Thanksgiving Trip - 2012

More Blog cleaning. Exactly a year ago I was waking up freezing cold, snuggled in a huge fluffy bed in California.

November 2012

Lately I have been totally overwhelmed with how much I do not like my current situation. Knowing that I am in this for the long-haul, not being able to go home until May 2013, just added insult to injury. I was thinking a lot a lot a lot and eventually started seriously entertaining the idea of going home to see family and friends for a week or so to get a break, see family, celebrate a holiday, and enjoy some cold!

I thought Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to catch people off guard and surprise them, and it worked! It was fun to be able to surprise my family and friends.

Just a couple days ago I had video-chatted with my best friend Brigette on my birthday. Then -I showed up on her doorstep! Her son, my godson, Asher just started screaming and doing laps around the house, haha. It was great to be living so close to this family right before I left, but it made it hurt even worse when I did leave. I've only been gone three months and Asher is already saying whole sentences!

We were checking each other's tongues for blue-tone progress. I had a blast hanging out with the Lucas family. Asher and I were playing in his room when Brigette comes in and he goes, "No momma! Go out!" I must be doing something right. :)

My grandparents probably had the best reaction. I am really close to my grandparents and when living in California I was at their house quite frequently. When I jumped out from behind my mom my grandma just sat there with her jaw dropped. My grandpa was sitting with his back turned to me, and seeing my grandma's face, he got up and turned around to see what was going on. By this point my grandma started screaming and my grandpa said something to the effect of "What are you doing here?" It was great to spend time with them that day as well as have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner with them! Here is a picture of me and my grandparents at my wedding.The coolest people I have ever met!

I have to admit that a good amount of time was spent shopping and cramming "supplies" into a suitcase to bring back to Grenada. But besides that I did get to see tons of family. This involved a trip to Utah. My Grandma Widdison hasn't been doing very well, and she just moved to a care facility. It was so good to see her but really hard to say goodbye at the end of the trip. She is such an incredible lady.

There is a surprising lack of photos from this trip -not sure what happened there.

Anyways, when I was in CA with my parents we were keeping it a surprise from my siblings. Eventually we couldn't hold it in anymore and I took a picture with my Dad at In-n-Out and he sent it out to everyone. I think most everyone thought it was an old picture or something. Haha. But eventually they were all pretty surprised. Seriously people, put "surprise someone" on your bucket list, it was awesome!

While some of my siblings were home from college we went to Venice beach. It was a little funny to me because I was at the beach but freezing cold. The Caribbean has definitely ruined me forever!

We took a little stroll down the Venice canals, which was really fun.

I saw this house was for sale, so I will probably buy that for when Ross does his rotations in CA.

Then we headed over to the beach. The great thing about Venice is, you don't know if that is smog, or marine layer, or idk, maybe The Chronic.

There is this fantastic bakery that sells hot and fresh mini donuts. You can even watch them make 'em!
So we got some donuts and sodas and just hung out!

















Before or after (not during, I remember that much) we went to eat.

Me and my Trin Kyle! Duh. :)


















Just waiting in line at Tito's Tacos. Double duh. Couldn't call myself a Californian without it.

The trip was an absolute blast. It was so nice to go home and relax and freeze and feel loved. Alas, all good things must come to an end. And back to Grenada I go!

Bye for now America!

QW #8

As I was looking through some quotes for my entry today, something about this one just made me feel like it was the one for today.

"Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have."

Last week I flew back into the United States to surprise my friends and family for Thanksgiving! As the plane flew into Miami I was not expecting to feel the way I did...
I felt WEIRD.
I do not know how else to explain it, but it felt strange to be back, for so many reasons.
Mostly because I realize how much I have in my tiny home in Grenada.

I have been selfish lately, I have been wanting lots of things. And all this wanting made me forget everything, everyone, I already have. Not everything I have packed up in boxes in storage, not everyone I can come back to in two years. I have forgotten all that I have now.

During this trip I decided everyone should pack up about 100 pounds + a carry-on of belongings and move. Move anywhere out of your comfort zone, and start your life over.
You might feel angry, you might feel pitiful, and sad, and lonely, and helpless, and jealous, maybe even a little bitter. You might find yourself longing for something else, anything else.

