various adventures, only some of which have been fun

i have been quite busy lately with work...besides working as a tutor and the AD at the center, i'm teaching a few classes at night and helping my dad with his business, so this is my "crazy season" i guess. i wish i had time to get anything done around the house (there are still things on my spring cleaning list that haven't been crossed off yet)!
dh & i (plus his cousin) have found a sizeable bit of property in upstate ny and hope to purchase said property as soon as possible and begin building from the ground up. we'd ideally like to build a few houses plus a large "community center" with some classrooms and an auditorium, a bunkhouse or two and a few barns (this is a 2-5 year plan). dh would like to set up a charity music camp, giving guitars and lessons to kids who would otherwise never have had a chance to get that first exposure to music in memory of our Lilly, who he never had the chance to give her first guitar. we'll use some of the land for the camp and also for artist's and writer's retreats, as well as subsistence organic farming. this is what i've been wanting to do for quite some time now, so i'd better take the time now and hone my homemaking/gardening skills, since i'll be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with just some seeds and a plot of land (and i'll love every second of it). i just really don't know about the business aspect of all of this, but i guess that's why God gave me a husband, to take care of all of these things that i don't know anything about! i'm looking into the grant-writing and securing aspect of it, as well as how to get interns from the local SUNY to work for cheap!
work is absolutely killing me, but knowing that i have something to look forward to within the next few years really makes it all worth it.
still no news on the baby front. the doctors have been testing myself and dh for everything, and so far everything has come back normal. i've done the blood work, the thyroid test, the ultrasound, and i'm going for the HSG dye test on Tuesday and that will probably come back normal as well...i'm thinking that it's hormones, and i don't know how to have them test for that! but i have been pregnant before so the dr. just keeps telling me, oh, it's probably just timing. but it took so long the first time, i don't really want to hear tht it's just timing because i know better. but i don't want to tell them how to do their jobs, oh well. i just get so dismayed that i want to give up, but for dh's sake i won't. i just don't think that this is the right way to go about this at all. if it was meant to happen, it would.

a lovely weekend, but now back to the grind

dh and i had a lovely weekend. after a bit of arguing on friday evening (i think i was just overtired and cranky after my first week back at work), dh and i went to a friend's movie theater and saw julie and julia, despite the fact that my husband says that seeing movies with meryl streep in them is in direct violation of man code. when we left the theater though he said he liked it but told me not to tell anyone (but i think that this is ok to say here since it's semi-anonymous). i really enjoyed it, but kept thinking throughout the entire movie, "who the hell really lives in queens? ick." i just like movies about food i guess, and julia child seems like a pisser. i never thought that she was like that i guess, though foodies are always a little "off." after that we hit a few bars and got some wings and beers and whatnot. it was nice because you could still smoke in one of the bars (which is something that i was never of legal age to do in nj before they changed the law, and it's lovely), and it had a wii so i did some fencing and bowling and everything, despite the fact that i am not so good at wii sports. the next day ted worked, i visited my mom and grandma, and we both stayed inside for the remainder of the evening to avoid the heat. on sunday we saw district 9, which was a good overall scifi choice but i have to admit i felt a little nauseous and uneasy after the movie was over, and i couldn't (and still can't) pinpoint just why. anyway, i'd have to say that neither of them made great date movies, but that didn't spoil our time at all. julia and julia is the kind of movie you go to with girlfriends or moms, and district 9 maybe with your scifi geek buddies. i am waiting for a few other movies to come out, namely
inglorious basterds, the final destination, and the new halloween movie (i'm kind of hoping to catch the final destination and halloween at a drivein double feature, but we'll see)...i'd have liked to see 500 days of summer, but i guess now i'll wait for a few months until they play it on one of the HBOs like a thousand times.

here's the recipe i've been promising to post for a while now:

spicy zucchini muffins

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup white sugar (use less if you'd like)
1 egg (or egg replacement)
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce, preferably with no sugar added
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or other spice blend)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the remainder of ingredients. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the cupcake liners in muffin tins, until about 2/3 full. Bake 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven (watch these carefully).

