In keeping with my goals for this next year, last night Joshua and I researched Fair Trade coffee. I had been buying fair trade for awhile, but I wanted to understand better why it was a good practice, whether it was helpful, and if I should continue spending an extra couple of dollars.
I am still thinking this through, but I thought I would share a little of what we found out. Basically, fair trade works through individual co-ops in villages where there are many coffee producers. The co-op helps the farmers produce organic coffee, while, ideally, increasing the farmer's wages compared to other coffee farmers. Today, we found that the average coffee farmer can get anywhere from $.30-$.80 per pound of coffee. Through the co-op coffee is bought for $2.40 per pound, roughly. The money is paid to the co-op and then distributed to farmers. I'll come back to this in a moment, as we talk about criticisms.
There is a long list of rules the co-op and farmers must adhere to. One of the rules restricts coffee farmers from using child labor, which is abundant in many countries, preventing children from going to school. I especially liked this aspect of the program. Another aspect I like, is farmers are expected to use the increase in wages to help their community, whether through scholarships, building wells, or other beneficial programs. You can read more about the impact here.
Now to the criticism. We learned from the oh-so-reliable source, Wikipedia, that many of the criticisms can be found in the corruption of the leaders in various co-ops. Each village or area has their own co-op, which is run by people in the community, and if those leaders are corrupt it could lead to stealing money from farmers or abusing their power in other ways. This could mean farmers are only receiving the same amount per pound that non-fair trade farmers receive.
My main concern stems from a paper Josh found online from Iowa State about economics and fair trade. You can read it if you want, but I warn you--it's long. It all boils down to basic supply and demand. The demand for coffee is much less than it used to be, but fair trade prevents the cost from being under a certain price. This makes more farmers want to produce coffee, thinking they will earn higher wages, but there is not enough demand to use all the coffee that is farmed. In normal economics, this would drive farmers to produce other crops because they would realize they couldn't live off of what they were making, but with fair trade, it almost encourages farmers to produce with or without demand.
I may have to think it all over for awhile. I like the restrictions on child labor and helping communities, but I also don't want to be part of something that prevents economies from actually growing in other areas. Let me know what you think, my mind is a little stuck...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Goals for 2012
Last week Joshua encouraged me to think about this coming year and make a list of goals. In this way I can be working towards something and Joshua better knows how to encourage me in what I want to learn. Here's the list of what I have come up with, in absolutely no specific order:
1) Begin to learn Spanish. I've been listening to an Italian CD on the way to work every morning, but Joshua has decided to learn Spanish for work, so I figured it would be best to be learning together.
2) Continue to read through the Bible each morning. We began reading at the beginning of December in a "Read thru the Bible in a year" program. Since we came in at the end, we will start back at the beginning in January and be finished in the end of November. For the last few weeks I have really enjoyed waking up early, having my coffee, and having that quiet time with the Lord. I want to be diligent in continuing this practice all year.
3) Do yoga every workday morning. It isn't easy for me to get up at 5:30 and then spend the whole day at work, but I know my body will appreciate getting exercise more regularly and it will help my back pain tremendously (I am too young to have back pain, so I want to be thorough with this goal).
4) Be a better listener to both my husband and others. I have recently noticed how often I forget what people say to me soon after they say it. This is not a quality I want to foster, as I know it has hurt my husband numerous times.
5) Be more selfless and giving in my actions. I have a tendency to notice when someone might need help and become self conscious about whether it is appropriate to offer my help, or care for them. I want to have better eyes for noticing need around me. Which ties in to the next and last two goals:
6) Learn to care only for God's good pleasure and then my husband's. I care far too much about what other people think about me. While I have prayed, worked, and talked through this with my husband many times over the past 7 months, I still need to grow in some pretty big ways. It is especially important to me that by the time we have children I am secure in knowing who God has created me to be, so I can be focused on raising them and helping to mold their character. This goal also has a lot to do with how I share the gospel with others. I need and want to be very unashamed of the gospel as I am at work and involved in life.
7) Have a firm understanding on where most all of our products come from. Recently we watched a documentary on the gold market and how much of our gold comes from basically slave-like colonies in Africa. I was appalled at how little these people were paid for the hard work they do. One point that really got me was when a man said that he really didn't care if he lived or died, his whole life was to mine gold, just so he might be able to feed his children. My life is so blessed that it is easy for me to not even care where my gold, clothes, household goods, etc, might be coming from.
