Merry Christmas!

I had a good Christmas week. It was quiet, simple, and almost perfect. My sisters weren't able to come down, and I wasn't able to go up. In a way, this worked out for the best. Both my Mom and I worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so we carpooled and enjoyed coffee. Hopefully my parents and I will be able to go to Washington in January!

My family rarely goes all out on gifts. We prefer to focus on celebrating Christ's birth and enjoy the special moments that happen when family comes together. I did get a little spoiled this year though... I got a pashmina, a beaded purse, a vintage cuff, lots of toys for the cats, and candy from my immediate family.

My Grandparents sent me money (saved towards a treadmill), and my Aunt and Uncle sent me a Walmart gift card which got me some new slipper socks, a planner for 2013, and chocolate!

Today my parents and I had a small dinner of pulled pork, salad, homemade au-gratin potatoes, candied jalapeños, and a delicious gluten free chocolate hazelnut bread for dessert. After dinner I asked Bill (my Step-dad) if I could borrow their juicer for a few weeks, and he just gave it to me!

A friend gave it to them, and since they never use it, they gave it to me. I put it to use as soon as I got home and plan to use it a lot more!!

I pulled a few more things out of the attic, and made sure a few things I will want soon were still there. All in all it was a great holiday. Really looking forward to 2013!!

18 Days

I've spent 18 days in the new house. 18 days of hot showers. 18 days of not having to boil water to do dishes. 18 days of not having to use a bucket to flush a toilet. 18 days of being able to use the oven and more than one burner. 18 days of rearranging, cleaning, and savoring.

Last Christmas I hung a few favorite ornaments from cabinet knobs and called it good. The first thing I did after moving in my first load was set up my Christmas tree. It really makes this place feel like home.

The cats love it here. There is a ton of room to play, and all sorts of places to curl up for a nap. I moved the litter box out of the bathroom - they hate that they can't go to the bathroom with me now. I love it! They have more limits here, but it's really just helped balance their attitudes out.

I love having so much light. A warm bed. Truthfully, there is so much to be thankful for this holiday season, my new home is only a small bit of it.

Saturday I cooked myself a little Christmas dinner of my favorite holiday foods, and am actually looking forward to working Christmas Eve and Christmas itself. There is something sweet about working the holidays when you're in health care. Maybe I'm just nutty ;)

Time to head to bed so I can catch a few hours of sleep before work.

Merry Christmas!!

All moved

Mid November I started to think about moving. On November 15th I posted on my Facebook that I was looking for a place. Offers flowed in, I looked at a few houses, spent a lot of time in prayer, and a lot of time talking to my family. I was determined to move ONLY if finances and the situation were right.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I met a couple at church who were going to be looking for a new tenant soon. We chatted on the phone a few times, but I KNEW this was my place. God answered my prayers in a mighty way. The price was right, the situation was perfect, and I just had a feeling.

On December 2nd I saw the place for the first time, on December 5th I moved in my first load... Two days later I spent the night for the first time. It's amazing. After an initial adjustment period the cats both love it, and we are really settling in.

Last night we had a significant windstorm, for a little bit I was scared... But the cottage weathered the wind, and somehow the candlelit night made it seem even more like home.

The cottage is small. Tiny, by most American standards. There is a small sunroom, and then boom!, the rest (save the restroom) is all one room. Open floor plan lovers, this place is for you.

The openness is a bonus, since I was used to living/dining/sleeping being combined after a year in the RV. Unlike the RV, the cottage is spacious, has hot water, a flushing toilet, and a functioning kitchen!!

The entire process was a bit whirlwind, but I am just SO happy.

Moving on up

A few days after expressing my desire to get out of the RV and in to a house, the deal of a lifetime dropped in to my lap.

For the past two weeks I've been building the new home up in my head. Tomorrow I get to go see it for the first time. All I can hope is that it lives up to at least part of my dreams.

Holiday Woes

It's that time of year... Stores are putting out holiday decorations and people are indulging in 'spiced' goodies. At my favorite coffee shop the barista pushed a pumpkin pie latte in me, it was nausea at first sip. Walking through the new Big Lots that opened in our area last night, I had to detour around the Christmas displays.

Unfortunately I am overly sensitive to cinnamon and cloves. The scent alone makes my stomach twist, and if I try to eat it... It's messy. One time I spilled a little clove oil at a friends house and whole cleaning it up got some on my skin. Instant redness, swelling, and itching.

It sucks. For years my Mom thought I was allergic to cranberries because I'd get an angry red rash on the back if my neck after eating her homemade sauce at Thanksgiving. Now I enjoy multiple times a year with nutmeg!

I have to admit though, it makes avoiding the typical commercial trappings of the holidays easy. My presents are bought months in advance, no crowds for me. :)

Food!

It's been a great week for food. I spent $175 of my own money, an additional $50 from a friend who had borrowed money from me, and a bag of gluten free and organic goodies from my parents.

