Hot off the presses

Sooooo, I’ve been a little busy this fall, which might explain the lack of posts on this blog. Ok, I’ll be honest, that’s not why, but it sounds better than the truth.

But, I have been busy you see. I spent a good four months working on a book editing project, and look what showed up in my mailbox yesterday!

fruits of my labor

I get that it’s not the sexiest project I ever hope to work on, but you’ve gotta start somewhere, right? Plus, a good friend gave me the hook up on this one. It really is about who you know. Double plus, someone actually agreed to pay me to edit a book.

So, if you are interested in learning more about how to merge and/or acquire an insurance marketing company, have I got the perfect book for you!

Now onto the next project – my friend’s father wrote his memoirs. While most of the editing is done, they need someone to do publicity on the book. It’s a good thing I have diversified my skill set. You should hear more from me this spring, so get ready!

Learning to cook at 30

It’s true, I’m turning 30 soon. To say I’m not happy about it is an understatement.

But, it’s one of those things you cannot change. Instead, I’ve decided I need to embrace this upcoming year and make it one of my best yet. I need to tackle my fears, learn new skills, and accomplish (or at least work toward) some major life goals.

My first project is going to be learning to cook. I realize I’m jumping the gun here by about 3 months, but I wanted to take advantage when inspiration strikes. So, here I am, almost 30 and I really don’t know how to cook beyond the basics. My mom is a wonderful cook, so are both grandmothers. Yet, I can’t stand the thought of being in the kitchen. Now, baking is a different story. I have no qualms about that, mostly because you mix everything together and you don’t have to touch it while it bakes for 30 minutes or so. Cooking in my mind takes so much effort and time, and I really don’t have patience for that.

But in the interest of being an adult and having good things to eat at mealtimes, I am going to climb this mountain. I’m going to push myself to try new recipes and make things I normally wouldn’t want to eat. Yes, I am a picky eater. While I don’t think I’ll ever not be a picky eater, I can at least try new things.

So far I’ve cooked two new recipes this week. One was ok and I’d make it again with some modifications. The other is delicious and I think I’m going to add it to my list of go-to meals.

Yesterday I made shrimp risotto with sweat peas. For some reason the shrimp did not taste good to me in this recipe. Maybe fresh shrimp would be better than frozen. But, I loved the rest of it. Peas are my favorite vegetable, so this recipe is a no-braienr for me. Take a look:

Shrimp risotto with sweat peas

Tonight I made saucy tomato orecchiette. It is a super easy recipe and I love it because it makes one serving – perfect for me!

Saucy tomato orecchiette

My adventures begin with the Big Girls Small Kitchen cookbook. My friend recommended this cookbook to me, and so far most of the recipes look great. If anyone has any good recipes, I’d love to know about them. Please share. Here’s to a fabulous 30th year filled with lots of good food!

Finding Hope in Hope – Part 2

In my last post, I mentioned how stressed out I had been. A lot of that had to do with feeling distant from God. In essence, this vacation was a break from my job, a chance to work on the book I’m editing, and a spiritual retreat to connect with God.

One thing I had asked God for on this trip was that He show Himself to my in very real and tangible ways. And boy, did he come through!

On my second, maybe third night, at the cottage, I was having trouble lighting the grill. I probably had gone in and out of the back door four times, and then on the fifth time I decided to close the door all the way. I finally lit the grill, turned around to go back inside only to find myself locked out of the cottage!

Now, this is when I went into what I call “Jenny mode.” Whenever I get myself into trouble or a jam, I go through every option I have to get myself out of it – and then I freak out. So, I thought maybe, just maybe, I had left the front door unlocked when I got home that day. But no, my roommate has taught me too well, and I religiously lock the doors behind me. Then I thought to check the basement door; it too was locked. My next option was to interrupt the construction crew next door, but for some reason I was hesitant to go bug them (but, it was a last resort). This is when I started to freak out.

You see, this cottage is really in the middle of no where. Sure, there are some neighbors, but I hadn’t seen any signs of life at any of the other cottages around. And the nearest town is three miles away, which would require walking through the woods. Did I mention it was getting dark out? No thank you!

