Hi Friends!
Sorry it has been so long since I last updated - a lot has been going on... so read on to find out what's new with us!
Sunday Oct. 28 - I wrecked my car on the 5 coming home from work. Amazingly, given that I did a 360 in traffic, I hit no other cars and no one hit me. The back door to the Liberty was damaged because I hit the cement divider backwards, but other than that you would never know what had happened.
Tues. Oct. 30 - My last day of work at Mistral. I was sad to be done, but it puts us one step closer to our move.
Wed. Oct 31 - Halloween!! Gabe and I carved a great looking pumpkin! Burr and I headed down to San Diego to have dinner with our friend Torrey Smitherman who was in town from Alabama for a conference. We had a great time and saw some very impressive Halloween costumes.
Thurs. Nov. 1 - We (FINALLY) found out what our travel dates for Japan will be. Burr will leave on Nov.29. I will leave on Jan. 17. The military flight did not have any space available for Gabe and Penny Lane until the January flight, and Burr's squadron needed him before mid-January. It's sad that we'll be apart for six weeks and Christmas, but there are some perks to Burr getting there first and getting things set up and going before the pets and I arrive.
Sun. Nov. 4 - We flew to Nashville, TN and Caroline picked us up at the airport. We spent a fun night at her house and she treated us to a great home-made soup.
Mon. Nov. 5 - Burr, Caroline, and I went to Bowling Green to visit Grandmother. First we stopped in at Jackson's Orchard to pick up apple cider and fresh apples to use for applesauce. We went on to Chalybeate and spent a great afternoon with Grandmother. The visit was even better because we got to visit with Aunt Jenny and Aunt Chickie. Caroline and I prepared a meal for Grandmother (quite a role reversal) and our applesauce was fantastic!
Tues. Nov. 6 - Most of the day was spent with Burr and me hanging out at Caroline's, but in the evening we got together with Kristi Vick-Stratton and went out for a great dinner with Caroline and Andy then on to Borders for books, etc.
Wed. Nov 7 - Burr and I headed down to Birmingham and spent a great day with Anita and her family.
Thurs. Nov. 8 - Our trip took a very unexpected turn when we arrived at Burr's grandmother's (Peggy) house and found her unconcious. She was rushed to the Emergency Room and later in the day passed away.
Fri. Nov. 9 - Was spent at Peggy's making arrangements for her service. In the morning, I was able to have a meeting with Dr. Richardson (I was in his voice studio at Samford) and reunite with some SU friends. Various members of Burr's family arrived in town throughout the day and all were trying to come to terms with the events of the day before. Peggy was very special to Burr, Katie, and Fred. Her prescence will be greatly missed.
Sat. Nov. 10 - Peggy was laid to rest beside her husband at the Elmwood Cemetary in Birmingham. The family regrouped at Rick and Terri Ferguson's house after the service, and in the evening the McKraneys (spelling?) invited everyone to their home for a BBQ dinner.
Yesterday, Sunday, my mom and I returned to Tallahassee, FL where I will stay with her through the rest of the week. Burr remained in B-ham and will go to Park City, UT to see his mom and family there today. We will both return to California on Sunday and will be there until Burr leaves for Japan.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this tumultuous time in our lives.
Grace and Peace,
Rachel
Monday, November 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
No Worries!
Hi friends,
Just wanted to update you on the wildfire situation. Yes, the fires are out of control in San Diego county; no, (thank goodness) we haven't been negatively affected by them. I was told not to go down to Solana Beach for work on Monday and Tuesday (I don't work again until Sunday), because of the evacuation orders in the area and the fact that NO ONE would be out shopping for SOAP in the middle of a natural disaster! So I've had the last two days at home cleaning, straightening and preparing for the next month.
Burr has had to go to work everyday, but Monday he got to come home early and yesterday he didn't have to be there until noon. Today he will have normal hours. Let me assure you that he has been in no danger from the fires on Camp Pendleton. Yes, there are fires there, but No he has not had to fight them or be in their path! ALL IS WELL!!
