Most Wonderful Time

Well, friends, it has been too long since I have blogged here. I've found reasons to be busy, as well as a full week being sick with the worst virus I've ever had, plus reliving an ear infection from childhood past. I'm glad that's over--and just in time for my favorite season of all--Advent.

In the past few weeks, we've found a church to call home. It's a United Church of Christ, which has many familiar pieces to Baptists while being very distinct. The pastors of the church are equally gifted and creative. I've learned a lot in the four services we've been to thus far, and I am looking forward to celebrating Advent with them.

This part of a confessional prayer struck a chord with me, especially as I have been waiting for my ear to clear up so that I can hear properly again:

"Creator God, we confess we can be an impatient people used to expecting instant delivery. At times we forget how waiting can give birth to a needed patience and greater appreciation of our many blessings. Heal and forgive us, we pray."

Also, we stated together this confession of faith (which other weeks has been a creed, such as the Nicene creed, or others).

~We believe in God, who for love's sake comes to us over and over again,

A God of mystery and grace who is not persuaded by our impatience, anxiety, or need for certainty,

yet guided only by a strong, holy desire for the well-being of all.

We believe in Jesus the Christ, who through enduring trust and courage showed us the way to live in God with compassionate hearts, willing hands, and an open, searching mind.

We believe in the Spirit who continues to breathe life into creation; hope for earth's renewal, and en endless passion for lasting and just peace in our time.

We are the people of God. We live in the midst of life's uncertainties, and do not pretend to know too much. Yet in God's good grace we will continue to yearn for and work toward that coming day where love is fully known and God's glory is everywhere to be seen. ~

The last part, that spoke powerfully to me was the hymn "Spirit of Jesus, If I Love My Neighbor." I haven't found the lyrics yet, but the hymn was poignant in a way I haven't seen in a long time.

The church already supports a regular "Healing Touch" clinic, which in my mind, is connected to Natural Spirituality. I want to pose the question of starting a Dream Group here in the near future (which could be a few years--I may have to graduate from the Dream Leader program to be a responsible Dream Leader).

Needless to say, I am excited. Every other church we visited had it's gifts, but I always felt I was coming away a little disappointed because it was missing something (inevitably that I was connecting to my previous church). But we have found a home, a family that will help us to grow in faith together. I am looking forward to how I can offer my gifts in simple ways, while continuing to be faithful to the students at the college.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Neighborliness

I took our dog, Coda, on a short walk this evening around the neighborhood closest to our apartment. It's a lovely place. Kevin and I have thought long and hard about moving there if the right house came open at the right time. (Also, it's extremely convenient because we wouldn't have to rent a truck--we could walk our stuff right over!) It seems very friendly, but I didn't know just how friendly until this evening.

At the end of the block, there was a little girl outside, drawing on some paper as she knelt on her driveway. She was adorable--for me, the perfect little girl in that she was short, her clothes were a little frilly, and her curly hair was standing almost straight up from every end. Her parents were also no where in sight. At first, I thought she was coloring with sidewalk chalk, but the paper curled up and I saw it was some kind of glitter crayon she was using. She looked up as I walked by and said simply, "Hello!" "Hi there," I replied. "That's really beautiful," I continued, realizing that she had cut the paper out to look like wings of some sort, or a sort of butterfly.

"Do you want one?" she asked me. As I started mumbling something about not wanting to take what was hers, she ran towards me, one half of a pale green wing (or perhaps a leaf), smattered in red glitter, was making its way toward my hand. "Thank you!" I said as she put the leaf in my hand and made sure I had a firm grip on it. And with that, she went back to coloring, almost as if she was getting the next one ready for the following passerby.

I thought to myself, I hope that I can have that kind of attitude about my neighbors. If each of us were so willing to give our gifts to others, to believe that those things we have to offer could actually bring some joy to another person's life, I wonder how much more we would be willing to give.

3 Saturdays in a row

It's fall break around here, and I have been enjoying some down time with my husband before we both go back to work on Monday! That's right, I got a job! I am now a chaplain at the college, and very excited about it because it I get to be very much a campus pastor in the role. It feels like the job really fits who I am. Getting to be in an extraverted work environment will also probably do wonders for my energy level. While there is a very small part of me that will miss the time I've had at home, I think I will truly enjoy it all the more working part time and having an excuse to get out of the house.

