Fried Rice is possibly one of my favorite leftover meals. Whenever we have leftover meat from another recipe, I can easily and quickly cut it up into small cubes, and mix it with rice and other vegetables for my own take on stir fried rice. A lot of places will use the standard bag of frozen mixed veggies for the vegetables. I like to think that traditional Chinese families used whatever was in season and on hand to make fried rice for their families. This then, is my take on Fried Rice, using leftovers and food that is in season. For this particular batch, I used items I already have on hand: Bell Peppers, Onions, Carrots, Kale, Spinach, and celery. I added the heartier vegetables first, and the spinach and kale once the other vegetables were crisp-tender. As soon as the greens began to wilt, I added the meat, rice, and sauce.
A note of caution- the sauce that I use on my stir-fries is a little spicy - very reminiscent of a Szechuan sauce.
Pork Fried Rice
1/4 pound of leftover pork, diced into small cubes
2-3 cups of rice, cooked, either brown or white
2 -3 cups of assorted vegetables, diced. You can use a small bag of frozen mixed veggies
Optional: 1 egg, scrambled and cut into small pieces
Sauce:
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
2 TBSP dry sherry (cooking sherry)
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
In a glass measuring cup, mix the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium high heat.
Add vegetables all at once, stirring until they are crisp-tender.
Add meat, stir an additional minute.
All at once, add rice and sauce, stirring well to mix. (About 2 minutes)
Remove from heat.
Serve immediately.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Smoked Cuban Sandwiches
That pork roast yielded yet another awesome dinner. Smoked Cuban Sandwiches. Technically, this wasn't a smoked roast, so I guess this would technically be called a Roasted Cuban Sandwich? This made a fantastic quick dinner on a night when we had to be out at meetings within 90 minutes of husband arriving home from work. I use gluten free bread. I have a few brands that I am absolutely in love with, and I used my favorite thick, crusty roll for this recipe. I also used the George Foreman Grill to smash the sandwiches down. It melted the cheese, heated the bread, and made a minimum of mess in my kitchen. (Important on a night when you have to be out the door 90 minutes after you walk in!)
*Note- because of hubby's dairy allergies, he used fake cheese on his sandwich. We compromised on the grill and brushed olive oil on the outside of our sandwiches because he didn't want butter tainting his sandwich. I really don't mind it that way!)
We served this with a salad and roasted potato wedges.
Several slices of pork roast, COOKED and cut to the thickness you like
Ham (I had leftover from the last ham we had that I thawed out just for this sandwich)
Crusty rolls or bread
Mustard
Cheese of your choice - most people use Swiss
Pickles
Butter (or Non-Stick Cooking Spray, or Olive Oil)
To assemble:
Slather mustard on the bread.
Layer the ham, cheese, and pickles inside of the bread.
Press into a heated George Foreman Grill (or use your outdoor grill, with a brick on top of the sandwich to make it flat.) Heat until the cheese is melted.
*Note- because of hubby's dairy allergies, he used fake cheese on his sandwich. We compromised on the grill and brushed olive oil on the outside of our sandwiches because he didn't want butter tainting his sandwich. I really don't mind it that way!)
We served this with a salad and roasted potato wedges.
Roasted Cuban Sandwiches
Several slices of pork roast, COOKED and cut to the thickness you like
Ham (I had leftover from the last ham we had that I thawed out just for this sandwich)
Crusty rolls or bread
Mustard
Cheese of your choice - most people use Swiss
Pickles
Butter (or Non-Stick Cooking Spray, or Olive Oil)
To assemble:
Slather mustard on the bread.
Layer the ham, cheese, and pickles inside of the bread.
Press into a heated George Foreman Grill (or use your outdoor grill, with a brick on top of the sandwich to make it flat.) Heat until the cheese is melted.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Frugal Friday
This Post Contains Affiliate Links.
