My New Office

We have a two bedroom apartment. The extra bedroom is supposed to be an office. In reality, it is Joe's man cave and my storage (for cooking appliances and books). In order for me to get a desk in there, we would have to buy new book cases, a desk and then do a whole lot of shuffling. In other words, it isn't going to happen, at least not within the next couple months when I need a desk/office area the most (classes, the extra volunteer responsibilities I took on, my crafty needs and vacation organization). So I decided that I was going to make my dining room an office as well. I usually do my work at the table, I like having the option of spreading out to organize my brain and my work. So I pulled some shelves out of the office to make my storage and am going to continue taking over the dining room table when we don't have people over. I am happy with my temporary arrangement. I believe it will get me through my spring and summer work.

Four Things That Make Me Happy

1. I love my DVR....I get to do sinful things like record One Tree Hill on Soap Net. And I certainly never cry while watching these shows.

2. I love dropping two pant sizes, no big deal. And I seem to have done it mostly through diet...and with out having to give up the joy otherwise known as Ben and Jerry's.

3. I LOVE blogger's cookbooks. They make me happy. I read them like a novel. What makes them better then traditional cookbooks are the stories they share, the practical tips (ie how/when to freeze stuff for later) and the gorgeous pictures. I am currently going through Joy the Baker's Cookbook and prepping myself for Pioneer Woman's Food From My Frontier.

4. I love that Joe and I have solidified our travel plans to go to San Francisco in June to help crew the AFSP Overnight. It will be nice to get away, we've only done weekend trips the past two years, so a real week long vacation sounds wonderful.

Super Bowl

So once a year we a host a huge party. We host Super Bowl for our mutual friends. We have people over often, but Super Bowl is our big one. So yesterday I spent the day cooking, Joe spent the day cleaning and we spent the evening relaxing with friends.

Another perk of my cooking all day? I finished the appetizer section of PW Cookbook! Two sections down, three to go!

All in all it was a good party. Now if only I didn't have to catch up on homework today....

Notes My Husband Leaves Me

Its Been Awhile

This is a brief catch up post, I wish it was of more substance, but I haven't been here in more then a week. The biggest news is that I have started school again. I am working on getting a certificate in Library Technical Assistance. What better place for a literature major to be then a library? I am only allowed to take two classes my first semester, which still leaves me with far too much free time. So I am taking the Intro course and a work skills course. I need to decide how many summer classes I want to take. They are offering two classes, but I want to see how I feel towards the end of this semester. I just applied for a part time job, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Speaking of summer, Joe and I are planning our California trip for June. I can't wait until I can start booking flights, hotels, baseball games and our AFSP volunteering. We are planning a nine day trip which will include LA and San Francisco, as well as day trip to the Redwoods.

The diet isn't going 100% perfectly. But I definitely use the tools I learned and am eating far more balanced meals and a ton more produce. I was even able to drop a pant size! I plan on keeping up with the good habits and continue dropping the bad ones.

And now, because I am sick, I am going to go rest and work on reading my one book a month. This month's book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

The First Week of the New Year

I have some loose ends I'd like to tie up before furthering this blog. Have at 'em:

• I made it through the detox/cleanse. I'll be honest, there was one day I was ready to quit and jump to the 25 day plan. Thankfully, a dear friend (the one who introduced me to the Cinch! diet) was able to talk me into continuing. For the most I follow the diet, but there are two areas I struggle with; I do not always eat all four meals, or all of my meal. And I am not drinking as much water as I should. I am going to attempt to pay extra close attention to my water intake in the coming week.
• Appreciating Joe: I have told Joe many times that I appreciate him. Its actually getting silly. But, I never want him to doubt my gratefulness for all that he does for us.
• Pride and Prejudice. This is my book for January. I might be the only English major who has never read Jane Austen, and that just can't go on.
• I have registered for classes, I begin my LTA classes Thursday night. I also signed up for Derby.
• I've also decided to add a few goals to my resolutions: I want to be a better friend. Because of the circumstance of 2011, I have not been the friend I would like to be, I hope to bring that back this year. Also, from the Entertainment category, I am adding a White Sox game and a PW book signing (I am assuming she will do a book tour when her new cookbook comes out.)

