Welcome back, Kotter...ahem...Kimm

First, I must say thanks Drew, for welcoming me back into the blogging world.  I'll be copying (somewhat) your latest blog post.  


I guess you could call this my Christmas letter... or maybe just an update of my life in the past year, since it's been about that long since I blogged.  

☼☼My Top 10 of 2010☼☼

1.  I went to Hawaii in November with my sister Ginni, and my parents.  

We started in Kaua'i and then went to Maui.  I spent 2 1/2 weeks there and it was paradise.  Literally.  I don't know if anyone else feels this way after going there, but I feel like I left a piece of my heart there.  Whenever I go back, it feels like I am home.  I love the people there - they are so friendly, kind, and loving.  The food is wonderful - it's amazing to have tropical fruit for EVERY MEAL!  We frequented the local farmer's markets and got some great produce, which we took back to our condo and cooked.  We had delicious meals every night.  Oh!  The saimin was amazing!!!  Saimin, which is originally Japanese, I think, is a brothy soup with ramen-type noodles (but better), chunks of chicken, beef, or pork, egg slices, sometimes cabbage, and little wonton dumplings.  I seriously salivate every time I think of it.  There are too many pictures to post here of my trip.  So if you want to see pics, check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2201569&id=193304870&l=1fdcc8ccc9

2.  I moved into my own apartment in September.  

It's mine, all mine!  Ok, not really, but I live by myself, which I LOVE.  It is in Cottonwood Heights, which is a little bit northeast of Sandy.  It takes a bit longer to get to work which I HATE, but oh well.  

Bedroom

Dining area

Tiny kitchen

Dining/living room

3. I went to Disneyland for the very first time.

Oh. my. gosh.  I finally understand what all those people were talking about with the "magic of Disney".  I probably sound super cheesy, but it was such a magical place for me.  I felt like a little kid, experiencing for the first time.  I went with two friends: Rebekah and Dawn, and we had a WONDERFUL time!

4. I learned to love rock climbing.

One of my church leaders had been pestering me to go rock climbing for several years, and this summer I finally went and I love it!  It's a rush to climb up a wall face and not know where you are going to put your hands and feet.  My super-grippy 5 fingers shoes helped me get up that rock in no time at all!

Climbing at Dogwood

5.  I spent time with all the members of my immediate family for the first time in a long time.

With a brother (+kids) in Boston area, parents in Washington, and other busy siblings (+kids), we don't get together as a whole family very often.  This summer my parents sprung for a cabin at Bear River (somewhere in Utah).  The cabin was wonderful and fit us all.  We had a surprise party for my parents, took a family picture, went ATVing, swam, fished, watched movies, and ate a killer dutch oven meal.  It was wonderful to be together again.

6. I've had fun decorating my apartment - I've learned that I can be somewhat crafty if I put my mind to it. 

Moving to a new place that is all my own has been a fun adventure.  I've never considered myself a decorator by any means, (and I still don't) but I wanted to make my new place something I enjoy coming home to and in which I feel comfortable having people over.  I've come up with some decorating ideas, especially for the holidays, that have been really cool.

A holiday message.

An old typewriter that really works.  I change out the paper every so often for something holiday themed.

Lights and snowflakes hang from my ceiling. 

The wreath I made with ornaments and snowflakes.

My table centerpiece.

7. I cut my hair really short.

This may not seem like anything noteworthy, and I'll tell the truth, I'm having a hard time coming up with enough things to make 10, but this is something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  It's been cool having a fun hairstyle that I can do a lot with.  It looks different every day!  (I'm thinking about putting some little pink chunks in it next.  ☻ )

8. I went through the temple in January.

For those of you, who are LDS, you know what this means.  I had been waiting a long time to receive my endowments and it was a wonderful day.  My sister was my escort, my parents came down from Washington, and my sister-in-law and grandpa were able to attend as well.  I've enjoyed going back again and again this past year. If you are not LDS (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), then here's some background information.  Mormon temples are sacred places of worship.  When an individual is deemed worthy (by an ecclesiastical leader), they are able to participate in sacred ceremonies including Baptism for the Dead, Endowments, Sealings, and Eternal Marriages.  There's a lot more information about it here at Mormon.org.

