Jennie's Blog

My sweet blog, I have neglected you...

2009-10-06T04:17:00.003-04:00

Well, to the 3 loyal blog fans that I have out there in cyberspace, I am sorry I have neglected you recently! I have good intentions of many varied posts, but have been too busy to even think about listing them. I will start with where I left off...

August 2009

Mid-August, I went on a training trip to Seattle with my Americorps Vista group I will be serving with this coming year through the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. To be honest, I dreaded the trip. As a rule of thumb, I do not like travel for work. I don't like sleeping alone in hotels, in particular. I was dreading the trip for 3 days before leaving while I dragged my heels in the packing process. I was grumpy and grumbly the night before. In general, I wanted the trip to be over before it began.

After I got off the plane in Seattle, everything that happened got better from that point on. I made friends quickly with my new fellow Vistas, and we had a fun day together in the hotel where we stayed. Which, by the way, was fabulous. We stayed in Downtown Bellevue at the Hyatt, which was beautiful and far better than any of us expected. Apparently, because the economy has tanked and hotels are especially hard up for business, our national Americorps gurus negotiated the best possible bang for their government buck, and we ended up staying in the nicest hotels in the history of the Americorps program. Cool stuff!

The training itself was also far better than I expected. I have managed a professional development (training department) in the past, and have coordinated a lot of volunteer trainings, as well as have formal training on conducting trainings. Which makes me a picky student. I actually was impressed with the content and the facilitation, which is hard to do.

I met some of the most wonderful people on this trip! Not just my new OC acquaintances, but from the whole West Coast and Pacific Northwest region--the whole training was full of a bunch of non-profit loving, people-helping people. It truly felt like I had been sucked up by a mothership and transported to my home planet. As much as could be the case in a strictly secular government environment at least. I left the 4 day trip feeling completely proud to become an Americorps Vista member for the year, and really pumped to start my year of service.

Finally, I got to do some unexpected sightseeing also. Of particular interest: Pike's Place (with the fish), the original Starbucks, aka my "mothership", and the Space Needle, which I was able to see at sunset on a beautiful sunny day. Which I understand is not typical of Seattle--which, by the way, was sunny the entire trip. I felt like I was in SoCal.

So, needless to say, my expectations of this entire trip were exceeded tenfold. I actually was sad to leave and came back happy that I went on the trip.

As a teaser to the next installment of "fall 2009 adventures with Jennie", here are some of the next postings I hope to get to within the next few weeks:

*Colette's Children's Home: My First Month
*How to Date a Lawyer for 6 weeks and no more
*Saddleback Small Group Learnings from Fall 2009
*Mt. San Antionio's Fiesta Weekend
*Labor Day at Disneyland
*Update on my "mentee," Jacqueline

I hope to do a post every few days to catch y'all up. I'm a facebooker too...so chances are, if you are on facebook, you've already caught up on these adventures as they were occurring.

Now...must...get...sleep...

Trip to the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica

2009-07-08T16:05:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday, my sister-in-law Beccie, who is also an avid "crafter," and I went on a trek up to the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica. I picked her up at her house (on the way), we got our coffee and tea, and were ready to go. The UCC did not disappoint! Although we went up there with lofty ideas of it being actually bigger than it was (the store portion, in particular--hey, a girl can dream, right?), we were still in glorious crafty heaven wandering around the store.

While we saw a lot of crafting items that she and I both had "mastered" the art of creating (quilting for her, scrapbooking for me), there were still some new techniques and items that she and I are both dying to learn. Felted animals (BIRDS for me, MUSHROOMS and WOODLAND CREATURES for her), new t-shirt screenprinting techniques, how to machine quilt on a sewing machine, as well as some hip and modern shrinky-dink jewelry...so much to learn! We were so enthralled with what we saw, that we are going back on Friday for a free demonstration that they are having, and bringing my brother along with us.

On a side note, MOST of the house I live in is now painted! Woo hoo! I'm still putting the "finishing touches" on things with the help of my decorating-maven friend Sharon, but pictures will soon be available! During the rest of the summer, other home renovations will be happening where I live (new slider, new flooring, new downstairs bathroom) but they will take more time to complete. So, in the meantime, Beccie and I are focusing on some summer projects at her house, mostly pillows, curtains, and furniture re-arranging--all VERY fun! I am teaching Beccie how to sew cording in pillows (the easiest thing EVER), and Beccie is teaching me how to quilt with leftover scraps that I have from making pillows at my place (no-cost, low-risk if I mess up!). So my few blog readers will have a peek into some other projects later in the summer as well.

Stay tuned for further updates on my "CRAFTY" summer!

New nephew...#15 from my two families!

2009-07-01T16:19:00.004-04:00

Joshua Michael Rinehart

Joshua was born to Liz, Jay, and Abbie on June 19 at 1:35am, just a few days before Father’s Day. Jay was delighted to get a SON so close to Father's Day! Josh was 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 20.5 in. long with a 14 in. head . . .a real whopper!

