had to wait for Nangella to arrive before cutting up the chicken.

Ready to be cooked over the fire!

Haley rolling and preparing dough for Chapatis. These are an african favorite made with flour, water and oil. Chapatis are considered to be a special treat due to the use of vegetable oil, which is very expensive.

Chapatis cooking after being rolled out.

Then we milked a cow for the milk to use with tea for dessert. Each family owned a couple cows for milk.

My version of bull riding - african style.

Haley cut down some bananas from their trees in the back yard.

Our stove. My chicken is in that pot. We constantly fed and blew the fire to maintain a strong flame. There's no leaving this oven!

A top view of Sarah in the kitchen. She is working the Ugali, which is a flour and water mixture. You also see rice and kale here. The cooking process reminded me of camping, but much more complex.

We all sat down to eat together. In reality, it was really dark in here. They lit the table with a lantern. We couldn't really see what we were eating, but MAN WAS IT YUMMY!

Chicken, Chapati, Ugali and Rice

The cooks. Nothing like dirty feet after a long day of cooking and eating.

During our time cooking and talking, I learned so much about living, preparing food, and eating the African way. This was a great experience I was glad to have been a part of. I'm not going to lie, eating this way is a lot of work that I prob would not want to do every day, but was definitely well worth it in the end. The companionship we gained while preparing the meal together and then sharing it as family and friends could not be beat. Now that I'm back in America, I'm secretly glad I don't have to kill my own chicken to eat it and I'm glad I'm not confined to the few staple foods I grow myself. Let's see, that would mean my diet would consist of tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, kale, and onions....I'd be getting really creative real fast! As for those people who want to grow and eat all their own food...all I have to say is...Good luck!!

All my bags are packed...

2010-05-12T23:43:00.001-04:00

Well, the time has come! In two days, I will be stepping out of a jet plane onto the real African Plains for quite the adventure. Not only will I be able to check another item off the bucket list (granted I do make it back), I will also get to see my sister, who I haven’t seen for nine weeks. Can you find her among the students?

She has been student teaching life skills at a secondary school in a small village in Kenya called Kabula. Google it – I think the population is under 100. Three of us will be traveling two days to visit her. When we finally get to the village, we will hang out, work, cook, play for three days, then travel to Nairobi to go on safari in the Masai Mara. Her stories along with pictures and phone conversations have had me on the edge of my seat for quite some time, and I can’t wait for it all to officially begin (I could say it began on the day of my shots. OUCH!)

Right now, I am taking a break from packing to update my blog before I leave. I will not have access to internet while I’m there, so this will be the last post for a couple weeks. One task Haley has placed we American travelers with is collecting and packing the donations she could not fit in her bag when she left. Along the way, we have collected others to bring with us as well. I am blessed to have friends and coworkers with the biggest hearts! Their giving nature and attitudes cannot be beat. When I asked for a few shirts - they gave bags full. When I asked for a few pens and pencils - they gave their entire-life-collections. I have already stuffed one large bag with clothes and still have notebooks, pens, pencils and more clothes donations to pack in one other. Hopefully Jeremy and Tyler – my travel mates – will have more room too! Here are some of the items I’m taking!

Pens and pencils. During school, the kids go through a pencil every two days. They do not have text books, so they hand write everything.

Notebooks. These are the empty text books they write themselves.

Clothes. Many families are too poor to buy their own clothing. Majority of families make their own clothes or rely on donations. Look at the clothes below. ISU college FACs students sewed dresses for the kids in the village.

There is a picture of the student seamstress who made it in the front pocket. Such a great idea!

Paperback books are like gold over there.

Haley also asked me to bring marshmallows, pumpkin seeds, pudding, mac and cheese, pancake mix, beef jerky, and cigars. These are unique gifts that cannot be found in Africa.

And now for some of MY essentials!

Toilet paper. Where I am going, no one – except the American volunteers – use toilet paper. This is a necessity for we travelers who don’t feel quite right using our left hands.

Malaria meds. Those mosquitoes can be vicious. Gotta be ready!

The Megan "plane ride" essentials. My coworker, Megan hooked me up with a mosquito net, crossword puzzles, fiber bars, and an electronic fan. (and I cant forget the parachute safari animals!)

The Jane essentials. Jane hooked me up with a travel bag, chapstick and another VERY important item...

