I'm fairly shallow

I know this sounds terrible, but I am willing to put myself out there in blogland anyway. On Sunday at church I was unable to concentrate on the message because the person giving the sermon was such a terrible public speaker. I ended up writing Shawn a couple of notes, reading my bible and sat there in general amazement that someone could get up in front of so many people and deliver a sermon like that. He even READ HIS PERSONAL STORIES from the myriad of pages he prepared. I cringed the whole time. I know, I know - I SUCK!!!! I should have tried to look past it - but come on people, this is what I do for a living. I'm just sayin'. I am going to try to work on it....my life is not my job, it's just something I do. Repeat 1,000 times and proceed.

Jam

Red Top Peach Jam.......DONE!

Blueberry Lime Jam........DONE and DONE!!!!!

We've made plans

I only have about 2.2 seconds before I need to get in the shower so we can go to church - but last night we spent quite a bit of time with Shawn's step-dad and brother (the youngest brother). They came over for a couple of reasons - the biggest though, to plan where our hot tub is going to go. Apparently we are cementing a large area of our backyard - as if there wasn't already a sea of cement back there. But, with Shawn's grand plans, we are going to end up with an amazing deck that leads right into our new hot tub, which should be delivered within the next few weeks. I will, of course post before, during and after pictures. :) Off to church!!!

Our Old House

I keep up with the housing market in our area, and just for kicks, the area we owned a townhouse in up until about a year and a half ago. So, here's the verdict: We purchased the townhouse in May of 2004 for $340,000.00 - - - - - - we sold it in November 2005, a mere 18 months later for $480,000.00 (and, before you ask, almost all of the profit was turned around and put back into this house - we do not have a huge chunck of money sitting in an off shore account or anything) - - - - - the lady who bought it from us sold it just a couple of months ago in June of 2007 for $458,000.00 - - - - - yikes!!! It always kind of sucks when you loose money on a property deal. I pray that she is doing ok financially.

Hmmmmm, it seems like we bought at the right time and sold at the right time. God is amazing isn't He? I have issues with trusting God - - - I have for years and years, and it only got worse after my father's suicide. But, here's the thing: no matter what, God is still faithful. How else do you explain that we only looked at houses 2 times before we found the townhouse we purchased in the Bay Area? I walked into the house, and 10 minutes later walked out, hugged Shawn and said, "buy that house for me, that's the one I want". I 'just knew' that the townhouse was the one. And, after we purchased it we found out that the person who was selling it had just lost her mother to cancer I think - but here's the kicker - she was a Teen Mania intern just a year or two prior. We bought our house from a Teen Mania intern. Very cool!

On top of that, about 18 months later I got EXTREMELY antsy living there and told Shawn that we needed to sell the townhouse because I was no longer comfortable there. Due to a set of, what I recognize now, as God ordained situations, we sold the townhouse for the price of $480k - a price which God had given me even before we had the house appraised and evaluated by our realtor.

THEN - it gets even better!!! We, at the same time was looking for houses in Placerville because we knew this is where God wanted us. I found a house that was in dire need of work, a task that Shawn and I thought we were up to at the time, and I knew that this was the house we needed to buy! And, one more time, God told me exactly how much we were going to pay for it. I don't want to get too much into detail here - but there is no way I could have known either of those prices....AND....when we went to purchase the house we are currently in, we offered something different than what we paid for. We offered $370k for it, but, NOW GET THIS, our realtor in Placerville calls me and says, "I know you said that $370k was approved, but I feel like we can get it for $365" - - - uhhhhhh, the price that God had told me a number of weeks before that. How cool is God????

All in all, looking back on it, God was the chess master in this situation. I can see looking back how faithful and amazingly coordinated His steps were for the purchase and sale of the townhouse and of course for the purchase of this home. I am amazed!!!! We bought at exactly the right time and sold at EXACTLY the right time in the Bay Area. Had we waited, like we were counseled to by a number of people, we would have lost quite a bit of money.

I find that God works in the most amazing of circumstances. God knew, of course, that this is something that would get my attention. I am sitting here hoping with everything within me that things work out here in Placerville for us. I need more work, Shawn needs to make more money at his job ventures, yet I still question whether everything is going to work out. Seeing our house purchase, sale and purchase, I would say it's gonna all work out just fine. But I have never been one to be satisfied by the unknown. I wonder if this is something I should work on??? Uh, yeah - I think so. I need to trust God, because ultimately He, and only He is the chess master in my life and in Shawn's life. Regardless of the moves He makes, even the unexpected ones, He is still in control. And, the best part about it is that He always wins the game. Check mate!

Overall

Here's what my observer said (she is a Dean of one of the departments at Sierra College): "High energy, thought provoking, comfortable classroom atmosphere. Instructor very approachable & creative; students all engaged. Great critical thinking provoked by student activities, Carol-Lynn GOOD model of excellent public speaking. Carol-Lynn did a terrific job of alternating student group work/projects with standard lectures; broke up lecture with questions to students. VERY GOOD instruction."

