Burning Water

Last night I decided to cook some frozen black eyed peas I'd bought over the weekend, so I read the instructions and put some water on to boil. Now, this was the first time I'd used the stove in this apartment, and I don't know that George has at all. It started smoking a little, but I didn't worry about it, figuring it to be "stove schmutz" in the drip pan or something, so I went into the next room. George smelled it, though, and exclaimed, "Something's burning!" Gee, my first burned water! ;-) The peas came out fine.

I fixed oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon for breakfast this morning, the Quaker Oats in the cylindar box and not the instant (added sodium, which I'm trying to stay away from). (I had to add the goodies myself.) It was the first non-rice breakfast I'd had in many months, and it was a nice change of pace. Afterward, I fired up the dishwasher for the first time. (George has used it since we moved in, but I haven't needed it!) I had to find the Cascade!Funny how all of this feels so new.

Well, off to work!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Would Buy....

I subscribed to a weekly meme called 10 on Tuesday, and this week's meme theme:

10 Things I'd Buy if I Had a Million Dollars
(in no particular order)

New car with GPS navigation system
Digital SLR camera
Apple computer (laptop?)
Windows computer as well
Round-the-world plane tix for George and me
Local house, with room for a stocked home gym and library
Vacation home on a lake in the mountains
Sessions with a foreign language teacher (not sure what language yet)
Sax, flute, oboe, or guitar lessons
New wardrobe


Okay, so what would YOU buy with a million dollars?

More Signs of Domesticity

Okay, so I actually cooked "ahead" tonight, figuring out how to use Rice Cooker #1, a Cuisinart 4-Cup Rice Cooker. I put brown rice in, and later microwaved some broccoli to add to the rice. It felt pretty good to get that squared away, but it feels pretty basic too. I know I'll be sprucing things up pretty soon, but it's a start, right?

George had some comments to make, mostly about how rice should be steamed. It came up a couple of times, so I finally had to remind him not to rain on my rice cooker parade!

Grocery Shopping and the Kitchen

Although my last day at the Rice House is tomorrow, I decided to go ahead and go grocery shopping for the week ahead. It was an interesting experience, going up and down each aisle, thinking about nutrition, labels (both nutrition and brand name), portions, and even kitchen organization. I tried to do a little weeding out in our kitchen before we left, but when George and I got home from grocery shopping together, when had some more reorganizing to do. We started with the refrigerator and pantry, but we were both getting tired and a little hungry (and cranky), so we stopped. The kitchen IS better organized, but it's a work in progress, for sure. I feel like I'm finally making the kitchen mine, but in reality, George and I are sharing it. We moved in together last June, and I'm finally sinking my teeth into the kitchen. In all honesty, it's both exciting and stressful, everything like leaving comfort of the Rice House. It's also like when we moved in together last summer, both exciting and stressful then too.

I shopped at Food Lion (which was convenient) tonight, but I'm interested in shopping around for best prices and products in time.

End of an Era

Well, after nearly a year and a half of going to the Rice House, part of the Rice Diet Program, for my meals, medical check-in, and some classes, I'll be finishing up there this coming Monday. I'm both excited and a little nervous about venturing out on my own in healthier eating. I have yet to cook a real meal in my current apartment, which George and I moved into in June 2007. I've been collecting some cookbooks and recipes, even a couple of rice cookers (both given as gifts). I've learned so much on the Rice Diet, so I'll miss a lot about the facility, mostly the staff, and some people I met there. I'm looking forward to getting some flexibility back into my schedule, though! I've been going in every morning for breakfast before work, taking my lunch with me (very handy!), and going back for dinner before I could go home for the evening.

I've lost over 100 lbs. on the Rice Diet, but I'm not at goal weight yet. I'm thinking about joining Weight Watchers to stay accountable and get ideas from meetings.

Oh, the Weather Outside Isn't Frightful!

While George and I were at church for a class, it finally started snowing this afternoon. These pictures were taken from the balcony of our apartment, after it had been snowing a couple of hours. The latest prediction is for 1-2 inches, not much at all, but we need all the precipitation we can get! Plus, it's pretty to watch. :) George picked up some wood on the way home, so we're looking forward to a fire this evening!

