On the Occasion of My 25th

Today's the big day. I'm 25. Officially in my mid-twenties. No longer in my early twenties. It was tough to get used to... Today I am old. Older. I feel like it, at least. Don't know why this birthday has affected me more so than others. So, today, on the occasion of my 25th, here are some things you're dying to know about me:

1. I haven't read a book since this summer. It's like blasphemy in my own world.
2. I have not yet found a good way to express how much I love my new apartment.
3. I still have 3 boxes to unpack. Don't tell my mom.
4. Robyn Carr is my favorite author. For now. It changes all the time.
5. I'm thinking about cutting my hair.
6. I accidently flashed my neighbors last week.
7. I LOVE going to Gamecock football games, but hate watching them on TV.
8. The alma mater always makes me cry.
9. I want to make my own dishwashing soap. Any ideas?
10. I argued with my professor because he gave me 3.9 out of 4 on a discussion question.
11. Yesterday, I was called someone's "twin in white skin"
12. I had my first kiss at 17.
13. I've only ever kissed 3 men.
14. It took me 5 years to get through college. Oops.
15. I lost my scholarship because of my zoology class freshman year. Oops again.
16. I can't take naps. I wake up in a bad mood.
17. Fall is my favorite season.
18. Hair cuts in fall make me feel collegiate.
19. My toes are always cold.
20. One day, I want to own chickens and goats.
21. I love the smell of bread baking.
22. The bread machine was the best thing I ever bought myself.
23. I love money in my bank account. Money hates to be there.
24. I'd like to start menu planning. It's hard to only plan for one person, though!
25. Whenever I am asked what I want for a gift, I always say diamonds and rubies.

Confession

I have a confession. I'm addicted.



My name is Maggie and I am addicted to Freecell. I play it all the time. I play while I watch TV. I play while I'm on the phone. I play when I should be grading papers. It was suggested to me that I should join a tournament because I play so much. I'm sorry.

Update: Long Time Coming

Yes, it's been a while, but I think I have a good excuse: I have moved, started grad school, and had my first ever by-myself parent-teacher conferences.

My new apartment is fantastic. It's a dream and so much better than my last place. It's cleaner, better taken care of. I've been here a month but haven't received my security deposit back. Is it wrong to be upset? I've called my old landlord numerous times and finally got a response last night - he'll mail it this weekend or first of next week. Dad wants to call a lawyer if I don't have it by Friday. We'll see. Any suggestions?

I also started my online grad school class. It's more work than I thought. "What, you thought going to grad school would be easy?" the Engineer asked. Well, no, but... I don't know.

I've been teaching for 3 years and have been to parent-teacher conferences for years. Participated, even. But, as a departmentalized school, I always was there with another teacher. A talkative teacher, which left me with little time to talk. This year, I'm self-contained. They went much better than expected. Everyone left smiling (except for some children, but that's to be expected), which is the point, right?

Disappearance

Yes, I've disappeared. My apartment was broken into - by someone with a key, although he shouldn't have had it.

You go over the scenarios in your head and feel like you just KNOW how you're going to react. But, it's so not like that. I became a mess. A blubbering fool. That's not my personality. Type A. Get things done. Follow the order. I think what messed me up so much is that he was a person who I should have been able to trust. I have a strong conviction of right and wrong, of believing in authority. It's not been easy, but I have since realized that I did nothing wrong, and there's no shame in freaking out about something like that.

Needless to say, my locks have been changed, and no one has a key anymore. There are massive bolts on both of my doors. I sleep with pepper spray and am hardly ever home alone. I just don't want to be.

Oh, and I'm moving. I'll find out the exact date on Monday - it's a matter of when the current tenant moves out. Things are packed, but I'll do much more tomorrow. Oh, boy I'm ready. My house is a wreck and I can't handle it!!

It's sad, really

I might have a touch of agoraphobia.

Yesterday, I went to the big city. What an exciting time! I got butterfly stomach again, but I went anyway. After I ran the one necessary errand, all I could think was that I wanted to go home. I forced myself to go shopping somewhere else, just to expand my horizons. I did it, and I did it with a smile, all the while wanting nothing more to lay by butt on the couch and read my book.

