Your opinion is requested...yes - YOU!

So, I just finally finished the final book from the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. I am happy about the ending...I would have written it the exact same way, though there were some interesting twists and turns along the way. But, all in all, I'm happy. I have to admit, I was concerned. After not reading any novels for so long, I was afraid that I would be disappointed after investing so much of myself in those four big books. ;)

So, hopefully I'm not insane, as there have been many other "Prince Charmings" in books for centuries...but it makes me want to find my own Edward-type man for myself. But really, this blog is about me, not him. ;)

So, after reading about some fictional girl's dreams coming true for a couple of weeks, its time to get my butt in gear to put my own dreams to life...

Right now, I'm at a cross-roads in my life that I never expected. Some in my same situation may be depressed about how they left a decent career, for what??...a healthy unemployment check and a temporary stay in a friend's basement?? I'm unrealistically optimistic though. I am here in this place in my life for a reason. I have been blessed with a friend like Koleen, and her family, who have been so welcoming. The one thing I am having a hard time with is the fact that since I closed the last chapter in my life, there are soooo many options for me now. So many indeed, that I am having a hard time choosing my path. How should I start the next chapter in my life? Christine & Chris were kind enough to offer me a room to stay with them temporarily when I was considering living in Florida. But really, my options are limitless. Unfortunately, I need to find a job, or some other way of producing income...though I did just get a 20 week extension on my unemployment (Thank God!)...

But, if you were in my situation, or similar...what would you do?? Would you hop in your car and move to Florida with another friend?...would you go to California in search of fortune and fame?...or would you actually use that stupid degree you just earned and sit in a cubicle for the next 30 years, would that be enough??

I feel in my heart that I am destined for greatness...there are so many things I could do. I love being close to my family...but will I live this life to my full potential sitting behind some desk? I am almost 30, no kids, with only a 8 year-old golden retriever in tow...nothing is tieing me down, nothing to hold me back...I was comfortable here...but for how long?? Am I destined to be a nomad? I could pick up my music again, or be a talent scout for a record label...I could hob knob with the stars in Hollywood...I could brush up on my artistic skills and become the next Kat Von-D (or whatever)...

I may not know where I want to go, but I have an idea that I don't want the "normal things" out of life.... what would you do??

Oh My Goodness!

Has it really been almost a month since I last blogged?! Shame on me!

I guess life has been busy this past month. Between moving and job searching and such... I am officially living with Koleen for the time being. That keeps me busy. I'm used to living in a boring household, without the schedule of kids/school stuff keeping me going throughout the day. I have to admit, it is fun. I am getting hooked on TV shows I thought I'd never watch...I get to help with parties...and hopefully this week, we can make it through a couple whole workouts at the Y without Gabriel getting mad at us! :)

So, in September I finished up my last class for my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, majoring in Human Resource Management. I have been searching for a job religiously for about a month now. Unfortunately I have only had one promising interview, and the day after it they started a hiring freeze until the first of 2009! :( Bummer. Oh well, I still have unemployment left, so I'm not starving and I can pay bills. :) It also makes it easier to search out jobs that I would actually love, instead of being forced to get a job that I hated for the money. So, the search continues...wish me luck! ;) And, if you know of any openings in your HR department, let me know. I'm searching a 100 mile radius of Jackson, I don't mind the commute. :)

That's pretty much the jist of it. I am going to attempt to work on my crafty stuff as well. Koleen is trying to teach me to crochet, since I bombed my knitting lessons! :) Not to mention all of my UFOs (unfinished objects) in my quilting boxes. Maybe I'll actually get some time to make some Christmas presents. :)

Bye for now,
Nickie

Check these guys out!

Gotta love the fall, right? These little box elder bugs have made themselves right at home in my backyard!

2008 Renaissance Festival

So, better late than never, right?

The weekend of 9/6/08, Koleen, Mia, and I headed to Holly, MI for the Renaissance Festival. Mia was so excited, she got to get her Halloween costume early so she could wear it there. First, she wanted to be a witch, but after Koleen and I convinced her that a witch would be hung or burned at the stake at the Renn Fest, she went with the Renaissance Princess costume. :)
She did enjoy the attention from people and random passers-by bowing at "Her Heiness". It was great fun!