George's Grandmom

Yesterday I had the honor of attending George's grandmother's funeral. She was one tough lady, and was 87 when she died on Sunday, after having a stroke Friday night. It was the first Jewish funeral I've attended, and while I didn't understand the Hebrew in the service, it was still a meaningful service. All four of the children, plus Papa, gave eulogies, then we went to the Hebrew Cemetery for the graveside service. There were some things that George, his dad, and his brothers couldn't do at the cemetery, because they're Cohains. For instance, they had to stay on the paved road in the cemetery, and they couldn't participate in the ritual of putting dirt on the casket. I did the dirt in George's place, which was very somber and sobering. George missed being able to participate in that part of the service, especially since he doesn't pratice Judiaism anymore, but he didn't want to upset his family.

I remember Bubby for often saying what she thought, and for always being a good cook. She opened up her home on Christmas night last month, when Tina had invited me (with George) over for Christmas dinner because she knew I was missing my family. Tina did all the cooking and took it over to Bubby and Papa's home, and I ended up having Christmas dinner with George, one of his brothers, his parents and grandparents! The food was good, the company even better.

Last night was the first night of sitting shiva, and it was the first time I'd ever done that. The prayers were in Hebrew, so again, I couldn't understand much, but I enjoyed the sounds and cadences. I also enjoyed seeing some people I'd met at other family functions, and meeting others who were new to me. It was touching to hear stories about Bubby from both family and friends.

Getting Things Done

One of my ongoing "New Year's Resolutions" is to improve my time management and become more efficient. This morning I tried a somewhat new approach for me, getting big things done early in the day. I checked off two things on my to-do list that I was dreading first thing this morning, before I even got to work, and it's made a difference in how I looked at the day. I got a variety of things accomplished at work today, and also took care of some things over lunch, like some banking and a call to my dentist to schedule an appointment for getting my teeth cleaned and checked.

Part of my motivation for the dentist appointment is a little vanity, I must admit. I recently swapped a Sunday with someone at church, and now I'm going to be the Worship Associate on February 3, which is sooner than I'd planned! My teeth really do need a check-up (I'm embarrassed to say it's been over a year!), but it doesn't hurt to have clean teeth for a Sunday morning service. I've also made an appointment for a haircut. :-P I really like putting my best foot forward on Sundays that I'm a Worship Associate. While looking good may sound a little vain, looking my best adds to my confidence when I'm in front of the congregation. I'm not sure what my roll will be that particular Sunday, but whatever it is, I want to be as ready as possible.

Now, the hair appointment, I'm looking forward to! The hair dresser I went to last time (as a new client) gave me a great haircut--I got compliments for days! My hair is pretty low maintenance (thank goodness!), but it's time for it to look a little more polished.

It's a Tie!

A Junior League friend and fellow blogger mentioned a poll on her blog that had 11 questions about the issues to show you which presidential candidates best match your beliefs. I just took the quiz, and three candidates tied for first place on my list with 57 points: Clinton, Obama, and Chris Dodd, who's pulled out of the race already. I like the way the answers list the issues in agree/disagree columns, in addition to links to the candidates's websites. Click here to check out the poll for yourself. It'll be interesting to see how things go in the coming months!

Busy Week

I have four meetings scheduled for this week, but thank goodness one was rescheduled! Whew! Hectic week, especially on the heels of having two weeks off.

I had a surprisingly delightful visit yesterday with someone that I didn't care for previously. It was amazing to witness the transformation, to learn more about her, to find out a little of her impressions of me. It made my day, really.

Another nice thing that happened was that the person who led last night's meeting I attended had some fresh veggies out as part of the snacks. Meeting snacks are usually salty and sweet things that I can't do on the Rice Diet, so I really appreciated her efforts.

Vacation's Over

Well, it's back to work this morning. I'm curious about what's going on at work and am looking forward to gettng things done there. I've got a busy week ahead, with three nightly meetings, but it'll be fine.

Highlights of this time off have been:

*Time with George
*Time with George's family, both local and from New Zealand, Boston, and Atlanta
*Having George's brothers and cousins over to play Apples to Apples and Zombie Fluxx
*Visits to Raleigh and Clinton to do genealogy
*Running outside in the Brier Creek area with my new Garmin Forerunner , and learning how to plug the Forerunner into my computer to download my workout info
*Working on genealogy at home on Rootsweb.com
*Christmas Eve service at ERUUF

Winding Down

My two-week vacation is winding down, and while I've thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine of work and normal things. I didn't do any excursions this week, as I'd hoped. Today and yesterday were too chilly to enjoy getting out and taking pictures in the places I would've visited, and I didn't really want to go just drive around, with gas prices going up again. Good thing I'm not on a deadline, huh?

