More on Caida

Yesterday at school Caida had another grand mal seizure.  Pretty bad one, actually.  They sent her to the hospital.  At the E.R., the doctors were rather confounded as they really, truly listened to Cerene for the first time, and they decided to take Caida down to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis (a two-and-a-half-hour drive) via ambulance so that she could get some real, qualified attention.  FINALLY!  Cerene was so grateful that someone actually took her seriously that she cried tears of joy.  It's ridiculous how many doctors think she is exaggerating just because she's a young mom.  (For the record, if anyone knows what Caida is going through, it's Cerene, who also had epilepsy as a child.)

Anyway, I just got word that they're going to do a 24-hour EEG.  That's the latest update.  Paul and I are already headed to Indianapolis tomorrow for my birthday happenings, anyway, so we're grateful that we can hopefully stop by and visit and bring them anything they need.

I sure do hope they figure out what's going on in her head.  I know epilepsy isn't as fatal as, say, cancer, but there have been some bad seizures that have put her life on the line more than once, and I've heard horror stories of children who, in a seizure, hit their heads on something.  Caida, like every child, deserves a life free of unnecessary pain and fear.  She deserves to not have to worry about missing out on important parts of childhood just because her seizures are getting in the way.  She deserves to grow up and pass through all those milestones of life that we all dream of when we're young.  I hope they find a cure for her, or that she'll grow out of them eventually like her mother did.  She brings us sooooooo much happiness.

I mean, c'mon, look at her.  I dare you not to smile.  :)

For posterity: my thoughts on JAPAN

In light of the recent earthquake, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about my beloved Japan.  I call in "my beloved" even though I have never been there.  My dad, a first-generation member of the Church (sort of), served his mission in Japan, and I grew up hearing stories about the beautiful land and the generous people there.  I loved watching Big Bird in Japan and singing along to all of the songs with my sisters (which we could STILL do if you asked us!).  Dad used to make up stories and phrases that incorporated Japanese words, like the itchy-kneed son and "don't touch my mustache" (p.s. you can hear that in Toy Story II when the guy is on the phone...it's a goofy Americanization of dou itashi mashite, which means "you're welcome" in a more formal Japanese).  :)

Then I grew up into a very teenagery teen, not so much in talking back or rebelling but in wanting to assert my independence and seeking out friends over family.  When it came time to decide what language I wanted to study, I chose French because, well...my best friend was going to take it.  Don't get me wrong, I love the French language a lot and I grew to learn a lot about a very different but equally beautiful land and culture.  But, looking back, if I could do it again I'd pick Japanese.  Not because of the earthquake.  I regretted that much earlier.

It started my last year at BYU when I had a Japanese roommate.  She was studying English at the language center there so we never really communicated much.  She said I had pretty good pronunciation, but I didn't speak often enough for her and I to ever get really well-acquainted.  I insulted her with a nickname that involved kawaii (which means cute--I meant it in a positive way, but I understand now how that could have been insulting for a well-educated late-twenty-something-nurse who was tired of people not taking her seriously here just because she didn't know English).  She still loved me.

After my hip injury that led me away from BYU, but before I was at Purdue, I found a job in a factory here in Lafayette that was Japanese-owned and run.  At this same exact summer, a bunch of friends and I started getting into Asian dramas (one of them had been into them for quite a while but she finally decided to share with the rest of us!).  I absolutely LOVED talking with the Japanese people I worked with, learning new words or phrases that I would hear in later episodes.  I loved even more when I would "discover" a new artist or show and bring it to them and see this wistful look on their faces.  They made CDs for me.  We threw a truly Japanese good-bye party for them when they left.  They called me sensei, which is a title I don't take lightly.  While I don't miss working in the factory, I DO miss the kindness I always felt from them, the willingness they had to teach me (slowly and laboriously), and the encouragement to eventually visit.

I used my tax return that year to buy the Rosetta Stone software for Japanese (although my sister, who actually studied it in college, is borrowing it for the time being).  I had every intention of finishing up my degree and then teaching (maybe English, or maybe just in an English-immersion school) in Japan...then Paul came along and my dream changed.  :)  That's not a bad thing, in spite of what he thinks.  He didn't keep me from anything or hold me back at all.  I just wanted something different after he and I started getting serious and talking about marriage.  But we both (he DID study Japanese in high school) talk often about going to travel/visit/maybe-someday-even-live in Japan when we can afford to travel.  The people and the beauty of the land and the rich history and culture beckon to us in a way that all the other countries on our someday-we'll-get-there list just don't.  Japan is a great example, historically, of adjusting, changing, rising to meet challenges and overcoming obstacles.  I hope that, in the wake of this disaster, that spirit of triumph will stir within the people, and that they can receive of the kindness, gentleness, and generosity that they put out into the world.