8) Buy more local food. Similar to the above, as well as tied to many other things I have learned through nutrition, economy, and research, I want our meat and produce to come mostly from local farms. This goal I know probably won't really be able to happen until Joshua and I move and are settled for his job, but I want to keep it in the forefront of my mind.
9) Lastly, to end on an odd number, be more comfortable being quiet with myself. I believe a lot of hearing from the Lord comes from being quiet, and I'm just not good at it. I also want to be able to serve my husband by knowing when to speak and when to be quiet--there are many times I could wait to say what is on my mind, but it isn't easy for me to still my mind and let Joshua continue to do what he is doing.
1) Begin to learn Spanish. I've been listening to an Italian CD on the way to work every morning, but Joshua has decided to learn Spanish for work, so I figured it would be best to be learning together.
2) Continue to read through the Bible each morning. We began reading at the beginning of December in a "Read thru the Bible in a year" program. Since we came in at the end, we will start back at the beginning in January and be finished in the end of November. For the last few weeks I have really enjoyed waking up early, having my coffee, and having that quiet time with the Lord. I want to be diligent in continuing this practice all year.
3) Do yoga every workday morning. It isn't easy for me to get up at 5:30 and then spend the whole day at work, but I know my body will appreciate getting exercise more regularly and it will help my back pain tremendously (I am too young to have back pain, so I want to be thorough with this goal).
4) Be a better listener to both my husband and others. I have recently noticed how often I forget what people say to me soon after they say it. This is not a quality I want to foster, as I know it has hurt my husband numerous times.
5) Be more selfless and giving in my actions. I have a tendency to notice when someone might need help and become self conscious about whether it is appropriate to offer my help, or care for them. I want to have better eyes for noticing need around me. Which ties in to the next and last two goals:
6) Learn to care only for God's good pleasure and then my husband's. I care far too much about what other people think about me. While I have prayed, worked, and talked through this with my husband many times over the past 7 months, I still need to grow in some pretty big ways. It is especially important to me that by the time we have children I am secure in knowing who God has created me to be, so I can be focused on raising them and helping to mold their character. This goal also has a lot to do with how I share the gospel with others. I need and want to be very unashamed of the gospel as I am at work and involved in life.
7) Have a firm understanding on where most all of our products come from. Recently we watched a documentary on the gold market and how much of our gold comes from basically slave-like colonies in Africa. I was appalled at how little these people were paid for the hard work they do. One point that really got me was when a man said that he really didn't care if he lived or died, his whole life was to mine gold, just so he might be able to feed his children. My life is so blessed that it is easy for me to not even care where my gold, clothes, household goods, etc, might be coming from.
8) Buy more local food. Similar to the above, as well as tied to many other things I have learned through nutrition, economy, and research, I want our meat and produce to come mostly from local farms. This goal I know probably won't really be able to happen until Joshua and I move and are settled for his job, but I want to keep it in the forefront of my mind.
9) Lastly, to end on an odd number, be more comfortable being quiet with myself. I believe a lot of hearing from the Lord comes from being quiet, and I'm just not good at it. I also want to be able to serve my husband by knowing when to speak and when to be quiet--there are many times I could wait to say what is on my mind, but it isn't easy for me to still my mind and let Joshua continue to do what he is doing.
Our First Christmas
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Actually, I believe what I enjoy is the whole season leading up to Christmas. From Thanksgiving until Christmas I get to celebrate 2 holidays and a birthday. In my opinion, it is also the most beautiful time of year. Frigid winter mornings are mixed with crisp fall afternoons. No season makes me quite as content and happy as Fall.
Husband and I both agreed this year to stay home for Christmas, the largest factor being how painful it was to look at prices to get home. I forever want to remember our first married Christmas, as well as share it with our family. The decision to blog does not happen often for me, but today is the day. It's a quiet morning in the Lake house, husband is sleeping, I have my coffee, and Dave Barnes is serenading me as I write.
