Close calls

I am reminded of how watched over I actually am. Some days I have a hard time believing that it's true but today I was once again reminded. 

On my way to work I was stuck behind two large trucks who were moving slow so I decided to turn onto a back country road to go a different way towards work. It was cold outside and the ground was frosty but nothing that slowed me down, after all my drive thus far had been uneventful. Once on this back road I came around a corner and I instantly knew it was all black ice. The road was shaded from the sunshine by heavy brush cover so I knew what was going to happen. I was going to slide one way or another. I didn't hit my brakes becasue I knew that would make it worse instead I just went it. As I swerved a car from the other direction came around the corner and I continued to swerve into their lane. They were able to slow down and wait for me to stop spinning all over the lanes. I'm so grateful that I didn't go into the ditch or worse into them. 

Things happen in three for me. I can't explain it but things ALWAYS happen in threes for me. 

Once I had my wits about me I continued on my way and sure enough I hit ice again and ended up on the side of the road. This time however I ended up my side of the road. Luckily there was a filed that was flat and dry so my car treated it like a continuation of the road. I said a little pray in my head and trudged on. I made it to work and was grateful to be safe. Lesson learned.... stay on the beaten path.

Back to the whole things happen in threes for me. This one wasn't nearly as dramatic but none the less threes! 

I went to wash dishes so I grabbed my apron to put on. Inches before I slipped it over my head (keep in my mind it usually touches my face... trust remember this!) this caught my eye.... 

Do you see it????? Here's a close up...

OMG!!! I can barely stand to type knowing this picture is on my screen! Eww! To think it almost touched my face! Makes me shiver! 

I know some of my blessings are small and some are huge but I'm grateful for them. I'm also even more aware of how protected I am. Whomever is watching for me I'm glad they are there and hope they stick around for a long time to come.

Pride (in the name of love)

I had a lovely Monday... I haven't said that in a LONG time! I'm so happy I made the switch into my new job and I know it was the best choice for me! Brittany and I had lunch together which was nice to catch up. 

After work Linda and I went to the gym and worked out. I really wanted to do more but my body said "uncle". I kept trying to push through but my body was not listening. I'm determined to push myself to see the results I want. I guess it's not so much about a result but more of how I feel about my physical shape. I really liked the way I looked in 2011 and would like to be back at that point.  This is what I'm going for...

Enough about that it's now time for music Monday's selection. 

Because today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day I deiced to select this song. 

Love to all!

P.S. My friend Nicole is in town for one night only and I hope I will get to see her before she heads home. Wish me luck that we can at least say hi sometime tomorrow before she goes home! Fingers crossed!

Desk up-cycle

One of my former co-workers used the term 'up-cycle' a lot because she would take unwanted items and make them functional once again. So, I'm going to say she invented the term and now I'm borrowing it. You really needed to know all of this, right?

So, I received this desk a while back.... remember this. Well, I got a free desk for my new apartment.  The desk was in storage and had several large scratches all over it. I should have taken a better before shot but trust me the desk was in need of a new paint job.

I should also mention that I made several calls to my Dad for advice as far what grit of sand paper to use and how many coats of paint and so forth. I'm glad I called him as I had no idea I needed to use a layer of primer... that could have been bad!

Now, back to the before shot...

All disassembled. Thank you power tools!

All sanded down. I know the the piece on the left is much more sanded down than the others and that's because it's the desk surface so I wanted to make it was very smooth.

All wiped down and ready for the primer.

Primer on and drying.

It was way too cold/humid so I had to move the whole project inside. Before I moved it all inside I did a lite sanding and wiped everything down once again.

First coat of paint.

Second coat of paint.

All dry and ready to be reassembled.

After I had reassembled the desk with thanks to Linda as I couldn't quite get one of the screws to cooperate with me I had to clean up my mess. Keeping it real folks! I'm being VERY sarcastic as this project was nearly mess free!

The finished project!

Ta-da!

Puppies!

I volunteered at my favorite animal sanctuary once again....

Here's our after shot of volunteering.

I showed up a few minutes early so I was able to get ***in my opinion*** the best job.... cleaning out the puppy pen! Now, before you go and think I'm crazy for WANTING to clean out a puppy pen know I love puppies and I can't understand people who don't. Here's the sort of before shot.

The 10 sweet babies waiting for me to finish cleaning. Can you see the little love bug in the back howling?

All clean and ready for a parade of puppies!

This heaven for me. Absolute heaven!

I had a heck of a time getting out of the pen but once I did I 

wanted right back in. How can you resist these faces?

After such an exciting morning they crashed.

But like puppies still had energy to watch as I made them some toys.

I used scrap fleece that I cut into strips and then braided/knotted to make tug of war ropes. Or more realistically something for them to chew on besides human hands. You should see all of the puppy bite marks all over me!