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| Tiger and I enjoyed a glorious afternoon outside on Tuesday. |
I've been working on my stories from teaching. I don't know if I'll get them all into a finished book by the end of the month, but I've had a blast revisiting old stories. When I was teaching, I kept a journal of the things that the kids said and did. Going back and re-reading the stories has been great. Some of the stories will never make a book, though. What's really funny is realizing that the kids I taught when I first started teaching are now in their 30's. Not quite so little anymore!
Discounted Produce Rack $5
Have you ever checked out the discounted produce rack at your local grocery store? The produce on this rack is all edible and safe to eat, but it's not "perfect". Our society tends to only want "perfect" food. Much of the waste that occurs in the grocery industry occurs because perfectly good, not aesthetically pleasing produce is thrown away. Grocers have recently begun putting this produce out on racks at a deeply discounted rate. I heavily frequent this rack. The produce is either eaten within a day or two, or else I freeze it for later. (If I could eat wheat based bread, I would be cleaning up on rolls and bread in the day old racks.)
2.5 pounds over-ripe bananas $1
5 Bartlett Pears that were dented $1
2 big Portabella Mushrooms $1
3 Green Peppers that were turning red $1
1 pound Kale (that's a lot of kale) $1
Hotel Deal
This sounds ridiculous, I know. We are headed up to visit oldest son this weekend. We used E-Bates to book the hotel, and have signed up for the bonus points program. We will be earning a little cash back on the hotel stay, and the nights we spend this weekend will be added to the total towards a free night's stay. (Plus, we get to see the oldest kid! That's the BEST part about this weekend!)
Cook Once, Eat Twice (or more)
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| Pork Roast, coated with Zesty Lemon spices. |
We had two extra meals from that roast, for a total of 3 meals.
Pork Fried Rice
Roasted Cuban Pork Sandwiches
Electricity Hogs
Now that the kids are all out of the house, we've been attempting to track down the biggest electricity hogs in our house. A couple of years back, we switched our lights to LED's, which took our monthly electricity usage down. We turned our water heater down, and we dry many of our clothes outside.
But we still have several things in the house that have been keeping our bill up. This month, we've been going after the "phantom" energy hogs. Turns out that the television is a pretty big hog. We keep the television, DVD player, etc, plugged into a power strip. This month, we started turning the power strip off when we go to bed at night, and turning it on if we sit down to watch tv after dinner. Turns out that having that power strip - and all of those appliances that depend upon the "instant on" feature for us to use our remotes - use much more energy than we had thought. I've been following our energy report online, and while I don't yet know the final total for this month's electricity usage, I can already see that we are using less energy now than we were this time last year.
You know, every little bit helps when you're saving money. I'm beginning to suspect that this might be more than "a little bit" by the time we add up the savings over the course of a year.
Grocery Stores
Remember when I told you a couple of weeks ago that we'd had a new Super Walmart open in town? Well, our existing grocery stores decided to fight back this week, and they sent out some pretty nice coupons. I'm plotting my trips carefully. I'm going to focus on buying stuff non-perishable items. I can always use razors, shampoo, deodorant, etc, and it will be nice to get an extra discount on those items!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Some Really Good News
I sprained my ankle earlier this year. Because I landed on my knee when I fell, and my knee swelled up like a balloon, we paid more attention to the knee instead of my ankle.
The result of this was that I fell many, many, many times over this past year. I believe the original fall was into the ice in a drainage ditch, followed by a fall in front of the Relay for Life offices a month later. The post describing those falls is here.
A month after the fall at the Relay for Life office, I fell once again, but this one was a scary fall that landed me in the Emergency Room and on crutches for over a month.
A month after that, I was standing on the steps coming down out of the kitchen and BOOM! The next thing I knew, I was laying down in the recycling bins. No clue how I got there, but this time, nothing was swollen or broken.
That seemed to be the end of the falls. I felt very unsteady on my feet, and I began working on building my strength back up, walking longer and longer distances.