So, I’m stuck out here alone with nothing to help me – my car keys, cell phone and wallet were all locked safely inside the cottage. Visions of being stranded outside all night start to flash through my head, and I become very worried. But then, it was as if God said, “I am here.” Now this cut through the panic going through my head, and I just knew that God would find a way out of this for me. I decided to walk over to one of the neighbors’ houses to see if anyone was around. The first two were empty, but then, when I hadn’t seen a single car on this road the entire time I’ve been there, one drives by me and pulls into a drive. So, I followed it in and explained my predicament.

Getting locked out of your house is a great way to meet the neighbors! Maria was very helpful. While I just wanted to call for a locksmith, she thought we could probably find a way in. Eventually, we found a window that was unlocked, and I was able to climb though. I would never considered doing this. One would think a girl from the farm would be a little more resourceful . . .

Problem #1 solved, and I got to sleep in my bed that night!

Two days later, I find myself in another jam. I wanted to go up north to view the best fall foliage, which meant a good 2 hour drive or so. About 30 minutes into my journey, I see a message in the car telling me that one of the tires has low pressure. The only thing I know  about this situation is that gas stations have air pumps, but I have no idea how to use them! And besides, I’ve been driving for 30 minutes and haven’t seen one gas station. So, I called my mom (isn’t that what we always do?); she stayed on the phone until I finally found a gas station, and kept me sane. I tend to freak out when I don’t know how to fix problems.

At the gas station, all the tires look fine to me, but what do I know! So, I went inside the gas station/grocery store to buy a tire gauge. I must have looked lost, so this nice young guy took pity on me. Apparently they didn’t sell tire gauges, but he knew the air pump outside had one. Luckily, he even knew how to use it! One tire had lost half it’s pressure (yet looked fine to me)! He filled it up and I was on my way north.

God totally provided the right people at the right time all week long. Along with the evidence of His beautiful creation I saw at every turn, He showed me of His love and faithfulness. It was just another way I found Hope in Hope.

Finding Hope in Hope – Part 1

I have always said (mostly to myself) that I do not want to be defined by my job. I would like to think there is a lot more to me than being a public relations professional or as a writer/editor. These are things I enjoy, but there are more important things that define who I am.

Today was my first day back in the office after a blissful 12 days of rest and relaxation. I spent one weekend with my friend Bindu in New York City doing the things we love the most – wandering the city and going to a Yankees game. Then I headed north to Hope, Maine (yes, the “in Hope” in the title of this post). I rented the most charming cottage on a lake about 10 minutes from the coast. My goal: relax, edit a book (more on that later), relax, nap, do a few touristy things, relax, and most importantly reconnect with God.

You see, even though I don’t want to be defined by my work, my day-to-day job was defining my character and my well-being. I’ve had eight months of enduring a new boss who is not qualified for her job, weeks on end of working extra hours, and a summer spent dealing with general government craziness. Translate: I’ve spent the better part of the past year stressed out, emotional, angry, frustrated, unhappy, miserable, depressed and unsure of my future and my relationship with God. And on top of everything wreaking havoc on my mind and heart, my body has been suffering. The last several months have left me with a feeling of exhaustion, migraines, stomach pains, heart palpitations, nausea, and a general feeling of being unwell.

You can see why I needed a vacation.

God knew what he was doing when I found this cottage . . . in Hope, Maine of all places. The name of the town says it all right there. My time in Maine was exactly what I had hoped and needed. I had left my co-workers with a long, detailed list of everything that would need to be done in my absence, and I didn’t look back. In fact, 10 days rolled by before I even had one thought about what was supposed to be happening at the office. It was at this point I realized that I had spent more than a week being very happy, relaxed and content. I felt amazing and none of the health problems I had been experiencing in DC followed me to Maine. God was even answering my prayers in very practical, obvious ways, showing me His nature, grace and love. I realized I had given this job too much power over my life instead of handing that power over to God.