We could not have asked for a more beautiful Christmas together (though, I continue to ask for snow--27 Christmases, and still no snow falling I am able to recollect--one in Arkansas with snow already on the ground, but I want to see a real Christmas day snow). I had my few tears on Christmas Eve, missing our families and wishing we could have made it to Texas, but we both know the memory of Christmas just the two of us, will be something we will always cherish. Thanksgiving was possibly a harder holiday to not be home, as all of my family was together, nieces, brand new nephew, and siblings. All I can do is pray that all of us can be together next year for the holidays.
On Christmas Eve we went out to our church, deciding to make the 45 minute drive then, instead of Christmas morning. Worshiping our Savior is the whole point of this holiday, the service was a great way to start our celebration. We both left thankful for our decision to start going to this church, even though the drives are long--we get a lot of quality time on the drives, so you won't hear me complaining.
Christmas morning we both woke up around 7:45am (after I restrained myself from waking husband up at 3:45--I am about 5 years old this time of year). I put our breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls and pigs in a blanket in the oven and we sat down to read our daily Bible reading. Husband had a great idea for stretching out Christmas over the whole morning--we would write our thank you notes as we opened presents. It is so nice to know they are all finished and we can put them in the mail today! We learned after the wedding, that thank you notes do not get done in a timely manner unless I have a little encouragement, not because I am not grateful, but just because I get distracted.
I learned something this weekend. While this whole blog was started last summer as I worked through trying to know myself better, I have not blogged my process of knowing the Lord and myself better. One thing that I now know I genuinely enjoy is cooking. I was unsure as we went into this weekend if I would want to cook everything I had planned, since a large part of my job is cooking for several hours each day. After all presents were opened and we were able to relax for a few hours, I got up to make our Christmas dinner of lamb and risotto. Suffice to say, I loved that three hours of cooking, and I am quite confident husband loved the three hours of mostly quiet, reading time.
For every family member, we love each of you and missed seeing you and sharing this holiday with you. Lord-willing we will have many holidays with you. Thank you for being gracious and understanding as we weren't with you.
I'll leave you with a link to some photos from our first 7 months of marriage. Thank you for being part of our lives!
Husband and I both agreed this year to stay home for Christmas, the largest factor being how painful it was to look at prices to get home. I forever want to remember our first married Christmas, as well as share it with our family. The decision to blog does not happen often for me, but today is the day. It's a quiet morning in the Lake house, husband is sleeping, I have my coffee, and Dave Barnes is serenading me as I write.
We could not have asked for a more beautiful Christmas together (though, I continue to ask for snow--27 Christmases, and still no snow falling I am able to recollect--one in Arkansas with snow already on the ground, but I want to see a real Christmas day snow). I had my few tears on Christmas Eve, missing our families and wishing we could have made it to Texas, but we both know the memory of Christmas just the two of us, will be something we will always cherish. Thanksgiving was possibly a harder holiday to not be home, as all of my family was together, nieces, brand new nephew, and siblings. All I can do is pray that all of us can be together next year for the holidays.
On Christmas Eve we went out to our church, deciding to make the 45 minute drive then, instead of Christmas morning. Worshiping our Savior is the whole point of this holiday, the service was a great way to start our celebration. We both left thankful for our decision to start going to this church, even though the drives are long--we get a lot of quality time on the drives, so you won't hear me complaining.
Christmas morning we both woke up around 7:45am (after I restrained myself from waking husband up at 3:45--I am about 5 years old this time of year). I put our breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls and pigs in a blanket in the oven and we sat down to read our daily Bible reading. Husband had a great idea for stretching out Christmas over the whole morning--we would write our thank you notes as we opened presents. It is so nice to know they are all finished and we can put them in the mail today! We learned after the wedding, that thank you notes do not get done in a timely manner unless I have a little encouragement, not because I am not grateful, but just because I get distracted.
I learned something this weekend. While this whole blog was started last summer as I worked through trying to know myself better, I have not blogged my process of knowing the Lord and myself better. One thing that I now know I genuinely enjoy is cooking. I was unsure as we went into this weekend if I would want to cook everything I had planned, since a large part of my job is cooking for several hours each day. After all presents were opened and we were able to relax for a few hours, I got up to make our Christmas dinner of lamb and risotto. Suffice to say, I loved that three hours of cooking, and I am quite confident husband loved the three hours of mostly quiet, reading time.
