Meandering[s]

New Recipe: Granola Bars

2010-02-25T19:12:00.003-05:00

On Monday, Deb over at Smitten Kitchen posted a granola bar recipe, so what do I do? Immediately go to the kitchen and try it.

The recipe calls for quick oats - I do not have quick oats. I have the more coarse old-fashioned oats. She suggests using a food processor to pulse the oats to make them smaller, but I don't have one. I tried my tiny single-serving blender, which didn't really cut it. So, my granola bars ended up much chunkier than Deb's.

I added dried cranberries, mini-chocolate chips, and walnuts AND they are delicious! I think they're a bit dry, probably because I also didn't have corn syrup on hand. With all of the above in mind, I highly recommend the recipe. The man approves too. ;-)

Happy ValeMtiMes Day!!

2010-02-25T19:01:00.003-05:00

Dave and I have this silly thing where Valentine's Day doesn't exist. But Valemmmtimmmes Day is well worth celebrating. This year I made him a corny Valemtime.

Can't wait until Valemtime's Day #3 next year!!

Blizzard 2010: Fort Making and The Meltdown.

2010-02-08T17:58:00.002-05:00

Melting a bit in preparation for another 10 inches tomorrow. Is this really the Virginia I grew up in??

Blizzard 2010: Over?

2010-02-06T16:44:00.002-05:00

It's all very pretty. I love how this light post looks like a proper lady with a bonnet to me. Anyone else see it?

Blizzard 2010: Watching.

2010-02-06T12:15:00.004-05:00

Marina watching me shovel from inside. I've done my fair share of watching too...

Blizzard 2010: Shovelling!

2010-02-06T12:11:00.002-05:00

About the 4th time shovelling - trying to stay on top of it.

Blizzard 2010: Still Snowing

2010-02-06T12:07:00.004-05:00

21 inches as of 8am this morning and it's still coming down steadily...

Trying a New Fruit: Red Pummelo

2010-01-25T22:18:00.004-05:00

My roommates and I tried this fruit recently. It's a beautiful fruit that tastes a lot like a grape fruit. A little tricky to eat because the sections are separated similarly to any other citrus, but we found the dividing membranes to be much tougher to get through.

Decorations: February Hearts

2010-01-25T22:06:00.003-05:00

Today my clinical instructor at my pediatric rotation said that I am finding my inner kid more and more each week. Then I come home and spend time cutting hearts out of felt to make February decorations. After December's coloring pages, I think I'm on a roll for having an under age appropriate taste in room decorations.

After a little thought, I've decided that I like the decorations, and I'll consider the comment from my CI high praise.

Reading: Unwinding at the End of the Day

2010-01-25T21:51:00.002-05:00

At the end of the day, I often read by candle light. I find that the soft light is a nice transition at the end of the day. I reminisce on times when the flame was the only source of light at night. It tends to slow my pace. Quiet my mind. Lull me to sleep.

Growing Things: Amaryllis Blossom

2010-01-22T09:24:00.002-05:00

My roommate gave me an amaryllis for Christmas. I planted it around the first of January, and it has been growing fervently on top of my bookshelf quite unaware of the cold, snowy weather outdoors. Yesterday it sleeted, and my plant blossomed.

Holiday Wrap Up: Advent Coloring

2010-01-21T09:12:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted in a long time, but I couldn't let the holiday season slip away without saying thank you to Elsie Marley of http://www.elsiemarley.com/. She posted a coloring page PDF for each day of advent in December. So, with my studies and preparation for my BIG graduate program comprehensive exam, I looked forward to coloring a page each day! Go here to see other pages people colored.

I think the stockings were my favorite to color.

Hopefully, you can look forward to more consistent posting in the future!

Rinsed and Ready

2009-08-13T17:22:00.001-04:00

1/2 bushel of the most gorgeous roma tomatoes.

:-)

Bunting

2009-08-13T09:52:00.002-04:00

Recently, I endeavored to make a string of triangle-shaped flags. Dave joked that all he could think of was a used car lot as I was describing the project, hehe. Well, I found out that these flags are often called "bunting." Henceforth, I have not been able to think about the marvelous craft without thinking of this little fellow:

(Indigo Bunting)

Materials:
Card stock + pencil for pattern
Assortment of fabrics (from your stash or cut up clothes in your Goodwill pile)
Pinking shears
Bias tape or ribbon (I used 4 spools of 1/2", 18' long ribbon)

Method:
The pattern is a no-brainer. But here are the dimensions I used: 9 1/2" x 8".

I used scrap fabric that I had in my stash in addition to cutting up some clothes that were destined for the Goodwill. The result was a wonderful variety of fabrics with lots of character. (Some triangles ended up with lace or buttons, etc). I enjoy looking at the bunting and remembering the memories I made while wearing this skirt or that shirt. Cutting them up enabled me to form even more memories with those garments. :)

Cut tons of triangles with your pinking shears. Hopefully you'll have nicer ones than those I used... They dulled before the project was finished. A new pair is definitely on my shopping list for the near future.