Sorry for the disjointed post, having cleared this up, I'll be able to proceed in a couple days. Have a good one!

Year In Review

Well this has been a long and tough year. The majority of this year was focused on me attempting to beat this dang OCD. As the year comes to an end I am proud to say that:

1. I got through the worst and am in much better shape then I was this time last year.
2. I learned the importance of doing your own research and finding specialists.
3. I have no doubt as to how much my husband loves me.

There was also some pretty cool parts to this year:

1. I got to participate in the AFSP Overnight in NYC and I got to be on the walk committee (and participate in the walk)  for the Chicagoland Community Walk and volunteer with Survivors of Suicide day.
2. I discovered the joy of Blackberry Cobbler.
3. I met a lot of cool people.

Next week I will be discussing what 2012 will hopefully look like! It's guaranteed to be a good one!

Work

For those of you who don't know, I got a seasonal job at the local mall. Basically I was just sick of being home everyday and this was a fantastic opportunity to stay busy. But let me tell you....the mall two weeks before Christmas is hell on your stand-all-day-retail feet. I've been working hours that are AWESOME with my natural body clock (start at 3 work til 11, go to bed at 2) but because of the large amount of customers and a corporate visit, I have been putting in lots of extra hours. Next week I am scheduled for 37.5 hours. This is wonderful for my wallet of course, and I am very grateful to have a job, even if its only for a few weeks. Here's to hoping I get a good night's sleep!

A Day By Myself

Today I have the day off work and my husband is gone working. Because of my 11 hour work day yesterday, I allowed myself to sleep in. But now its time to get busy. On the list of things to do before I attend a meeting this evening:

1. empty dishwasher
2. finish Christmas cards...I only finished the A's and the B's....I see a hand cramp coming on
3. laundry?
4. find and organize all Christmas cookie recipes so my cousin and I can be efficient next week
5. straighten and clean (in theory...but Christmas cards come first!)
6. check out a new cookbook I got last night
7. catch up on DVR (as evidence of how long yesterday was: I didn't even stay up to watch Glee)

...I think that will keep me busy 'til I have to leave at 430....

Today

I have committed to blogging every other day this month. But today is one of those days where NOTHING goes as planned. Consequently, there are no blogging ideas for today. I will come up with something awesome for Monday!

Get 'Er Done

Today is my day off from work. I know this isn't a big deal, because I work part time...but the fact that I am off work and have no other plans is HUGE!

I started off my morning by picking up a friend from Panama at O'Hare. Then I went on a shopping spree and finished all of our Christmas shopping. Now I am baking dessert for tonight and sticky rolls. Then, I am returning to have dinner with my friend before she leaves Chicago.

Now, if only I have the discipline to do laundry tonight.....

My Nativity Scene

My favorite Christmas decoration is my nativity scene. For many, many years, my Godmother would give me a single piece of the set at Christmas. One year it would be Joseph, the other a wise man, etc. Then, at my wedding shower she gave me the stable. I was near tears, it was so sentimental. So, while I love all parts of Christmas (especially baking and seeing all my family within two days), this has a special place in my heart.

Trying To Focus On The Good

Sometimes, well often, unfavorable things happen. Life is complicated like that. More importantly is how we choose to handle it. While I do not always succeed, I try at some point during the struggle to focus on the silver lining or find a lesson in the unhappy situation. Like I said, it doesn't always work, but it makes going through turmoil a lot easier when able to focus the good or a lesson.

My Grandmothers

I have written a lot of fluff pieces the past week. I suppose that is the trouble with blogging everyday for a month...30 different topics worth writing about does not an easy list make. So today I am going to go back to one of the things my mother suggested I write about, relationships in different generations. When I first read this suggestion, I wasn't quite sure where to take it, but then it clicked. I can write about how I am like my grandmothers. It's very interesting the combinations of traits I've acquired from these two equally strong women.

Since my mom suggested this topic, lets begin with my maternal grandmother. The traits of hers that I have acquired: the desire to travel the 50 states, my love for the military, my fierce independence and my love of gardening and entertaining. My Oma has done road trips to every one of the continental states, supported her husband in World War II and is determined to live on her own. She also has a garden that takes up a decent chunk of her yard and used to have parties like no body's business. Its fun to tell her about my container garden, recipes I am trying out or parties I am hosting.

