Forever is only the beginning: January 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

happy take your roommate on your date day!

One year ago today, Jon and I decided to go to dinner. I was actually the one to ask him, I told him I wanted to visit Lara when she was working {at the Pizza House}... I tried to make it seem casual, but secretly just finding ways to spend a little time alone with him {like all the batches of hummus I would make and take over to him as a treat, which I haven't made since we've been married!}. Well apparently I'd been too casual, because when he met me at my apartment that Friday night I was shocked and horrified to discover that he had invited his roommate Brad to come with us... Lara ended up not working and heard the bomb drop from the other room.

Needless to say I was not a happy camper. I rejected any of Jon's attempts to make it up to me that night {offering to pay, trying to open my door for me, trying to sit next to me, texting me later that night and the next day}. After walking in the door that night Lara peeked around the corner and shyly asked - "How did it go...".

Oh, how the fury raged!

I ranted about how Jon led me on letting me believe he was interested in me,

about how clueless he was,

how he ruined my beautiful plan to get him alone {because he always wanted to hang out with me AND LARA!} How could he do this?!

Just how?!

I swore I would never speak to him again!

Well, it turns out he really was that clueless. My sweet Jon, without the slightest bit of game... He was concerned about his roommate spending a Friday night alone {with his law books}. He had no clue my intent was to be alone with him over a greasy slice of pizza, staring deep into each other eyes... until he met me at my apartment and took note of the carefully put together outfit, my hair done, make-up done, and a sparkle in my eye. But it was too late, the words, "Do you care if Brad comes?" had already escaped his lips and a flash of anger replaced the sparkle in my eyes {but only for a moment}.

We went to dinner, the three of us, and it was kind of awkward. I tried to hide my sinking disappointment, Jon carried on as if it was totally normal, ignoring the elephant sitting in the room {or right next to him}. And Brad was just Brad - funny and slightly awkward.

I think my promise to never speak to him again lasted maybe 24 hours... I called him the next day to come over and talk about the pizza "date". I got him to admit he liked he {and had since the moment he met me}! He apologized about Brad, and we agreed to spend more time together. We saw each other everyday after that.

And now we get to spend everyday together for the rest of forever...

Happy one year of "dating" to the boy I love the most.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

death and dying

Last week I sat with a woman in a nursing home who is on death's door- literally. I volunteer for a hospice program, which means people have been given six months to live or less. I usually only spend about an hour a week doing this and the usual woman I visit still has some living left to do. She is a spitfire, that's for sure. She has a "don't take no crap from nobody attitude" in her 81 years. We sit and talk for about an hour and then I tell her it's time for me to go and I'll be back next week. She always responds the same, "you mean I have to wait that long to see you again?". We talk lots about her experiences, and how things have changed in her world today- for me it's pretty much the only world I've ever known. I'm curious though, about what changes I'll be reminiscing about when I'm in her chair.

I got an email last week about volunteers being needed to sit with a woman as she is not expected to make it through the week. Wednesday was my day off and I was happy to offer two hours of my time for someone else in their last moments of life.

The only other person I've seen in this state is my Grandma, last spring when she died of cancer. I was a little worried that it might be too much for me, but oddly enough the experience made me feel closer to my Grandma. It was sort of like I got to sit with her again and hold her hand and just be there. Truly present. I think that is a rarity these days. How often are we with someone when they are struggling, mourning, in pain, or just plain lost and all they really need is someone to sit there silently; absorbing whatever emotion they are plagued with. And that folks is powerful- to hold someone steady without even saying a word.

So over the past few years I've really come to appreciate silence, and this was just another moment I was able to embrace it. This experience was especially powerful because it allowed for reflection of life (as she is ending hers and I feel as though I'm really just beginning mine), and it gave me another chance to be close to Grandma.

doesn't get any sweeter

Monday, January 16, 2012

Super Sappy Sunday

(its actually Monday, but Sunday sounds better)

Have you had that feeling when you’re with the person you love most and you’re completely wrapped up and in awe of how normal and perfect the moment is. It’s sort of like your world stands still and you want to hold on to that exact moment because it represents how you simply love and adore the person next to you. It’s the kind of the emotion you might expect a couple in a movie to portray… that moment when the music cues and you, the audience, now know that they are in fact in love. Hopelessly in love. And I always get that aching in my heart and wonder how come it’s not really like that in real life? Turns out it is like that in real life – minus the music cues- its actually better though; because it is real life.

