RebeCCa's MisCellaNies

300 is a perfect score in bowling

2012-01-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I learned how to keep score in bowling. I think maybe it was to earn a Pioneer Girls badge or something. It wasn't long after that when bowling alleys adopted electronic scorekeeping and average players no longer needed this skill. Nevertheless, it is one of those things I still know how to do, and which I'm sure is using up the brain space I could otherwise be using to solve world hunger or something. Hahaaa.

I admit this knowledge came in useful when I was babysitting a couple months ago and was able to impress the youngsters by accurately predicting that if one of us scored three consecutive strikes in Wii bowling, it would be called a "Turkey".

Other than my recent experience with the Wii, I don't actually go bowling anymore. A bad case of "tennis" elbow that resulted from incorrectly using a computer mouse in excess seems to have forever ruled out my chances of winning Wimbledon or starting a weekend career as a bowling hobbyist. Most of all, it's super awesome to tell people that I've had tennis elbow and how I got it. It's basically the same as wearing a tshirt that says "Geek." Thankfully, some coaching by the doctor who prescribed my malady meant that I was able to improve my computer posture, otherwise I would have never been able to discover digital scrapbooking.

And in other news, this is my 300th blog post on Rebecca's Miscellanies. Thanks for reading!

--Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

2012

2012-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I resolved to not set an alarm, and watch the Rose Parade in my pajamas. Check! 2012 is off to a great start, I've already kept two resolutions.

I hate New Year's resolutions. I'm terrible at keeping them, and then when I don't keep them, I feel terrible about myself. However, I recently had been thinking I'd like to pick up blogging again. I'm not going to resolve to blog more, but if I did say something like "I resolve to blog more in 2012 than I did in 2011," it would be a pretty darn easy resolution to keep. 2011's post total here on Rebecca's Miscellanies? A whopping 18. On the other hand, one of my blogging friends mentioned a while ago that my blogging had once inspired her, and that's probably what started my thinking about getting back to blogging. That was around Thanksgiving, and it's taken me this long just to blog about thinking about blogging.

The other thing I'm "not" resolving to do is memorize scripture this year. As in, on a schedule, with a strategy and accountability and everything. After I signed up with the disclaimer that I am usually really bad at follow through, I was hugely relieved when someone else signed up and not only made the same disclaimer, but used nearly the exact same words: "notorious for quitting." I know. Try not to be bowled over by my confidence, OK? But if you are interested in checking it out, the details are over on a blog my friend Megan set up. Actually, the best part about this is that you get to pick your own verses, and they can be short, and it's only 2 verses a month. My first choice is Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV). I "kind of" know this passage, but decided to make a point of committing it to memory.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

So, here we are 2012. What will this year bring? If nothing else, the three of you still subscribed to my blog might have a little more to read, and hopefully I'll have strengthened my scripture muscle a bit. It's starting to sound like I've made myself some resolutions.

(And for the record, I'm already 5.3% of the way to meeting my goal of blogging more in 2012.)

--Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 11: Favorite Recipe

2011-08-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Recipes. Yummy! For this one, I'm going to share my favorite summer recipe, because in the summer, I make this at least 2-3 times per week. I often have this for breakfast, I just blend it up and drink it in the car on the way to work.

~~~

INGREDIENTS
16 oz Crystal Light peach tea
7 1/2 oz frozen tropical fruit (I use the mix from Costco with strawberries, pineapple, mango and papaya.)
6 oz fat free yogurt
Optional:
1/4 c Fiber One cereal

DIRECTIONS
Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Add extra peach tea if needed!

MAKES one giant 32-oz smoothie.

~~~

This also works with just the peach tea and frozen fruit. I also like a fruit smoothie with lemonade and frozen mixed berries. It's a great no-guilt summer treat!

Just for fun, I made this into a recipe card (click on the recipe card to grab the full-size image.)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 10: Bible Verse

2011-07-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Like so many things on any "favorites" list, this one seems to change a lot for me. In fact, when I started this project, I included Psalm 23:4 on the list of 15 things about me, because it was important to me at the time. More recently, I've been thinking about this verse a lot, Ephesians 2:10 -

For we are God’s handiwork,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I've been doing some reading about spiritual gifts because of my work at church, and this verse is in the curriculum for the class I led a couple weeks ago. What this verse says, I can't truly comprehend. The first part is the easy part: "we are God's handiwork, created... to do good works." It's the second part that is beyond my understanding: "which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Why is this so unbelievable? Because it says that the God of the universe has such a detailed plan that He has prepared in advance specific tasks for His children to accomplish. Sometimes I find it hard to think that God, who surely must have many, many important things demanding his attention, has a plan specifically for me. Me?? Really?? Slowly, He's been teaching me this lesson (or perhaps more accurately, it's been slowly sinking in) - and for that, I am thankful.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

The Costco Generation

2011-07-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, as I was sitting at a Costco food court enjoying berry sundaes with a friend, I remembered this story about Costco from when I was a kid. I tell this story a lot - as I did again last week - and so I decided to share it here. It's kind of interesting how something like a retailer or a restaurant can prompt a strong memory from childhood.

Costco has been around nearly as long as I can remember. They opened a location in Martinez, California (near where I grew up) when I was pretty young. I was maybe 8 or 10, I'm not exactly sure. I remember going there with my parents the day the decided to become members. But the really important memory has everything to do with the famous $1.50 Costco hot dog.

In the 80's, Costco didn't have food courts, but they did have a hot dog cart. What could be better for a price-conscious family than shopping in bulk to save a few bucks AND feeding the whole family dinner for $6? As a kid, I couldn't have cared less that this was a bargain price for dinner. What I cared about was that my hot dog came with a can a soda. Whatever kind I wanted. And I got to have the WHOLE can. This, my friends, was a rare treat. Soda made rare appearances at our house although I remember it regularly showing up on vacation and always being available in Grandma's refrigerator. I know, I know, kids sometimes can't finish a whole can, but seriously, you can't put a price on not having to share when you're a kid.

I'm now a Costco member because when you grow up as a Costco kid, it gets into you. My brother is even more of a Costco ~~addict~~ fan than I am. We tease him sometimes that if Costco doesn't sell it he must not need it. (Don't tell him I said that!) I still stop at the Costco food court now and then, and sometimes I still get a hot dog. How is it possible that something like 25 years later, Costco can still sell a hot dog and soda for $1.50?

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 9: What's in my makeup bag

2011-05-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this won't take long! My must-have essentials include lip gloss, chapstick, mascara, eyeliner and bobby pins. Yeah, I know bobby pins aren't makeup, but it's a convenient place to keep a few extras just in case. And I use them more often than just about anything else in there, except maybe the chapstick. :)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 8: A place I've traveled to

2011-05-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, January 2007.

This was place I most enjoyed when I visited Hawaii, because it was so peaceful.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Little Stinker

2011-05-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was getting ready for the preschool class I help with at church and I was using a cheese grater to make crayon shavings. (Because it seemed like a good idea at the time, OK?) Charlie was over, and he comes by to see what I'm doing and asks, "Mess? Mess?"

I reply, "Yep, I'm making a mess. No, don't touch the mess. No, no no, don't help with the mess. OK. No. OK. Don't touch the mess. Thanks." And, "Don't tell Oma I'm making a mess."

About 30 seconds later he gets bored of watching me make a mess that he can't help with, runs into the other room, and says "OMA!!! MESS!!!"

Thanks for keeping my secret, peanut.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

For your little princess

2011-03-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

I was playing around in Photoshop with a setting that turns a photo into a drawing. I saw a blog post recently that said these make good coloring pages, so I thought I'd give it a try and post the results to share! Click on the image to see and download the full-size version (8 1/2 x 11.)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 7: 10+1 favorite songs

2011-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is my variation of "put your iPod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that play." Since I already explained that's a recipe for a list of the 10 most embarrassing songs on my iPod, I'm going to do my own picking. Here are 10 (+1) favorite songs in no particular order:

1. A Living Prayer by Alison Krauss
- First of all, Alison's voice is hauntingly beautiful, and I just love this prayer. I never get tired of it.

2. I'm Alright by Phil Vassar
- Pure fun. I love to turn this song up really loud in the car and sing along. Phil wrote this song, but it was first recorded and made a big hit by Jo Dee Messina, and that version is also terrific, it's just not on my iPod.

3. Meet in the Middle by Diamond Rio
- This is the song that got me hooked on country music, nevermind that very little of my world resembles anything having to do with fenceposts or Georgia pines.)

4. Travelin' Soldier by the Dixie Chicks
- I love songs that tell a story, and this one is heartbreaking, and I love the harmonies in the chorus.

5. When You Say Nothing at All by Alison Krauss and Union Station
- Forget the first four songs I mentioned, this should really be at the top of the list. I love this song.

6. Be Unto Your Name composed by Phoebe P. Knapp
- We sing this song at my church, and I like the words and the melody, but it's this one line in the song that touches my heart every time, a prayer to God: "You are the love song we'll sing forever." Amen.

7. The River by Garth Brooks
- Well, if the list has country music on it, how can it leave out Garth? These words are my favorite: "Too many times we stand aside and let the water slip away till what we put off till tomorrow has now become today; so don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied; choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide." Oh, to be that brave in life.

8. When Peace Like a River by Horatio Spafford
- This is my most favorite hymn. When I first learned it by heart in college, it was the first verse I liked most about God's peace in times of trouble, but the more times I sing it, it's the later verses that speak of God's taking away my sin and promise of eternity that stir my soul.

9. Remember Me by Mark Schultz with Ginny Owens
- This song was part of the wedding service of some friends of mine something like 10 years ago, and I love it. I love the high harmony sung by the female voice, and I love every bit of the story of this song. This is another song that I never tire of hearing, that I play over and over, and sing along with all my heart.

10. The Dance by Garth Brooks
- This song reminds me that although there have been some things in my life I didn't appreciate at the time - many of which I still don't appreciate - it is experiences that make us who we are. Even as I write this, I have a hard time believing that. This song itself brings back bittersweet memories. "And I, I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go; our lives are better left to chance; I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance."

+1. Behold the Lamb (Communion Hymn) by Keith & Kristyn Getty
I originally wrote this post as a list of 10, and this was on the list but it got replaced right at the end. THEN, I went to church on Sunday and we sang not only Be Unto Your Name but also this song. I like so many of the songs by the Gettys and they have become a regular part of the song rotation at our church. I could have picked any number of them, but this one gets listed for the gorgeous, contemplative melody and the rich words.

This is not a "top 10" (or 11) list, just a selection of my favorites. There are so many songs I enjoy time and again that I could go on listing them for a long time. Each is a favorite because of a strong melody, powerful words, or because it stirs a memory. Mostly, it reminds me to spend more time enjoying music in my life, maybe I'll discover a new favorite.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 6: Favorite Movie

2011-03-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

On the original list that inspired this project, this subject was plural, but I wouldn't even know where to start a list of movies because I don't see a lot of movies, and I see very few that make a huge impact on me. I had a similar problem when I tried to make a top ten books list, and I could only get to five even though I read a LOT of books! However, last Friday night I had a conversation with some people about favorite movies, and that's an easy one for me. My most favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally.

When this movie was released in 1989 I wasn't old enough to see it, so it wasn't until after college that I was introduced to it by an ex-boyfriend (of all people) who insisted my life wasn't complete without this movie. I will concede he was right on that point, among most others that... well, nevermind.

I've lost count how many times I've watched this movie. Who can forget the funny scene about the wagon wheel coffee table? Or the final scene of the movie when Harry professes his love? The soundtrack recorded by Harry Connick Jr.? Or the deli scene and the famous punchline: "I'll have what she's having."???? I think Harry's assertion at the beginning of the movie that "men and women can't be friends" is probably one that people still debate today, some agreeing, some not.

