Like a Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

I wanted to write a post dedicated to school starting again. This is supposed to be my last first week of school of my masters. The jury is still out on whether I'll actually graduate this semester. All that aside, this is also the first semester that I'm not actually in a classroom for my classes. My two graduate courses consist of thesis credits and an online Feminist Theory course. Thank goodness I am taking an Old Testament institute course and teaching the Writing Fellow Tutoring Practicum or I'd be done for. The feel of being a room filled with desks does something for my soul.

That being said, I am already feeling super duper ready to be done. I say "done" because I mean finished with the projects which have been haunting me for several semesters, mainly my thesis. This blog is not the place to vent my frustrations about figuring out a graduate thesis so I will move on.

So far this semester, life has been ideal. I get up at give with Neal, fix breakfast and see him off. Then I get ready and bike up to campus. I'm there before 7:30. The English building is quite empty at that time. In my spacious office I try to work on three projects: work, Feminist Theory, and thesis. By three I am so ready to go. I bike down the hill, stopping at the store if I need anything for dinner. I try to accomplish one major chore per day. And I cook dinner. Then Neal and I try to relax after a full and busy day. We sleep and repeat.

So by ideal I really mean exhausting, but productive.

Today I had Neal drop me off before he left for work, which means I had an even better perspective on the English building: 6 am. Boy was it...peaceful. The more work I do for my thesis early in the morning, the more I realize that mornings for me were meant for thinking, not sleeping.

But in the afternoons, I get to do the things that feel like accomplishments because I can actually finish them, unlike teaching or learning. So, here are some of the sweet moments Neal and I have enjoyed in the last week or so. Most of these are pictures from bottling some Early Alberta peaches with Neal, my mother, sister-in-law Christina, and two of my nephews. We were at my childhood home. To really understand the incredible accomplishments of my mother, I feel it important to first point out the space she had for cooking for seven children.

Here is it, the entire floor space of the kitchen. No where else has tiling or counter space.

Some of the lovely little peaches, ready to be scalded.

My favorite tradition: for her whole canning history, my mother has used a deep fryer to scald the peaches. The best part is that I've never ever seen her use the fryer for actual frying.

I love Manuel's photo bomb in the back. But really, Isaiah was responsible for my old job: making and pouring the syrup into the bottles, cleaning the rims, and placing the lids. It still may be my favorite job!

My favorite photo of our ridiculousness.

Peaches all ready to be processed. Aren't they beautiful with that rosy center?

Some of our end results. I've tasted some already; it's a delectable experience.

This is not a peach, nor does it have peaches in it. But it's a pizza with farm fresh peppers, squash, and tomatoes; homemade Alfredo and a whole wheat crust. Plus, you get a chance to see how we Whitlocks do pizza: Star Trek style!

Stuffed squash. It's amazing. Ask me for the recipe (or find it on my Pinterest page).

And last but not least, a small batch of whole wheat bread. I like this photo because it shows that I could make two regular loaves, but I choose to make one regular, one medium, and two tiny. The tiny pans (courtesy of Kamisa) are so Neal can take tiny sandwiches to school and eat them with a melancholy face. Then, he is to say, "sandwiches were so much bigger when I was a kid". We've got it all planned out. That's how we're going to make friends with his coworkers.

Well folks, that's all for today. Kinda rambly, but that's what happens during the first week of school.

If You're Stressed, It's Fine Dining We Suggest

So I lost my camera for several weeks. Today I found it: in a random grocery sack in the spare room. Yah, that room hadn't been examined in a while. But little by little I'm bringing this apartment back to order. Tuesday I tackled the master bedroom and finally got around to hanging the decorations. Wednesday I managed some laundry. Today was the spare room. Though it's by no means a masterpiece of interior decorating, I feel like I can think when I'm in there. A plus since I may be working from the home 'office' frequently when the snow starts to fall and I'm stuck figuring out how to bike to campus or how to drive Neal's standard transmission car.

Anyways, I was looking for the camera because I wanted to take a picture (no kidding). You see, a few years ago I took a trip with my dear friends Katie, Whitni, and Rachel, to Canada. While there we stayed in Rachel's family home. I wish I could describe every detail of the restored 1940 decor. Suffice it to say, it was a lovely experience. This was during my time of no dairy, no fat, little sugar, etc. so I had packed my own farina cereal for breakfast. Each day I fixed some and put it in one of the delicate china bowls. I swear the food tasted better because it was so beautiful in the dishes.

The house, with all its restoration, was not enormously expensive in design. The dishes were mismatched china from thrift stores, with family heirlooms on the walls and simple antiques worth squat from Antique's Roadshow, but still lovely. I slept in the gable room during my stay there. Though it was suffocatingly hot and the window wouldn't open because of a gargantuous spider, the little four poster bed with down stuffing, nook and crannies, and morning sunlight made me feel just like Anne of Green Gables. I slept like a dream.

While the trip was enchanting, what really stuck with me was the feeling of it all. We spent a great deal of time just visiting with Rachel's great aunt (?) Priscilla next door. The wonderful lady sometimes couldn't remember who we were, but she was always glad to see us and visit with us. We ate delicious food made from produce provided by the local Hutterite community. We went on early morning walks in the mistiness. We went to a barn dance. And I felt so at peace during those moments.

