Monday, February 06, 2012

What I made this weekend



It was another beautiful weekend here in San Diego. I broke out the barbie and made sweet potato fries both Saturday and Sunday nights! So good! I especially love the charred, crispy ones :) I also got a craving for some oatmeal cookies. Not sure if this was because I wanted to procrastinate to keep from doing homework or if I was just reminiscent of the days when my Mom packed our lunches, which typically included two homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Oatmeal also helps lower cholesterol and mine has been notoriously high in the past...most likely from familial, genetic causes. Once, I got so sick of eating oatmeal that I fasted from it for at least two years...just the thought of it would make me sick. But now that I've discovered Coaches Oats, I eat it almost every morning with a scoop of peanut butter and honey. I stumbled across the bag at Costco here in SD...never seen it in Bremerton/Seattle. Anyway, I tried the recipe on the back of the bag and the cookies turned out pretty good...a little more hearty than when you just use the old fashioned, quick cook oats by Quaker.




After an insightful church experience this weekend (more on that later), I stopped by the Point Loma library to get my first San Diego County library card! I forgot how much I love the library! I needed some resources for a lesson I'm teaching in class tomorrow night...an inductive lesson on ecosystems...fun times :) I picked up a few over-sized (and extremely heavy) coffee table like picture books of different biomes - rainforest, coral reef, deserts, Yosemite. But then, of course, I had to peruse through the science section and stumbled across, The Invisible Kingdom, a book on microbes and their amazingness :) as wells as Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach. I loved her book Stiff, so I'm hoping this one is just as entertaining. 



It's now, officially Monday morning. I definitely got side-tracked during my homework because a moth kept flying around my head while I was sitting on my bed and I decided that I have moths...clothes moths...and that I need to launder ALL of my clothes, bedding and fabric in order to rid myself of the pests. I found a couple of holes in some shirts and sweaters in the closet awhile back...GROSS! So I threw everything out and separated it into piles to wash and dry clean and then vacuumed out the closet and wiped it down. I then noticed how dirty my white curtains had become and so took those down and wiped out around the window, then vacuumed the blinds and decided that wasn't enough and so I took those down and tried to wash them in the tub...not going to happen, so they are sitting outside on the patio waiting to be hosed down in the morning! Despite the chaotic state of my room and mind, I was able to finish my lesson planning and write this blog entry...maybe I am more of a night person than I realize??? nah :) I can't wait to get up and finish cleaning in the morning so I better get some rest! 

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Hiking San Diego

This past Saturday was a beautiful day, not only because it was my friend Deidra's birthday! but because we spent it hiking in God's magnificent creation. The scenery here in Southern California is quite different from the lush green forests and snow capped mountains of the Northwest. It is a different beauty that I hope you can appreciate from some of the pictures below.

Whenever I am out hiking in the mountains, I can't help but feel closer to the Lord. I'm reminded of Psalm 121, which I learned at a young age, from visits to Packwood where it was hanging in the bathroom of the butterhut :) Here is the passage; I hope the words encourage you today and whenever you find yourself in need!


God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.


Sunset Cliffs - these cliffs are within running/biking distance from my house and span the west side of Point Loma



Torrey Pines - a state park/reserve that includes coastline just north of LaJolla; one of the first places my roommates took me when I moved to San Diego





Volcan Mountain - a short hike near Julian




Potato Chip Rock @ Mt. Woodson - A hike that starts at the base of Lake Poway and includes famous, potato chip rock...a sliver of a rock off a cliff, perfect photo opportunity!










Mt. Cuyamaca - the second highest peak in San Diego County; hiked twice, once with snow and the second time this past weekend with Deidra!











Thursday, February 02, 2012

Wednesday highlights


Yesterday, I spent time planting lettuce, spinach and herb seeds for the start of my vegetable garden. I was able to splurge on a new pair of gloves, potting soil and planter box at Home Depot with an old gift card. 
(I must have returned something and received store credit, although now I'm thinking about how useful gift cards to Home Depot are...great gift idea!) It's amazing to me how a seed so small, yet big in the cellular world, contains all the genetic information and initial ingredients for life! I'm excited to do a little more research beyond the obvious needs for the seed to start developing...if all goes according to plan in about a week to 10 days I should have little sprouts coming up from under the surface! That is if the neighbor's cats don't disturb them :) 

The other excitement to my day yesterday was discovering that tis the season for Girl Scout cookies! I couldn't help but support my dry cleaner's granddaughter by purchasing a few of my favorites and am trying a new one...Savannah Smiles, a lemon variation. I've already broken into the Samoas! 


The real highlight from yesterday though, was spending time catching up with friends. I was able to Skype with Emily and the Drennans and catch up on the phone with Jennie. I even gave a little piano concert to Malia and Peter...such good sports for listening to me! I'm lucky we have so many different ways to keep in touch despite the long distances. It's always good to get a little piece of home. I love it here in San Diego, but I miss family and friends at times...if I only I could get them to all move down here! :)







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