Sometimes I think it’s a bit of a fairytale, but I do have those moments, the really simple ones that melt my heart when we are doing nothing at all together. Sometimes its when we are driving in the car and I’m being silly singing to the radio and he’s laughing at me, or when we end up talking for 2+ hours on a Friday night and miss our chance to go the movie store and grab something before it closes. It also happens when I wake him up extra early to go to my favorite breakfast place, or when we are sitting next to each other on the couch and I can tell he’s reading his law books by the way he breathes.

Yup those are the moments that make my heart go pitter patter and I’m so beyond content that this is my real life…

Not to say its always like this- another bonus of real life- we have to deal with the not so sweet things about life. Things like going to work or school, paying bills, looking for jobs, and having responsibilities. Good thing we have all that sappy stuff to get us through the junk.

I pretty much love this boy, more than words.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Newest obsession- Crock pot beans

Surprise surprise another food obsession!

I have been trying to come up with meals that are easy to prepare in larger portions so I can send Jon to school with the leftovers each day. This way I'm not preparing individual portion meals- spending all my time in the kitchen {which is pretty much what I was doing all last semester}.

Sunday we tried out black beans- hands down the best black beans I've ever had! It totally reminded me of being in Costa Rica. They don't use canned beans there, I don't think you can even buy them in most of the grocery stores. So saturday night I soaked my beans over night, sunday threw them in the crock pot on low with enough water to cover plus an inch or two, with half of a diced onion, some salt, a few dashes of cumin, 5 minced garlic cloves and a minced jalapeño {no seeds, although next time I might add a few or use 2 jalapeños to get more of a kick} . After about 6 hours I added a hand full of cilantro and some more salt, cooked for another 2 hours or so.
Perfecto! We had it with brown rice, guacamole and some slices of tomato.
And then Jon had it monday and tuesday for dinner!

Today we tried out Garbanzo beans!! Last night I soaked my beans, and this morning before work {at 5 am} I tossed them in the crock pot with enough water to cover plus and inch or so, a little olive oil, a few dashes of salt, the other half of that onion from sunday, 3 cloves of garlic minced {I chopped the onion and garlic the night before and just had them in the fridge}, and a few dashes of Garam Masala. I got home from work at 3:30 and boy did the house smell amazing!!

I actually couldn't wait for Jon to get home from school before I dug in... I had to make sure they tasted okay!

On my top ten for sure! Chana Masala, a garbanzo bean dish, is one of my favorite entrées from a local Indian restaurant... but this may have just one up-ed Sindu's.

These will go great will a little quinoa.

No pictures of the black beans, but we are having the missionaries over for dinner on sunday so maybe then...

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Meet Zoey

Introducing the newest member to our little family: Zoey

Just after Jon and I got married I talked about wanting to get a little baby kitten- even though I already had a cat... We both agreed though that we had Raja and we didn't need another cat. Well, all I can say is they shouldn't have actual pets in the pet supply stores! We ran in Monday after getting back from Traverse, and that is when I saw her {it was love at first sight actually}. I cooed and coaxed her through the glass for a few minutes before giving Jon my best "I want" eyes and then telling myself to just walk away. When we got home that night Jon asked "Do you think we should get a friend for Raja?" Do I? DO I?! YES! I jumped at his willingness to even think about getting her. We thought and talked about it all day tuesday and when I was at work wednesday afternoon Jon went and filled out the paper work and took her home! She is 3 years old, all black {even her kitty lips and nose}, long hair {still sheds less than our short haired Raja}, declawed/fixed and sweet as can be. She was brought into the humane society just before Christmas so she wan't there long. She just loves to be loved.... all day long {she is sitting next to me and purring away as I write this}!

The catch though- Raja has been the only cat in our tiny 700 square-foot apartment, and is very teritorial... She likes to think she runs the show around this place {we all know who she gets her sass from} So the kitties actually haven't met yet. We did lots of reading, and it can be a slow process, but slowly I think we will get there. Our new kitty has pretty much been confined to our bedroom and bathroom, while Raja has the rest of the house. We are hoping by wednesday Raja will be used to Zoey's scent and we can introduce them. My dream is that they will become best sister kitty friends!!

We'll keep ya'll updated on how everything turns out this week!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Have you ever wondered?