Jordan River Temple (Utah)

9. I swam with sea turtles and dolphins!

While in Hawaii, we did a lot of snorkeling.  We went to a place on the north shore of Kaua'i called Tunnels, which is known for having a lot of interesting fish and TURTLES!  We weren't disappointed.  I swam right along with several turtles.  Then, on Maui, we read about La Perouse Bay, which is on the southernmost tip.  It is known for its clarity, fish life, and DOLPHINS!  The guidebook said that spinner dolphins sometimes come there around 7 am and circle around in the bay.  So we got up super early one morning, drove to the spot and waited for the dolphins to come.  They didn't disappoint and were jumping out of the water!  We grabbed our stuff and swam out to get a closer look.  We had been warned to stay about 10 feet away and to swim in the same direction, on the side of them.  Several were rather curious and one came up right next to me - I could have reached out and touched it.  Interestingly enough, we went back there another day to watch for dolphins, and they never showed up.  How lucky I got to see them the first time!

Spinner dolphins

10. I dressed up in a lot of interesting costumes this year.

Ok, this last one is grasping at straws, but for anyone who knows me knows I love to dress up in crazy costumes. Here are a few from this year.

New winter pj's!

New sock monkey pj's!

Dressing up as Waldo for character day at school.

Halloween 2010 - Rubix cube

Dressing up for Witches' Night Out

Here's hoping 2011 is as great as 2010!!!

Just a fun picture to leave you with - from "Water Kickball" activity this year.

Yum Yum Yum!

So I found this Green Chile Tabasco Sauce and it's amazing (thanks Ginni)! Not too hot (not nearly as hot as regular Tabasco) and so I wanted to make Mexican food so I'd have an excuse to use it! I made some tasty "fresh" tacos. I didn't use an exact recipe - I'm more of a "dump and taste" kind of girl.

Taco base: 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 onion, chopped, 1 cup of brown rice, and one can of chili beans. I cooked the turkey and onion together and then added the rest. I added chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, a little oregano, and cumin. I like adding rice and beans to my meat so that it goes further and it sticks to your ribs a little more.

Toppings: queso fresco (white Mexican crumbly cheese - you can buy it at walmart), cilantro, tomatoes, avocados, lowfat sour cream, spinach (instead of lettuce - it was all I had), salsa, and my favorite - green pepper tabasco.

I put all of this in some pan fried (without any oil) corn tortillas. Oh my gosh was it tasty!!! Very fresh tasting and I love the queso fresco because it gives it a different flavor than normal. Try it! It' awesome!

I forgot...

I kind of forgot I had a blog...right....so I need to be better about blogging. Sometimes Facebook is just easier. But I'll try to make an effort. So here's a few thoughts from the last few weeks - perhaps a little randomesque, but who cares?

Fall is here and it's wonderful. I love seeing the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees. It makes me sad to see the piles of leaves on the grass and streets. It's like saying goodbye to old friends...and grumpily greeting winter's bare trees.

I got the swine flu. It wasn't fun (but when is the flu ever fun?)... I had a fever for 2 days, but 0% energy for 2 weeks. I'm barely starting to come out of it. Blech. Darn kids, breathing on me all the time!

I'm going to see Imogen Heap tomorrow in concert. Should be pretty good...I hope. I spent the last concert being pushed around and standing behind some really tall people. Why can't they all stand in the back? I need some Spice Girl platform shoes.

Summer

Summer makes me so happy! I've been super busy so far with the winding down of school and trying to prepare for the next new year. I love teaching year-round, except during the months of June and July -- all the other teachers are off and living it up, but I still have school. I've got a week and a half of school left, and it's a whirlwind of testing, report cards, checkouts and moving classrooms. I'll be in a portable next year (blech) but there are a few advantages -- more privacy than my middle room, ability to come in when I want/stay as late as I need to ...and that is about all. Anyway, so last day of school is July 2. I have two blissful weeks and then meetings start and school begins the 27th of July.

Here are some things that I'm excited for about summer:

-freedom! (at least for two weeks)
-swimming (I bought a pool pass to all of the SL county pools, so if you wanna go, let me know!)
-Lagoon (season pass!!!)
-gardening
-getting tan
-two rafting trips in Moab
-Harry Potter 6 movie!
-sleeping in...at least until 8
-riding my bike

Makin' Cupcakes

Tonight for Enrichment we made cupcakes a la Bakerella (see her whole site here and look here for directions for this project). There were a ton of people who came and it was really fun. I saw lots of cute cupcakes.
So first, you bake a red velvet cake and then crumble it up. Mix frosting with the cake and make a ton of balls. Dip the balls in chocolate candy cups (melted chocolate poured in a mold) and freeze to harden. Dip into colored melted candy and then decorate!
After I finished that, I had to make some samples for school tomorrow. We are making Valentine's bags so I wanted them to see what they could do. I like how they turned out!

