Boy with Handful of Pie

Boy with Hand Full of Pie
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

On Thanksgiving, Michael had a few problems eating his lemon tart. It crumbled halfway to his mouth, and though he made an admirable grab for it, he ended up with a handful of whipped cream as the wayward tart (topped with whipped cream itself) tumbled into the topping on his pumpkin pie. As he fished the tart back from the top of his pumpkin pie, I snapped this picture. He did eventually manage to get the tart into his mouth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad and Michael are still napping, so I'm stealing a few minutes to write a little note wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for this year: a wonderful boyfriend, a great family, students I enjoy, friends and coworkers who support me, an adorable apartment, and a job interview that could lead my career to new heights, to name a few of the things I'm grateful for.

It's been a lovely day so far. We slept in this morning, then Dad and Hope came over for breakfast, and then Dad and Michael worked on our car, fixing up a few little things, while Hope and I learned how to make lemon tarts (they turned out perfectly). The pumpkin pies are made, the turkey is cooking, the rolls are rising, and it's about time for me to start peeling potatoes.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you're having as good a day as we are.

Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving Eve is a truly bizarre time to be at the grocery store. The parking lot was completely packed full. Every cart in the store was in use (thank goodness I only needed one small box of jello). People were jammed into every aisle, zombie-like as they scanned the picked-over shelves looking for the perfect ingredients for their holiday traditions. One man was standing in front of a huge case that used to be full of frozen turkeys, looking bewildered at the three semi-frosted turkeys left in the ice at the bottom of the case. A woman on a cell phone shrilled, "I can't believe they're out of pumpkin pie filling!"

I grinned as I grabbed the last box of lime jello on the shelf and scampered to the check stand. The clerk snapped out of her holiday-rush glaze to give me a strange look as I got in line behind people with carts piled high, with my one small box of lime jello. I paid my 85 cents and practically ran back to my car. The grocery store is scary the night before Thanksgiving!

Pre-Thanksgiving

I just got home from a lovely pre-Thanksgiving dinner at Hope and Peter's house. Peter played chef tonight and made a wonderful Chinese chicken meal that was thoroughly appreciated by everyone.

Now I'm looking at tomorrow's arrangements and realizing that I'm going to need to make yet another trip to the store. I distinctly remember putting lime jello on my shopping list. I remember putting the jello into the cart. I remember seeing the jello at the checkout stand. I do not, however, remember where I put the jello once I got it home. In the cupboard, there dwells every other flavor of jello in the book, but no lime jello. Well, there was a very old package of some generic store brand stuff. I did take it out and mix it up, but it's been three hours since then, and it's not even slightly firm. In order for it to be Thanksgiving, there must be lime jello salad. I cannot have Thanksgiving without it. Therefore, I must make a brave and adventurous run to the store for lime jello. The things I'm willing to do for holidays...

Interview!

Last week, I applied for a job at one of the Central Washington University branch campuses here in Seattle. It's a full time faculty position in the writing center, and it sounds like a really great job. Today, they called to offer me an interview! Cross your fingers hard everyone--I'd really like this job!

Brief Update

When I talked to my mom a few days ago, she said that her visit with my grandparents went as well as it possibly could. Grandma was awake and alert enough to have thoroughly enjoyed the CD of pictures from Hope's wedding that Michael had made for her and Grandpa. Although she continues to struggle to breathe, she remains in fairly high spirits and enjoys visitors (although Mom says that anyone who is even thinking about getting a cold is forbidden to visit). She and Grandpa appreciate all the prayers and well-wishes from everyone. Mom is planning to visit again around Christmas.

Sniffling But Hopeful

I've spent the entire long weekend pretty much in bed with a bad head cold. I'm sniffling and oozing and fairly disgusting at the moment (thank goodness Michael knows what I look like when I'm not sick!), but Michael has been his usual wonderful self through all of the grossness, bringing me tea (he learned to boil water all by himself!) and orange juice, and encouraging me to take lots of naps. Now that the weekend is drawing to a close, I'm naturally feeling much better, just in time to go back to work tomorrow. Sniffle!

On the up side, my one accomplishment for the weekend (aside from changing the table decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving) has been to apply for a new job. I had emails from three people in the past couple weeks, pointing out that Central Washington University's branch campus in the South Seattle area is hiring a "writing consultant" for their writing center. This is essentially the same job I did when I worked for CWU in Ellensburg, tutoring students and designing writing workshops. It is a full time faculty position with a yearly contract (instead of quarter to quarter like my job at NSCC), and even though it would be a commute until Michael finishes school and we could move, housing prices are a bit more reasonable in South Seattle. Thus, the final piece of my application is ready to mail in the morning, and I'm hopeful that I'll at least get an interview. Cross your fingers for me and send some positive vibes out into the universe!