For every family member, we love each of you and missed seeing you and sharing this holiday with you. Lord-willing we will have many holidays with you. Thank you for being gracious and understanding as we weren't with you.
I'll leave you with a link to some photos from our first 7 months of marriage. Thank you for being part of our lives!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Our Quest for an Eczema Cure
Over the past 3 1/2 months of marriage my husband has been battling some of the most severe eczema he can remember. As we went through our summer internship, we believed this to be due to high allergy counts. After we returned to law school a couple weeks ago, we expected the symptoms to ease. They did. For two days, then returned with a vengeance.
Now I am spending hours researching and experimenting with how we can actually cure him of this uncomfortable disease, not just manage the symptoms. From what I have seen, eczema becomes more inflamed when the kidneys and liver are overwhelmed with toxins and the skin is the next avenue from which they can escape. Our goal is now to find ways to cleanse the liver from toxins for the long haul.
We have found one woman's story to be insightful, it can be found here: http://eczema-natural-healing.com/eczema-and-diet.html. While we do not have the money to invest in all the supplements as she did, we will be trying to eat less meat, dairy, and yeast products. We will also be adding freshly juiced leafy greens and other veggies. Fish oil, Vit D, and Probiotics are now a staple in our everyday diet, and some weird pill called Blue Green Algae.
I'll probably track a lot of what we are doing and our reactions here. The Probiotics were added a little over a week ago and I have to wonder if they are one of the big reasons that his skin has gotten so much worse. All I read says it will get worse before it gets better, but it isn't easy to mentally prepare for that reality. We'll keep being diligent, though, to give this enough of a try to be worth it. And with prayer and hard work, we look forward to the day when hubster's brain can think fully on other things, such as work, and give little thought to his skin.
Now I am spending hours researching and experimenting with how we can actually cure him of this uncomfortable disease, not just manage the symptoms. From what I have seen, eczema becomes more inflamed when the kidneys and liver are overwhelmed with toxins and the skin is the next avenue from which they can escape. Our goal is now to find ways to cleanse the liver from toxins for the long haul.
We have found one woman's story to be insightful, it can be found here: http://eczema-natural-healing.com/eczema-and-diet.html. While we do not have the money to invest in all the supplements as she did, we will be trying to eat less meat, dairy, and yeast products. We will also be adding freshly juiced leafy greens and other veggies. Fish oil, Vit D, and Probiotics are now a staple in our everyday diet, and some weird pill called Blue Green Algae.
I'll probably track a lot of what we are doing and our reactions here. The Probiotics were added a little over a week ago and I have to wonder if they are one of the big reasons that his skin has gotten so much worse. All I read says it will get worse before it gets better, but it isn't easy to mentally prepare for that reality. We'll keep being diligent, though, to give this enough of a try to be worth it. And with prayer and hard work, we look forward to the day when hubster's brain can think fully on other things, such as work, and give little thought to his skin.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Morning Reading.
I was reading this morning in Psalm 127 and found it to be a beautiful reminder of why we do what we do. By verse two it really stuck out to me "It is vain for you to rise up early"; I believe this would catch anyone's attention at 5:15am when they would much rather be sleeping.
The whole premise of the entire Psalm is that we are blessed by the Lord and none other; when we do something we succeed if He chooses we succeed, not because we are such a great person. I don't believe it was saying I should go back to sleep (though, that would be nice), but rather, that in my waking up early I need to acknowledge Christ. He is the reason and purpose behind my days, and if he is not, then it is all in vain.
I then jumped over to Proverbs 27, where the first thing I saw was "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring". For some reason, this morning is reminding me to still my heart and remember I am only granted this day. But oh, how I wish I could plan the next 365 days. In both of these passages, I am convicted to be still and know God is the one who grants days and He is the one who should be behind all I working towards.
Matthew's reading today was 12:38-50 in which the Pharisees were asking Jesus for a sign. In response, he lets them know the signs they have been given, ancient cities would have longed to have.
It's as though this morning Jesus is telling me to be still, remember He needs to always be behind everything I do, and I have more than enough proof that He is worthy of just that. If I could learn if live my life in this way, how much less would I be worried about myself, or how others perceive me? While society tells me a million different reasons as to how I should live, I need to be reminded--Jesus, He is why I live. Living for Him is contrary to everything I am told about how to be a woman, how to be a wife, and how to work. On this day, then, without worrying about tomorrow, may I learn to be diligent and still in knowing Christ.
