Monday, June 28, 2010

Dental care package overload


This is the care package I got from the dentist today.
My teeth are pretty good but I had some sensitivity on one side so we're playing it safe with the Sensodyne kids...

I'll never have to buy toothpaste again at this rate!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Chef Tricia strikes back!

I'm not known for being too handy in the kitchen...not that I'm bad at cooking but I just don't do it enough to be completely comfortable with it. So from now on, I'm committing to cooking dinner every Sunday night (unless I'm on vacation or something). I will post the results here so you know I'm actually meeting my commitment. :P

It helps that my house gets a share of a CSA (community supported agriculture) so every Thursday we get a box of fruits and veggies from a local farm shipped to our door. I saw that we had a kohlrabi in the fridge so I looked up a recipe in my handy dandy "Simply in Season" cook book and made this:



It required a lot of prep work with the veggie cutting but it was fairly simple to make. It was really tasty and made me feel like I had my face in a garden while eating it.

Oh, and the real achievement of the night was that I managed to clean the kitchen at the same time:


Two points for chef Tricia!

So, here's the recipe in case you might want to try it out for yourself... I kind of doubled the recipe, but still found it made more like 4 huge servings with the rice... so I'd say their serving size is on the smallish side. PS - get the Simply in Season cookbook if you get a CSA or have a garden or are adventurous at the Farmer's Market...it's the awesome!

Kohlrabi with Peas and Potato
(serves "4")
............................................................
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
In a large pot, sauté in 1 TB oil about 3-4 minutes.

1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Add and stir-fry for about 30 sec.

1 cup kohlrabi bulbs (peeled and chopped)
1 cup potatoes (peeled and chopped)
Add and stir briefly

1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Add; bring to a boil then simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 15 min.

kohlrabi leaves (finely chopped)
Add and simmer 8-10 min.

1/2 cup peas
Stir in and cook until peas are done. Serve over rice.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

My finished tattoo


I'm not sure why this is showing up so small.

Anyway, here it is - the finished design that took 5 1/2 years from conception to completion. It may require a few more tweaks or touch ups but for all intents and purposes...it's done.

The words "Remain in my love" come from John 15 where Jesus tells his disciples that he is the vine and they are the branches.

The basic idea is to remind myself that my identity is rooted in God's love and my ability to love others stems from that First Love. Also that real love is often painful (like the tattoo itself) - that's why there are thorns - but still worth it. The wilted flower petals also remind me that I'm not supposed to have it all together, but God uses me in my weakness...and the idea that God became weak (human) to show his love for the world. I firmly believe that we relate more to each other as humans in our weakness rather than in our strength.

Two weeks until its fully healed. Thanks to Doug for his beautiful work! :)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Finishing my tattoo!


I'm finally getting around to finishing my tattoo! I got my hearts on my wrists and both feet a year and a half ago, and the heart on my right wrist was originally part of a bigger design of a flower and vine that wraps around my wrist. When it came time to get the tat, I balked at the idea of putting so much ink on myself at first, so the multiple hearts idea came to mind. Now I sometimes forget I have them!

So later on Friday I'll be heading over to Doug's shop to get it finished. The design was originally conceived back in 2005 after college...so it's about a 5 year endeavor!

I'll post the "after" pic as soon as I can get the bandage off. :)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Rainbow

I was lucky to get a shot of this out of the window after our rained-out softball game (and post-visit to the Sharp Edge):



It was one of those times where after the storm, the sun comes out, but the sky is still really gray. The late sun on the buildings created a really great contrast with the darkness of the sky. And there was a rainbow too.

This image doesn't really do it justice.

I think life can be like this too. During a storm, everything can be very confusing and tumultuous (yes I used that word). Afterward, there can be a rainbow, promises of new life to come. Things become clearer after a great struggle. The things that we took for granted before, now become brighter and more precious than ever.

Just be patient...all storms will eventually pass and leave behind something better in its wake.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Retro - Softball

I didn't take any pictures today so I took one of when I was playing softball in college (since I have softball on the brain lately...I'm in a Rec league this summer!).


This isn't the the best shot - I look like I'm demonstrating how my face would look like if I had no teeth - but I picked it because you can see the glove I had. It's the black Rawlings glove I had though high school and college.

One day I just realized that it was gone. I think I left it on this field while playing a pick up game between the softball team and Chatham staff in the off-season, but I never saw it again after I think my freshmen or sophomore year. I had to get another glove, which is fine, but I just loved that glove. It took years of good memories with it.

After 5 years of not playing, I'm just excited to get back into it. Time to make new memories.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day

Taking a break from my foot motif and to talk about... my dad!



(he doesn't get the "internets" so he probably won't see this. Maybe I'll print it out for him? We'll see...)

One thing about my dad, he hates being in pictures, which is why I was proud to get this sneaky shot of him and myself at a family 4th of July thing two years ago. He's looking pretty content in this picture, probably because he's on his second Yuengling by then.

My dad and I don't always see eye-to-eye (which father/daughter relationship does?), but here are a few things I really appreciate about my dad:

* his snarky sense of humor. It also can be a little too much at times but I have to say I got my sense of humor from my dad (sorry mom).

* the idea that working hard is a good thing. He's put in some hard work to help get my brother and I through school and the like. I may not always agree that hard work is the number one thing in life, but it's an ethic I respect and (I hope) strive for.

* he's influenced my love of Rock 'n Roll.... ROCK! My love for complicated guitar solos and crazy 80's hair bands comes from this guy.

* his "passion" for current events and the political arena. I certainly don't agree with all he says, and though much of his political discourse involves complaining about those idiots in Washington, I'm glad that he cares enough to get angry at the people running our country. It's better than the alternative which is being aloof and apathetic or just mute about it.

* he may have strong opinions, but I'm glad we can talk about them at this point in my adult life and I'm glad that he tells me he loves me whenever we talk on the phone.

Fun fact: Dad drives me absolutely nuts when he flips through the TV channels like a maniac, but if I start tickling he feet he'll eventually fall asleep on whatever channel he's currently on. :)

Love you Dad.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Thursday, June 17, 2010

New blog focus - (mostly) daily picture or video of the day.

I've been pretty dormant on this thing so I've decided to start a new focus on this blog. In order to get myself to snap more pictures and video, I'm going to start carrying my camera around every day and try to take something interesting, then post it here. It could be with a story or poem or just a short caption, but it's just something to make myself do daily so I can exercise the creative side of my brain.

Unfortunately, internet service seems to be currently down at my house, so I'll have to do this before or after work.

Today's picture was actually taken yesterday (so sue me):



I left work for a late lunch, and then just kept walking. I needed some time to decompress/think/pray. So I found this rock by the river and listened to the wind and watched the movement of the water. I think I actually sensed God's presence for the first time in a long while. Not just cerebrally in my head, but in my heart and spirit. It's kind of hard to describe.

I'll need to do this more often.