I used 25 triangles for each 18' ribbon. (25 x 8" = 200"; 18' = 216") The additional 16" were used for triangle spacing as well as to form a loop both ends of each strand for ease of hanging. I triple enforced this loop because I used the bunting while camping 4 days at a music festival, so I did not want wind, rain, or wandering drunks to knock it down...

Iron the ribbon such that it is folded in half. Lay out your triangles to get a random placement. Then just stack the triangles and sandwich them into the ribbon as you sew. I did not pin at all. Super, super easy & lazy.

Couple of pictures of the bunting hanging in our campsite. They really made our site easy to find among the others. And sometimes such a small thing as this can really add a lot of cheer to a space...

Cheers.

I like to buy "stuff"

2009-08-10T11:47:00.007-04:00

My new shirt from Gap + Alpaca, Silk, Angora Yarn spun by hand in Crozet, Va in a nice little ball awaiting transformation... :-D

Independence Day

2009-07-15T12:58:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd show off some of Dave's photography. These are all from July 4 in Roanoke, VA.

We started off the day downtown, on the market.

Then we watched some of the ID3 bike races downtown.

And we ended the day at Rivers Edge, listening to the bands and watching fireworks.

Cheers!

The Lovers

2009-07-07T19:35:00.003-04:00

I have started several posts lately and just haven't finished them to post. Sorry about the silence!

Today I ran across some drawings by Raymond Peynet that I adore and had to post (see Pip's post over at Meet Me at Mike's). Raymond Peynet is a French artist born in 1908. Throughout his career as an artist, he developed two characters that have made him famous - 'Les Amoureux' or 'The Lovers.' Apparently he drew/painted over 6000 different images of this couple!! Very incredible. Here are a few I found on various web pages:

This first one is how I feel with My Lover Boy. This next one is pretty funny:

This last one is rather whimsical. I wish I could be floating gorgeous rivers like this every day. :-)

While searching for The Lovers online, I ran across another artist who drew a series of images for a wedding magazine using Raymond Peynet for inspiration. Her name is Heather Moore; she has a blog which I am getting ready to check out! Enjoy:

One more!

Planting.

2009-05-17T22:28:00.002-04:00

Before my backpacking trip with Dave, I planted my Grandma's garden because my Grandpa isn't around this year to do it. I really felt quite honored to take on the planting of a small garden in his place.

Tomatoes:

Peppers:

Yellow Squash:

I was very proud to get some dirt on my hands and under my nails - very reminiscent of the way Grandpa's hands always looked.

Can't wait to eat a tomato fresh out of that small garden, sliced with salt. :)

Cheers.

Simple Spring Scarf

2009-05-11T20:40:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting to start incorporating scarfs into my outfits moreso than just knitted and crocheted winter scarfs... So, today I was cleaning out a closet and found an entire bolt of the most perfect fabric hanging out. These are the qualities that make it perfect: $1/yard, loosely knit cotton with no wrong side. It literally only took me 15 minutes to cut it into a 36 inch square and fringe the perimeter.

I'm super-excited to make more....

I think the next one needs to be a bit bigger...

So I can start taking more liberties with wrapping/wearing techniques!

'Twas perfect for today's chilly weather. :-)

Cheers!

Did I turn into a rainbow?

2009-05-05T21:11:00.005-04:00

Today has been fabulous. I took a final exam + a final practical. I performed well on both! So, when I left school, I decided to head to Gander Mtn for a bit of shopping... I was looking at water shoes for walking in creeks, etc. The ones I wanted were $99. I was prepared to spend that much, until I saw some kid's shoes on a rack. Basically the same thing, just way cheaper. I got these size 6, Keen sandals for $39!! ($60 cheaper than the adult counterparts):

Also, I have FINALLY decided to post pictures of the Patchwork Quilted Purse I made several weeks ago:

There are two pleats on each side to achieve the tapered look.

Here are a couple pictures of the inside. I made pockets for my cell phone and for lotion or whatever else. I also sectioned off a space for my water bottle. The clasp is magnetic.

AND here is a picture of me with the purse and new shoes. Maybe I went for the rainbow look because it is still so rainy out? Lots of optimism and happiness today!

Cheers!

Caught Red Handed.

2009-05-04T22:18:00.003-04:00

If any of you out there happen to be reading my blog on Google Reader *ahem, Sarah*, you will notice that a couple repeat or random blogs have shown up over the past few days. As I mentioned, I have been playing around with Flickr as well as with other Blogger features. This is definitely a trial and error process. Tonight I finally figured out how to receive notifications via email when people post comments on my blog. :-D Unfortunately, Google Reader does not purge itself of the posts I delete, so I am not able to be quite as sly as I would like!