So to celebrate this weekend, we have been enjoying some things we like to do regularly, along with some new things. Yesterday, we had a nice day biking around town, shopping and doing a little reading. It felt like a nice, slow Saturday. Today, we went to the Lancaster Central Market, partly because I had a craving for Middle Eastern food and fresh vegetables. The people who run the place are from Jordan and Israel, and the food they make is incredible. I bought some homemade whole wheat pita bread, stuffed grape leaves (wonderfully spiced), falafel (also deliciously spiced), a vegetable pie and a spanakopita.

After that, we toured one of the downtown museums, and then took the long way home through some of the most beautiful farmland I have ever seen. I reflected on the awe I felt while looking out the car window. The fields still held on to their deep, nourished green color except for the corn fields, which contrasted with it's faint browns and pale yellows.

Tomorrow, I hope to pick some apples, visit Kevin's uncle in Maryland, and take my first tour through a Trader Joes, which is what every first year professor (aside from Kevin) seems to be missing most in this part of Pennsylvania. We hope to see what all the fuss is about (some of these folks are self-proclaimed addicts!).

That said, we have felt that every day since Thursday has felt very much like a Saturday. Whether at work or at play, we have been enjoying the slow pace of a relaxed extended weekend and more so, time in the company of one another.

Back to "Normal"

After a two week hiatus from blogging, I am back to what I hope will be a somewhat "normal" routine. A lot has happened in the last two weeks. A trip to Georgia, renting our house, a job interview and a crummy cold that knocked both Kevin and I on our backs for short while.

The week in Georgia was wonderful and a little intense at the same time. We put down new carpet in our house, and at the same time the official measurements were being taken, I was showing the house to our new renters. I went around to visit as many people as I could in the in-between time. It was strange, because as good as it was to be there, it was the first time that Athens didn't feel like home. Hard as that is, I think I am moving through my grieving Athens pretty well. What has been difficult is finding my rhythm back home in Pennsylvania.

Since I have been back at the apartment, I've had a cold, it's gotten cold and we've had a few consecutive rainy/overcast days. It's been very hard to get back into a normal routine of writing, reading, etc. During the days I was sick, I watched an abhorrent amount of television because my eyes crossed to read anything (not even the computer). I can't remember much from that time, but it was really unimpressive anyway.

This week, however, I feel a new energy. I signed up to volunteer at the local library. I thought it would be a good way to meet people in town. I am waiting to hear back about the job, but I tackled some tasks around the apartment that felt like I was truly continuing to purge and organize.

More posts to come soon, on sleep cycles, job changes, and continued learnings on forgiveness.

Writing on a rainy day in E-town

I am sitting in a dimly lit, spacious coffee shop called Folklore Coffee in the heart of Elizabethtown (which, will henceforth be known as E-town. I'm learning no one wants to take the time to say or spell out the whole name around here). It has been cloudy all afternoon, with showers of rain spattering over the county ever half hour or so. It's a lovely day for work in a coffee shop.

I have been writing a short story, inspired by NPR's challenge to do so. It is strange how limits can be such a challenge in either direction. When I wrote sermons, getting to my 4 page, single-spaced minimum seemed like the most difficult challenge I encountered time after time. I never felt like I had done it enough to make sermon-writing come as effortlessly as it seemed for some. I usually enjoy the experience as I got into the preaching part (if I liked my sermon by the time I had gotten to that point. If I did like it, it seemed I always knew my sermon better too, as if it was a part of me). But my sermons were always on the short side. Twelve to fifteen minutes at most. By that fourth page, I always ran out of things to say anyway.

This is completely different. I have 600 words. I have used about 200 words in my blog already! I can't imagine telling a whole story in that short a space/time. But I am trying it; it's proving to be a challenging exercise in vocabulary and brevity.

