A Year to Be Grateful

One year ago today, my sweetie left the hospital after a two-week stay. He's been so healthy over the last year. Remicade, which truthfully has some long-term downsides, has been the drug that has finally worked for him. No down days (at least physically), no prolonged diet of Ensure. He resumed Brazilian jiujitsu a couple of months later, after seven years away. Six months to the day after he left the hospital, he was awarded his blue belt. (Jiujitsu, unlike some other martial arts, requires a fairly long arc from belt to belt.) This weekend, he's competing in a jiujitsu tournament.




This year hasn't been without its struggles. His employment isn't what it needs to be, and the goal of becoming a physician's assistant has had some roadblocks placed in the way. We're really not any closer to moving to Utah to be nearer the kids than we were a year ago. But I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. I know he listens to our prayers and blesses us. Sometimes it's not in the way we've planned, but I've had enough experience to know that His way is far better than the way I think things should go.

Picture Gallery

Our painter friend, Andy, touched up the signatures on our wedding photo's mat. They had become faded, and we were really sad to have the memento of our reception just become a happy memory. I could sit and stare at it all day now. Actually, these photos do not do it justice. It looks much better-proportioned in person.

A little closer...

Good times!

A lovely surprise greeted me when I came home from work today. My CAQ certificate, beautifully framed, along with two laminated copies for future use. It was well worth the money.


The rest of my diplomas and certificates remain unframed, sadly. It seemed like I needed a copy of them every couple of years, and even if I made several copies, I'd still run out of them. I need to make a goal of getting one framed every other month. It will only take me a year and a half to get everything framed.

Say Cheese!

The catalyst for my cheesemaking was the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,by Barbara Kingsolver. The book chronicles Barbara and her family's year of eating only what they can produce on their farm or what has been locally grown. Barbara's daughter contributed chapters about each month's bounty and how they prepared it. That was my favorite part of the book. Barbara was somewhat preachy, and her husband was insufferable.

Anyway, they described making mozzarella cheese at home. It was made partially on the stove and partially in the microwave, and it only took 30 minutes. Well, I love cheese, and I enjoy trying new recipes, so the desire to make my own mozzarella was born.

I couldn't find rennet anywhere in San Diego (it's possible that it's out there, but I never discovered it), so I ordered a kit from www.cheesemaking.com. It was only $30-something with shipping, and arrived within a week. The kit contained everything I needed except for milk and water.

It was reasonably quick and easy, and the results were great. I took some in to work today, along with homemade French bread. It was a big, big hit.

So, amaze your family and friends! Make your own cheese!

Cheesemaking 101

I finally got around to trying my mozzarella cheesemaking kit. Go to www.cheesemaking.com to order your own, also to view a video of a pro making mozzarrella.

Here's my first attempt:

The kit



The contents

Starting out

One gallon of whole milk, some citric acid and water

After the rennet solution has been added and the mixture has been allowed to sit

Curds and whey



Microwave for a minute, then pour off whey, microwave for 30 seconds
Stretching it


Chill it


We're waiting for the french bread to be done to eat it.

Movie Review

Good movie? Yes! I recommend it.

Oscar-worthy? Eh.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

The other day, I was listening to the weather report on the radio. When the announcer said, "Expect sprinkles at the end of the week," I thought, "Mmmmm...sprinkles," and pictured cupcakes.

I Netflixed "The Hustler" and "Cool Hand Luke" as Paul Newman memorial film festival. Frankly, I wasn't particularly whelmed by either movie. But PN certainly was a handsome man.

Pretty Close To Perfect

We had a very nice time snowboarding at Brighton on Saturday. I finally figured out how to get off the lift without biffing it, only threw two major tantrums, and made it all the way down the mountain without falling or freaking out at least three times. I will not have a problem trading my surfboard for a snowboard when the time comes.


I had Settebello pizza, Limonata and Nutella gelato.


No, it's not Hallowe'en. We are dressed up for interviews. They went well.

And lastly, I got an amazing deal at Banana Republic--a $225 jacket for $14.50. It's darling. Trust me, since I don't have a picture right now.

Oh, Honestly!!

I've been tagged by Steph O. to post an "Honest Scrap", or list ten honest things about myself. Okay. Here it goes, and I'm not going to tag anyone else, so don't worry. If you want to make a similar post, knock yourself out.

1. I am not particularly graceful socially. Case in point: I was having dinner in Salt Lake with my family this last week, when an acquaintance of mine from NYC walked into the restaurant. If we had made eye contact, I would definitely have said hello, happily. As it was, I was too shy to go up and say hi to him.

2. Most reality shows make me feel very embarrassed for the participants. I can't stand to watch them. I make an exception for What Not To Wear.

3. I've been drinking Coke or Diet Coke since I was six months old, and I see no reason to stop now.

4. I have a now-not-secret wish to win the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

5. Celebrity gossip is a weakness of mine, but I am getting better at curbing it.

6. Lately, I have been listening to old-skool rap on my XM radio--and liking it.

7. I am not particularly technologically savvy.

8. Am I done yet?

9. There are some people in this world that I would love a free pass to just smack the crap out of, no repercussions. But that will never happen.

10. When my husband is sick, I really get worried.