Because I rather enjoy having a place to live and food to eat, my job is something I can’t change at the moment. But, I can change my attitude toward my job and the way I let it affect me (or in my case, not let it affect me). On my walk into the office today, I made a pact with God and myself. I will not let this job get me down anymore. It isn’t going to dictate whether I am happy or not. I am not going to let other people’s ineptitude or inability to prepare make my life crazy. While I will still do my job to the best of my ability, I care far too much about other things to let the hours of 8:00 to 5:30 dictate my life.

My time in Hope left me with hope that life is worth so much more. I actually do have other things I’d like to focus my attention on. I have hope that God can and will turn things around. And you know what? Today was a great day – even though I had 800+ emails waiting for me, people knocking down my door and a very relieved boss that I actually came back. I tackled my inbox throughout the day, answered everyone’s questions and took over work from my very worried boss – and then I left the office on-time with a smile on my face.

I like my new mantra. Hope, indeed!

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

P.S. – For those who are actually interested in reading about my life, there will be a part 2, and if you’re lucky a part 3, about my time in Maine. Complete with pictures! While I would like to promise a posting date, I think I’ll keep you waiting on the edge of your seat.

World’s Largest Ball of Paint

I started out the summer with a roadtrip to Toronto and Niagara Falls over Memorial Day, so it was only fitting that I closed out the season with another roadtrip. Ten hours (and some change) behind us and four of my good friends and I ended up in Muncie, Indiana. Why Muncie, you ask? Well, another friend of mine just started grad school at Ball State University, and this was the perfect opportunity to make a visit.

In the week leading up to the trip, we all started wondering what we were going to do in Muncie. I mean it’s not exactly a tourist destination. But when you have the power of Google on your side, you can find almost anything to keep you entertained anywhere you end up.

This past weekend we tasted the amazing culinary delights of Concannon’s Pastry Shop (amazing!!), strolled the gardens of Minnetrista, explored the mysteries behind the earthen mounds at Mounds State Park, toured Ball State University, and took in a pint at The Rathskeller in Indianapolis. All fun and games, yet I think each of us is most proud to say that we contributed to the World’s Largest Ball of Paint.

Our finished masterpiece. We took this baby from yellow to blue in under 30 minutes!

Located in Alexandria, Indiana, the ball of paint started out as a baseball. Fresh with 22,881 coats of paint, this ball is the record holder for the most layers of paint. You can see from the photo above what that amount of paint can do. It was incredible to believe that paint can build up that much!

Below are some pictures from some of the more legitimate touristy things we did in and around Muncie.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Rivalry

In honor of the Yankees/Red Sox series going on right now at Fenway . . . and in preparation for another one in New York next month (which I’m going to!) . . . I have to post the New Era commercials featuring Alec Baldwin and John Krasinski. The first of these commericals came out earlier this year, and they have continued through the season. Sooooo funny! Don’t be surprised if I break out these gems during the post-season as well.

The first one is still my favorite.

Here’s the latest video that came out this week. I would burn those tickets as well!

And because these commercials are so amazing, they did a behind-the-scenes look at them.

So, you may have heard about Hurricane Irene

Unless you live in a cave, you may have heard that a hurricane blew up the East Coast this weekend causing substantial damage and historic flooding in New England.

The DC region fared relatively well. There are downed trees and some people are still without power two days later. But considering what happened along the coast, we are in good shape. Arlington County has a Flickr slideshow documenting the damage around the county. My neighborhood had some small trees down and lots of limbs and branches everywhere. The entryway to my townhouse is covered in leaves in branches! Below is a timelapse video of the storm moving through DC. As you can see, it was windy with lots of rain.

I think the DC area had about 3 inches of rain, sustained winds at 41 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. So, we were definitely in the tropical storm category.

But, do you think that I was going to just sit at home and watch the storm go by? Of course not! My roommate and I decided to put our journalism skills to good use and go on-the-scene in Arlington to report on local conditions. We put up 8 videos throughout Saturday and Sunday, and even interviewed the locals to see how they were getting along, and skyped in to our friend in the District (just like CNN!). You can view the videos on my Facebook page - sorry if we’re not friends, you won’t be able to view the videos. Maybe someday Emily will let me put them up on YouTube. They are very tongue-in-cheek and hysterical!