She only gave me one suggestion ..... it was about the overheads that I used in the lecture. She said that the font needed to be bigger and also mentioned that I should include less information on them. (This is the 'improvement' comment I always get when I am observed....yet I haven't changed a thing about them in a couple of years). Teee heeee heeee - my thinking here is that I should leave something crappy so they have something to critique....LOL! I will probably change them soon.

My students all gave me absolutely amazing comments for the qualitative part of the review ....and the quantitative part was really good.......all except for one student. There is ALWAYS one student in the class that absolutely HATES me - and it seems like this class is no different. I even told the class on the first day that they may not 'get me' right off the bat - but most will love me and one or two will absolutely hate me. Looks like I was right on!!!!!

I am off to bed now.

I know...

I know it's my job - - - but I don't wanna go tonight. I am tired. Tired of all the questions. Tired of lecturing. Tired of driving 2 hours a day. Tired of preparing. Tired of being 'on' for 3 hour every night. Just tired of it! Only one more week to go and then I'm done. I can't wait!!!!!



Quick update: When I got to work (school) today I received my review of intstructor performance. The person who observed me gave me an amazing review - - - she's a Dean and said that I.....me.....yep, that's right - was a GREAT instructor. My students rated me extrememly well and left me some of the nicest comments I have ever heard. Apparently I am a challenging instructor - but a really really really good one. :) I can sleep happy tonight!

Again

Shawn and I just picked some more wild blackberries.....more jam to come! Yiiiiippppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomato and Bean Stoup

I just got done making this, and from what I can tell so far, it's pretty good. Here's the recipe:

This recipe is straight from the Food Network cite...Thanks Rachel Ray!!!!!


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans or cannellini beans
1 (10 ounces) box, cut frozen green beans
Salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at the table Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir then stir in the onions, carrots, celery and zucchini. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. Ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.


Some of the comments on this recipe are:
*Add ground beef to make it a bit more hearty
*Definitely use the basil AND the cheese
*Let simmer a bit longer than recommended to get the veggies a bit softer
*Some didn't like the amount of pepper flakes and reduced it a bit
*Add an extra can of beans (this is what I did)
*Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches
*Add pasta or left over chicken to 'hearty it up' a bit

I hope you enjoy!!!!

A new addition

That's right folks, we have a new addition to the household (no I am not pregnant....but I do keep having those dreams....hmmmm).

We finally purchased a hot tub. Shawn and I have been talking about having a hot tub since we purchased our townhouse together over 3 years ago (yes, we owned a house together, and weren't even engaged yet - but don't freak out folks - he was living elsewhere, and I was living in it with renters - it was purely investment). We talked about getting a small hot tub while we were at the townhouse, because, we had a VERY small side yard. But, we really didn't want anyone else using the hot tub while we weren't home - well, because it's a big investment, and because of what could 'potentially go on' in a hot tub setting when no one else is home.....nudge nudge, wink wink! That's just gross to think about. Anyway, we found a GREAT deal at Costco. We ordered it, and it should be here in about a month. The reason why we went to Costco to get it is because of their return policy. Even if you don't want the thing in two years, you can return it. I am good at keeping paperwork, so this shouldn't be a problem. Where else can you get a hot tub with a return policy??? Needless to say, we are incredibly excited. It will be nice to relax in a hot tub again at night - especially when it snows out....which, by the way, is the best time for a hot tub....I'm just sayin'! :)

Done and Done

I am finally done with the 750 page Harry Potter book. My life can resume.

While reading Harry Potter......

So, I took a break from reading Harry Potter to go to Costco. When we got home we noticed that our next door neighbor is selling her house. OUR VERY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IS MOVING!!!! I don't like it! Not one bit!!! I am hoping that we get some VERY quiet, VERY nice people living next door - - - maybe even some people who we'd like to hang out with. This isn't the cool part of the story though. We talked to the realtor for quite a while. The subject came up that I am a college instructor, and she, after a minute or so, asked me if I wanted to be one of their guest lecturers at their business development luncheons. How cool is that? Hey, look at me....I'm a professional public speaker. He he he he!!!!

I still feel like I'm 12. Shhhhh, don't tell!

Absence

I will try my hardest to blog at some point in the near future, but Harry Potter arrived in the mail today. I have a feeling that 750 pages is at least going to take me a few days to read. Needless to say, I may not be posting until I am done.

Preserves

Today Shawn and I made our first ever batch of Blackberry Preserves. Now, I could talk about the horrible man on the trail who cursed us out because our dog scared him - - - then came back and did it again.....but we had a good day today, so I will focus only on the positive. So, we went out on the walking trail, which is where there are wild blackberries growing, at about 11am and started picking. We only picked up about 6 cups because we wanted to experiment to see if this was something we really wanted to do (and it is, so we will be picking and canning again very soon). So, after about 45 minutes or an hour or so, we picked what we needed and headed home. When we got home we washed the berries and started making the preserves. All in all it was a fun day. The preserves came out great! Next time though we are going to use a bit more pectin because it should be a bit thicker. In the middle of making the preserves though, Shawn turns to me and says, "DoubleP, you are so funny. You are like a girl that grew up in the city and is now discovering all kinds of new stuff. You have a garden and are growing vegetables, and now you are making preserves at home and learning canning."

City girl turned country signing off!