As for my father's mother, we have quite a bit in common as well. She is where I get my crazy strong desire to travel internationally, I definitely have her sense of adventure, love of crafting and her ability to make everyone feel welcome. Since getting my first taste of internationally travel I have been unable to leave my passport at home for more then a handful of years. She'd be proud of that. She searched for adventure, even took flying lessons! It is because of her that I crochet and embroider. And I have the same open door policy in my house that she had. Everyone is welcome.

I always enjoy doing things with my grandmothers. It's always fun to learn new things or discover similarities. I am grateful to have these two strong women as examples.

My Spiritual Journey

My mom suggested that I use one of my NaBloPoMo days to write about my spiritual journey. Well, God and I are having issues at the moment, but there are somethings I feel confident in:

1. There is a power that created the world, and I call that power God.
2. God reveals himself to different people in different ways. My reasoning behind this is that most religions teach the same lesson...ie the Golden Rule
3. To get to heaven you have to live the best life you know how, and I do think that is different for everybody.
4. If I am going to choose an organized religion, I am sticking with the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). There are three main reasons for this: they have traditional services, liberal beliefs and they support commitment ceremonies. 

If God and I get on the same page by the end of the month I will post an update. But this is where I am at the moment.

My Mechanic

My mechanic is the best.

He doesn't charge for labor.

And then he takes me out to lunch.

He even does house calls and house work.

Yup. He's the best! :)

Books

Being an English Literature major,  I have a deep love for books. In fact, before Joe and I got married I had insisted he move to a larger apartment, largely because I was planning on bringing my books with me. There are a handful of books that mean a lot to me:

1. Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales- While I have yet to read the entire work, but what I love about this piece of literature is the way that Chaucer was able to write satire about the world in which he lived, while hiding it within his story. He's one smart dude.
2. Anita Diamant's The Red Tent-This is one of the few novels I have reread. Because of the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, everyone knows the story of the males in the family, but Diamant used her novel to write about what life was like for the women in that era, as seen through the eyes of the boy's sister.
3. Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love-This is a book I am in the middle of rereading now. Normally biographies don't do it for me. However, I found this one inspiring. Partly because she shared her journey on how she put her life back together when it was in pieces, and partly because I am jealous of how she was able to do it. I would love to spend a year abroad nurturing myself to a happy place. Until my next trip to the other hemisphere I will just have to keep rereading this book.
4. These are my guilty pleasure series: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series. They are a mystery/romance/comedy series and literally makes me laugh out loud. I remember working at the convent and laughing hysterically at my desk. The next book comes out in two weeks!!!!

On my to read list (please feel free to add suggestions):

1. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
2. The full The Canterbury Tales
3. Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Grave

What holds me up when the world is dragging me down?

It appears I will be doing several "Top Ten" lists this month as I navigate my first NaBloPoMo. I'm really excited about how its forcing me to think and get a little creative. Today's list: things that help me hang in there:

1. my husband.
2. my family
3. my friends
4. cooking
5. cooking magazines
6. a good cup of coffee
7. an episode of Glee
8. a hot shower
9. dark chocolate
10. a good nap

Graf Family Traditions

One of my favorite parts of starting a new family with Joe is the holiday traditions we borrow from each other's families and the ones we create on our own. Here are some of our traditions:

Super Bowl- This is our big hosting event of the year. We invite all of our friends over to watch the big game and I spend the day cooking lots of yummy treats.

St. Patrick's Day- Every year I make crock pot Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. Last year we shared the meal with a couple of friends. Seeing as there is always an abundance of food, I would like to continue sharing that meal with friends or family. Also, last year all four of us learned the joy of Potato Leek soup.

Easter- In an attempt to fairly split our time between families, we have decided to spend each Easter in Wisconsin with my Mom's family. We don't always get to see everyone we want to, but we try our best.

Memorial Day- My Opa, German for Grandpa, was a World War II vet. Every year my mom, and me if I'm lucky, go to his army reunion. Every Memorial Day, we all go up to the cemetery where he is at for a beautiful service hosted by the cemetery.

