Friday, December 7, 2012
Thinking back on 2012 and looking ahead with hope...
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Graduation from Nursing School
A week before graduation Thomas and I attended a Holiday dinner. We were all smiles because RN school was officially over. 
On December 18, 2011 I marched up the stage with my nursing school colleagues to participate in our pinning ceremony. It was a nice event attended by my close family and friends.
We had a chance to thank those that helped us in the last two years. RN school has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Thanks goes to EVERYONE in my life, especially because I haven't been very present in my relationships. There were so many family dinners I missed, birthdays I forgot, meetings I didn't attend and conversations I was too tired to have. Awful, I know.
It was a happy moment to stand there on stage. I kept thinking..."This is it, I did it!"
On December 18, 2011 I marched up the stage with my nursing school colleagues to participate in our pinning ceremony. It was a nice event attended by my close family and friends.
We had a chance to thank those that helped us in the last two years. RN school has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Thanks goes to EVERYONE in my life, especially because I haven't been very present in my relationships. There were so many family dinners I missed, birthdays I forgot, meetings I didn't attend and conversations I was too tired to have. Awful, I know.
It was a happy moment to stand there on stage. I kept thinking..."This is it, I did it!"
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A picture can say it all
This week I have been a bit off my game. It also happens to be the last week of nursing school. There are so many things happening this week (clinical rotation ended, last lecture, Mom went home, test on Friday, preceptorship starts on Saturday) and there are so many feelings I am experiencing. I am also feeling so much pressure as I get ready to take the last and final exam. This is it, I am done with school on Friday. Does that mean I am a nurse? Not yet, but I am so close yet so far.
So when I saw this picture on the National Geographic Your Shot Weekly Wrapper webpage I could relate. A picture can say it all!
So when I saw this picture on the National Geographic Your Shot Weekly Wrapper webpage I could relate. A picture can say it all!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
Thomas and I are party poopers. We haven't dressed up for Halloween in a long, long time. However we love watching the kids dress up and get into the holiday.
This is my neighbor Maeli and she is a firefighter for Halloween.
May I not forget to mention she is a fashionable firefighter. She wore her glossy red boots on the night we saw her.
What are you dressing up as?
This is my neighbor Maeli and she is a firefighter for Halloween.
May I not forget to mention she is a fashionable firefighter. She wore her glossy red boots on the night we saw her.
What are you dressing up as?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Harvesting in our backyard and in our community
October is almost over and I am still harvesting from my garden. We harvested eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers.
Thomas and I are are very resourceful in finding free food and we often turn to our community to get what we cannot or don't grow ourselves. People also know I am happy taking free food and will can or preserve what I cannot eat right away. As a result we often get free food from friends and neighbors.
Our neighbors Ron & Lucy cleaned out two of their five raised beds this weekend and shared their harvest. We got yummy bok choy, two butternut squash, zucchini and some tomatoes.
In July and August I harvested lavender from the corner shopping center behind our house. I called the owner and asked permission and he was more than happy to share his lavender with me. The shopping center parking lot has over 20 plants. He loves the lavender and I could help myself as long as I took a little from each plant and left some behind. I hope to make lavender stuffed hearts for the mom's and babies at Sutter Hospital.
These delicious golden delicious apples came from a nurse friend from Memorial Hospital. She has 8 trees--maybe more. We took three 5 gallon buckets full and we are welcomed back anytime. These mild apples will make delicious apple juice--which we will freeze for later and dried apple snacks.
These are pineapple guavas. There is a row of about 7 trees in the back parking lot at Coddingtown. The fruit just falls to the ground and rots. It is a shame! We found the trees and picked to our delight. We did take turns looking out for the security guards from the mall. I am sure it would have been alright, but we did hop on the fence to get to the top of the trees. I hope to make some jam following this recipe.
The figs were from a tree near an industrial park in Santa Rosa. This tree is huge and no one picks the fruit. Sadly we got to it towards the end of its season. The ground was full of dried figs just lost to neglect. Next year I'll hit it earlier in the season. We might eat all of the figs we harvested if not, I'll make jam.