Digusting

In case you haven't heard, there is a man that came back from vacation from Belize with some 'visitors'. Here's a link to the story:

http://www.nbc11.com/news/13713548/detail.html?dl=mainclick

Remember when we were kids and there was the rumor that went around about the spider that laid it's eggs under the skin of a person. All of a sudden the skin opened up and out crawled hundreds of little spiders scurrying in all directions? Of course this is one of those things that isn't true......except, when I hear stories like the one above, maybe it's not too far off. Ewwwwww!!!!! That settles it, I am never going to Belize.

There's simply no good excuse.....

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to stay in bed all day? Today is one of those days for me. The weather is gorgeous! I have all of the windows in the house open and I am loving every minute of it. But, I know I should workout - - - I have to loose those pounds I gained over the last month - - - but I don't wanna. I think I am going to have a full fledged temper tantrum............................followed by the inevitable hour on the treadmill. *#%@&!*(@*^&#$*^%

Introducing Braden Edward McEfee

A couple of our good friends just had their third baby. His name is Braden (pronounced Brayden for those of us pronunciation challenged). He is adorable and amazing!!!!! Congratulations to the McEfee Family on their newest little bundle of joy!

I got 'em...

Yep, that's right. I am officially enrolled in CPR and First Aid and Photography. I hope that I will be able to sit through a 5 hour class for CPR with my back the way it is. I think I will just have to take lots of Advil with me that day. The following day is First Aid which is 4 hours, so I don't think that one will be too much of an issue. And, the photography workshop is only 2 hours so I should be ok during that time too. Good thing this is only for three days. The thing that sucks about it is that it's all in the same week. Too bad it wasn't spread out......but, who am I to complain? I get to take CPR, First Aid (and get my certifications back), take a photography workshop (and get to display my photography at Sierra College for a couple of months), AND......the best part......IS THAT I GET PAID TO DO IT!!!! I am incredibly excited about that.

Enough about that - the treadmill is calling my name!

Sometimes.......

Sometimes when I feel a bit down on myself, or am depressed, or feel like a terrible college instructor, this is what I do. I go to Ratemyprofessors.com and look at my reviews from students. Here's what some of them have said:

"She was an AWESOME teacher! The best i've had so far. Class was never boring, she always kept it interesting. She's easy to talk to and her class is easy if you do what she says and study! :( we're gonna miss u (she moved)"

"very approachable and easy to talk to. encouraging so it makes public speaking not as bad as it seems. fair grader once you get the basis of what she expects on outlines. understanding professor and great class for such an intimidating area for people"

Pretty good I think! :)

Classes

Apparently Sierra College has a week of classes that instructors can take. Yesterday I checked the mail and got a schedule and a registration form. The classes I am hopefully going to take are CPR, First Aid (both classes give a certification - thank God because mine have lapsed), Photography and of course the semi-mandatory Department Meeting. Oh yeah, the best part??? The classes ARE FREE - and even better than that - THEY PAY ME TO TAKE THEM!!!! Yep, that's right, they are paying me to take these classes. I just hope that I can take the CPR and First Aid classes because only 10 instructors out of like 500 or 1,000 can take that class. I faxed my registration form in promptly, so I hope I get the classes. We shall see though. I don't really want to pay for something I don't need to.

I was so excited to get this guide in the mail! Shawn and I were downstairs on our computers when I opened it up and got all excited about being able to take class again. He said to me, "DoubleP (that's his nickname for me meaning "Precious Princess") you are so weird. People are normally relieved when they are able to stop taking classes". Nope! No sir! Not me! I can't wait to take classes again...thus the desire to get a second masters degree. :) We will see how that one works out though.

Oh yeah, and yesterday at church we got to talking to a guy who trains guide or working dogs. Shawn and I decided that once Tess is no longer with us, that we are going to do it. You get a dog at about 8-10 weeks old, and you lightly train the dog, mainly through socialization and basic commands, and then you give the dog back at about a year to two years old depending on how busy the intense part of the training program is. PERFECT!!!!!! This way you have the company of a dog all the time, restaurants, movie theaters, vacations, etc... and you don't have to watch the doggie get old and die (which is what is preventing us from ever getting another dog).

I am a dog lover, but I can't handle them getting sick or dying. It kills me to think that someday Tess won't be with us. And, I don't think I could handle that twice. And, this way we are giving back to the community. It will be intense I am sure - and I will be sad to see the dog go, but there is a better end this way. The dog now gets to do what it loves - - - work! Dogs get so happy when they are able to work and please their masters. How cool is it to be able to be a part of that?

Enough for now!!! Until later.....

Strange

Is it just me or is it strange how people change as they get older?

It is just strange to me where people's lives take them. Through different sets of circumstances, outside forces, decisions made etc.... where people land. You obviously have control over it (mostly), but there is an element of survival and comfort. People settle all the time - crap, I have settled. Not for the things some people settle for, but definitely settled (examples: not going on for a PhD, not starting my own business etc...). But really? My question is this: where could I have gone had I not settled for just a masters degree OR not starting my own business OR getting heavily involved in a church right when we moved OR applying for colleges a year before we moved OR choosing to live in a different house OR taking our investment and lived somewhere more affordable OR had kids a few years ago OR had gotten married younger (we could have gotten married a number of years before we did - crap, we knew we were going to get married, but chose to wait for a number of reasons) OR chose not to buy the townhouse in San Jose OR decided to get a new car with high car payments .....all of these things I could have decided to do, but didn't. Where would my life be?