This is a picture of "Her Heiness" waiting for her Starbucks in Target. :)


Mia got to meet this fancy Fairy Princess lady.



And of course, Koleen and I enjoyed our favorite belly dancing ladies. We got there kind of late in the day, so we didn't get to follow them from stage to stage, but we did enjoy our 1 performance. "lla..lla..lla..lla..lla..lla..lla" :)

The weekend just also happened to be themed "Wine, Romance, & Song", so we got to enjoy a bit of wine tasting too. And of course, the much anticipated turkey legs!

Good times had by all!

Birthday Song

Do you know what the #1 song was on the day your were born?

Check out the link right HERE.

On July 29,1980 the #1 song was "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John.
(Yeah, I'm jealous of LeeAnn's Billy Joel song! :)

Comment back with your song or Post a link on your blog to your "Birthday Song".

Good times! Thanks for the fun LeeAnn!

I want these shoes...

So, I subscribed to the simple shoes blog quite a while ago. My friend in Baton Rouge is a Vegan, and I was trying to find her some comfy shoes...and I ran into the website with the shoes of my dreams! ;) Of course, there aren't any retailers in Jackson, but I found some in Ann Arbor and Lansing, so maybe I can go try some on. Honestly, I avoided the retailers in Baton Rouge because the shoes are kind of expensive, and I knew if I tried them on, I would be hooked! But, I've been saving my pennies, and I think its time to take the plunge of meeting my dream shoes in person! :)

Today, I went to their blog and found this nifty video about how they made their latest shoe, the planet walker. I don't know if it is my favorite of all favorites...until I try it on, of course. But, I wanted to show how they make their shoes, and what they are made of so you all can see why I love Simple Shoes!

Photo Story Fridays...a day late ;)

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Ok, ok...I know I'm supposed to do this on Fridays...but this week, deadlines aren't really working for me! :)

I took this picture in May. The reason I want to reminisce now is that I feel I could do better at recycling since moving back home to Michigan. Baton Rouge had the most "user friendly" recycling program. I give them kudos because everyone in East Baton Rouge Parish (they don't have counties) that had trash service also received a big blue can for recycling. There was no need to sort your recyclables, and they took all numbers of plastic! It was awesome. Of course, we lived in an apartment, so we didn't get our own Kirby...but it was fun to load up the car once a month to go to the pick up spot. They had the normal squishy garbage trucks parked in an empty lot on the third Saturday of the month. All you had to do was drive up in between the orange cones, and the volunteers had your car emptied in minutes! It was so convenient!

Maybe because I go more often it just feels as if I'm not recycling as much. Or, maybe it is because I am making a conscious effort to use less, compost more, and just have less waste overall. There's just something nice about not having to sort your recyclables. Maybe we can help Jackson, MI implement a system like Baton Rouge's. We'll see...

Photo Story Fridays

I thought this was a cute idea for posting on your blog. Photo Story Fridays...I'll start Friday ;)

THE RULES:
1- Post photo(s) that you took and simply tell the story behind it. Explain why you pressed the shutter button, what memory it invokes, what we don't know, why you love it or why you don't. Any subject. Humor and sarcasm; always optional. The shot doesn't have to be technically or creatively perfect; life isn't.

2- Mr. Linky goes up Thursday night. Link your direct post (not your front page) at Cecily's or Mama Geek's.

3- Copy the logo code into your photo post, so the other participants can be easily found and visited. Please play nice, keep it clean or get deleted. And visit others!




Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I love cheesecake!!!

So, its probably a good thing that I never researched a good cheesecake recipe earlier in life...or I'd be over 500 lbs!! :) Cheesecake has been a favorite of mine since childhood, yet I have never made a "real" cheesecake of my own. Actually, the first place I requested my mother take me when I was finished with Navy boot camp was The Cheesecake Factory downtown Chicago! And that's where we went, then to Bloomingdale's!

It was a coincidence that Koleen just happened to have some leftover cheesecake in her fridge that she recently made for her sister's visit home...just after my birthday. Since no one made me a birthday cake, she gave me a healthy portion (about 4 pieces worth) to take home and act as my birthday cake. Needless to say, it was wonderful! And poor Mike didn't get very much, as I devoured it! It was so rich though, it did take me 3 sittings to finish it.

She told me it was her mother-in-law's recipe, so I copied it! I probably should have left it at that, and requested she bring it to some special event. But no...the cheesecake lover in me had to have it for myself. So, today I took on the challenge of recreating this nearly perfect cheesecake. I haven't tasted it yet, as it is still cooling...but I am ready to try it!! I took a picture before it was attacked...

Reiki Healing...

For those of us who are in a rut and feel like your energy is "stuck" somewhere in your body, you can feel the physical and mental strains related to it. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful Reiki session in Jackson while going through a rough emotional time several years ago. It was amazing how a Reiki master can just stop and hover a problem area. They may even notice an ailment that you are having before you do, just by your energy flow! It is amazing.

If you are inquisitive, as I am, check out this site to learn more! Reiki Healing Lancaster PA
Nothing compares to the peace you feel after having your chakras aligned! :)

Palm Trees, In Michigan?

That's right...I had to bring a bit of paradise home with me from the south. Not that Louisiana was paradise, but it was a tropical climate! Like a tropical rain forest at times! ;)

I'm generally the one who kills plants, as I enjoy doing a million things at once and forget to water them. But, my goal is to fill this house with as much greenery as I can. Between the plants and the air filters, we should be in good shape! Or our lungs, anyhow! :)

I love when the palm sprouts new ferns (or whatever they are called). It is so cool, and curly....

Blueberries, mmmmm

Today, I picked blueberries for the first time. It was a gorgeous day for a nice drive to Grass Lake, to The Blueberry Patch. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat Organic whenever I can. I love the fact that there is an organic blueberry patch with over 3 acres with approximately 1000 well aged blueberry bushes so close to home!

Now, where's my free-range organic chicken farms that produce white eggs? :)

Check out these berries....now that I'm a canning fool, I'd better make some jam or something! The cookie sheet full are "flash frozen", and the bowl is for snacking! :)

Looks can be deceiving though...there are 3 lbs of berries there...and it took over a couple of hours to get them. Good thing it was a nice day!

Adventures In Canning

Ok, so I have never canned anything in my life before yesterday! After talking with Koleen about all of the vegetables in my kitchen that weren't going to make it if I didn't do something with them...we decided to take advantage of the situation, and her excess veggies, and did some canning.

We picked some more tomatoes to add to our surplus, and made some rockin' salsa! I can't wait to try it. We had so much stuff, we ended up with 12 pints...6 for each of us! That's a lotta salsa!

The dilly beans should be excellent as well. Some with red pepper flakes...and some with ground cayenne pepper...and of course, big cloves of garlic!! I can't wait till those are ready to crack open!




And, here's our little helper....
don't worry mom, they are sanitized! ;)

We ended up with over 2 dozen jars full. Not bad for my first time. :)

I also had an extra 10 ears of some great sweet corn from the family garden that I wanted to enjoy. So, I found this handy little vacuum sealing gizmo that came with bags (on clearance at Meijer for only $10) and it worked great for my first attempt at freezer corn! Yay, sweet corn in the winter!!

Making Salts...

So...Koleen and I have decided to delve into the world of bath salts and scrubs. After coming home a month or so ago, I was wondering what I could do for some $$ without having to get a "job" and punch a time clock right away. Koleen had discussed making bath salts before with her husband, but it just hadn't happened yet. So, I volunteered to be the "other half" of the salt-making adventure! :)

Here are some of the things we've been making so far:
Grapefruit Bath Salts
Lavender Bath Salts
and a "Hippy Blend" of Patchouli and Ylang Ylang oil Bath Salts
and some Lavender salt scrubs

We have a few more ideas to test and turn into products, but it is great fun doing it with a friend. Hopefully we can get a spot at some craft shows around Jackson for the Christmas crowd, and to get our name out there. We picked out our website address and name. We will be the Simply Natural Store, and our website will be www.simplynaturalstore.com. It isn't up and running yet, as we are still deciding on final product listings. But, we will be there soon!

Everything we are making is made with all natural ingredients. No fake colors that turn your bathtub or skin funny colors. We are using Sea Salts, Epsom Salts, Pure Essential Oils for fragrances, and some other natural ingredients too. Hopefully everyone will start caring as much about what they put on and in their bodies as we do. Not to mention, the all natural products have a much more pleasant smell! :)

So, stay tuned for more updates. We'll let you know when our site is up and running, and where we will be making appearances!