Anybody want to chime in on that one? I'll start: I think Harry was right.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Photography Project #3: Covenant

2011-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is another installment of the photos I've been taking for my photography class. This was due a few weeks ago, but we just talked about it last Monday. The word of the week was Covenant, and our assignment was to take a photo of anything that represented a contract, covenant or agreement. When I was explaining my assignment to a couple of friends, they immediately volunteered to be subjects of my photo of the week. While this photo isn't the ideal shot I pictured, I had a very limited amount of time to set it up, and I was happy with the outcome. I did run some actions on the photo, and turned the background to black and white but kept the hands in color.

Thanks for helping out with my project, Andrea & Luis!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 5: A picture of something that makes me happy

2011-03-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been posting over at my scrap blog some of photos I've been taking and what I'm learning about photography. This photo will post over there in a couple of days with lots of geeky photography details, but it fits today's category for the 30 days project: something that makes me happy.

Disneyland promotes itself as the happiest place on earth and the California Screamin' roller coaster definitely makes it a happy place for me - it's my very favorite ride in the entire resort! I can't help but smile and giggle when I get to ride it.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Photography Project #2: Brokenness

2011-02-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

This photo assignment was week #2 (photos due 2/21.) The week's sermon was about sin entering the world. We had a great conversation that night about temptations and sin. The assignment this week was one of three things: A macro shot, a close-up shot, or a shot where the subject was framed by something else. At first, I set out to snap some photos of weeds, and I got one that was OK. Then, our family was out to breakfast and I snapped this shot just because it was there. I showed it my my friend Sarah, she knew the theme was brokenness, and this was what she thought the photo said: "it tells me of the struggle most of us have to be disciplined about what we eat. There is such irony that most of the things in this world that taste good aren't good for us at all, while healthy food tastes so, well, healthy." I couldn't have said it better myself!

For the record: it was very, very good.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Photography Project #1: Creation

2011-02-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Through my church, I joined a photography class/Bible study that meets once a week for 12 weeks, hosted by my friend Kristin. Kristin's photographs are spectacular, so this was a great opportunity to get some tips from a pro. :) Anyway, each week we are discussing that week's sermon and are getting photography assignments that are related. The Week #1 assignment (due February 14, so I'm a little behind on posting) was Creation, and I thought it would be fun to share the view through my lens.

My subject was this lovely California Poppy. Poppies don't bloom every year, so I consider it a special treat when they pop up, and they had just started showing up the week this was taken. Here's my photo straight out of the camera:

Then I tinkered with it, boosting the color and adding a filter to just the background, which distorted it somewhat. I had hoped my original would have more blurriness, but I need to work on my technique a bit (either that or I'm going to need a different lens.)

Last, but not least, I make a scrapbook page. I probably wouldn't have for this photo, but this scrapbook kit called "Where Poppies Bloom" came out the same weekend that I shot this photo, so it seemed like it was meant to be. :)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 4: Nicknames

2011-02-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

For the record: I did say this wasn't going to be a consecutive 30 days, and seeing as it's been 2 1/2 weeks, I'm way overdue, even taking into account that I expected this to be a slower pace! Oh well. Today's another fun one, nicknames. Since I'm doing these out of order, I'm pretty much doing what sounds good at the moment, which means there is a growing possibility that there will come a point that I'm going to be left with more than a few from the original list that I just don't want to bother with. Because you know that when you put the iPod on shuffle with the intent of listing the first 10 songs that play, you are guaranteed to get a list of the 10 most embarrassing songs ON your iPod. (I'm a Disney fan, so just drop it, OK? You are Part of My World on a voluntary basis.)

So on to the real story for today... my birth certificate says Rebecca, but immediately after committing those 7 letters to the permanent record of my name, my parents started calling me Becky. I went by that until the 5th grade when I changed schools and decided to go by Rebecca. Of course, no one who'd known me since birth could make the switch, so in 9th grade I switched back, only decided it would be "fun" to change the spelling of my name, and I became Bekki. That lasted an even shorter amount of time, and by 11th grade I was back to Rebecca permanently. In other words, I totally deserve it that a couple of my cousins call me "ReBekky," but they are now old enough for me to legally bribe them with beer, and haven't been bugging me with that too much lately.

--- pet peeve ---

   Conversations that go like this:

   Me: Hi, My name is Rebecca.

   Other person: Hi, Rebecca. Do people call you Becky?

   Me (politely): No, I prefer Rebecca

   Me (in my head): Never. Because if I wanted people to call me that,
     I would have started this exchange with,
   "Hi, My name is Becky." SERIOUSLY???!!?

   (Does this happen to other people whose names have common nicknames? Drives me bananas!!!!)

--- / end peeve ---

Besides that, I'm sooooooo not a Becky. Really. A few people have a waiver on this one and call me Becky, but they are generally related by blood, or married to someone who is, or otherwise considered to be "practically family.") Ok, so how about a nickname I actually use, and like?

My friends call me Rebo. Not Reba. Rebo. The story behind this one is unusual. My last year of college, I was roommates with four women I'd never really met before we became roommates. Two of them were named Sarah. One of the Sarahs had a boyfriend (who is now her husband,) who decided it would be easier for him to refer to "his" Sarah by a nickname to save himself the kind of phone calls that start with "Hi, is Sarah there?" "Which Sarah?"

He also decided, that since he was a HUGE (really huge; caps are still an understatement here) Star Wars fan, he would give her a 'Star Wars nickname.' Somehow, it was a very short jump until ALL of the roommates had Star Wars nicknames, and mine is "Rebo," short for Max Rebo, who is the alien that kind of looks like a blue elephant that plays the piano in the bar in Return of the Jedi. (I told you it was unusual!) Rebo was an easy Star Wars match, since it was so close to my real name, and believe me when I tell you that some of the other Star Wars nicknames I didn't consider to be quite so desirable.

So anyway, I didn't need a nickname that year, being the only Rebecca at that particular phone number, but it stuck, and it stuck hard. (Unlike my other college nickname, "Webe," which I only hear very rarely these days from a small list of former roommates, but one of these even converted to Rebo.) My friends from that last year of college still call me Rebo, and probably because that was a wonderful year for me, and because those are some of my dearest friends to this day... I love this nickname. Besides that, one of those friends has kids who call me "Auntie Rebo" and that's how my nephew now knows me, too.

So that's the story behind my favorite nickname... and all the unfavorites that came before it.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 3: Favorite TV Shows

2011-02-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

30 days has already, as of today, become 29 days, as I've found one thing on the original suggestion list I won't be blogging about. I'll have to try and think of something to replace it to return to the full 30-day count. Also with today, I'm seeing there are several posts that are going to require I go out and take a photo, including what should be Day #6, a photo of something that makes you happy. It will show up eventually, but probably not as #6. Today, I'm making Day 11 the new Day 3.

Day 3: Favorite TV Shows

So a few years ago, one of my friends who is one of those people who are considered "early adopters" of all things techy (particularly if they are from Apple, but that's a side note,) got TiVo. She said, with all sincerity, "TiVo changed my life!" I laughed. Now, that I get to experience DVR, I have to say, I totally get it. Sara, you were right!

But this is about what I watch, not how I watch. Well, kind of. Because really HOW I watch TV influences WHAT I watch. For example, I don't have to pick between The Good Wife and Parenthood, I get to watch them both every week, AND without commercials. Any show with a theme song as great as Parenthood's must be watched. Sometimes, I rewind the theme song to hear it again.

On Sundays, I watch The Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives (guilty pleasure) and Brothers and Sisters. I don't watch a ton of reality TV, although I was rather fascinated by America's Got Talent last summer, and I try not to miss Top Chef. Honeslty, I would NEVER watch AGT if it weren't for DVR. That show was 2-3 hours per week, and had way too much dead time in it. Lots of skipping ahead on that one, and not just the commercials. The Amazing Race is my favorite, though. I can't imagine how fun that would be to race around the world, although I'm really not into eating icky things and sleep deprivation would definitely impair my game.

I'm starting to realize I watch too much TV as I write this list, although to be fair, I'm often in front of the TV with my laptop, checking emails or catching up on whatever while "listening." That is more likely to be true in front of shows like The Middle, Modern Family, The Office and 30 Rock.

Things I don't watch... American Idol. Glee. CSI-Law&Order-NCIS-etc-etc-etc. Seriously. I am so over crime TV. Awards shows. Sports, not even the Olympics much like I did when I was a kid. Outsourced (regrettably.) Survivor, Biggest Loser, The Bachelor (no regrets on any of those.)

Allright, so don't leave me hanging here now that I've confessed all the things I watch. What do YOU watch?

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 2: Blog Name

2011-01-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

Day 2 is an easy assignment for me: Meaning behind the name of your blog.

The name of my blog is meant to be simply descriptive, so the story here is only about how I decided on this name, which is a pretty short story! When some of my friends started blogging, I thought it might be fun. At first I thought I'd want to blog about the books I read, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I might want to write about different things, and not limit myself to books. In other words, the blog was going to be about miscellaneous things, and it wasn't long until I decided on RebeCCa's MisCellaNies.

mis·cel·la·nies

-noun

a miscellaneous collection or

group of various or

somewhat unrelated items

(Thanks to dictionary.com, my go-to website when I need a dictionary!)
-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

30 days of blogging, day 1: 15 things

2011-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

I know, right? 30 days of blogging? If I actually do that, I think I might have posted more in 2011 than I did in 2010 ALL YEAR. (OK, not quite. I just checked.) One of the digi scrap designers is doing this on her blog, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not going to do 30 consecutive days, though, but rather use these as prompts to just write something a few times a week.

Day 1 - Post a recent photo and 15 things about me.

1. This photo was taken in December 2010, so it qualifies as recent. But I had my hair cut on Monday.

2. You can't see the totally awesome necklace I'm wearing, but I assure you: It's awesome. I wear it almost daily. (Vintage Silver Charms Necklace from The Vintage Pearl, with the letter "R" of course!)

3. This verse is important to me today: "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." - Psalm 23:4

4. I heart Starbucks. I know, I know. But their coffee really is very, very good.

5. Yesterday, the weather here (near San Diego) was outrageously gorgeous. Like around 75 degrees. I met a friend for coffee and we sat in the sun for 2 hours catching up. It was awesome. My sincere condolences to those of you reading this in the midst of a very cold and snowy winter. Having spent 10 winters in the frozen tundra of West Michigan, I sympathize with you; but not enough to move back.

6. I like Disneyland. A lot. I have an annual pass and I'm not afraid to use it.

7. In my free time, I like to take pictures and scrapbook digitally and tinker a bit with design.

8. Things I never thought I'd do: work at a church. But I love it. Probably the best job I've ever had. I've been known to say that the only thing that would make my job better is if there was a Starbucks on the way (see #4.)

9. The last book I read was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This book is highly recommended, and it's so good that I really should get back to blogging about the books I read. I'm in a book group with other women at church and we read two books a month. I love it because I read lots of things I would never have picked up otherwise.

10. Hello, my name is Rebecca, and I'm addicted to travel. Where should I go next? Suggestions welcome. Invitations to crash at your place would be great. If you live in a foreign country, even better; my passport needs some exercise.

11. For that matter, I could use some exercise. But we'll talk about that later.

12. I have a ridiculously big extended family. I didn't know this was unusual until I became an adult. I thought everyone had 9 aunts and uncles and 15 first cousins. My first cousins now have a total of 13+ kids of their own. These numbers do not include spouses, by the way.

13. I have a thing for Gino's East pizza from Chicago. It's the best.

14. I have a smartphone, but it isn't very smart. Maybe one day I'll be one of the cool kids and have an Android or iPhone.

15. I like sunsets and long romantic walks on the beach. Oh wait, that's a different list.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

"Babo"

2011-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

So, the little guy, my nephew Charlie, has started consistently referring to me by the same name. Around him, the family refers to me as "Auntie Rebo," a name first bestowed on me by my friend Sarah when her son Aaron was born. Charlie's 2-year-old interpretation of Auntie Rebo? "Babo."