The whole premise of the entire Psalm is that we are blessed by the Lord and none other; when we do something we succeed if He chooses we succeed, not because we are such a great person. I don't believe it was saying I should go back to sleep (though, that would be nice), but rather, that in my waking up early I need to acknowledge Christ. He is the reason and purpose behind my days, and if he is not, then it is all in vain.
I then jumped over to Proverbs 27, where the first thing I saw was "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring". For some reason, this morning is reminding me to still my heart and remember I am only granted this day. But oh, how I wish I could plan the next 365 days. In both of these passages, I am convicted to be still and know God is the one who grants days and He is the one who should be behind all I working towards.
Matthew's reading today was 12:38-50 in which the Pharisees were asking Jesus for a sign. In response, he lets them know the signs they have been given, ancient cities would have longed to have.
It's as though this morning Jesus is telling me to be still, remember He needs to always be behind everything I do, and I have more than enough proof that He is worthy of just that. If I could learn if live my life in this way, how much less would I be worried about myself, or how others perceive me? While society tells me a million different reasons as to how I should live, I need to be reminded--Jesus, He is why I live. Living for Him is contrary to everything I am told about how to be a woman, how to be a wife, and how to work. On this day, then, without worrying about tomorrow, may I learn to be diligent and still in knowing Christ.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Matthew 10
Over the last several months (off and on) I have been reading through Matthew, 1 chapter a week, "with" the hubster. We don't read together, but the intention was we would read each morning on our own and discuss our thoughts. While he has been diligent about posting on his blog, I have not been diligent at all. He suggested a few weeks ago that I focus my mind through writing bible study questions on each chapter. This has definitely helped me focus in the mornings as I read each section and I thought I would more clearly direct my thoughts here.
So if you have no interest in reading about Matthew, then stop reading now, but considering the only one reading this is the one who suggested this exercise, I doubt the reading will cease at this point.
Matthew 10:1-19
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [fn]at his house until you leave that city. "As you enter the house, give it your greeting. "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.
(NASB, Copyright belongs to the Lockman Foundation)
Now, here were my questions:
In what ways are the disciples extending Jesus' ministry?
Why could they only go the lost sheep of Israel? How does that tie into Jesus' purpose in coming?
What is the significance of v. 15 and how does this journey of the disciples fulfill God's purpose of sending Jesus?
Contrast being shrewd and innocent. How can these two qualities coincide?
How does vs 19 "But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak" relate to Matt 6:25-34?
That's all I have for now, maybe I'll write my reflections on these questions soon (I will, don't worry). This is just to get you thinking (or, start my thinking process).
So if you have no interest in reading about Matthew, then stop reading now, but considering the only one reading this is the one who suggested this exercise, I doubt the reading will cease at this point.
Matthew 10:1-19
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [fn]at his house until you leave that city. "As you enter the house, give it your greeting. "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.
(NASB, Copyright belongs to the Lockman Foundation)
Now, here were my questions:
In what ways are the disciples extending Jesus' ministry?
Why could they only go the lost sheep of Israel? How does that tie into Jesus' purpose in coming?
What is the significance of v. 15 and how does this journey of the disciples fulfill God's purpose of sending Jesus?
Contrast being shrewd and innocent. How can these two qualities coincide?
How does vs 19 "But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak" relate to Matt 6:25-34?
That's all I have for now, maybe I'll write my reflections on these questions soon (I will, don't worry). This is just to get you thinking (or, start my thinking process).
Monday, July 4, 2011
Crime and Punishment
I finally finished the book I started on our honeymoon! Only took me two months to get through, not that it was in any was unenjoyable, but mostly because I read so slowly. The author is also extremely verbose, apparently, as Josh told me, because in Russia they were paid by the word, so authors embellished needlessly in order to have enough money to live.
I have every intention of reviewing the book, but I need a little time for it to sit with me before I am ready. There was so much crammed into 400 short pages that I cannot process it in only an hour or two. Check back, though (which, obviously I have to in order to review the book, and Josh, you more than likely will), because I will review soon.
I'll also confess, that reading has not been as boring as I thought it would be. The break I took after grad school has probably helped this, now I can read for fun and nobody is going to quiz me on how well I comprehended what I read.