Shelia essentials. Shelia hooked me up with pencils, candy and gum. I will only be sharing half a stick though - total Shelia style. Let me not forget, Shelia's daughter, who generously donated her entire pencil donation to these kidos. Thanks Alexandra!

Kwaheri (Goodbye in Swahili) for now friends!

Half Marathon..Check!

2010-05-08T22:42:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I was able to check one more thing off my bucket list. I successfully completed 13.1 miles of glory bright and early this morning. The Indianapolis Mini Marathon - the largest half marathon in the country - brings over 40,000 runners to take over the streets of Indianapolis (and the Speedway track) as the city gears up for its Indy 500. And I was one of them. I finished in 2 hours and 22 minutes. And by the way, I am NOT a runner. Before the training, I had not run more than 3 miles at a time in my life, so this was quite an accomplishment. And believe me, if I can do this, anyone can do it. Like I said...I am NOT a runner..and neither my knees nor my toenails think so either. I will probably lose both of them as a direct result of this race.

The people running along side of me, even though strangers, kept me going. They were an inspriration in itself and watching them helped me keep going...runners pushing wheelchairs, runners in their 70s, runners with disabilities. It was amazing to see them all. The moments of this morning will be stuck in memory, but it would have been nice to capture a few other things with the Nikon...

1) The sweatshirts thrown off in piles on the side of the track. Runners start off running with them and strip them off when they get too hot. I found out later, that volunteers will pick up the shirts afterwards and give them to a charity.

2)The mass amounts of people running in front of me and behind. At some points during the race, I would look ahead and just smile and shake my head in disbelief at the MASSIVE amounts of people in this race. Wow! No word to describe.

3) The 50 year old woman pushing another woman in a wheelchair..while running!   or the few 70+ year olds and the runners who complimented them on the way. Simple pats on the back and "way to gos" were heard quite often - stranger to stranger

4)  The runners coming onto the speedway track as we were leaving the track and vice versa. Another reminder of the amount of people running this race.

5) The thousands of cups thrown on the ground after runners took a quick drink. This is the one time, I felt ok about throwing my cup on the ground if necessary.

6) The local bands and entertainment lining the streets. Over 80 bands came out to entertain the runners as we passed. Many hand claps, fist pumps and YMCA dances happened during my race.

Here are some moments I was able to capture this morning. Thanks goes to my mom, who also helped me capture many of these.

My Supplies

Traffic from 40,000 people = insane!

Bananas at the finish line!

Official

Getting ready to kick this mini in its rear!

The runners

I finished!

The sign Jaimie and Robin made

Hometown peeps, Kasie, Phil and Mark..all finished!

I think I deserved the pimp cup tonight

Two thoughts on a Tuesday

2010-05-04T23:17:00.001-04:00

My grandpa once told me that when I recieve something meaningful, be sure to share it with others, so they can receive the same joy/knowledge too. Tonight at bible study, two statements stuck out to me...

...One person decided to bring up the age-old debate of free-will vs. predestination. yay! (with a little sarcasm thrown in). The discussion became more argumentative....as one would suspect. Chiming in, one gal said what needed to be said quite clearly, "Act as if it's up to you, pray as if it's up to God and you'll be covered." Amen Sister! I loved it - and so did everyone else!

...When discussing the responsibilities of being a disciple and responding to our calling, a kind man in our group said something that struck me...he said, "We go through life accepting the gifts and abilities He gives us, but sometimes we forget to say thank you - And thanking Him means using those abilities for the reasons He gave them to you in the first place." very well put and a point well taken.

Some may complain..others will improvise

2010-05-03T22:07:00.001-04:00

The run tonight was going to be perfect. Jaimie was free to run. The weather was PERFECT all day. Three miles was the simple goal. One mile in. The storm clouds roll in. The drops fall. They fall harder. We laughed, took some pictures (yes since blogging, I have been Nerdo with a camera) and finished our run despite the rain. We were thankful we started when it was sunny. We probably would have never taken the first step if it were storming, which means we wouldn't have had that great talk tonight...it was a much-needed one too!

Storm's-a-comin!

And it's here!

After the run, I was starving and excited to get home and make a nice supper (yes I call it supper, not dinner. In my book, "dinner" means "supper where you have to dress up").

Let me preface supper real quick. My refigerator may not be stocked at all times (hardly ever), but if nothing else, I am guaranteed to have spaghetti sauce in that fridge. And if it's not in the fridge, there is a spare jar in the cabinet. Guaranteed. period. exclamation point. Spaghetti is one of my favorites, because it's so EASY, hence why I stock up every time I go to Aldis.