Fourth of July- My brother usually hosts a BBQ on the Fourth. So we go over and hang with him and his friends.

Birthdays Day-This is a new tradition my mother and I have started this year. Seeing as all our birthdays are within four months, and we have five people, all with very unique schedules, we have decided to do one big celebration! Our first one is next Sunday.

Election Day: One thing my Dad always felt very strong about was voting. He has voted in every election since I can remember and has instilled the same passion into me. So no matter how cruddy I feel, I make it out the the  polls and cast my vote every year. For the last presidential election I had a Returns Viewing Party for my fellow political buffs. I hope to do the same again next year.

Thanksgiving- This holiday we spend with Joe's side of the family. Often we meet with his mother's family and we have a nice dinner with them and then go to his Grandpa's house for desserts.

Anniversaries (yes, plural)- Our dating and wedding anniversaries are two days apart. Since there is a significant amount of time between the years (6 years!) we like to have a big celebration for both. We aren't really big on Sweetest or Valentine's Day, so we make this our big date night or weekend getaway of the year.

Sunday after Thanksgiving-This is the day I am usually able to convince Joe its time to get our Christmas tree. Since our first Christmas together we have been getting real trees...a first for me! If I ignore the needles on my floor, its definitely a tradition I love adopting! And, if I'm real lucky, I can even get Joe to bring up all the Christmas decorations from our storage unit! When we decorate we have adopted the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in our tree. Traditionally, when a child finds it they get a piece of candy. Since we are childless, one of us usually just hides it from the other.

St. Nicholas Day-This is a tradition we are taking from my parent's. During the night of December 5th and 6th St. Nick comes and fills our stockings. Even the kitties have one!
Baking Day- This is one of my favorite traditions! My lil sis/cousin comes over and we destroy my kitchen making baked goods for friends and family! Its an all day event with lots of delicious out comes!

Christmas Eve- Usually we both work Christmas Eve, but as I am without a job, I will have the day to get ready for our nighttime festivities. On Christmas Eve we drive up to Wisconsin and spend the night going to church with my Mom's side of the family.
Christmas Day- Christmas Day is a busy one for us. Usually in the morning/early afternoon we head out to Joe's mom's house and spend some time with his side of the family. Then in the late afternoon/evening we go to my aunt's house and celebrate with my dad's side of the family. THEN, my parents and brother come to our place for dessert and a family Christmas.

New Year's Eve- Every New Year's Eve our dear friends host a party, so we always spend the night with them, eating, playing games and welcoming the New Year.

Those are our current traditions, I am sure we will be developing more as the years go on.

My Need to Travel

When Joe first met me he did not understand my need to travel. He didn't see the point in spending so much money in such a short amount of time. What was the point really? This came as a shock to me because I LOVE traveling and seeing new places and making new memories. I remember being in Disney World and riding Splash Mountain, being assaulted by a goat in Texas, discovering the joy of raspberry chocolate chip ice cream in Ohio, seeing the inside of the FBI in DC and seeing a favorite gymnast practice for the Olympics in Colorado. All of these are important memories, and I intend to keep adding to the list....preferably without any more goats, that just wasn't necessary.

After my first trip to Europe my need (I do consider it a need, its definitely more then a want) to travel increased tenfold. Seeing things that we will never have in the US because of its infancy. Seeing new cultures, trying different food....you should have seen my face when I found out I was eating duck for the first time. Because my first trip to Europe was with my extended family, I got to experience all these new and wonderful things with my parents, brother, aunts, uncle and cousins. When I had the opportunity to spend a college Spring Break in London, it was an absolute no brainer. I can't really explain why, but England has always felt like a second home to me. I go there and I feel at peace, like everything is right in my world. To get to spend another week there was amazing, and its also where I cultivated friendships with some of my closest friends.

So as Joe and I are trying to figure out the how, when and where of the trips we want, I can't help but be reminded of my grandmothers, both of whom like to travel; one in the US and the other the world. After taking a few trips together Joe is warming up to the idea of travel. He is starting to look forward to our trips and get excited about them with me. It makes me so happy to be able to share one of my greatest passions with him. Last week he even mentioned how some of his favorite times with me is when we travel and see something new together.