Last week, I went and spent a couple days with Gramma Shirley and Poppa Bob to have some play time with Abbie while they were watching her during the first few days of Liz and Jay's adjustment period to the new baby. Abbie is so grown up now! She speaks in complete sentences, is amazingly bright, and has a hilarious personality. She loves introducing you to her little world in Bob and Shirley's living room (she has a play corner there) and even to her routines in the bathroom. "This room is called the bathroom. And this is my stepstool. And these are my animals that go in the tubbie with me. And this is the soap...". This was all during a brief trip to wash her hands after walking Buddy, the dog.

The next day, I went with Bob and Shirley to bring Abbie back home--and also, of course, to meet Joshua. He was SOOOOO adorable! His cheeks and chin were so chubby and cute. His eyes were still very blue, and he had a little bit of brown hair (not as much as Abbie was born with). Abbie kept telling us what she would teach Joshua: how to play peek-a-boo, how to play hide and seek, and of course, how to pet their kitties "gently." (Somehow I think the gently part was taught to her as greatly important).

The funniest part was when Liz and Jay were changing baby Joshua and Abbie stood up tall on their bed to see what was going on and she said, "What's that?"...pointing to their obvious gender difference. So all of us got to hear Liz address the birds-and-bees watered down, fit for a two-year-old talk about the difference between boys and girls. Abbie didn't seem convinced, which was the most hilarious part. Ahhh, the joys of parenting. At least now I know what to say if I have a boy and a girl--Liz did a great job with that whole topic!

So...this makes #15 in my line-up of nieces and nephews in my biological and adoptive families:

Madeline
Julia
Carson
Seth
Dylan
Olivia
Alexis
Madison
Macy
Noah
Mason
Zach
Abbie
Jessica
and now...
Joshua!

WOW! Too many to keep track of!!! I do have to say, I really enjoy being "Ant Jeny." You get the joy of having children around who are fun but you get to send them back home at the end of the visit. :-)

Finally, here is a picture of grown-up Abbie loving her brother's "teeny tiny hands."

Big Sister Abbie and Little Brother Joshua

New Plans and Goals!

2009-06-23T01:21:00.005-04:00

Well, most of you know how this past year I have been on a whirlwind adventure. I moved back east to live near family for a while, and ended up moving back to sunny southern California because I missed living here.

This past week, I accepted a year-long position with Colette's Children's Home in Huntington Beach. It is through the Americorps Vista program, which is also referred to as the "domestic peace corps." I am really excited about this position because I am going to be able to use my OL Master's Degree--they are going to have me work with their Operations Director and Board to solidify their strategic plan this year, and I will also work with their Executive Director to learn more about fundraising and grantwriting--both skills that I need to build if I plan to stay in the non-profit sector in Orange County. I am excited to begin this position, which starts in mid-August and lasts for a year.

Tentatively, I am also applying to the University of San Diego's PhD program in Leadership Studies with an emphasis on Nonprofit and Philanthropic Management. Ever since I graduated with my Master's last year, I have been exploring options for a PhD program, but have fluctuated because I wasn't sure where I'd land in my job search and with my moves during the last year. I visited USD two weeks ago, met with the Admissions Director, and spent about an hour talking with two students who are currently in the program. I really liked the format and focus of the program, and the campus of the school is beautiful--the building where my department and classes would be held is only 2 years old, and very gorgeous--it even has a view of the ocean and a view of downtown San Diego. If I were to get accepted as a full-time student and be awarded an assistantship (I would have to for the finances to work out), I would tentatively plan to start in the fall of 2010, after finishing my year of being an Americorps Vista. So...we'll see what happens!

I know many of you have been following me in my moves and year of job-searching--and I thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers! This has been a really long year for me, but the journey has taught me a great deal and I would not have arrived here any other way. I am glad to have moved to Kentucky, but also glad to have moved back to California and to have come full-circle again and land back into the nonprofit sector. Stay posted for how this year goes and how my application process for USD's program goes. I am going to be taking the GRE this fall, and need some prayers for that, as I haven't taken a standardized test in a while.

Regumbah's French Market

2009-06-12T03:11:00.009-04:00

I was SO fortunate this week to go with my friend Sharon to a tasting party at Ragumbah's beautiful home in Laguna Beach. What started out as as simple, "Hey, Jennie, you should come to this lady's house tomorrow, it will be fun!" turned into one of the best days I've had all summer!

Most of you know that I have worked part-time at Williams-Sonoma doing sales and cooking classes, and that I have a growing fondness for cooking and all things kitchen related. So, when I showed up with Sharon and learned I got to taste all kinds of special French sirops (syrups) and confits (jellies), I got very excited. Ragumbah is the exclusive importer of these fancy syrups and jellies direct from the maker in France. Her products are in some stores in Laguna Beach and she also sells from her website as well.