After a few of minutes of watching me they were asleep once again.

I encourage everyone to volunteer anywhere.... meals on wheels, the animal shelter, the senior center.... ANYWHERE! Volunteering is very rewarding and fulfilling.... and if I do say so myself heavenly!

De-stress?

I had a rough... no crappy.... no..... horrible morning! The day started out lovely but I had literally just sat down at my desk when the phone rang (normal) and the person on the other line communicated that they were going to do something very bad. I really wish I could tell you but for some reason I don't think it's appropriate to share on here or anywhere in general. Basically this post is more therapeutic for me than anything really. After the call was addressed I took a walk outside to clear my head but the rest of my day was off. My new co-workers were so supportive and understanding which looking back at the day's events I'm ever so grateful. When I got home I cleaned which helped me to do something that was so routine and boring. How do you de-stress from a tough day?

Nine

Today I went to the gym and worked out. I have not been to the gym in over a week due to getting over my cold. I'm happy to report that I have lost 9 pounds. Before you go and applaud me know I'm pretty sure the weight that was lost was from my cold. Now, I need to keep it off. I'm very close to my ideal weight and these 9 pounds sure helped me along! Anyways.... yay 9 pounds down!

I was also able to talk to my sister about her upcoming wedding and sort of figure some things out. Those plans coincide with a multi state trip (fingers crossed!) for me so hopefully by next week I will have some sort of plan finalized.... stay tuned!

New tables

Did your Tuesday feel like a Monday too? Well, mine did.

My morning started off rough in that I had a very vivid nightmare. When I woke up I found all of my covers off of me. Then it clicked. I have nightmares when I'm cold. Silly covers trying to escape me. 

Work was a little tricky in the morning because we got new conference room tables and they are now wider than the previous ones. Before the new tables I was able to barely sneak around the room to get to the copier, printer, fax machine and the very important coffee pot. Now, I'm literally trapped in my desk when the tables are are in use. My new plan is to climb over my counter top height desk to escape.... not really. But, I can't help but laugh at the idea. Some day. 

In the afternoon the sun came and all was right in world. 

After work I went to see this handsome fella:

Have I told you how much I adore him? Well, I do!

While driving home I realized that my favorite simple pleasure is listening to the radio really loud and driving. Pork and beans came on and my Tuesday turned into Friday... well almost! 

Summertime Sadness

I'm finally on my way to feeling better! Last week I was sick with a head cold. It seems to be going around so it was only fitting that it was my turn. Sharing is caring.... not in this case! Anyway, my cold is finally relenting! Yay!  

I had an impromptu lunch get together with Brittany which was nice. She cracks me up! 

On my way home I was thinking about how much I miss these people...

 

Yes, we were dumpster diving for my cousin, Brittney's (not to be confused with my friend Brittany) retainer. She accidentally threw it away at lunch so my aunt, cousins and I sifted through a dumpster of old food to find her retainer. The grossest thing I have ever done but not going to lie it was fun... ONLY becasue I was with my family! Anyways, I miss my Utah family and I hope to see them all soon!

Random note-I painted my nails black. I'm going for the edgy look for tomorrow. Why you ask. Just because. I hope I don't come off as a goth person. I shall find out sooner rather later.
 
For music Monday I chose summertime sadness because I'm missing the sun. Yes, THE sun. I'm so over winter... too bad it just started. Lame. Happy Monday!

Turkey and Rice Soup

I decided to make some soup tonight. With all of this crazy weather soup was defiantly in order. It ended up being more of a stew consistently. Here it is:

Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to the pot and saute' 4 carrots thinly sliced, 4 stocks of celery also thinly sliced and 1 whole yellow onion finely chopped.

 While the veggies are cooking microwave 1/2 cup a water until it's nearly boiling. Get your better than bullion ready too! Add 8 teaspoons bullion paste and stir to dissolve.

 I'm making a short cut here... I want to insure that the better than bullion is dissolved into the water so I'm adding a lot of bullion to a little bit of water so when I actually do add the water to the soup everything will mix nicely. I hope that makes sense.... it took way too long to type out to explain. Moving on....

 Once the veggies are limp add 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic 

and a heavy dash of salt and pepper.

 Now add the bullion and 7 and 1/2 cups water. 7 1/2 is to make an even 8 cups of water.... makes sense right? This pretty much the base to every soup I make. However, we are making turkey and rice so we must continue on.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and add 4 cups 

chopped cooked turkey breast.

 Stir to combine.

 Add three cups white rice. I used the instant variety.

 Cover and let cook on low for 10 minutes.

 Stir and serve.

It's hearty but light. 

Enjoy!

Confession

I have a confession to make. 

I joined an online dating site. 