(My mom keeps mistakenly saying "Bobo," which I keep reminding her isn't quite the same. (Link to Wikipedia for just one of many articles about "Bobo.")

I haven't quite figured out yet if he uses this because he can't say "R" yet, or if it's just his preference. Actually, I don't care much because it's pretty cute that he has a name just for me. One more reason to spoil him rotten.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

And we have a winner....!

2010-12-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

Woo-hoo!!! 8 whole people are reading my blog! Ok, well, 8 people read my blog AND wanted to win. :)

I used random.org to generate my winner, and "The Werfs" - my friend Rachael!!! - YOU are the winner!! I'll drop those in the mail for you this week. Happy St. Nicholas Day!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Giveaway

2010-12-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

I mentioned my terrible neglect of this blog already, so I'll try not to beat myself up over that too much. :) However, I do think that anyone still following along must be considered a true friend! In honor of true friends, and just for fun, I decided to do a little giveaway.

It's probably no secret that I go a little crazy with crafty and scrapbooking projects, although most of those projects are posted on my scrap blog rather than here. I make a lot of greeting cards this way, and because many of my projects are creative team assignments, where I get free product in exchange for creating something, I don't always have an immediate use for the finished product.

So, why not share the fun? I'm doing a giveaway for these six cards, including envelopes. The chandelier card is 5"x7" and has a greeting inside: "hanging around with you is so fun!" The other five cards are approximately 4.25"x5.5" and blank inside.

Want to win? Leave a comment on this post by 12:00 pm Pacific time on Saint Nicholas Day (December 6.) You must include an e-mail address so I can contact you for your mailing address. I'll pick a winner that day, and mail the cards by December 10. US and Canada addresses only, please. :) Good luck!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving (a day late!)

2010-11-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

I try to make a habit of being thankful on Thursdays... a habit, that like this blog in general, has been neglected. However, with this post I hope to begin to post somewhat more regularly again.

I originally wrote this as the cover article for our November church newsletter, which was published 10/31. Because so much of it is about what I'm thankful for, and includes what I would wish for anyone this season, I'm posting it here as well.

I hope your Thanksgiving day was blessed!

*****

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It is Thanksgiving this month! A good friend of mine calls this her favorite holiday because it is so uniquely American. Even those who are not religious will take time on this holiday to express gratitude for the good things in their lives. Christians may call these “blessings” or “gifts” and direct their gratitude to God in their Thanksgiving celebrations as did those who first celebrated this holiday.

Some of us will begin our celebrations by attending worship, raising our hearts and voices to God. Later, we might each tell of something for which we are thankful before sharing in a feast of turkey, trimmings and pie. I hope that each of us finds joy in expressing our gratitude.

I have never written in this space before, and my filling in as a Connections writer is directly related to something I am grateful for this Thanksgiving: my new role here at Crossroads as Ministry Coordinator. Writing those very words still feels so strange to me because the path of my life that led to this place was neither straight nor well-marked!

So you might be wondering, “What is a Ministry Coordinator, anyway?” Many have asked that question, and there are moments I count myself in that number. Crossroads has never had a Ministry Coordinator before, so I, along with Pastor Mark and our ministry staff and council, am figuring out what it means and how it fits in to what we are trying to do here.

There are two main things (along with some other things!) with which I am tasked:
1. Working with the Crossroads ministry staff to develop and implement ministry plans in line with the mission and vision of Crossroads, and
2. Helping members (that’s you!) identify and develop their own gifts, talents and passions for ministry. In other words if you are already involved in a ministry or would like to be, I am here for you!

As I have taken up this work, I am already finding myself thankful for many things. I feel so fortunate to come to work every day with other people who have a passion for ministry and who joyfully take up their tasks for God’s kingdom. We are all blessed here at Crossroads by their faithful work.

I am so thankful for many of you who have been encouraging as I try to begin answering the questions and determine how exactly I can best complete my task. I thank you for not only asking “What is your job?” but also asking “How is it going?” You are what is making Crossroads into the caring community we strive
for in our vision.

I have already enjoyed meeting some new people because of being in this role. If we haven’t had a chance to talk yet – or recently – I welcome the chance to catch up with you and find out what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

Mostly, I am thankful for being right where I am, even though it was unexpected, because I trust it is God’s perfect plan that led me here. This year I did a lot of waiting to find out what was going to happen next in my life, and in the waiting I found comfort in the words of Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.”

Although I am not waiting anymore, I find, even in this new task, that there is peace in knowing God has a plan…even when I do not know the details. (And I really like knowing the details so it is an extra measure of God’s grace that He is helping me to be patient!)

This Thanksgiving, I hope your heart easily turns to gratitude. I hope that if you participate in the tradition of sharing things you are thankful for, your list is long. Above all, I hope you are blessed with peace in knowing that God’s perfect plan includes you, too.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday | Little Monkey (AKA Charlie) at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

What I'm scrapping these days

2010-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

With apologies to those who read my scrapbooking blog, today I'm going to post a couple of recent scrapbook layouts I created. On that blog, however, I try to keep it about the scrapbooking and don't talk a lot about my life, so I thought I'd post here with some more about these pages.

I'm trying to deliberately create some pages that are more autobiographical, basically sort of like journal entries in a way, but creatively presented. The first one is "Note to Self" which is simply a photo of me and a quote I'd been thinking about this week:

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

Credits here: All About Me Pages

I also posted this quote on my Facebook page, and several people wondered if my suitcase was packed and where I was going. But this quote this week wasn't about traveling to another city or country. Instead, it was about taking risks, and doing things that aren't easy for me. I spent a day this week with a friend of a friend who was in town, someone I'd never met except over e-mail, showing them around San Diego. Meeting new people makes me nervous, so it took some risk on my part to do this. The quote is right. I would have regretted not taking advantage of this opportunity.

The next page, "Little Pieces of Me," speaks more for itself, but it's the kind of thing I'd want to post here anyway, it just happens to be in picture form. Special thanks to my friend and fellow scrapper Sarah who created the digital paper strips I used in this layout.

Credits here: All About Me Pages

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

I can't decide...

2010-08-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

If these towels are deliciously adorable... or adorably delicious...

All I know is I have some seriously cute little crafty projects in mind.

And on another note, I'm learning how valuable editing photos can be. Here's the before and after:

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Eat, Pray, Love

2010-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, first of all, I started reading this book before I found out it was going to be a movie in about a month, starring none other than Julia Roberts. Really! Although, I can't say I'm surprised, because this book was GREAT! I actually became intrigued by this book when I read a review of Elizabeth Gilbert's next book, Committed, which I just requested from the library, and also because it surfaced once or twice as a possible book group read.

One of the most interesting things about this book is that the author is deeply spiritual, and talks about God, but has a completely different understanding of God than I do, making it clear that her God is more religion than relationship. Kind of. While her understanding of God is very different than mine, I found her devotion and pursuit of spirituality enviable. Although I'm getting ahead of myself here.

This book tells the story of the author spending one full year traveling the world after her entire life and marriage essentially fall apart. She begins in Italy, where she strives to learn Italian simply because she's always wanted to, and to learn the art of enjoying the pleasurable things in life, primarily food and "doing nothing." I for one, am like many Americans, and I really don't know how to relax or enjoy anything without either feeling guilty or getting bored and feeling like I should be doing "something" instead of doing "nothing." Four months in Italy learning how to chill out sounds kind of good.

As her time in Italy comes to a close, she returns to the US for a brief stay before departing to India for a time of meditation and spiritual study in India, living at an ashram. This is where I admire her spiritual devotion. Given, very few people can afford more than a week or two to dedicate to any kind of introspection or travel, and she spends nearly 4 months in India, meditating for hours each day. Through her time, though, she finds peace and understanding of herself and God. After India, she departs for Bali, and strives to understand balance. Her descriptions of the history and culture of Bali are very interesting, and again I found I was inspired by what she learned.

I very rarely mark pages in books, and I have to mention that there are multiple folded-over corners in my copy of this book. I found I could relate this author in some way, and even when I couldn't, I found her so interesting. I think that biographies are becoming one of my favorite genres, simply because I find it so interesting to read about other experiences, other perspectives, and other people's lives. I assume I will never spend a year living in this way, but I enjoyed every minute of reading about someone who did.

Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Here's Your Sign (Bunco edition)

2010-07-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Fans of Bill Engvall might recognize the "Here's Your Sign" reference, as he has a trademark bit using this expression. The idea is that those who routinely say silly things should wear a sign so the rest of us have advance warning. Now the disclaimer: the following story is completely true, although the person in this case who said the silly thing... definitely doesn't make a habit of this kind of absentmindedness!

Friday night Bunco was being held at a house where we hadn't played before. Somebody spotted my friend, the last to arrive, get out of her car and walk towards the house. I stepped outside of the front door and we had the following exchange:

Me: "Hey there!"

Her: "Oh, is this the right house?"

Me: "Ummmm no. This is a stranger's house... Bunco is next door."

[ Here's Your Sign ]

For the record... we BOTH had a good laugh over this!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Oh, dear

2010-07-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Back in January, I decided not to make any more New Year's resolutions, and instead focus on trying to make good decisions every day especially as it regards my ongoing efforts to be healthier (that's a euphemism for "lose weight and go to the gym, stupid.")

Well, six months into that experiment, it turns out that isn't a very successful strategy for me. Sadly, this became obvious upon ~~careful~~ quick review of my recent vacation photos. Nevermind that there are multiple other reasons this should have been obvious. It was. I just chose to follow the "I can ignore healthy eating and gym today" voice in my head on more days than I chose the "I will eat fruits and vegetables and burn calories today" voice. *Sigh.* I dearly hope that one day I will learn this lesson better and stop making the wrong choice. But goodness knows it's practically impossible to eat carrots and hummus when the alternative is Rum Bread Pudding. Oh, my.

So yesterday I went back to the gym, and it wasn't awful. I got to watch Opr*h, a guilty pleasure, while doing some jog/walk intervals on the treadmill. It doesn't matter that it was a rerun, since I only ever watch Opr*h at the gym, and you've probably already read through the lines and figured out that the odds of me having already seen any particular episode are pretty low.

I'm going to go have some carrots and hummus, because thankfully there is no more leftover bread pudding.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Garlicky Onion Cheese Spread Recipe

2010-07-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is for my friend Tami, who really, really loved this dip when I brought it to a church event this week.

Garlicky Onion Cheese Spread

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, slice the green leafy part into thin rings, but leave out the white bulb end
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed (1-2 tsp crushed garlic)

Soften the cream cheese by allowing it to reach room temperature. Mix in the sour cream, garlic and onion. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I like it best with pretzel chips, and it would also make a good sandwich spread.

The consistency will be thick, but if you prefer it to be more like a dip, add more sour cream.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

2010-07-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

This was a book club selection, and another interesting title I probably never would have discovered on my own. The story unfolds during the era of Chairman Mao's cultural revolution, and tells of two young men who are banished to a small Chinese village for "re-education." Their only crime was being the sons of doctors, and for this they paid with hard labor and separation from their families with no hope of appeal.

As time passes, they steal a suitcase of contraband books, all by European authors, from another young man whose re-education is complete and will be returning home. The men have become friensd with the daughter of the tailor from a neighboring village and they share what they learn from the forbidden books with her. In the end, their plans do not yield the results they had hoped.

I probably could have gotten more out of this book if I'd read it more carefully and given it more thought. However, I enjoyed it as I enjoy many biographies, for the insight into life in another time and place.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sijie

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Grace

2010-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book right now called Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, a New York Times bestseller from a while back. I've been surprised at how much I've enjoyed this book so far, and have already marked several passages by folding the corner of the pages. Lest those of you who mourn the premature death of any book due to folded corners, I should disclose that I inadvertently left this particular volume in the back window of the car on two successive days of extreme heat, and the folded over corners are now the least of it's problems. The entire spine has melted, leaving me with a looseleaf book that requires a rubber band if I have any hope of holding the book together. Take my advice: don't leave your book in the back window of the car on a drive through the Utah desert.