In all seriousness, the storm did produce a lot of damage and loss of life, which is sad. So, don’t think these videos mean we don’t feel for anyone else’s loss. It was just a way to pass the time and poke fun at the media’s tendency to go over the top.

DC earthquakes? Yes, you heard that right!

I felt the earth move today. And while, I wish something monumental and life changing had happened in my life, I can only attribute this to the earth actually moving. Yes, DC experienced it’s largest earthquake. Ever.

I’d say 5.9 is a pretty good size, although we were 90 miles away from the epicenter. But, if you’ve never felt an earthquake before, it is a bit rattling (pun intended).

My coworker and I were walking back to the office after a nice relaxing lunch at Cantina Marina, which sits on a dock in the Washington Channel. We felt the dock shake back and forth for a few seconds as we were leaving the restaurant before everything quieted down again. Honestly, I just thought maybe one of the cruise ships had run into the dock as they park next door. But then everyone streamed out of the upstairs portion of Cantina Marina in a panic. I still didn’t think “earthquake” until we spoke with the mailman who said his mail truck shook like crazy! The Southwest Waterfront is pretty quiet during the day, so we didn’t really see much of anything until we got back to the office to find everyone had evacuated. Apparently, everyone in DC evacuated their buildings, creating panic in only the way DC can. But, there was some actual damage to our office building – mirrors fell off the wall in the bathroom, plaster fell off in the stairwells and part of the ceiling over the patio in front fell down. I think things fell off shelves on the upper floors as well.

After about an hour trying to figure out what to do, they let us go home. I was going to get a ride over the bridge with a co-worker, but we heard the bridges were closed (they were not). So, I made my way to battle it out on the metro platform to get on the train. Luckily, it wasn’t all that bad – only had to watch four trains go by before I got on one.

Across the city, there wasn’t a lot of damage. The National Cathedral lost a few spires at the top, and I believe the Ecuadorian embassy had some damage as well. And luckily no injuries that I’ve heard about. The Washington Post has pictures of the chaos downtown.

Life in DC is never dull, that is for sure. And, now I can really check off earthquake from my list of natural disasters I want to experience . . . unlike the measly one that hit in 2008.

Where I come from

Believe it or not, there are some days I want to throw in the towel to DC life and move back home with my parents. Today was one of those days. I have somehow managed to make the entire senior leadership team at my office mad at me just for doing my job as I’ve done it for six years. Being really frustrated today, I spent a good chunk of time on the newest group I joined on Facebook: “You know you’re from Stanton, Iowa if . . .” It soothed my soul to reminisce about my days growing up in that small town. What’s great is that some of these memories were posted by people graduated years before and after me. Life in Stanton doesn’t change, which is good. I’m glad my sister has the same experiences I did. Even though I’m extremely blessed with the path my life has taken, I do miss the simplicity and goodness of Stanton.

As I went through the 700+ posts in the group, I picked out a few that highlight the best of Stanton. Sorry for those who won’t understand the references; feel free to ask me if you want an explanation. I added a photo gallery at the end to give you small glimpse of life in Stanton.

And Grammy, no, this doesn’t mean I’m moving back anytime soon!

Without further adieu:

• You can be categorized into more than one “clique”-athlete, nerd, AND band geek, anything you want!

• During football season your Friday math homework in Mr. Gilliland’s class included your prediction for that nights football game score.

• You had some of the same teachers you parents did in high school

• You didn’t turn your Christmas lights on until Santa Lucia night.

• All Jr &Sr Girls (before the Santa Lucia crown was electric) understood no hairspray meant NO HAIRSPRAY…

• You still have to eat a cinnamon roll with your chili.

• You ran “the town mile” during practice, and knew who lived in all the houses along the way.

• You can still impress your friends by singing Silent Night in Swedish.

• You know what the phone number 829-9712 is to and what the just call and click it means.

• “We got the Beat” was the half-time entertainment at EVERY home basketball game.

• You know a Chili pie supper is not a pie made of chili.

• All honor roll students were allowed to leave study hall to hang out in the “lounge,” listen to the stereo & play cards.

• You might have to duck a flying baton or eraser in band.