I didn't even go to Target!!

"Don't Be Afraid"

So says Julia Child. So shall I be.

Post Grad, redux. I'm going back to school. I'm getting my Master's in Instructional Design & Technology. I'm finally learning to combine my love of design/programming with education.

And if I don't like it? After 4 classes, I'll have a certificate in Instructional Design.

"Be ye not afraid." I'm trying, oh Wise One.

Boy, do I have a lot to get used to

It's been quite a day. In fact, I've been told it's almost "back to the country." At least, it's preparing me for that.

It started yesterday. My landlord had a guy come install a new front door. No reason, except it looks nicer. In doing so, my door was left off for about an hour. By the time I started eating supper, I had flies buzzing around my head. A few swats and they were gone. I THOUGHT.

By this morning, I started looking closely. The front window had maybe 5 or 6 flies. Aggravating but manageable. I don't know what caught my interest, but I headed to the window in my dining room. I never go in there these days because it's full of school things. There had to be 20 flies on the window, not counting the ones in the air. Holy Toledo. I flew my tail straight to Home Depot and got THREE fly traps. Two hanging fly paper type things and one bag that has attractant in it. One of each in the dining room. A hanging version at the front window.

As of now, Maggie: 8 Flies: 0

I have this sick fascination with going to check on the bags. When looking at the one full of water and attractant, it falls straight to my CARPETED floor. Oh, fantastic. I dab it with paper towels then left it covered up with clean PTs. Either my flies are stupid or that junk doesn't work because not a one has gone to the spot on the floor. Either way, most of the liquid remained in the bag. It still hasn't caught a fly.

Oh, but then. I was walking back to check on my traps. Barefoot. La te da. Probably singing in my head. When I came this close to stepping on a LIZARD. In my DINING ROOM. Oh, yes.

I haven't checked a trap since.

Sad Days of Summer

I'm very much a homebody. I love being at home. When I thought I was going to go back to school this week to start setting up my classroom I got nervous. Butterflies. Nausea. Sweaty. Figured it was because I was going back to see people I hadn't seen in a month.

Today, I finally left home to go to the grocery store. I got nervous. Butterflies. Nausea. Guess it's not just school. It's me.

Me

Before I met the engineer, I had never laughed so hard that I snorted.

Ketchup Summer

I just got some great news. They're going to open up my hall of the school, which means I can get in there and slowly start setting up my room. Which means, I can get all that stuff out of my guest room and finally clean it. AND, I can get into the boxes of my books and finish sorting them by genre and labeling by reading level. I can't describe the peace I get when everything is sorted and labeled. I feel so relaxed!

Post Grad

Sometimes I get these feelings like I'm not living up to what I should be. I graduated from college 2 years ago. I teach school; about to start my 3rd year. I've always wanted to be a teacher. Love my principal. Love my coworkers. Love my kids. Something's not right.

I love math. I'm good at it. Standardized tests would make me giddy. Knowing there's only 1 right answer. The perfect evenness of it. I miss those.

I read like it's going out of style. Everyday. All the time. I have to physically tear myself away when the engineer is home so I can spend time with him. Torn between 2 loves.

I used to stay up till the wee hours of morning working on computer programs. Creating way more than was necessary for an A. Just for the thrill of it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing what I should be. Should I have been a mathematician? An accountant? Librarian? Writer? Programmer? I wish I could go back to my freshman year of college and take all those classes again and really listen to my gut this time. Cause right now? I don't have a clue.

Itch to Pitch + Ketchup Week

I'm feeling very overwhelmed in my apartment these days. I feel like I have too much junk floating around and I'm just dying to get rid of things. This would, ideally, be the time to take care of it, but I'm lost and don't know where to start.

Okay, okay. Start at the beginning, right? The room bothering me the most is the guest room / office. It's full of my school things, so I can't get in there until school starts again in the fall (and I can unload all of it back into my classroom!). It's the elephant in the room. It's all I can think about it. I started on some half-finished knitting projects in the mean time. I also need to do some sewing, take some clothes to good will, clean out the closets. I also need a bit of motivation. I firecracker in the rear, so to speak. Any ideas? Ideally something less painful?