I liked this particular passage from the book in which the author is writing about how very different she is from her sister:

Here's another example of the difference in our worldviews. A family in my sister's neighborhood was recently stricken with a double tragedy, when both the young mother and her three-year-old son were diagnosed with cancer. When Catherine told me about this, I could only say, shocked, "Dear God, that family needs grace." She replied firmly, "That family needs casseroles," and then proceeded to organize the entire neighborhood into bringing that family dinner, in shifts, every single night, for an entire year. I do not know if my sister fully recognizes that this is grace.

Amen.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 10 | Home Stretch (and one more National Park)

2010-07-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

First thing this morning - well, after a yummy hometown breakfast! - we drive through Zion National Park. Again, every turn was just amazing! One of the most interesting things at this park is a very long tunnel through the rock walls of the canyon. This photo was taken at a roadside turnout just below the tunnel. The "window" in the rock is a vent for the tunnel.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 9 | 3 National Parks

2010-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

I've driven through Southern Utah before, but only on the interstate, and had never seen the National Parks in the area. Today was one of those days when literally every bend in the highway revealed a new panorama of beauty. It was another 100+ picture day, these are just a small sample.

Arches National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

We pulled into Bryce Canyon as the sun was setting, and had just a few moments to snap photos before it was too dark. For all the stops, really, I was left wanting to see more of the stunning landscape.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 8 | Time to Head Home

2010-07-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

The reunion ended this morning, and so began the trip home, which turned out to be an adventure in itself, for all the right reasons. The drive started with another trip through the park over Trail Ridge road, and then south and west heading into Grand Junction, CO. At the top of the ridge, there is one stop where you can hike up on the tundra, and climb on a few rocks, from which there is a 360-degree view of the Rockies that is completely breathtaking. This photo was taken at what felt like the top of the world. At the left of the photo is Trail Ridge Summit, and on the right in the distant background is Long's Peak.

One other car from the family was also headed west, and as it turned out we all stayed in Grand Junction, so we got to enjoy one more evening together. We ate dinner at Famous Dave's and played a round of Ticket to Ride.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 7 | Cousin Time

2010-07-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

There were 8 of 9 cousins present from my generation at this reunion, and one of them, David, wrote a song for each of his 5 cousins at the reunion (2 others that were present are his siblings.) On the the last night, we cousins surprised him in return with our own tribute to David. I hope to get the lyrics to each of the songs at some point so I can post those, too. Here we are serenading David, from left: Danny, Gene, me, Gene's wife Barb, Jane, Jane's husband Zach with Kai on his shoulders, Ray and Ray's wife Genevieve.

Just after the week's last serenade, all 8 of the cousins in the next generation were lined up on the couch for a photo. From left to right, oldest to youngest, is: Mark (5), Lily (3), Julia (2), Jaelyn (2), Charlie (19 months), Kai (14 months), Cordae (10 months) and Samuel (5 months):

Also on this day, 12 of us tackled what was probably the most adventurous activity: white-water rafting. No photos of that yet, those were taken on a waterproof film camera, and aren't developed yet!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 6 | Family Day

2010-07-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a more mellow day. Nearly everyone spent some time in town shopping, and our family had lunch together at Poppy's, where we enjoyed the exact same gourmet pizza choice. Like many of the mornings, we enjoyed a big breakfast together, today, I cooked almond french toast - one of our family favorites.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 5 | Bicycle Beer Tour

2010-06-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's exactly what you think it is: ride a bicycle to a local brewery, sample the beer, repeat! It was about 95 degrees in Fort Collins on Tuesday, so that cold beer was REALLY good. We had lunch at our first stop at Coopersmith's, then on to New Belgium, home of Fat Tire beer. Most of the group went on to a third stop, but I'd had enough, and figured I better not drink any more before riding the 5 miles back to my cousin's house. She and her husband borrowed enough bikes for all 13 of us to ride, including two tandem bicycles. that's my cousin Dan at the right of the photo. His shirt says "Made in California" - but he wasn't.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 4 | Family Pictures and Rocky Mountain National Park

2010-06-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today's post requires two photos! All the family present in CO went to Lily Lake for family pictures, all wearing matching t-shirts: 2010 Ligtenberg Family Reunion Colorado. Notice David on the far left is out of uniform - he forgot to pack his khaki shorts. Baby Samuel, the youngest family member, missed out on this photo op as it was naptime.

After Lily Lake, my family took a drive up into Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous road in the U.S. This is just one of the amazing sights, a herd of elk. I took a couple hundred photos today, most of them featuring the gorgeous mountains and perfect blue sky. Swoon.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 3 | Stanley Hotel

2010-06-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

We took a walk today around the grounds of the Stanley hotel.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 2 | Arriving in Estes Park

2010-06-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Started the day with doughnuts at Lamar's in Fort Collins, then headed up into the mountains, arriving at Estes Park which will be home base for the next week. We had lunch in town and did a little shopping before checking in. This is the view arriving into Estes Park, and the first of many, many photos I took of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 1 | Charlie's first plane ride

2010-06-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here begins a series of photo-a-day posts of my recent vacation to Colorado. Day 1 was travel to Denver by plane with my brother, sister-in-law and my nephew Charlie. It was his first flight, and he liked the takeoff! About 5-10 minutes after this, he fell asleep for about half the flight.

My parents picked me up at Denver, and we headed to Costco to stock up on food for the week, then to Fort Collins where we met my cousins for an ice cream dessert.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Still Alice

2010-06-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Alice, a successful professor at Harvard, seeks medical advice when she notices she is becoming more forgetful and occasionally confused, to find she has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Written in first person from Alice's perspective, the book is an amazing insight into what it might be like to vary between periods of complete clarity and other times of total confusion and disorientation.

As the book unfolds, the reader sees how her diagnoses and decline affect her relationships with her family and her husband, how the genetic nature of the disease begins to affect her children's decisions, and how her family copes with caring for her as she loses the ability to function. It reads like a biography, and although the subject matter was a bit terrifying, the writing is good and I enjoyed reading it.

Still Alice
by Lisa Genova

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Hooded Towel Tutorial

2010-06-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

*** Draft ***

A friend is testing this tutorial for me, I'll remove this note when I know it's good to go!!

***********

By request! I make these hooded towels as baby gifts for pretty much every new baby at my church, and have made them for lots of other friends and many of my cousins, too. So, here's a step by step guide to how I make these towels, with lots and lots of photos.

YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 regular size bath towel, which should be washed and tumble-dried before you begin.
- 1 regular size hand towel, washed and dried
- I usually remove any labels from the towels.
- thread to match your towels, 1-3 colors depending the towels you pick
- a denim needle for your sewing machine

HELPFUL HINTS:
- You may need bobbins of each color as well, depending on your towel colors.
- All the stitching is straight stitching.
- For every place that I stitch, I start with 5-6 straight stitches, then go backwards 5-6 stitches, then resume to lock the thread. My mom taught me to always do this, it helps to hold the stitching so it doesn't fall out later.

MAKING YOUR PROJECT
1. First, pick out your towels. I usually make them after I know if it's a boy or girl, but I've done some really cute gender-neutral ones, too. (Shopping tips at the end of this post.)

2. Most of the work is in making the hood for the towel. Start with the hand towel, and fold it in half to get to smaller rectangles, then cut the towel in half along the fold line.

You'll only use one-half of the hand towel for this project so save the other half for another hooded towel.

3. Next, fold your half hand towel in half, right sides together, so the cut edge is folded together. Starting at the finished edge of the towel, sew along the cut edge, leaving a 3/4" seam allowance, and stop about 1/2 inch before you reach the folded edge of the towel.

When you get finished, this is what your towel will look like:

4A. Now, I like to make a corner fold on those unfinished edges and pin it like this:
(Look for the differences between the photos above and below to see which corner I'm talking about.)

4B. Now, starting again at the finished edge of the towel, the point near where the pins are, sew along each cut edge to tack it down. This gets a little tricky because you are sewing into a corner, but you don't need to sew all the way to the end, within 1/2" or 1" is fine.

Once you're done with this part, your towel will look like this (outside first, then the inside shown below that):

5. For the next step, you'll want your towel arranged like the photo on the right, so the top forms a triangle, and the edges are parallel. Next you'll sew across the top of the triangle, about 2-3" from the point, like this:

When, finished, it will look like this, you can just see the stitch line running vertically in this photo:

6. Now, fold the triangle over, so it overlaps, like this, and pin it into place:

There is one thing you can't see in this photo, because it's hidden. Remember in step 4B, when you were sewing the cut edges of the towel down, you didn't sew all the way into the corner? When you first fold over this triangle, there will be a little piece of that cut edge visible. Before I took the above photo, I tucked that edge underneath before pinning it in place.

7. Again starting your stitching at the point of the triangle, sew each side of the triangle like this:

Congratulations! When you are finished with this step, the hood is complete, and will look like this (outside):

8. Now you're ready to attach the hood to the bath towel. Find the center of the hood, and the center of the long edge of the bath towel. I mark each with a pin so it's easy to line them up. With both the bath towel and the hood wrong side up, pin the hood on to the hand towel. I usually overlap them about 1" or so, covering the finished edge of the hood with the bath towel. In the first photo below, you can see the center pins, and the amount of overlap. In the second photo, the pieces have been pinned together every 2-3" along the edge.

10. Now you're ready to sew the hood to the towel!
Important: Don't forget to change your thread color and bobbin if needed!
With the same side up as pictured above, I start at the left top of the overlap, and sew the hood on:

If you have a setting on your machine to leave the needle down when you stop sewing, it will be very useful here. I sew about 1/8" from the edge of the fabric, and when I get to the corner, I stop with the needle down. I lift the foot, turn the fabric 90 degrees (clockwise in the above example), then lower the foot and continue stitching.

When you get done with this step, it will look like this on the front of the towel:

11. Last step! Finish attaching the hood by sewing the side along the edge of the bath towel (the red towel in my photo.) Don't forget to change your thread color and bobbin if needed!

That's it! You're finished!!

MISC (Shopping and other tips!)

- I love to look for cute towels at stores like M*rshalls/TJ M*xx or R*ss, because their prices are very good for cute towels like this, and I can usually find fun embroidered designs for boys and girls. Gender-neutral towels are harder to find, but I've sometimes found yellow duckies.

- You can use a plain towel and embellish it yourself with ricrac or eyelet lace. If you do this, sew the ricrac on to the hood before attaching the hood to the bath towel.

- You can use a washcloth instead of half a hand towel for the hood, the size is a bit different, but it still works great.

- I often will try to use every piece, so on the day I purchased this set, I also was able to find another towel that coordinated with the blue hood. The other half of blue hand towel is plain, but it will go perfectly with the second bath towel, since that is embellished:

- Sometimes I have an embellished hand towel and bath towel, and I've used the remaining hand towel to make two pocket wash cloths, by cutting it in half again, and sewing up the cut edges.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Rum Bread Pudding

2010-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for "Big Easy Bunco," and it turned out so well. It was literally melt-in-your-mouth good! I always try to plan Bunco food around a theme, so I tried to find recipes from or inspired by New Orleans. This sounded so good, I had to try it! I started with a recipe from the Experience New Orleans website, and made a few changes.

RUM BREAD PUDDING:

- 8 slices Hawaiian bread, cut or broken into small pieces (I used Van De Kamp's Sweet Hawaiian Bread)
- 4 oz butter (1 stick), melted
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 5-oz can evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I never measure vanilla, so approximately)
- cinnamon and sugar mixture

Mix butter, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the bread, and fold the mixture until the bread is all coated. Pour in a 9x13 pan and sprinkle the top generously with the cinnamon and sugar mixture (I'm guessing I used maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup.) Place the pudding pan in a larger pan of water, and bake at 350 for about one hour.
** The instruction about baking in a pan of water is in pretty much every bread pudding recipe I've seen, so it's important. If you don't have a pan larger than a 9x13, it's probably better to make a smaller recipe to fit the pans you have, than to bake it without the second pan. I'm speculating

SAUCE FOR BREAD PUDDING
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (approximately)
4-6 ounces of rum (approximately; I just added rum until the consistency was right)
6 oz butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
** Variation: use 1-2 tsp rum flavoring and thin the sauce with milk instead, the amount may vary.