Bowling

All the pretty balls lined up and ready to go.

Last night we were able to go bowling with some of Paul's friends from work.  Real bowling is sooooo much harder/different than Wii bowling!  :)  We hadn't actually been bowling in a real bowling alley in a loooooong time...like, since before we were married.  So our scores weren't the best.  In fact, they were kinda laughable.  But we had fun, anyway.  It really only would have been better if it had been COSMIC bowling!

His militant stance.  :)

Paul picks the heaviest ball he can (like his 16-pound ball last night), and he has a great first few frames because heaviness + speed = scared pins that fall down on their own.  But after those first few pins, he has a really hard time not getting gutter balls.  He tried lighter balls, but his fingers got stuck and the balls bounced on the alley once, twice, and into the gutter.  His second best frame was the last one, a granny shot between the legs that he didn't even care about--and got nine pins down on the first try!

I'm so goofy-looking!

Me, on the other hand, I pick the absolute lightest ball I can find that my fingers will even sort of fit into (like my 8-pound ball last night), and I have a terrible first few frames because I'm getting used to the swing of my arm and the angles my throw naturally has.  Then I start to pick up a little in the third or fourth frame, and I get the occasional strike followed by the occasional 4-7 point frame, kinda inconsistent, and all the points are usually from the first throw because I can't aim the ball well enough to actually hit the balls that are left.  And, occasionally, I have an entire gutter frame.  And I always either break a nail or make my knuckles achy.  But my score is more consistent than Paul's, so I usually win by at least 20 points anyway. 

At least we LOOK good.  :)

If it was wii bowling, though--we'd totally have kicked everyone else's trash!  :)

Afterward, Paul spotted this arcade game...

He's actually frighteningly good at shooting things, which is interesting but not surprising since he WAS in the ROTC since his high school days.  It was interesting to see him scope out the enemies, and it's nice to know that he could protect me if he had to, and if we had a gun nearby.  He played this single game for 8 or 9 minutes, which is fascinating because I've never been good at video/arcade games so I didn't even know the games lasted that long!  Hahaha.  I, on the other hand, have this thing about guns that just makes me feel uncomfortable holding one anyway (even water guns sometimes), especially when aiming them at real (or real-looking) people, and so I admired his work...from afar.  :) 

All in all, it was a really fun evening!  It wasn't our typical date night, but that's not a bad thing.  It was fun to get to know some of his coworkers and to see him in his "work face" mode...y'know, some people are a little different depending on what crowd they're around, and to see him cracking jokes with them and his good-natured losing at bowling made me appreciate all he does to be a good leader at work and to provide for us right now.  I'm looking forward to the next get-together!

Why I Blog

I was remembering today about the many, many journals I've had since I was 13.  I have about 7 or 8 volumes--some of them cover a few months (when I'm good at writing), and some of them cover several years (when I'm not).  I not only have the regular journals, but unfinished journals like my Happy Journal (in which I wrote gratitude lists, quotes, things that made me happy that day, etc.), my Body Image Journal (where I wrote foods I ate, exercises, measurements, and feelings about my constant battle with body image), my Patriarchal Blessing Journal (in which I studied about and wrote each line of my patriarchal blessing as part of a scripture study one year), a Scripture Study Journal, and so on and so on.  Now, let me be clear--I love writing.  I was not blessed with a good memory, so I am a person who needs to write things down to remember them--from appointments to experiences and everything in between.  Writing helps me not only record but make sense of my experiences, and it's often a very cathartic experience.  The problem with all of these different journals, however, is that I was compartmentalizing my life and I just don't think you can do that.  I would get so overwhelmed with how much I HAD to write in each journal each day or week that after a few months of excited momentum things just sort of trailed off. 

While I do find typing WAY easier/faster than writing, and therefore blogging is easier than journaling, this blog is really, aside from the truly personal stuff, my solution to all of those problems I mentioned.  I've thought about making different blogs for my crafts or recipes or spiritual stories, etc...  But all of these are facets of who I am.  So sometimes I will share thoughts, memories, quotes, and impressions that have shaped who I am.  Sometimes it will be a travel log.  Sometimes, like lately, I will share crafts and recipes and other hobbies, mostly to give myself something to look forward to and a place to remind myself of the things I love to do.  I don't know how to compartmentalize myself, so I'm not going to try.  This blog shows you, bit by bit, all of me.  And I'm not apologetic about that.  :)

I DO hope, though, that my life will soon enough bring me more to share than just stuff I make or do.

