My GRILL it is a callin'

My Grill it s a callin'..............................................
AT LONG last, I met up with my personal favorite kitchen appliance today....my patio grill. I usually have little problem using it all winter but this year has been entirely too cold. Vacation time this week eventually led me back to that big burnin' hunk of cold steel. Fabulous steak, portabello shrooms, zucchini, salad and some creamy garlic Parmesan grits. YUMMY! It is good to be back.



Anyway, what a crazy year it has been. Even vacation/spring break has been a total un-vacation so far. Much to do.....Much to do. I did find time this week to shop for all new bedding to go with my recently painted bedroom (thank you painter dude Branden Brakie). Isn't it amazing how thrilled a person can be over new bedding particularly when it includes 800 thread count sheets.... OHHHHH Be still my beating heart. It is nearly like moving into a new home. Must be a sign that I am actually a grown up. NAHHHH... NEVER!

My dear friend Mary lost her mother today. She is the baby of a very large family and had done everything a perfect daughter could ever do for a mother. She is a true blessing to her mother; a special gift from God. I am so proud of all she has done over the last several years to make her mom as comfortable as possible. God's love is with Mary, her mom and their family today.

When the big events happen, it gives cause to put the day to day trials and challenges in perspective. It makes me grateful for having people like Mary in my life. I cannot fathom my world without her though we are all here temporarily. We borrow the air and time and eventually pay it back. I pray that I find ways to touch the life of another as I have seen her do so many times with her larger than life heart.

Whitney and her best friend Krista went to Florida on spring break. They took Thatcher to see my in-laws. Here he is only 1 year old and already on his second trip to Florida. Until this week, we had not been away from him for more than 2 days. As one might imagine, we are ready for them to be home. That little bundle of joy wears us out but our hearts have a big hole while he is gone. Another blessing for which I will eternally praise God at least until the terrible two's kick in.

Hugs and kisses kids. Just come home safely.

Ohhh the February Flubbers

Flubber...what a fun word. Flubber Flubber Flubber. I don't care how down a person is, if you click your heals and say flubber three times, all will be right again.

School is well underway in the Becht household. I get a weekly lesson in anatomy and diseases from Whitney. I am gaining knowledge on how to critique artwork ('cuz that will be an enormous asset to a banker!). Color, composition, blah, blah, blah....... Nick continues about his merry way with his precious girlfriend, school and his guitar. David's classes are apparently WAY too easy this last semester. NOT FAIR!

I have been so into the cold this year. Could it be that the hot hormones enjoy being cooled. I think perhaps it is true. Rather dreading the heat of summer. So much to do yet this month still. Mega classwork to do, mega career work and somewhere squeeze in time for the family and friends.

Looking forward to friends and family coming over for fajitas and the Superbowl on Sunday! Go big blue!

My dear friend from high school, Pam has been reminding me of how therapeutic baking can be. This is the perfect weather for the aroma of a warm apple pie. Give me strength to just imagine the scent of cinnamon and sugar spilling over in the oven. That will minimize the caloric intake.

Well Ground Hog Day is over. Off to bed and hopefully to sleep for at least 4 straight hours...those darn hormones!

Flubber, Flubber, Flubber

New Year.... Opportunity for New Experiences

It has been a very insane post-holiday season. Each January in my world presents what feels like insurmountable expectations and deadlines in my professional career. Each January in my world is a month to not only survive but reflect upon and make decisions on how to make the next one a little less trying on me and ALL those poor souls who must survive me.

We are rapidly approaching the one year anniversary of the birth of Thatcher Wyatt Becht, the light of our life in the Becht household. He is incredibly happy and healthy and quite honestly, owns our home. His mom is diligently planning a wonderful party beginning with a most creative invitation that will be mailed very soon. I won't share the theme but I will tell you that the invitation creation process is stinking up my house. Now aren't you intrigued?

