Lucky #7

We are #7 from the top of our agency's waiting list.  There are 44 other families.  I had a long talk with our Waiting Families case worker yesterday, and I am feeling encouraged again.  When the wait gets long, the hope ebbs and flows.  Lately, it has felt more hopeless.  I was focusing on how many women hadn't picked us, how long we've been waiting, etc.  The reality is that it doesn't matter how many times we aren't picked, because someday, we will be.  Like the lottery, it only takes ONE.

I have been doing what I can to help us along.  I have taken a bunch of our agency post cards and am dropping them around town when I see a bulletin board.  While in the grand scheme, this will not likely bring us a match, but I am putting the word out there to the universe.  I do believe in karma, so may these deeds be returned to us soon! :-)  We are currently out to between 2 and 4 women who have no made a decision yet so there is hope.  There is always hope, but sometimes it is hard to see it.  Thank you for the continued prayers and support; they mean so much!

Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken

I made this for dinner tonight, and it was excellent!  If you are a lover of Indian food and do not have a good place near you, try this recipe.  It is also a great dish to try if you've never had Indian food before.  This recipe was adapted from Light & Healthy 2012.

Ingredients:
2 onions, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon canola oil (I used EVOO instead)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt (I used Chiobani)
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Steps:
1.  Combine onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, tomato paste, and oil in a bowl.  I used my crock pot.  Stir.

2.  Stir broth and 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Add chicken.  Cook for 4 hours on low.

3.  Gently stir in raisins and let sit for 10 minutes.  Remove chicken from mixture.

4.  In a separate bowl, stir 1/4 cup of mixture with yogurt and cilantro.

5.  Prepare a bed of white rice, lay chicken on top, finish off with the yogurt sauce and sliced almonds.

6.  Enjoy!!

Wednesday Randoms

~ I have already read 19 books!  Last year, I read 29 so I think I will definitely reach my goal of 45-50 books.

~  This week at school, we are having a bean bag tossing competition at work.  We were rained out yesterday, but hopefully we can play again today.

~  I have a 5-day weekend this weekend.  I am only somewhat excited since Dave only had a 3-day weekend.

~ I ran a mile yesterday for the first time in months, and I did not die.  I was also able to do 20 second side planks in class yesterday.

~  My co-worker surprised me with iced coffee yesterday.  I was craving it, but I didn't say anything so it was extra nice.

Cape Cod 2012

I wrote while we were there, so here it is...

I am writing today from the porch of our condo in Cape Cod!  The view was amazing.

We decided to take a sisters trip for Amanda's 25th birthday.  No lie, we are having the time of our lives.  When we got here, we ran across the street to our private beach.  

Our condo is really tiny, but it is perfect for a weekend.  

After we had lunch, we spent the afternoon on the beach reading and napping.  Then we went to Hyannis to check out the shops.  We had a quick dinner at Seafood Sam's and ice cream at Sundae School.  

We had fun taking crazy pictures by the Nickelodeon and antique car.

Saturday has been great as well.  We tried to walk to Woolfie's, but it wasn't open for the season yet.  We walked around for a few miles before having breakfast at the Seven Seas diner.  We walked home on the beach and stopped at Captain's Row.  It is very different, but still quite beautiful.  We did some shopping at Cuffy's, Christmas Tree Shop, and at some shops in Harwich before hitting the beach again.  

We were crazy, and we went in the ocean! We stayed for about 5 minutes; just long enough to scream, high five each other and scramble to shore!  We had dinner at Captain Parker's Pub and wrapped the night up at Sundae School again.  I don't want this weekend to end, but we have already promised to come back next year.   

And every year after that!

Weekly Wrap Up

1.  Both a deer and a family of ducks crossed the road in front of me yesterday to and from the gym.  I am taking this as a sign from life to slow down.  This is a message I've been receiving my whole life.

2. My Hope Ring arrived yesterday.  It is a little big, but I am in need of a reminder now and again.  Hope is the thing, you know.