There has been no thought on what I will pick up next, but I am sure either something on my shelf or on Josh's Kindle. I should probably be a nice wife, though, and give you back your Kindle, Josh, so you can read something. Okay, I'll keep that in mind...
I have every intention of reviewing the book, but I need a little time for it to sit with me before I am ready. There was so much crammed into 400 short pages that I cannot process it in only an hour or two. Check back, though (which, obviously I have to in order to review the book, and Josh, you more than likely will), because I will review soon.
I'll also confess, that reading has not been as boring as I thought it would be. The break I took after grad school has probably helped this, now I can read for fun and nobody is going to quiz me on how well I comprehended what I read.
There has been no thought on what I will pick up next, but I am sure either something on my shelf or on Josh's Kindle. I should probably be a nice wife, though, and give you back your Kindle, Josh, so you can read something. Okay, I'll keep that in mind...
Cooking
My Fourth of July update will encompass a lot of what I have dabbled in this week, but mostly cooking. Cooking is, by far, the hobby I spend the most time doing. The creativity behind my current cooking has to do with saving as much as we can on our part time, law student salary.
This week I made:
1) Chicken pot pie, easy man's version.
One of my favorite things about the chicken in this recipe was the crockpot whole chicken. I have made countless whole roast chicken's in my day, mainly because they can be dirt cheap (e.g, I bought one on Friday for $3.38 that made an entire dinner for 4, plus some left over for chicken noodle soup). Since I had to work, though, I ran home during my lunch break and stuck the whole chicken in the crockpot with some onions, garlic, and paprika so it would be finished when I got home.
Easiest way to cook a chicken! The meat was falling off the bone and so moist! I proceeded to make the chicken pot pie with some Philadelphia Cooking Creme that we got for free with coupons last week, frozen veggies, cream of mushroom soup that we got for a dollar with coupons, and a container of Pillsbury biscuits (surprise, surprise, with coupons).
Thankfully dinner was ready within about 45 minutes of getting home, which is pretty good for our schedule. I'll admit, with the Cooking Creme's we have gotten I have not necessarily been really impressed. They are a little too overwhelming in flavor for my taste, and they have the cream cheese flavor, which, while delicious, should be reserved to certain foods. I can't complain, though, it was inexpensive and served us well!
2) Baked Penne
This also used some Cooking Creme we got for free. I also used ground turkey we got on sale, frozen mozzarella we got on sale, and homemade spaghetti sauce from some canned tomatoes we got with coupons for $1.80 total. Definitely tasty. Probably my favorite of the Creme Recipes I have tried, mostly because the Italian style lends itself to very cheesy flavors. This meal served us at least 2 meals and I had left over turkey for the freezer as well as some left over homemade spaghetti sauce for the freezer.
3) Baked Chicken
Not difficult, but I will say, for some reason the chicken didn't bake through the way I expected. I think our oven is a little old and inconsistent in temperatures. It wasn't bad though. I now have more chicken broth than anyone knows what to do with! It's great to have on hand, though, if one of us gets sick or we've had a long day and I don't feel up to cooking.
On deck for this week:
Ribs (Fourth of July celebration) with Potatoes
Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots
Turkey Spaghetti with Squash and Zucchini
Maybe some frozen Beef and Barley Stew
This week I made:
1) Chicken pot pie, easy man's version.
One of my favorite things about the chicken in this recipe was the crockpot whole chicken. I have made countless whole roast chicken's in my day, mainly because they can be dirt cheap (e.g, I bought one on Friday for $3.38 that made an entire dinner for 4, plus some left over for chicken noodle soup). Since I had to work, though, I ran home during my lunch break and stuck the whole chicken in the crockpot with some onions, garlic, and paprika so it would be finished when I got home.
Easiest way to cook a chicken! The meat was falling off the bone and so moist! I proceeded to make the chicken pot pie with some Philadelphia Cooking Creme that we got for free with coupons last week, frozen veggies, cream of mushroom soup that we got for a dollar with coupons, and a container of Pillsbury biscuits (surprise, surprise, with coupons).