Farm market Saturday at ART 634

I just got this e-mail and wanted to share with everyone in case you hadn't heard of it:

Lots of delicious local chemical free produce at the NEW Real Goods farm market on Saturday! Tomatoes are in...green beans are still great! Hope to have some eggplant...
I also have some salad dressings and organic polenta, a few more grocery items available. Earth Soap also, made in Jackson with organic oils. If you haven't tried it, you should! It is delightful!

Saturday 7:30 to 2pm
Wednesday 2pm to 8pm

Cindy Eby
Real Goods Farm Market at Art 634
634 N Mechanic Street

Jackson, Mi 49202
(517) 784-9543
cindy@realgoodsorganics.com
www.realgoodsorganics.com

Saturdays 7:30 am to 2pm

Wednesdays, 2pm to 8pm

Compost...Lovely Compost

In my efforts to be "green", I decided when we moved back home to Jackson, I wanted to start a compost pile. The only compost pile I had ever started was in Cement City, at my first house, in 1999...and it was more like a pile of lawn clippings and leaves. There was no structure, it was just a heap. This is an acceptable method of composting...except, it would be easier for "critters", along with my dog, to get into it and make a bit of a mess! Not to mention, we are renting right now, and its hard enough to explain the idea of composting when it is "presentable" looking.

So, I researched online for the easiest way to contain compost. I found a site with simple directions to take a piece of fencing (or chicken wire) that is 3' high, and 5' wide and just turn it into a cylinder and put the compost in there. So, I tried it. Here's what it looks like now...

It works okay...except it is filling up really fast. Between yard waste, and food waste (no meat)...that little cylinder is running out of space. I printed out a list of compostable things from the Gorgeously Green book and stuck them to the fridge...so if Mike has any question of whether to compost or throw it in the trash, hopefully that covers it. Then, I put a nice Fiestaware bowl with a lid on the counter so we don't have to walk to the back of the yard 80 times a day! :) There's also a blog on the Gorgeously Green site if you want to learn more about composting.

So, now I need to figure out what is getting into the top of my pile. As you can see, it is quite bent up...I'm thinking either raccoons or wild cats.

In order to get rid of the smell of rotting vegetables, I took the old baking soda box out of my fridge and dumped it over the top. It actually helped a lot! So, if you use baking soda to keep the fridge or freezer fresh...when you replace it every 30 days you can put it to use instead of chucking it into the garbage. Also, if you don't compost, it is good to dump it down your drains and flush with hot water. It gets rid of any odor, and cleans them out with out chemicals. :) But, that's off the subject of composting, isn't it?

If you have the space, I think composting is a great idea. There are some fancy bins that cost up to $500...which I wouldn't mind having, but really aren't necessary. Koleen keeps hers in a pile with pallets, Chloe uses bales of hay...the possibilities are endless! And, when you recycle and compost, you will be amazed at how little you have to take out the trash! We are down to about a bag every 2 weeks or so. Its amazing!

Clean Sheets...

There's nothing better than climbing into bed when its covered in fresh, clean, air dried sheets. I picked out this clothes dryer at Target.com and really like it!




What's even better...is when the dog decides after he goes potty in the morning, rolls in the fresh cut grass, and tromps mud into the house...

then jumps into the bed with the fresh clean sheets...leaving grass and muddy paw prints behind!! Isn't that nice! :)

School Days Will Be Over In Less Than A Month!

I have to admit, I'm a bit excited! I took my first college course in 1997, as our high school allowed dual enrollment. I remember, it was Algebra. Thinking I needed to take it while it was still fresh in my brain...I was right. I can't remember much of it now, 11 years later! Between life, the Navy, getting married and divorced, then getting back on track...I'm almost done! In 2003 or so, I finished my Associate Degree in Arts. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and that was the fastest thing I could finish. Soon after, I realized that that wouldn't get me anywhere!

I had heard great things about Baker College, and checked it out. It was nice, because they had schedules to accommodate the working adult. And, I didn't feel "old", as there weren't as many kids fresh out of high school in my classes as at JCC. So, I messed with the on campus classes for a while, but they were tiring. Classes were from 6-10pm and I just got out of work at 6pm after a 10 hour day. It was very hard to do. Also, I talked to people who were in the accelerated program, and for some reason they weren't offering it to new students.