School of course is back in full bloom long before spring. Whit is finishing her second (and last) semester at Ivy Tech before transferring to USI. David is finishing his last semester before graduating. Nick is in semester #2 at USI and I again, the perpetual student have a night class as well. 18 hours after this semester before setting the next education goal. All this of course takes significant coordination to keep Cap'n Thatch from having to go to daycare. So far .... so good.

So in spite of the usual January stress or perhaps because of it, February is looking better all the time. Spring can't come fast enough for us this year. That beautiful little boy is going to bring the entire family outdoor to play and chase and dig in the dirt! And oh my...I do love to dig in the dirt!

2009 was a year of blessings. 2010 will be no less. God has a plan for each and every one of us. Our job is to simply follow Him down the path he has chosen for us.

Miles to Go Before I Sleep...Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Sometimes life just has too many to do lists. I currently have so many that I am not quite sure where all those lists are. There is the work list and then the family list and of course the school list and oh wait...the grandbaby list. Now I just need a list to tell me where I put all the other lists.
The way I see it, I have 3 options.
1. I can spend my time continuing to lament and fret over how to get all the lists completed.
2. I could just toss the lists into the proverbial trash (If I can find them that is!)
3. I could just shut up and start doing the to do list.

Now we all know that Option #1 is a waste of time. No one wants to hear our grumbling and watch the fretting. Option #2 is just nonsensical. Why would I want to take all the work of creating the lists and put them out with the rest of the rubbish?

So, Option #3 it is unless someone out there has a better suggestion. So I went at work at 7:15 a.m. and left work at 7:20 p.m. Now that is not a FUN day however, I left having marked off 3 things from my work to do list for the day. Not bad. I am not EVEN telling you how many things are on that list though.

Tomorrow will bring more to dos than I have time to do. That's ok though. I will just prioritize, learn to live with letting some people down on occasion and realize that at the end of the day, all those to dos mean nothing unless they involve relationships and growth.

Miles to go....miles to go.....
I ramble on a bit too much..... Have a lovely rest of the week!

Musings for Thanksgiving

Thankful...hmmmm. Well let me see.....
Family....yes, yes...certainly something to be thankful for there.
Friends...absolutely thankful for them at all times.
Health...heavens yes because we all know how that has gone at times!
Happiness...makes me smile.
Then of course there is all the yucky stuff going around us in all the world. I must be thankful for those things too for without the bad, how would I know what good is and then how could I be grateful and then how could we even have a Thanksgiving if we didn't know what there was to be thankful for because there was not bad to make the good look good. OH MY! Follow the yellow brick road.

Sometimes Life's Lemonade is actually Sangria!

What a great week in my world. Not only did I complete my course plan to finally finish that degree... whoop whooop BUT my advisor advised me with some great advice! It seems that I can get 8 hours of credit for all that painful insurance and brokerage licensing with some documentation and a little more essay type writing. CHECK!

That will put me down to 24 hours to go... yes my friends....24 hours, a mere 8 classes and then I can start on that masters! OK... a girl can still dream.

With a little more diligence, discipline and diplomacy, I could actually finish about the time everyone else in my house finishes. Now how cute would that be? Everyone say aawwweeeeeee.

The pressure is on... Afterall, I did run around with the brainiac kids and need to catch up!

So What Did I learn Today?

Today I learned that most college-age students of today really can still be influenced when it comes to their moral direction. You just have to guide them to a different conclusion. That came about in an ethics class this evening as my eloquent and skillful instructor played devil's advocate to some pretty controversial topics - abortion and gay marriage. It was rather fascinating to watch and renewed my faith in their willingness to realize that their decisions really can impact others - which matters (particularly to those "others"). Hmmmm....it really isn't all about them. It is all about ME!

I learned that my decision to forego a wonderful week in Puerto Rico with my sister was probably the right decision. I have been home in beautiful weather as she sits in the rain! So sorry sis but as usual, I am being responsible.

Finally, I learned that no matter how much I take off the plate, it continues to be refilled by others. What is that about and how do I get it under control? Perhaps by first taking ownership of the plate. No more food goes on until I have eaten all those veggies already on it! Sounds like an excellent diet plan to me!