I have enjoyed working a lot on my family tree while I've been on vacation, though. Between trips to the State Library and the Clinton, NC, library last week, and a wealth of good fortune on Rootsweb this week, I've made a lot of progress, especially on my McLamb and Tart lines. One thing I've been reminded of is how important documenting sources is. Thoroughness has helped me out in other ways too. When inputting spouses of related people, I've been including parents, grandparents, etc., of spouses when provided. It's been fun to discover connections to some of those families from other sources. It's reminded me of the phrase, "What goes around, comes around." Never underestimate the power (and fun) of a sliver of information!

Still on Vacation

I'm still on vacation, and it feels guiltfully luxurious. This afternoon I did get some errands done, including getting an oil change and a new battery for my car. I'm thinking about going on one of my "field trips," but haven't decided which direction to go in. I'm thinking of heading west from Durham, but how far I get depends on how early I get started.

For newbies to my blog, I have a goal of visiting all 100 counties in North Carolina and documenting my travels with pictures and posts on this blog. Although I've been across the state before, I decided to start fresh with this pet project. I've dubbed it the North Carolina Odyssey Project, and I've got 5 counties under my belt.

I just had a thought--maybe down the line I'll include some videos too. I don't have a video camera, but I think the digital camera I'm using (George's) has a video feature! Hmmmm.

Happy New Year!

George and I had a fun time bringing in the New Year with his family in Cary last night. (Relatives from New Zealand and Boston were also in town.) His mom had lobster for everyone, but set aside some fish cooked healthfully for me. Afterward, several of us played a game called Apples to Apples, that's a lot of fun. Every round, someone is the judge, and the judge picks an adjective from the card pile. The rest of the players, each with seven cards in hand, put down a card with a noun that goes with that adjective. To get points, the judge has to pick your noun card out of the group as the best. The judging is a bit subjective, so it helps to know the other players, as everyone takes turns being a judge. Sometimes you don't have any good matches in your hand, so you have to go with something random; sometimes going in the opposite direction makes it funny and wins you the point. This was a fun time last night, as various family members came by the table to watch or visit and laugh with us while we played, anc a couple of people even joined in on occasion.

This afternoon, George's brothers and cousins came over, and we played Zombie Fluxx, followed by another round of Apples to Apples. Fluxx is a card game where the rules change throughout the game, based on cards played by the different players. I'd played before, but never the Zombie version!

The Joy of Christmas Cards

Today I got another round of Christmas cards in the mail, and it reminded me how much I've enjoyed getting Christmas cards this season. Some of them have been newsy, and some of them have included pictures of friends and family. Some have been typed form letters, while some have been personalized letters (handwritten or typed). It's been a real treat this year.

I'm hoping that in the coming year, George and I can have a picture taken together that can be a good Christmas card picture.

Click here for a history of Christmas cards.

NC Odyssey Project: Sampson County

Today I went to Sampson County to do some genealogy research. My mom's mother, a McLamb before marriage, grew up in the town of Newton Grove. I've been to Sampson County numerous times since I started working on my family tree, and it always feels like a historical "home" whenever I drive through the county! The picture on the left is a plowed cotton field along Hwy 421. There are lots of farms in Sampson County. The picture on the right is for Spivey's Corner, home of the National Hollerin' Contest.

The county's most famous resident was William Rufus King, who was a US Representative from North Carolina, a Senator from Alabama, and the 13th Vice President of the United States! He was born in Sampson County, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1803, and practiced law for a bit in Clinton. He had a long career in Congress, and was elected VP under Franklin Pierce. He was in failing health by that time, though, and was inaugurated in Cuba, where he's gone for health reasons. He eventually returned to his Alabama home, where he died, and was buried in Selma, Alabama, where I grew up.

I enjoyed working in the J.C.Holliday Library in Clinton this afternoon, in the North Carolina Local History Room.

Sampson County is the second largest in the state in terms of square mileage behing Robeson County. One of its most unique town names is Turkey. While driving through the county heading northwest toward home, I passed the Coharie Tribal Center on Hwy 421. I wished I stopped and taken a picture.