But I highly recommend Google Reader for the management and ease of reading the blogs you consistently follow. It is so much easier than checking each one individually each day, plus you can star posts that you want to refer back to later, which is quite handy! :-) It is really easy to figure out, but if anyone needs help feel free to ask.

Shopping List

2009-05-04T21:45:00.006-04:00

Dave and I are planning on going on our first real backpacking trip around May 13. Since it is our first time, we are starting out with just 2 days and about 17 miles. Despite what you may think, backpacking is relatively expensive initially. We already have most of the things we need: backpacks, sleeping bags, tent.. all light-weight of course! But here is the proposed spending over the next 2 weeks in preparation:

Also, Dave's brother is getting married on Saturday, May 23. It is going to be pretty fancy, I believe. So I am going to make a dress for the occasion. Of course, I have never made an evening gown / cocktail dress + I am not using a pattern. SO, I am at least going to give it my best try and see how it goes. Here is my inspiration: it is the Neiman Marcus "Sweetheart Silk Crepe Gown" and sells for $510. Imagine if I am successful at this?!?!!

I love the twisted cap sleeves.

I am planning on making the V in the back deeper so as to avoid putting in a long, concealed zipper. And I will make it just below knee-length. I am excited/nervous to undertake this with no previous experience. Any suggestions are definitely welcome!

Drippy Day

2009-05-04T20:37:00.005-04:00

It has been rainy all day long; it has drizzled, down-poured, rained cats and dogs, etc. Despite the soppy-ness of the situation, I decided to venture out for a walk. I wore my completely waterproof rain jacket, but I didn't put the hood up. I wanted my hair to get all wet with the cool misty rain that was coming down at the time. The greens of the land were so much greener with the fresh coating of water. Ah, so nice. Along my walk, I passed this lovely older woman who was carrying a clear umbrella (cute, cute, cute). She says to me, "I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one out walking." And I felt my insides soar. Such a small bit of common ground, yet so hard to come-by as there really was no one else out walking. :-D My wet head (haha, yes I took a picture):

I figured I would also use this rainy day to post a few pictures of the make-up bag I made a few weeks ago. I made it with an adorable turtle print that I couldn't pass by at the local fabric store! The inside is lined with rip-stop nylon, so that I can just wipe the inside clean at any time if need be. It is my first attempt at anything of the kind, and I am quite delighted with how it turned out. My inspiration was derived from Pink Penguin's "Stylish Pen Case."

While I did not use her tutorial, I feel that it would be quite appropriate for someone who is not comfortable with making their own patterns. :-) It can be found by clicking the link above. Below are a few pictures of my creation!

If there is any interest, perhaps I could be easily talked into making a tutorial for this make-up case as it is different than Pink Penguin's. I plan to make another (smaller) one soon for my friend, Marina, who has requested that I do so.

More pictures can be found at the flickr site I created this weekend. I made it in an attempt to post bigger picture over here on blogger without losing the clarity of the photos. Dave explained to me that if the pictures are saved/hosted by a different website, it is less info that blogger has to save; therefore, the higher resolution can be preserved. Even if that is not correct reasoning/understanding on my part, I know that it worked! So I am happy. :-D

Just to draw this out a bit more: I have had a couple questions regarding my camera. It is definitely nothing fancy. I use a Canon PowerShot A590. It was cheap (right at $100). But for a "point and shoot" camera, it actually has manyof the typical manual settings. I hope to get a much nicer camera at some point - perhaps when I dig myself out of this college debt? hehe.

Cheers,
Terisa

Blossoms

2009-05-02T13:31:00.002-04:00

This weekend is the Apple Blossom Festival here in Winchester. While Dave and I were waiting on the Firefighter's Parade to start yesterday, I took lots of blossomy pictures (but no apple blossoms)...

Red Bud

Random Bush

Dogwood

Irises

Dandelions

And David.

On a Lighter Note.

2009-04-28T18:54:00.006-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the Music Festival:

Hiking at Dark Hollow Falls last weekend:

Cheers!

"Optimism Area"

2009-04-28T17:45:00.005-04:00

Sunday, my friend Kristen gave me a blog award for gratitude. As it fits nicely with the ideas spinning around in my head today, I saw it fitting to acknowledge and accept. :-) Here it goes (I am changing the rules because I don't have anyone to nominate to pass along the award, hehe):

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Send the link to this post to the person who nominated you for the award.

3. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude.

Lately, I have been suppressing and expressing a abnormal amount of negative emotion: over-analyzing and critiquing Dave, being impatient with classmates, letting my brain tell myself mean/untrue things... It has even mildly encroached upon my ability & desire to do some of the things I love doing. So, I have been mulling over the potential causes. Today, I believe I have arrived at a philosophical answer, and I am so grateful.