My other challenge is that I never know where I am going with anything until I get there. If I write an outline, I almost never stick with it (and if I had to turn in an outline, I would modify it at the end of the paper writing to match up again). One sentence turns out another, but I have no idea what it will be until it the previous one is there. The instructions for this particular piece is that we have been provided with the first and last sentences. And I must say, they are really bad sentences. I don't know of an editor that would end a story "Nothing was ever the same again after that." Bleh! Sure, it leaves creative room for the many writers who are taking on this story, but at the same time, it's very cliche'.

I'm sticking with it for now. It's good to have a stimulating challenge, deadline, and a reason to go to a coffee shop!

Rainy Day in E-town

I am sitting in a dimly lit, spacious coffee shop called Folklore Coffee in the heart of Elizabethtown (which, will henceforth be known as E-town. I'm learning no one wants to take the time to say or spell out the whole name around here). It has been cloudy all afternoon, with showers of rain spattering over the county ever half hour or so. It's a lovely day for work in a coffee shop.

I have been writing a short story, inspired by NPR's challenge to do so. It is strange how limits can be such a challenge in either direction. When I wrote sermons, getting to my 4 page, single-spaced minimum seemed like the most difficult challenge I encountered time after time. I never felt like I had done it enough to make sermon-writing come as effortlessly as it seemed for some. I usually enjoy the experience as I got into the preaching part (if I liked my sermon by the time I had gotten to that point. If I did like it, it seemed I always knew my sermon better too, as if it was a part of me). But my sermons were always on the short side. Twelve to fifteen minutes at most. By that fourth page, I always ran out of things to say anyway.

This is completely different. I have 600 words. I have used about a third of that in my blog already! I can't imagine telling a whole story in that short a space/time. But I am trying it; it's proving to be a challenging exercise.

Dinner last night was a wonderful surprise. Easy. Deliciously tasty. Didn't take a whole lot of time or concentration.

A quick salad with amazing raspberries, sugared pecans (I did a large batch earlier and stuck them in the freezer), rice, and marinated shrimp.

The marinade was easy: cooking sherry (or any cooking wine you might have), lime juice, thyme, garlic powder, a little cayenne pepper). 30 minutes to marinade, you start the rice, and then the shrimp cooks in a pan together with all the marinade for about 4 minutes on med-high. Wahla! If I ever open a restaurant, this is definitely going on the menu!

Chocolate, Pretzels, and Squash

There is a moment in many movies where people who travel look around, and I think feel at home in a new place because they have slowed down to see the charm, the nuances, the character of wherever it is they are. I traveled to Lititz, PA and it was this feeling that had come over me.

Truly, it was my second time in Lititz. I had gone because I found a bike on Craiglist that I wanted (purple--it was meant to be mine!). When I decided that I was going to take the back way, I found out I was quickly glad that I had been there before. Construction through me about 10 miles out of the way on a detour. I didn't go the way I had in my directions, but I ended up going the way I had gone before (my clue, a church sign that apty said " Are you on the right road?").

Since I had the time, I parked the car after picking up my bike and wandered the main street. Lititz is known for it's pretzels, it's Wilbur Buds (chocolate) and a very popular Moravian church. Kevin had requested the Wilbur Buds, and I cannot resist a warm, soft pretzel.

I went walking down towards the pretzel factory first, and along the way I stopped at a Chocolate Cafe. Almost everything on the menu had chocolate in the ingredient. How could I resist? I decided that it was a splurge day and ordered fruit crepes with chocolate drizzled over them. Supposedly the chocolate is not roasted, and therefore doesn't have caffeine? (Still not sure how that works!).

After a lovely meal, I walked down the street past fun shops, the beautiful Moravian church, and came to the pretzel factory and museum. It was the first one in the United States (see picture at the top of this post). I walked back down on the other side of the street with a soft pretzel in my hand, about as content as could be. I felt at home, yet mesmerized by the beauty and character of the place. Something felt very familiar even though most of this part of the town were very new.

I went home the way I was supposed to travel up, with new sites and beautiful farms everywhere I looked. I decided then and there that I would always take the long way. It was worth the view, and I had obviously proven that it is hard to get too lost.