The walnuts came from the neighborhood behind RR Square. There are a number of English walnuts in this area and most of the fruit is left for the birds and squirrels. Thomas did some tree shaking while I picked the fruit off the ground. We dried these in the oven and they are supper tasty. I am sure to be cruising the area every other day since the season for walnuts has just begun.
We attended the last Occidental farmers' market of the year on Friday night. A kind and tall farmer gave us this beautiful pumpkin for free. He had grown so many pumpkins he didn't want to load them all back in the truck, so he was giving some away. I am telling you at times I do feel like a free food magnet.
Last week our friend Michael dropped off a huge bag of hot peppers from his garden. What do you do with too many peppers? You preserved them for a later day. I pickled these following this recipe. It was easy to think about what to do because I followed Tigress in a Pickle while she hosted tigress' can jam. She started a canvolution and I am a devoted follower!
Thomas and I are are very resourceful in finding free food and we often turn to our community to get what we cannot or don't grow ourselves. People also know I am happy taking free food and will can or preserve what I cannot eat right away. As a result we often get free food from friends and neighbors.
Our neighbors Ron & Lucy cleaned out two of their five raised beds this weekend and shared their harvest. We got yummy bok choy, two butternut squash, zucchini and some tomatoes.
In July and August I harvested lavender from the corner shopping center behind our house. I called the owner and asked permission and he was more than happy to share his lavender with me. The shopping center parking lot has over 20 plants. He loves the lavender and I could help myself as long as I took a little from each plant and left some behind. I hope to make lavender stuffed hearts for the mom's and babies at Sutter Hospital.
These delicious golden delicious apples came from a nurse friend from Memorial Hospital. She has 8 trees--maybe more. We took three 5 gallon buckets full and we are welcomed back anytime. These mild apples will make delicious apple juice--which we will freeze for later and dried apple snacks.
These are pineapple guavas. There is a row of about 7 trees in the back parking lot at Coddingtown. The fruit just falls to the ground and rots. It is a shame! We found the trees and picked to our delight. We did take turns looking out for the security guards from the mall. I am sure it would have been alright, but we did hop on the fence to get to the top of the trees. I hope to make some jam following this recipe.
The figs were from a tree near an industrial park in Santa Rosa. This tree is huge and no one picks the fruit. Sadly we got to it towards the end of its season. The ground was full of dried figs just lost to neglect. Next year I'll hit it earlier in the season. We might eat all of the figs we harvested if not, I'll make jam.
The walnuts came from the neighborhood behind RR Square. There are a number of English walnuts in this area and most of the fruit is left for the birds and squirrels. Thomas did some tree shaking while I picked the fruit off the ground. We dried these in the oven and they are supper tasty. I am sure to be cruising the area every other day since the season for walnuts has just begun.
We attended the last Occidental farmers' market of the year on Friday night. A kind and tall farmer gave us this beautiful pumpkin for free. He had grown so many pumpkins he didn't want to load them all back in the truck, so he was giving some away. I am telling you at times I do feel like a free food magnet.
Last week our friend Michael dropped off a huge bag of hot peppers from his garden. What do you do with too many peppers? You preserved them for a later day. I pickled these following this recipe. It was easy to think about what to do because I followed Tigress in a Pickle while she hosted tigress' can jam. She started a canvolution and I am a devoted follower!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Week #4: Halloween
It was a happy day on Saturday when I checked the winners of Photoberfest. There were so many great 'action' entries and I was delighted to learn I got 'honorable mention' for my sunflowers/bee photograph. YEAH!
It is Week #4 and I am sad Photoberfest is almost over : (
Thank you Katie for a spectacular month of photos, creativity and inspiration. I am already a better photographer for it.
My entries for this week are...
These our our friend Russ' huge pumpkins. This year he reached a personal record at 1700+ pounds. Go Russ!
Entry #1
As the days get shorter and colder this broken leaf is a reminder that October is here and the winter months are coming.
Entry #2
This is a beautiful picture of an ugly bird. As October winds down turkey day is coming.
Entry #3
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