Chimichurri

Just hearing that name makes me think of Mary Poppins (Chim Chim Cheree). :)

I'd never made chimichurri or even tasted it before, but after my black bean burgers I had a TON of fresh parsley and cilantro left over and wasn't sure what to do with it.  I Googled recipes and found some interesting results, but this by far was the most tempting, so I made it!  And LOVED it.

Chimichurri is an Argentinian condiment (it's got quite a kick to it, not in a spicy/hot way but in a garlicky-vinegary-salty way...a little goes a long way, in other words!) that is meant to be put on grilled meats (skirt steak in particular). AND I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS, because the flavors are SOOOOOOOOOOO good together! The comments were helpful in tweaking it for what we had on hand, and also I learned that you can dip crusty bread in it (which we also did for dinner) AND make an Argentinian potato salad with it.  Lots of options, even for the vegetarians among us.  So, without further ado, here is the super-easy, super-yummy, super-Celeste-ial chimichurri recipe that I will most definitely be making again!

1 1/2 c. freshly chopped parsley
3/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro (they used oregano in the original, but the comments said some people use cilantro as the base and since I had a ton of it that's what I used)
6-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 c. oil (I used 1/2 c. olive oil, like the original recipe stated, and 1/2 c. vegetable oil, which isn't as healthy but, according to the comments, is more authentic Argentinian.)
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (but you can use white wine or cider vinegar, too, apparently)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt (the original said 1 tsp, but I don't like using a lot of salt when I cook)
***
Once the parsley, cilantro, and garlic are finely chopped, mix everything together in a medium-sized bowl and refrigerate (it's best to keep it in there for hours, even overnight).  Return to room temperature before serving.  Serve atop grilled meats (fish, steak, chicken), as a bread/bagel dip, or atop thinly-sliced grilled potatoes.

St. Patty's Day

You may have noticed that my blog isn't all red and lovey-dovey anymore.  :)  Since this holiday is the day before my birthday, I've always loved St. Patrick's Day.  I have several 4-leaf-clover necklaces, and an awesome 5-leaf shamrock-y mega sunglasses (see header above!), but I had no pinch-proof shirts or decorations beyond that!  Slowly but surely I'm working my way up to a holiday stash of decorations, recipes, and clothing (who DOESN'T love dressing the part?)!
Anywho, remember that plain old small clay pot I told you I was going to do something awesome with?  And forgot to reveal?  :)  Well...

I painted them black, then filled them with gold chocolate coins.  We were going to make these little pots of gold into parts of an leprechaun trap for FHE, but between being sick and a few other things that have come up we haven't had FHE since...well, a while.  So I just broke down and bought some rainbow-colored pipe cleaners and turned them into cute, simple decorations/candy dishes.  (I'm thinking I might glue down that rainbow so our dishes will have permanent handles...) 

I made one for each of us, so that we don't have to worry about someone snatching up all the goodies before we do (which just leads me to gorge myself until I'm sick). 

Also, I found this ADORABLE, simple shamrock tree tutorial HERE, and I made my own with what I had on hand.  (I didn't want to spend any money, and I already had one of those unfinished frames from Walmart from forever ago...)  I always have acrylic paints nearby, so not having buttons the "right" color wasn't a problem at all.  :)  However, my button and ribbon collection are quite limited.  I'll definitely be trying another one next year!  Maybe I'll also use scrabble tiles as the letters.  But mine's still not all bad.

I also bought $5 St. Pat's shirts, and stuff to make corned beef and cabbage AND Irish brown bread.  It's going to be a good birthday eve.  :)

Side note: remember that button bouquet that was missing a container?  I bought a ($0.87) salt/pepper shaker and just painted it white with my acrylics. 

I think it's adorable.

Springtime Button Bouquet

I've seen these button bouquets EVERYWHERE and wanted to try my hand at one.  I decided to make a mini one, but I still have nowhere to put it...maybe I'll make a trip to the Dollar Tree later to find a small white vase or candle holder or teacup or something.  Or maybe I'll put them in salt shakers like the tutorial HERE.  Maybe a perfume bottle?  The bottom of a spray bottle?  Suggestions?  Anyway, they are SO cute and SO easy and SO colorful and fun.  :)  But don't take my word for it...