3.  Our agency sent me some advertising materials to bring with me when I travel.  I figure that I will be traveling quite a bit this summer, and maybe leaving a business card or two will help us or another family.

4.  We had a terrific day last Saturday with my mom and sisters celebrating Mother's Day.  We had a lovely lunch at The Whistling Kettle.  I am so blessed to have such amazing women in my family.

5. I am busting with excitement to say that we are leaving for Cape Cod in the morning!  Let the sister's weekend commence!

Hope

I am a fan of small reminders in life.

Silly Changes of Heart

I have always been someone who has very clear likes and dislikes.  It is a rare occasion when I change my mind about this list, but I must admit that I have noticed a few changes over the last few years.

For one, I always say that I dislike the color purple.  Unfortunately for me, there are a few examples that speak to the contrary.  When we re-modeled our (my) bathroom, I suggested using a variety of purples.  I really love how soothing and spa-like my bathroom is, and I think purple was absolutely the right choice.  Also, I have 3 purple sweaters.  Can one really hate a color and then have 3 items in that color?  I have to say no.  And I wear those sweaters often so I must concede that I might like purple a bit.

Secondly, rhubarb has been pretty unappealing.  I remember our granola neighbors had a garden and grew it.  Come to think of it, I used to think they were so lame, but now I would LOVE to have my own food garden.  Something about the color and the name of it just seemed awful.  Since joining our CSA last summer, we have enjoyed strawberry rhubarb pie and rhubarb cobbler.  It wouldn't be my first choice of dessert, but it certainly did not deserve the bad rap I gave it.


Last on the list is gold jewelry.  This one comes with a caveat--it is only suitable in certain cases.  For example, I love my gold anchor earrings.  They simply wouldn't look right in silver.  I would never want to only wear gold, but at times, I like it.

What have you changed your mind about?  Hopefully not about reading my blog!   :-)

Weekly Wrap Up

1.  I began tutoring this week, and it has been going swimmingly.  Sometimes tutoring just isn't worth the headache and hassle because the student won't show up or they don't want to be there.  This is not the case this time, and I am so happy.  It does make for long Mondays and Wednesdays, but the work is enjoyable.  We are reading Of Mice and Men, and I forgot how much I enjoyed that novel.

2.  I finally (I think) ended my writing slump.  Last night I wrote two decent entries, and I am re-committing to writing.  My overall mood has been meh lately, and I think that is why I haven't written much.  The good news is that I have much to look forward to from now until July so I will try to be better about blogging.

3.  One week from today, Jess, Amanda, and I will be on our way to Cape Cod for our Sister's Weekend.  There are no words to describe how excited I am.  We have never gone away together so it should be pretty amazing.  The beach better get ready because here we come!

4.  Last Sunday, our nephew James was baptized.  It was a lovely service followed by a swinging party with yummy food and mimosas.  It is hard to believe that he is 8 months old already, but he is!  Each time I see him, he gets even cuter than last time.

5.  Tonight we are going to Auggie's with John and Jenn to celebrate John's birthday.  I am looking forward to some delicious Italian food and fun.  It has been a long week for both of us, and we are ready to cut loose.

Six Of One, Half Dozen of the Other

This is my brother-in-law Josh's favorite saying.  In fact, he can pretty much use it in any conversation.  Yes, ANY conversation.  It is always applicable.

Growing up with my two amazing sisters, I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother.  Having Josh is actually the best of both worlds in that I didn't know him during that annoying wedgie-giving, fart joke telling, wrestling and punching phase that all boys go through starting around age five and ending sometime in their mid-20's.  Don't get me wrong, we still have a lot of fun, but it is much more mature...

One of my favorite things about Josh is that he and I are cut from the same type-A cloth.  It is wonderful to have such an unspoken understanding of exactly how things need to be done.  And we know because we wrote the manual.  We can't take total credit as my dad is also member of this club.  

Whether it be the importance of straightening the hand towels to planning a joint birthday party, we just know how to do it the right way.  We are both efficiency experts, and if there is a faster way to do something, we find it.  I know I can always count on Josh to back me in arguments with our easier-going mates, and I always agree with him.  Let's face it, life is easier for everyone if we do it our way.  