lonely office

it's pretty quiet around the office...no one has come back yet but me, so the entire upper floor of the library is like a ghost town. until about an hour ago, the library wasn't even open, and i think i may have been the only one in the building. it was kinda creepy, since they don't even turn the lights on for me anymore. it's been eerily noiseless and incredibly strange to be the only one here. the students won't be back for another 2 weeks or so, and until then i'll be able to count the cars in the normally-slam-packed parking lot on two hands. i miss all the noise.
the zucchini muffins turned out pretty well, so i'll post the recipe when i come home tonight, before date night. dh wants to take me out to his friend's movie theater tonight, even though i go up to see a movie there every once in a while anyway (he doesn't usually come with me, because he's always so busy). there's the movie i want to see, but dh says that seeing it would "violate man code" because it stars meryl streep, so we'll probably see the other movie that my sis says is terrible and that i have no urge to see. i'd like to go see district 9 because i like bad sci-fi, but it is not playing at the theater where we will be going.
yesterday was lovely. my sis and i played wii sports for a bit, then came home and baked onion bread for dinner and double chocolate chunk cookies for the boys to take with them on (what should hopefully have been) their last night at the studio. then we looked at apartments and things for her, as she's now at that age...you know, i really don't know where time has gone, because i still picture her as a child, not someone who has a car and a job and is about to start college and move out. i also can't imagine moving out on my own like she would like to do. when i moved out, it was with a roommate and the understanding that my husband would be moving in shortly, just as soon as he became my husband (about 3 months after i moved from the dorm into my house). i simply don't see her as ready for that leap, like how could she possibly know what she's in for? who ever does when they move out so young? she rarely does the dishes, lives off of foods that can be nuked, and i don't know if she even does her own laundry! it's just strange to think about what i knew when i moved out, and that even though i was not fully prepared to live on my own, i had somewhat more preparation than she has. strange, coming from the same house, the same parents, and having such different experiences when it comes to something like that.
i bought my sister a hope chest for her 18th birthday, and filled it with dishes and towels and cooking utensils and things, just in case she did decide to go away to school so she would have a few things. i started a hope chest for myself as a young teenager, and ended up with too much by the time i moved out! i hope the same thing happens for her, that she'll continue to acquire the things that she needs so that she won't have to shell out too much cash when she moves into an empty apartment and figures out that she needs to start from scratch.
ooh, good news! my blueberry cake (actually taken from a recipe from dh's grandmother, when she used to live down the street from a blueberry farm in PA, and altered slightly) won honorable mention at the nj state blueberry contest at the nj fair! i was hoping for 1st place, obviously, but hon. mention is like 4th place and that's not bad at all. my scones did not fare as well in the competiton (they didn't even place), but were well-received in dh's office.

back from vacation, back to work...

the whole family (not the whole family, but enough of us...dh & i, sis and her bf, ma, aunt and her hubby and kids, and a few friends-plus whoever happened to stop down for the day) went on vacation to the beach house a few weeks ago...it was lovely and relaxing, for the most part. i love swimming in the ocean, and the availability of fresh seafood right by the bay. i got some reading and tanning in, and dh & i also purchased two bikes specifically for the occasion, and had a blast riding them up and down the boardwalk, and around the (completely flat!) town. there was a CRAZY storm when sis and BF, two friends, and dh & i were in the middle of a tooftop mini golf game, and it was so intense we had to huddle under awnings and dash to the nearest available shelter (a trashy boardwalk bar...hey, we were on vacation!)...when it stopped we all walked home on the beach, and were truly a sight for sore eyes!
last weekend was the annual family reunion, though several faces and family units were noticeably absent. the theme was "south of the border," and we enjoyed fun with pinatas and a sangria contest and mountains of mexican food (my aunt from florida makes the best enchiladas).
now we are back home, and as of yesterday i am back to work to prepare for the fall semester. oh how the time flies! this year my baby sister will be attending the college where i work, so i'll have a semi-permanent lunch date.
i'm off to check on my banana bread and spicy zucchini-carrot muffins...if they're good, i'll post the recipe later!

since it has been a while...