I've had a green smoothie every day, and enjoyed opening the fridge, only to have things fall out because it's so full.

Right now I have a roast in the crockpot, beans in the Dutch oven, and rice in the pressure cooker. Lunches are going to be great this week!! There is homemade hummus, chayote squash, bell peppers, salad, and apples ready to pack into my lunch bag.

For dinner I had a piece of gf bread with almond butter, a smoothie, and ginger tea. It's a far cry from what I was eating when I moved in to the RV last November. I feasted on canned spinach, hot dogs, and broth packets... There were days I had to eat at work before coming home because I knew there was nothing here.

Slowly my cupboards have filled up with staples, my freezer has extra in it, and I am taking an entire days worth of meals to work with me. Switching to nights has forced me to start thinking about what I put in my body. 12 hour shifts means I eat the majority of my days calories at work. Some days I might have a small snack at home before and after my shift, but typically not.

So now I'm gluten free again, why I ever stopped eating that way boogles me. I was diagnosed with celiac disease years ago, and did very well for a long time... And then stopped

I feel much better after just a month!

Simple things...

Cranberry beans are soaking for tomorrows dinner.

The bed is stripped so I can wash sheets, and put on an electric mattress pad.

A few new songs are playing on my phone.

The RV smells like my version of fall... Eucalyptus and mint wax replaced my guava berry wax in the melter.

A basketful of squash is nestled behind my coffee pot.

Tomorrow I'm picking more apples, and buying organic fresh roasted coffee and local dried cranberries.

The kitties are both on antibiotics, so my cabinet is overflowing with soft food.

The first season of Fringe is on my shelf.

The air has turned crisp and fog covers the road most of the morning.

Just a few more dishes to go and they are all clean.

The fridge is full, so is the freezer and my cabinets.

Gummy probiotics are actually yummy... Maybe I'll switch my other vitamins to gummies too.

Bed calls, Sunday School starts a 9:30.

Let's keep on with the toilet theme...

Was reading through an old to do list on my phones notepad... It had the standard chores on there, clean fridge, take out trash, beat rugs... And smell toilet.

It was written in April and I honestly don't know if I followed trough on the list. Don't want to know, actually.

Toliet Pepper

Writing out my shopping list today... And managed to add Toliet Pepper to my list instead of toilet paper.

Wish I had something other than my brain to blame.

Making home sweet

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”
― Jean Cocteau

Owning a dog didn't work out. The combination of 12 hour shifts, living in a space the size of some porches, and my impatience with an overly needy personality won out. Bubbly found a new home in January.

For a while I felt like pets just weren't for me... Then my neighbor brought home a kitten and I fell in love. On May 26th I brought home the last little girl left in the litter my neighbor got her kitten from. It was rough the first few nights.

I was not prepared for the car ride and almost lost the kitten before getting her home. There was a brief moment of cuddling on the bed and then she was off. The RV was torn apart trying to find her. All I could think was she got stuck behind something, or tangled in electrical stuff, and couldn't get free.

Around 2am I heard some meowing from the bathroom and after some wrangling managed to extract the kitten from the toilet. My RV came equipped with a 'camp' toilet, which is made of plastic and has a small opening in the back. The hollow area around the bowl has another narrow opening in the front where you push the pedal to flush. It took almost an hour and a bloody hand... But she was free.

That night and the few after she slept in a box with multiple holes in the lid. I named her Olivia. Or... Jolli Oli Cupcake Toilet Girl. Things went smoothly after that. Oli's sister would come over to visit, or Oli would go to my neighbors...

Recently my neighbors cat has been spending more time outside, something I don't want Olivia doing... And it became clear my little girl didn't like being alone. So last week I went and got another baby. Cordelia. Things have been infinitely smoother with her... And in the last 48 hours they have finally started to get along. Oli lives to groom Cordie, and Cordelia wants to copy everything Olivia does.

It's funny, how much cozier the RV feels now with two cats instead of just one. I was resistant to cats to begin with, due to litter and noise... But these little girls have such huge personalities. They make coming home fun.

Yes yes yes!

The past two weeks have been torture. I had an awful doctors appointment... The words abnormal, surgery, and tumor were used. I had a entire blood work up and a intrusive/embarrassing ultrasound...

I have been stressing out for two weeks... To find out everything is mostly normal. There are a few things to work on... And I do have to go see a n OBGYN about some things...

But! No tumor. No surgery. Nothing life threatening. I can breath.

I needed this wake up call... A reminder of how great my God is, how wonderful my friends and family are... What a blessing it is to work with educated health professionals who willingly listen to me as I try to make sense of my health... Who share their own stories and wake up calls.

My body is my responsibility, I need to treat it with respect and love. My life can only be influenced by what I allow in it.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Looking Up

My big test was Thursday. Every time my phone rang yesterday I jumped. Once it was the doctor's office... But they asked for Jessie, not Rachel.
: (

No worrying allowed over the weekend.

