Coming Home to Kansas

So I have some time before dinner, but nothing really important to say. Visiting blog and impatient for new post..... so....

Lasagna for dinner here. How about you all? I made one with sausage and spinach and even some carrots in there -- along with all the expected lasagna ingredients. Like ricotta. Did anyone else ever make lasagna with cottage cheese? My mom always did. I grew up thinking ricotta must be one of them there fancy cheeses they only get in New York get a rope City. I mean, did any store in Marion ever carry ricotta? Just thinking..... And a lot of us like to cook. I like it when I have the time to think about it. Otherwise, it can stress me out. Tonight, I just had a fairly productive work day on a paper I have to present in a few weeks, so I am okay taking time out to cook. We should all share favorite recipes. Or maybe just what we enjoy making. I think we are in for a stellar dinner party when we all reunite!

And I have a new laptop as of yesterday! I spent time getting a slide show of manuscript images going on it last night. Topher laughed at me as I got excited with each new thing the computer did. I am still amazed by technology sometimes -- hate it at others. I always tease Topher about how my grandmother would ask him "So, Chris, what is the internet?" EVERY time she saw him. I mimic that question from time to time b/c I'm often just as clueless. (Topher is, btw, out getting bread to got with our lasagna -- he gets off work around 6)

And tonight? I should go work out -- but I'll have a glass of wine with dinner and decide not to. Then I'll probably watch Gilmore Girls -- which you all should be watching, btw, yes, even the guys, 'cause Topher watches it with me & admits to liking it. I know (Ellie) that I need to get on a Veronica Mars kick, but until I start that, GG has much of my TV attention. Then, probably more writing, more work.....or I'll bake Groundhog Day cookies. Yep, some friends of ours actually have a yearly Groundhog Day party, and it's this Saturday. So I'm baking cookies for it, plus I need to come up with an idea for "original Groundhog art." It's a requirement for the party -- everyone has to bring something. I was telling Garrett that it sounds weird but actually ends up being hilarious fun. I will GLADLY accept suggestions! And give you credit!

Okay, that's all. Told you it was nothing.

Notice our new sidebar? I added our personal blogs to it for more fun reading. Everyone should get their own blog. I am addicted to reading about people's lives.

Oh yeah. Mine is inactive right now. I heard a rumor they're going to start tracking our Internet usage at work, and I'd hate to get fired for even the briefest mention of work on there (even though I don't really have any identifying info on there besides "Alabama," and I don't say I work in a shelter, just work with women, it wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together pretty quickly.) But it'll be back in a week or so.

Start a blog!

Ok, so we've been talking a lot about music and books lately, but Sarah brought up movies, so let's return to those for a bit. I was wondering what movies you all love (that lots of other people don't love) or ones you absolutely can't stand (that lots of other people adore). Plus, has anyone seen something good lately that didn't make your earlier lists -- on DVD or in theatre?

Well, so clothes are on my mind. Soon I will be coming home, and since all my clothes are destroyed, I'm basically going to be starting from scratch.

I'm not sure if I like clothes or not. Actually, I think I do, I just don't like shopping, and I never feel like anything fits me well. Lately I've had a couple of conversations with some community members about my wardrobe. None of them would be caught dead in the clothes I wear to town all the time...the same green T/shirt with a pen stain, and a pair of jeans with ripped cuffs. Also terrible shoes. Partly it's because I don't want to spend money on the things you can buy here, partly I'm making a point about how to spend money.

But, yesterday, I went out and bought some nice new shoes, and found this great sweater in the rejected clothes pile at our rest house. And I feel great, like a new person, worthy of a great job that I just applied for. I'm going to budget 700 dollars out of my resettlement allowance to buy clothes with(hey, I'm starting over). So, what should I get? Comfort is important, but so is looking well put together. My style in college and after was loose loose loose, with as much linen as I could afford. I still love linen and all soft natural fabrics, but I've discovered that that loose and layered look doesn't work well on someone with an ass. If any of you know about colors and what would be flattering, let me know. Also, I need a haircut, all it is is long. I'm willing to use one easy hair product, but other than that I want wash and go.

Anyway, in addition to any advice that any of you have for me, I'd love to hear about your struggles and victories over clothes and hair.

I forgot to tell you all this piece of news. Those of you who have an ESU connection may remember a girl my age named Blythe Eddy who went to school here. Stellar gal. Anyway she married Aron Dody who went to Chase County High School (any scholars' bowl chicks remember him? He thought he was awesome in high school!) and he and Jason teach math together. They are good friends, and I think a lot of both Aron and Blythe. Anyway, they were expecting a baby this month and he ended up being stillborn. We went to the service last Wednesday, I think it was. Very difficult. I was so glad about this though: they got a photographer to take pictures of him and everyone was able to see the photos at the funeral.

It's so hard to know how to be someone's friend right then. Especially when you have a baby of your own...it just makes you wonder whether to stay away or to be there. So that's what is going on with us right now. We invited them to go out with us tonight, so I hope they do. I thought you might like to know, if you remember either of these people from college.

Yesterday and the day before were so nice! Asher and I were outside both afternoons, and in fact I suspect he ate a good amount of dirt yesterday while crawling around in the back yard. I had ordered some bulbs in the fall, forgotten about them, and then remembered, so I planted them yesterday afternoon with his help. He did actually have dirt around his mouth when we went back inside...at least it's organic. So anyway, it was so nice out, and today it's cold and very dark and cloudy. It looks like twilight outside and it's 11 am. And I know that the month of March or April is probably going to be about 30 below to make up for all the great weather there was earlier.