What an experience! Even getting to see Regumbah's interesting house was a treat, and that was only the beginning! These French syrups are made using ancient methods in copper pots and are infused with floral essences and oils. They are very subtle but for those with a discerning palette, they are heavenly. We began by tasting some of the floral syrup flavors mixed with some plain Greek yogurt--delicious! Next, Ragumbah handed us crackers spread with creamy goat cheese and with the confit--again, a wonderful flavor. The BEST way to taste them, however, was the sorbets--she and her daughter make sorbets from the syrups combining them in interesting ways, like lemon and violet, or grapefruit and geranium. Heavenly! Other uses for these oils are to add a hint of flavor to whipped cream (or frostings), to make specialty salad dressings, or to flavor champagne to make delicious cocktails.

So, of course when it came to the end of Sharon and I choosing what to purchase, we were torn, but settled on some items for ourselves and to give as gifts to special people we know. So...a couple of you (who probably don't read this, lol) may be receiving some of these in the near future.

Tonight, I came home and began using my selections immediately! I have used my poppy infused syrup in my bottled water (just a few drops and it is so much tastier to drink, and hardly any calories). I made a salad dressing with the poppy syrup that is hands down my favorite dressing--light and refreshing, perfect for summer (recipe will be listed below). I used a tablespoon of the confit, warmed in in the microwave, and drizzled it on my fresh strawberries and blueberries. Then, I used the matching poppy syrup and put a hint of it in the fresh whipped cream I made. Each item was to die for! Amazing flavor, and really added a lot to the dishes, although it is subtle it is very unique and tasty. I just love these!

Yay to Regumbah and her small French import business! I have a feeling that these are going to be popular gifts for friends and family!

Poppy Dressing

*1/2 oz white wine vinegar (of your choice)
*1 oz grapeseed oil (milder flavor than olive or other oils)
*1 tsp Sirop Coquelicot (poppy) from Ragumbah's French Market
*1/8 tsp salt (as an emulsifier)
*1/4 tsp poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients in a cruet and mix throoughly. Dresses a salad for 4. Double or triple for a larger salad.

Great Deal from Craigslist!

2009-06-09T17:41:00.002-04:00

So...with the re-painting starting to happen (the kitchen is finished and one wall of the living room as a "test wall" is getting done on Friday), all of the living room furniture is in the center of the room. My roommate said yesterday when we were cleaning everything in preparation for painting that it looks like we're moving...kind of funny, considering I had two huge moves in less than one year.

Looking at the room differently is now making me look at some of the furniture differently. My roommate had suggested turning the couch in a different orientation to maximize on the size of the room a while back, so when the painting finishes, I think it would be nice to try that and see how it looks. If we do that though, I was afraid that the coffee table (which is long and skinney) may look too small for the area--in fact, the way it is designed, I've thought about sitting it in the entry way and looking at it because it kind of could be a "bench" for taking off shoes, etc., but that just depends upon if it fits.

Either way, thinking about the coffee table has gotten me to looking at other coffee tables on Craigslist. Las night, I found an AWESOME coffee table that was larger (square) AND had storage drawers underneath. The owner who posted it said that it was super heavy (not cheaply made) and solid wood. The color was wrong but I often paint things, so I believe that if I painted it black, it would look FABULOUS with the other furniture in there and help fill a very LONG living room (decorating trick...room is too large, use some oversized furniture to fill it and it looks evenly proportioned).

I went over to look at the coffee table today and it was MUCH nicer than it looked originally in the picture. Very heavy, very well taken care of, and nice style. the drawer pulls were black and the drawers had metal guides along the sides almost like file cabinet drawers--very nicely made piece of furniture. So I bought it from her for $25 (if it doesn't work out, I know I can re-sell it for more), and I'm going to paint it up black and see how it looks. That is, when I get is home because it wouldn't fit in my car :-(. I'll figure out a way to get it home so that I can work on painting it. It was a super great price for the weight and look of the table though--I've seen similar ones at Goodwill that I could have painted up that were marked at higher prices.

So...look for future pictures on how this coffee table looks painted up and placed with the other furniture in the living room!

And the winner is........Summer Hue!

2009-06-07T02:19:00.004-04:00

OK, so renovations on the place where I live have started to be underway! All the wallpaper is now off of the bathroom and kitchen walls, and my roommate made her final selection on the color that will be painted throughout the house as the warm neutral tone. It is a very light yellow called "Summer Hue" by Dunn Edwards. It is a fabulous yellow because it adds just the right amount of warmth without being a knock-your-socks-off yellow.

The one area that is tricky to decorate around in the condo is the the lighting. Hence the picking of a very light sunny yellow--the light reflects off of it, and it literally will brighten things up. The color looks a bit different in each room due to the lighting, so it adds visual interest, but it looks great in every room so that there is "flow" throughout the house and consistency. So hopefully in the next month or two, I will have some before/after photos to post of the painting.

Other areas that will come after that will be some pics of the downstairs bathroom (which has pretty much been gutted and is going to be brand new, bead board and everything), and possibly a chair slipcover that I am going to attempt to sew as a my first sort of "upholstery" project. So, many more fun pictures to come over the summer! We are lucky because our friend Sharon has offered to help us with the big painting project, which will be an enormous blessing and help us to complete things in a timely manner.