Slowly heat the butter, rum and vanilla on low. Add powdered sugar, about a third at a time, stirring until blended. Pour over hot bread pudding. (I drizzled a bit over the pudding, and served the sauce on the side. This recipe makes a LOT of sauce, and because I didn't exactly measure the rum, I knew some of my guests might want to have less.)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book (I didn't read): Jayber Crow

2010-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

I tried. I failed. I didn't finish it before the book group discussed it. I thought I'd finish it afterwards, but 5 renewals later I gave up. The others said it was interesting, although quite dry... which was my excuse.

Jayber Crow
by Wendell Berry

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

17:52 Spring Rain

2010-04-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

The view is always the most beautiful right after the rain.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

16:52 Shout House

2010-04-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Bunco goes wild....

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

15:52 Tax Day

2010-04-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Got my taxes done early this year... April 14.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Everyone Worth Knowing

2010-04-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is what I definitely call "light reading" or "chick lit." It's fun because it's the kind of story where the reader gets to see what life is like for someone else, the kind of life you imagine is glamorous and desirable.

In Weisberger's earlier book, The Devil Wears Prada, the reader (or movie-watcher later) could see what it was like to work at a famous fashion magazine. In this title, the reader learns what it's like to be the "it" girl, a life where the lines between work and personal or blurred because it's your job to organize parties, and see and be seen at Manhattan's hottest clubs.

In both books, the reader learns that these kind of lifestyles may not be all they are cracked up to be, and it's a fun read along the way. I did like this one better than Prada, primarily because although there are villainous characters, they are not as remotely evil as Weisberger's Miranda Priestly.

Everyone Worth Knowing
by Lauren Weisberger

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Scrapbooking Therapy

2010-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm posting most of my digital scrapbook designs over on my ReboScraps blog, but this one kind of fits here, too. I feel like I'm in this limbo right now... looking for a job, not really sure what's next or how soon "next" is. I find myself desperately wanting to go back to work, and sort of dreading it at the same time. Yesterday, my overwhelming mood was, "Ugh!" Out of that came this scrapbook page, a little motivational speech to myself, accompanied by one of the best photos I took last summer. The photo is of "Cloud Gate" a giant sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park, affectionately referred to as "the bean." I'd been wanting to see it for some time, and it didn't disappoint.

Here's where the therapy comes in. This is what is written on the page:

I love this photo. I knew when I clicked, it was going to be cool. The sky was perfect blue, and the puffy white clouds were amazing. The surreal reflection of nothing but sky on Cloud Gate spoke to me of infinite opportunity, dreams of a future full of possibility. Time has passed, and today this image reminds me it’s all still true, but I can’t let go of my dream just because it hasn’t yet come true.

I think I need more therapy. Well, that's going to be my excuse to scrapbook some more this weekend, anyway.

(Credits for the elements used in this scrapbook page can be found here.)

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

14:52 Easter Earthquake

2010-04-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

This one needs a story...
In my parents back yard, they have an "Earthquake Meter" - that is a big pile of rocks - and unless the rocks fall over, it's not really "the big one." On Easter afternoon, an earthquake struck in northern Mexico, but the rocks didn't move. I think plenty of people would disagree with the accuracy of the meter. :)

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Anson's Way

2010-03-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

This book had a lot more to it than I thought it would. It's Young Adult fiction, and the author is a professor at Calvin College, my alma mater. I expected it to be good, as Schmidt is an award-winning author, but it was even better than I expected.
Set in 18th-century Britain, Anson is the young drummer assigned to a military unit tasked with enforcing King George II's rule over the Irish. His own struggle plays out as he both serves in the military, which is not only a family tradition, but in a unit led by his father, yet sees a disparity in why it is necessary to have the laws the unit is then tasked to enforce.

In the end, he is forced to choose between honor of two kinds, making a choice beyond his years.

Unlike the last book club selection, this was a quick read. I enjoyed learning a bit about history and reading along as Anson learned lessons and made his choices.

Anson's Way

by Gary D. Schmidt

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

2010-03-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm about to post a bunch of books, so probably not going to say a whole lot about them...

I read this book with my book group, all 500+ pages of it. In fact, when our group first met about this book, I had only read about a quarter of it. It's a good book, but not an easy book. There are some sections that seem to drag on, and a few little discrepancies with the timelines that are confusing in the beginning. Very literary, interesting concepts, read if you like long, literary books.

Oh, one other thing... if you follow the Opr*h book club, you may have seen this title there. I didn't know it was one of her selections until after I read it, but I will say it fits perfectly in the type of books she normally selects, so it was not a surprise to learn that.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

by David Wroblewski

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:12 Easter Craft

2010-03-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things I enjoy doing in my free time is creative projects. I was inspired by a post on the Make It and Love It blog to make this with my mom, because one of the things that makes creative projects even more fun is working on them with someone else. :)

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

These days

2010-03-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was just looking over my blog posts for the last couple of... months, and realized that based on the blog, it looks like I'm reading a little bit and taking exactly one picture per week, you know, keeping VERY busy. But besides all that, I've been doing a few other things.

First of all, I'm job hunting. Yes, I've heard the economy stinks. Yes, actually, that does make job-hunting sort of depressing. But two years ago when I applied to grad school, while the housing market was shaky, nobody knew yet that the financial markets were also going to blow up, and that together these things would cause the "Great Recession." Lovely, isn't it? To many others out there who are also job-hunting: I feel your pain.

When I'm not sending out resumes and looking at job boards, I've really gone crazy on a new hobby, digital scrapbooking. I've gone so completely crazy that I started another whole blog about it. You can check it out here. In fact, I was recently selected to be on the creative team at a scrapbooking website, which has been kind of fun. At least I'm good at something, even though apparently that something isn't job hunting or world peace.

It's St. Patrick's Day today, and although I'm not much of a beer drinker and will admit that green beer is even less appealing in general, I'm pretty sure margaritas are green, too. Oddly, my favorite margaritas are blue, and those are VERY appealing, but that's not important. Today's margarita will be green. Also, in honor of the holiday, I want you to know that if you are reading this....

Thanks for reading!

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:11 Poppies

2010-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

No, not those kind of poppies. I'm job-hunting, remember? I've heard that can be problematic.

Friends, meet the California state flower.

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:10 Give a Day, Get a D*sney Day

2010-03-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

Just squeaked in under the wire on this one... the program closed the day after we signed up to volunteer.

Originally posted at http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com

52:9 Today's Mail

2010-03-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Now if you are (or someone you know is) hiring in this reportedly recovering economy and wants to talk to a brand new Master's graduate, please let me know.

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany

2010-03-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

It took me probably a year to read this book. Well maybe not, but I know the first time I picked it up and tried to read it was a looooooong time ago. I've seen this book on the "must read" or "favorites" lists of various people on F*cebook or blogs, and the story of how I came into possession of my copy is kind of interesting. (Warning: tangent!)

I like to buy books at the local library's used book store. They are always cheap and the money goes to a great cause. Then when I'm done with the books, I donate them back to the same place so they can sell them again. It's a beautiful thing! One day I was shopping and had a stack of books already, and was considering this book. A lady I'd never met, after seeing the other titles in my hand, insisted I buy this book because I "would love it!" I wasn't so sure, but she was insistent, and only 50 cents was on the line, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Fast forward about 2 years... and we get back to the book!

First of all, I tried to read this book at least once before, and just couldn't get into it. This time I just forced myself to read it, even though it was still difficult to get into. As the book wore on, the foreshadowing became darker and so the dramatic ending was not without some warning, although there were definite moments of tragedy throughout the book.

The book cover says, "Owen Meany ... believes he is God's instrument; he is." (Warning: tangent!) So I was watching the movie "Evan Almighty" last weekend (yes, I know, completely irreverent, but...) and in the movie, someone asks Evan if he believes God called him to build an ark. His reply is something like, "God calls all of us." I think personally, I feel the idea of Owen being called is so prominent in this book, that the idea that God calls all of us is invisible. I side with Evan on that one.

The book cover also says, "This is John Irving's (the author's) most comic novel...." Really? Unfortunately, the author and I must not have too much in common when it comes to sense of humor. There were a few funny moments, I guess, but I would not call this a comic novel.

Summary... I would read another book by John Irving, primarily because his writing is good enough to make me want to see what else he's written. On the other hand, I really just didn't get it. I understood the book and the events in it, but I don't quite understand those that say this book is a "must read" or who have placed it on their "favorites" list. Maybe I missed something? Maybe I'm just really dense. I feel I'm at risk of being really dumb because the greatness of this book is completely obvious... to everyone else.

So if you've read this book and can enlighten me... I welcome your comments. What did you like about it? What makes this book so great in your eyes?

A Prayer for Owen Meany

by John Irving

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:8 Hanging out with Jake

2010-02-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

This week I'm house- and dog-sitting for my friend Rebecca. She's on vacation in Vancouver, taking in the Winter Olympics. I'm hanging out with Jake, her dog. I took these pictures on one of our walks after we stopped to play fetch for a while.

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:7 Book Group

2010-02-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

I've already blogged about joining a book group. This week we discussed Isaac's Storm and next time we'll discuss The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It was a fun surprise at the end of the meeting when the hostess, Suanne, sent the floral centerpiece home with me. How sweet!

Originally posted at http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com

Book: Isaac's Storm

2010-02-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

This book was the second book I read with my book group, and a completely different selection. This is a non-fiction history book about a catastrophic hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas in 1900. The title character, Isaac, runs the Galveston office of the U.S. Weather Bureau, an entity that was at the time very new.

For a lot of reasons, the bureau failed to predict the impending storm, Galveston was not evacuated, and the loss of life from this event was in excess of 6000 people, and the collateral damage devastating to the city.

Although non-fiction, the book was for the most part easy to follow as it was written in a very narrative style. The author captures a lot about Isaac, his family, and many of the residents of Galveston that he gained through extensive research of historical documents, including U.S. Weather Bureau reports and records and a book Isaac later published.

History buffs and Weather Channel aficionados will definitely like this book. I was pleasantly surprised myself.

Isaac's Storm

by Erik Larson

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:6 Valentine's Surprise

2010-02-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day, but it made my week when I found a fat envelope in my mailbox. You know, a FAT envelope, the kind where you know there is something besides a card in it? I just got even more excited as I opened it to find a Valentine's card and a little velvet pouch. Pretty things come in little pouches like that! And I was not disappointed, for inside I found this little bracelet from Aaron & Susannah, a gift from them with some help from their awesome mom. Thank you SO MUCH. I love it!

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:5 Calvin Symposium on Worship

2010-01-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr!!!! It was 22 degrees when this photo was taken! This week, my friend from church, Danae, and I flew to Grand Rapids, Michigan to attend the Calvin Symposium on Worship held at Calvin College (go Knights!!!) It was SO much fun for me to be on the campus of my alma mater, even though it was SUPER cold. The conference was worth it!

An extra bonus was catching up with some college friends while I was in town, and staying up late into the night talking with Danae.

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:3 Hash House

2010-01-21T22:24:00.000-08:00

This photo is not just about enjoying a great meal at a San Diego landmark. It's about hanging out with a great friend who brings a lot of fun and joy into my life. Rebecca and I go to the same church and she lives in San Diego (as opposed to 50~ miles north of the city like me.) Thanks for a great night out!! I'm so glad we're friends!

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

No more resolutions week 3

2010-01-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

So far, my resolution to focus on my weight loss goals one day and one week at a time has been very successful. In weeks 2 and 3, I lost exactly 1 pound, so after losing 5 pounds the first week (a nice bonus) I'm up to 7 lbs total since 12/30. Niiiice!!