I love Valentine's day! It's one of my favorite holidays - not for the romantic aspects (I've never actually had a boyfriend during the holiday) but for the ability to express my love to my friends. So if you're reading this, you're probably my friend. Therefore, I LOVE YOU!!!

I love pink and red too! I always do something for my roommates - in the past I've made cinnamon rolls with pink frosting, but this year it's waffles with pink coconut syrup. Yummo!!!

Merry Christmas!

This picture is from my amazing trip to the Mediterranean I took in November. This is me on a wall outside the Parthenon, overlooking Athens.

Some things I am grateful for this year:

• The opportunity to travel. Because I teach year-round school, I go off track for a 3 week vacation every 2 months. I have been able to visit my parents several times in Washington - May, July, August, and December. I love to come to the Pacific Northwest - it's so beautiful and peaceful here. I also went on a 12-day cruise that was so cool!

• My family. We were able to go camping all together (at least the Utah bunch) in June, and then we all went to Oregon for a week in August. We went to the beach, then to Silver Falls Park, where we stayed in cabins for a few days. My grandma Esther died during this time, so my sister and I stayed for her funeral and then drove home together.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love learning more and more about Jesus Christ by reading the scriptures. It is amazing to me that I can read the Book of Mormon and the Bible again and again and gain new insights and remember old ones. I am grateful for Christ's sacrifice for me and for the opportunity to repent and improve my life every day.

• My friends. In my single's ward, I've been able to meet some WONDERFUL people. They've enriched my life, and made it a lot more fun!

I'm looking forward to another great year!!!

Freakin' Tagged

The Rules:
Link the person(s) who tagged you.
Mention the rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Quirk #1:
I watch Saturday Morning cartoons.
Ok, actually I don't watch the cartoons anymore, but I do really enjoy waking up early and catching an episode of Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, or the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. These shows are not educational, sophisticated, or even discussion-worthy. But they are funny and they make me laugh. What can I say? I enjoy them!

Quirk #2:
I want to learn hip hop dancing.
Sans some of the scandalous moves, I think hip hop is the coolest form of dance. I love the strong beat of the music and want to be able to move like that. But when it comes to dance, I am so white and super uncoordinated.

Quirk #3:
The Last Unicorn still gives me the heebie jeebies.
It was my favorite movie as a kid, but it scared me big time. That red bull...oooh, that was trippy. I watched it about a year ago...yeah, still scary.

Quirk #4:
I love processed cheese slices.
I consider myself a pretty good judge when it comes to food. I feel like I can tell the difference between crap and good quality. I know my stuff. However, I can't shake this addiction. Those cheese slices were a four letter word in my household growing up. I bought my first package when I went to college, and it was all downhill from there. I LOVE THEM!!!!! I try to only buy them now once in a great while...and they are usually gone in a matter of days.

Quirk #5:
I hate showering.
BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I DO IT ANYWAY ON A REGULAR BASIS! I hate the time that it takes to get ready and do all the stuff I have to do before I can leave the house. Some people really enjoy showering; it wakes them up, refreshes them, blah blah blah. I hate it. If I never had to shower (and I could always be clean) again in my life, I'd totally do it. However, to make it more bearable, I put on music really loud and practice my hip hop moves. ;)

Quirk #6:
I want to skydive. Desperately.
I don't know what it is about willingly jumping out of a perfectly good plane and free falling to earth in a few minutes that sounds appealing to me, but I can't wait to do it. I'm just looking for someone to do it with me and savin' up my money. Wanna go?

I tag: Mindy and Ben

Moving

I'm moving...somewhere. I'm trying to find a place to live. I'd like to find someplace still in my ward, that isn't too pricey. I'm looking at living with 2-3 other girls. So, I thought I'd get started on my packing. I have a deep secret - I LOVE TO PACK! As my roommates know, I start packing for trips at least a week before departure. I get some odd pleasure from trying to fit a heap of items into a small suitcase. Trying to arrange things so that I can fit small items into crevices, filling every last inch of a suitcase makes me a little giddy. Ok, enough of that. So I started packing, thinking that I'd be moving within a week or so. I got all of my stuff out of the living room, packed all of my books, and half of my closet. Plans have changed (a potential roommate changed her mind) and so I can't move for a little while. All of the sudden, I need all these things that I've packed. Today I really wanted to wear scarf that I haven't worn in 6 months and so naturally it is at the bottom of a big black trash bag, along with other random stuff from my closet. Yesterday, I had a crazy desire to look at my high school yearbook (you know why Mindy) and guess what? It's packed. Who knows what I'll need tomorrow?