• You know the fastest way to get from school to the pancake feed.

• You know everyone in your classs, plus several grades ahead of you or behind you.

• If your mother or grandmother has a cutting board you made in woodshop.

• You mom/dad said to “Charge It.” Of course this could means Shorty’s, Schenck’s, or Bob’s…Just walk in get what you need and say those two magic words “Charge It” and you walked out with what you needed.

• 8th grade graduation

• You can honestly say that you grew up in a town without a single traffic light.

• You were excited about fire drills in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades because you got to slide down the fire escape!

• You had an opinion on Brownies or Cherry Bars.

• You knew Don’s bus was the slow one, Marilee’s was the fast one and Harlan’s hit the most mail boxes.

• You know who Virginia Christine is and why Stanton is home to the “World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Pot.”

• You know you can’t ride a Dala horse.

• You were proud to be a “Viking/Viqueen,” but often had to explain what a “Viqueen” was.

• You know all 7 jumps!

• You learn your directions by knowing where South Hill and West Hill are located.

• You didn’t have to turn on your blinker because the car behind you already knew where you were going!

• You still refer to the two churches in town as “the big church” and “the little church.”

• You’re worried someone will think your racist because you tell them you’re from the “Little White City.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Book Review: The Help

This is probably the first time, and I hope the last, I ever say this: the movie was better than the book.

Phew, glad that is out of the way!

I was really disappointed in the book, The Help. The civil rights era was one of my favorite periods to study back in my college history days; even took a whole class just on the civil rights movement. I think my fascination with the era began in my high school American history class. My teacher, Mr. Hicks, was a big fan of teaching through movies, and we watched an old made-for-tv movie called Murder in Mississippi, which is about three civil rights workers who were murdered during the 1964 Freedom Summer. The movie stuck with me for a long time. By the time I decided to do a minor in history at Iowa State, I knew it would focus on contemporary American history, and that I would take at least one class focusing on civil rights, which I wrote my final paper about the Freedom Summer murders.

So, I should like this book, right? Well, yes and no. As a lover of history, I did love the book. I love how she showed a side of history that you truly didn’t hear much about. I love how she wove in current events into the plot (how could you not with a book like this?). As a writer, the book was also inspirational to me to follow my heart and write about what moves me (still working on that . . .).

However, the fact that I do consider myself a writer is also the reason I didn’t like the book. I read last week that the Author, Kathryn Stockett, was rejected 60 times before the book was published. I think it shows. The book is s l o w. There are so many scenes that do absolutely nothing to really advance the story line. But, I guess if you think about it, Stockett had 60 rejection letters telling her to do better. So she kept rewriting, writing, cutting, writing some more. And what I found was a book that took too long to set up the plot and then let it stall intermittently throughout the story.

Ok, here’s where I admit something I’m not entirely proud of. I saw the movie still having 50 pages left to read. I didn’t really think much else could happen, and I was fairly right on that. I was drawn in completely into the movie. It captured me emotionally. I cried through three quarters of the movie, which I consider to be a good thing! And a movie like this should capture me emotionally. The themes of standing up for yourself, love, friendship, doing right should pull at your heartstrings. And those who know me, know that it doesn’t take much to get the waterworks flowing!

So, this morning, I went back to finish the book realizing I had not teared up once during this book. I read most of the book on the beach, so it wasn’t like I kept having to put it down with distractions – and still nothing. I think my eyes watered once this morning, but I blame that on the fact that everything I was reading was visualized as it happened in the movie. If J.K. Rowling can get me sobbing over a boy wizard, you know it really doesn’t take much. So, I was disappointed that this book didn’t pull me in like that, because I really wanted it to.

Overall, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this book because it does tell the story of a really important time in our country’s history (although I wouldn’t call it “one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird” as NPR did). Also, I would never discourage anyone from reading anything! And I know it did capture some people – my roommate said she did cry when she read the book.

I do encourage you to go see the move! Is it a faithful take on the book? About as close as any movie adaptation I’ve ever seen, but paced out better than the book (even though they rearrange some plot developments). Go see it! Here’s the preview if you haven’t watched it yet: