Blackberry Jam & Memories

It's been tough, I'm not going to lie. In fact, I didn't realize how tough it was going to be. My grandmother was a moving force in my life. She's been there since the very beginning, shaping me as much as my parents and brother. She was an incredibly talented woman. Her funeral was centered around her love of quilts, and I was proud to see her memory displayed through the products of her love. But, she had so many other talents and abilities that I was privileged to learn from as well.  She was an amazing painter, she cross-stitched, scrap-booked, and man - she was an AMAZING COOK.


She's the one that taught me the majority of what I know about cooking and baking ( my dad contributed the rest). My fondest memories with her include sitting on the counter putting fork marks into peanut butter cookies, taking the spring pan off the cheesecake, playing with the dough for the thanksgiving yeast rolls, and of course, learning to make the family recipe of chicken noodle soup from scratch. Growing up, family dinners at my grandparents was a regular occurrence and every meal she prepared for the family was made with love.


She was also diligent in following the church teachings of preparedness. She was diligent in creating a food storage that met not only her and my grandfather's needs, but that of our whole extended family. My childhood is filled with the seasonal canning and preserving of food. It is as much a family tradition in our family as a necessity that we are asked to do. When Jeff started to spend time around my family, I was touched and happy that he showed interest and a desire in how to can, because I knew that it was something that I wanted to continue doing in my own family with him and my future children.


Freezer jam is a family staple. It's an uncooked jam that sets up like regular jam... as long as you keep it frozen. It's amazing, I'm spoiled and no other jam compares to it. Today, Jeff got to learn how to make it. Today, we got to preserve the memory of my grandmother and her lessons through family traditions. Today felt good.

NYC

For my birthday my mom decided that she wanted to take me and my aunt on a last girls trip hoorah. I've bugged her for years about wanting to see shows on Broadway and to sight see in one of the biggest cities in the U.S. so now was my opportunity. We got to see three shows while we were there, all fantastic, eat lots of amazing street vendor food, sight see some amazing sights, and appreciate the slower paced life of home. I wasn't great at taking pictures on this trip, but here are the few I did manage to get. Enjoy!

Family is the Glue that Holds Life Together

Here's just a few snapshots from the family shoot a few weeks back that stood out to me... Sometimes it's not the perfectly posed, planned and expected pictures that show the relationships that we form in this life. 

Cupcake Crazy

Ok... not quite... but I have been in a baking mood lately. I'm not sure if it's something to keep me busy and feeling useful, or if I just have an insatiable sweet tooth. Either way,  I've been experimenting with cupcake recipes and designs for the past month. Here are just a few:

Late Night ( Early Morning?) Ramblings

What does one do at 2 in the morning when one can't sleep? Blog, of course!

Life has been very crazy and disorganized lately. Not that I can say that it's ever been all that organized to begin with. I've been juggling different jobs, tutoring a fantastic little boy, and continuing the less than motivated search for more permanent employment.

Married life continues to develop and unfold with the many quirks and nuances that come with it. It's been a hodgepodge of trials and blessings trying to learn to transition from being an independent young woman with very strong opinions about life and the way things ought to be to one person in a partnership. Negotiating pillow rights, bank account discrepancies, Netflix channels, and a myriad of other seemingly simple facets of every day life have gone from things that happened by way of second nature to things that are planned out, discussed, and occasionally argued out until a happy agreement ( otherwise known as I am happy in the agreement) can be reached. Even with all the many ways that I am re-learning to live life, there are still so many reward to outway the little trials that it always is worth it at the end of the day.

Family, as those who know me and read this blog know, is a circus in almost every way. This past week family on my mother's side has been flying into town to visit with my grandmother, who is having a particularly difficult time with her cancer. It's nice seeing people that I haven't seen since the age of six ralley to her side, and it's a nice chance to catch up on stories, memories, traditions, and sentiments that are often shared when family is gathered. While nothing formal has been arranged around this reunion, it's been just as nice to causally spend time together.

Today those of use that could got together to take pictures as  a family. It was poignant, and I felt out of place at some points while I watched my grandmother and her siblings sit together for the camera. While they were having their moments I was snapping pictures around the gardens and of Jeff and the cousins. Portraits will come later ( when I get my hands on the CD).

The Funk

I don't know how to best describe it... but as of late I've just been off kilter? Blue? In a Funk? Depressed? Eh, I'm not sure. I do know that I'm trying to tackle the daunting grad school applications for programs that I'm not 100% sold that I want to go through, deciding whether or not I want to continue to pursue teaching, trying to find a steady job that will make the income that I want and need, continuing to adjust to the balance of marriage, and an ever tense family life overwrought by terminal cancers and the unpleasant thoughts, conversations and realities that come with it.

It's not that I'm dissatisfied with my life. I'm very grateful for it in all reality. I love my husband. He's my best friend, my confidant, and my rock. I love my family. I do, even though I have to take several time outs to remind myself of it. I love the people I surround myself with. I have amazing friends peppered throughout the different facets of my life. I feel ever uplifted and supported by ALL of them.

I need a new direction. I need a spark. I need a good book to read. I need a pedicure. I need to find some confidence in some of the bigger life decisions that are coming up sooner than I feel ready for.

What do you do when you feel out of rhythm? What do you do to kick-start yourself? Where do you find your motivation when it's waning?

Don't Make Any Plans...

I have an amazing husband. Not only does he put up with a whole lot of crazy from me and my family, he continually seeks out ways on a daily basis to make me feel special and loved. This weekend is the last weekend in a long while that I was going to have completely free of work, and he wanted to whisk me away from life for a couple of days to spend time together.

All on his own, keeping the details safeguarded from me, he planned out a cute little getaway that started with a scavenger hunt. Mostly because I caught wind of his efforts and was gently nudging him,
 & trying to get clues about what he was up to, Jeff posted on my facebook wall a list of things to find and pack. On Saturday after he got back from spending the morning with the guys, he packed everything up put me in the car, and took off.

The destination? Bluefield WV/VA. Two cities by the same name both on the border, were home to a Mountain festival for the Memorial Day weekend. It was a weekend of relaxation, fun, and time spent together doing things we'd never done before. For example:

We got to see some amazing artists at work doing chainsaw carving. They created these pieces fast and precisely, and everything that was made that day was auctioned off. That was my first time attending an auction, too!

So... not only was there a petting zoo... but there was a petting zoo with a baby giraffe!!! This made my entire weekend, and Jeff got a kick at how tickled I was the rest of the day.  I can't help my love of these awesome creatures, and this is the second one I've gotten to see! 

He was a smart little guy... and knew exactly what he wanted... I had two types of feed, and he was very insistent on having carrots or nothing at all.

He was also almost eye level with Jeff...

They got close and personal...

Look at that tongue go! In fact, look at it in action in this video!

There were a lot of interesting animals that I haven't seen at a typical petting zoo, including a lot of baby animals, and more exotic animals like zebras, baboons, and camels.

Zebras are MUY soft by the way!

There was a classic car show on Sunday. We had a lot of fun walking around and looking at some beautiful cars!

Along with the yummy snowcones and other fair food, we got to watch lumberjack games in action. Here's some log rolling. Enjoy!

All in a ll, it was a fantastic weekend. There were tons of little quirky things along the way. Tourist traps, oscar mayer sightings, dancing robots, swimming, fireworks, and cruising with my best friend is the best time I've had in a while. Here's to romantic husbands who take the time to find unique and simple ways to make life special and enjoyable in the midst of crazy and stressful lives! I sure do love him!