LOTS of things around the house to prep and get ready in order for the big paint! Flooring will end up going into the dining room and kitchen and downstairs bath, so it's like we have to work backwards and accomplish all the things that we can while the flooring is out (like painting, some yard work, etc.). It's so much easier to do these things BEFORE a pristine floor has been put in, hence all the work on other areas than the flooring to get ready for the flooring.

I will make sure I take my before pictures in the next week or so to show progress along the way. Fun stuff!!!

Cousin Karl's Graduation...

2009-06-01T20:10:00.003-04:00

My cousin Karl will be graduating from High School in a couple weeks...here is one of my card creations. [I am attempting to actually USE some of my crafty things that I've accumulated, now that I have more time than I used to while working and in school.] Happy upcoming graduation, Karl!!!

Huntington Library and Botanical gardens

2009-05-23T03:49:00.018-04:00

Here are some gorgous pictures taken today at the Huntington. Enjoy!

States I've Visited...

2009-05-20T04:03:00.003-04:00

So, because I went across the country twice in less than a year, I've started tracking the states I've visited and not visited, with hopes of eventually making it to them all. I also found a nifty online map that lets you click where you've been to keep track of it:

http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=usa

visited 27 states (54%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Best time to visit Minato

The states I've already visited include:

Alabama
Ohio
Oklahoma
Arizona
Oregon
Arkansas
California
Kentucky
Rhode Island
Colorado
Minnesota
South Carolina
Missouri
Tennessee
Florida
Texas
Georgia
Nebraska
Utah
Hawaii
Nevada
Illinois
Indiana
New Mexico
Iowa
Wisconsin
North Carolina

The states I have yet to visit and hope to visit by the time I turn 50 include:

Alaska
Louisiana
Idaho
Kansas
Wyoming
New Jersey
Washington
New York
Vermont
New Hampshire
Virginia
Maine
West Virginia
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Montana
Michigan
Connecticut
Mississippi
North Dakota
South Dakota
Delaware
Maryland
Washington

Happy 32nd Birthday to me!

2009-05-18T03:53:00.006-04:00

So, for my 32'nd birthday this year, I had a very mellow day. I got up and hit some neighborhood yard sales (hadn't been in forever, and several neighborhoods in Irvine were sponsoring 50+ family sales), which was very fun. I found some rubber stamps, some picture frames, a couple cute antique green vases...and the find of the day was a brand new in-the-box Williams-Sonoma creme brulee torch with a new can of butane which I got for $5 for the set--retail value of both of those is $48, so this was a steal!

For the my birthday dinner, Tri took me to Lulu's Creperie Cafe in Lake Forest. The interesting thing is that this restaurant has been many things over the years, and previously it was an Italian restaurant called 20/20. Exactly 10 years ago, the MacKinnons took me there for my birthday, which Tri did not know. So, this time around in the same place, we ate French food. I had peach champagne (which was very tastey), french onion soup, and chicken cordon bleu. It was all very delicious! We were so full that we were not able to have crepes for dessert, but that was OK--gives us a reason to go back!

After dinner, Tri went with me to pick up my birthday sewing machine! I used giftcards that I received to be able to purchase a cool sewing machine that I've wanted for a long time (and otherwise would not get for myself). I've already used it to sew 4 decorative pillows (with cording!), and I hemmed a skirt and altered a blouse to make them both fit. I LOVE my new little sewing machine! More pictures of my crafty sewing items will appear soon!

All in all, I had a great 32nd birthday! Thanks to everyone for all my nice birthday wishes!

Urban Herb Garden

2009-05-13T00:06:00.008-04:00

As most of you know, I really enjoy cooking. Part of what I love is using fresh herbs--in a pinch, I use dried herbs, but fresh tastes SO much better. However, most of you have probably noticed that the fresh herbs that come in tiny pouches in the grocery store are not very cost-effective. It is a small amount for anywhere between $.99 and $2.99, and they usually expire pretty quickly if you do not use all of it up ASAP. So, this spring I have decided to plant my own herb garden, in order to have my own fresh herbs readily available for my using as I need them.

Even though I am not very good at remembering to water plants, I used some pots that we already had on our stoop (which were empty because I killed the geraniums which I planted last spring). For the amount that I would pay for one sprig of fresh herbs at the grocery store, I got a whole plant of that type of herb. So, I now have basil, parsley, dill, oregano, and chives. I also planted seeds for rosemary and another variety of basil in the larger flower pot, because there were no rosemary plants, and I use so much basil I wanted to try my hand at growing another later crop in case the original plant dies.

Much to my surprise, it has been 3 weeks, and my herbs are actually thriving! I have found that watering them about every 3 days is working really well, and none of the plants seem to be responding poorly to the amount of light or water that they are receiving. In fact, the dill has about doubled in size, everything else is growing, and even the baby seeds I planted have the first sprouts pushing up through the soil. SUPER exciting because I never can get seeds to grow.

So...stay tuned for later pictures of my Urban Herb Garden. I will let you know how it progresses through the summer and if it has worked out to be cost-effective like I hope. I have already used each of the herbs (small amounts) in my cooking and it was so nice to just pinch off and wash what I needed and know that there would still be plenty more that was still fresh the next time.

I think later this week there will be caprese salad on the menu with the basil! Deeee-licious!

New Treasure from Old...

2009-05-12T23:59:00.002-04:00

After my move back to California, I have done a few things to get "settled in" including getting my old bedroom set up since I am now back in the same place I used to live. One of my favorite things about my "new" space is this cute little vanity that I re-purposed. I picked this little table up, which is actually a very small secretary's desk, at a thrift store for only $9.99. The stool I also purchased at the same thrift store for $5.99. I repainted the secretary's desk, added one crystal knob from home depot, and re-covered the stool, and voila! My secretary's desk is now a make-up vanity in the small corner of my room which is hard to fill. The lamp and the mirror were inexpensive and are from Ikea and completed my ensemble for under $30 total. Not bad!

National Scrapbook Day!!!

2009-05-04T06:10:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday, May 2nd, was National Scrapbook Day. Why is this important, you ask? Because for the last 6 years, since National Scrapbook Day 2003, I have been an avid fan of scrapbooking. This is for several reasons. First, I have always had a love of photos and learning about family history, etc. Secondly, I have a fettish for all things paper-related. Thirdly, what adult isn't still looking for a good reason to be able to use STICKERS? Lastly, I enjoy the process of being creative and find it to be theraputic and relaxing. When you add this combination to a day of chatting with some of your closest friends, having someone else cook food, and being in a setting when a chocolate break is a planned occasion, how can you go wrong?

Seriously though, I get a great deal of enjoyment from scrapbooking. SOMEDAY I will have a family and children to whom I hope all of my hours of effort will be important or special in some way. This is the grand hope at least. I enjoy reflecting back on events over the last year or special occasions or trips as I pick out what background paper and stickers match best with the pictures from Catalina Island or my sister Kate's wedding. I think it's a wonderful way to think about how I've grown over the last year, and where I want to be next year.

I spent Saturday at my friend Carmen's house with two great friends, Jeanne and Sharon, and all of us had a very productive and fun day. It has been about a year since I have scrapbooked (my items were being stored here in CA while I lived in Kentucky) and boy was it rejuvienating! I almost finished up an album that I started last year at Carmen's spring retreat. I'm almost ready to start thinking about my next project!

Thank you to Carmen who hosted a FABULOUS scrapbooking day :-). And to Jeanne and Sharon who kept me company during the day :-).

Kitchen Renewal

2009-04-30T14:50:00.008-04:00

Well, some of you know that while I was living in Kentucky, my CA roommate (who I am now able to live with again) had the unfortunate experience of having the condo that she owns get mildly flooded. The flood actually originated a few condos down and my roommate's condo had the least damage, but still not a fun process. Her main areas that were affected were the downstairs bathroom and the downstairs flooring on the half that shares a wall with the most affected condo.

In an attempt to help her while I am still job searching, I offered to take down wall paper to help with the process since I have the time on my hands right now. I decided to tackle it this week, and below are a few pics of what the kitchen now looks like. Later on when the downstairs bathroom is redone and new flooring gets selected, I will post pictures of the progress of that as well.

I like cooking anyway, but cooking in our transformed kitchen will be extra fun! The inspiration was a Kim Parker picture that my roommate really likes (which hangs in the dining room--I actually had one of these in my dining room in Kentucky as well, which is kind of fun). Kim Parker actually designed a line of dishes for Spode as well, and I got some of these to use as wall decorations to tie in some of the colors. It turned out really cute!

Bistro 45

2009-04-30T14:41:00.002-04:00

Tonight Tri and I were going to see a movie up in Pasadena, so he picked out a place to eat dinner since we were making the long trek to see an independent film that was not being played anywhere in Orange County. Although the movie, Lymelife, stunk, the restaurant was FABULOUS! We had an appetizer and a salad, I had trout with baby potatoes and green beans, and the dessert was divine! The most impressive feature of the restaurant, in addition to the food, was the service. Every single staff person who passed our table asked us how we were doing and if they could get anything. Also, our waiter upgraded my wine to a better tasting one (he knew his wines and gave me a sample--and correctly, the year for the wine I chose was not as good as the one he recommended). I highly recommend Bistro 45 to anyone who has to eat in Pasadena!

Easter

2009-04-30T14:37:00.002-04:00

For Easter this year, I was able to go to Murrieta with my family. We celebrated my brother Rob's birthday as well. It was great to be with them again after being in Kentucky for the past several holidays! As you can see, I especially had fun making the chocolate covered strawberries. Happy Easter, everyone!

Carlsbad Flower Fields

2009-04-30T05:26:00.002-04:00

On Good Friday before Easter, Tri and I went with his parents to the Carlsbad Flower Fields--one of my favorite places to visit in the springtime. If you have never been to The Flower Fields, it is a farm right along the I-5 in Carlsbad where they plant striped rows of Rannuculus flowers, which they harvest the bulbs for and sell. In the springtime when they are in bloom, they are just beautiful!