Well, don't you just hate when you start cooking part of the meal, run to get that special ingredient and then realize it is nowhere to be found? Well, that happened to me tonight. No spaghetti sauce. Rats! And the noodles were half done. What to do, what to do? I could make butter noodles...nahhh...so I dug around. Thank goodness for 6-month-old past purchases! In my pantry I found diced tomatoes...hmmm. I also had chopped onions left over from pizza night....and...the chef hat goes on. I started cooking the tomatoes, added the onion, some garlic, italian seasoning, hot sauce and basil...

...completed it with parm cheese.....and Walaaah!

I'm going to toot my own horn a little bit, since you can't taste this for yourself - man it was GOOD!

Cooking off the cuff and impressing myself once again.

"Beware of those who stand aloof

And greet each venture with reproof

The world would stop if things were run

By men who say, "It can't be done."

now...on to this mini marathon in 5 days.... :(

Ten things I learned this weekend

2010-05-02T22:32:00.001-04:00

1. There is no need to carry pepper spray with you when running at dusk in the country. The only culprits you find are....

2. Grandma's molasses cookies are always worth the extra calories.

3. Mom will always be a better cook than me no matter how hard I try (see..Mo thinks so too).

4. Andrea can, indeed, cook....and Saturday morning it was coffee and muffins. So proud.

5. Beer tastes just as good in the morning - especially when it's freshly tapped at Andrea's house.

6. Even on dreary, rainy days, mom's flowers are beautiful.

7. According to my dog, Mo, dead squirrels on the side of the road are definitely worth dragging two miles home during a seven mile run (I'll spare you the squirrel).

8. Mustard weed covering a field is pretty even if it is just a weed.

9. Dave Ramsey is a lifesaver. My April budget left me with a chunk of cash to put towards my college loan debt. Over the course of the class, I have paid off about 1/5 of my college debt. Baby steps ya'll!

10. Something I often forget - Giving is one of the most important things you can do in your life.

Two women and a charcoal grill

2010-05-02T00:44:00.001-04:00

Dad was heading out for the night, leaving mom and I to cook together and eat a yummy dinner together. Our goal - beef kabobs on the grill. Mom and I are very capable women, so we could handle it.

Dad, anticipating a wrong move, kindly pulled the grill out of the garage, filled it with charcoal, set out the lighter fluid, and gave us strict grill instructions before driving away for his stag party.

Why do men think we women are incapable of grilling? I just don’t get it. I always hear men saying things like, “Yeah, I can grill a meaaann steak” or “Grilling is the man’s job, ho ho ho,” or “You gotta have that charcoal juuust right.” Ok, boys, just so you know – we know your secrets. And today, I’m going to reveal them to all my fellow women followers. Listen up girls, because this man-only knowledge is rarely revealed and it’s also quite technical...

First, find yourself a nice charcoal grill

Second, open the lighter fluid (this is a CRUCIAL step – some men can’t even figure this out)

Third, pour lighter fluid on the charcoal (no rhyme of reason. The more fluid the bigger the flame)

Fourth, light the charcoal with a match

Fifth, wait until it turns white (we do know what white looks like guys)

Sixth, lay the food (usually prepared and seasoned by the wife, girlfriend or butcher) on the grill. And yes, it will be OK if you open the lid a time or two to check on it while it's cooking. This does not ruin the meat.

Seventh, when it's done cooking, take the food off the grill

Eighth, eat the food

Mom and I figured out these secrets without a hitch and lemme tell ya, these were the meanest kabobs I’ve ever had! Try for yourself:

Sweet Soy Marinade

Soy Sauce – 1/3 cup
Granulated Sugar – 2 tbsp

Cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce – 1tbsp

Garlic clove, minced - 1

Red wine vinegar – 1 ½ tbsp

Pepper – 1/8 tsp

Beef steak cut into cubes.

Use the veggies you like best. We used: Zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and red peppers.

Combine the first 7 ingredients. This makes around ½ cup of marinade for the meat. Soak meat for around 30 min. (We did 6 hours for ultimate yumminess!)

Throw ‘em on a skewer, throw ‘em on the grill, brush the remaining marinade on the skewers and enjoy!

....It is pretty close to rocket science, but I think we ladies can handle it.