I want to be the kind of person who has time, who makes time, to visit family and friends frequently. I want to be someone who always has room for an extra person (or several) at the dinner table. For the last...all my life I've been in school. I kept telling myself that someday school would end and I'd be able to settle down a bit. But since starting graduate school I realized that school just keeps going. From my dear married friends, stay-at-home mom friends, and working friends I realize that the crazy schedule never really lets up. So I have tried to become the kind of woman I want to be now, instead of waiting around for the graduation that never seems to come.

Now I may live in a very modern little apartment. But heck, I've got mismatched everything so I figured I might as well go for my dream. So each time Neal and I visit the Deseret Industries, I look through their dishes and find something for my collection. I know china is ridiculous. And I'm a complete klutz. But unlike formal china, this is all mismatched already and comes at a cheap price from the thrift store. So I can break as many as I like! And in the meantime, I can feel like my food is a delight to eat.

Maybe someday I'll have an actual house, with a yard and a gable and somewhere to store things. But I'm not waiting around for my fine china days.

Doesn't that just make you crave some filling creamy wheat?

The view from the gable room window

My newest edition, along with some squash, pepper, tomato pasta

Master bedroom decor (it's not really crooked, that's your imagination)

And finally, I thought I'd share another festive touch: umbrellas in homemade strawberry lemonade.

The End of Summertime

This is it. The end of summer vacation for Neal and I. 

School doesn't officially start for several more weeks, but he had to go to training meetings and I finally had to face the music of my new job's hectic schedule. As my alarm went off at 5:45 this morning I thought I'd had a heart attach. I know, it's only been a week since my summer job ended, but dang that felt early! So, I just snoozed til the late hour of six. For about fifteen minutes it was wretched. Then I remembered that I like mornings, and a schedule. Sort of. 

I don't like dealing with people who don't respond to emails. Nor do I like figuring out the finances for a program with more than 50 tutors. I mean, come on, just fund everything ChASS! But I did enjoy actually dropping Neal off at work today, something that won't happen often after today. I enjoy feeling like I've accomplished something, even if it's just sending a few emails. And I love spending time in Ogden with my mother. 

Speaking of last week, I just want to let you know that Neal and I officially finished watching Deep Space Nine. That means we've finished two Star Trek series. I intend on finishing Voyager as well, but Neal's not into that series. Maybe it's just my feminist ideas coming out, but I do love a strong lead like Janeway. Anyways, I'm rambling. What do you expect when I spend a week watching television, trying new recipes, and leaving dirty dishes strewn about? I've got nothing else to report on. 

Neal and I have been enjoying some fantastic food this week. Another round of Chocolate Beet cake (it's delicious, seriously) and some Beets Au Gratin made us feel semi-healthy. But my favorite was a new recipe for pretzel bites. I substituted some whole wheat so I could pretend they had health benefits, but really they're just spectacularly salty and savory with a extra sharp cheddar sauce. This is why I'll never be the model for good health. I just put vegetables in cake and call it good! I get these recipes from Pinterest, by the way. It's somewhat a point of pride for me to actually use the recipes I pin. And most of them work out, with minimal adjustments. 

Yesterday as we chowed down on pretzels I asked Neal if I'd finally won his heart through food. I have (what a relief). For several months he just said my cooking was 'fine'. Marriage goal #1: impress husband with awesome cooking skills, check. 

As I think of the next year I feel a bit of trepidation. Sure, we'll discover some new recipes, start new jobs, finish school (hopefully). But it all feels so abstract. I mean. What would it be like to actually graduate and NOT return to school? Someday I'll blog about it. Someday...

In case any of you are interested in the base recipes I listed, here are the links!

Chocolate Beet Cake: http://www.yumsugar.com/Chocolate-Beet-Cake-Recipe-20732592

Beets Au Gratin: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beet-and-Feta-Gratin-with-Fresh-Mint-361249

Pretzel Bites: http://www.smells-like-home.com/2012/01/soft-pretzel-bites-with-cheese-sauce/

Around the World in Eight Weeks

Last night was one of those bittersweet moments which typifies my experience as a teacher. My summer teaching is always a bit different than the school year because my students come from so far away. The program is called Global Academy, and it brings students from all over the world (though mostly from the Dominican Republic) to USU for eight weeks of intense summer learning. I had the chance to teach two sections of writing and one of reading. Of course, like many teaching positions the workload can be grueling. Giving feedback on more than thirty English language learner essays each week can take time and a lot of thought. Additionally, these students ask more from me than any other group. They have so many questions. They have so much energy and passion for their work.

So I'd be lying if I didn't say I was relieved for a break from it all.

But yesterday's closing social at the Logan Golf and Country Club was not a sweet release from loads of work. No, it was also a moment of sorrow for saying goodbye to friends I've grown to love in the last few weeks. People may say that isn't possible, that I'm just caught up in the drama of the moment. But working with international students makes me realize just how full of wonderful people this world is. It helps me see the beauty of different cultures and beliefs. It makes me have hope for the future of this world, because of these students and their incredible goals and plans.

I always tell them I will visit them someday.

A part of me knows I probably won't.

There are too many things which get in the way: school, finances, work, and my own fears. But I believe there will be a day when I see my friends from other places again. I do believe someday I'll sit with them in the life beyond this one and learn of their life. And I'll be amazed. Because the struggles and triumphs of my friends always amaze me.

So while most of the students were chatting happily and taking pictures, Neal and I slipped out the back. That is the moment I like to remember: the bustle of friendship before the inevitable parting.

I don't usually cry. I just think about this wide world I live in. I think about the blessing it is to meet so many of God's children. I think about my own life: what will I do with the time I have been given.

And of course, I sleep in. Thank heavens for that.