busy day, busy me.

Sundays.  I love them, and yet I hate them. There is so much potential in a Sunday. Big breakfasts. Church services. Time with family. Outdoor fun. Relaxation. So many possibilities... that is, if you play it right. But if you are like me, then you probably save every last thing on your to-do list for this special day, and what is supposed to be 24 hours of rest, reflection, and recreation quickly turns into a day to play "catch-up." Laundry. Housecleaning. Grading and planning work put off until the eleventh hour. My Sundays quickly become the most anxiety-ridden day of the week.

If you can believe it (and why wouldn't you?), our schedules are quickly filling to the brim. Football games, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries... so much going on in addition to the normal daily grind. Tutoring jobs, union meetings. Oh, the life of a twenty-something teacher. I am blessed to have people and milestones to celebrate, extremely fortunate to have a job that not only helps pay the bills but is intellectually challenging and emotionally fulfilling. But phew! Am I tired. My goal for this week is to get enough done in the next six days that I can actually spend next Sunday exactly the way it is meant to be spent. Are you in? Okay. Go.

fresh ink.

Today, my sister and I took a trip out to Pennsylvania to get tattoos; my third and her fifth.  It was my first large, detailed design and I was a little nervous going into it but I am so happy with how it turned out.  The image came from a botanical print book my father bought me for Christmas; it is a wild French rose.  I love wildflowers, a constant reminder that beauty can be found in unexpected places.  My new epidermal embellishment, conspicuously displayed on my left forearm, will hopefully serve as a daily encouragement, urging me to look for the beautiful things that might not get their proper recognition.  I cannot wait to see what they think at school.

back to school.

Ah, yes, back-to-school night... not usually a teacher's favorite evening.  What is it that makes us so nervous about getting up in front of a room of parents?  We are performers and public speakers on a daily basis but, for some reason or another, the idea of spending a night presenting in front of parents leaves many teachers overwhelmed with dread.  I know teachers that intentionally wear all black on this particular evening in order to mask their profuse sweating.  I have met others who have fainted, thrown up, or had to call out sick.  I cannot quite explain where my own fears stem from... part of it is sure to be age difference - me, a 27 year old girl, trying to convince a group of people twenty years my senior to take me seriously as a peer, as an adult.  (Sometimes, I still have trouble thinking of myself that way.) Part of the anxiety is sure to come from those anecdotal nightmare experiences of being cornered by parents angry over test grades or term papers, but those are few and far between. Whatever the reason, it is silly.  Of course, as I should have expected in the first place, this year's back-to-school night was completed without glitch or horror story.  Parents met, courses explained, fears calmed - I am a champion!  Sure there were some awkward silences, sure I jumbled my words a few times, but it is over, and I think everyone left smiling.  Besides, I should be thankful that I have so many parents who have the time, resources, and interest to be able to come hear what I have to say and participate in their child's education - not everyone does.  So thank you, parents, for making my night relatively painless and for helping me help your child.  I will see you next year.

glimpses.

Just a few shots from my iPhone camera roll.  A perfect flower from the Rose Garden. A delicious pre-vegetarian snack from Jim's Cheesesteaks on South Street. A gift of pressed flowers I made for a dear friend.  A silly man who knows exactly how to make me smile.  A happy girl with a good, little life.  What does your life look like?

autumn arrangements.

The mind-numbing speed at which every day flies by leaves me continually baffled.  Here we go again, rapidly approaching the middle of another week with a seemingly-unending list of things I would like to do.  As promised, I have compiled a little collection of (not so) secret little hopes, dreams, goals, and plans.  The autumn tends to be my favorite time of year... cool, damp air that brings a strange sort of calm, the sweet smell of wet leaves and rich earth delighting my senses, vibrant colors that make me feel alive.  It is the time for learning, the time for doing, and (oh!) is there so much to do.