After school, I went to the park, picked a lovely spot under a shade tree, and plopped my blanket down in the middle of a huge patch of tiny purple flowers. I really wish I had my camera.... I had not written in my journal since October 5, and in many ways I was dreading it. But I knew I needed to get things out on paper to clear my head and move past this patch of negativity. So, I wrote about my grandpa's heart attack, time in the ICU, and subsequent death. I recorded memories that soothe me when I am sad and missing him. I realized that the weather is gorgeous, the plantlife is budding and thriving, I am in love with the perfect man... AND I am less than 2 weeks away from finishing a semester of school that I almost didn't start and from moving out of an apartment with roommates that squelch me. What else could I possibly ask for?!? After writing that journal entry, I was left feeling magnificent. So I picked up the non-school book I've been reading to spend some more time relaxing: My Stroke of Insight, Jill Bolte Taylor.

At the end of the first paragraph I opened to, I read: "...and most remarkably, I learned that I had the power to choose whether to hook into a feeling and prolong its presence in my body, or just let it quickly flow right out of me." This is an amazing concept, which hit me with its stark simplicity: I have control over my emotions!!! I kept reading and I realize I desire what the author desires: to be surrounded by "beautiful people" who have "confidence in my ability." I have abilities, but right now I doubt them - I am learning so much but not practicing and reinforcing on real live people. I am not making the difference in people's lives, currently, that I desire and that I am training for... This is discouraging and I often lose sight of the end result among my daily studies. Then, because the author is recounting her recovery from a massive left hemisphere stroke, she includes several chapters about what she has learned about the personalities of each cerebral hemisphere. Having lost the function of the left for a prolonged period of time, she has experienced a rapid shift from a left-dominant perspective to right-dominant... I will briefly summarize each hemisphere:

Left - most of us use this one most. It is responsible for reasoning, logical thought, pattern recognition, language, mathematics, organization, sense of urgency, judgement, assigning the labels of "right" and "wrong", etc.

Right - This hemisphere is responsible for empathy, compassion, non-verbal communication, emotion, peace, creativity, etc.

SO, here are my thoughts/self-analysis. Day in and day out, at school I primarily exercise my left hemisphere - learning gobs of information regarding Physical Therapy and practicing the application of this information. Rarely do I have time to indulge my needy right hemisphere. It longs to display it's creativity, it's appreciation of the "chaos that is the first step in the creative process", it's empathy and compassion... I truly think this is the answer. I long to influence people's lives for the better because I care, and right now I am not treating patients regularly and satisfying this desire of mine. Also, I am generally a very creative person who enjoys expressing myself via a variety of crafty avenues. I do not take the time to let my right brain tendencies exercise themselves, so I am left with inner tension which spills out into my interactions with others. Now that I realize these things, I think I am good to go.

Here is another paragraph that I loved reading from the perspective of a neuroanatomist who recovered from a major stroke: "I define responsibility (response-ability) as the ability to choose how we respond to stimulation coming in through our sensory systems at any moment in time. Although there are certain limbic system (emotional) programs that can be triggered automatically, it takes less than 90 seconds for one of these programs to be triggered, surge through our body, and then be completely flushed out of our blood stream. My anger response, for example, is a programmed response that can be set off automatically. Once triggered, the chemical released by my brain surges through my body and I have a physiological experience. Within 90 seconds from the initial trigger, the chemical component of my anger has completely dissipated from my blood and my automatic response is over. It, however, I remain angry after those 90 seconds have passed, then it is because I have chosen to let that circuit continue to run." Very interesting and true. I am grateful for this control, my ability to acknowledge it, and my willingness to practice it.

AND to top it all off, as I was leaving the park, I noticed that a sign indicated the area I was in was called "Optimism Area" ... how cool is that?!?

My Creative Space

2009-04-16T23:21:00.003-04:00

I decided to join in with Kootoyoo and her "my creative space" fun. Because I have been so bad about posting the last 2 weeks, I will just show you what my space looks like. I have finished up a bunch of projects, and I have promised pictures but have not yet provided... Here are the scraps of what is left. I feel like my apartment is shrinking as these things pile up with no hope of being stashed neatly away... Maybe I will figure out a way to clear the slate and start new next week. :-)

The farm was gorgeous at Easter. Here is a view from up in my magnificent tree:

Here is Dave + Me in the tree. Isn't it lovely? Amazing the things it would have seen if it had eyes.. And I can only imagine all of the generations of my family that climbed in it too. I love to think about it. :-)

Here's a closer view and Dave + Me. We look quite small compared the the branches.

That is all for now. This weekend I am heading out of town for a music festival. I'm excited about trying out some of our new camping gear and listening to lots of good music.

Be sure to get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Brown Thursday.

2009-04-09T23:29:00.009-04:00

You'd think I'd have more time to blog when I'm on break from school. But the past days have proven quite the contrary. Yesterday was eventful. I purchased new waterproof hiking shoes - this is a important because Dave can no longer splash in puddles and taunt me that his feet are still dry and because I just broke my old pair on last weekend's hike! I also was able to spend time with my two good friends from undergrad - we went out to dinner and spent some time playing games and chatting. AND I found out that I am not smarter than a 5th grader (hehe). So, when making this brown compilation, I let Dave take some liberties with the camera. The result:

My $5 from Ross. Dave's gun. Marina and her cute polka dots. My cookbooks. Snowboard boots. Dave's creation (so brilliant). Make-Up. Lavender Lemon Candle. Cast Iron Tea Pot.

Today I am journeying home. When I arrive, dinner will be on the table. It's going to be wonderful. I'm so excited for Easter with family on the farm. We're going to church at the little Methodist one Grandpa always loved.

Purple Wednesday

2009-04-08T23:06:00.006-04:00

Today I have been so tired! Last night I finished the neck warmer. AND I was up to 1am trying to finish my purse. But I didn't, so I woke up at 6am to finish before class because my friend, Sarah, said she HAD to see it before Easter Break. Soooo, I'm making a short story long: I was a slacker today on picture-taking. I took about 2 purple pics before my camera batteries died... So, I combed the 1million "purple" pictures on flickr to bring you the best (haha). Maybe tomorrow I'll redeem myself [and put up pics of the purse I'm so proud of].

1. Deep Purple, 2. purple haze, 3. Purple Haze, 4. Violet is the new Purple, 5. Purple Moon, 6. Soft purple, 7. Purple Rose (of Cairo), 8. Purple Heart (Purpurhjerte), 9. purple sweet potato dessert, 10. Pinky / Purple Roof, 11. Flying Purple People Eater, 12. jus'surrounded by little damp purple berries!

Chicken with White Wine & Garlic Sauce

2009-04-07T18:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight when I was prepping dinner, I decided to document it and post the recipe on here... if it can be considered a recipe with all of it's imprecisions (I'm a wing-it kind of cook). It's completely fool proof and absolutely delicious!!

Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pound them until they are very thin. I like to use plastic wrap or wax paper to protect them while I wail away at them! It can be a very noisy, but satisfying affair!

Collect up all your other ingredients: a couple of garlic cloves (i used 3 large ones for 2 breasts), salt (i love my sea salt!), olive oil, and your choice of robust white wines (I'm not a wine person, so I'm not sure if robust is a correct term, hah).

Warm a decent amount of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pressed garlic, and cook until golden brown. At that point, you'll add some salt (maybe pepper) and the chicken.

Above is what it will look like just before you flip it. And this is what it will look like after you flip:

When the chicken is done, you want to add a generous amount of wine (roughly 3/4 inch covering the bottom of the pan). Continue to cook until the wine cooks down into a wonderful sauce - be careful not to let it go too long or else your sauce will cook down too much.

This is what mine looked like when I decided it was done:

I decided to make rice with herbs and steamed carrots to go with the chicken. I definitely drizzled the wine sauce over the rice and carrots! You can serve with whatever you fancy!

Enjoy!

Tuesday: Orange-ish-ness

2009-04-07T17:22:00.000-04:00

Today I choose orange because it's so cold out today (with snow flurries!!). I guess I'm wondering where the spring sunshine went?!? I like how this daily color theme allows me to see more ordinary objects as subjects of photography...

Amazing Cereal. Mason Jar of Pens. Nemo. Shirt I Wore Today. A Glimpse of a Painting I Did in 2005. My Watch. Chardonnay for Dinner. Snack Consumed during P & O Class. Single-Serving Tea Pot.

And here's a bonus picture of me, after testing out the new make-up I just purchased. It is the Physician's Formula 100% all-natural.

I'm excited for tomorrow's color: purple

the perfect shade of GREEN MONDAY

2009-04-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

I think this week each day will have a different color theme. Today I chose green in honor of Spring!! :)

Tazo Zen Tea. Daffodil. Frog Humidifier (cleaned and ready to be packed away for the summer). Grouch Slippers. Dress soon-to-be-turned Shirt. My chair. Snack Basket. Gift from a Friend in Undergrad (hangs on my cork board). Bradford Pear Blossoms.

This evening consisted of lots of relaxing, cleaning, and sneaking around outside the apartment complex to land this gorgeous, wild bouquet!!

A new record: 2 posts in 1 day!! But this is all for now.