What are you excited about?

2010-04-29T23:22:00.001-04:00

On Monday this week, Robin, Jaimie, Shauna and I had a girls dinner, which occurs monthly at Robin's house. We cook unique meals with unique food - food that usually involves ingredients I have never heard of before. First off...

Meet Robin

Brown haired, brown eyed, God-seeking, travel junkying, book reading, beautiful singing, salsa dancing, event planning, always smiling, excited-voice screeching gal who's always warm and inviting no matter what. I look up to her for so many reasons, but especially for her unwavering faith and strong marriage. Been friends for 3 years.

This month, we had a Jamaican style dinner complete with jerk chicken, rice and peas (kidney beans), and mango salsa....

We always have a great time talking about life, work, and faith. One thing Robin never fails to ask us every month is, "What are you most excited about if your life right now?" The first time she asked me this, I was caught off guard, because, well, I've never really thought too deeply about what I'm excited about at any given moment. I appreciate this question though, because it gives me the opportunity (at least once during the month) to really think about what excites me - and it also challenges me to look at moments with a different attitude. Have you thought about it lately? What are you most excited about right now in your life? Something to think about at least!

This week for me, I am really excited about heading home for the weekend. I haven't seen my family since Easter, and I do cherish every time I go home. I am a country gal and any excuse to get back there, I'm all over it. I'm excited to see my parents and grandma. Excited to have coffee with two wonderful ladies Saturday morning. Excited to see mom's spring flowers blooming. Excited to see the farmers out planting in the fields. And excited to run 10 miles on the hilly country roads to see if I can really do it - Cross your fingers for me.

I'm in need of a relaxing weekend, because I have had one busy but FUN week. Wanna see?

Monday
Girls dinner as mentioned.

Tuesday
Miley movie with my friend, JE. I'm not a big fan of chick flicks, but I took one for the team, and it ended up being pretty decent.

Wednesday
Dinner and hanging out with Aunt Mary and her roomie, Linda (I will introduce Linda later). I am fortunate to have an aunt who lives in Indy...the one aunt who got away from "The Hometown." The rest of my family (minus some cousins) still lives in The Hometown. Anyway, Mary is more like a sister to me, even though she is almost___years old (Mary, I didn't type it!) We hang out often, run together, cook together, play tennis, etc. Yesterday, she introduced me to Glee, and I think I'm in love. Great show. To put it simply, she is great!

Meet Aunt Mary

Brown hair, blue eyed, motorcycle riding, meatloaf cooking, tennis playing, road running, mail-carrying, dog-loving, sports loving, outgoing, farmville-obsessing, ant-hating aunt who is the kindest and most giving person you will ever meet. I look up to her for the humble kindness and giving attitude. She has been my aunt for 25 years.

Thursday
I got my final shot for Africa! Yellow Fever--and as of 10 hours later, no side effects! Remember, this was the nasty one my regular doc wouldn't give me. Thankfully, I survived -even though it HURT! phheeww! Next feat--the 16 hours worth of plane rides! Only two weeks till take off!

Now, I am sitting on the couch of my friends, Danielle and Jeff, babysitting for their four babies. You never know where this off-the-cuff life will lead! Tonight it's in a king size bed complete with...

Levi

Gus

Josie

AND...

Kitchy

Goodnight!

The list is published!

2010-04-29T01:19:00.002-04:00

I found my list - Finally! Check it out.

Indypendent living means 450 sq ft.

2010-04-27T00:54:00.001-04:00

I live alone. I live in a studio. I love it. I can honestly say I probably will never have another roommate again...unless I make it down the aisle one day. Right now the only aisle I'm walking down is the grocery aisle, so unless that changes, nope, nein, natta.

I've been asked several times why I am so adamant about living alone. It's not that I'm unsocial or that I've had bad roommate experiences. I actually had the BEST college roommates and we had thousands of off-the-wall good times--ohh the memories...

But there came a point when I just wanted to do my own thing and I didn't want to worry about making other people happy.... I don't have or desire cable, I don't clean my dishes every day, I want to stay up till midnight with the music blaring and not feel bad, I want to feel responsible for my own mess, I want to decorate the fridge how I want it, I'd rather use windows than air conditioning, I need room in the fridge for my Busch Light, I don't find it necessary to own new fancy furniture at this point in my life, and I just want a place to get away and take a breather from my off-the-cuff life.