And then, we delivered daughter to college in September. I fell, once again in traffic, and I banged the daylights out of my knee and ankle. One trip to the doctor and a specialist later, I was told that I had a high sprain on my ankle, and that it had not healed correctly the first time - the muscles had not interconnected back together when they healed. The specialist told me that these injuries rarely healed on their own, and wanted to schedule surgery. I pushed for Physical Therapy. He grudgingly approved it, telling me that I was just putting off the inevitable.
I began 4 weeks of physical therapy, where I had all kinds of fun, doing great stuff! I stood on one foot (the weak one), did toe raises, worked with an ankle strap and resistance bands, and did whatever crazy exercise the Therapists told me to do. I was diligent, too. I did my exercises at home every single night. Every exercise or stretch we did in therapy, I did at home.
Friday was my last PT session. I have improved - A LOT. The PT said he didn't think I'd be back again, unless if the specialist decided to go ahead and operate.
Yesterday was the appointment with the specialist.
I took off my socks and shoes, and he began manipulating my ankle.
You have to understand, the last time I saw him, my right ankle was loosey goosey. It rolled every which way, with no resistance whatsoever from my muscles. I had torn the ligament that is to the ankle as the ACL is to the knee.
He started moving my ankle, and then he looked back at my chart. Back at the ankle, back at the chart. He went back and forth for a few minutes and then said "This NEVER happens. Scar tissue has formed over the tear, and it has grown through all of the layers of the muscle. This ankle isn't rolling at all. I am getting resistance from all angles. Somebody up there likes you!' We talked for a couple more minutes about my wonderful Physical Therapist, and I gave him the PT's business card.
Then, I heard the words I longed to hear: "Get out of here! Go away! I hope we never meet again!"
Me too, sir. Me, too.
The result of this was that I fell many, many, many times over this past year. I believe the original fall was into the ice in a drainage ditch, followed by a fall in front of the Relay for Life offices a month later. The post describing those falls is here.
A month after the fall at the Relay for Life office, I fell once again, but this one was a scary fall that landed me in the Emergency Room and on crutches for over a month.
A month after that, I was standing on the steps coming down out of the kitchen and BOOM! The next thing I knew, I was laying down in the recycling bins. No clue how I got there, but this time, nothing was swollen or broken.
That seemed to be the end of the falls. I felt very unsteady on my feet, and I began working on building my strength back up, walking longer and longer distances.
And then, we delivered daughter to college in September. I fell, once again in traffic, and I banged the daylights out of my knee and ankle. One trip to the doctor and a specialist later, I was told that I had a high sprain on my ankle, and that it had not healed correctly the first time - the muscles had not interconnected back together when they healed. The specialist told me that these injuries rarely healed on their own, and wanted to schedule surgery. I pushed for Physical Therapy. He grudgingly approved it, telling me that I was just putting off the inevitable.
I began 4 weeks of physical therapy, where I had all kinds of fun, doing great stuff! I stood on one foot (the weak one), did toe raises, worked with an ankle strap and resistance bands, and did whatever crazy exercise the Therapists told me to do. I was diligent, too. I did my exercises at home every single night. Every exercise or stretch we did in therapy, I did at home.
Friday was my last PT session. I have improved - A LOT. The PT said he didn't think I'd be back again, unless if the specialist decided to go ahead and operate.
Yesterday was the appointment with the specialist.
I took off my socks and shoes, and he began manipulating my ankle.
You have to understand, the last time I saw him, my right ankle was loosey goosey. It rolled every which way, with no resistance whatsoever from my muscles. I had torn the ligament that is to the ankle as the ACL is to the knee.
He started moving my ankle, and then he looked back at my chart. Back at the ankle, back at the chart. He went back and forth for a few minutes and then said "This NEVER happens. Scar tissue has formed over the tear, and it has grown through all of the layers of the muscle. This ankle isn't rolling at all. I am getting resistance from all angles. Somebody up there likes you!' We talked for a couple more minutes about my wonderful Physical Therapist, and I gave him the PT's business card.