This week I think I was a bit lucky... I can't say no to Mexican food, and ate it three times over the weekend. To try and offset it, I exercised like crazy at the gym three days in a row. I know I won't be successful a second week in a row without getting back to key strategies though.

So... back to the thing I keep asking myself: "Will this help me lose 1 pound this week?"

I'm also very glad for some friends on Facebook who are striving to lose weight... it helps keep me motivated knowing I'm not the only one.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

2010-01-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

I joined a book group! Yippee!! I just love reading and have always wanted to join a book group. There is a group of women at my church who have been reading books together for a long time, and now that I'm not in class 3 nights a week, I decided to try it out. They have been so wonderfully welcoming, and I am getting to read books that I would not have picked on my own.

The first book I read with them was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. From the review on amazon.com:

Mark Haddon's bitterly funny debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.

Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

I actually really liked this book! The author did such a good job of telling the story from the perspective of the main character, that I learned a lot, and it made me think - always a good thing. Also, it's not a terribly long book, and was fairly easy reading. If you read this book, don't overlook the footnotes, the often contain little gems of humor that add to the story.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:2 Grandma turns 89

2010-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

This lady is a treasure in my life. My grandma turned 89 this week, and I'm so grateful to have her. She brings love, laughter and sweetness to my life. I love you, Grandma!

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Perfectly captured

2010-01-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

I love this photo of me, and since that almost never happens... I had to share it. That's all.

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Yummy Chunky Tomato Soup

2010-01-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

OK, so week one - or should I say the first seven days? - of my New Year's resolution went very well... I lost 5 pounds this week. WOW. Guess it really paid off to drag myself to the gym and eat very very healthy food. :)

On another good note, just when I thought I was going to have to give up comfort food forever in favor of vegetables, I opened the pantry and made a really yummy tomato soup.

Chunky Tomato Soup

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup

1 can (the small one) skim milk

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Heat. Serve. Enjoy healthy comfort food.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52:1 Disneyland

2010-01-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, Mickey. You and I have become such good friends this year. Sadly, I must say goodbye for a while, but don't worry... it's just a good bye for now, I'll be back soon.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

52 Week Project

2010-01-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

In the digital scrapbooking world, there was lots and lots of buzz at the New Year, people who were boldy striving to document 2010 with a "365 project," taking at least one photo every day for an entire year. That sounds really cool, I thought... and about a millisecond later I realized that taking a photo every day is just not a realistic goal for me.

Then my friend Kristin (she's a San Diego Photographer and her work is a-ma-zing! go check her out!) posted that she was starting a 52-week project, posting one photo per week for a year. Hmmmm, I thought. I could do that. Especially since I have a cool new phone with a camera and web access.

I'm going to go look through my photos from this week and find one to post.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

No more New Year's resolutions

2010-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

I never do very well at New Year's resolutions, so this year I'm trying something different: daily resolutions. Maybe not every day. Maybe a lot of days the resolution will be the same as the day before or last Tuesday or every day for the last month. So what. Today will be different because I will resolve to do something that will better my life.

Starting with... I'm going to take action today that will help me lose weight and be healthier. I joined Weight Watchers in September of 2007. A year ago, after 15 months, I'd lost 55 pounds. Wow. Very impressive. Today, after 27 months, I've gained 25 back. UGH!!!! (There are just no pretty words to describe that!!) From today, I want to lose 52 pounds. But I know that I will be completely overwhelmed by trying to lose 52 pounds. So for this week, I'm going to try to lose 1 pound.

Today, to work towards that goal, I'm going to to to the gym and eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. And I'm going to try and make the rest of the Christmas cookies last longer than 5 minutes.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Dessert Appetizer

2009-12-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

We'd just finished a gigantic meal of turkey with ALL the trimmings as our Christmas feast and decided to "let the food settle" before dessert. Fast forward about 15 minutes, the dishes were done, and remember? we were going to wait for dessert? But one can't let too many minutes pass by on Christmas without tasty treats, so this appeared. And so we had a "dessert appetizer."

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

F*cebook Thanksgiving Challenge

2009-11-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving challenge showed up on F*cebook earlier this month. I decided to take it on, and try to post one thing per day I'm thankful for, and I'm listing it here as well so I can remember the whole list at once.

A couple times I got a day behind, but found that my omission was only online... I had taken time to be grateful for a blessing each day, but occasionally forgot to document it.

Today, I'm thankful for...

7 - Lots of cuddle and play time with my cute nephew, Charlie.
8 - A wonderful afternoon with aunts, uncles and cousins, and especially for connecting with out-of-state cousins on Skype.
9 - Leftover chocolate cake and ice cream. Yummy!
10 - A beautiful sunny day and that I don't have to drive to class in the dark since it starts at 4 before it gets dark.
11 - Extra thankful today for the freedoms afforded her by the sacrifices of all veterans. I probably can't fully appreciate that everything they have done makes my life so much better.
11 (again, I was really thankful today!) - Got to do some early birthday celebrating today by having breakfast with friends I don't see enough, and then going to Disneyland with Jeanine to see the Christmas decorations.
12 - Enjoyed a fun girls night out with Genevieve, Sarah & Jeanine at The Melting Pot. Chocolate fondue... yummy.
13 - Spent a day shopping with my mom and SIL, which was lots of fun, and very thankful to get some Christmas shopping done.
14 - Today's my birthday! I'm enjoying all the birthday wishes from friends and family.
15 - Great fellowship at church this morning and a nice dinner out with my family tonight to celebrate my birthday.
16 - Got a lot of work done on my final project today. Plenty more to do before deadline Thursday, it's crunch time!
17 - Thankful for a few precious minutes cuddling with her newest cousin, and seeing his mom, dad and big sister, all visiting from Alberta. Is there anything sweeter than a baby sleeping in your arms?
18 - Feeling better today after a week+ of headaches, which I'm blaming on stress.
19 - My final project for my masters is finished, printed and turned in!
20 - Two things: I received an unexpected refund from San Diego State due to receiving a grant. How Cool is that??? Secondly, and even more wonderful, celebrating the birth of Susannah to my dear friends the Sharps.
21 - A wonderful afternoon with the Ligtenberg family for an early Thanksgiving celebration. Great times!!
22 - A very relaxing and enjoyable day with my good friend Rebecca. A day to just play and have fun is a welcome break in the routine.
23 -Got a few things checked off the to-do list today, this is good. Also, I'm gratefully anticipating a few days off this week.

24 -My cousin went into early labor today (2 months early) and I'm thankful docs were able stop contractions in an effort to keep her baby growing a little longer. So far, so good. We're hoping he makes it about 5 more weeks.

25 -I prepared 4 lbs of green beans for tomorrow's big dinner, and gratefully note that I'm blessed with plenty of food to eat, a warm place to sleep tonight, and loved ones to spend Thanksgiving with tomorrow. God is good, ALL the time.

November 26, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

I stand corrected... but not for long, I need to go to the bank

2009-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

My very last post was about making my last payment to San Diego State, only 10 days ago. A payment I deliberately waited to make until the due date, since I resented just a bit that this payment is what was responsible for the majority of the huge increase in college costs this semester.

Well, that increase estimate requires an adjustment, because I got a check BACK from the college today, a result of being awarded a grant specifically towards the extra costs. I feel blessed. And now I need to go to the bank. :)

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your payment

2009-11-09T09:07:00.001-08:00

I made my last payment to San Diego State this morning. I think. I hope. I can't believe I'm going to be finished next month!! People keep saying, "Wow, that's fast!" to which I can only reply: "I know!" Trust me, it's gone by quickly. Why is it that when I thought about what 18 months was going to feel like at the beginning, it seemed like forever, but now it feels like that was yesterday?

So I've decided I'm not going to attend graduation. They don't hold a ceremony in December, so I'd have to wait until May. I'm realizing this is the second time I'm graduating in December, as I finished my Calvin degree then, too. Amidst all the holiday stuff, it's hard for it to not get lost in the other seasonal festivities. At Calvin, I actually walked in the May graduation before I finished, so getting my degree was sort of a non-event. Although I did get some cool presents, including a Calvin Alumni t-shirt I still have to this day. :)

Last week was "grad fest" at the bookstore, so I checked out all the (expensive) extras: graduation announcements, diploma frames, class rings. I've always wanted one of those super-fancy diploma frames, and Calvin has them, too. Now I need two of them. Maybe I'll wait until I actually have some wall space to hang them on, but wouldn't these look nice on that imaginary wall? (Links for the curious: Calvin frame here and SDSU frame here.)

I may eventually indulge in these, but I think I'm going to forgo the other extras. Instead, the money I'm saving is going towards the big party I'm having in January. Doesn't that sound like more fun than sitting through a long graduation ceremony?

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Great Giveaways

2009-11-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how I first ended up on the 5 Minutes for Mom blog... since, um, I'm not a mom. I do enjoy some of their related sites, 5 Minutes for Books and 5 Minutes for Giveaways. Oh, right giveaways... that was probably it. And they just kicked off their biggest giveaway season of the year, with 30 great giveaways during the month of November. Check it out here.

In conjunction with their giveaway for readers, they also sponsor a great program called Under the Tree, where identical gifts to the ones given away on their blog are given to families in need. At this post, you can read more about it, nominate a family, or just start on some early holiday warm fuzzies by reading about doing good things for people who need it. :)

This just in (11/20/2009) - today's giveaway is a SWEET new computer. Check it out!

Another one I can't resist: this adorable Minky blanket (11/24/2009.)

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

A Month of Sundays

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

I missed church a lot in October. I went to a wedding one Sunday, was out of town the next, and walked in the Race for the Cure on the third Sunday, the last being an event I do every year. Although I made it back to church last Sunday for the first time in a month, I had volunteer responsibilities. Today, I was able to simply be at church, enjoying the worship, hearing the teaching, and indulging in some coffee, fellowship, and a lesson about the Reformation in Sunday School after the service.

I remember thinking a month ago, that it felt kind of good to have a break. I am usually volunteering in one way or another at least 1-2 times a month, and sometimes church feels like a duty and not a joy. But today, it was so good to be back and just soak in all the goodness of being part of it. It is good to give, but it is a blessing to receive.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Books: Mark of the Lion Series

2009-11-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

I previously wrote about the first book in this series, A Voice in the Wind, and have since finished the second and third books as well.

The second book, An Echo in the Darkness, picks up with many of the same primary characters and continues their story. In this book, we see how unwise decisions made by many of the characters lead to heartbreak and destruction in their lives, but that the gospel of Jesus brings healing, hope, and redemption.

The last book, As Sure As the Dawn, picks up the story of one character not in book 2, and follows his life. He too is drawn by the irresistible grace of God. This story was very different from the first two, and one might consider it sort of a "spinoff," to use a TV term. However, it is the characters in this story who most boldly share with others the love and grace God has poured into their lives.

At our church, we've been hearing lessons on becoming "Bold Jesus Proclaimers." We're studying together the scriptures of early Christians, like Paul, who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel, and boldly and unashamedly did so. Although fictional tales, I find that the stories and characters of these books can be as inspiring as true stories of those that boldly share their faith.

MARK OF THE LION Series:
A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure As the Dawn
by Francine Rivers
--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: In an Instant

2009-11-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

I've learned in the last few years that I really enjoy reading biographies, and this one was no exception.

Bob Woodruff, a well-known and loved reporter, was famously injured while traveling as an journalist embedded with a military unit in Iraq. Although the story centers around Bob, it is primarily his wife Lee who writes the story of his injuries, treatment, and recovery.

But really, those details set the stage for what Publisher's Weekly calls a "beautiful story of marriage for better and for worse." I felt this was a good description, as what shines through in this story is the Woodruffs' dedication to and love for one another.

Bob's intense career as a national journalist in the years prior to his injuries meant his family traveled all over the country and the world, often moving every year or two. Through the challenges of frequent relocation and Bob frequently traveling, they built a strong relationship that stood the test during the difficult season. The stories of moments in their marriage prior to Bob's injuries and during his recovery were heart-warming. I really enjoyed this book.