Late Night Experimentation

2009-04-06T20:08:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Dave "surprised me" with an after-dark experiment. He bought fluorescent light bulbs and said we were going to perform a "top secret" experiment in the woods about 45 minutes away... My curious mind probed him for more details, resulting in the disclosure that "electromagnetic fields" would be involved. Obviously, I then figured out that we would be driving to a big electrical tower to see if the electricity in the air (aka: the wasted energy!!) would light up the bulbs... Here are the results, see how bright he is lit up?!?!

just kidding, i forgot to turn the flash off!

a "T" for Terisa :-) ... still pretty bright.

Playing with the shutter speed.

15 second shutter speed.

AND, here is a video of the occasion; enjoy!!!

Things

2009-04-01T22:36:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to make a terrarium for a good while now, so naturally I was very excited when I stumbled upon these adorable, tiny ones today by Gnome Homes. The containers are just brilliant and only 4 inches tall. I might just be inspired to make some one of these days...

Also, I found this Shepherd's Pie recipe for ramekins. Now I really want to buy some cool ones because I feel that Shepherd's Pie would taste so much better in the single-serving presentation! But for now, I simply printed the recipe to add to my new recipe book!!

I made it with random colors of card stock from my scrapbooking supply so that I can just paste recipes in as I get them. I like this because it gives me lots of versatility. I will be able to keep all the recipes in the original form and handwriting of the person who gave them to me! Other full-page recipes can simply be hole-punched. And others, like the one above, can be tied in with the giver's ribbon. It will be quite the collection in time, I'm sure of it!

Ready & Waiting

2009-03-31T21:42:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Sarah and I are going to make heating pads and neck warmers filled with flax seed. I was able to pick up a 50 lb. bag at a local feed store for just $34.

So tonight, I did a bit of prep work. Just measured out some of the seed and put it in plastic containers. I put in Lemon Eucalyptus oil at a ratio of 2 drops: 1 cup of seed.

Pretty quick and easy. The fun will come tomorrow night! I sketched out what I'm thinking in terms of patterns. They are not to scale, and I had to use a highlighter because pencil wouldn't show up on camera. For the large heating pad, I am going to sew "chambers" of the flax so that the heat will be more even and easier to position for use.

For the neck warmers, I am going to shape them so that it will cover the top of my neck (the base of the occiput) because that is where my neck pain typically is. It, too, will have chambers, allowing the seed to actually warm all the way up my neck without just pooling in the ends. I will include a button tab closure for ease of wearing around the house and because I think it will be cute, cute, cute!!

I love seeing tutorials on the blogs I follow, so maybe I will make one for this project if all goes well! I already have a guy friend at school wanting me to help him make one for his wife's birthday. :-D

Sigh.

2009-03-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

I have been so tired lately as I mentioned before.. Well last night was kinda rough - I was up way too late, and as a result I was unable to drag myself out of bed for my first 2 classes. Still barely awake, I arrive at school for lunchtime. And my friend Sarah gives me this lovely necklace she made me!! Such the perfect thing to make my day. Now I just need to pick an outfit to wear it with. :-D

[The pictures do not do it justice]

Also, this is the progress on my purse. I hope to finish this week, although there will be little time between all the sleeping that I will be doing to catch myself up.

A time to sow...

2009-03-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to read that, for the first time since Eleanor Roosevelt's "Victory Garden" during WWII, the White House will have a vegetable/fruit/herb garden!! When I heard this bit of news, I wondered why there hadn't been a garden at the White House since the 1940s?! Almost 70 years have gone by since a leader of this nation has set an example of how practical and how financially, environmentally, and nutritiously responsible gardening is. Apparently, back when Roosevelt's "Victory Garden" movement was in full swing, 40% of our nation's produce was independently grown by everyday folk - doctors, businessmen, farmers, etc. How awesome would it be to revive this movement. I am so excited. I found this short video by Roger Doiron about the history of gardening at the White House online:

The Garden of Eatin': A Short History of America's Garden from roger doiron on Vimeo.

The Obama's garden will be active year-round, with season-appropriate crop-rotation. It will be 1,100 square feet and include bee hives for honey!!! Here is the layout:

Pictures of Michelle Obama breaking ground with local elementary students can be see here. My grandpa would not have voted Obama into the White House, but I know he sure would have been proud to hear about the planting of a garden. On that bittersweet note, I am happy to be moving home this summer for my clinical rotation, but I sure will miss gardening with my grandpa. He always called me "Terisa June" and introduced me to others as "My Best Bean Picker."

Previews :-)

2009-03-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

Playing Hookie or Being Shrewdly Productive?

2009-03-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

In the last week, I have skipped multiple classes - 5 to be precise. One would be inclined to think that I am a complete slacker because skipping doctoral classes is usually not considered wise. I like to think that I am just keenly aware of my demands and am able to discerningly prioritize them. For example, I felt that an extra 2 hours of sleep was very prudent compared to sitting through 2 classes that I probably would haven't paid attention to this morning. So this afternoon, I took advantage of my restfulness and went to Handley Library to study for my pediatrics exam tomorrow (I missed 3 lectures worth of material that will be covered on the test, hehe). Did I mention that in a way, skipping class invigorates me and makes me feel very sly?! ;-)

It is such a gorgeous, old library. Maybe next time I will take a picture of the exterior..