Had Shawn and I waited to get married another year or so, I would have been well into a PhD program and I can tell ya, my life would have been worlds different than it is now. Any of those decisions could have lead me down a very different path. I think the point here is, is that there is a higher power at work in my life. God has a major place, especially with decisions made. But, any of those decisions could have been 'permissable' and even possibly 'beneficial'. But, I think all in all, I am so thankful of where I am at now. Shawn and I get to spend a lot of time with each other (at first that was hard, but now we found a really good medium and really like it) that we wouldn't have gotten to spend had we chose to do things differently. We may have been in a different house, in a different state, working at different jobs than we are now. But, all in all I wake up every single day thankful to God that we are where we are and in awe of how blessed we truly are. Would I want to be in a different place? Maybe! A PhD would be nice.....having a stable job would be nice.....getting that new car would be nice (except for those payments which I refuse to pay).....living in a different area would be nice.....you get the point! But, like I said, all in all, I am happy where we are. We made good decisions, we didn't compromise, we did what we thought was best, we prayed a lot - and looking back, I don't think I could have done things differently even if I tried. It's just interesting to think about where I could have been had I even made one decision differently!

8 pairs

Yes, that's right folks, I have purchased my husband 8 pairs of the same exact shoes. For those of you that know my husband, you know that he ALWAYS wears the same shoe no matter what. There are a few times that I have gotten him to wear a sneaker - yep, that's right, he sometimes wears sneakers....but rarely! We have been unable to find the particular shoe that he wears (it looks like Airwalks, but alas, they are NOT Airwalks otherwise they would be really easy to find!). In case you were wondering, these shoes are ONLY sold at Payless Shoe Source - not my first choice for buying shoes, but hey, he found a pair he really likes and I am ok with that. Like I was saying, we have been unable to find the shoes anywhere - Payless does not carry them anymore because they carry the look-a-like Airwalk shoe that sells for $7 more than this one. So, to avoid the crisis of having the shoe discontinued in the near future and to avoid the incessant complaining that they do not carry his shoe anymore, I decided to wait until they were having their BOGO sale (buy one, get one half off) and get him the max number that I could order in one transaction - 8 pairs of shoes. Hopefully he won't need shoes again for another 3 years - and by that time he will be 30 and hopefully have changed his style a bit (I won't count on it though, he's had the same style since he was 16, but one can hope right?).

I knew someone who...

I knew someone when I was in high school who said that if you have a fall back plan, you are sure to 'fall back'.

Here's my philosophy: You should have a fall back plan! If plan A in life doesn't work out, by all means, have a plan B. Because if you don't, what's out there? You no longer have plan A, you no longer have plan B - after that, it's simply a 'what can I find situation'. What do you think?

Too much

There is far too much to blog about - so, my default will be posting a new recipe. I could have blogged about my students, who are once again driving me batty (not all of them, just ONE student in particular). This student NEVER looks at the course calendar, yet, will send me an email in a second to find out what is due for the next class session.....uh, yeah moron, try looking at your calendar BEFORE emailing your professor to answer your asinine questions. Sometimes I feel like I am teaching kids to walk, or better yet, potty train...but I digress.

I could have blogged about the rafting, or better yet floating trip and super soaker wars we had over the weekend near North Lake Tahoe with my sister and her husband, which was really fun, but I am thinking something a bit more exciting for our annual rafting trip.

I could also have blogged about the fact that I finally found all of my Victoria's Secret products from living at the townhouse in the Bay Area. I came across my Sweet Temptation and Love Spell Body Spray and Bath Gel - Oh how excited am I? Once, about 3 or 4 years ago I walked by a man who I worked with on occasion and was wearing Love Spell - - - he literally stopped me, asked me what scent I was wearing because he wanted to get it for his wife, and then said to me, "wow, I am blushing, I need to get out of here - I will be waiting outside". Apparently Love Spell works.

But, I shall not blog about all of that. Instead, I will post a recipe that I make at home. It was served at a restaurant near San Jose State where I used to teach classes. Oh how I miss working at San Jose State. If I had my choice, I would transplant San Jose State to Placerville, students and all. I loved working there. Anyway, here it is:

Zucchini
Onions
Bell Peppers
Mushroom
Eggplant (optional)
Salmon, Chicken, Beef, Tofu, Lamb (any meat that BBQ's well will work)
Rice (Jasmine or Basmati will work)
Butter (I use no cholesterol butter substitute)
Extra large bullion cubes
Shallots
Balsamic Vinegar
Marsala wine

Veggies/Meat: Cut veggies BIG - maybe 1 inch pieces (leave the mushrooms whole), put them on skewers. Make sure you put the protein on separate skewers - meat and veggies have different cooking times. Spray with some olive oil spray, a little salt and a little pepper. Cook over on open flame until done.

