I love October for the cool weather, the fall leaves, and the fall decorations but I have a really hard time with the dark sky, the dark mornings, the dark evenings, and the overall feel that things are dying. I even feel like I am somehow dying. Or maybe just packing away the summer me to ready myself for winter hibernation. I really wanted October to be different this year. October leads to November and I have hated November for many, many years. I can pin point a few reasons but mostly, it's all in my head. So, in an attempt to better October and thus lead into November with a better head, I tried a few new things.
I received a random clothing magazine in the mail from a company I had never heard of and sat in a bored moment to take a look. Most of the stuff would qualify for a cocktail party and a much more flattering body than mine but there were a couple of items that caught my eye. I wanted to try something completely different from anything I had worn before. First, I checked out the return policy since I had NEVER ordered clothing for myself online. Oh, and I was looking for a winter coat. Jacket. Whatever. Something light weight enough that I wouldn't die of a heat stroke while grocery shopping but heavy enough to block out enough winter wind that I wouldn't freeze to death going from the car to my destination. I thought I had found what I wanted.
And I waited two weeks to order. The prices weren't holding me back - they were actually very good deals. It was my October head setting in.
What if I didn't like it? What a pain to send it back! What if they didn't fit? What if I just look stupid in that shirt? Is the jacket really me?
After two weeks of putting up with that nagging negative voice in my head I played devil's advocate for myself. What if I did like them? What if they did fit? What if I looked really great in them? Who am I that a basic solid colored jacket couldn't be me?
They fit! They look good! I like them! I like green eggs and ham! I like them Sam I Am!!
(I need to learn how to do that sexy pose and hold my lips just right and grow my hair out about six inches longer and get a padded bra . . . then I'll take pictures.)
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While planning Erika's wedding I got sucked into the Pinterest trap. To take a breather from wedding plans I started pinning recipes.
I mostly just did recipes for me, things that the kids would gag at the idea of because of the use of so many vegetables. Near the end of September I decided to actually try some of these pinned recipes for family meals. Some have really flopped. Just because something has been pinned a million times does not mean it is a good recipe. Others, weren't too bad. A few have been great and will be used over and over again.
One for me . . .
Apple Green Drink was called a Detox Smoothie but, since I don't care to do a detox and it is really just a drink not a smoothie, I renamed it. Technically, this is not the first green drink I have tried. I remember summers in Yost when Mom and Buddy would make us gag down a glass of their thick, grass smelling concoction before we could go play. Here I am torturing myself with another healthy green drink. Pinterest made me do it. And, my peaked interest at how so many random ingredients could possibly make something tasteful got the better of me. So, this is the first green drink that I chose to make and drink without a parent standing over me. I have to admit, it’s not bad. It’s almost good. Good enough that I make one almost every morning now. I don’t love it but I like it and I especially like the nutritional value.
One for the kids . . .
I've tried to make home made granola bars before but the kids are never thrilled with them. This time, I found one they love. My kids are a bit addicted to granola bars but every time I buy them I cringe because of the cost and the ingredients. I realize these homemade bars don't necessarily fall into the healthy category but they are healthier than what we have been buying. I like the fact that they contain no high fructose corn syrup and that I can pronounce all of the ingredients. I like making them in my own kitchen instead of wondering if they were formulated in a chemistry lab. The kids like it that one batch makes about 25 bars and that I leave a tub of them in the pantry for the taking (except when it's close to dinner time - one of my pet peeves).
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I made my very first 911 call yesterday. It wasn't an emergency but at least I meant to call instead of apologizing to dispatch after one of my toddlers called by accident. I was taking Nathan to Tae Kwan Do and was behind a super slow car. We were late, of course, so I took a different route to get into town. This took me to the Salem Highway, which turns into Main Street in Rexburg. As I stopped at the intersection with the highway I could see that the stop sign across the street was laying in the grass. The post had been snapped in half (wind? kids?).
My mind took it's usual worse-case-scenario detour and I could picture Derek coming from the high school to this intersection and going right through it without stopping and being slammed into by a truck going 55-65 mph as it hit him. I didn't even hesitate. I called 911. Now, there is a recorded message of me reporting a stop sign and giving specific details of the intersection, the description of the stop sign and a brief description of why I was so concerned. I'm almost famous. Or just a good citizen. The lady on the end of the call probably thought I was a drama queen for my over-concerned imagination. An hour later I took the same route home and there at the intersection stood a miniature stop sign protecting drivers from what my mind made up.
After calling 911 I went to Walmart while Nathan was in class. I admit, I was distracted. I pulled into a parking spot and reached down to get my wallet and list off the floor. In my peripheral vision I could see the car next to us backing out. Or so I thought. It was really me moving moving forward which ended with a whump as I rolled into the car facing me. That's a first!
"Kimberly Jo" I chided myself. I backed up a couple feet, put the van in park this time and got out to assess the damage. Not a bump, scratch, paint transfer, dent, or sign of my stupidity. The dust had not even been brushed off the bumper - theirs or mine. The truly embarrassing part was when Hyrum asked "why did you hit that car, mom?" while walking in the front doors of Walmart. With heads turning to look at me I just kept walking, innocent as ....well, not innocent at all.
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All of this led to making my very first wedding cake. Erika and I designed it and, after having major fondant trouble and going with butter cream frosting instead, we pulled it off. I had only used and perfected my skills with fondant in the cold months and the 85+ degree weather really messed things up.
Derek figured that if I could do all those birthday cakes and make a wedding cake that I was ready to take orders. Along with a couple of friends, he was planning a surprise birthday party for a girl. When they researched cakes and how much it would cost to order one he had the brilliant idea to offer my services.
I had only met Sierra while we were in Disneyland with the orchestra and the party planners didn't give me any suggestions or ideas for the cake so I took creative liberty and did my own. I used a new chocolate cake recipe (tried it the night before and tweaked it for the final product) and a new chocolate frosting recipe that was supposed to be easier to work with than traditional butter cream. I had SO much fun!! Derek was giddy like a girl when he saw it and was so excited to show the others. When I saw Sierra the next day she raved about it, professing her love for the marshmallow flowers and the moist chocolate cake that she finished for breakfast.
This cake didn't cost the party planners anything because I already had all the ingredients for the cake, the frosting, the flowers, and even had the sprinkles and cake round in the cupboard. It was a much better price (and flavor) than an Albertson's cake would have been.
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I still have one week left in October. With the weekend trip I have coming up and the primary program on Sunday and the parties at the schools I think this will be the first October in several years that I really enjoy.
1 comment:
I AM SOOOO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!
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