Then, I heard the words I longed to hear: "Get out of here! Go away! I hope we never meet again!"
Me too, sir. Me, too.
Naptown Funk
You know I live in Maryland. There are parts of living in Maryland that I absolutely adore. Annapolis is one of those things. The Naval Academy in Annapolis is another of those things. Here, in one fantastic video, we have the Midshipmen from the Naval Academy dancing in the streets of Annapolis to the Bruno Mars song Naptown Funk. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Lessons Learned in College
Daughter went to school out of state. Very far out of state. She went to Georgia - 12 hours away from home.
Funny thing happens when you go that far away from home - you begin to appreciate your home more. You begin to appreciate where you grew up, and recognize that maybe - just maybe - your parents knew what they were doing when they bought the house in the neighborhood where you have spent the last ten years.
She has not been happy in Georgia, and will be transferring to the Community College in the spring.
I did want to share some of her experiences. There are some lessons to be learned here for all of us - no matter what our age or stage of life.
First of all, the weird. The drywall in her room collapsed. She called housing and they told her to "submit a work order and we'll get to it". Five days later, they finally got to it and replaced the drywall. Meantime, her room was without drywall, and housing refused to move the girls to another room. They expected them to stay in that room, with drywall on the floor, until they got to it. Even though I called and argued with them, they refused to move faster because "the wall is already down, so it's not like it's going to fall again", and "they're not the only ones who have drywall down, and nobody else is complaining." So, we put her up in a hotel until they cleaned up the drywall. Housing left the girls with an air filter to help deal with all of the dust. Meanwhile, their toilet spontaneously flushes every time the people above them flush their toilet. I guess the good news is that nothing is coming UP in their toilet. Oh, and the door knob on the bathroom failed last week, and my daughter was trapped in the bathroom. Her roommate tried to get their RA to help, but she just told them to "fill out a work order". They called housing and were told to "fill out a work order". The girls finally got the doorknob off with a screwdriver. Good thing they didn't wait for housing. It was 72 hours after they submitted the work order before anyone from maintenance showed up. I told her they should have called 911- that would, maybe, have made the University move a little bit faster.
Her school is in a city, spread all over the city in different buildings. Her Freshman Experience class moved it's location to a building that was not on the bus line. She got off the bus to get to class and promptly got turned around. She was out, in the rain, without an umbrella, and couldn't find her building. After half an hour of roaming, a pair of tourists helped her find her way to class. She is very grateful to the couple that helped her, and wishes she could thank them again.
She went to the public library, where she ran into the pervert of the city. I've always warned her that public libraries can be sketchy places. (I've worked in a public library, and trust me - just like any public building - you want to keep your guard up. We tend to be lax in a library BECAUSE it's a library.) Fortunately, she was quick witted, walked away, and reported him to the librarian on duty.
Sometimes, when the dining hall says they'll be serving regional food, that means that you're getting Alligator for dinner. As a vegetarian who is allergic to dairy, she's had a remarkably tough time getting food she can eat in the dining hall. (Alligator isn't meat, according to the dining hall staff.)
Because you're dependent upon public transportation in a big city, you must also be aware of the transportation schedule and realize that buses can break down, or traffic can be a bear. Leaving for class 2 hours early builds in a very nice time cushion when the inevitable happens.
One of the campus ministries in town runs a pancake breakfast on Fridays since there are no classes on Friday. She went, and there were no spaces at any of the tables. She sat down at a table by herself - and there she remained. Nobody spoke to her, nobody said hello to her, nobody invited her to come sit with them, nobody came and sat with her. This one is a huge lesson for us. We all need to reach out to the strangers among us. I am beyond upset at this turn of events. This is a campus ministry run by our denomination, and my husband and I were both heavily involved in this ministry when we were in college. It's supposed to be a place where you can go, feel welcomed, and at least have someone greet you. And nobody reached out to her. NOBODY. And here she is, in the south, which is supposedly known for it's hospitality, and yet nobody bothered to reach out to her. This was a huge fail on the part of the kids involved in the ministry. And the adults.