So, now I'm living economy style. My parents came up to visit when I moved in and I excitedly offered dad a tour. He walked in, stood in the middle of the living room/bedroom floor, spread his arms apart and spun around in a circle proclaiming, "Wow, that was a nice tour." Well, you all are in for a treat here tonight. Here is my 360 degree tour!

The washer and dryer are hidden behind the curtain.

All furniture and decor you see here was either free, homemade or from a thrift store.

Behind closed doors. Literally every crevice of my apartment is stuffed to the brim.

Notice the VCR player -Rock on

This is where I hit snooze 10-15 times every morning.

The guest bed / couch/ desk/ dining room table

And now for some elements that make my studio more like home...

Glass bowl made by a friend

Homemade Pillows!

Rule of thumb: If the dust doesn't show up until a close up photo is taken, it's not really there.

Love my Indiana Wines

When all crevices have been filled, the corners come next

Boots and Tennis shoes - must haves for any girl

One of my favorite photos with my highschool peeps.

Now, don't come steal all my cool stuff!

Corn, kids, dirt and Bratwursts!

2010-04-26T00:31:00.001-04:00

This Saturday was a real treat.
Morning
Earth day was celebrated in Indianapolis and I had the fun opportunity to help out in the kids tent or "adults who wanted to be kids" tent. Our group taught kids the difference between sweet corn and field corn while helping them plant sweet corn into Cow Pots.

To kids: "Can you guess what these pots are made out of?"

Response: "Paper!?, seeds?! dirt?! woodchips?!"

Guess again kids - they're made out of cow manure! EWWW was the response heard over and over. We even had a few kids and adults throw down the pot and walk away appalled. C'mon people -it's just reprocessed grass, hay and corn! Added bonus: no waste when replanting the seed. Just plant the whole pot and the manure acts as a natural fertilizer. Magic!

Most people loved the poo and kept on planting! Here are some commemorative poooo pictures!

Hey Indy Folks, look for single sweet corn stalks growing in a garden near you!

Evening

A shower was taken and fingernails cleaned - not that I minded. Any excuse to get dirty is fine by me (if you really call this dirty). Guess you have to clean up to go out in Indy. Back home, you just show up and drink up. period.

My good friend, Andrea, was in town for the night to celebrate her birthday - 25 big ones. Destination: Rathskeller

Meet Andrea

Brown haired, brown eyed, independent, Dads-root-beer-owning, world-traveling, business-school-graduating, golf-playing, fast-shower-taking, home-owning, beer-drinking cat lady who moved back to Jasper to sell some Dad's! How long have we been friends: 15 years.

Meet Heather

Brown haired, hazel eyed, teeth-cleaning, spazzer-outer, money saving, book-reading, marathon-running, textbook-studying, wine drinking IUPUI dental student who I don't see as often as I should. We live 2 streets apart for crying out loud!

The Rathskeller downtown is one place we like to hang our hat in the summer time. The outdoor Bier Garten and live polka music can't be beat..and neither can the Bratwursts!

Love at first sight

We had a great time taking all sorts of pictures

Laughing Pictures:

Awkward Pictures

...and Smiling Pictures (Good news! All of my friends do own normal facial expressions)

The Jasper buds are the best. Been friends with these three for the past 15 years- Now who can say that?! So Blessed!

Ginger Tea with a Side of Pizza

2010-04-25T02:01:00.001-04:00

I've often felt lucky to have such good peeps in my life. Since moving to Indy, I've been fortunate to keep friends I had made over the years and also make new ones as I rumble along. I will be blogging about them often, so let me introduce a few before I talk about tea and pizza.

Meet Adrienne (or Adrin)

Brown haired blue-eyed, thigh dancing, strassenfest-loving, fiber-craving, long-time-going-to-bed-getting-readier, fellow-beer-drinking, health nut who always makes sure I eat a good breakfast--and if I only eat fruit and yogurt--that's not good enough! How long have we been friends: 15 years

Meet Jaimie (you met her earlier)

Blonde haired, blue-eyed, God-loving, allergy-prone, creative detail-oriented, iphone-loving, monkey-face making, heckofanAmazing cook and tax whiz who will do anything for anyone and always go out of her way to serve others. How long have we been friends: 1 year, 8 months.