Rice: Any type of rice will work, just allow for proper cooking time. I really like the herb and vegetable rice medley that is sold in a package at Trader Joe's - but I make it with plain white or brown rice. Any rice that you use, either cook it in chicken broth, or add bullion cubes (I use 2 cups of rice with appropriate amount of water and two extra large bullion cubes). In addition to that, I add a bit of country crock, extra calcium butter substitute. Shawn likes real butter, but then again, he likes butter on everything. :) You can add the butter either during the cooking process (which is what I do), or after it's done.

Sauce: I make a Balsamic reduction to spoon over the rice/veggies/meat. Dice shallots and saute on low heat until soft. Add balsamic vinegar and marsala wine and let simmer until it's reduced by about half (make sure it coats the back of a spoon). I don't have specifics on how much to put in the pan, but I add and taste as I go. You can't get the sauce wrong as long as you do it to your particular taste. Last time I made it I didn't reduce it enough, but I thought it was still good. I love vinegar. :)

Serve as follows: rice on the bottom of the plate, skewers on top of the rice, and spoon the sauce over the top.

If you do it right, it should taste really good, lower in calories and fat than you would get in a restaurant. This recipe is sure to impress your guests. It's simple and delicious!

Still Prayin'

I contacted the Chair of the Comm Dept. at Sacramento State again to find out where in the hiring process they are. I am eager to find out what the fate of the next semester holds. I really want to pick up some classes at Sac State (2 to be exact - or more if possible). He said that the hiring process has been delayed a couple of weeks, but that "I have not been ruled out in any way". I hope that's good news. He said that I was on the hiring list - now all I need is God's favor. My heart is hopeful. :) So, if you remember, please pray that I get a couple more classes, preferably at Sacramento State.

I was invited to a bible study on Thursday nights - of course I want to go, but will be showing up quite late due to my class being on Thursday nights. :) I am going to keep up with them, and for the next 5 weeks I will not be able to attend, but will be in full swing after that. I talked to the facilitator, and she said to just come when I can - so I will miss the actual bible study part (which is the part I really want to go to), but probably be able to at least fellowship with some ladies after my class.

This past weekend was GREAT!!! I will post some pics as soon as I locate my camera again. Some good friends of ours came up and spent the weekend here with us. We went hiking, watched lots of movies and attended the beer festival downtown Placerville (which I am not quite sure I will ever do again). :) We did decide this weekend though that we are going rafting a few times this summer. Shawn and I are probably going to plan a rafting trip every year, starting small this year. It should be a good time. :)

Until later....

A little insight

I think I have figured something out about the attitude differences between people in the Bay Area and Placerville.

Bay Area: People are primarily interested in how they can get ahead in life.

Placerville: People are primarily interested in how they can get by and be happy.

Very interesting differences. I was thinking about this on my drive home last night from class (you know, the one that I teach at Sierra College). The difference seems to be that people in this area are concerned with how they can be happy in life while getting by with the simple things - you know, a house, a car, and of course a family. Those that are in the Bay Area are concerned with how they can get ahead, be rich, famous and make their mark in life. Big differences, very blatant. I think I like the attitudes up here much more. :)

Quick Update

I am proud to announce that my Cantaloupe plants and Broccoli plants have sprouted. I am so excited!!!!!!!! Now, just waiting for the Lettuce, Carrots and Watermelon to rear their heads. Of course our tomatoes and zucchini are already growing out of control - yipppeeeee!!!!!!

Carol's First Day of School

Last night I taught my first class in 6 months. After 6 full months of my brain turning to mush, I must say, I was pretty on top of my game last night. I employed all of the methods I was taught a couple of years ago as a beginning instructor, and I must say, it went pretty well. At the beginning of the class I was really nervous, but that quickly subsided after the evening began. I did find out though, through the course of the class that I have about 15 nursing majors in my class, one person who is going to be a Physicians Assistant, and a gentleman who is the Police Chief of a nearby city. A diverse class in some respects, but not nearly as diverse as my classes in the Bay Area. I think this summer session is going to prove to be fun and interesting. :) Of course, I do have the person who has a million questions about everything - which, of course happens in every class....and, I do have the "I have all the answers" person - of course this person is quickly going to become my "go to" person, or the person who is going to assist me in class (by the way, us instructors have a way of 'including' the know it all's, extra enthusiastic students etc.... by making them 'group leaders', discussion facilitators, mini guest lecturers for a short lecture, etc.... Honestly, these students are mostly an asset to the class, but sometimes could become a bit overbearing at times - not for me, but for the other students, because quite honestly, I like those students. However, some of them need that inclusion in the leading of the class in order to feel like they are an intragal part of the class - and I am one of those instructors who is more than willing to accomodate). :) So, all in all I am excited about this class. I am not excited that it's three nights in a row every week, and that my commute is about an hour each way.

Oh yeah - interestingly enough, my class was full last night on the roster, but not in the class. I had 27 enrolled, and 19 showed up on the first day of class. This absolutely SUCKS for other students who looked at the class online and noticed that it was full and didn't try to add the class by showing up. I could have taken about another 10 people. I did talk to the admission guy, who by the way is super cool, his name is Alex and he's from the Ukraine - he said that the summer add/drop rate is really really really high - so a word of advice to those out there that think they won't be able to add a class - show up anyway. More than likely you will be able to add it, even if the class is full online. :)

Things about Placerville

Things I didn't know about Placerville before moving here (the BAD list - the GOOD list is coming soon)...