Same thing happened to her when she went to church. Nobody greeted her, no one even shook her hand, and during the passing of the peace, she was passed right over. NOT what you'd expect from a church right next to campus. You'd expect someone to reach out and say hello. (Again, I thought the south was known for it's hospitality? You'd never find someone ignored during the passing of the peace at our church, here in the north - no matter what you look like.) Again, another opportunity to reach out to a very lost college student gone.
After spending a good chunk of this semester attempting to meet people, and make friends, she has given up. She eats alone in the dining halls. She has gone to meetings of different clubs and organizations, and has made no friends (too many cliques), and there is no common area in the dorms, so there is no place for the students to congregate and meet each other.
It's sad, because she told me that she knows of at least 20 people from her various classes that are going home at the end of the semester. If that's 20 people from 4 classes - about 100 people total - then how many people are leaving across the school?
Just some thoughts. I'm sure she's had a hand to play in the entire friend thing. I'm not certain what happened since I'm not there, but she is a very fiesty, outgoing, funny young lady. Make no mistake, I'll be thrilled to have her back home. I'll be thrilled to have her taking care of her cat. The cat really misses her. But I'm very disappointed that this was her college experience. I expected more of the college - and of the churches that serve the community around that college.
Funny thing happens when you go that far away from home - you begin to appreciate your home more. You begin to appreciate where you grew up, and recognize that maybe - just maybe - your parents knew what they were doing when they bought the house in the neighborhood where you have spent the last ten years.
She has not been happy in Georgia, and will be transferring to the Community College in the spring.
I did want to share some of her experiences. There are some lessons to be learned here for all of us - no matter what our age or stage of life.
First of all, the weird. The drywall in her room collapsed. She called housing and they told her to "submit a work order and we'll get to it". Five days later, they finally got to it and replaced the drywall. Meantime, her room was without drywall, and housing refused to move the girls to another room. They expected them to stay in that room, with drywall on the floor, until they got to it. Even though I called and argued with them, they refused to move faster because "the wall is already down, so it's not like it's going to fall again", and "they're not the only ones who have drywall down, and nobody else is complaining." So, we put her up in a hotel until they cleaned up the drywall. Housing left the girls with an air filter to help deal with all of the dust. Meanwhile, their toilet spontaneously flushes every time the people above them flush their toilet. I guess the good news is that nothing is coming UP in their toilet. Oh, and the door knob on the bathroom failed last week, and my daughter was trapped in the bathroom. Her roommate tried to get their RA to help, but she just told them to "fill out a work order". They called housing and were told to "fill out a work order". The girls finally got the doorknob off with a screwdriver. Good thing they didn't wait for housing. It was 72 hours after they submitted the work order before anyone from maintenance showed up. I told her they should have called 911- that would, maybe, have made the University move a little bit faster.
Her school is in a city, spread all over the city in different buildings. Her Freshman Experience class moved it's location to a building that was not on the bus line. She got off the bus to get to class and promptly got turned around. She was out, in the rain, without an umbrella, and couldn't find her building. After half an hour of roaming, a pair of tourists helped her find her way to class. She is very grateful to the couple that helped her, and wishes she could thank them again.
She went to the public library, where she ran into the pervert of the city. I've always warned her that public libraries can be sketchy places. (I've worked in a public library, and trust me - just like any public building - you want to keep your guard up. We tend to be lax in a library BECAUSE it's a library.) Fortunately, she was quick witted, walked away, and reported him to the librarian on duty.
Sometimes, when the dining hall says they'll be serving regional food, that means that you're getting Alligator for dinner. As a vegetarian who is allergic to dairy, she's had a remarkably tough time getting food she can eat in the dining hall. (Alligator isn't meat, according to the dining hall staff.)