So what's new? My sister turned 40 this week. We congregated at one of those Japanese restaurants where your table is around a grill. All the kids thought that was about the greatest thing ever, and I tried not to feel guilty for letting my father pay for the expensive meal.

It wasn't so weird, my sister turning 40, except that we're 10 years apart and so I was reminded by that that I am about to turn 30 and it sounds so odd. I feel 21. I don't want to feel 30. This is what I kept thinking and then I realized that I DO feel 30 because this is probably what everyone feels who IS 30. Anyway, I have 3 months to get used to the idea.

I've been depressed lately about my nursery/greenhouse idea because I realize I don't know nearly enough to do it, and I'll probably have to go back to school first which just puts the whole thing farther into the future. Farther? Further? Anyway, it was at least 10 or 15 years off to begin with because we cannot remotely afford to think about buying land or building anything right now.

Oh, get this. I hear that Emporia is seriously considering year-round school for 2007. I haven't asked Jason about this because I keep forgetting, but some of the elementary people told me. This is a travesty. I experienced an "extended" school year when I was at Butcher here in town (closed now, by the way), and I felt so sorry for those kids. There was about a two or three week break at the end of every quarter with a shortened summer, and there were "programs" for the kids to attend during the breaks. So for a lot of them it was exactly like being in school all year long except for that short summertime, and I think it's an awful thing to do to a kid, even if some of the interim programs ARE fun. They're going to have to grow up and work all year long for fifty years, why make them start when they're 5? Argh.

I look back and wonder where this strange conglomeration of ideas came from, but I'll post all of them anyway.

I must confess i dont love music, like yes, love no. I once went a year without listening to the radio. I can remember being indifferent to what we would listen to when we were hanging out. Probably because i liked it ok it just wasnt an interest. I didnt have study music i needed silence. There are very few songs that i have liked enough to buy the cd or tape once upon a time.i could always figure out a better way to spend the $15 or more than on a cd. I got Lesley's cd and with an open mind i listened to it twice. I'm sorry to admit that i dont like folk music. That might be part of not liking the indigo girls either. On Le's i remembered most of them from hs. I think i went a completely different way than everyone else with what i like in music. Im a collective soul stp better than ezra type girl with a little tonic bsb shakira and britney spears mixed in for good measure.

I don't know--it's quiet here and I have no other post ideas.

It's raining steadily here, and is dark as twilight. I kind of want to turn off the fluorescent overhead light and work by the dim light of my desk lamp. The back wall of my office is a big window, so I could do it, but my co-workers would think I'm crazy.

Did I say "steadily"? In the time it took me to type those sentences, it's progressed to a downpour. I think my office has a leak. And I hope none of my clients want me to take them anywhere today. On the positive side, it's 60 degrees, though.

After it rains here, the ground smells fetid, and it pervades everywhere. I can't figure out if it's the chemical stink from all the bug spray they use liberally down here, or if it's from dank, rotting soil and foliage. In particular, my apartment complex will reek for days after a storm, because the soil doesn't soak up the water or drain well.

So how's your weather?

I figure there might be some knitting whizzes among us.

When I visited Busia (my grandmother) over Christmas, I tried on this shawl that a ladies group in her church knitted for her. They knit for people who are experiencing tragedy, and it was made for her when one of my cousins was dying almost two years ago.

I don't know if the yarn was just completely luxurious (well, yes, it was) or if the scarf was imbued with softness and comfort because it was knit for that purpose, but I wrapped it around myself and wanted to live in it forever. I really could barely bring myself to let go of it at the end of the visit.






I'd kind of like to make a shawl myself. But I've really never made anything more complicated than a scarf alternating rows of knit and purl. So this is a pretty daunting task. But.

Now for the dumb questions: Do I need really long needles to accomodate for the shawl being so wide? What stitch do I use? (I don't know if you can tell by the closeup, but it was a pretty loose yet sturdy weave) The danglies on each end are pretty; how do you make those? Any particular kind of yarn that would be well-suited but not crazy expensive to this project?

I was in the mood for wine tonight which i never am. Im more of the fruity or unusal drink type. Strawberry ritas and amaretto are two of my favs. Im beginning to think finding a sweet wine is impossible. If they are going to ask me if i need help then really help. They helped me find a red wine that was supposed to be sweet and not dry. I cant stand anything dry or bitter(probably why i hate mustard) or sangria bleh. It was bitter. Maybe i had taste bud malfuntion but yet again im disappointed. Any suggestions?

These are from the day Ellie and I took pictures. I finally found the negatives!

Maybe you all already know about Pandora -- Topher tells me I'm always a few weeks behind what's going on internet-wise -- but I thought I would send the word along anyway. Basically, it's a radio station you can customize for free. Simply go the site, type in any artist or song you like, and they'll start playing all sorts of similar stuff. For example, I loved hearing that song by the Waifs that Catie included on her CD -- so I typed in that group. The songs that followed were by Ani Difranco, Indigo Girls, and .... well, that should already tell you how spot-on it is. I just started listening, but so far, so great.

And happy new year, all!