1). Everyone here gets married and has babies really young. God bless those that do and do it successfully, but it seems like there are waaaaaayyyyyyyy too many single moms that are about 15 on the scene here in P-ville.

2). It is a small town in all sense of the phrase. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone knows everyone else's business. (Apparently we bought this house a while ago....oh wait a minute....no, the story goes: our parents bought this house for us....and another version is: We bought this house so our parents could live here with us....hmmmmm, neither version is true, however, this is what our neighborhood thinks apparently. We promptly set them straight the other night). Crazy, senile, yenta neighbors (and not just out neighbors, people around the block too....weird!!!).

3). Drugs are prevalent. You call the cops because you see a drug deal and they laugh at you....like it's unusual or something.

4). Speaking of cops - some of the cops in P-ville are about 12. You heard me right, they are about 12, with guns, and cars, and that ultra big Mag flashlight waiting to bonk you over the head if you step out of line (but not if you deal drugs).

5). You walk downtown at night, where nothing is open but the three quintessential bars. Women in their late 40's and early 50's still think they are 17 wearing denim mini skirts, halter "T" shirts, and some outdated shoe like Ug Boots or Gelly shoes with that all too noticeable snaggle tooth (if they have teeth left at all), listening to Bon Jovi from the 80's and smoking a cigarette thinking 'they got it goin' on, when really, the goin' left many years ago and it's no longer cute to 'work the bar scene' trollin' for men on a weeknight. A little word of advice - GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS SO THEY HAVE A CHANCE IN THIS LIFETIME!!! I'm just sayin'!

6). People named Chet really do work at places like Sherwin Williams (I worked that in twice in two days - I rock!!!)

7). Walmart is a fancy department store - because of course, in Placerville, you can stop and get a medical exam, your glasses, get your prescription filled and get a manicure and a pedicure all at the same time.

8). The only Asian people in Placerville are the ones who work at/own the million Chinese restaurants or are the ones giving the manicures/pedicures (probably to the same women who are hanging out at the bar downtown listening to Bon Jovi until 2 am). Hmmm, I should qualify that - I love Bon Jovi, always will - but really? In a po-dunk town, with no teeth, on a Monday night, smoking a cigarette - it fits all too well.

9). There is normal speed, and there is Placerville speed. You do the math!

10). Everyone is white - except of course for some choice restaurants and manicure/pedicure places. It kind of weirds me out a little bit. There should be more colors, you know, like the rainbow. I am so used to San Jose where everyone is so diverse. Yeah, not so here!

I have learned some other things too, but for fear of being hunted down by the Placerville mafia, who bear a close resemblance of the women down at the bar, and whom I am afraid will come attack me with said snaggle tooth, I shall stop here!

Some things...

Things I have learned over the last few days:

1). Building a vegetable garden is HARD work!

2). Filling the vegetable garden with really good soil is hard work. Picture this: a truck load of soil from a local gardening center (a cubic yard to be exact), shoveling it into a wheelbarel and moving it across a yard is hard work. As Shawn and I always say, "And Jesus walked to Galilee" (this statement may not be historically accurate - maybe you could enlighten me - but the statement itself means that there were simply 5 words to describe probably weeks of walking in the blazing sun, facing hardship, eating grain along the way, probably not the most pleasant walk in the world, but it was done, and simply described in approximately 5 words).

3). It's probably not a good idea to take an hour and a half walk after shoveling soil for about an hour.

4). Our neighbors are pretty nosy people. I must qualify this - our immediate neighbors are really really nice people. It's the other people in the neighborhood that are a bit nosy and gossipy.

5). Since our neighbors are slightly yenta-ish, we found out that the woman we bought the house from was NOT a nice person at all. I could have told you that. But, apparently she was NOT a nice person to her mother whom she was taking care of. And, not to get into too much detail, explains some of the markings on the walls and stains on the walls in our house when we moved in.

6). A man named Chet works at our local Sherwin Williams (I learned this weeks ago, but have been trying to work into a post since then).

7). Tess likes ice water as much as we do after an hour and a half walk.

8). I want to lead a mission trip VERY soon. I was a TL with TM a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I would like to go back with either TM or another organization next summer and actually lead the trip as a PD or something in a logistics capacity. Now that we are settled in our house, there really is NO excuse not to go on a mission trip again. So, if anyone out in blog land needs a logistics person for their next mission trip, I am your lady. :)

9). Many people read my blog, but about 3 of the comment on a normal basis. So, comment people, comment. (I didn't learn this in the last week either, but really - I love the comments). :)

It is finished

I am officially ready to start my class tomorrow. My course packet is ready, my lecture notes are ready, activities are ready - - - I am ready to tackle teaching my first college class in 6 months. It hasn't been that long, but it feels like years since I have taught a college class. WOW! I am excited to start, although, I would rather be on a mission trip. :(

Tomato Lovers Pasta

Since I posted the last recipe, I have been thinking about how to make it better, and today I decided to tweak it a little. Here's what I did:

