Another day

We had a very busy few days. Kelsey and I went down to Mass for girl's weekend. It was fantastic. There were of us girls and two babies. We all fit in my van to go out and about.. shopping, sushi, sightseeing. It was so needed and a great time. I'll get pics up in the next few days.

Yesterday was the Built Energy Forum at the Augusta Civic Center. What a success! I am so proud to have been apart of such an event and even more honored I get to put it on my resume. We had such talented speakers and the Governor of Maine, John Baldacci came to speak. We would have been happy with 100 attendees and got over 250! I tihnk we ad 275 people in the room during the talks. It was so inspiring. So hopefully that room full of people will figure out how we can all have more efficient, green homes without the $4500 mortgage for 1800 sq ft!

Today we are cleaning the house and trying to clean up the tornado that hit inside. So far so good and lots of work to do to close out the event. I love watching Kelsey play and dance. She has a baby doll that she hugs and loves and "ma" (kisses) now. In the past week or so, but they are pretty inseperable. As I type she hands me baby who is now on my shoulder for a burp. Oh here comes grandbabydoll number two and a Kelsey to hug the mama. "ahhhhh mama" she says.

I love the love.

Thank you for the hard plastic piggy Kels.

must share recipes

Kelsey and I went to play group today and our friend Liz has the best recipes for pretzels and play doh!

here is the pretzel recipe:

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour (I use bread flour and never seem to get that last half cup in the dough)
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Yeast dissolved in one cup warm (not hot) water


Baking Soda wash: is 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda dissolved in one cup boiling water
Egg Wash: 1 Egg and 1 teaspoon water
Kosher Salt

Directions:
Mix Brown sugar, salt and yeast together. Add flour
I use a big mixer with a bread attachment and I believe that a foodprcessor would make quick work of it, too.

Put this in a bowl (I put a light coating of olive oil on the dough) and cover it in plastic wrap. Keep out (not in fridge) overnight to let the dough rise. If you were pressed for time you could have it rise on the couter for a couple of hours---but this option makes the dough less easy to roll.

Cut into pieces and roll out. Shape and then brush with the baking soda wash. Brush with the egg wash and then sprinkle salt. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Put into a preheated oven (425) for about 10 minutes or so--until golden brown.


PLAYDOH recipe:

4 Cups flour (I buy the really cheap kind to make the playdoh with) :)
1 cup salt
1/2 Cup Cream of Tartar
Food Coloring
3 or 4 tablepoons of oil
optional:(essential oil scents like lavendar)

Put all ingrediants into a saucepan and start on low....mix really well. Increase the heat some and after a couple of minutes it will start to come together. It is very sloppy at first. Keep stirring until it really starts sticking together. The heat is what is binding it so you might have to turn it up a little...should never boil.

keeps well in a plastic bag.

this and that - 10 thoughts I ponder

#1. I am ready for a REAL vacation. It can even be in this country, but it needs to be kidless, winterless and just the husband and I.

#2. I often find myself wondering how people with many kids fit into small cars.

#3. I just don't understand the big deal about goat cheese. Not to mention I hate the taste, but when and why did it become so trendy.

#4. This is me ready for the new season of American Idol and wondering what happened to David Cook.. why do they drop off the face of the earth afterward?

#5. I've come to realize that it's not important that I send Christmas cards to everyone I always did, but most important to stay in touch with everyone that matters.

#6. Do men add to their daily calendar "be insensitive at least once today or mission failed?"

#7. Girl time really is the key to my sanity or what's left of it.

#8. Little things make me really happy and little things really piss me off... (add to resolution list - work on that)

#9. Watching your child grow every day is the greatest thing that can happen to you.

#10. It never gets easier after loved ones die, it just gets different. But always remember.. you can't get time back.

The beginning of a new year...

Snow themed pictures on a snowy day here in Maine. I guess these pictures represent the overall feeling I'd like to have at the end of 2009. I am ready for some calm, peace, drama free and trauma free time. While I know I am lucky as can be and things could always be so much worse, I also know I have to allow myself the ability to take in some of the pain, grief and stress I've had, reflect upon it, be thankful for what I have and move forward. If it were only that easy.

We're all starting our resolutions. Jeff and I each have about 13. I found my myself taking away many of the resolutions that caused me to have to measure a success (or failure) and found myself adding more that caused joy or self improvement. Jeff made a comment about last year's resolutions and how he only finished one. That really sparked something inside of me. I was very passionate about.. "why is that a failure?" "Let's celebrate how much of it you DID complete!" He had resolutions such as read 10 books or earn $10K at his second job at domino's. While he didn't complete either, he was close and they motivated him. I think that in all the years I knew Jeff before that he'd read maybe 10 books combined, so 6 or 8 in one year was great for him. And he loves challenges, so pushing himself to be extra nice and extra helpful to his customers was a great character booster (now we just have to work on the general public realizing they should tip their pizza delivery guys and that it's not all built in!) I realized that it's not silly to have resolutions such as take a bath twice a month, or go on a family vacation and if it just can't happen in '09 (I'm in 3 weddings this year!), to have it planned in '09 and ready for 2010.

The economy is a downturn as we all know. Mainers are always ahead of the game in saving I'd say.. the state motto should be "scrimp and save". While I admire it ,I don't adhere to it as much as most, but I certainly heed the warning. Having gone through a bankruptcy as a kid I know what it's like to have a lot and then have nothing and I know how to not spend. I find myself planning a lunch with my friends and hearing others say they are on such a tight budget these days they may not be able to go. I pause a moment and wonder if I should be as strict. Should I be like my brother and sister in law and have a budget that runs straight through next December. Frankly, NO. I can't do it. It's not me. And when we are really in a tight place I get resourceful. Rolling change, selling things we don't need, conserving food. Sure ok. I can admit it probably adds some unneeded stress. And don't get me wrong.. I do save and I don't spend frivolously, but we certainly aren't saving 3 months worth of bills just in case as Dave Ramsey suggests. Believe me, I wish I had $10K in my checking account plus everything else in my investments, but we live day to day and try not to touch the investments. Anyway, my point is that as hard as the economy is and how scary everything is right now, we're still ok and I'm certainly sitting tight and not doing anything major, but I realize that $10 at lunch is going to buy me memories that I'll always have and some time with my friends that my inner soul needs right now.

What I learned more than anything in 2008 is we can't get time back. Some become paralyzed by grief and loss and life continues to go on around them and they miss... a lot. Life won't stop. Death won't stop. Tragedy won't stop. But our ability to move forward, and create memories can continue. I've never lived my life with regrets, but I would regret having something else happen to another one of the people I love the most or even myself and not have the hugs, kisses and all the things that need to be said be said.

I find myself at a place of reflection and calm, yet also at a place of such turmoil. So here's to 12 months from now resulting in a piece of mind reflective of snowy afternoons and hot chocolate with marshmallows.