I'm ALIVE and WELL!

Wow, it has been such a long time since I have posted anything on here. A lot of things have changed since January.

I have moved in with my Step-dad to be able to save money, and my girls have moved in with their paternal Grandpa.

I am still at Jitterbug (the cellphone provider for people looking for simplicity in a phone), I know this sounds like an ad but I am in sales there so what can I tell you. Tomorrow is my six month anniversary there and I finally get to have weekends off again starting tomorrow. Yeah!

I am still knitting, although I do not get as much time to do so but I will post some pictures for you to see what I have accomplished.

The weather is finally getting a little warmer here in California. I have lived here all of my life and have never seen this type of weather here, it is so strange.

Oh, and we also had a very strong earthquake that lasted almost a full minute. It's epicenter was in Mexico about 60 miles from where I work. It rolled and rolled and rolled, not our standard earthquake as they usually roll and then sharply shake. Unfortunately for the residents of Mexico it did cause extreme damage.

When It Rains It Pours!

I have heard the phrase "When it rains it pours" all my life, but it was always in context to Morton's Salt however this week it has taken on new meaning here in California. Today we are experiencing buckets of rain with Flash Flood Warnings and Wind Advisories.

I also have heard of the flooding in La Canada (pronounced La Ca-na-da, not Canada), and then there is the flooding and possible tornados in Long Beach as well as "water spouts". Poor San Diego County really got hit too, check out the link to see what when on there.

Thankfully I have today off so I do not have to drive the hour in the storm, I think I will spend my day building an Ark just in case we need it after next weeks storms.

Stay warm and dry!

Out with the OLD and In with the NEW!

In keeping with this "Out with the Old and In with the New" theme, I will now post my last finished project from 2009 (Blue Babushka) as well as my new project from 2010 (Lacy Baktus).

Okay, I normally do not make New Years Resolutions however I am in the mood for a huge change in my life. Therefore I am committing to losing some of the weight I put on over the last 5 years! I am not going to do this by going crazy on some diet, but by changing my lifestyle.

One of the reasons for this change, other than the obvious...I want to be healthier, is I intend to run the Susan G. Komen 5K (3.2 miles) in October in honor of my Mom, Melody, who survived breast cancer. I have wanted to do this for a long time as I know any money I help to raise will benefit us all, but also because she was very courageous in her fight against breast cancer.

A second reason for getting fit is because I want to feel better about myself, and even though I will be the same person whether I am thin or chunky, I will have more confidence in myself if I lose the weight. Now, with more confidence I may actually start contemplating the idea of dating again.

So I say again...Out with the Old and In with the New!

What are your plans for the New Year?

January 2010

Hi All! Here are the promised Christmas pictures, sorry I forgot to take one of the tree by itself. Instead you will see my children and me!








This is a picture of my youngest daughter Nina and me.



















And this is a picture of my oldest daughter Alisha and me.





Here are charming family photos of all four of us. The man in the picture is my 25 year old son, Rick. It seems so weird to call him a man, but as you can see he is.

This was our first Christmas together in 6 years. My son has lived in another state for the last 6 years and was unable to get home for the holidays. He now lives here in California so I get to see him more often.

Here is a picture of me and my Grand-dog Allie. She was dressed for Christmas too.

I wish you all a Healthy and Prosperous
New Year!

November

I can not believe November has already flown by, how has so much time passed so quickly? This last month I started my job at Jitterbug, I have been driving two plus hours a day to get there and back and it is making me tired! I am thankful to be working again however so I will cease with the complaints.

Next week I will decorate for Christmas, and I will post again, with pics of the tree.

I really have not been able to get much knitting done now that I am working, but I did finish my Babushka and will post it next week too.

I hope you all have a great week!

Time to Cook!

I am trying this recipe I found in a Jan/Feb 1979 issue of Cuisine. Remember how great those recipes always turned out? Here is the recipe for you, I will let you know how it turns out later.

Pork & Cider Casserole

Serves 6

2 pounds lean boneless pork, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 qt (4 cups) cold water
2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 can (10 3/4 oz) chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley (I used dried)
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon lime juice

2 McIntosh apples, pared, cored, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild)

1. Place pork in 6-quart Dutch oven; add cold water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 2 minutes. Drain; discard liquid. Clean pot. Rinse meat with cold water.

2. Combine cider, broth, onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt, paprika and pepper in dutch oven. Add pork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer partially covered until meat is tender, about 1 hour.

3. Mix milk and egg yolk; stir into pork mixture. Work butter and flour together with fork on small plate; whisk into pork mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in lime juice.

4. Heat oven to 350. Place pork mixture in 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles on top. Sprinkle with cheese. bake until cheese is melted and browned, 20-35 minutes.

This turned out really well, the flavors were so good together. I think next time I make it I will put it a bottom crust.

Changes

I am feeling out of sorts this weekend. I think it is because there are some major changes coming to my life when I start working again on Monday. While I am very excited about working again after being unemployed for over a year, I am also really apprehensive; what if I don't fit in...what if the drive is too much for my old car to take...what if I don't meet the goals of the job...what if...? Yeah, you get the idea.

To make matters worse one of my BFF's just left on a cruise and will not be back until Sunday. I am so happy for her to get to go on this knitting cruise with her mom, but I really want to be able to have her available to talk to when I need some strength next week since she has become my sounding board.

Since I just turned 50, I guess I need to put on my "Big Girl Panties" and deal with it. I know I will be fine, I have the skills I need for the job, they must feel I will fit in with everyone there because I had two aggressive interviews and still got hired, my car seems to be running fine and I have always been able to work through any stresses on my own in the past.

So why do I feel like this?