For those of you that already know me you know that I have tried online dating before. This time is different in that I'm actually paying for the service. My hope was that with paying for the service the quality potential match would be better/there would be more potential matches. 

So, far no luck.

I'm wondering if are my expectations are too high. Maybe I'm expecting too much. Mr. Right may very well not exist at all. Should I settle? Should I just face the fact that I will be single forever? Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm not funny, fit or pretty enough. I'm no model so maybe it really is me.

I've said it before and I will say it again being single is not fun. No fun at all.

Anniversaries

Today marks two anniversaries for me. 

Today is my seven year anniversary with my employer. As you know I switched departments in November but I know I made the right choice. I miss my former co-workers but the group I work with is just as awesome! Here's one of my favorite pictures of my former group. We were the cast of the Wizard of Oz for Halloween!

I haven't talked a whole lot about my up bringing on here a whole lot and maybe some day I will open up a little bit more but for now I'm keeping it limited. With that being said know that growing up I only had TWO men in my life who were wonderful, thoughtful, caring, respectful and loving. Those two men were my Grandpa and his son, my uncle John. All of the other men in my life at that time were jerks, dirt bags, abusive, manipulative, hurtful and down right scum. So, when I talk about how much I miss my Grandpa know that I have VERY few good men in my life and two years ago today I lost the best one. Today is also the two year anniversary of Grandpa's passing.

The day before I heard about my Grandpa taking a significant decline in health I went to a fun center with my friend Brittany and her husband Kevin for an evening of fun and laughs. Little did I know in this picture that the next day I would loose such an important person in my life. 

I received a call from my family that my Grandpa was very ill and he would be leaving this earth and continuing his journey into heaven very soon. I spent most of the morning crying, listening to music, feeling numb and alone. Once I was updated that he had passed peacefully with family surrounding him I knew he was at peace and in a much better place. My immediate family and I headed out a few days later to join the rest of my family for the funeral a few states away. 

Here's a link to my Grandpa's obituary. 

My Uncle John's wife, my lovely Aunt Macrina, her sister and I made all of the flowers for the funeral. It was nice to focus my energy into something productive.

 My siblings and I were able to spend time with my Grandma and offer her our love and support. My Grandpa taught us all to love one another.

 My Grandpa instilled in us a strong sense of work ethic. Here is my youngest cousin, Jacob, and my little brother, Brandon setting up the reception for after the funeral. The boys worked hard to get a task done.

 My Mom is the oldest of my grandparents' children. My siblings and I are some of the oldest out of all of us cousins. My Grandpa taught all of us to lead by example.

 This picture will forever be ingrained in my mind as a memory of true, honorable, caring men helping my Grandpa.

 I will also forever remember this moment as my little brother assisted my Grandma, just as my Grandpa showed us how serve others.

 My Grandpa also taught us the importance of family, just as this picture of all of my cousins swarming my Mom with a giant group hug demonstrates.

 I will forever live by the example that my Grandpa set for me. I know he was a true testament of what every man should be and for that I'm thankful that I had the very best one in my life.

 I love you forever and always Grandpa.

Love, 

Melissa

Nutella Brownies

I had leftover mascarpone cheese and needed to use it up so I made these sinfully delicious brownies!

 

Measure 1/3 cup of the best bittersweet chocolate you have.

Chop the chocolate into tiny pieces.

Melt one cup butter in the microwave.

Add the chopped chocolate to the butter and stir until all of the chocolate is melted.

In a separate bowl sift together 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cocoa powder.

In yet another bowl add 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, 

3 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

I tried mixing the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon... big joke!

Using your HAND MIXER combine the wet ingredients.

So, now you have your melted chocolate/butter, sugar/cocoa and wet ingredients.

Add the cocoa/sugar mix to the wet ingredients and combine.

Pour in the chocolate/butter next.

Combine.

Now sift in 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Mix until combine. Set aside.

Place 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a skillet.

Roast on low to medium heat stirring every minute or so. You will know they are done withe skins turn darker and you the smell of toasting hazelnuts compels you to reach into the pan and try one while it's till a million degrees!

Using a paper towel rub the skins off. If a few skins remain it's ok. 

Reserve 1/4 cup for garnish.

Chop 1/2 cup of the toasted hazelnuts.

Fold into the batter.

Pour the batter into a buttered 8X8 dish. 

Say that 10 times fast!

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. When the brownies came out of the oven the edges had puffed up which was fine by me but these were going to be for a group so I wanted it to be nicer looking. So, I removed the edges and placed the 'pretty' part of the brownie on a cutting board.

Don't worry the edges were devoured later!

Spread 3/4 cup nutella all over the COOLED (very important!) brownies.

Top with the reserved 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.

This recipe made exactly 16 servings, trust me the smaller servings go a long ways! The brownie got better after the following day so these would be great to make a day ahead. 

Enjoy!