Gabe is a bit confused about why I've been home the last two days and we haven't played outside any. How do you explain to a dog that the air quality is so bad that going outside for exercise would be counter-productive? Not to mention, every time we DO go outside, we come back in smelling like a campfire!
Hope all is well with you. Please keep the victims of this fire in your prayers. We know several families who have lost their homes.
grace and peace,
rmf
Just wanted to update you on the wildfire situation. Yes, the fires are out of control in San Diego county; no, (thank goodness) we haven't been negatively affected by them. I was told not to go down to Solana Beach for work on Monday and Tuesday (I don't work again until Sunday), because of the evacuation orders in the area and the fact that NO ONE would be out shopping for SOAP in the middle of a natural disaster! So I've had the last two days at home cleaning, straightening and preparing for the next month.
Burr has had to go to work everyday, but Monday he got to come home early and yesterday he didn't have to be there until noon. Today he will have normal hours. Let me assure you that he has been in no danger from the fires on Camp Pendleton. Yes, there are fires there, but No he has not had to fight them or be in their path! ALL IS WELL!!
Gabe is a bit confused about why I've been home the last two days and we haven't played outside any. How do you explain to a dog that the air quality is so bad that going outside for exercise would be counter-productive? Not to mention, every time we DO go outside, we come back in smelling like a campfire!
Hope all is well with you. Please keep the victims of this fire in your prayers. We know several families who have lost their homes.
grace and peace,
rmf
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Entertaining secrets...
Well, not really secrets, just what I did when Linda and Robert came to town last weekend.
By the way, we had a fantastic visit! They arrived on Friday night and we headed out to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott on the Bay. We had dinner at The Del, and it made for a wonderful evening. On Saturday, we took it easy at the hotel until check-out, then headed over to Miramar for the annual Air Show. We saw a huge demonstration by the helicopters, a Harrier jet, the Red Baron bi-planes, and the Air Force Thunderbirds performed! That night when we got back to the apt, we feasted upon appetizers and a delicious risotto (recipes to follow). On Sunday we had a brunch at the house, then went out for Fish and Chips in Carlsbad. That evening we went up to San Juan Capistrano for dinner with Linda's cousins from Ohio. Monday meant that I had to go back to work, but Burr was able to take the day off and continue to play host. The crew came down to Solana Beach for lunch and shopping, then went to the airport for their return flight to Park City. It was an incredible weekend.
As per Linda's request, here are the recipes for my hummus and Ina Garten's Butternut squash risotto.
Hummus:
2 cans of chickpeas, drained
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
dash of hot sauce
2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
olive oil
Puree all ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of food processor. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until hummus is desired consistency. Serve with pita chips, feta, olives, veggies... whatever!
Butternut Squash Risotto
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 oz. pancetta, diced (this is an Italian cured bacon; if you can't find it, regular bacon is fine)
1/2 cup minced shallots
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.
By the way, we had a fantastic visit! They arrived on Friday night and we headed out to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott on the Bay. We had dinner at The Del, and it made for a wonderful evening. On Saturday, we took it easy at the hotel until check-out, then headed over to Miramar for the annual Air Show. We saw a huge demonstration by the helicopters, a Harrier jet, the Red Baron bi-planes, and the Air Force Thunderbirds performed! That night when we got back to the apt, we feasted upon appetizers and a delicious risotto (recipes to follow). On Sunday we had a brunch at the house, then went out for Fish and Chips in Carlsbad. That evening we went up to San Juan Capistrano for dinner with Linda's cousins from Ohio. Monday meant that I had to go back to work, but Burr was able to take the day off and continue to play host. The crew came down to Solana Beach for lunch and shopping, then went to the airport for their return flight to Park City. It was an incredible weekend.
As per Linda's request, here are the recipes for my hummus and Ina Garten's Butternut squash risotto.
Hummus:
2 cans of chickpeas, drained
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
dash of hot sauce
2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
olive oil
Puree all ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of food processor. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until hummus is desired consistency. Serve with pita chips, feta, olives, veggies... whatever!