Because you're dependent upon public transportation in a big city, you must also be aware of the transportation schedule and realize that buses can break down, or traffic can be a bear. Leaving for class 2 hours early builds in a very nice time cushion when the inevitable happens.
One of the campus ministries in town runs a pancake breakfast on Fridays since there are no classes on Friday. She went, and there were no spaces at any of the tables. She sat down at a table by herself - and there she remained. Nobody spoke to her, nobody said hello to her, nobody invited her to come sit with them, nobody came and sat with her. This one is a huge lesson for us. We all need to reach out to the strangers among us. I am beyond upset at this turn of events. This is a campus ministry run by our denomination, and my husband and I were both heavily involved in this ministry when we were in college. It's supposed to be a place where you can go, feel welcomed, and at least have someone greet you. And nobody reached out to her. NOBODY. And here she is, in the south, which is supposedly known for it's hospitality, and yet nobody bothered to reach out to her. This was a huge fail on the part of the kids involved in the ministry. And the adults.
Same thing happened to her when she went to church. Nobody greeted her, no one even shook her hand, and during the passing of the peace, she was passed right over. NOT what you'd expect from a church right next to campus. You'd expect someone to reach out and say hello. (Again, I thought the south was known for it's hospitality? You'd never find someone ignored during the passing of the peace at our church, here in the north - no matter what you look like.) Again, another opportunity to reach out to a very lost college student gone.
After spending a good chunk of this semester attempting to meet people, and make friends, she has given up. She eats alone in the dining halls. She has gone to meetings of different clubs and organizations, and has made no friends (too many cliques), and there is no common area in the dorms, so there is no place for the students to congregate and meet each other.
It's sad, because she told me that she knows of at least 20 people from her various classes that are going home at the end of the semester. If that's 20 people from 4 classes - about 100 people total - then how many people are leaving across the school?
Just some thoughts. I'm sure she's had a hand to play in the entire friend thing. I'm not certain what happened since I'm not there, but she is a very fiesty, outgoing, funny young lady. Make no mistake, I'll be thrilled to have her back home. I'll be thrilled to have her taking care of her cat. The cat really misses her. But I'm very disappointed that this was her college experience. I expected more of the college - and of the churches that serve the community around that college.
Monday, November 2, 2015
New Year's Resolutions 2015
It's November. I made these resolutions 11 months ago. If I weren't keeping track of them here on the blog, they'd be long forgotten, sitting at the bottom of a drawer somewhere. I'd look back at them again in a few years, and be filled with regrets for not even trying to keep them. As this year of "interesting" events comes closer to an end, I am beginning to think that I need to take the "Have More Adventures" resolution OFF of my list for next year!
1) Exercise More, Walk 500 Miles.
This is a massive fail. Torn ligaments in my ankle these past two months have limited my mobility just as much as the fall that hurt my knee way back in the spring. Although I'm in Physical Therapy and I've gone back to Yoga, I don't think there's anyway that I'm covering the additional 460 miles I had hoped to cover by the end of the year.
2) Lose 10 pounds.
I have many, many more than 10 pounds to lose, but 10 is a good start. As of this morning, I have lost 6 pounds this year. Progress, progress. And I'm happy to see it!
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom.
We still haven't gotten a plumber in to fix the plumbing yet. We're having trouble finding a date and time when we can be home when the plumber doesn't already have an existing appointment.
4) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
Done and done!
5) Clean and Organize the Family Room in the Basement
Not only have we finished the family room, husband and I are making some significant progress on the big, messy room. We had hoped to have that cleaned out last year, but it never happened. No kids at home this year means that nobody has the excuse of needing to be at a kids event instead of working on cleaning out that pile of crap.
6) Cut Back on the Time I Spend on Social Media
Vindication on this goal: According to the article, 7 Everyday Habit that Improve Mood, (Cooking Light Magazine, Oct. 2015), Facebook was associated with a decline in overall happiness. This is from a 2013 University of Michigan study. If you've got time, read the entire article. It's worth it!