I'd like to do an update as far as what's going on in life right now. dh has been playing a lot of shows, but the band is going on hiatus for about two weeks to re-group and practice for a bit. this is nice because it means more time with the hubby, and we get to go camping this weekend with some friends and a few of dh's cousins. the river is lovely for wading and swimming this time of year, and we're so blessed to be able to go up as often as we do.
work is over with for the ENTIRE SUMMER as of this week, and though i've still got a little to do before i pack it in, i'm looking forward to a lazy(ish) summer with family and friends. in fact, a few old friends are back in town after graduating college, and dh and i have been enjoying some simple pleasures in their company, like badminton, barbeques, and (YAY) the polish festival. my baby sister graduates high school in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, and i can't believe it. i'm meeting with my mum tomorrow to plan a graduation party for my sis and her boyfriend before they leave for the atlantis resort. i love party planning, especially since it's such a happy occasion this time! also, sis looked beautiful for her prom last week, especially her hair (of which i am very jealous). she had a lovely time, and went camping afterwards, just like her big sis did 7 years ago!
no news yet on the baby front. if there's still no news on the baby front by next month, i think i'll see the doctor, no matter how much i'm dreading it. to me, it's kind of embarassing to admit that i'm having trouble with something that seems to come so effortlessly to other people. i mean, people have been getting pregnant and having children literally since people have existed, so why am i so bad at it? i doubt that the doctor will shed any light on the situation, since all of the doctors were so completely UNhelpful last time, but we shall see.
dh has been doing quite a bit in the yard and garden lately, and the house is looking much better for it. i got home from a meeting the other night and found him outside playing with his brand new shiny chainsaw down by the lake. i'll have to start makring the things that i don't want cut down since he seems to be enjoying himself a little too much. but the garden is doing VERY well, and i pray that that means i can cut down on trips to the produce market this summer. we're trying our hand(s) at a few new things, like onions, roses, and a perennial garden (for my lily). the entire deck is covered in flowers that still don't have homes and, since the yard is quite small, i'll have to find some creative spots for them.
on a completely different note, i'd really like a bike. you know, just to ride to my mum's house or to the park or the deli or to bring to the beach or whatever. it would be nice, and i've been peeking around for one at garage sales, but i may have to bite the bullet and save for a new one. that might be better anyway.
i've not been keeping up with my blogging or journalling or writing or reading. i'm more than slightly disappointed, but honestly, i'm also quite busy. i hope to devote a little more time to such pursuits over the summer. maybe the beach will be more conducive to writing poetry (or perhaps just napping...) and the shore house should be quiet enough for some writing.
i'm off to finish my reports for work and hope that nothing else crosses my desk in the next day or so. ta!

Poetry/Literature

I would very much like to self-publish a literary journal with a particular focus on poetry. I am currently looking for submissions of poetry, any genre or length, short fiction, and personal essays (without a political bent). Graphic art is also welcome. You will retain all rights, etc. and the work would have to be one that has not been previously published. Submissions are limited to 5 pgs. There would be no compensation, however a few more people might become familiar with your work (recognition of some kind is important for all writers...we all have egos, and some are easier to feed than others). I'm thinking of hawking them at the merch tables next to dh's cds and stickers. If you have any interest in this at all, please leave a comment and I'll give you my particulars. Thanks!

Easter and everything after

i didn't mean to start this blog and then abandon it in rapid succession, but it seems that i have. or at the very least, i've neglected it. the reason for this is that between spring cleaning, Easter prep, dh's shows and my crazy work schedule, I've just not been around. however, i may just use this blog as a tool to organize myself (as i'm quite certain that no one reads it anyway). for example, it has helped me with menu planning for Easter and the upcoming wedding, and i think i'll use it to help me plan the garden in a few days. my parents gave me a new bird bath for Easter, and i'm trying to figure out a spot where:
a. it'll look pretty
b. my uncle won't be able to shoot at the birds
c. i'll be able to see it from inside the house
so, i'll plan the garden around that. dh and some friends cut down a tree the other day so i'll have a little more light down by the lake, and i can plant some root veggies there. however, now people at the bbqs will have to stop throwing rib bones and cigarettes down there. bbqs have started up again and are in full force for the spring/summer. i believe we are having one tomorrow night due to the fact that a friend is in from out of town, and as a way of saying thank you to the friends who helped us cut down the tree in the side yard. also, we'll have a bonfire and clean up all the brush in the area, and it'll be a fun, social occasion as well.
Easter was great, a smashing success despite the odds. the MIL, dh & i went to sunrise service on the lake and it was beautiful, though very chilly. a few ducks even came over to hear the Good Word. however, the pastor flew through the service and it was not nearly as satisfying as it usually is. but it was nice to see the sun come up over the lake and sing hymns. then we had bkfst and went home to take a nap before tackling the great pierogi task. i think we made like a mountain of them, and still have enough leftovers to make about 2 dozen more, which we'll probably make and freeze tomorrow (handmade are better than mrs. t's or poppy's any day). i had made all of the baked goods (babka, blueberry cake, chocolate bourbon pecan pie, bunny cake) beforehand in the few days leading up to Easter, so that all i had to do in the morning was go to church, stick the ham and veggies in the over, do a quick once-over of the house and the linens, and make pierogi (dh helped; i daresay he enjoyed it). we had family and friends in and out of the house all day, from 1 to about 10:30. i fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow last night. while i should have stayed awake to finish the last of the dishes, i left the last few cups to wash this morning (and i'm sorry to say, i haven't gotten around to them yet) and made a beeline for the bed. a very joyous, very rewarding Easter with family and friends is a real blessing, and a real treat. dh helps me more than i recognize, and i'm afraid that i'd be lost without him (though i'd never tell him that)...