All joking aside, I am so lucky to have such a great brother-in-law.  He is a hard worker, and he is the perfect husband for my sister.  Josh is funny, sweet, thoughtful, and has a wicked sense of humor.  He makes my best friend so happy.  What more could I ask of him?

He also has a HUGE appetite for dinner rolls!  Take that Butchie! 

  

Finishing Becca Review

Finishing Becca: A Story About Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold by Ann Rinaldi


From Goodreads:  An independent-minded young maid tells the story of social-climber Peggy Shippen and how she influenced Benedict Arnold’s betrayal of the Patriot forces. Revolutionary Philadelphia is brought to life as Becca seeks to find her "missing pieces" while exploring the complicated issues of the war between the impoverished independence men and the decadent British Tories.  This tale of treachery comes alive under [Rinaldi’s] pen.”--Kirkus Reviews 


My Review:  This book was recommended to me by our school librarian who is becoming a friend of mine.  She loved this book as a young adult and thought I would too.  I have a growing fascination with Benedict Arnold even thought I find him to be a fairly despicable human being.  This is the second historical fiction book that I have read this year, and I am enjoying this genre.  I love history but rarely read historical fiction.


So, Becca and Peggy...It almost seemed as if they shared the narration since Becca's life is so wrapped up in Peggy's.  Peggy is unlikeable from the start and only gets worse as the novel goes on.  Becca is a sweet enough character who has big dreams of "finishing" herself with the finer things in life.  She longs to draw, speak French, and dance.  Becca's mother was a member of society prior to Becca's father's death which cost the family almost everything they had.  Becca's mother then marries a farmer and a spy for both sides, Henry Job.  


Ann Rinaldi did a nice job portraying how Becca was caught between two worlds.  When she was at Henry Job's farm, she longed to be at the Shippens; yet, when she was at the Shippens she knew that she did not quite fit there either.  The servants and Peggy's oldest sister and parents embraced her, but Peggy, Andre and Benedict all treated her poorly.  


The book actually left me with more questions than I had anticipated.  It has forced me to reserve The Notorious Benedict Arnold from the library.  This story made it seem like the betrayal was Peggy's "fault."  I hope I get a clearer picture in this biography.  Honestly, both characters were so full of pride and ambition that it could have been either ones idea! I will keep you posted when I find out the truth!

Hopefully a Home Repair

We have a HUGE mosquito problem in Wilton.  It is so bad that we cannot enjoy our deck and 3/4 acre property without being eaten alive.  Well, I have had it!  We have toyed with the idea of either converting our solarium or part of the deck into a screened in porch.  I am desperate for this!  I love eating dinner, reading, and spending time with friends outside, and I look forward to being able to do that again.

Here are some of my inspiration photos:

Weekly Wrap Up

1.  Our next year's school calendar was published!  While this isn't really newsworthy, I like to know what our vacations are looking like so we can plan more get-a-ways.  I was also very happy to see that Thanksgiving is still a 3-day holiday.  While we don't host, I love having that day to catch up with my sisters for our hopefully annual pre-Thanksgiving lunch.

2.  My cousin Erica and her baby Parker are home from Florida!  I am heading to visit them tonight and the rest of the family will be there.  Dave can't come because he is chaperoning his student council dance, but it should be a good time.

3.  We are all set to head to the Cape!  We finally found a place and are sending in the money and contract this weekend.  I SO need this vacation with Jess and Amanda.  I am betting they do too :-)

4.  I made a new pizza this week, and it was pretty amazing.  It is called Tostada Pizza, but it is basically pizza with my homemade chili on it.  I used taco cheese instead of mozzarella, and it was really yummy.

5.  I pushed myself at the gym this week.  Zumba is offered only once a week now so I have decided to add a second spinning class.  My legs are pretty angry about it today, but I feel NO guilt in taking tonight off.

Have a great weekend!