7) Read 75 Books This Year
As of today, I am up to 68 books. I'll be getting to 75 well before the end of the year! I'm on the waiting list for Jimmy Carter's latest book. You know, when you start at number 500 on the waiting list, it takes a while to get up to number one!
8) Get out of debt, pay college tuition without going deeper into debt.
We are making significant progress on the next big debt we are paying off. Have you ever used Dave Ramsey's "Snowball Method" of debt payoff? He explains it much better than I do. In short, you put your resources towards paying off one debt, while still paying all of your other bills on time. As soon as the first debt is paid off, you go for the next one, with the resources you were spending on it before, PLUS the resources you were spending on the first debt. I'd like to say we'll have this paid off by the end of the year, but realistically, it looks like we'll be paying it off in April or May of 2016.
Thanks to the Maryland Pre-Paid College Trust, and kids who work to make up the difference between the trust, their scholarships, and the final balance, we are not going deeper into debt with college tuition. Personally, I am thrilled that they are taking ownership of their college education. When you put that much into it, you tend to value it more.
9) Spend More Time With My Family
Going to visit the oldest one soon. I can't wait to see him. He seems to be thriving in Graduate School! The weekly family Skype calls have been a hoot. It's so good to see all of the kids at once!
10) 365 Grateful
You can see the images I have shared publicly on Flickr.
11) Replace the Car that was Totaled
Working on this one. I really want to pay off that debt from #8 before we buy a new car, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to hold out until April. The Civic needs a new timing belt, and the cost of replacing the timing belt would be a very decent down payment on a new car. Just how long do we want to kick this can down the road?
12) I Will Maintain My Friendships
I still have one more friend I haven't seen in a couple of years that I really want to sit down and talk with, and then I can honestly say that I have contacted every person I intended to get in touch with this year. (As well as a few bonus other friends that I hadn't seen in many, many years.) We've found fun and unique ways to stay connected, and build stronger friendships.
13) I Will Have More Adventures
I am marking this one as OFF THE LIST. October has been the month of physical therapy. I tore ligaments in my ankle, and I've spent a LOT of time in Physical Therapy this month. Hoping beyond hope that the tear heals and I don't have to have surgery on my ankle to repair the damage. I think this falls under the category of "Be Careful What You Wish For"!
So, in addition to the "fun" of therapy, husband and I have had a couple of adventures of our own. We've been to visit the Central Maryland Apple Orchards, Ball's Bluff Battlefield, and the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. We've had lots of fun exploring new places this fall! I just wish I was approved to go hiking!
14) I Will Craft More
My nephew is graduating from high school next year. I have made him a black afghan. Not sure if it's what he wants or not, but it should keep him warm - and that is the goal, after all! Luna has developed an abiding love for that blanket, and curls up on it every chance she gets. I'm going to have to run it through the wash before I give it to him just to make sure all of the cat hair is off!
I've begun cutting the squares for daughter's quilt. She graduated in June, and I meant to give it to her before she started school in September... I'm a little behind!
1) Exercise More, Walk 500 Miles.
This is a massive fail. Torn ligaments in my ankle these past two months have limited my mobility just as much as the fall that hurt my knee way back in the spring. Although I'm in Physical Therapy and I've gone back to Yoga, I don't think there's anyway that I'm covering the additional 460 miles I had hoped to cover by the end of the year.
2) Lose 10 pounds.
I have many, many more than 10 pounds to lose, but 10 is a good start. As of this morning, I have lost 6 pounds this year. Progress, progress. And I'm happy to see it!
3) Remodel the Hall Bathroom.
We still haven't gotten a plumber in to fix the plumbing yet. We're having trouble finding a date and time when we can be home when the plumber doesn't already have an existing appointment.
Done and done!
Not only have we finished the family room, husband and I are making some significant progress on the big, messy room. We had hoped to have that cleaned out last year, but it never happened. No kids at home this year means that nobody has the excuse of needing to be at a kids event instead of working on cleaning out that pile of crap.