Thankfully dinner was ready within about 45 minutes of getting home, which is pretty good for our schedule. I'll admit, with the Cooking Creme's we have gotten I have not necessarily been really impressed. They are a little too overwhelming in flavor for my taste, and they have the cream cheese flavor, which, while delicious, should be reserved to certain foods. I can't complain, though, it was inexpensive and served us well!
2) Baked Penne
This also used some Cooking Creme we got for free. I also used ground turkey we got on sale, frozen mozzarella we got on sale, and homemade spaghetti sauce from some canned tomatoes we got with coupons for $1.80 total. Definitely tasty. Probably my favorite of the Creme Recipes I have tried, mostly because the Italian style lends itself to very cheesy flavors. This meal served us at least 2 meals and I had left over turkey for the freezer as well as some left over homemade spaghetti sauce for the freezer.
3) Baked Chicken
Not difficult, but I will say, for some reason the chicken didn't bake through the way I expected. I think our oven is a little old and inconsistent in temperatures. It wasn't bad though. I now have more chicken broth than anyone knows what to do with! It's great to have on hand, though, if one of us gets sick or we've had a long day and I don't feel up to cooking.
On deck for this week:
Ribs (Fourth of July celebration) with Potatoes
Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots
Turkey Spaghetti with Squash and Zucchini
Maybe some frozen Beef and Barley Stew
Monday, June 27, 2011
Music
One constant in my life since childhood has been singing and piano. I've had the most beautiful keyboard for about 3 or 4 years now that goes through periods of a lot of use, but doesn't get used to it's full potential. I have decided to pick back up and pursue my musical talent. It is a perk for this hobby that there are no start up costs whatsoever.
I sat down on Saturday night and played for about 45 minutes. There is a box full of books ranging in genre from Chopin to Barbara Streisand, so it is difficult for me to get bored. Over the next several weeks I will just need to be diligent to not give up, but persevere through a song until it is completed and can be played in the way it was written.
In beginning this musical quest I have picked four songs to work on, though, I could not tell me all four names right now. I picked the first song in the Mozart book, the first Valse in my Chopin book, Wishing You were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera as one vocal piece, and Memory from Cats for the other vocal piece.
Both of the vocal pieces need a lot of work--I haven't kept up with singing in so long that it will take some time to build up my range again. My fingers are also a little out of touch with piano playing, especially my left hand, so I am thinking there will be a lot of scales, etc, in the future.
Benefit: I already have a firm foundation, I have all I need to pursue this hobby, and I know I have somewhat of the ear needed to do well.
Con: It's easy for me to get frustrated when I cannot immediately play a piece or become insecure when singing...I don't know who I think is listening to my singing, since most of the time I am home alone. Maybe a fly on the wall or something? Actually, somehow I think some random person on the street will hear me singing and be horrified, that's some strange mix of selfishness and craziness.
Anyway, I am putting all of that behind me and setting a goal of being able to play and/or sing all of those songs by the end of the summer. I know for a fact that piano is something I can lose myself in, which is one of the best signs of a good hobby.
I sat down on Saturday night and played for about 45 minutes. There is a box full of books ranging in genre from Chopin to Barbara Streisand, so it is difficult for me to get bored. Over the next several weeks I will just need to be diligent to not give up, but persevere through a song until it is completed and can be played in the way it was written.
In beginning this musical quest I have picked four songs to work on, though, I could not tell me all four names right now. I picked the first song in the Mozart book, the first Valse in my Chopin book, Wishing You were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera as one vocal piece, and Memory from Cats for the other vocal piece.
Both of the vocal pieces need a lot of work--I haven't kept up with singing in so long that it will take some time to build up my range again. My fingers are also a little out of touch with piano playing, especially my left hand, so I am thinking there will be a lot of scales, etc, in the future.
Benefit: I already have a firm foundation, I have all I need to pursue this hobby, and I know I have somewhat of the ear needed to do well.
Con: It's easy for me to get frustrated when I cannot immediately play a piece or become insecure when singing...I don't know who I think is listening to my singing, since most of the time I am home alone. Maybe a fly on the wall or something? Actually, somehow I think some random person on the street will hear me singing and be horrified, that's some strange mix of selfishness and craziness.
Anyway, I am putting all of that behind me and setting a goal of being able to play and/or sing all of those songs by the end of the summer. I know for a fact that piano is something I can lose myself in, which is one of the best signs of a good hobby.