In an Instant
by Lee & Bob Woodruff
-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Into the Wild

2009-11-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed the two other Krakauer books I've read, Under the Banner of Heaven and Into Thin Air, so naturally I've been anxious to read this one for a while. I don't follow new book releases, so I didn't learn of this book until the movie was due to come out and the book was re-released with a movie tie-in cover. My dad enjoys Krakauer, too, so naturally I bought the book immediately and gave it to him for Christmas last year... knowing I'd have the chance to borrow it back when he finished it. I know, I know, totally selfish. My penance was waiting 10 months until he got around to reading it!

Krakauer again tells a compelling story, and I can't help but enjoy a book that is enjoyable to read, even when the topic is one I wouldn't normally select. Nope, I can't relate so much to a young guy who decides to walk into the Alaskan bush just to see if he can make it on his own. Making it on my own to me just means not having roommates in a modern shelter with heat, a/c and running water, preferably convenient to decent shopping. My dreams of visiting Alaska someday include travel by cruise ship. I've never been, but I hear it's an amazingly beautiful piece of earth, and I fully intend to make it there someday.

Christopher McCandless died in the Alaskan bush, forsaking society and anything he felt was a luxury. Part of me can't help but admire his desire for adventure, despite his apparent lack of judgment on some things, and a few bad choices. My dad's perspective on this story was that Kraukauer spends the entire book trying to convince the reader that Chris was not, in fact, crazy, despite what many thought. My perspective was a bit different, that he treated the story fairly and objectively. The state of Chris's sanity when he walked into the bush will never truly be known, but there is room to believe that he was - or not.

In any case, not a book everyone would enjoy, but again, an interesting read.

Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer
--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist sharing this photo of my favorite little cutie, all dressed up for his first Halloween.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Climate Change Doesn't Matter

2009-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Provocative, right? At this point some readers are probably cheering me on. Some readers are probably ready to jump immediately to the comments and publicly berate me. But hang on for a second, and let me explain.

Like so many of the most important topics in the world, climate change is confusing. I've completely given up on my local media presenting any useful information. I've yelled at the TV when they've reduced their coverage of this topic to proving global warming with a sound bite (byte?) based on a statistic that even I can shoot holes in. As in, "the fact that average temperatures in San Diego have risen over the last six years proves global warming."

Seriously? The earth is how old (and no, I'm definitely not getting into that debate today) and temperature records have been kept for how many of those years (100, give or take) and you want me to buy global warming based on a 6-year trend? I don't think so. I was pretty much not excited when I found out that climate change was the selected topic for Blog Action Day.

On the flip side, I've talked to friends who have taken time to dig more deeply into this topic. They've read the books and seen the movies. One of them is scientist with a PhD. These friends tell me there is reason for concern. They tell me that the arguments and the science have merit and are worth taking seriously. They've convinced me that climate change isn't something to immediately dismiss just because the local news can't manage to report on it meaningfully.

So why doesn't it matter?

At some point, completely confused by all of the mixed messages, I threw up my hands in despair, ready to walk away from the whole thing and not make a statement. But then, I heard the still quiet voice: this is my Father's world. I realized that whether or not I believe in climate change, I have a responsibility to be a steward of my blessings. If recycling is good for the earth, I should do it because it's the right thing to do for the gift of God that is this planet. In that context, it doesn't matter if the climate is changing or not, it's empirically a good thing to do. It's what you might call a win-win situation because the right things to do in caring for the earth are many of the same things that the climate change voice advocates as being the right things to do.

I am far from doing everything I can do in this area. I frequently come up against the fact that doing the right thing is an inconvenience, and sometimes the easy thing wins. But I try. I take a reusable coffee cup and water bottle just about everywhere. I don't drink bottled water. I pack my lunch in reusable food containers instead of plastic bags. I almost never use paper plates, and on occasion I've volunteered to do the dishes so others won't use them. I recycle when I can, and reuse containers when they can't be recycled in my community. I believe very much that every little bit helps, and because of that, I keep trying to do more.

Thinking of it in this way has helped me understand how to approach this important but confusing topic, and I post this today because my hope is that what I've learned might in some way help your thinking about it. Thanks for reading.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Just when I needed it...

2009-09-28T22:13:00.001-07:00

I'm in some crazy weird place this week, and I've been considering blogging about my current state which is a bizarre intersection of complete stress over finding a job when I graduate, freaking out over my final project, and in the middle of it all questioning both what on earth I was thinking when I decided to go back to school in order to totally change careers and if I can actually do what I'm hoping to.

Then I read this post over at my friend Sara's blog, and I think it was just what the doctor ordered. So instead of trying not to throw up over my current worries, I'm going to try a little more believing in myself and the One who I'm convinced sent me on this journey. Thanks, Sara, you rock.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

I am a 5K runner... kind of

2009-09-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Last year, I worked like crazy for several months to run a 5K, which I did in October. It was great! Since then... well, I've not been as diligent in my exercising, and I definitely would only be able to run 5K right now because I would force myself... but it would not be pretty.

So the annual 5K I participate in is coming up in 5 weeks, and I'd love to run it again. So, I'm forcing myself to get to the gym 3 times a week between now and then so I can at least say I've given it my best shot. I want to be able to say "I am a 5K runner" not just "I ran a 5K once."

I have a friend who is training for a 10K right now, and another friend who is training for a marathon. A marathon! Part of me - OK, nearly all of me - cringes at the thought. Seriously, this 5K (3 mile) thing is hard for me, I'd have to be completely nuts to try 26.2 miles. (YOU, marathon friend, YOU are NOT nuts. You are amazing and inspiring. Sanity judgments are reserved for me only.)

But a little part of me, this voice in the back of my head, wonders if I could do it too. This is the same voice that watched the finish of the women's triathalon during the last summer Olympics and wished I was a brilliant enough athlete to win something that amazing. Probably not, but it's fun to dream a little. Sometimes a crazy dream is the thing that gets me through the last 5 minutes of my puny training run at the gym.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

"I hate you!"

2009-09-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

I don't hear these words very often. But I do hear them. Usually in the winter. Usually when I'm talking to a friend who lives somewhere that it snows. Usually when they ask me about the whether where I live. Well, I live in San Diego, so unless it's one of those infrequent days where it's pouring rain or on fire around here, or if it's extremely hot (100+,) the weather is probably just about perfect.

Today was a perfect day. I'm sitting here looking out a window that faces west. The sun went down a while ago, and the sky is still a yellow color at the horizon and fades into a whitish pink farther up. The hills I can usually see are being overtaken by a gigantic coastal fog bank. The air is still crystal clear here, but in a little while the fog will arrive here, too. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will probably not be able to see as far as the neighbor's house, let alone the hills in the distance.

I left the windows open all day today, as temps rose only to about 75 or 80. Tonight's cool fog means tomorrow will probably be similarly wonderful. Today, I worked and studied at home, so I could enjoy this view and the great weather all day. Tomorrow will be a busy day, working in a windowless office followed by school in the evening. But right now, for this moment, I'm just enjoying this amazing, beautiful place I am blessed to call home.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Volunteer Needed

2009-09-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

** Thanks everyone for reading this and for those who have considered it! A couple of you volunteered and those profiles are being reviewed by the professor for suitability... then on to the real work! Thanks again! **

Blog readers, this is not the kind of thing I normally post, but I need a volunteer for a project I'm doing for school and thought this would be a great way to get the word out. As many of you know, I'm working on a degree in Financial Planning, and this is my last semester (Yippee!!!) During this semester, I will be completing a final project that involves writing a Financial Plan for a real person or family. Only I need to find that volunteer first!

So here's what I'm looking for. I need someone who would like help with at least 2-3 of the following financial goals/assessments:
- Retirement savings
- Education/College savings for you or your child(ren), grandchild(ren), or someone else (niece, nephew, etc.)
- Saving for one or more financial goals of any size: vehicle purchase (car, minivan, boat, RV, etc.,) big vacation, first home, vacation home, private island, lear jet, etc. (If you can dream it, I will be happy to help you plan for it!)
- Insurance analysis & planning: auto/home/life/health/long-term care, etc.
- Analysis of current financial position and cash flow

Other requirements:
- Must live within or near the San Diego area (sorry, I know a couple of my out-of-town readers were already hoping they'd be picked!)
- Must not be a family member (sorry, Mom!)
- Will need to be available to meet with me a few times over the course of the semester

One further note: Sharing your financial information is something you should rightfully be cautious about, and I promise you and your information will be treated with utmost confidentiality, including the fact that no information about the identity of you or your family or information about your situation will be discussed in a public forum of any kind including this blog. However, since this is an educational project, it will be reviewed by faculty at SDSU (because you want me to graduate, right?)

If you are interested in considering this opportunity, please e-mail me at RJLRebo at gmail dot com . If you know of someone else who may be interested, please feel free to pass on this link!
If possible, please contact me by Wednesday September 16. I will update this post (at the top) when a volunteer is selected.

Thanks so much for taking time to read my request!
--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: My Sister's Keeper

2009-09-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'd been wanting to read a Jodi Picoult book for a long time, so when I saw this one on the store shelf during my vacation, I bought it immediately. I've seen this particular title on the favorites list of many friends as well, so it comes recommended.

This story is heartbreaking. Although a work of fiction, the characters and their life choices and decisions quickly enter your heart and mind: how would I handle this? How could I begin to make these choices? The lines between legal and moral and ethical are blurred, and the costs to one family member are for the benefit of another... but at how great a cost? And how does one make a decision in terms of costs and benefits when life is on the line... life itself as well as quality of life, and length of life?

Heartbreaking choices every one. And a story very well told. Although the themes and subject matter are difficult, the book is well-written and what I would call a page-turner. I will be looking for more Picoult books to read, with one title she has convinced me to be a fan. Not to mention that I just realized the movie is now showing at my local discount theater, so a screening may be in my near future.

My Sister's Keeper
by Jodi Picoult

(A sidenote: my last post was about a book that helps you make decisions. The decisions in this book are not the kind that could be made easily, quickly or without great consideration. I wouldn't normally make this kind of sidebar comment, but the subject matter of these two books is kind of oddly placed side-by-side because I happened to read these books right after one another.)

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Just Do Something

2009-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about this book, it sounded so good, I recommended it to a friend... before I'd even read it. My recommendation turned out to be a good one... my friend called me halfway through to tell me how great it was.

Naturally it took my procrastinating self a couple months to acquire my own copy, but I'm so glad I did. I think it was the alternate title of the book that really grabbed me initially: "How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky..." And, the subtitle is not an oversell: it was liberating.

The idea of God's will can seem elusive. How to know if you're doing the right thing? But this book encourages a bold approach: if your decision is not a moral one or specifically addressed in the Bible and you are striving to walk in faith and seeking wisdom, then go ahead, make a decision. Make it confidently.

The author does briefly discuss the alternate forms of decision-making on the cover, as well as reasons why good decision making doesn't have to be a burdensome task. He doesn't discount that some decisions certainly do require great consideration and he discusses some strategies to help with those bigger decisions. At the same time, he firmly points out that choosing eggs or pancakes for breakfast, as well as many other life decisions, don't require a sign from God.

This book a short, informative read, only 128 pages, and I wish I'd read it a long time ago, probably late high school or college. The advice is still relevant today for any life, I would think, so it gets my recommendation.

Just Do Something
by Kevin DeYoung

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

2009-09-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Penny wise, pound foolish is one of my pet peeves. Drives me crazy when other people do it. This week, I drove myself crazy with this folly.

Last week while on vacation, my cell phone sustained some damage. Let's just say it's very, very clean. Because it went through the clothes washer. And dryer. That's how I learned it had gone through the washer, actually, when my friends and I determined that "funny noise" coming from the dryer was actually my cell phone. You can imagine the exclamation that went through my head at this point.