The Misadventures of A Baker

Today, I tried to make pigs in a blanket. Yummy! The dough is outstanding. I alternated between putting in white and whole wheat, so I don't know the exact proportions, but it would make excellent rolls. Unfortunately, I guess I let the dough rise too much because they came out like this:


I promise, there are half hot dogs in there!! I think I'd like to try pizza pockets or brown bag burritos next. My poor freezer is getting too full. I think I'll have to start eating all these things I'm freezing!

Smell

Something is going on here. I've been overwhelmed by certain smells lately. The other day, my arm smelled like baby. Yummmm. I could have smelled it all day. Last night in bed, something smelled super sweet. I didn't move for ages because I wanted to take it in as long as I could. Eventually, it hit me - it smelled like the horse feed at the farm my dad used to work at.

Here's the kicker, though - something on my back porch smells like high school. I don't know if it's the bee balm plant or something nearby, but it is especially strong while my neighbor's air conditioner is on. I could sit out there all day and revel in the feelings of being young. It reminds me of hanging out with my friends, sneaking off with a boy, wearing our pajamas downstairs and thinking we were scandalous. The innocence and freedom of that time is heart-warming. I don't sit regretting anything or even wishing I were back in high school, just relishing the memories and thinking about where I've come since then. In some ways, that's the best feeling of all.

Where Is My Week?

It's all wrapped up in this:

Fabrics are "Aviary" by Moda (3 Sisters)

I'm almost done with it; tomorrow I'll finish the quilting and do the binding. It doesn't match anything in my house, but I fell in love with the colors and patterns in the store. It's too small to fit on a bed, which makes me think it's perfect for wrapping up in on the couch during a cold winter night. Hmmm... I'm all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

I realized today while I was taking out the trash (that's some good thinking time if you're ever needing to do some quick soul searching) that I could very easily become that crazy lady in the neighborhood that gets weird looks from everyone. I do what I can in my little apartment to make my own laundry soap, make all starches from scratch, and clean as environmentally as possible. I'd love to start a compost pile, grow some miniature fruit trees, and have some chickens, but I believe some of those dreams may have to wait for a house. By no means am I saying that those things make people "weird," but an over abundance of these things makes my family look at me like I'm crazy. I need to find the happy medium between being socially acceptable and reaching for these dreams that I want.

How does this happen?

I got an email from Freecycle today. There's a lady giving away 56 glass votive holders. How does one person accumulate that many glass votive holders?



One day, I dream of being perfect. I would send birthday and anniversary cards to both our families. I'd have a garden in the backyard and can all of our produce. I'd make whole wheat bread from scratch and grind my own grain. I would make quilts for all the new babies and marriages. I'd be perfect. Today, I made my own quilt. Okay, I really just made the top - or part of it. I love it so much, I'd wear it if I could. It's going to kill me to wait another two days before I can work on it again!

Summer Splash

Today, I am going to write a book about summer fun. It'll be a YA book that college girls will secretly read during a day trip to the beach, but high school girls will fawn over it. The main character - I'll call her Audrina - will spend her summer splashing in the pool and playing with her friends. I know, been there, done that. Except, she loves to go to antique stores. With her dad. He buys her furniture she doesn't have room for, so she thinks about getting a storage unit to keep things in until she can buy her own house. I haven't figured out the conflict.

If I didn't know better, I'd say a book that makes you feel this good doesn't need one.

A Day to Become a Writer

I'm feeling inspired. Looking at pictures, wishing to be a photographer. I'm reading other blogs and it hits me - if I had an idea, today would be a day to become a writer. I feel like the words are being placed in my head, dripping from my fingertips. I see beauty and I yearn to tell it with words.