Butternut Squash Risotto
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 oz. pancetta, diced (this is an Italian cured bacon; if you can't find it, regular bacon is fine)
1/2 cup minced shallots
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I Met A Celebrity!! (sort of)
Well, I definitely met her... I guess it's just up in the air on how many of you would consider her a celebrity! Amy Finley, winner of The Next Food Network Star, came into my store, Mistral, about two Sundays ago! I recognized her right off the bat and tried not to act like a goof. I told her how excited my husband and I were that she won, and that we were looking forward to seeing her new show, The Gourmet Next Door. She was very nice and down to earth, just like she comes off on TV. Her show premiered on Food Network this past Sunday at 1 eastern/noon central. It was good... and her food looked great!
Hope that all is well with you. We have been busy the last few weeks. Two weekends ago we went camping in Cleveland National Forest, Burr finished his flights last week (he is now a qualified co-pilot), and this past weekend Linda and Robert came down. Stay tuned for more pictures and details from their visit.
We still don't know when we're headed overseas, but we're hoping that it will be in late November, after Thanksgiving. I promise to let you know as soon as we know!
Grace and peace,
rmf
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Milkshakes and Pedicures!
If you're going to be alone on your birthday, there really isn't a better way to spend it. Work called Burr to El Centro, CA last week for some very intensive night flights, and I got to celebrate my birthday independently.
I'm very good about not spoiling surprises, so I had lots of cards and a few packages to open throughout the day. Gabe and Penny Lane kept me company, and after my pedicure, Gabe took me for a walk on the beach. I received beautiful roses from Burr, a pretty floral arrangement from the Derings, and Caroline hooked me up with a great bottle of white wine. Here are a few pictures from the big day.
I'm very good about not spoiling surprises, so I had lots of cards and a few packages to open throughout the day. Gabe and Penny Lane kept me company, and after my pedicure, Gabe took me for a walk on the beach. I received beautiful roses from Burr, a pretty floral arrangement from the Derings, and Caroline hooked me up with a great bottle of white wine. Here are a few pictures from the big day.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Update!
Well! It's been a while! Over the last two weeks, my friend Rebekah has come all the way from Atlanta, GA to visit, I have gotten to fly in an airplane that Burr was piloting, I have gotten onto Facebook, Gabe's bloodwork came back (he does NOT have rabies), one friend has already moved to Okinawa, I have led a music therapy session, and the University of Alabama has had it's first loss of the season. Whew!
It was wonderful having Rebekah out here for a few days. She actually got to go flying with us and it was FANTASTIC! Burr did such a good job preparing for the flight and really took responsibility for everything that was going on. I can also credit Rebekah with putting me on Facebook. She decided that it would be the best way for me to keep up connections with my college friends and others. And I must say, it's fantastic! I'm a little bit addicted to it - checking in throughout the day to see if anyone has left a message or made a friend request. It's also fun to read people's profiles to see what they have been up to since we last saw one another. So a HUGE thanks to Rebekah for getting me caught up with the times!
Last Saturday, after the Alabama/Arkansas game (which 'Bama won), Burr, Rebekah, and I decided that Fish and Chips by the beach would be the perfect way to celebrate. We headed out, all jazzed about the fried food and beer we were about to inhale, drove down to Carlsbad, and... the restaurant was closed. No Kidding! It was only 8:30 at night - and a Saturday at that! We settled for Thai food (which was awesome, just not what we'd wanted) and sheepishly put Rebekah on the plane the next day having never treated her to a local culinary indulgence. Burr and I still had grease on the brain, however, and set out on a quest Sunday night to find another fish and chips restaurant. We found one. Not ten minutes from our house in Oceanside Harbor. And it had been open the night before when we were searching. Ah the irony... Rebekah probably got the better deal because although she wanted the treat, she never got to indulge. But we did! And eighty pounds later, we felt bad for enjoying it without her, but strangely satisfied in a grease coma way...
Let's see... what else? I felt so honored to be asked to fill in for one of the local music therapists in a session last week. I got to work with geriatric patients in a skilled nursing facility for an hour on Friday afternoon and it was great to be interacting with clients again. The facility staff was great too - really taking an active role in the session by interacting with me, playing the instruments, and assisting the residents in their participation. I get to sub for the group again this Friday and am already working on my session plan. It's easy to go into groups like that and just play the same familiar songs over and over, but the challenge is to present the music in a new way. Perhaps in the context of a game, or memory activity - but of course keeping it accessible to the levels of functioning of the group. I think that if an MT can go into a session without developing a session plan and wracking his/her brain with new ideas for purposeful interaction that he/she might not be working hard enough. But that's just me...