After taking a course online, I found out I could do their "corporate track" program and be done with my Bachelor's much quicker than traditional courses on campus. So, I became a completely online student. This worked out well spending the last year in Baton Rouge. None of my course work was interrupted. The best thing that happened was after parting ways with my employer March 1, 2008...I was able to take 22 credit hours and wrap up the bulk of my classes that were left. Now, I am just wrapping up two VERY LONG papers...and finishing up my Human Resources Employment and Labor Law class. The final date of that class is 9/10/08!! YAY!!!

I am so excited to close that chapter of my life and move on to another!

sauerkraut...who knew?

Ok, so I'm not Polish...and neither is Koleen. But, we had 3 heads of cabbage between the two of us and wanted to try something new. Koleen found the easiest recipes to make sauerkraut online, and yesterday we tried it! All we had to do was take a food grade plastic bucket (yeah, I know, probably has BDPs in it...but oh well! :), we let the food processor shred the cabbage, and then just layered cabbage and salt in the bucket. When we were done with that, we just put a plate on top that fit inside the bucket to squish the cabbage...then put a glass gallon jug full of water on top of that. That jug will continually squish the cabbage down, and the water will work itself out as the cabbage ferments.

I'm excited to see how it comes out. I hope it's better than the stuff we buy at the store! If not, it will be a nice addition to one of our compost piles! :)

good times

Ok...so Koleen borrowed it from LeeAnn...and I borrowed it from Koleen...just thought it was cute! :)

New Blog!

Well, as an attempt to start marketing and making money on this wild, wild web...I have started another blog. Please visit it and provide feedback when you have time, I'd appreciate it! :)
~Nickie

http://nickiesvoice.wordpress.com

Coming Home!

Well, I guess a year is long enough. We are heading back to Michigan at the end of June.

Talk started when I quit the job I came here for. I tried to rescind my notice, but I guess everything happens for a reason. I have been unemployed since 3/1/08, and hitting the books hard. I'll be done with my degree on 9/10/08, but who's counting? ;)

We talked about moving to Las Vegas and Florida...I love the ocean, Mike wants to be in the desert. Since we couldn't agree where to go next, we compromised on moving home. We are missing our families and the camaraderie of friends. Yes, we have met some friends down here...but nothing can replace the closeness of friends that you have had since 3rd grade! I don't miss the winters...but it is hot as heck down here already, and I am missing Michigan summers on the lake! So, instead of watching nieces, nephews, and our friend's babies grow up in pictures, we decided to come home and be a part of everyone's lives again.

Besides those things, real estate is cheap up there!! I want to buy every deal in town and turn them into rentals! Real estate is so expensive down here, it would have been hard to see a cash flow, and I'm happy our deals we were looking at fell through. Everything happens for a reason, I guess.

So, right now the plan is to head up there at the end of June. We will be staying at Canterbury House Apartments again. They are about the only ones where we can bring Rascal and have the washer and dryer in the apartment...and sign a 6 month lease! :) So, we can enjoy the apartment life for another 6 months and start house shopping! Yay!

Who knew they wouldn't die??

So, it seems like every time I try to grow a plant or flower, it doesn't last long. So, I bought a bulb kit, and they are growing!! And, I bought a small sago palm and it is even sprouting a new limb. :)

New Kitchen!

So, we were ready for a new table, and why not a rug too?? :)

Back to School...

Well, I haven't been very good at updating my blog. I can use the excuse that I am back in school as of 3/27/08, and taking 22 credit hours this quarter. :) It seems like a lot, but the reading is what is really killing me.

Mike headed up to Michigan on the 2nd of April, and I was bound and determined to get ahead in my studies...well, I pick him up from the airport tomorrow night, and that goal was not met. I have been keeping up...but far from getting ahead.

So, my goal is to make some posts here and there on my blog, since I am taking all online courses...and not fall behind in school. And I'll finally have that Bachelor's Degree this summer...'bout time!

...here goes :) yay International Economics and Labor-Management Relations...thank God there are only 2 courses at a time!

How Does This Work?

Ok, Koleen got me curious as to how to get into the "blogging" scene. So, I'm going to give it a try. We need to figure out where to get my camera fixed...so pictures will be limited for a while.

Any pointers from you "expert" bloggers would be appreciated.