I stopped by an outdoor vegetable stand on the way home. I hear there are many like it--based on the honor system. There are vegetables that look beautiful, prices listed, and a money box for you to deposit your money once you have decided what you want (no change box though). I found fresh corn, zucchini, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, watermelon for wonderful prices. $5 was the limit I set on myself, but I found an AMAZING collection of butternut squash. They were bigger than I had ever seen. The one I chose wasn't the biggest, but was longer than my arm from my elbow to fingertips. I foresee soup, among other things, in my future. Thankfully, it is getting cooler fast, so soup season is around the corner.

The many faces of Pork

So this week's menu is consisting of the great celebrity up here of pork. I found a pork loin on sale at the store, and decided that I would try to get creative. (I must first say that next time I do this, I will go back to Groff's Meats--not only is it cheaper, it's fresher there. When a pig walks into the back of the store, I can't imagine much fresher).

So last night, I made pork tacos. I cooked the meat in a dutch over, but if I hadn't lost the lid to my crock pot back in Athens, I would have done it in there. My sister taught me to cook it like that because the meat becomes really easy to separate with a fork (and it doesn't usually mess up another dish for me). I cooked the meat enough to make for the tacos, the rest I set aside to make barbeque for night three, and a small portion to season as a roast (small, but enough) on Sunday.

I added chili pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, and I think a few other things to spice the meat. It was nice, but not too overwhelming. We then added lettuce, tomato, salsa, and (for me) avocado. Delicious! I actually made a pretty successful attempt at recreating one of my hard shell tacos with a little mayonaise, and just the lettuce, tomato and pork into the (almost, but at least bacon and pork come from the same animal) BLT Taco that Taqueria del Sol used to do. I am constantly surprised at how good that tastes.

Tonight, Kevin was craving pesto. We had found some fresh basil for Sunday's past picnic and used the rest of it tonight. Kevin made fresh pasta better than ever, and it was worth the wait. I don't ever think of the egg yolks that are in dry pasta, but I am aware they are there in fresh pasta and wonder how I've lived so long considering the amount of cholesterol I've digested in my life just in pasta. But I have enjoyed every bite, especially each of tonight's.

Tonight, I also made glazed pecans for the first time. Sugar and pecans, along with a little heat, and wallah! Slowing down to make food on one's own is so simple, I sometimes wonder why I ever let a grocery store do it for me (oh yeah, that small thing called a job, but for now, this is my job!). I'm loving it.

A Home with a View

Ok, so my home doesn't exactly have a view of much other than a parking lot, but one doesn't have to drive very far to find a gorgeous view. I took some pictures yesterday of the views from the top of the Masonic Village that is up the road from Elizabethtown, about five minutes away. I am amazed at how simplicity can take my breath away.

Today, I wasn't feeling great so I didn't leave the house except to take my dog for a half hour walk. It was gorgeous and cool outside, and I marveled to see so many of the leaves already starting to change. A few trees are starting to lose leaves at great speed. The wind was blowing a cool breeze, so I came home and opened all the doors and windows I could in our little apartment. My cat sat next to our front sliding door the whole day, looking longingly to freedom on the other side of the screen.

I watched a short piece of a movie called "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama" today. I'm not sure, with only 10 questions especially, that I learned anything different from what I already knew of him--practice non-violence and a non-threatening lifestyle (a timely message for our day's news), practice peace and compassion, examine yourself and explore happiness, let go of worry. The one that stuck out to me was actually the first question, which talked about self-discipline.

He was talking a lot about disciplining anger away from violence. I don't feel like outward violence is always the issue for most people; it may be inward violence: loathing, self-hatred, depression that is anger-turned inward (I don't think all depression is this, but some is), the small ways we punish ourselves for messing up. How does one discipline that, especially when no one else sees these attributes and we must be accountable to ourselves?

I know some of this exists in me. I remember at a retreat a few years back, we were invited to make something out of clay for a prayer experience of some sort. I don't really remember what the purpose was, but I had an image that stuck in my head. It was of a picture my pastor in seminary had, a statue that had been given to his hero, Carlyle Marney. The statue had one figure sitting with his head in his hands in despair; the other figure was sitting beside him, hands on both his shoulders. The picture was called "Compassion."