Report Cards

My students this quarter are, quite simply, great. Three of my students passed the writing GED last week (and one passed social studies). One of my students from last year, due to her success in her college classes, was just hired as a tutor in the Loft, and I know once she's done at North, she'll be off to great things (she wants to be a journalist). I'm so proud of them!

This morning, we all need to be sending good vibes out into the universe for a couple more of my students. One of them is taking her first of the five GED tests, and she's really nervous, although I know she's well prepared. Another is taking his last two tests, and by Monday he could have his GED (I'm crossing my fingers really hard for him).

Prayer Request

Shortly after we woke up this morning, my grandfather called from California to say that my grandmother's condition is deteriorating. Her lungs were already bad before the fires, and breathing the soot from the fires has been horrible for her. For those of you who don't know the whole story, my grandmother has been under hospice care for a year now, as her lung condition grows slowly worse. My grandfather called this morning to let us know that she's been coughing up blood, probably a result of the exposure to the ash, and she wanted her family to know she's worried but is not in pain, so Grandpa stayed home from church (and choir practice--something he never misses) this morning to make the phone calls.

Mom is headed to California next weekend to be with Grandma. It's been a really rough year for my mom and her family as Grandma gradually gets sicker. When you have a minute, please say a little prayer for strength for Grandpa, and my mom and her siblings (and the rest of the family) as they (we) prepare for the loss of my grandmother, and continue to pray that Grandma not be in pain.

A Successful Birthday

I Blow out the Candles
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

I'm now officially a thirty-something. I've moved into my thirties. Of course, I must still look pretty young, because I still got "carded" when I bought the pink champagne for the birthday celebration.

I had an absolutely lovely birthday. We started off yesterday with a birthday brunch when Mom got here bearing a big bouquet of flowers and some darling new shoes (Danskos!) in just my size, along with a card and a fun book of poetry by one of her favorite contemporary poets. Hope came with a singing card that played "The Bear Necessities" when I opened it. After we ate, Michael and Mom and Hope took me birthday shopping to find a collection of perfect birthday presents.

Hope concentrated on keeping me warm this winter, and got me new flannel sheets for the bed (blue, with fat little penguins waddling all over them) and adorable new gloves to keep my fingers from freezing (they match my everyday winter coat).

Dad (who sent birthday money my way) got me beautiful earrings with little stones that sort of pick up the color of whatever I'm wearing and shimmer with that color. They have all the colors of the rainbow in them. Dad also got some salt and pepper shakers from Williams Sanoma, a store that I love to browse, but in which I can rarely afford to buy anything. Did you know there is such a thing as pink peppercorns? My new pepper mill is full of naturally bright pink peppercorns!

Mom got me a new watch, a sort of birthday tradition. I've worn the last watch she got me since my 16th birthday, and it was starting to look a bit shabby, so we decided it was time for a new one. It's absolutely the most lovely watch I've ever owned, silver with gold accents, and a dark blue face that is reminiscent of the night sky. It has only a 12 and 6, with tiny star-like dots representing the rest of the numbers.

Michael concentrated on things I wanted for the kitchen, most importantly a new teapot. I've been complaining for a while that our teapot wasn't big enough for two people who like warm drinks on cold mornings, and Michael found me the perfect replacement for the one I'd had for years (perfect for one, not big enough for two). The new pot is silver and has a pretty, antique shape that I really like. Michael also found some wooden salad tongs (similar to the ones my mom has that I've wanted since she found hers) and some pretty new serving spoons in sizes we didn't have yet.

Kima is planning to come up to Seattle later this fall for a sister shopping trip, so she just sent her love with Mom. My grandparents send a card and a birthday check that next week will be turned into another pair of birthday earrings (I had trouble deciding in the store, and now I can have both pairs).

After shopping, we stopped back home with the loot then headed out to the Chinese restaurant Michael and I discovered in Shoreline a few months ago. It's a very typical American sort of Chinese restaurant, with place mats with the Chinese zodiac printed on them, where they serve a multi-course pseudo-Chinese dinner that is always yummy and fun to eat.

We came home from dinner for birthday cake and a movie (As You Like It--the newest Shakespeare movie from Kenneth Branagh). The cake, while slightly lopsided, was really delicious, and the movie was thoroughly enjoyable (I'd highly recommend it).

Thanks everyone for making it such a great birthday!

Birthday Preparations

Since I had the afternoon off, and because my mom is visiting for my birthday, I've spent much of the day in the kitchen making treats for a birthday brunch tomorrow. I just took a banana bread out of the oven and popped in a lemon cake. I also just finished a spiced citrus salad. The whole apartment smells like cake, banana bread, oranges and grapefruits, and cinnamon and cloves. Absolutely heavenly! I think it's going to be a wonderful birthday!