Long Drive Home

2009-04-30T05:14:00.007-04:00

After waking up Saturday morning and getting an early start on my journey, I realized early into my trip that it really was a blessing to be driving through the western part of Colorado right after the snow. Vail after a snowstorm is BEAUTIFUL! I got to drive through the Eisenhower tunnel (over a mile long!), and the entire day was scenic and georgous. After passing out of Colorado, I went into Utah--equally georgous but in different ways. I stopped at a few scenic view points and saw some large and beautiful canyons. After making it to Las Vegas by 10pm, I decided to drive on through the rest of the 4 hours home to Orange County, rather than be caught in Spring Break traffic the next night. I ended up driving just over 1,000 miles in 19 hours that day--I don't plan on doing that anytime soon! Here are a few pics from Colorado and Utah.

Colorado Snow Storm!

2009-04-30T05:02:00.005-04:00

After leaving Omaha, Nebraska, I headed across Nebraska into Colorado. I can honestly say that I have never seen as many red barns and windmills as I saw along the I-80 in Nebraska. Tonight, I was supposed to spend the night with my college roommate and friend Lori that I lived with while attending Pacific Christian College. I arrived at her home around dinner time and got to meet her adorable two boys and incredibly nice husband. I "thought" I was going to get to depart the next morning...God had a sense of humor however with my aversion to snow. When I woke in the morning, there had been about 16 inches of snow dumped during the night. So I ended up staying TWO extra days with Lori and her family. It ended up being a blessing in diguise, because I actually got to catch up with her and get to know her family some during my stay with them. Here are a few pictures of my two snow days in Longmont, Colorado:

Covered Bridges of Iowa

2009-04-30T04:47:00.006-04:00

After visiting with my Gramma, Tuesday's itinerary was to drive across Illinois and Iowa. Most of the day it was raining, but right when it was time to drive past Des Moines to Madison County where I had decided to visit the bridges, the rain cleared away! I had about two hours to drive all over the county and make it to 6 bridges from 5pm to 7pm. BARELY made it to the last one by sundown. I decided to have dinner at the little Cafe in downtown Winterset--the same one where Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep sat in during the filming of the movie Bridges of Madison County. All in all, a nice day. After that, I continued onward through Iowa to Nebraska, after altering my trip after heeding the weather warnings. (Mount Rushmore and most of South Dakota was covered in a LOT of snow).

Goodbye Kentucky...Hello, Indiana and Illinois!

2009-04-19T22:08:00.005-04:00

Well, I finally left Kentucky on Sunday afternoon of March 22nd. My friends Lisa and Lesley helped me pack my remaining contents of my little Kentucky rental house into my car. Bon Voyage to Ant Jeny as I crossed over the Ohio River in Louisville into Indiana. Sunday night, I spent the night with my childhood best friend, Lisa Hicks, and her roommate who has also become my good friend, Lesley Jacobs. They were lovely hostessess for the evening and it gave me a chance to gave some more time with them to hang out and say goodbye before my long journey. I miss them already!

Also part of the reason I left KY on Sunday was to get a head start on my first destination along my trip...My Grandma Rose's house in Round Lake Beach, IL (suburb of Chicago). I got an early start leaving Lisa and Lesley's in order to get to spend some extra daylight hours with my Gramma (aka "Gramsey"). After I arrived at her house around 2:30pm on Monday, March 23, we went to lunch at an old favorite...Scotty's Hot Dog Stand! My parents went here with their high school friends before they were even married, and as children when we spent the summers with my grandparents in IL, we frequented Scotty's pretty often. So, it has become tradition when I come into town that Gramma and I go enjoy a Scotty's hot dog while I'm in town. Below are a couple photo's of the iconic stand that I remember from when I was at least as young as 7 or 8 years old.

That evening after eating our Hot Dog's, Gramma and I went by my Uncle Jimmy's house and I visited with him and my cousins, Jason and Jack. I didn't get any photos with Jimmy, Jason, and Jack, but I've included one from childhood of my with my sisters and Uncle Jimmy...priceless!
Kristey, Amy, and Jennie on Uncle Jimmy's Motorcycle, Circa Summer 1985

Goodbye, Ant Jeny...

2009-03-22T22:42:00.010-04:00

So, on Saturday night, my sister Amy organized a going away type party for me at Fazoli's. It was very lovely and I got to see everyone except my sister Amanda, who wasn't available to come. The "theme" had to do with Dora the Explorer and one of my cake's said "Jennie...Another Adventure". I was really glad that so many of my favorite people were able to attend.

Me with my Nephews, Seth, Carson, and Dylan

Me with my neices and nephews, Julia, Olivia, Madeline, and Seth

Me with my good friends, Lisa, Lesley, and Mrs. Judy Hicks

Me with my 2 sisters, Kristey and Amy

3 more days until liftoff!

2009-03-19T23:29:00.007-04:00

Well, I have a "tentative" itinerary for my departure in 3 days! I am going to get to see my Grandma (who turned 80 in December), and old college roommate, and one of my best friends along the way. I'm also going to take a detour to see Mount Rushmore, since I doubt I will be in the South Dakota vicinity anytime soon after this trip. It should be fun. I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with my packing, although I'm really tired.