NC Odyssey Project: Johnston County

Today I was heading to Sampson County to do some genealogy research, so I decided to follow the brown NC Historic Site signs for the Bentonville Battlefield, and play tourist. Well, it turns out that this place is in Johnston County instead! Bonus county today! I'd planned to visit the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield for my Johnston County adventure, but historical things are great too.

I was glad to find the Bentonville Battlefield open today, unlike the Battle of Alamace site earlier this week.

There's a pretty good visitor center there, and this display, with lights AND sound, showed how the battle played out between Johnston's troops and Sheman's men in the Civil War.

This is a cemetery of some of the soldiers who died from battle wounds,

This house, owned by a Harper family, became a Union hospital.

Smithfield is the county seat of Johnston County. In addition to being the home of Ava Gardner, it has an outlet mall I stopped by last summer on the way home from a McLamb reunion.

One of my childhood memories of summer travel is of going through Johnston County on our way to Atlantic Beach, NC. Early on, I remember seeing the signs for Selma (the one in Johnston County), and wondering if we were close to home, as my family lived in Selma, Alabama! After traveling in the car for 630 miles from Selma to Selma, I'm sure I was wishing for my own bed! Of course, getting to the beach was always worth it!

As My Birthday Month Draws to a Close

Your Birth Month is December

You love life and exude an outgoing, cheerful vibe. Blessed with a great sense of humor, you can laugh at adversity. Your soul reflects: Celebration, success, and wealth Your gemstone: Blue Topaz Your flower: Narcissus Your colors: Indigo, green, and blue-green

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

An Afternoon in the Library

This afternoon I spent several hours working on my family tree in the State Library on Jones Street in Raleigh. They have a whole room devoted to the Genealogy Collection, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This was the first time I've taken a laptop with me to do genealogical research, and it helped a lot. I used to make lots of copies or write things down until my fingers hurt, and enter things on my desktop when I got home. (They have a couple of tables reserved for laptop users, with power outlets in the floor.) It also helped to be able to look up people on my genealogy program immediately, rather than wonder if I had them in the system. They've expanded the room where the Genealogy Collection is located since the last time I was there, and it's laid out much better now.

I can't wait to return, and to check out the North Carolina State Archives again too. I've transcribed some old wills there--a very neat thing to see the handwritten wills of my ancestors!

NC Odyssey Project: Alamance County

Since I'm off work today, I joined George for lunch at his work today. He works at a company called Kidde, which is part of United Technologies, and his office is in Mebane, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and visit another county in my North Carolina Odyssey Project.

Mebane is in Alamance County, North Carolina, and is just west of the center of the state, between Durham and Greensboro. Burlington is the largest city in Alamance County, but Graham is the county seat.

Alamance County is the home of Elon University, a regional school that was called Elon College when I moved to the area. I'd intended to take a few shots of Elon to include here, but I got sidetracked! I took the exit before Elon to stroll down Memory Lane at on outlet mall I used to go to called BMOC (Burlington Manufacturers Outlet Center). Apparently, it's changed hands, though, and is now called Burlington Outlet Village. I was a little disappointed by the selection of stores--it made me wonder if I missed some of them! I certainly remembered being impressed by the area some years ago. I did stop in a FinishLine outlet store, but a customer who came in after me let me know one of the tires on the passenger side of my car was looking low. Yikes! I may have stayed longer and gotten into the shopping groove, but I decided to search out a place to get my tire looked at, since I was 30-40 minutes from home.

I found myself at Burlington Honda, and they said it would be about an hour before they could look at my tire. *sigh* I was glad to have made it there safely, though! One of the men there pointed out that my inspection was going to run out at the end of this month, so I decided to go ahead and have it taken care of there. They couldn't find a leak in my tire, so I'll just have to keep an eye on it. At least I got the inspection done, and they were friendly. I did pick up a pamphlet about the 2008 Honda Accords, as one of my 2008 New Year Resolutions is to start saving for a new car.

I decided to head toward home at the point, but I really wanted to do something touristy. I'd seen signs for the Alamance Battleground on my way down the interstate, so I decided to follow the signs and check it out. I enjoyed driving through rural Alamance County south of Burlington (about 6 miles out), but when I got there, it was closed! Rats! I did get to drive through the rural town of Alamance, though, and it was kinda neat.

Before I left the county, I stopped at a Sheetz station for some really cheap gas!!

One of the things I'd like to do when I return to Alamance County is visit some of the wineries on the Haw River Wine Trail. Having gas prices like this ($2.79 9/10) might help. ;-)