I decided that I wanted to try to make that for myself. As I am not an artist, it looked pretty horrible. I'm not even sure most people could distinguish it for human beings. But it was mine. I put it in my office at church to remind myself.

When I moved, I threw them away. I wish I hadn't now, but I also needed to purge. The act of making them is still enough--I have the original picture as well as my recreations in my head. I just wish I had a visual reminder sometimes, something that I turn my eyes towards on a regular basis.

But I think something more simple might also work, if I can practice self-discipline enough to stop, to enjoy things like the pictures I posted above. I can stop enough to be in the present, more than just to take a picture but to consider that the colors of the corn at that particular moment, the ever changing trees, the fields that roll on and on were made by Compassion for me to view, to take in, to enjoy for that particular moment. And my discipline will be to tell myself "It was worth the effort. I was worth the effort."

Risotto

So the only thing better in Kevin's mind than fresh and well-made risotto is getting to enjoy it fried up the next day. One of his fellow professors challenged us to make an Italian dish for a department-wide picnic. I searched the pasta book the deacon's gave me as a parting gift--but when I realized it was a lunch picnic, I also realized I didn't have enough time to make fresh pasta. Risotto it was! My favorite recipe is this one from cooking light--it never let's me down.

It was actually a great picnic food. I timed it to take it straight from the pot to the serving dish at the picnic. Plus, it was the first time we got to use our balsamic vinegar from Italy (and I learned that if you get the really good stuff, aged 6 years or more, no reduction is needed at all. Our cooking class told us that was an American thing to do with watered down balsamic).

So tonight, we rolled up the leftover risotto into fist-sized balls, rolled them in egg and whole wheat crumbs panko crumbs, and fried them lightly. Delicious.

I have done breadcrumbs before, but I have learned that panko crumbs soak up less grease and leave a crunchier taste with less frying. Some people also put in a bite of cheese in the middle of their risotto balls, but this had enough mozzarella in it already. I also learned that if you use fresh mozzarella cheese in the risotto recipe, you don't need nearly as much as the recipe says it does. Not that anyone minded the extra cheese! (not in this family anyway!).

I have learned (finally) how to take pictures from my camera and post them to my site. I been in the dark ages, having a phone without bluetooth for so long! No more--so many more pictures to come!

Forgiveness, Part 1

Kevin and I just got back from seeing the movie Eat, Pray, Love. While neither of us were as impressed as we wanted (but perhaps, isn't any movie about other countries supposed to leave you wanting a little more?, to see for yourself?), I was taken with the center of the movie. Liz's journey was to forgive and love herself. While she is in India, she especially focuses on forgiving herself for past failures, perhaps for not being herself or knowing who she was so that she didn't mess up other people's lives (or her own).

My friend Jared had suggested that I read Elizabeth Gilbert's book by the same title back when I was starting out in my former job as a resident. It is my guess, that the part about forgiveness was a big part of the reason why. Even if you don't agree with her methods, her philosophy, I think a giant lesson for all of us is learning to love and forgive ourselves. I know that has been a difficult thing for me to do in my life. It has been especially hard these last few weeks when I felt that I really wasn't contributing much to life, mine or anyone else's, especially at the impact that I was at my last job.

I actually taught a class on forgiveness my last year at my church, and I think it was one of the most profound discoveries I made for myself in doing so. We talked a lot about the process of forgiveness, and how it could easily be compared to a process of grief. Forgiveness, too, had stages: shock, denial, depression, anger, acceptance. I have found that approach useful in helping me progress towards the place where I want to forgive, where I want to let go of resentment and move towards healing.

I remember in that class watching a clip from a video study, and a part of that clip interviewed Marianne Williamson. She said something like...Forgiveness is the audacity to believe that a person can become human again. I wonder what that looks like when we believe that we can be human again, looking in the mirror. I think it has something to do with what we were created by God to be, and that is what God tries so hard to keep pulling us back to being. Sometimes I forget what it looks like. But I think I am going to go look in the mirror now, and remind myself.