In a few months, come visit said "old-life." And I hope, that you feel embarrassment at all those feelings. Because I do. I feel weird because I can laugh at everything we think, no, we "know" we need. Because 100 pounds + a carry-on isn't too bad. It isn't the most comfortable living but it is nice to know I don't need a closet full of clothes, I don't need a kitchen full of gadgets, I don't need a pantry full of junk food, I don't need a fancy big house. I have plenty.

I don't care how much you want, I don't mind how much you have, but I hope we do remember what we have now. And who knows, maybe that will result in wanting less altogether. 

QW #7

How appropriate!

"Start each day like it's your birthday!"

I remember when I was younger I was always SOOOO excited for my birthday. My dad's birthday is conveniently exactly six months before mine, so I always thought that was an appropriate time to commence the count down. Not every single day, but periodically, especially to get laughs and attention, I would notify others of the enormous amount of days that remained. 

And after my sister's birthday in October the countdown was REALLY on because that meant in my family, the next and final birthday of the year was MINE, all mine!

As November began I could feel it getting closer and it was the precious time when all of a sudden I could officially give my birthday list to mom!

My parents and relatives always threw great parties for me and my birthday was always a special day. The birthday kid could pick what dinner we wanted and even what kind of a cake we wanted! I usually chose lasagna for dinner and I either had Oreo cookies & cream dessert or pistachio inside out dream cake. And usually my mom or dad would bring treats for my class so everyone could know that it was MY birthday and for that day, I was invincible.

Over the years of my birthday being covered in papers, midterms, cold, snow, and college in general, my birthdays lost their luster. My family never failed to make them the best, including sometimes taking a special trip up to Utah to bring me presents and cheer me up last minute! I just guess birthdays aren't as much fun when you get older and have to plan them yourself.

BUT
I like this quote because I should start every day so excited to be alive and see what exciting adventures await me, thankful for another day to be alive! And, if I could start each day with cake batter pancakes with sprinkles (like I did today!) that wouldn't be so bad either.

Just Call Me Conductor

Sometimes I wonder how people here perceive me.
I am a white girl living in a country that is:

"82% black, 13% mixed black and European, 5% European and East Indian, and trace of Arawak/Carib"

What I am saying is, I stand out. It isn't so unusual in the corner of the country where I live by the University, there are lots of students there. And it isn't even very unusual downtown in St. Geroge's because there are always white tourists coming in on cruise ships and docking their million dollar yacht in the Port.

But for example when I volunteer at PAM which is much off the beaten path, I sometimes wonder what people must think about who this little white girl thinks she is chillin' in the back of a reggage bus. 

Maybe people don't wonder at all.

But on Tuesday I got to be conductor of the reggae bus!
The reggae buses, or city buses are 16/20/24+ passenger vans. The size depends and depending on how many people are willing to pay $2.50, they will cram all customers in nooks and crannies in the van. 

As I got into the bus I took the second to last seat which is where the conductor usually sits. The conductor is the one who makes change, opens and closes the door, yells at people to get in, and sometimes tells the driver where the next passenger wants to get off.

(And as the conductor got out to give me his seat he saw a girl needing to get on, some how conjured a squishy seat pad, and threw it in a cranny between the wall and a chair and that was her seat!)

So when we got going I realized that being next to the door, it was my obligation to figure out how to open the door (sometimes a complicated process) and get out so whoever wanted off could get out. I got the hang of it and it didn't take me long to want to start making change and calling to passerbys!

Unfortunately as the bus emptied I no longer needed to open the door but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe next time I can prove myself worthy to take a bigger role in the reggage bus. And people can scratch their head at the white girl reggage bus conductor.

QW #6 A Three Fer!

Quote Wednesday continues with two consecutive weeks!!

To honor this special day I give you a "three for one" Quote Wednesday.

"You will find that it is necessary to let things go; 

simply for the reason that they are heavy"

I try not to have "bad days" or "bad weeks," but there are days I could describe as 

"I AM GOING TO HULK SMASH THIS CEMENT WALL!!!!!"

It happens.

There are days when it feels like the monkey on my back has turned into a jaguar, which turns into an elephant, and before long I have a huge woolly mammoth of burden and frustrations that are smashing me like a PB&J sandwich in this book.

