Graduate and Hostess with the Mostess

Finally after five years I am a graduate of The Economic Development Institute.  Typically it does not take five years to accomplish this goal but with my job hopping and then two and half years out of the professional, five years to complete three sessions is the result. The highlight of the butt numbing (literally after sitting in a room from 8-5:30 for days in row, the tush is numb) weeks is always the networking.

This year my EDI friends were all from the dirty South: AL, LA, TN, AR, KY, TX and MS.  There was a lone WY representative that stumbled into our group, but we didn't hold that against him.  As for Kansas City, I am not sure it is the same with 150 economic developers let loose in the city.

The next step in this whole education theme is to study and sit to be a Certified Economic Developer better known at CeCD .  The rumor is you need 6-8 months to study, ohhh so much fun!  BUT at least I have this to put on my resume for now.

After the week in KC, I was off to Cincinnati for the week of Thanksgiving.  Two weeks off work was BLISS!

This year since I was the head cook we incorporated a few new items to the menu.  The bible for Thanksgiving dinner was a special edition Southern Living Easy Entertaining, it got names the book of magic (BOM) because the recipes are that good.  The pages are already worn from all the times this magazine has been flipped through.  BOM features the Pioneer Woman too, it doesn't get any better than PW.

My sister and I were the hostess' this year, well she was the host and I was the head cook/decorator.  It was so much fun to spend all day Tuesday and Wednesday cooking with her (we ate on Wednesday to accommodate travel schedules).  We were so blessed and fortunate to be able to gather as a family even for a short time.  Baby Will even joined us at the big peoples table!

Sister and I only had a few moments when we both were staring at the BOM, asking umm what do you think that means? Let's just do this......  We have one member of the fam with a sensitivity to gluten so we tweaked some of the recipes or choose items that are already gluten free (gf).

Book of Magic 2010 Hits

Brie with Grape Chutney (gf)

Rich Chocolate Tart 

*we made the tarts in a cupcake pan for individual servings and with gluten free gingersnaps

Twice Bake Potatoes(gf)

We also made Cowboy Nachos (gf) on Friday using leftover turkey instead of beef brisket, OH YUM YUM YUM YUM!

 Happy Thanksgiving four days late and hope you survived Monday back to work but at least it was CyberMonday!

The Fabric of my Life.

http://hawthornethreads.com/home

Cut me off!  Hawthornes Threads consumes hours at a time.  All the pretty colors, all the possibilities.  

Pillows, shower curtain, reupholstering, window dressings.

My favorite thing about this site is the color grid.  

I ordered yards of the Henna Garden in Persimmon.

But was also eying  Daisies in Bloom and Large Whimsy Doozie in Aqua.

The hunt for a new condo is in full force so my ideas for decorating are taking over!

I leave in eight hours for a week trip and

things

are

a mess.

Complete with half packed suitcase, overflowing trash can, stacked up mail, half empty (smaller) suite case from previous trip, laundry drying, and stripped bed with clean sheets stacked on the bed.  You do not even want to see what I look like...FRIGHT FULL!

*For the record all was in order before leaving, no one likes to come home to a mess. 

Lizard

Beware if you name your sweet little girl Elizabeth, she might be called lizard or lizard breath....think about it.

Song of the Hour 3: Mumford And Sons - Awake My Soul

Song of the hour: The Band Perry - If I Die Young

Song of the Hour 2: Brooke Fraser - Something In The Water (Official Video)

Sidetracked

 Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods,  is still my next book to read as mentioned here, but I have gotten sidetracked with Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom and Nora Roberts Happy Ever After (book four in the bride quartet).  Yes, I have read the prior three.  Yes, I read them in public and Neal gets embarrassed in the airport, making me hide the front cover.  A-N-D.  Yes, I will be taking a hiatus from Nora for a long time.

Have a Little Faith on the complete opposite end of the book spectrum is an inspiring true story about faith, commitment and struggles.  A couple of excerpts that especially touched me were:

      

Page 144

Remember the only difference between marital and martial is where you put the i.

People expect too much from marriage today. They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss.  That's TV or movie. But that is not the human experience.

(good thing I balanced out Nora with a reality check by Mitch)

Page 198

The same things in life can be good and evil, depending on what, with free will, we do with them.  Speech can bless or curse. Money can save or destroy.  Science can heal or kill.  Even nature can work for you or against you: fire can warm or burn; water can sustain life or flood it away.

But nowhere in the story of Creation, do we read the word 'bad'.  God did not create bad things.

So God leaves it to us?

I could recite more but I will leave some for you to read.  My recommendation is skip no skim Nora and read/study/memorize Mitch, now back to Bill page 36 to be exact.

Job ramblings..

Today I want to be a machinist but over the years I have wanted to be a:

1.teacher
2. physcial therapy assistant
3. electrician or plumber
4.missionary
5.event planner
6. interior designer
7. real estate agent (i have taken most of the classes)
8. masseuse
9. guidance counselor
10. speech pathologist
11. photographer

Maybe just 10 11 for now, but I have new ideas ALL THE TIME, just ask my Mom or Neal. I see, hear and read about new training and interesting jobs as I visit with different companies in my real job, not fantasy. I think this has something to do with it. 

Today, I met with companies that need technical employees, specifically machinists, hence the first sentence.   It was shocking to hear that companies are not able to find the skilled people that they need to fill position locally and are having to recruit from other states.  Technical schools and community colleges are  "filling the gap" to create new programs and training according to industry needs.  Austin Community College in the next three years will surpass University of Texas-Austin in registered students.  WOW.  If I wasn't a proponent of community colleges before (which I was) I definitely am now.

I think I might just look into ACC machinist program!