Itinerary:

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
Leave Lexington and head to Bloomington, IN. Stay the night at Lisa and Lesley's to get a head start going to Chicago on Monday.
176.66 miles

Monday, March 23rd, 2009
Get an early start to go to my Grandma Rose's. Arrive by 2pm. Spend the afternoon/evening visiting with her.
289.77 miles

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Get a VERY early start! I was going to attempt to go from Chicago, IL to Rapid City, SD in one day! It would be a LONG day of driving, so I am opting to stay in Omaha, NE or thereabouts for the night.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Leave Omaha or whatever stopover city and attempt to get to Mount Rushmore with daylight and visiting hours left. I will also stay near Rapid City to get an early start visiting Mount Rushmore again in the morning (if there is more to see or cool photos to be taken).
981.70 miles over Tues/Wed

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Visit Mount Rushmore in the early part of the day--attempt to get some good photos! I figure this is worth extra attention as it is one of the few tourist-type stops for my trip. After this, I will head to Longmont, Colorado to stay with my college roommate, Lori, and her family. It has been about 8 or 9 years since I last saw her! I'm excited to get to visit with her and see her growing family!
362.22 miles

Friday, March 27, 2009
Get an early start leaving Colorado. I "might" attempt to see Aspen as a side-trip, as I've always thought pictures of it looked beautiful. I will likely stay somewhere in Utah for the night and get up to get an early start to go to Henderson, NV to stay for a day with my really good friend, Lisa. I will get to meet her newest baby, Owen while I am there.
790.48 miles over 2 days

Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Leave Utah and arrive to visit this day with Lisa and her two boys. I will stay hopefully Saturday and Sunday night, leaving sometime mid-morning on Monday. This will have me leaving Las Vegas to head home NOT on a weekend, with all the spring break traffic. ETA for Orange County is Monday, March 30th!
257.30 miles

Monday, March 30th, 2009
I will be back in Orange County by this day!

Fall, Winter, and Spring

2009-03-13T18:24:00.003-04:00

Last night, it snowed about 2 inches. Today, it was warm enough to melt ALL the snow that was covering the ground in the middle of the night.

When I went outside, I saw something you do not get to see in California. Because it was warm last week, some of the spring bulbs are starting to poke up through the ground. In this picture, you see the evidence of fall, winter, and spring, all in the same 2' x 2'patch of earth! You see the fall from my laziness of not raking my leaves when it was cold, the winter from the obvious remains of last night's snow, and the new bulbs peeking through showing signs of spring coming. This sure is some UNUSUAL weather!

Packing, packing, and more packing!

2009-03-12T22:24:00.006-04:00

Well, most of today was spent packing and organizing. When I got home last night after flying back to Lexington, upon looking around my house--which I left mid-way through packing last week--I felt a bit overwhelmed. I ended up having the day off (I anticipated working at the tax office but they were not ready with my project), and was able to accomplish a lot of sorting, cleaning, packing, and even some cooking. I'm trying to use up the last of my food, so I will be eating random foods together over the next 10 days. I'm cleverly trying to trick myself into thinking I have an ongoing buffet where it is OK to snack on unrelated items for a while, haha. All in all, it has been a productive day!

Tonight the weather is COLD! The temperature has been dropping throughout the day, and tonight it started snowing...AGAIN! There is probably about 1-2 inches of accumulation outside, and it's supposed to be similarly dreary outside the next couple days. With the snow on the ground, it is hard to believe that I will be enjoying the California sunshine once more by the end of this month!

I have a "goal" date for departing Kentucky. My sister is throwing a VERY informal (mostly family) goodbye next Sunday March 22nd, and my plan is to leave KY on Monday, March 23rd. I believe that I should have been able to accomplish everything I hoped in the next 10 days. I am telling myself that if I focus on one room per day, I will be completely packed in 5 days.

I tried that today, but it was a bit difficult. I have random people stopping by to pick up and purchase various items I have listed on CraigsList, so I'm shuffling items around and it's easy to get distracted. I did accomplish at least one major project in every room, so maybe that is the best way. I think my haphazard approach more resembles what I would like to call "layers of an onion" packing. Well, on to more "onion"-ing...I probably have a few more hours of packing left in me tonight!

Ant Jeny

2009-03-11T22:23:00.004-04:00

One of the things I have loved the most about living in Kentucky the past 7 months is getting to be an Aunt. Combined among my 3 sisters in Kentucky, I have 13 nieces and nephews. Quite a few to keep track of! Madeline, Seth, Julia, Olivia, Dylan, Carson, Mason, Zach, Jessica, Macy, Alexis, Noah, and Madison. It has been very fun to get to know each of their unique little personalities, and I love them all.

Before going on my trip to California, I visited the Johnson family, and had my portrait drawn by Julia, who is in first grade. She presented it to me with the title "Ant Jeny." I thought it was quite a fetching rendering, so I have posted it here for the world to see.