*1 can of petite cut tomatoes (mostly drained)
*4 - 6 medium vine ripened tomatoes (seeded and peeled)
*8 cloves of garlic (separated from the head, but still in their casing - do not peel)
*Artichokes packed in water (or oil, but drain the oil)
*12 oz. of pasta (I used a confetti pasta, but penne or other medium pasta will work)
*Fresh Basil (I skipped this today, but it would have made it soooo much better)
*Sundried tomatoes - I don't know how much, but DO NOT get the ones packed in oil. Get the
dried ones and reconstitute them in hot water until soft.
*Pine Nuts (to taste - I have no idea how much I put in, but add as much or as little as you'd like)
*2 Chicken Breasts - cut into bite size pieces and sauteed
*Olive Oil
*Fresh grated parmesan cheese
*Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In an 8x8 baking dish, add can of tomatoes and a splash (about a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of olive oil), salt and pepper to taste. In another 8x8 baking dish, add quartered tomatoes that are seeded and peeled. Add the garlic cloves to this 8x8 dish (I actually put the garlic into the pockets of the seeded tomatoes to keep them moist - it worked well). Splash the tomatoes and garlic cloves with a but of olive oil, about a teaspoon and a half, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 40 minutes or so, but watch to make sure they don't burn.

Boil pasta to desired consistency, maybe a little aldente (or keep a bit of a bite to the pasta). Aldente means "to the tooth" - or translated, means sticks to the tooth a little bit. Anyway, while the pasta is cooking, sautee the chicken in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and remove the garlic. Squeeze the garlic into a bowl and smash the garlic into a paste (throw away the peels). When the pasta is done, add the roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic paste, reconstituted sundried tomatoes, artichokes, pine nuts, basil and chicken. Stir together. Add parmesan cheese to individual bowls. Yummy!

This is by far one of the best pasta dishes I have made yet. You MUST be a tomato lover in order to eat this dish (obviously I am a big fan - I eat fresh tomatoes by the bowl on a continuous basis). Since this is an original creation, let me know if you have any questions. And, if you decide to make it, send me a message. :)

Some of the items do not have quantities - I did that on purpose because I think that people need to experiement with food and find out what tastes good to them. I could easily say, 1/4 cup of basil shiffonade, but that's what I would like (or even more for that matter). I would just add little by little until it looks good and tastes good to you. If you need more specifics, message me and I can guestimate for you. :) Happy cooking!

We're Exhausted

Today Shawn and I assembled 3 vegetable boxes. Wow, we did not think that it was going to take so freakin' long, but it did. Yesterday, or at least I think it was yesterday, we bought the wood, and today we tackled the project! We did not work during the hottest part of the day though, which was apparently 97 degrees here in Po-dunk-ville, but we did work through some pretty hot weather. All in all the boxes look great and will last us at least a few years,probably many more though. The boxes are 10 feet by 5 feet (one of them), and the other two are 5 feet by 3 feet. I think I am going to grow watermelons, cantaloupe and different squashes in the big one, and I can't decide what I am going to do with the others yet. But, I can tell you this though - if it ever came down to it and we needed to grow our own food, we are set! When the world comes crashing down, y'all are invited to dinner. I'm just sayin'!

Pictures to come....

It's Time

For a new Recipe!!! Yeah!!!!! This one is from Ellie Krieger, and it's GREAT!!!! It's got yummy tomatoes, basil, beans and pasta. I LOVED this recipe....Shawn, not so much. He really liked the flavor, but didn't like the beans. I think next time I make it I will add some chicken and/or pine nuts to it to kick it up a bit. But, I really love the recipe just like it is. It's healthy, lower in calories and simple. Without further ado, here it is:



Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1(15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic into a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few turns of pepper. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Drain the beans into a large colander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta into the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water will warm the beans. Return drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.

When the tomatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pasta pot, add the garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

You may be wonderng...

Some of you out there may be wondering why I was whining about completing my syllabus yesterday. After all, a syllabus is a two or three page thing that you give out to your students. Who cares what it says right? Well, what I was preparing yesterday took me about 9 hours. As it turns out, I had plans for a course packet which was 30 pages, not just a syllabus. I didn't know that's what I was planning, but as I sat down to complete it, it only made sense to put one together. So, there you have it folks - lots of whining, procrastination, 30 pages and of course a beer later, and I am about 80% done. I have to add some stuff, proof read, then it's off to the copy center at Sierra College. Fun times!

You know what helps?

You know what helps when you are EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED over your syllabus that needs to be done TONIGHT??? A beer!

And so it begins

I officially have 8 days to prepare a semester long class that is only going to last 6 weeks - or, at least I think it's only going to last 6 weeks. See, I am still unprepared, have no idea when my class is going to end, but, at least I know when it begins, and that's a good thing right? So, I sit here procrastinating, thinking about the things we need to buy like refills for our popcorn machine, order shoes for Shawn (because they don't carry them in the store anymore), a refill for my favorite pen, and try to find a reasonably priced fire pit for the outside of our house. Are any of these things necessary? No!!! But, I sit here procrastinating because I simply don't want to put together my syllabus for the class that starts in, oh, 8 days - and beyond that, simply don't want to gather my materials. But alas, by the time I go to sleep tonight, I will have completed the syllabus, gathered the materials I need, send out materials to the college to be copied - and maybe, just maybe, I will stop shaking because of stress and the things I keep putting off.