Vindication on this goal: According to the article, 7 Everyday Habit that Improve Mood, (Cooking Light Magazine, Oct. 2015), Facebook was associated with a decline in overall happiness. This is from a 2013 University of Michigan study. If you've got time, read the entire article. It's worth it!
The
site was associated with a decline in overall happiness and life
satisfaction in a 2013 University of Michigan study. - See more at:
http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/10/28/7-everyday-habits-that-improve-mood-according-to-science/#sthash.Fvwf3bVL.dpuf
The
site was associated with a decline in overall happiness and life
satisfaction in a 2013 University of Michigan study. - See more at:
http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2015/10/28/7-everyday-habits-that-improve-mood-according-to-science/#sthash.Fvwf3bVL.dpuf
7) Read 75 Books This Year
As of today, I am up to 68 books. I'll be getting to 75 well before the end of the year! I'm on the waiting list for Jimmy Carter's latest book. You know, when you start at number 500 on the waiting list, it takes a while to get up to number one!
8) Get out of debt, pay college tuition without going deeper into debt.
We are making significant progress on the next big debt we are paying off. Have you ever used Dave Ramsey's "Snowball Method" of debt payoff? He explains it much better than I do. In short, you put your resources towards paying off one debt, while still paying all of your other bills on time. As soon as the first debt is paid off, you go for the next one, with the resources you were spending on it before, PLUS the resources you were spending on the first debt. I'd like to say we'll have this paid off by the end of the year, but realistically, it looks like we'll be paying it off in April or May of 2016.
Thanks to the Maryland Pre-Paid College Trust, and kids who work to make up the difference between the trust, their scholarships, and the final balance, we are not going deeper into debt with college tuition. Personally, I am thrilled that they are taking ownership of their college education. When you put that much into it, you tend to value it more.
9) Spend More Time With My Family
Going to visit the oldest one soon. I can't wait to see him. He seems to be thriving in Graduate School! The weekly family Skype calls have been a hoot. It's so good to see all of the kids at once!
10) 365 Grateful
You can see the images I have shared publicly on Flickr.
11) Replace the Car that was Totaled
Working on this one. I really want to pay off that debt from #8 before we buy a new car, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to hold out until April. The Civic needs a new timing belt, and the cost of replacing the timing belt would be a very decent down payment on a new car. Just how long do we want to kick this can down the road?
12) I Will Maintain My Friendships
I still have one more friend I haven't seen in a couple of years that I really want to sit down and talk with, and then I can honestly say that I have contacted every person I intended to get in touch with this year. (As well as a few bonus other friends that I hadn't seen in many, many years.) We've found fun and unique ways to stay connected, and build stronger friendships.
I am marking this one as OFF THE LIST. October has been the month of physical therapy. I tore ligaments in my ankle, and I've spent a LOT of time in Physical Therapy this month. Hoping beyond hope that the tear heals and I don't have to have surgery on my ankle to repair the damage. I think this falls under the category of "Be Careful What You Wish For"!
So, in addition to the "fun" of therapy, husband and I have had a couple of adventures of our own. We've been to visit the Central Maryland Apple Orchards, Ball's Bluff Battlefield, and the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. We've had lots of fun exploring new places this fall! I just wish I was approved to go hiking!
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| Ball's Bluff Battlefield |
14) I Will Craft More
My nephew is graduating from high school next year. I have made him a black afghan. Not sure if it's what he wants or not, but it should keep him warm - and that is the goal, after all! Luna has developed an abiding love for that blanket, and curls up on it every chance she gets. I'm going to have to run it through the wash before I give it to him just to make sure all of the cat hair is off!
I've begun cutting the squares for daughter's quilt. She graduated in June, and I meant to give it to her before she started school in September... I'm a little behind!
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| Princess Luna is laying on my nephew's blanket. |
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