Success

Well, this morning I succeeded in not opening up my computer until 11AM, and the only reason was to congratulate my former professor for having his book highlighted in a well-known magazine. And now to write a short update.

I learned how to freeze the fresh corn that this area is so proud of today. I may run up to the farmer's market to buy some and see if I can try it out. We are going out to dinner tonight with the rest of the professors, and because it is TJ Rockwells, lots of students as well. So nothing super special for me to make today.

Kevin gets the holiday, and I am excited to have him around this weekend. Being the extrovert that I am, it really gives me motivation and energy to have him around. I have done quite a bit today though. A lot of small things, but I find that I can motivate myself to do things (especially cleaning house) by giving myself 5 small things to do at a time. If I can put 5 things away in 15 minutes, or say, to tackle a bathroom cleaning like I did this morning, I can say "mirror, sink, put things in cabinet, tub and floor.." and it's almost completely done, so I go ahead and scrub the toilet anyway because I am so close. This helps me not feel defeated....though I need reminders quite often. (Perhaps I'm hoping I will check my own blog).

Well, off to start the 4th Harry Potter book and swim for awhile.

Goals for myself

So I have come up with a set of goals for my weekday life while Kevin is at work. They are

1 hour 15 min to read (this is a minimum)

30 minutes to write--(this is a minimum)

15 minutes for 2 notes a day (this is a maximum--I will get overwhelmed with it otherwise, and it won't get done)

30 minutes for exercise (this is a minimum).

Thus far, I have been good at everything but the notes, but as I have made room for everything else I think I can still make this work.

I have decided that I want to write the youth I used to work for a hand written note. They all wrote me one for my last day, and I have treasured them immensely. I feel as though it will provide me with a bit of closure that I need from that job in order to move on. I also think this will inspire me to write a bit more. I have corresponded with 2 people a day to make up for it, but one of my dear friends has taught me the value of the handwritten word. I want to take the opportunity to do so before the desire leaves. I hope to create more of a desire by making it a part of my routine.

I have learned that in order to do this for myself, I have to be on my computer a lot less. I used to be on my computer a lot more often, and have found just how much I am addicted to it. So, I am working on a routine as well to keep me away from it. The hardest part to change will be checking it first thing in the morning. I told myself I would not touch the computer this morning, and yet I walked to it and opened it up before I had time to think about what I was doing. Tonight, I am writing a note on it to remind me. Twice a day for the computer--the rest of my socializing will be on the phone or in person.

Criss-cross applesauce

Tonight, the cooking bug took over me. I started the evening attempting to make eggplant in a way that Kevin would enjoy. He's a much pickier eater than I am. I took the basic recipe from what I learned in Italy this summer (www.madonnadelpiatto.com) and modified it (mainly, adding more mozzarella cheese). Perhaps if I cover it in bread crumbs--so not the Italian way--he will enjoy it more.

I think it is funny about adding cheese because my side of the family, especially to Kevin, are the true cheese lovers. Head to my house on any major holiday and you will be swarmed by the casserole queens with there tasty dishes oozing in cheese. Truly there have been times when everything but the meat had cheese on it (partly because it was potluck, though discussions were had over the menu).

After dinner, which I thought was wonderful, I took out the apples I had bought from the farmer's market and made something somewhere between applesauce and apple butter (I'm not sure I really know the difference anymore. It was delicious (success!), although I have yet to figure out if it's worth the money to do it. It tastes better--which I always think makes it worth it.

Yesterday, I got asked if I was a foodie. With a sigh of resignation, I said "Yes!" "I'm not at all." the woman responded. Honestly, I know it's true that many people aren't around here (if you look at the restaurants around here, you'd see--people settle for the mundane food mostly), but with all of the fresh and tasty ingredients thus far, I just don't get it. There are so many affordable and wonderful options.

Thank goodness I exercised today to make up for all the food I am talking about!

Week long food preparation

So the most common problem I have had as a working person was that so much food went to waste in my refrigerator. Kevin and I remarked when we got up to Elizabethtown that we had never eaten so many meals at home in a row. (Partly that was due to busyness and partly it was due to the fact that Athens had so many great restaurants. We are now not nearly as busy--especially me) and have no where near the good restaurant options).

