I turned in my graduation pack to the Dean’s office today. Strange that I am going to be done with school. Registration for next semester was this week. I signed up again for yet another 18 credit hour semester–I just can’t say no to classes. I love to learn and go to school, and so I end up taking more than I actually need to graduated. The semester next year is–Plant Physiology, Soil Nutrient Availability, Residential Design, Plant Pathology, Urban Forestry and Yoga. I only need the first two classes to graduate, but I’m excited for the rest.

Joe and I went down to the U to visit the Physical Therapy Department. Very informative, and makes me feel better about admittance. It’s more like a job application than a school application in a lot of ways. It would be fun to go there–be close to family. We’ll see next year–I’m just hoping to get in somewhere right now. Though I really like the career my husband has chosen.

Tonight we had a delicious dinner. We are currently in need of going to the grocery store, so we had to improvise a little. We had pork chops and potatoes, which were cooked in the normal method (foreman and microwave). Then I had the beautiful idea to use some of the chokecherry syrup from my grandparents for the pork chops. I tried just a little–and found it to be the best pork chop I had ever eaten. A new recipe was created worthy of wins in cooking contests with only two ingredients: pork chop slowly grilled with a light coating of chokecherry syrup.

And now for your viewing delight are three random pictures. I hope you will now all desire madly to make my mom’s chocolate cookies (my mom’s can beat anyone’s. This batch was even made with whole wheat flour and still was the best cookie in the world.)

So, two weeks ago Joe and I were talking about his work. He did not like his work and wanted to be done with it. Knowing the state of our finances, and the state of Joe I agreed with him. He quit.

I started looking casually for jobs during his last weeks of work. He applied for one I found. Then Joe’s job ended. He spent one free day not working, and that night a guy called saying he had a job for him.

So Joe went less than a day without a job. I think we were blessed. And this job should be TONS better than his last one–he will be working with mentally disabled folks. Reminds me of the play/movie–if anyone can give me the name I would appreciate it–about a caregiver and a house of men he supervised. Doesn’t make as much, but it can actually be fun work.

Money is not worth hating a large portion of life. I always think you should have more than money motivating you to work. At my job, I learn tons, get to help people occasionally (except I felt bad today. I was supposed to go to a man’s house to help him with his trees but wrote down his address wrong and flaked out on him), and mostly enjoy what I’m doing. It’s not all about the money.

I just took the easiest midterm ever. I’m taking this class for general ed. requirement. The professor gave us 5 quizzes, told us the answers, and put the exact questions on the test. I didn’t even have to read the question all the way when I took the test.

Normally, I actually think it makes sense for teaches to require a lot out of their students. Otherwise they don’t learn a thing. But maybe they should also keep in mind the purpose of their class. For this class, I am taking it because I have to, and the university thinks I should have a well balanced education. I actually learn a lot by going to class and paying attention. But I’m glad I really don’t have to worry about the grade. I learn as much as I want to, and because it is something I really don’t need in my career, I am fine with it.

Also, how much do tests actually show what a student has learned? Essays make more sense, even skills tests, but multiple choice tests often measure how well you do on a multiple choice test, not how much you have learned in a class.

It snowed today. Combine that with the fact that it snowed several inches on May 1st, Logan has less than half a year without snow. The only snow is good for is sledding and snowshoeing, otherwise I could do with moderate temperatures year-round. At least more than half the year. But really, in someways it is fun. Joe and I went running this morning, and he turned around to wait for me to catch up (because I’m slow), and I noticed he had snow on his jacket that said ‘Snow’ on it (from Snow College). It was funny. And it isn’t as cold when it snows.

The first frost came two nights ago. I was out checking my strawberry patch, and noticed all the tomatoes, peppers and squash in one night turned from healthy plants to shriveled, blackish dead things. I had a lot of questions in the Extension office worried about the frost. It was nice we didn’t have too early a frost, since up here it was very cold up through the first part of June.

I also cooked a bundle for lunch–ham chowder, zucchini bread, berry smoothies (with free berries from the research farm), watermelon (from the garden), and brownies. We invited several friends over to share in my cooking spree. I’ve been wanting to cook all that for a while, and today I finally had time. Wasn’t fun in the fact I just barely got done with all the dishes. It was worth it though–I’m just not going to do it everyday. And consider disposable dishes next time.

 I am the busiest I have even been. I would never suggest to anyone to take 18 credit hours, work two jobs, and have family, friends, house and church too. Luckily it is all fitting in–but I don’t feel like I’m doing as well as I can at anything. For instance, I was at a Master Gardener meeting at work yesterday and the master gardeners were talking about how they really don’t have a lot of volunteer opportunities. I am sitting there thinking of things that have come up that they might have been able to do (and remembering one, past it off on someone), but most I had let slip by because I simply didn’t have time to check up on them. I keep thinking of how I really need to go over the numbers for my strawberry project, but it just hasn’t happened yet. And I studied a grand total of one hour for my genetics test, but somehow still managed to get an A on it.

I am just glad that I have the talent to go to school, not study a lot, and still learn tons and get good grades. I’m glad I also have bosses who aren’t barking at me to get things done, and let me do it on my own time. I’m also grateful for a husband who cooks breakfast, and helps clean, (and who is generally just wonderful). But with all I”m doing, I don’t think I would quit a thing. I doubt I will have these opportunities again, and I love working at everything. I am learning a lot, and still having lots of good times.

I made salsa last night. I was drowning in peppers we’ve grown out in the garden (along with cucumbers and squash that I’ve been giving away as much as I could). Yet I’ve only been able to harvest one tomato. One. That is sad–but I know enough about gardening I can blame it entirely on the weather. I’m still hoping.

My mom sent me a few tomatoes, and I bough a few more (they are cheap right now, even if I can’t grow any) plus some onions and garlic. I got out the food processor and made tons cups of homemade salsa, with help from Joe. I cut up a jalapeno and put it in, and later had a small cut on my finger and licked it. Advice for the day–jalapeno peppers are hot and make everything they contact with hot. My mouth and lips were burning. Milk took away the mouth, but the lips kept burning and burning. It eventually went away–but most of the jalapeno peppers were not used. Neither Joe and I like too spicy stuff anyway.

Later that night, Joe went to take his contacts out and discovered that even after hand washing, the japeno hotness remained. His eyes were bloodshot for a while, and he lost a pair of contacts due to persistent jalapeno juice.

Joe and I were wondering what made peppers hot, thinking it was some sort of acid. I’ve looked it up and it’s actually the opposite. Here’s an explanation, “Capsaicin is an extremely powerful and stable alkaloid produced as a crystal by glands at the junction of the pepper’s placenta and pod walls, according to Dave DeWitt, known as the “Pope of Pepper” and publisher of Fiery Foods & BBQ magazine. The chemical is found only in chili peppers.”

I read too much. Since last Saturday I’ve read three books, and that’s with school and work going on. I’m horrible at putting away a book while I’m in the middle of it–I put off everything else and go and finish it. 

I think because I like reading so much, I also like to go to the library. I was there Tuesday night, and looked at a book, and though, “Heather had that book and it looked good. Maybe I should read it.” I checked it out brought it home, and started to look through it a bit and realized I had already read it. Guess I wasn’t paying too much attention.

So the last book I read was King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. This is the third in a pretty good series. I think Turner likes to leave the reader wondering what in the world is going on until the very end. I’ve found myself wading through the beginning of the book, thinking this book’s okay, and then getting to the end thinking–wow that was amazing. King of Attolia was a little more straightforward then the first two, but still had the same feel.