Have you ever wondered what to do with all that left over cilantro??

Every time I buy a batch of cilantro I end up throwing away more than half of it because the recipe only calls for a 1/4 or 1/2 cup, and I feel bad because the rest of the bunch sits in the fridge until its brown and slimy.... BUT NOT ANY MORE!

Today I bought one bunch for some salsa I was making, and last second as I was tempted to just through the rest out {so I didn't have to wait for it to go bad} an idea popped into my head - Cilantro Pesto!?! Could there be such a thing? I googled it, and YES, there is!!!

So tonight for dinner we are having pasta with Cilantro pesto and a sprinkle of lime juice, along with a spinach salad.

Cilantro Pesto (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 bunch of cilantro- stems and all (i just used whatever i had left from making my salsa)
4-5 garlic cloves (i used 5, but next time will probably only use 4)
1 Tbs White wine vinegar ( I didn't have white wine vinegar so i just used plain whit vinegar)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or Pecans (I didn't have either so I used raw almonds and only about 1/3 cup)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil (give or take a little depending on the consistency you want)

Blend everything but the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Once in ground almost to a paste add the olive oil and blend again.

And VOILA- You have a fresh tasting cilantro pesto!

Use on pasta, spread on a turkey sandwich or add to a grilled cheese; the possibilities are endless.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as we will!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.... And A Happy New Year!

This was our first Christmas together ever! And this year we were lucky enough to have ten days in Traverse City. It was a wonderful break; filled will all the Christmasy things that that make this holiday so wonderful. It was fun to be able to share some of my childhood traditions with the person I love the most. We had lots of fun talking about and making plans for our own future Christmas traditions. Since our break was pack full with fun {and relaxing} things I’ll just give a run down that highlights our favorite things.

~Talking to Sister Lara Jane on Christmas day. Thank you technology! Skyping with Lara who is currently living in Bordeaux, France was a total success!! Thankfully she is happy, healthy, and learning lots. We couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift than to see her sweet face. {It was also a nice treat to see some of the Fowler Clan too!!}

~Jon participated in the annual Christmas Cocktail preparations. Since my dad was a child he has had this fruit cocktail made with grapefruit, oranges, and maraschino cherries… it doesn’t sound like much, but after it sets over night a little bit of magic does the rest! Jon made a comment about adding more to the cocktail- but he was quickly shot down. Sorry babe, the cocktail stays just the way it is. It is the only thing that has remained the same through every Christmas season.

~Christmas Day we watched It’s a Wonderful Life. Jon watches it every year, and it had been YEARS since I’d seen it. There may have been a little tear from the both of us at the end… I’m really grateful for all the wonderful souls that have touched my life.

~Our niece Gabby was baptized on New Years Eve. I was lucky enough to be able to give the talk about baptism. It was really fun to be apart of her special day. It was a spiritual moment to see Seth baptize his first daughter because he was the one to baptize me - fun to see the circles of life take place.

~Lot’s of reading, AND not text books {well Jon studied a little}. I finished a few books and started reading the twilight saga again… I loved Breaking Dawn pt 1… so I thought I would refresh my memory for when the last movie comes out!

~Friday was date day for Jon and I. We started the morning out having breakfast with my best friend and her husband. That evening we went to my favorite restaurant in all the land- Trattoria Stella. I love everything about it; the romantic ambiance with its brick walls, candle light at each table, the original art work strewn through out, and of course the extensive menu {that changes weekly} with products from local farms, and meats raised locally too! I have yet to be disappointed with a meal there. The building is also very historic to Traverse City; it used to be the old state hospital building, now being renovated into various shops, art galleries, restaurants, bakeries, and apartments.

~New Year’s was spent at my brother’s house and it was a pretty typical Ellsworth scene. There was lots of wonderful food and dessert, of course plenty of eating {until you can’t breathe}, a few games, family stories {and all the laughter that goes along with the stories}, and a few handful of children running around {plus a couple puppies}. 2011 was pretty fabulous- we’re not sure what could top it, but we are so very excited for what 2012 will bring our happy little marriage.

Now we are back in Lansing and getting things ready for the new year and new semester of school. It was a perfect Christmas holiday thanks to all the loved ones we spent it with. School starts next Monday for Jon so he will be spending the week soaking up his last little bit of freedom. We’re making our list of 2012 goals hoping that there will be some way to make this year better than the last…

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family!