Tribute to the Title

Stuff I Love

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Photography - especially black and white, cooking, reading, watching movies, drawing, ceramics, typewriters, playing with my nieces and nephews, clean sheets, new crayons, ice water, quality artwork, reading in bed, shiny quarters, birds chirping, freshly mown grass, flowers poking out of the ground, holding a sleeping child, kids in their pajamas, COLORS, bright paint, and deep gut laughs. Oh yeah, and hippies. Gotta love 'em!

Tag...Some Either Hate 'em or Like 'em

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Some random person my parents knew I think
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
yesterday when the trainer at the gym KICKED MY TRASH
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes, very much
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?
Black Forest Ham
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No, someday!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Pretty much I'm amazing, so of course!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not a ton
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes and proud of it!
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No, but I desperately want to sky dive!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Frosted Mini Wheats: Maple and Brown Sugar
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nope
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I guess so
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ben and Jerry's Phish Food - chocolate, caramel, marshmallow creme, and little chocolate fishies
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
shoes
15. RED OR PINK?
pink
16. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE LEAST ABOUT YOURSELF?
That my feet get all cracky in the summer - yuck!
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My cat Sprinkles from when I was 4. Just kidding, my parents, who live in WA.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
nah
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
denim and bare feet
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Never-ending shrimp at Red Lobster (it was heaven!!!)
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
David Bowie and Queen ("under pressure..."
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Macaroni and Cheese
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lavender, gasoline, paint, clean laundry, rain on the sidewalk, Strawberries and Champagne from Victoria's Secret
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Sabrina Garbett
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
yep, my sister-in-law, Rachel
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
gymnastics (on tv), baseball (live)
27. HAIR COLOR?
bottle blonde (he he)
28. EYE COLOR?
blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yep, I'm blind without them
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
ice cream!!! (It fills the cracks, right Mindy?)
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
What About Bob?
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
teal blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
ice cream with lots of chocolate and caramel
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
doesn't matter
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
doesn't matter
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD
Spongebob, he he
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
What Not To Wear
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Food sizzling
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Venice, Italy
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Writing with my toes, being double jointed
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Enid, Oklahoma

What I've Been Doing Since January

Ok, that's too far reaching. New title: What I've Been Doing This Last Month. Much easier to write about. School started July 28. I was a little nervous to start a new year, as usual, but it has gone quite well. My new class started with 17 students, and has gone up to 20, which is where I hope it stays. After ending the year with 28 last year, 20 is a nice small class. So, I was teaching for 3 weeks, and then went off track. Ahhh, I love year-round school! I went to Oregon/Washington for about 2 weeks for a family reunion. My sister-in-law Rachel took some amazing photos (I barely even used my camera while I was there...) so I'm giving her the credit for these.


This is the river that is at the bottom of my parent's property - the Washougal River. It is nice to skip stones on. They live in the most beautiful place on Earth...my personal opinion.

My very favorite thrift store - Buffalo Exchange - I went twice while I was in Oregon. They've got punk, retro, preppy, and then the just weird stuff. I spent way too much, but I got some cool stuff. I always like going there because the sales people wear the most BIZARRE getups. It's awesome.

My uncle Neldon (or Melton as we sometimes call him) has the coolest home ever. I always remember playing there when we'd visit on family vacations. It's only gotten better since there. He's got a zipline swing, a merry-go-round swing (that swings you high and wide), a little carousel made out of wood and pipe, a tree house, train whistle, comfy hammock, an old barn perfect for exploring, and then this cool train made out of water barrels, pulled by the tractor. Even the adults love it!

I tried to convice my dirty nephews to get clean by offering to take a bath in the jacuzzi tub with them. It was fun!


We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a sampling of their wonderful cheese (my favorite is the Special Reserve Aged White Cheddar - yum!) and to-die-for ice cream.