Meet Shauna (or Bacon bit)

Blonde hair, brown eyed, family-loving, witty-pun-making, bottled-water-drinking, church-going, long-distance-running, swim-lesson-teaching, Saturday-grocery-store-shopping, hopeless romantic who loves to parallel park...My one goal is to see her tipsy at least one time in my life.

How long have we been friends: 2 years

Thursday was our monthly pizza-making girls night. A night where we make homemade pizzas, drink bottled water, drink wine, drink tea and then pee like racehorses.

Lemme tell you more about this tea. It is utterly amazing! and I recommend you make it right away and never look back, because it's the best thing since barbq sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

the juice of 1 lemon or lime

inch of ginger grated (i like to put it in a garlic press)

Mix together in a pot and heat on stove for about 7-10 minutes. Add water to dilute.

Drink it without diluting and it coats the throat if you have a sore one.

This is also a great cure for an oncoming cold. Why?

Well, you probably know that lemon is high in Vitamin C. It is also full of phytochemicals. These are plant constituents that help boost the immune system and much more. Ginger and honey are also well documented to help the immune system. (I wish I could admit that these fun facts came off the top of my head, but no, I found them using Google, another good friend.) Adrin however, would probably know these off the top of her head.

Thursday evening we tried lime instead of lemon and prob talked about how good it was for 15 minutes. Yes, we lead an exciting life.

I thought bucket lists were supposed to be fun!

2010-04-21T22:46:00.001-04:00

I'll admit, I'm a wuss when it comes to a few things. Two of those include:

running long distances

and getting shots

Today I had the joy of experiencing both. Nine miles and three shots later, I'm sitting in my living room/bedroom with sore arms, sore knees, and more relief than...I won't go there. Relief that I'm one step closer to my trip to Africa (hold out on me Eyjafjallajökull!). Relief that I'm one step closer to finishing this mini marathon. And relief that I'm one step closer to tomorrow! Two bucket list items..Africa. Mini-marathon.check.check. Is there really need for this much pain though?

I tend to think the worst when it comes to shots, so today the thoughts entering my mind were, "Yes, I'm going to be the 1 person out of 25 million that have the crazy side effect" and "I'm going to be the first person to have some never-before seen side effect." and "It's going to happen while I'm running alone, and I'm going to die right there mid-mile as bigboy rides by on his segway." YIKES

So I get into the exam room and finally had my mind "clear," when my doc goes on to tell me she won't administer the yellow fever vaccine because it is a nasty one. NASTY! What!? She goes on to tell me that the side effects are significant, so they'd rather not. Good grief..looking forward to getting that one now. Co-workers, friends...I may REALLY need someone to come with me to hold my hand!

Thankfully, my good friend Jaimie came to my rescue and helped me survive. I am convinced I am going to need someone to talk to while I'm running my 13.1 miles on May 8. I felt like this hour and half tonight went so fast thanks to her. So grateful for good friends who can help keep your mind off the tough tasks at hand and tonight, the pain right above the hands...

Don't you have enough to do?

2010-04-21T21:44:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is. My official first post..that is, if you don't count "test." I attended a blogging workshop on Tuesday with the mindset of.. Nope, won't get into this sort of thing. I simply don't have time. It would be just one more thing to add to my already-full plate. I guess the instructors were THAT good, because now I've been sucked in. I feel like the victim of a telemarketer up to his dirty tricks. We'll see how long this lasts. I stayed up late last night to finish my blog theme, so my goal is one month, then I'll look back-analyze-and.... In all honesty, I'm pretty excited about this for a few reasons.

1. This is the creative outlet I've been dreaming of. Finally a place I can combine my love of design and writing. I tell myself again and again I've got to take time in my personal life to let the juices flow. I pounced.

2. I'll make Leah happy as a little lark.

3. This will serve me well as the Great Hannah History Book. My grandma writes down everything she does on a daily basis. This is my attempt to follow in her footsteps - she's a smart lady, so I'm copying. This will be the way I remember my daily adventures..I'm 25 and can't seem to remember what I did last night. Maybe I need to try eating organic food. It helps the long and short term memory, right?

4. I'm going to open this blog up to those I am close to, so they can check up on me every now and then. Not that I'm anyone special -- except to my mom of course -- but maybe I'll be able to cut down on the phone minutes. Just kidding. Nothing beats a good phone conversation.

If you want to stay up with my rumblings--here it is folks. If not, you're probably smart!

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2010-04-20T13:39:00.001-04:00

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