I used a lot of the package...maybe 400-ish buttons.  (I saved some for another spring project I'm working on.)  But my bouquet is REALLY tightly packed, yours doesn't have to be.  As you can see, I also added a few beads on top of some buttons just to give it a little something different.  If I had vintage buttons around, I'd do something more eclectic, but for now, this is perfect for welcoming spring!  We don't have a lot of places to put decorations, really.  :)

I'm hoping to work my way up to something like this for my sister's tossing bouquet at her aquamarine wedding:

I'm linking up HERE.  :)

Black Bean Burgers

We love our black beans around here, and I finally got around to trying out a black bean burger recipe.  I'm trying to create vegetarian meals at least once a week, for money and health reasons, but they usually seem to boil down to something with black beans.  Anyway, I found this recipe and read all the comments that said how to make it better, and I tried just about all of them.  Tweaking for a little "kick" and all, they turned out pretty awesome!  I kinda want to try actually grilling the huge "burgers" on our indoor grill next time and see how they hold up then.  Some people had problems with them falling apart, and others didn't...I didn't have any problems with these.  We actually made them into mini burgers, and served them up on dinner rolls (try Hawaiian rolls!) with sliced cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and ketchup. SOOOOO GOOD.  So I'm sharing my recipe with you.  Keep in mind that the spices can change as much as you want, and I eyeballed them so it's not an exact science.  :)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (VERY important to do this well, because otherwise they fall apart)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 egg (subst. an extra Tbsp olive oil if making a vegan recipe)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. bread crumbs
***
1. In a food processor, pulse the onion and clove of garlic until well pulsed.  (If you don't have one, either mince them very finely or, like I did, just throw them in with the other stuff in a blender.)
2. Add about 3/4 of the beans, oil, lemon juice, and all spices and herbs, blending until well mushed.  :)
3. Transfer everything to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the rest of the black beans and the bread crumbs, mixing well until a firm "meaty" consistency (add more bread crumbs as necessary to get rid of the pastiness).
4. Freeze mixture for about 5-10 minutes (while I did this, I chopped up all my toppings and displayed them prettily on a plate, 'cause I hate wasting time).
5. Heat up and spray or butter grill, griddle (what I used this time around), or pan.  Form bean mixture into patties, then immediately cook the patties.  (On the griddle, at about 350 degrees, it took about 15 minutes to nicely brown them...I'd heard that the insides were a little mushy, and that was true, but as long as the outsides are really crispy it isn't noticeable with everything on it).

(Makes about 5-6 large burgers or 15 mini burgers.)
That's it!  Serve hot and enjoy!

Linking up HERE.

Spring has (almost) sprung!

Nice weather this time of year always gets me excited for just a few weeks from now, when springtime starts.  I'm in the middle of a few spring projects, but I thought I'd share what I have so far.  :)

Our kitchen table...it's small, so I used only a quarter of each of 6 different spring-colored bandannas to make the table runner (easy sewing project #1!).  Add a vase of a few springy gerberas, and our table is quite ready for the new season!

(Haha, yes...even my pill box matches.)  Soon enough I will make button-over napkin holders with some of the bandanna scraps.  How cute would THAT be?  :)

I also got to make a few little bead bugs...they're kinda adorable, especially the beatle babies!  (I got the idea from FamilyFun online, although I had to tweak the bugs a little because of the beads I had at home.  SUPER EASY and fun project, even for kids.  :)

I dotted the bugs around the flowers on the table and they keep me company for our breakfasts and lunches.

More to come!  I'm linking up here--go check out everyone's favorite awesome crafts and recipes from the week!

Girls' WEEKEND Out!

It was more fun than it looks here.  :)

My little sister turned a quarter of a century on Saturday!  To celebrate, Mom and I went up to Portage to "kidnap" her and her daughter, then drove over to Fort Wayne to nab my other sister.  We had a lot of fun--my sisters and my mom are, aside from Paul, my best friends.  :)  The weekend included a bit of shopping (at Walmart for new swimsuits and snacks and at Goodwill for whatever we could find).  It included a LOT of eating--the continental breakfast at the hotel, IHOP, Olive Garden for the formal birthday dinner, and lots of sugar and drinks as we traveled. (Side note, we think Caida's seizures are set off by sugar.  She's got another doctor's appointment on Friday for more blood work and yet another attempt at finding the right medicine, but I think a no-sugar diet is on the horizon for her!)

Dinner at "da OG" (Olive Garden) with the heated windows.  :)

The birthday girl, Cerene!

I taught Caida how to turn pretzels into letters during the car trip...

...and she loved it!  She spelled love, cat, and blue all on her own.  :)

  We also got to swim and work out a little bit. 

Kiddie-sized chaises.  :)

Caida started off kinda scared of the water--last summer it took her FOREVER to get comfy in a pool and she eventually learned to keep herself afloat, but this year we had to start all over again.  But she is a BRAVE little girl, and before we knew it she was jumping in the water, going under water, and swimming all by herself!

One, two, three...

...DUNK!

Cerene working out.

Charissa working out.

Mom working out.

Me working out.

Caida working out.

Caida working out more...she was the only one not completely worn out after all that working out!

 It was a really fun weekend and WAY too short!  I'm already looking forward to the next getaway...