Then we headed to the beach. It was a little cold (it had rained all day) but I was DETERMINED to swim in the ocean. So I did. Once my skin was numb, it wasn't too bad! ;) I tried body surfing, but it didn't work too well. So I just wave jumped with my nephew and brother. I didn't want to leave, but we had to get to our campsite.


We went camping at Silver Falls in Oregon. I'd never been there, but it's beautiful! We hiked all around and behind the upper and lower falls. It was great! We stayed in little cabins and then congregated for meals. We had a talent show too - my idea. I got the idea from Dan In Real Life and I thought my family should do that too. I showed how I could write with my toes, my sister took requests for drawing with her eyes closed, my parents read some funny stories, Clint (my nephew) showed what a master he is at guitar hero on his DS, and we had some other great acts/talents. I think I'm going to insist that that be a tradition for all our future family reunions.

After we were done camping, we had to hit the Portland Saturday Market on our way back. It's a treasure trove of junk and cool stuff. Lots of good food, crazy people, hippies, punks, and trinkets. I got a pair of earrings this time. Normally, I look for this sock shop that has knee-high socks with crazy bright patterns on them, but I couldn't find it this time.

All in all, my trip was a great one, especially because I got to be with my siblings, their kids, and my parents. Good times.

What is ART?

So here's the age old question...What is art? I had this discussion at my school recently when a rep from the Springville Art Museum came to train us on some ways to teach art to students. She asked, "What is considered art?" She held up several objects, like a dollar bill, a water bottle, and a replica of a terracotta warrior from China. She gave us a scale from 1-10 to rate these objects on, 1 being the most indicative of art , 10 being the least (or purely function). I think this was an interesting discussion because our views differed so much. A dollar bill is used for the function of buying things, right? But if it's only purpose was functionality, then it could be a simple piece of paper with an amount printed on it. So why are there people, designs, even colors on the bills if it is not also art? With a water bottle, yes, it is for drinking water. But are the curves of the bottle simply for ergonomic comfort or do they have a certain artistic element to them as well? What about a replica of a warrior? Is that art, or a token for remembrance? Even the real terracotta warriors - are they art because they are old and have been dug out of the ground and are displayed in museums? Their function was not to be artistic, they were guarding the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s glorious tomb. Yet to many, they could be considered as art.

Even within the "art world" there is debate: are Jackson Pollock's flung paint and Andy Warhol's soup cans art? Compared to the masterpieces such as Michaelangelo's David (which is probably the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen in my whole life) Van Gogh's Starry Night, Degas' The Dance Class, Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and Monet's Water Lilies, how can it be art? Yet it is, somehow. Wikipedia defines art as "Generally art is a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas."

So is everything art? If it is, then does the value of art diminish? Big questions for which I have no answers. But I did find a fun quiz to check whether something is art or not. Check it out: http://www.modestypanel.com/artorcrap/#

Hiatus

I've been thinking about some things in my life that I feel passionately about. One is cooking. It's not just food for me - it's creating something that looks and tastes good. It's taking raw ingredients and combining them to make something pleasing to the eye and the palate. It's hearing that "Wow! This is great!" and tasting that first burst of flavor. I don't really know when I started to feel this way. I've grown up around cooking and cookbooks. My mom has been writing and publishing her own cookbooks since 1984. She's tested recipes and made many a patty for our family to try. But I don't think my romance with cooking necessarily came from her. I know that the summer that I reluctantly agreed to stay home and test recipes for her cookbook opened my eyes to the art of creating with food. But from there it just blossomed... For Christmas one year my sister-in-law gave me what has become one of my favorite presents - the New Best Recipe cookbooks. It is a the dictionary of cookbooks - including wonderful recipes, it's got diagrams, explanations, and lots of interesting cooking facts. This Christmas my collection grew larger with the International Best Recipe book from my other sister-in-law. I can't wait to make the dishes from other countries.

I desperately wish that I could have gone to cooking school. I ache to be formally trained in the art of cooking. Maybe I will someday... I still need to learn to make macaroni and cheese. (The only time I tried it, it tasted like flour.)

Biting the Bullet

So I've finally done it. After much cajoling, I have decided make my private and somewhat boring (in my opinion) thoughts public to all the world. I wanted to share a mishmash of ideas - recipes, books, music, movies, frustrations, travels, photos, laments, and anecdotes. So, to those who have the time and desire to sort through the pastiche of different ideas and content, kudos to you. Enjoy.

(By the way, a pastiche is a hodgepodge of ideas without a rigid source or guiding standard; a combination of different things.)