30 Hours

Thursday morning I am having a test done after work. Hopefully the doctor will interpret the results fast, and if my labs are back... I may just have answers by sometime Friday.

In many ways this week has been extremely difficult.... In others it has been a blessing. A wake up call...

Time please fly!

Home

I ran away to my Mom and Stepdad's over the weekend... There are many thoughts running through my head right now, some will become a post on day... But for now I just have to say... God is good, I am so blessed.

What I Learned This Week

1. When your Doctor and your pharmacist try to warn you about side effects from a new medication, listen!

2. When depression is depriving you of oxygen and sanity, it is ok to interrupt your Mom at work so she bring you back to earth.

3. Trying to keep something that's eating away at you from your best friend sucks. Tell her already.

4. Today might the worst day in a long time... Tomorrow will trump it.

5. The words 'possible tumor' are soul chilling, the cold does not fade.

6. Insulin resistance protocol labs take 2 hours. Bring a sweater.

7. Your Doctor won't always maintain her composure when she find something strange during an exam. Sometimes that is more comforting than a straight face.

8. Running away to the country to spend the weekend with your parents is OK. We all need a chance to go home.

9. Crying, driving, and mascara do not mix!

10. When a friend cleans your house while you are out, because she knows you are struggling to get out of bed... Let alone take out the trash.. It means everything.

God is good. His plan is in place. Prayer is amazing. Deep breaths helps. A week is not forever, patience will trump fear if you give it a chance.

Questions

I had a troubling Doctors appointment today. Do not stress out. It's been my mantra most of the day. Tears have flown freely. I have tried to sleep as much as possible so I don't have to think.

More tests tomorrow and on the 6th. There is so much going in in my mind right now... This could be something relatively simple and unimportant... Or something big.

Living with not knowing for the next week or so it's going to be almost impossible. So far I've only told my Mom and my neighbor who caught me crying as I got out of the car... And now of course, the Internet, via my blog which no one reads. Haha. I needed that laugh.

The Real Thing

I received a Kindle for my birthday this year, and instantly fell in love. As much as I adore 'real' books, I have read only one book with actual pages since June.

Technology is such a wonder... I saw two books on my friends Goodreads profile and added them to my to-read list. Once done she shipped them to me, and upon receiving them... I had to take a photo with Instagram and post about it on my blog.

I remember the first computer my parents brought home.. The beeper my Dad carried for emergency calls from the fire & police departments... The 1 megapixel camera that came free with an electronics purchase when I was in highschool. Now my phone does everything those things did and more.

There is still something special about receiving a package in the mail, and the smell of books... Something technology has yet to replicate.

Thanks for the books!

Today

The cat is stretched out atop my bed, sun streams in wide open windows... The smell of tea and the sound of beans boiling... Music plays softly, wind blows setting the chimes on the awning to singing. The freshly vacuumed rug feels knobby beneath bare feet, the sweet tartness of an orange lingers on my lips.

Soon it will be time to make dinner... But for now I'm relaxing, enjoying the most simple parts of life.

I cleaned the RV today in spurts. Sometimes I'd sit and watch Alias... Then I'd frantically drag a broom across the floor... A brief trip to the corner store for coffee and a hot dog really made it feel like my day off.

For a while I worked in the yard, cleaning up watermelon rinds and watering plants.

I'm down to one potato, no rice, and a smattering of mixed greens in the fridge. There is something quite pleasant about eating the bits and pieces leftover from grocery shopping. Clearing out space for more...

Today is one of those days where I simply am. Present. Me. Content. Changing. Alive. Happy.

Oh my!

I can blog from my phone! Who knew... Without a computer (or reliable Internet) I have slacked off on blogging. With so many thoughts running rampant in my head, it's good to know I still have a place to share.

Instagram & Tea

I've hopped on to the Instagram bandwagon! My boyfriend got me the iPhone 4 for Valentine's Day and one of the first apps I downloaded was Instagram. It's fair to say my addiction has only grown. 

Since I have suffered from two bouts with illness this year (one gastrointestinal, one upper respiratory) my new goal is to strive towards better nutrition. No more colds! In an effort to get over my current cold, I made a big pot of get better tea. My Mom used to make this tea any time anyone got sick growing up. She'd always start make it in the same pot... it was some sort of pressure cooker my paternal great-grandmother gave to my parents after they married and moved in together.

Tomorrow morning my youngest sister is dropping me off at the bus station, where my 24 hour trip to California begins. I'll be in California for 30 hours, and then spend another 24 coming back. Sleep? When? Excited is just the beginning of how I feel about this trip...

Drawing

Thank You

How amazing is His hand? I want to write about everything... little things and big things. His work is evident in the tiniest of things these past few weeks, each one adding up to something amazing and glorious. How lucky I am, to be so loved.