If I am honest, my problem is two-fold. I come from a long line of stuffed fridges and freezers. I have purposefully not gotten a deep freezer because I knew I would freeze it. Unlike my mother and grandmother though, who know just about everything they have in their cooling containers, I am very much out of site, out of mind. Knowing that, I am trying to figure out the best strategy for planning a weekly menu.

I want to do this so that I don't waste food primarily. There are too many good and fresh foods up here. But I don't want to load up my freezer and then not use items either. But there are health reasons too--if I plan ahead, I won't be persuaded to make a pimento-cheese sandwich every day of the week because it is easy or I am craving it. Having a plan will force me to use the groceries I have and use them well.

So today, because I had bought an abundance of spinach (thinking the in-laws were staying an extra day), I decided to make a spinach salad for 1 day. Day 2, pasta, spinach, smoked sausage and low-fat mozzarella mix (so easy and so good). Tomorrow, spinach stuffed and pecan-crusted pork chops(and that should finish me off if I have a spinach salad for lunch. Each of these leave the spinach with a different enough taste to eat it every day.

So now, what to do for Wed-Friday. And pre-planning for Labor Day weekend.

I bought some apples to make applesauce today, as well as some eggplant and sweet corn (PA has some of the best corn I have ever tasted! It's fabulous--and possibly the only thing I would consider freezing other than blueberries). I don't feel as though I have enough room to start canning things; half of my pantry has to disappear out for that (plus I need a bigger kitchen). So the journey begins of trying to figure out what to do, what to buy and how (and when) to use it.

New York, New York

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in New York City. I got to travel there with my in-laws to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday and go see some Broadway shows. I had never really had a desire to go to New York at all until now--partly because I am incredibly close and partly because I didn't have to drive to get there. We took the train instead, which was fabulous.

Taking the trip (perhaps, having something to look forward to?) really gave me a lot of energy. I actually woke up this morning (late as it was) with a lot of motivation to meet the day. It dwindled midway through, partly because I couldnt' get my internet to work and I wanted to blog earlier today. It is difficult when no one is there for me to keep myself on task (that's the way I chose to explain my extroverted nature tonight to my husband). I just do better with other people around--I am more disciplined. I am more energetic. I don't have to be talking to someone, I just want him/her/them to be there.

So needless to say, with two other people this weekend, I was full of energy. I wanted to walk all over town (very few taxi's for me!). New York felt a little like Europe in that it was such a walkable place. And of course, with so many people bustling about, I was intrigued to know where they were going and what they were doing.

We took in the Museum of Modern Art (which I learned is free on Friday nights from 4-8pm) and Mamma Mia on Friday. Saturday, we went for a very efficient and informative tour of the City itself, from Central Park to Ground Zero to a quick boat trip by Ellis Island and Brooklyn, seeing from the outside the residences of Bono, Yoko Ono, Donald Trump, Steve Martin, among others. That night, we went to see the Broadway musical, Billy Elliot. It contained by far, the most amazing dancing I have seen in a long time.

And of course, we had fantastic meals every night. My favorite was at a restaurant called Marsailles (French with a Moroccan flair). Best dessert (dark chocolate pot de creme), amazing tomato and goat cheese tart and a gorgeous fish with fresh tomatoes (they were having a tomato-fest). I had a taste of a wonderful spring risotto and lamb couscous as well.

Now, I am trying to meal plan and diet from all the calories I took in this weekend. Must exercise! :)

Sleep

Ever since we moved up to Pennsylvania, I have taken on a new sleep habit. This is odd for me for two reasons. I used to be a morning person. Even in high school, I would wake up the earliest in my family of anyone no later than 7 am, but usually a lot earlier. Throughout college, I was never able to sleep super late. I was the unusual student who was always in bed by midnight, and up for breakfast before my 8AM classes (I loved having the afternoon off!).

