Apples, sore throats and urology...

In an attempt to promote better health I have been trying out all kinds of winter fruit, lately it's been all about apples! I found Honeycrisp apples and thought that they were simply amazing. Crunchy like a Granny Smith but sweet like a mild honey...yum! Thinking that this was the Meca of apples I purchased more and another variety, simply for the name, Ambrosia! Oh dang! The name says it all!!! I seriously could not believe how amazing the Ambrosia apples were! Crunchy, crisp, fresh, a soft floral taste, a little tiny zing of acid followed by a mouthful of sweetness better than any candy I've ever tasted!!! You seriously need to try them out!
Next up...my sore throat! It has seriously been the bane of my existence for the past month. Periodically covered with puss and nearly impossible to get healthy, my tonsils are the size of the Rockies and looking like two mounds of raw hamburger. Totally gross! The pain from the nasty throat has been incredible! My ears hurt, my throat hurts and even my tongue hurts! Bah!!! In the midst of this grossness my rad friend Sherri stopped by with lemons. Now you all know that I'm not that much of a citrus fan but those lemons made my day! I've been soothing my throat with lovely mugs of boiling hot water mixed with a couple tablespoons of honey and the juice of half a lemon! Simply brilliant! It is the only thing that has made my throat feel anywhere near human! High five to Sherri!
And now for urology! Oh yea that's right...I get to interpret next Tuesday for a urology appointment...when a male interpreter was requested....and I'm not a male interpreter...UMMMMMMMMMMMM I'm not sure what happens at urology appointments but I guess I will soon find out. I may not have all of the hilarious student stories that I used to have when I was teaching but I definitely am racking up the bizarre and beyond private information that I get exposed to in this new job. Hopefully I won't get "too" exposed (if you know what I mean)!

Ode to a Delicious Fruit

I love OLIVES! Green or black, brined or water cured, pitted or not...olives are amazing! Lately I have been having HUGE olive cravings. I have been trying out all kinds of olives to see what I like best. The satisfaction of the larger varieties, all meaty and salty, seems to be the most gratifying. And yes, I must admit that amongst my olive sampling I came across one that tasted like poison gasoline...it was a tiny, pruny thing, all angry at the world for being plucked from its tree. Most unfortunate olive. All of this glorious olive tasting has put me in the mood to make one of my most favorite breads. It's a focaccia with fresh rosemary and kalamata olives pressed into its surface. The bread is yeasty and crisp with a full mouthful of flavor from all of that delicious olive juiciness. I'll let you know how it turns out! But in the meantime...go get some olives!!!!!

The Boxless Lifestyle

Oh happy day!!!! I have finally gotten all of my empty boxes put away and all of the Goodwill junk dropped off with the fab folks at Goodwill!!!! Just imagine a pile ten feet long and four feet wide of broken down boxes hanging out right in front of my front door...YUCK! It is SO fabulous to have a clean patio and to have reduced my overall junk count! Another thing on my to do list is now checked off!

Next up...sewing projects galore! As I was getting ready for church on Sunday I realized that I have exactly 2 skirts and 1 dress that are appropriate for church. It was all part of the divesting of my teachery clothes that I ended up in this state. Luckily for me I have 6 boxes of fabric that I can magically make into beautiful clothes. Oh new clothes!!!!!

So that's the news from me...I'm off to check on my pot roast and to decide on which fabric will be my first victim!

Moving...in more ways than one!

During this whole moving process I have also been "moving" things in my life that have been at an utter standstill. It all started with a list of what I really want my life to look like and then I broke it down to specific tasks or goals in each area. Here are some of the amazing things happening in my life due to me actually acting on my task list:

1. An increase of interpreting hours, exceeding my weekly goal for this week!
2. A date!!!! Oh yeah that's right!!! I have a date this weekend!
3. Lost additional 2.5 pounds as of last Sunday...we shall see what the scale has to say this Sunday...(ok...so the total since Jan 1 is 42.5!)
4. Daily scripture study and I even have a scripture topic for the month.
5. Tons of time with friends and family!

So for those of you out there cheering me on...thanks for being in my cheering section and for being the kind of people that help me to dream and to be the best Erin possible! I feel truly blessed as I look back on this past year of transition, change, heartache and joy. Let's keep things moving! And hey...what do you want to move in your life???? I want to know!

For the love of dogs!

My fabulous new landlord has two of the world's best dogs! They greet me at the gate when I come home, inspect my cottage for intruders and protect me from invaders on a regular basis. The yellow lab thinks she owns me and always pushes the sweet pit bull out of the way to make sure she gets enough love. The lab, otherwise know as Maddy, is skittish and dislikes sudden loud noises...and yet....tonight when she was checking for invaders my cuckoo clock chimed eleven o'clock and she just looked up at the clock and sniffed. How funny are dogs?! These two sweeties are definitely just what the doctor ordered! I have been trying to figure out how to have a dog for the past three years and just couldn't make it work while living in an apartment or in a place without a fenced yard. Now I have Maddy and Ella to keep me company, play with, lick my face when I come home and generally make my heart happy! Yeah for sweet puppies!!!!

Way tooooooo long since I've been here!

I think that moving always brings on the spirit of renewal for me. That feeling that most people get on January 1st, I seem to get each time I move. I have begun making lists...what I want to accomplish personally, professionally and otherwise in my life over the next year. Lists seem to always satisfy me. Making those little boxes and then filling them up with an X once the task is complete. It is tangible evidence of what I've done...and yet when I complete a list I simply throw it away. I think maybe a list book would be a good thing. Something that really shows all that I have done. A way to really be present to how much I really do accomplish in life. A reminder that I am pretty dang rad even when I start to feel lame ;) Hmmm...something else to add to my To Do list...
Now that I have written something on my blog I'm off to check off another box...for this week anyway! I plan on writing weekly and if I don't you can totally send me an email or call me and remind me that my To Do list is waiting for another X!

3, 2, 1...LAUNCH!

YIPPEE! I am officially launching my business on November 1st! I can hardly wait to share what I've been up to with all of the people in my life. As I've been planning for the shindig I've been realizing a few things:

1. Friends will do just about anything for you
2. I have made some really beautiful things
3. Baby hats are a million-billion times cuter than any other kind of hat
4. Did I mention how great friends are??? They're the best!
5. Being creative may be risky (as far a profession goes) but it is infinitely more satisfying than anything else I've ever done!

For those of you who may be wondering what exactly I'm up to here are a few pictures of my designs. Enjoy!