My birthday is Wednesday. But don't feel like you have to rush out buy me something... no, no, cash gifts are always acceptable! Just kidding...
That's all I know for now. We are still waiting for Penny Lane's bloodwork to come back, then we can contact Japan about importing our pets. I'll keep you updated on how that goes... And keep checking back for pictures. I have some more of seals at La Jolla to put up (courtesy of Rebekah), as well as flying pictures, and last Sunday at Oceanside Harbor.
All the best,
rmf
It was wonderful having Rebekah out here for a few days. She actually got to go flying with us and it was FANTASTIC! Burr did such a good job preparing for the flight and really took responsibility for everything that was going on. I can also credit Rebekah with putting me on Facebook. She decided that it would be the best way for me to keep up connections with my college friends and others. And I must say, it's fantastic! I'm a little bit addicted to it - checking in throughout the day to see if anyone has left a message or made a friend request. It's also fun to read people's profiles to see what they have been up to since we last saw one another. So a HUGE thanks to Rebekah for getting me caught up with the times!
Last Saturday, after the Alabama/Arkansas game (which 'Bama won), Burr, Rebekah, and I decided that Fish and Chips by the beach would be the perfect way to celebrate. We headed out, all jazzed about the fried food and beer we were about to inhale, drove down to Carlsbad, and... the restaurant was closed. No Kidding! It was only 8:30 at night - and a Saturday at that! We settled for Thai food (which was awesome, just not what we'd wanted) and sheepishly put Rebekah on the plane the next day having never treated her to a local culinary indulgence. Burr and I still had grease on the brain, however, and set out on a quest Sunday night to find another fish and chips restaurant. We found one. Not ten minutes from our house in Oceanside Harbor. And it had been open the night before when we were searching. Ah the irony... Rebekah probably got the better deal because although she wanted the treat, she never got to indulge. But we did! And eighty pounds later, we felt bad for enjoying it without her, but strangely satisfied in a grease coma way...
Let's see... what else? I felt so honored to be asked to fill in for one of the local music therapists in a session last week. I got to work with geriatric patients in a skilled nursing facility for an hour on Friday afternoon and it was great to be interacting with clients again. The facility staff was great too - really taking an active role in the session by interacting with me, playing the instruments, and assisting the residents in their participation. I get to sub for the group again this Friday and am already working on my session plan. It's easy to go into groups like that and just play the same familiar songs over and over, but the challenge is to present the music in a new way. Perhaps in the context of a game, or memory activity - but of course keeping it accessible to the levels of functioning of the group. I think that if an MT can go into a session without developing a session plan and wracking his/her brain with new ideas for purposeful interaction that he/she might not be working hard enough. But that's just me...
My birthday is Wednesday. But don't feel like you have to rush out buy me something... no, no, cash gifts are always acceptable! Just kidding...
That's all I know for now. We are still waiting for Penny Lane's bloodwork to come back, then we can contact Japan about importing our pets. I'll keep you updated on how that goes... And keep checking back for pictures. I have some more of seals at La Jolla to put up (courtesy of Rebekah), as well as flying pictures, and last Sunday at Oceanside Harbor.
All the best,
rmf
Sunday, September 16, 2007
If I Left the Zoo...
Three weeks ago, Burr and I headed down to the famous San Diego Zoo. Here is some of what we saw.
Mac vs. PC
We are moving to Japan. You all know this. I feel that in addition to new (full-size) sheets, a lamp or two, and maybe a rug, I would like a new laptop (with built in wi-fi, webcam, etc). I know a lot of you are now using Mac computers and others are using PC's. Care to weigh in on the pros and cons of each? All I know is that I will never buy another Dell!
Keep checking in... I have pictures coming of the adventures of the last few weeks!
rmf
Keep checking in... I have pictures coming of the adventures of the last few weeks!
rmf
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