Here I sit 8 days before Halloween without a costume plan. I haven't even carved a pumpkin. Sigh. I don't know what it is lately. School isn't too hard, as I've told several of you this rotation is pretty light on the clinical hours and assignments. Money is tight as usual, but that's not the demotivating factor. I don't know what it is that has me in a funk lately.

I'm stuck in my last class session for our Evidence-Based Practice class. We're spending the whole 4 hours giving group presentations. My group is done (100%, thank you). There are four more to get through before I meet with my next group for another group presentation tomorrow. Group group group.

Luckily I have my computer to distract me by studying for my exam (also tomorrow). I'll admit it, I wander onto the internet occasionally. Suddenly I've decided that I need to learn to spin yarn. Not only will it be a fun new craft, but maybe I can save money on good quality yarns for knitting! Am I silly to think that?

I found a class at Fancy Tiger that Ben says I can go to (as a gift!). Now I'm getting carried away, dreaming of keeping a couple angora rabbits to gather my own fibers and maybe work my way up to a pair of sheep.

Ok, the next group is starting (does acupuncture really help with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting?). I better close up here and pay attention again. I think I would name my first ewe Annabelle.

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Brian finished his hanging corpse - behold!

Follow the links to the rest of the set, where I make a cameo appearance with my super-craft-woman knot-untangling skillz.

I started my rotation as a school nurse in Littleton. Today was not so bad. Lots of following around and watching the nurse manage but not much actual nursing. It’s kind of interesting though and a nice change from being in the hospitals. I’m sure I’ll tell you more about it later. My cozy flannel pajamas and kitty-warmed bed are calling to me.

This has been a GREAT weekend. Friday night we had lots of friends over for dinner. I made two apple pies this week, the first being a regular pear and apple pie with cheddar in the crust (left). The second one was a sour cream apple pie (middle) from this website. Justin's mother in Iowa sent him home with oodles of apples from her yard and he shared the bounty with me. I gave some away, made two pies, and have enough to make applesauce still! Miranda made beef stew and biscuits and the others brought side dishes. Later we played the Action Movie game with a terrible Dolph Lundgren film.

Saturday we woke up to a rain and fog. Together with Nate, Miranda, Izzy, Jem, and baby we trekked to Boulder. I got some lovely brussel sprouts and baby squash. We went to Half-Fast subs (wow their website is crappy) on the Hill for lunch (above right). I felt like I was back in school, studying for finals. But wait, I am back in school . . .


We parted with the boys, baby, and animals down in Lakewood and met Amanda at Fancy Tiger. Goodness gracious, so many pretties! We wondered in their tiny store for almost two hours, picking out the perfect fabrics and patterns. Amanda and I got fabric to make matching cats based on this free pattern. Miranda and I ventured into needle felting and it is FANTASTIC. Seriously, so much fun and so easy. I made a robin and she made an owl. We have enough roving leftover to switch kits for a second bird. I hope to make a whole forest of woodland creatures and hang them on a small tree for Christmas. By the way, felted creatures are a hit with babies and cats alike.


Today I started on my new calling at church - Young Women's secretary! The presidency is a great group of women who I'm very excited to work with and get to know better. In this ward we only have YW for the third hour, so I can still go to Sunday School. Best of all, this means I'm off the hook for organizing the Christmas party. Sing Hallelujah!!

Tonight we're doing more crafts, this time Brian will join us to make a hanging body covered in spider webs.

I'm so starved for 30 Rock and this clip from Conan whets my appetite. Oh Kenneth I miss you!

http://www.hulu.com/embed/C0Wc29325fqBEsZNmoqg7Q

Reading books by James Herriot. I loved his stories when I was a kid and I love them now.

Renting my textbooks instead of buying them at this site. Saved me a lot of money!

Studying the history and basic components of community and public health nursing.

Playing Wordigo. I'm terrible at it and I need a lot more practice!
Baking apple pear pie with cheddar cheese. Yum!

Shopping for the many many birthdays in October.

Savoring the early fall weather.

Discovering that I love chard! I hate cooked spinach and collards and mustard greens, so I'm thrilled to find a leafy green that tastes delicious.

Crafting a large crewel embroidery project.
Drinking coke zero and apple cider. Not together.

I'm surprised how few of these I have eaten. Actually there are many that I have never heard of.

1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you’ve eaten!
3) Cross out any of them that you’d never ever eat.
4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your “To Do” List.

(I also ?? ones I don't know and !! ones I want to make now!)

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar !!
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle ??
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah ??
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca “pearls”)
18. Dixie Cup ??
19. Rice Krispie treats !!
20. Alfajores ??
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche ??
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake ??
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar ??
29. Baba au rhum ??
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte ??
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits ??
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas ??
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby ??
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake
52. Rusks ??
53. Daifuku ??
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Crème brûlée
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe ??
62. An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake ??
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi ??
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha ??
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail ??
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata ??
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse ??
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen ??
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci ??
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S’mores
94. Figgy Pudding !!
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers ??
97. Sables
98. Millionaire’s Shortbread ??
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa ??

My folks came to visit us this weekend, just for fun! I love just sitting around and catching up with my parents. They spoiled Jem with lots of treats and a new stuffed duck. She adores it and carries it everywhere. Molly got some new catnip toys that she seems pretty happy about. I also got an early Christmas present from Ikea. That store is so great. I can't wait the two years until they build one in Centennial, CO.

Saturday we went to Amanda's school and dropped off a trunk-load of young adult novels from our personal collection for her classes to use. It was so fun browsing through those old, musty pages. It brought back memories of riding in the car for hours, me in the backseat reading the latest Sweet Valley High. Here we are laughing at Amanda's note on the cover of what would have been her newest acquisition:

After that we loaded up Ben and went to Boulder! Oh, how I love and miss living in Boulder. We arrived in time to visit the farmer's market and I'm so glad we did. I used to walk down the Boulder creek path to the market nearly every weekend when Ben and I lived in our first home there. I would visit every stand, searching for the best prices with the best quality. We found many late harvest delights! Dad took lots of pictures of me packing my sack with yummies. I'm going to make a leek soup with parsnips. Dad insists that I use the entire leek by boiling the whole thing until tender, like his mother used to. I don't know about that. I've always sauteed the tender parts and tossed the thick green tips. I might have to get her recipe. I also picked up some rainbow chard - too pretty to pass by, and sunchokes. I've always wanted to try sunchokes but they're expensive in stores. Not here! Mom went wild for mums and got us each a plant and several for herself. I also picked up a lavendar plant for just $4.00 (instead of $20 at a nursery!). Miranda, I need to take you to the market one day. There's only 4 weeks left so we have to hurry.
We ate out a lot this weekend, at 3 Margaritas, Brasserie Ten Ten, and Pei Wei take-out. I love taking my parents to NIJ resteraunts ("not in Junction"). This morning we had a delicious breakfast of bagels, fruit, bread pudding, hot chocolate, cider, and OJ. Yum! I sent Dad home with more homemade peppermint marshmallows. He doesn't mind that I got a little girly with my decorations. These remind me of My Little Pony.