Painting and such
This weekend provided little time for experimenting, but I did have some time to explore some interests.
First up--painting. I discovered long ago that I cannot paint abstract art because I am too literal, I also cannot paint literal things because I am not disciplined enough to be gifted at making an apple look like an apple. So, in an effort to keep things literal and not be frustrated I am working on one of those really detailed paint by numbers.
Benefits: It looks like the picture when I am done. Also, I have freedom to ad lib a little bit and I get to mix paints=messy, I ALWAYS like messy.
Cons: I have to sit--for a long time. I sit so often at work that my shoulders start to hurt pretty quickly from leaning over the canvas.
Overall, I do like this one, but I doubt I could do it as my constant hobby. Half an hour here and there is nice, but it involves so little movement. If I was working a job that kept me on my feet I may enjoy this a little more. One thing that has always been true about me, though, is that I very much enjoy seeing progress in my tasks. When activities are too obtuse or long term, I get discouraged, feeling as though I never make progress. That is not true with painting. I feel progress at the end of every session.
Maybe I'll dabble in some more advanced painting after this, but for now, this gives me a sense of accomplishment.
First up--painting. I discovered long ago that I cannot paint abstract art because I am too literal, I also cannot paint literal things because I am not disciplined enough to be gifted at making an apple look like an apple. So, in an effort to keep things literal and not be frustrated I am working on one of those really detailed paint by numbers.
Benefits: It looks like the picture when I am done. Also, I have freedom to ad lib a little bit and I get to mix paints=messy, I ALWAYS like messy.
Cons: I have to sit--for a long time. I sit so often at work that my shoulders start to hurt pretty quickly from leaning over the canvas.
Overall, I do like this one, but I doubt I could do it as my constant hobby. Half an hour here and there is nice, but it involves so little movement. If I was working a job that kept me on my feet I may enjoy this a little more. One thing that has always been true about me, though, is that I very much enjoy seeing progress in my tasks. When activities are too obtuse or long term, I get discouraged, feeling as though I never make progress. That is not true with painting. I feel progress at the end of every session.
Maybe I'll dabble in some more advanced painting after this, but for now, this gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Why, I ask?
When my husband and I started dating one of the questions he asked was "What do you do for fun?" I dread this question any time someone asks. Seems unusual, doesn't it? What I enjoy doing should be one of the things I enjoy talking about most in life, yet instead I have no clue. Though, I could argue that talking is my current hobby, so I am often involved in this activity...I doubt that will cover my quest.
To be a successful and acceptable hobby I have a few requirements:
1) Not too expensive--none of this learning how to bake with truffles and lots of saffron as I all too quickly drain our law student/part time income
2) Causes more relaxation than frustration. Frustration may happen occasionally as I learn new things, but my goal is not to be cranky pants after "hobby time".
3) Doesn't involve me talking much to lover boy so he can get some "brain dead" time.
Okay, that was a couple--I may add to this as time continues.
The purpose of this blog is for my own use--over the next several months I will use this as my virtual journal of hobbies. At the end of this venture I will, hopefully, have found enjoyable hobbies that are inexpensive and keep me, somewhat, out of my husband's hair for a few hours a week. As my brain moves at about 90 mph and I have the attention span of a two year old, I need some written record of what I thought of each of my tried hobbies.
First up: Painting (not as skilled painting as you are thinking). I'll keep me updated in a few days.
To be a successful and acceptable hobby I have a few requirements:
1) Not too expensive--none of this learning how to bake with truffles and lots of saffron as I all too quickly drain our law student/part time income
2) Causes more relaxation than frustration. Frustration may happen occasionally as I learn new things, but my goal is not to be cranky pants after "hobby time".
3) Doesn't involve me talking much to lover boy so he can get some "brain dead" time.
Okay, that was a couple--I may add to this as time continues.
The purpose of this blog is for my own use--over the next several months I will use this as my virtual journal of hobbies. At the end of this venture I will, hopefully, have found enjoyable hobbies that are inexpensive and keep me, somewhat, out of my husband's hair for a few hours a week. As my brain moves at about 90 mph and I have the attention span of a two year old, I need some written record of what I thought of each of my tried hobbies.
First up: Painting (not as skilled painting as you are thinking). I'll keep me updated in a few days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)