Suck it up Cupcake!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I’ve been having computer troubles. Hopefully it is fixable. In the meantime I’ve been tagged by Sencie and Andeeeeee

I’m a little late with sharing 7 things about myself, but here they are.

1. I was born with straight, blond hair and deep blue eyes. My eyes changed to brown when I was 3, my hair didn’t start getting darker until I was 5 and the curls didn’t happen until I was 15.

2. I’ve been run over by a tractor and broke my back.

3. I grew up in Texas and would love to move back.

4. I lived for 15 months in Brazil.

5. Since I’ve been out of high school I have worked as a child care provider, a certified nursing assistant, a stocker in a pottery warehouse store, a floral designer, a medical records clerk, a night auditor, church intern, English teacher, and a legal assistant.

6. The two funnest jobs were the floral designer and the night auditor.

7. I stink at things like this. I always get to the last one and can’t think of anything else.

I’m supposed to tag more people, but I think most people already have been. So, if you haven’t already been tagged and wish to play along, consider yourself tagged.

For the past year and a half I’ve let my hair grow long. It was to the point though where I was only wearing it up and it was making me crazy. This past Thursday was the big day. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, but I knew I could trust my stylist. Toni is fabulous and always knows what to do. With all the curl, I wasn’t sure exactly how long it was, but after getting to the salon and combing everything straight, I had 11″ to cut for locks of love. And I have a short and easy new “do.” Here are before and after pictures.

Cola Chicken
4 skinless chicken breast
1 cup ketchup
1 12oz.diet cola

Place chicken in non-stick skillet. Pour ketchup and cola over it. Bring to a boil-cover and reduce heat-cook 30-45 mins.
Uncover, turn heat up and cook until sauce thickens and adheres to the chicken.

This might sound a little strange, but it was so good and so simple to make. I think this sauce could also be used in the crock pot and used with pork or ground meat for sloppy joes. There are leftovers that will be used to make chicken salad for lunch tomorrow.

Since my return from Brazil, I have not had a regular, permanent job. I did not want to be in school and work…I’ve already done that. So, for the past year I have been a babysat and done other odd jobs. Over the past few months I have sensed that my patience was wearing thin with toddlers. A few weeks ago I made the decision that I would look for a more permanent job. That same week I got a call from a woman in my church who works for an attorney. He was looking to hire a legal assistant and did I want the job? I was told to bring my resume to church and she would introduce us. That Sunday after church I went to his office for the interview and am now gainfully employed. *happy dance* I will miss the kids but I will not miss the whining and snotty noses.

It is springtime, even if the thermometer doesn’t show it. Last Friday I went to the tulip fields at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, OR. My friend Marcia and I spent the afternoon walking through the vast fields that were a sea of tulips. It was a wonderful opportunity to chat and connect without interruptions while exploring and taking in the beauty of the flowers. From a distance the individual flowers blend together and seem to lose their individuality. Upon closer inspection it is easy to see the individuality and uniqueness that each blossom holds.

As we walked and talked I thought about how people are similar to the flowers. It is so easy for us to all blend together. We must take time to see the beauty of the individual.

I have a new blog!  Eventually everything from my previous one will be transferred here but right now there is no time to dedicate to figuring out how.  Until then you can still see it here.