Tonight I am back in Lexington, which was 39 degrees when I landed at 5:08pm, and the temperature is steadily dropping. Back to the land of frozen tundra--more packing awaits me during this upcoming week!

Interview at Habitat for Humanity

2009-03-10T03:02:00.003-04:00

Well, folks...here is an update in the never-ending saga of my "MOVE"...which has extended from being a MOVE to Kentucky into a MOVE to Kentucky and BACK to California. Boy will I be glad to have some "settled-ness" to my life again (someday!).

Tomorrow at 2pm I will be interviewing for an Office Manager position at the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. I'm excited about this possibility because of several reasons. One, because I believe I would be a good fit for the actual position itself. Two, because it is a nonprofit, and that is where I have always felt at home in my career endeavors. And three, last but not least, it is nearby where I will again be living with my former room-mate and friend Rita, and I will not have a LOONNNGGG commute like I did previously when I worked down in San Clemente.

So...wish me luck everyone! Hopefully it will go well tomorrow and I will be asked for a second interview!

Ch...chh..chh..CHANGES!

2009-03-10T02:35:00.008-04:00

OK, so, this may be a silly part of my move, but it is a huge decision to me...the changing of my dinnerware. I have used the same style of dinnerware, the "Elizabeth" pattern from Pier 1, for about 5 years now. I have loved this pattern for a long time, because it is bright and colorful and has my favorite bright colors in it--primarily green and yellow. Also, all of my friends and family in CA contributed toward this purchase with numerous gift cards to Pier 1 for Christmas and Birthdays several years back. So this pattern has sentimental value to me as well, because I think of all of them when I use my dishes.

Well, having worked for a while at Williams-Sonoma while in Kentucky, I have been brain-washed a bit about plating up food--but in a good way. As my adoptive Mom, Shirley, has always told me, food looks better plated up on white dishes (hence she has cabinets full of white dishes). There is truth to this. When you put my tomato-cream spinach pasta dish on my Pier 1 plates, it looks a little like someone spun you around on the tilta-whirl right before you eat. Lots of mixed up colors. On a solid white plate, however, you would be able to notice that I like using the spinach pasta because of its green color as well as healthful properties, and the rose-colored cream tomato sauce offsets the green quite nicely. So, as I've become more interested in cooking, I've also become more interested in the overall presentation. My Pier 1 dishes were gorgeous to look at, but not when food was on them.

So, that brings me to my new decision to make a change as part of my move, retiring my old style and moving onto a new one (while I still get my lovely Williams-Sonoma associate discount). The pattern I have selected is the Apilco French white porcelain "Tuileries" pattern.

I like this pattern best because it can function as casual dinnerware, yet you can still dress it up by changing out the salad plates. So, out with the old and in with the new on my move! I'm only able to afford 4 place settings to start with, but my plan is to get hired back on at a Williams-Sonoma here in Orange County and add to my collection over time. It will become one of the MANY wishlist items I have toward my ultimate dream kitchen being stocked fully from Williams-Sonoma. Which means that I will likely have a part-time job there during most of my adult life, LOL.

A Royal Blessing

2009-03-10T00:16:00.007-04:00

This week from March 4-11, I had the HUGE blessing of being flown to California by my long time RFKC Camp Director friends, Brian H. and Jim M. Not only was I blown away by their generosity in flying me out to hear my former camper speak, but this trip has served other purposes as well.

For the last 10 years, I have been involved with a wonderful nonprofit, Royal Family Kids' Camps. My first summer with them was 1999, and I was a Camp Counselor for a week for two wonderful little 10 year old campers. Well, last summer I was able to reconnect with one of the campers, who is now 20 and doing VERY well. This year, she was invited to be one of the guest speakers at the banquet. Because Jim and Brian knew how much it would mean to me to be there to hear her speak, they offered to fly me to CA for the banquet.

It was really touching to be there, especially because she had no idea until I had shown up that I would be attending. She looked so beautiful and did such a fabulous job speaking. It was truly an honor to be there. It really confirmed for me that my prayers for the last 10 years for her have been answered, and God has truly taken care of her. Also meaningful to me was that I was invited to speak last year at the banquet--so to have her as part of the line-up just the year after I essentially did the same thing--very, very touching. I can't wait to see how the rest of our involvement with RFKC unfolds over the years to come!

I LOVE Honda Ya!!!

2009-03-09T21:11:00.008-04:00

So...on my first night back in California, Tri and I went to the absolute best Japanese restaurant in Orange County...Honda Ya! It is on El Camino Real in Old Town Tustin. It has "yakatori" style food...think "Asian tapas." So, lots of small dishes but big flavor! We have not yet found any place like it, and this is the place we use to measure every other Japanese restaurant against. Usually, they do not measure up to Honda Ya quality, LOL.

Some of our FAVORITE dishes there include (in no particular order): sushi (salmon and seared tuna, especially), agadashi tofu, nasu misu (eggplant), bacon-wrapped grilled asparagus, enochi butter, miso soup, and vegetable tempura.

Coming to Honda Ya as soon as the plane landed made me feel like I was definitely HOME.