I mentioned a few of my most recent goals in an earlier post and I am happy to say that I have made a bit of progress.  I carry my refillable bottle, which has sadly lost its cap, around at work all day long.  My water intake has tripled, at least, and other than the constant trips to the restroom, I am feeling pretty good about that.  After a bit of investigative research, I have a couple new blogger tricks up my sleeve and am happy to be reaching a few more people out there across the cyber-sphere.  I do hope you will join us again soon (yes, you).  I have also set aside Monday evenings for some quality time (okay, and some laundry) at my dad's house.  So, all in all, I am getting a lot accomplished!  Doug and I are attempting to explore some volunteer opportunities in the NYC and Philadelphia areas, so if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

In addition to these minor improvements I have been attempting to make, I do have some concrete goals for this season.  First and foremost, my fitness and diet have taken a serious dive.  Doug and I worked so hard this spring/summer to get into a good routine and I am sad (and maybe a little embarrassed) to admit that two weeks of the back-to-school lifestyle have robbed me of any progress I might have made (and then some).  Late nights have meant no energy to exercise and stress has made it all too easy to grab the sweets and snacks when I should say no.  I am not sure if anyone else has experience with those calorie counting applications, but apparently to lose a pound a week I have to take in less than 1200 calories a day.  Does anyone have any recommendations on how to do that without completely depriving myself of deliciousness?  I am not someone who can survive on carrot sticks and cottage cheese - I need substance!  Yesterday I mapped out a daily diet of muesli (with milk) and strawberries for breakfast, yogurt with granola and an apple for lunch, carrots and hummus for a snack, and a spinach and feta omelet with a side salad for dinner... all measured to small, one-serving portions and I still came in over my budget!  It is such a challenge staying motivated when you feel like you're failing from the get-go.  I really need someone to come kick my butt!  Any takers?

Another goal of mine for the fall is to pay off the money I owe my father.  I borrowed some money (on top of the astronomical student loans) while I was in grad school to pay for school expenses that the loans would not cover.  I am in the home stretch for repaying him, but I still have about $2,000 left to pay back.  I managed to pay off a personal loan and my credit card last spring, so I am feeling pretty good about that, but my goal is to eliminate my private debt by the new year so I can focus solely on repaying student debt (for the next 10 years of my life).  If anyone has any saving strategies they would like to share with someone who is already on a tight budget, I would appreciate the advice.

Finally, I have a dream of getting a piece of my writing published.  I enjoy writing so much and have so much to say and share that I feel like it is time to take things to the next level.  I am not sure what that level is, but I think attempting to get something published is a good place to start.  I have been looking for "calls for articles" to submit my work to and am putting a lot of extra time in on weekends to get pieces finished.  I really appreciate your support here on this blog.  When I see your comments and receive your emails it is such an encouragement for me to keep doing what I love.  Thank you for your support.  I love you guys :)

meatless, part ii

I have to tell you, Doug and I are finding this vegetarian diet pretty easy.  We just completed week number two of meatless munching and I am happy to report another successful seven days of deliciousness.  This weekend I decided to save a little money with a focus on simpler, cheaper dishes: this arugula and fontina frittata.  The original recipe was published in Gourmet magazine and can be found on my favorite site for recipes, Epicurious.  Delicious, easy-to-make, and inexpensive, I will enjoy eating this throughout the week (it made eight slices).  I chose to serve the frittata with some roasted creamer potatoes of my own recipe and a mixed green salads with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and balsamic vinaigrette. Delizioso!

Ingredients for Purple Creamers
purple creamers (I use five per person)
olive oil
garlic powder
rosemary
salt and pepper

Ingredients for Frittata
1 garlic clove, halved
1 1/2 T olive oil
5 oz baby arugula (7 cups packed)
6 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 Fontina, rind discarded and cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Directions for Purple Creamers

1. Place oven racks on top and bottom thirds, set broiler to high

2. Cut potatoes into eighths

3. Place potatoes in a 9x9 baking pan (I used a glass Pyrex)

4. Lightly coat with olive oil and season with herbs, salt, and pepper, to taste

5. Place pan on bottom rack of oven, turning potatoes about ever five minutes until toasted on all sides (about 15 minutes)

Directions for Frittata

1. Preheat broiler (or continue on high after making potatoes)

2. Cook garlic in oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I used my Le Creuset) until golden, about 2 minutes

3. Discard garlic and add arugula, stirring frequently until wilted, about 2 minutes

4. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper until combined, then pour over arugula and cook, undisturbed, until almost set, 5 to 6 minutes

5. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top of eggs and broil on top shelf until eggs are set and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes

Let me know how it comes out!