But I try to remind myself:

"Let it go"

A simple phrase for a simple concept. I am eternally grateful for one friend in particular who got me through today and helped me let go so I could not feel so weighed down. 

In addition and lastly, I was once told a fantastic rule for "venting."

"Repeat it once and be done"

Because venting is fine, but complaining and not doing anything about it is not. 

So thanks to wise friends and cutesy quotes my walls are Hulk-smash free. 

Happy Wednesday. 

Oh Sunday! + Celebrity Death Match

This is me most Sundays, and a lot of days in general.
I'm sure everyone knows by now that I love to eat.
But the nice thing is that since I am on such a tight budget, there aren't many snacks lying around.

However, since I moved to Grenada and traded in my Kitchen Aid for a tacky-too-large-for-its-shallowness bowl and a hand-me-down wooden spoon. And I am forcing myself to learn how to make bread. I figure I have to get my carbs in somehow. 

Celebrity Death Match!

     VS.

So far I have been enjoying the experience and things have turned out great.

I started with breadsticks, because I had been successful with the recipe before. I use it for  not only breadsticks but also pizza dough and this most amazing recipe for Stuffed Pizza Rolls. Probably my favorite recipe I've ever made of all time.

I also tried cinnamon rolls which are great because I freeze them and just always have some on hand. I may or may not have used them for dinner in lieu of actual food... maybe.

Today I made french bread, which was inspired by my good friend Amber because she makes french bread in this fancy "french bread pan." And she is pretty cool, and I want to be like her so I thought what a better way to hone my skills, be like Amber, fill my Sunday afternoon, and eat warm awesome carbs?? Exactly.

She not only let me use the pan but also let me use some cornmeal to prevent sticking and gave me the recipe she used, which is here.

Man, nothing says Sunday like warm bread straight out of the oven. But I always feel so empty and alone when warm bread doesn't have honey on it. :(

I decided that I MUST own one of those french bread pans. It has little holes in the bottom so the air can flow and cook the bread. Plus, it has those legit little perforations on the bottom like real french bread! I thought this pan might be one of those Williams-Sonoma sell your first born child things to obtain but lucky for me and my first born, you can find them pretty inexpensive! Leave it to Target!

 http://www.target.com/p/chicago-metallic-perforated-french-bread-pan/-/A-11054476

Fall Fest and a Happy Halloween

The 31st of Halloween involved a lot of running around, being so domestic I almost puked, and baking so much I almost passed out in my heat box of a kitchen.

In the morning I dropped off some goods at the SO Bake Sale. All the proceeds go to the Limes after-school program that the SOs run for the kiddos.

Then I helped bake some sugar cookies and cut out bats for the Fall Fest that evening. CeCe and Patty are the Family Co-ordinators and you could tell that they worked really hard to put it all together for the student families. It turned out great and everyone had a lot of fun.

John and Patty making a balloon pumpkin

The chandeliers give a nice creepy Halloween feel

Patty made the awesome haunted houses & about 500,00 bats

I have learned in life that free events mainly attract two types of people 1) poor college kids, 2) families. I swear the families and kids came out of the woodwork for Fall Fest. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame them, it was an awesome event. The kids went trick-or-treating around campus and got candy then they came back and had fun going to a bunch of different booths like face painting and sugar cookie decorating all while munching on Halloween-themed treats!

CeCe, John and I did the fishing booth and couldn't stop laughing because the "curtain" was too short so the kids would just stare over at us as we clipped their prize to the fishing line. John tried to keep the kids back by telling them that if they got too close they would "scare the fish away," pretty clever John! But I think CeCe and I laughing so hard scared away the kids (thanks for taking these pics John!).

My classic crepper shot!

Later that night Ross was studying pretty late but we took some time to stuff our faces full of sugar I had bought earlier at the bake sale/made/inherited from Fall Fest.

Nicole made the "q-tips with earwax" eww! :)

My favorite was the Frankenstein pudding w/oreos cup Patty made for the bake sale

Since I couldn't find apple cider I warmed up some apple juice and threw some spices in. Ross decided to drink it out of a cinnamon stick.

I got intense as I was frosting my cookie

And we watched Nightmare Before Christmas, classic.