Second, I really thought that the reason I was sleeping until 7 every morning (even if I went to bed earlier to try to change the habit) was because of how tired I'd become from work. I never felt as though I really caught up. My husband is the early riser now, and I don't see him at all before he's off to class (or this week, orientation). In fact, I've been mostly missing him a whole hour because I am sleeping 9+hours a night.

I have not been able to get out of bed before 8AM since moving here. I blamed it for awhile on the stress of the move. I told myself I was tired. I am beginning to think there is more to it than tiredness. I need to do something.

That's why I started this blog right?

I am going to take a trip over to the Elizabethtown College gym today to check it out. I had a dream about it last night, so I am going to see how it measures up. I have been walking lately, but not nearly enough to make a significant difference. I need to challenge myself, and I think I may only be able to do that without my dog.

I was also going to check out a small town nearby, but it's supposed to be a rainy day today, so I might read and research some of the things to do in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. I am also going to research the Amtrack--my key to getting places without having to fight traffic!

So wish me luck! At least, if I sleep till 8 with this plan, I will still feel as though I accomplished something.

Southern Itch and Groff's

So the "itching to do things" is, to me, a distinctive southern term. I have picked up some southern phrases and at times a strong southern twang (though it was difficult to get the word "ya'll" to come across my lips, as any of the youth group members of my previous church would tell you). This phrase was not one I necessarily picked up, nor heard often but always found to be humorous.

So today, I discovered Groff''s Meats. My husband said that he was at the nearby coffee shop the other day and actually watched live pigs walk into the back of their processing plant, which is adjacent to the store itself. "That's about as fresh as you can get," we agreed. Just as I was thinking I could be a vegetarian, there I stood in front of 4 different kinds of sausage, fresh bacon (breakfast meats are always my weakness), and a full deli that just looked incredibly delicious. It wasn't just meat, but cheeses, salads, and other items that made this butcher a stand out location.

I am most excited because I had recently had a discussion with a man from New Zealand about how the idea of local business was going out of fashion, or it was extremely overpriced. I found here in E-town that the opposite is true from my experience in Athens. This local shop (granted, it is very well known, and provides to many local restaurants as well as individual patrons), had better prices than our huge (aptly named, GIANT) grocery store. We found the same to be true of the farmer's markets. I found huge carrots priced for $.79 a lb at a local market here, when at our Athens farmer's market it was $4 for a few, very small carrots. I know the season, availability, and location makes a huge difference. Truly, that Athens-area farmers are able to grow the types of food they DO grow in that soil still amazes me. But if the cost of living in a space is higher here, the cost of eating in a space is a lot lower.

Still, I can't wait to start growing my own. Soon, I tell myself, soon enough.

New steps, new blog

Two weeks ago, I made a drive up I-81 for the first time on my own. Actually, I have driven I-81 many times (four years to college from home), but I think this was the first time I had ever gone past mile marker 150 on my own. I had driven it once with some college friends right after graduation. Sitting alone in my car, it felt very different, like some unexplored territory I had never been before. I was seeing it for the first time. I had always driven south on my own, but north was more than a new direction for me.

I have moved to my first location on the account of my husband getting his dream job, teaching college and mentoring/observing students. I left behind a ministry job that was hard, but I genuinely loved. I said goodbye to the many relationships that had taught me about myself, the people I cared about so much. And I said hello to a new world, for me.

Right now, I am taking some time to settle a new apartment, to clean, to purge, to restore, to renew. I am treating it somewhat like a sabbatical--or at least, I think I will. Last night, I had admitted to my husband that I feel a sense of guilt not having the house completely together first, but he's always gracious and wants me to have time for me. So that is what I am going to do. I am going to clean out half the day, retreat the other half. I am curious to see if this blog will help.

I've never been much of a blogger--I usually delete what I post. But my title is what got me thinking about it--I may find the itch to do something by actually trying it. I think writing about other small adventures will help me keep blogging. I am interested in so many things (if you know me, you know I am a 7 on the enneagram--I can't help myself), but here are some things I am going to try to post: cooking and food adventures, farmer's markets, simplicity and forgiveness studies, learning about different churches and religious backgrounds, generosity, books and culture.

Ok, so I am going to do something I have never done before...I'm going to hit "Publish."