The good, the bad and the exhausting...

I am going to keep this brief because I am absolutely exhausted. Friday a friend called Shawn very upset about his marriage - it may be over. He headed over to his house, I joined him about an hour later. This visit ended up to be a 9 hour conversation - which continued today for about 5 hours (for me, not Shawn). Apparently I was the one that he wanted to talk to since I had the 'female' perspective. No problem, and I am glad to help, but I am absolutely exhausted - and I have a feeling it's not over. The friend wants to meet with his wife, and Shawn and I this week sometime - yikes! Again, happy to help, but neither of us are counselors and feel very unqualified to do what they need. Of course we suggested counseling, which they are going to do - but they still want to have dinner (or at least he does). Keep them in prayer if you would. They can certainly use it.

On a bit of a different note, Shawn and I were complemented on our marriage - which was nice since most of what people see (at least in our families anyway), is all of the 'showy' bickering we do. Rarely do we bicker at home, it's just something we do in front of our families (why? I have no idea, but we have always done it - and it's kind of become sport to us now). Anyway, a couple who knows us complemented us on how much we love each other. It was nice to hear! And, in front of some people anyway, we are 'normal' and do love each other.

Another 'good' thing that happened, is someone commented to Shawn how 'cool' his wife is. That too was nice to hear. Not that we need outside affirmation of our marriage, because honestly, we have a darn solid marriage (even though some people may not think so - and to say it plainly - screw them because they know not the in's and out's of someone else's marrige), but all in all it was nice to hear that someone recognized how much Shawn and I truly cherish each other.

Ok, there is more I want to type, but I am to tired from spending about 5 hours on the phone today with said friend - and tons of hours yesterday! I am done!

What could one do with a photo???

People keep telling me that I should do something with my photography. Hmmmm, I think I would, but what? What would I do? Open up a Carol's Photography studio? I would have to probably sell out and do family portraits and weddings, which wouldn't be a problem - except that I HATE WEDDINGS, and the only photography that I really like is objects in nature etc... So, what would I do? Maybe go to art galleries to see if they would carry my work for sale? I have no idea! Here are a couple pics people said they liked:

Besides teaching, I absolutely love taking pictures. The thrill of taking the perfect picture is so exciting. Maybe this summer Shawn and I will take some trips and I will take some pictures - who knows. But, besides giving the pictures away and putting them on my walls, what the heck do I do with them?

Eye Sporks

I just explained to Shawn what it feels like for me to be congested and not be able to breathe out of my nose. It feels like someone has tied me down and slowly inserted a spork into my eye, not a spoon, not a fork, a SPORK......and now they are twisting it at about a millimeter every five minutes - it's torture for me to not be able to breathe out of my nose. I can't wait to be better!

It's Official

I am sick. I haven't been sick in a couple years, so this has really thrown me for a loop. I think it's because of all of the preparation for the party this past month. The last month has been extremely hectic, and we STILL didn't get the house looking the way we really wanted it. Oh well! It's just a house right?

I have had a really bad sore throat for the last two days - - - haven't slept a full night in a few days - - - stuffy nose - - - weak - - - dizzy - - - exhausted!!! I am not quite sure if this is a cold or what, but I do know that the exhaustion of the last month has very much caused this sickness. My immune system is weak because of the non-stop past month. All in all I am pleased with the party (look for a wrap up post soon that will review the party) - but I am more pleased with the house. Every room is now livable, which I am extremely happy with. Now Shawn and I can have some fun this summer without having to worry about the house and home improvement stuff. In a couple of weeks we are going to put planters in the back yard for veggies, which I am excited about. I have a bunch of different melons, and veggies I want to plant, and it's almost perfect timing. We are a little late, as we should have planted a number of weeks ago - but we were simply too busy! Better late than never I say!!!

Real quick though - I must publicly thank my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Justin for all of the work they put into getting the decorations together, food prepared and all of the help the past two weekends! Those two really worked their butts off for the party. Shawn and I appreciate their help beyond words. Thank you Mel and Justin for all the effort you two put into the party - you will never know how much we appreciate it! :)

Also, our friends Maggie and Brian came up and helped out a tremendous amount. They helped with the set up, food prep and clean up of the party. I am truly thankful for all of the effort that was put in!!! The day after the party, I was eager, even though I was sick with a bad sore throat and was about to pass out, I wanted to clean the house so I didn't have to look at it anymore. I must give a huge thanks to Maggie for standing at the kitchen sink for about an hour (which isn't an easy task) getting all of the dishes clean in addition to all of the other things she and Brian did over the course of the weekend!

All in all, it was definitely a group effort to get the party going. Mel, Justin, Maggie and Brian did such a wonderful job. There is NO WAY Shawn and I could have done it without you guys. Our appreciation runs deeper than you will every know.

Also a big thanks to Brenda and Sharon for helping with food prep stuff the day of the party! :)

I must log off now as I am extremely exhausted and need to rest. This 10 minute post has already zapped what energy I had. Until later.....