Today, I would write a book about a lost soul, a woman deciding what to do with her life, a woman stuck between graduating college and a job that just doesn't seem right. I would tell of her wish to know what she was supposed to be doing. Does she stay in this job because it seems right, or search out for the job that feels right? Does she face her fears and begin taking pictures? Does she open the bookstore she's always dreamed of having? Maybe she just needs a change of pace, a new town, a new house.

http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/

If books had an image, mine would be this. I want it to feel like this picture makes me feel: beautiful, aged, cherished, loved. Maybe today I'll get around to starting my own book.

Robyn Carr and Thoughts on Series

I just finished Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr. It's the third in the Virgin River series, 6th book mentioning the characters from Grace Valley. Oh, heavens, was it good. I was getting tired of the whole everyone gets pregnant then married gimmick, so I went into this book expecting just that. Boy, was I surprised. I guess I shouldn't judge based on previous books. If Virgin River truly existed, I'd be on the next plane there to move. Who doesn't what to live in a place where everyone loves and accepts you for no superficial reasons? Where you can walk into Jack's (or another place) and be made to feel a part of the family? Or, to actually be part of the family?

Which brings me to my point about trilogies. Or series. I love them. Adore them. Would only read trilogies if I could get away with it. I've always had a theory that one book just isn't enough to delve into the lives of the characters, assuming it's a good author. By the third book, I'm worn out and done with them. I still love them, but don't want to read anymore about their lives. Something about Robyn Carr's books are different. I hope this series never ends. Have I mentioned yet, that I love the Virgin River books? :)

Bread Recipes!

Need some recipes for bread? Check out the Bread Breakthrough book offered by Fleischmann's Yeast.


Go here and register to get your own for FREE!! Aren't they sweet?

Super Shopping *Tuesday

I postponed my shopping until Tuesday this week to make sure I was completely ready before I went. That idea didn't work out too well, since almost everything I went to get was sold out. Nevertheless, here's how I did:

*insert 2 bags of Goldfish that I left in the car!

I floated out of the store so excited about my purchases, seeing that it originally rang up for over $46 dollars and I only spent $19. It doesn't look that impressive in photo-form, but check this out: The Bistro meals were only $0.13. This is going to be an awesome I'm-late-to-work-don't-want-to-pay-$3-for-school-lunch meal. It's not this good, but I'm working towards it!

I'm thinking about changing my shopping days to Thursdays. That way, I can read all of the good deals when they are posted online and then actually be able to buy things without it being sold out. Can you tell I'm still ill about missing out on the more-than-free pasta deal?

Bread Making

I've been making my own bread for a while now, but tonight I bought my very own bread maker! I know, I know... It's not that hard to make bread by hand. In fact, my arms have really appreciated all the kneading I've been doing. But, to be able to pour in the ingredients, set the timer, and come home to freshly baked bread? Not much could be better...

...except that I only paid $20 for it off Craigslist. Jealous?

Menu Planning Anyone?

Menu planning is something I'm working hard on implementing in my own home. I know I'm only shopping and planning for 1 person, but if I can do it now, then slowly I can build onto that as my family builds. Right? Right?!?

Either way, I found this awesome e-book that gives tons of suggestions in Menu Planning. I'm looking forward to implementing this as I go grocery shopping next week. Go here to sign up for the newsletter. She'll then send you a link to Menu Planning: How to Plan Menus for a Whole Month and Enjoy It. Give it a try!

Super Shopping Monday!

How'd I do this week? Not as well as I would have liked, but considering I had to rebuy all sorts of things to restock my fridge, it wasn't too bad.

This is the result from BiLo, Food Lion, and Walgreens. Thankfully, I still have a ton of meat and veggies, so my shopping trip was pretty light. All told, I spent $21.10, only $3 more than budget. Not too bad considering I bought eggs, butter, flour, and cream soups, which I typically keep on stockpile.

Need help finding good deals? Check out the links on the sidebar.

What a Way to Start

Let's just get running on the right foot, why don't we? Have you ever realized how much we take refrigeration for granted?

No? Then try leaving your fridge door open for 10 hours while you're at work, then go and throw everything away. Good luck making dinner now!

You know, something should be said for a little creativity in the kitchen...