I love the creaky spiral stairs and the calming paint colors!!

So, I am now home, eating my little dinner of tangerines and whole wheat bread with Vermont Sharp Cheddar and hand-ground Amish almond butter! Such a delight. I'm planning on being in bed by 10:30 so I can get up in the morning early enough to walk the 2 miles to school for my test. :-D

Findings

2009-03-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

1. A few weeks ago, I was sorting through some things that reside under my bed (because there is far too little space in my apartment for it all). And I found this delightful piece of fabric in a dainty paper bag along with a string of sequins. Apparently, I had big plans for this some time ago and it completely slipped my mind. Maybe I'll have to reinstate the plans?

2. As it is almost spring, I am realizing that I have yet to finish the afghan that I started LAST DECEMBER. It's been over a year, and I have not taken the time to finish it. Perhaps because the colors are not particularly becoming to me (my mom picked them out - and it is for her). I am officially making it my goal to give it to her when I go home for Easter.

3. I had heard of Keri Smith's book Wreck This Journal - so today I decided to see what it's all about. It is full of virtually blank pages with instructions on how to wreck each page in a different way (i.e. spilling coffee on it, poking holes in it with your pencil, dragging it around town while walking or biking...) I am going to run out an buy a copy shortly. I think it will be good for me to do because I am so neurotic about cleanliness and order sometimes. I usually can't walk past a sink full of dirty dishes without cleaning them. So as I was looking into what the book is all about, I found the author's blog. On it I found two things of interest. First, a list of 100 ideas to perform while journaling. [my plan is to start with the wreck this journal book, and follow it up with the 100 ideas] And second, I found the following Venn diagram:

Cheers,
TC

Procrastinating = Productive? hehe

2009-03-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

I just posted this on facebook, but I like it so I'm going to post it here too. I don't ever do these silly things that go around. But tonight I didn't feel like studying for my test in the morning, heh.

I had to answer the questions, search flickr, pick photos, and make this lovely compilation:

QUESTIONS:
1. What is your name? - Terisa
2. What is your favorite food? - Green Beans
3. What is your hometown? - Roanoke
4. What is your favorite color? - Green
5. What is your favorite movie? - um, don't have one so I used October Sky bc I thought there would be a pretty picture... :-)
6. What is your favorite drink? - Dr. Pepper
7. What is your dream vacation? - Ireland
8. What is your favorite dessert? - Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae
9. What is one word to describe yourself? - Awkward
10. How are you feeling right now? - Anxious [to go on spring break]
11. What do you love most in the world? - the farm?
12. What do you want to be when you grow up - a lover, hehe.

1. IMG_0234, 2. pea boat, 3. The Roanoke Star, 4. Yellow army, 5. Amazing Saturday for Photography Part 8, 6. better be a dr. in the house . . ., 7. KELLS PRIORY. KILKENNY, IRELAND., 8. baxter v. hot fudge sundae, 9. That Awkward Feeling, 10. She is a bit anxious again, 11. Boundary, 12. The lovers

LOVEly Week

2009-02-16T17:36:00.000-05:00

I had the whole last week off of school, and it was really nice. Here are some pics to recap the goings on. We took a walk around a lake with lots of ducks at sunset:

Dave got his new sleeping bag (that's mateable with mine):

I made lots of sugar cookies with Emily's family recipe:

David made me some special pancakes:

It was a wonderful, relaxing time that felt surprisingly short. :-D

It's not goodbye... It's hello?

2009-02-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

I just got off the phone with my aunt. I haven't talked to her in awhile but had been thinking about her.... So we talked about everything under the sun, and it really warmed my heart in a melancholy sort of way. She told me that one of grandpa's neighbors in Willis (Tommy) told her that the week grandpa died, grandpa had visited him. He told Tommy that he was so tired that he could barely get out of the car and make it into the kitchen. This is unlike Grandpa because he was always very spry. It just indicates that he had been struggling with heart blockages for the better part of the summer; many stressful things happened, and he trudged on. Tommy told Grandpa that he should go to the doctor because he had two heart attacks and recognized that Grandpa was probably having a heart problem. Grandpa said that everyone has to go somehow...

As hard as it was for Grandpa to have died so suddenly, I am glad. I'm thankful that he did not recover only to be confined to a nursing home. He was not a man who could tolerate that after such an active life in the open outdoors. I think Grandpa knew his time was coming soon, and he had enough warning signs to get help. But it was his way of making sure he was able to live his life as the man he was until the end. He hoed to the end of his row, then passed away.