Sadly, my first thought was that I was never, ever going to live this down, since this is actually the second time I've drowned a phone on vacation. Last time it was snorkeling in Hawaii. Seriously, as I was leaving for vacation, one of my friends reminded me to check my pockets before going swimming. Remarkably, although salt water completely fried the last phone, this laundered phone was actually working the next morning.

After another day or two, it became clear that the phone was going to be just fine but the battery was toast. Well, that's livable, right? Sure it is. As long as it's convenient to always be within 5 feet of an outlet when you want to talk on the phone. Or if you want to spend more on a replacement battery than you did on the phone to start with.

Here's where I got crabby. My phone was free, but prices to replace the battery started at $40 from the cell phone company. Online, I could find a relative bargain price of $6-13, plus shipping. The highest price was $50, and that salesperson recommended I contact my provider to see if I was eligible for upgrade. So I stopped by the nearest giant electronics store and found a $20 battery.

Here's the foolish part: I didn't buy it on the spot. I agonized over parting with $20. Big time. I failed to see that the cost of not spending $20 was significant inconvenience. I was irritated by the crazy pricing and marketing in our culture that means this is not the only situation where it's cheap to make an initial purchase but any small necessities later are astronomically priced to make up for it.

Sheepishly, I returned to the store the next day and bought the $20 battery. I wrestled open the package with my car key and installed the battery into my phone. Much better.

Our family is about to upgrade to new phones, so I hated to spend $20 to keep mine functioning for another week or two, but since it does function... at least I have a backup phone for the next time - heaven forbid - something happens to my phone.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Thankful Thursday: Free!!

2009-09-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Just got word late yesterday that I was selected to receive a scholarship (all expenses paid!) to attend a conference in October that is presented by the Financial Planning Association. From the conference website:

NexGen is a unique community for up-and-coming professionals who represent the future of financial planning.

As a community with distinctive goals and objectives, FPA NexGen 2009 has been designed to give the next generation of financial planners the tools and knowledge needed to be successful in today's ever-changing profession.

With specialized educational sessions and effective networking opportunities, FPA NexGen 2009 is the perfect place to find inspiration, support and encouragement.

I had been hoping to attend this conference all year... it was originally scheduled for July in Colorado but was rescheduled to October in Anaheim, CA. (One of my friends has pointed out already that the Anaheim Convention Center is a mere 1 block from D*sneyland, so this will be a double-bonus kind of event!)

I am so excited!!

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Hyperinflation

2009-09-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of classes for me. Only a year ago I went to my very first class, and today is the first day of my last semester. This seems like it's gone by really fast. Because it has. One of the reasons that I decided a year ago to attend classes full-time was because there were rumors of a notable fee increase for graduate business students. I figured I may as well get as many units as possible completed before the increase became effective, because it was going to be big.

How big? 97%

Almost double what it cost for the same semester last year. Yikes.

One small note is that I don't expect to spend nearly as much on books as I did a year ago. Of course I'm saying that without knowing how much books are going to be, but that's what I expect. Thank goodness for that!

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Vacation: Michigan

2009-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

The vacation continues with a week in Michigan. This week, I spent my time meeting friends for a meal, or just hanging out in real time to catch up life. There weren't really any huge events or landmarks visited, just simple pleasures shared with good friends.

This is the kind of post that I write just so I can remember everything... feel free to come along for the ride!

MONDAY

Rain today in MI, like in IL yesterday. I kind of forgot that it rains in the midwest in the summer. Ooops!! Oh, well, I won't melt (as my mother was fond of saying when I was a kid.) When the weather cleared in the afternoon, my friend Sarah and I loaded up her kids and headed over to Calvin College for a walk around campus. It was amazing how strong the memories returned as I walked among and through those familiar buildings! Other Calvin-ites will recognize this spot:

After our walk around the familiar campus, Sarah took me to the Grand Traverse Pie Company, a new addition to 28th Street, for pie and cherry coffee. Yumm!!

TUESDAY

Enjoyed a leisurely lunch and wander through Meijer Gardens this afternoon with my friend Ruth, a former co-worker. The Gardens have become a favorite, it seems that every time I'm in town, I meet her there!

Later, I met friends Dave, Beth and their almost 1-year-old Jonah for dinner. Sadly, I completely forgot to take a picture (how did that happen??) but I really enjoyed meeting Jonah for the first time and the tour of their first vegetable garden. I really enjoyed the fresh zucchini for dinner!

WEDNESDAY

This is where things got a little busy trying to squeeze in as much as possible! And, it would seem, when I forgot to use my camera. A friend from Florida, Jon, happened to be in town also, and we managed to meet for breakfast, an unexpected surprise!

Later, I drove out to Ada to meet other former co-workers Phyllis and Twila for lunch, then wandered around at Baker Publishing to say hi to many, many others and see what's changed since I left 6 years ago. I'm sure I will forget somebody in this list, but it was great to talk with Sara, Debbie, Nathan, Dan, Pat, Kristin, Kara, BJ and Steve.

In the evening, I went to Holland Tunnel Park with Sarah, Kevin and kiddos and met Beth & Joe there also. And of course, what trip to the beach is complete without a stop at:

THURSDAY

... started early with a walk and breakfast with Tracie, then an afternoon with Kathy & Jeff and kiddos. Again, no pictures, but a relaxing day just catching up with friends!! After dinner, I headed out to Grand Haven to Rob & Joanna's to spend the next two nights.

FRIDAY

On Wednesday at the beach, the lake was calm and still and made for perfect swimming conditions for the kids in the group. Today, strong winds were blowing in, creating surf and waves bigger than I think I've ever seen on the lake! The waves were crashing over the Grand Haven pier and sometimes splashed as high as the lighthouse out at the end. Joanna and I braved the wind for a walk out to the beach to take a look. Joanna took this photo for me, one of my favorites from the whole trip!

After getting completely windblown, I met my friend Heather for lunch. Heather and I used to work together, and we were roommates for a year. She picked the Kirby Grill, where we mutually agreed to indulge in the Goat Cheese Fondue.

In the evening, we enjoyed a Grand Haven tradition - Pronto Pups (kind of like a corn dog) - and an ice cream social. Unfortunately, an error in the local paper meant that Joanna and I missed the Musical Fountain, and an lapse of brain cells on my part means that although I had my camera with me a lot, I forgot to get a photo of Joanna or her family, which is a big bummer. Hopefully they will still send me a Christmas card, and then I'll have one!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Saturday morning I left GH for Holland, and spent the weekend hanging out with Beth & Jeff and Beth's family. I had lunch with her and her sisters, then we did some shopping and later her parents hosted dinner for everyone. I spent a lot of time with Beth's family during college, and it's always so fun to see them all!

Sunday we went to church at Mars Hill and then had lunch at Culver's with Jeff's brothers and some friends. The food was super-yummy despite me not getting to have my favorite Cheese Curds, they were unavailable due to a recall. In the evening, I was able to connect with Sarah & Joel, who I met when they lived in CA for several years and now live in Holland, just a 15 minute walk from Beth's house!

Beth and I haven't spent so much time together since we were last roommates in 2003, so I'm afraid that we were pretty silly at times, and her husband could do nothing but roll his eyes and laugh at us. We had a great time, though, and even squeezed in a late-night trip to Me*jer.

Here's a fun photo of our goofy selves... right before this was taken, we were exchanging rapid-fire instant messages with each other and therefore laughing a LOT. Jeff just kept looking across at us like we were crazy, and then became convinced when he found out that we were having an electronic conversation while sitting in the same room.

And a last snapshot on Monday before I got on the train to head back to Chicago. I hate goodbyes. But you know you have a good friend when they get up at 0'dark-thirty to bring you to the train station. :)

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Vacation: Girls Weekend!

2009-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

For most of the last 10 years - as in all the years since college - a group of my girlfriends has been talking about planning a girls getaway together. Finally, we did it. Not perfectly, since there were a couple faces missing we would have loved to see, but it was a good start.

For me, this weekend kicked off a long vacation between my summer job and my fall classes. It was wonderful to enjoy many hours of girl talk, some shopping, great food (including my favorite Gino's East pizza!) and some of the sights in downtown Chicago.

I love getting to see the famous Cloud Gate sculpture (AKA "the bean") in downtown's Milleniumm Park.

My friend Sarah took this photo of me with the cityscape in the background.

And here's all of us, after enjoying a yummy dinner & dessert at Claim Jumper. From left: Sarah, me, Sarah, Annie, and... Sarah. Yes, really, 3 of the 5 girls are named Sarah!!

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

How are you? No, WHO are you?

2009-08-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

You might think from the title that this post was about someone who called the wrong number in the middle of the night. But it's not.

Or maybe it was a random call from one of those poor souls who feed their families by working as telemarketers.... Nope. Not that either.

Instead, I talked by phone this week with a friend from high school that I'm pretty sure I haven't even seen since we walked down the aisle to Pomp & Circumstance in our blue gowns and mortarboards. The title words were hers and they were exactly right: after this many years, we don't really know each other anymore. But we're about to find out, because I'm going to meet up with her in a couple weeks when I happen to be in her city.

Her question has really made me think these last few days. Who am I really? What's different about me since high school...? Since college...? Since I moved to California 6 years ago? What's different about me since last week?

I am not good at answers to these kinds of questions on the spot. This is why I fear interviews. I can always think of good answers to questions with time, so if I can anticipate the questions, all is well. Out of the blue? I come up with the perfect answer approximately the next Wednesday. But the good questions do percolate in my mind.

This one's been fun to think about. I may have a few things to say about the answers ... when I get around to figuring out what they are.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

HOW far?

2009-08-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a fabulous weekend in the Bay Area. I'm exhausted, but it was so worth it. I got to play in the park and go out for yogurt with Luke & Lucy. I visited San Francisco. I went boating on a lake with some of the greatest friends a girl could ask to grow up with. My good friend was the guest speaker at church on Sunday. I had a delightful and indulgent dinner with my cousin at The Cheesecake Factory. It was a jam-packed, so it's no wonder I can't seem to keep my eyes open!

I even managed to bring home a souvenir that also managed to fill a hole in my wardrobe. You see, for literally MONTHS I've been trying to find a basic zip-up hoodie sweatshirt. For months before that, I kept telling myself I would eventually want a San Diego State hoodie badly enough to fork over $60. (Yes, $60. Ridiculous.)

Well, guess what. Despite the fact that even in California, sweatshirts are necessity year-round, I haven't been able to find one. But this I know: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" is a reputation gained honestly. For uninitiated tourists, the shops of Fisherman's Wharf are happy to help you out with a modestly priced sweatshirt, fleece or windbreaker. No sarcasm, either. For a $17.99 plus tax, I went home with a warm & fuzzy sweatshirt that I will probably wear until it falls apart. I didn't really fly 500 miles just for a sweatshirt, but as desperate as I was getting... it wasn't entirely out of the question.

As for the reputation of the city being cold in the summer, it was doing its best to change it's image the day we were there: sunny with a nice breeze. I even got a little sunburned. It was wonderful.

This is the only photo I have of the weekend, which my friend Sara took with her iPhone. She also - and this is proof of her friendship - served as my fashion consultant while keeping two kids occupied in the touristy store that was decidedly not kid-friendly. Thanks, Sara! Loved our day, and our weekend, together.

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Nephew in Motion

2009-07-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm waaaaaay behind on blogging, it's been a month! How does that happen? Oh well. Here's some videos of my adorable nephew in action.

First, bathtime at Oma's. That's Oma's voice in the background, trying to get him to smile. Eventually, he loses interest in the aunt behind the camera and shares his cute grin.

And after his bath, showing off his funky army crawl... notice he propels himself mostly with his left arm and right, but his left leg is also constantly in motion. He really really wanted to get his hands on his dad's flip flop so he could try to eat it (of course,) so we kept throwing it across the room so we could watch him crawl.

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If you're reading this on Facebook, you'll want to check out the original post at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/2009/07/nephew-in-motion.html to see the videos.