The Good Life

Whenever one chapter in life closes and another is about to open I think it is natural to reflect. The last few days, as I have been doing a lot of “lasts,” last time to my grocery store, last time seeing that smiling face, last day driving by that building, last time eating my favorite salad in the world…I have been very sad. I have met some WONDERFUL (stress WONDERFUL) people in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota and I will miss them dearly. I know that life is going to be extremely challenging for the next six years in Texas, mostly because I will be lucky to see my husband, and even luckier to see him awake. I am bracing myself for a lot of loneliness…being in a new, big city with no partner to explore it with me. (VISITORS WELCOME, home cooked meal included) But, he accomplished his goal and is going where he wants to be. I was able to accomplish my first career goal in Omaha, and now I will have to make new ones…goals not just in my career but to balance my life. Ohh…this will be a wild ride.
My sister in law Chrissa inspired this post, as I saw this that she wrote about herself and it was extremely interesting. I learned things I never knew. This forced me to remember things I have done and I must say, Nebraska has been the best thing that has happened to me in a while. I have loved it here. I have become ME here.

Since living in Omaha…
Things I have been (in chronological order)…a wife, a kitty mama, a copier sales rep, a pharmaceutical sales consultant, a pontiac driver, a first time homeowner, a decorator, a boxer mama, a healthy cook, a jeep driver, a good wife, able to live on a budget, a neat & clean freak, a pacifica driver, a baker, a very hard worker, a good girlfriend to girlfriends, a husker fan, a 1600 miles per week driver, a photographer, a President’s Circle winner, a volvo driver, proud of my accomplishments, a doctor’s wife, a captain’s wife, a better person than I was when I got here.

When living in Texas...
Things I hope to be...a mommy, a patient wife, a busy person, an educator, a painter (again!), a great friend to girlfriends, a volunteer, a master budgeter, a gardener, conscious of the environment, an even better person than when I got there. And surely this list will grow…

Niiiice!!

This caught my attention (and brought back memories!!!) on my yahoo "most viewed photos"...four years ago my hubby was on this stage, shaking hands with this man, wearing that same fancy getup. [USAFA has a four year speaker cycle, the president spoke in 2004...] No chest bumping occurred!

(AP)-President Bush and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Theodore Shiveley, from Plano, Texas, bump chests during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, Wednesday, May 28, 2008, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

I've been a little absent and will continue to be for about another week in a half. Been from Omaha [home] to California [Brother is a college grad!] to Puerto Rico [for work, rough, I know] and back. Two graduations, a faraway business trip, packing a house & moving cross country within three weeks is enough for anyone to go insane. I'll be back soon...but not until I am living in TEXAS! I have tons of stuff to talk about and some beautiful pictures to share...the fluorescent bay in PR, the new butterfly exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo...stay tuned. Until then, I will remember the serenity of the deep blue sea...and try [TRY] to remain calm!

Spring!

I snuck away from the week o' Tommy festivities (yes, I am now married to a guy with a big fat M.D. after his name! Yay for him!) to capture this in my backyard. The trees are in bloom and are as vibrant as ever. I used the Photoshop technique of the "Gaussian Blur" to create this masterpiece. I am definitely going to miss my backyard. I am inheriting a gigantic oak tree, but somehow, Texas just wont be the same as the good 'ol Midwest.

Martha's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Miss Maggie & I were committed to what would [sadly] be our last baking date in Omaha...and we decided to tackle not just one, but TWO Martha Recipes! This was the first, a birthday cake for Sandy. We were joined by the lovely Annie, who kept us entertained with tidbits from the latest publication of Good Things.

So, the cake...we made it from scratch. Since we ended up with 9 inch cake pans instead of 8 inch, we had to settle for a four layer cake instead of a six layer. What fun! Once the layers were baked, I sliced the top dome off to flatten the top layer off. Alex lended me his AMAZING Wusthof Baker's knife that I would just die for. I am sooo jealous he snagged it for an incredible bargain at Sur La Table...ahhh someday! I bought a cake slicer to experiment with. Once I got the wire in (started the slice with the knife) I could run the wife pretty effortlessly. It worked great!



All four layers, stacked & ready for frosting.

We had a slight oversight when we went to make Mrs. Millman's frosting (had to be at the party in 45 min) and realized that it took 30 minuted to combine & over 2 hours to cool...WHOOPS! I put in a thin layer in a roasting pan and threw it in the freezer to expedite cooling and was able to get it cool enough to frost in about 1:30. Not too bad...but we were soooo late! I snapped a quick picture of it before we left, and one more of the last slice left when we got home. It was a hit!

MMMmmmmmmm...

Ahhh it's storm season...

Maybe it's because I didn't grow up in a place that had severe springtime storms, but they really do just scare the crap outta me! I am a weather nut to begin with, but throw storms into the mix and it becomes an all out obsession. I was lucky enough to be about 10 minutes ahead, and south of a sky full o' nastiness this week in South Dakota and the leading cloud was so impressive I just had to share!

[taken from 1-29 exit 26 outside of Vermillion, South Dakota]

[It was trying to catch me, but I out drove it! Left Sioux Falls just in time!]

[And this was a pretty neighborhood shot I took just a month ago in McKennan Park in Sioux Falls]

Dooce

Stumbled across this blog and I think I could read it for hours on end...she is undoubtedly one of the most creative & talented writers on the web. Her sense of humor = my sense of humor. She gives mommies at home a big voice. Enjoy!

Check it: DOOCE