Since he died, I haven't been to the rescue squad at all. And I think it is partly because of this (other reasons: because it is very inconvenient being an hour away now and I don't have that kind of time). I don't know how I feel about trying to save people when it could be their time to go. I know that if it's their time, they will die no matter what. But I hate thinking about saving people just so they can be ill or less themselves for the rest of their lives. I understand that rescue squad is good, etc - but I don't think I can deal with it right now. So I have chosen to resign. It's a tough decision because I have invested lots of time into my training and certifications. And it was a big part of my life for a few years. I loved the adrenaline rushes and the thrill of helping people. But for my wellbeing right now, I do not think it fits into my agenda. I'm at peace with resigning and am so blessed to have a loving aunt who lead me to this peace without knowing it!

I do want to find some other way to serve my local community, soon. Any ideas??

Oh, the warmth!

2009-02-08T23:44:00.000-05:00

This morning the skies were so blue and wonderful and the weather was so warm and balmy!! Dave and I were able to enjoy breakfast out on his deck for the first time in months. Birds were chirping their praises, and bees were buzzing about to see if, indeed, spring had arrived. Unfortunately, it has not but the weather does promise a respite this week from the cold, snowy days of the last few weeks.

This afternoon, we had a picnic in Purcell Park. We ate Jimmy John's subs, flew a kite, and played colorku until dark.

It really was a blissful day. I love the promise of spring and can't wait for it to arrive this year.

TLC :-)

Procrastination

2009-02-02T21:21:00.000-05:00

It's snowing outside, and I cannot stay focused. I have a test tomorrow on the developmental milestones of pediatrics (gross motor, fine motor, oral motor, etc)... While this is a very enthralling subject, I am finding way too many distractions to get into. I would love to count on having a snow day tomorrow, but I know I will not be fortunate enough to have that happen two weeks in a row... Plus I get next week off of school (except Thursday) because all of my professors will be in Vegas at the national APTA conference. yay!!

So anyway, I figured I would write an update about Dave. I think it has been an emotional couple of days for the both of us because we realize just how fortunate we are that his injuries weren't as severe as they could have been. But at the same time, that does not lessen the pain and frustration he's experiencing. He saw an orthopedic NP today who seemed to be rather knowledgeable. She says his back will heal with conservative treatment. I don't understand how exactly because the bone will not reattach... but he didn't ask all the questions I would have. haha... Maybe I'll get to go to his next appointment and get the whole scoop on the matter.

Time to get back to my studies. I'll post something more crafty soon!!

~ Terisa

Painting Voodoo??

2009-02-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my boyfriend and his sister (Dave and Ellen) went skiing/snowboarding at Timberline in WVa. I was working at the Youth Development Center and couldn't go. But I was thinking about them all morning, so when it was craft time with the kids I decided to paint a picture of Dave skiing. I painted him going off a jump toward two trees despite a caution sign...

So I get a phone call from his sister at about 4:00. I knew it wasn't good because I knew they should be on the slopes until 4:30... She said she was following an ambulance with Dave in it. Apparently, he was going over a jump too fast and landed wrong, so he slid off the trail toward two trees. His skis hit one, which caused his back to slam into the other one... In the ER, they determined that he broke his back. He has displaced transverse process fractures from L1-3 (and maybe 4) on the Left. Fortunately that's all it was - no neurological damage.

He is going to an orthopedic doctor on Monday, hopefully. But now, he's in a bunch of pain - he has the most trouble sitting/laying down and standing up... And he's definitely getting the royal treatment (including breakfast in bed - pork roll, egg, and cheese!!).

Outlet.

2009-01-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

I have decided to create this blog as an outlet for my creative expression. I am currently a graduate student in a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, so most of my time is consumed with classes and studying. I feel as though I have somewhat neglected a piece of me in the process this last year and a half - as can be evidenced by my pile of pictures waiting to be scrapbooked!!

So, what better time to begin a blog than today?! I had the afternoon off of classes so that we could watch Obama's innauguration if we so desired. I did - and I enjoyed his speech. I loved his focus on our nation's values rather than on his agenda for the next four years. I also liked his reference to the American people as a patchwork of people from varying backgrounds. I kept this in mind as I decided upon my blog title this afternoon. I think of my interests as being similar to a weathered patchwork quilt. I love the outdoors and creativity, so most of my interests tend to stem from and dabble in those general areas of interest.

Yesterday, it snowed a bit and I was hoping to get enough to go sledding or build a snowman because I haven't done either of those since childhood. But when the accumulation did not meet my fancy, I decided to go to the arboretum nearby to try out my new camera on the "Conifer Trail." The resultant pictures are as follows:

Hope someone out there takes an interest to my blog, and if not I will blissfully post anyway. :)