Every week I try to visit my Grandma, my dad's mom. She lives alone now, though her kids check up on her regularly. With six children, she gets called multiple times every day and each of her offspring has "their day" to call her.
Last year, in August, I began going over to my grandma's house regularly. I came up with a project. She has hundreds of recipes from friends, her family, and from old magazines. I offered to type them all up in one cookbook. She would have written all of them down in one large cookbook herself, but she began to lose her sight about 15 years ago. I take this time to visit with her, help her out around the house, and type up her many delicious recepies.
My grandma was born in her parents' farm house in 1930. Her older brother went to war when she was a teenager and she had to take over helping her father with the farm. She tells me all kinds of stories of her youth, from living on the farm, to moving to the city into an apartment with a couple friends. She tells me about the guys she dated before she met grandpa, and then stories from when she was with grandpa. One thing I remember is that the town she lived in was so small, the surrounding communities were all interwoven into a large family web. She would have to go home after meeting a guy and ask her mom if she was related to this new guy. If her mother said she was, then that was pretty much the last she saw of him.
I love history as a subject in school, so I lap up any stories she gives me about going out dancing with grandpa on Friday and Saturday nights, about visiting her lovely relatives, and about her life on the farm. I enjoy hearing stories about my dad and his siblings when they were children, and stories of my cousins and myself as children. Most of our generation has grown to adulthood, now, so I find these stories humorous and precious.
Last Christmas, I presented most of the family with a copy of the "work in progress" cookbook. Everyone was extremely surprised and very grateful. I supplied the work and grandma supplied the money to publish my work into 1" binders. Most of the time, these days, I end up doing more visiting than typing. I lament my lack of work, but grandma tells me that its ok, because it is our project, and nobody else has to know if I typed or not this week.
I love visiting her because things slow down as soon as I pull into her driveway. I can enjoy a few hours just relaxing with her, talking as she crochets her dish scrubbies. We bake cookies sometimes, or I help her make dinner. Even as a little girl, I loved helping my grandma in the kitchen. She would tell me how much to measure, and I would feel important as the finished product came off of the stove or out of the oven.
I am hoping to really get into gear with this cookbook so I can publish another "edition" this Christmas. Everyone was so happy to recieve copies of grandma's favorite recepies, they started requesting others that they remember and love.
I have my work cut out for me, that's for sure. It is just so hard to focus when I am enjoying the company of such an amazing woman.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Essence of Gus
I think I'll share a little bit about my dog.
His name is Gustopher, Gus for short. He is a labradoodle and is the almost perfect dog.
I say "almost perfect" because his one downfall is running. He loves to run. Gus will slip out the front door and just leave from 20 minutes to 3 hours. We don't even try to keep up. We once looked out the back window and saw him chasing deer across a golf course. Yes, I said deer. Not rabbits or squirrels. That dog can RUN.
When he is on the leash or inside the house, though, he is the sweetest, most obedient and attentive animal I have ever owned. He will play with you when you are feeling like roughousing, nap with you when you feel tired, and will even hold a conversation with you if you are lonely.
He is a regular chatterbox. Instead of roughly barking all the time, he slurs his barks together with growls and can even anunciate "Want one." My dad taught him that 3 years ago and it is his favorite trick to perform. Gus is particularly talkative in the mornings, when he wants food and to go outstide. If you ask him "What?" he'll ramble on for a few dog-sentences before waiting for a response. I feel like my dad taught him to lecture me.
For other dogs, socializing can be a problem. Some dogs get very protective when they encounter new people, some don't get along whatsoever with another canine. Gus is extremely friendly. He loves meeting new people and going to the local dog park to sniff a few butts. Company is what this dog craves. Many dogs will gorge themselves on food or will hoard all their toys, but my Gus just can't get enough attention.
I am not one for sappy emotions, usually, but when I walk in the front door and that dog is there to greet me by butting his head into my legs every time, my heart melts a little.
His name is Gustopher, Gus for short. He is a labradoodle and is the almost perfect dog.
I say "almost perfect" because his one downfall is running. He loves to run. Gus will slip out the front door and just leave from 20 minutes to 3 hours. We don't even try to keep up. We once looked out the back window and saw him chasing deer across a golf course. Yes, I said deer. Not rabbits or squirrels. That dog can RUN.
When he is on the leash or inside the house, though, he is the sweetest, most obedient and attentive animal I have ever owned. He will play with you when you are feeling like roughousing, nap with you when you feel tired, and will even hold a conversation with you if you are lonely.
He is a regular chatterbox. Instead of roughly barking all the time, he slurs his barks together with growls and can even anunciate "Want one." My dad taught him that 3 years ago and it is his favorite trick to perform. Gus is particularly talkative in the mornings, when he wants food and to go outstide. If you ask him "What?" he'll ramble on for a few dog-sentences before waiting for a response. I feel like my dad taught him to lecture me.
For other dogs, socializing can be a problem. Some dogs get very protective when they encounter new people, some don't get along whatsoever with another canine. Gus is extremely friendly. He loves meeting new people and going to the local dog park to sniff a few butts. Company is what this dog craves. Many dogs will gorge themselves on food or will hoard all their toys, but my Gus just can't get enough attention.
I am not one for sappy emotions, usually, but when I walk in the front door and that dog is there to greet me by butting his head into my legs every time, my heart melts a little.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Money Issues
I have decided that, if I am to move out someday, I need to save money. I realized, as I was driving home from school today, there are so many easy ways to spend money nowadays, that I have to consciously restrain myself from picking up something cheap to eat when I am out and about. There is food in the pantry that is cheaper and is perfectly available to me. When I pick up a magazine and they have a featured article titles something sensational like "10 EASY WAYS YOU CAN SAVE $1,000!" I am always disappointed because I find myself already turning off the lights when I leave a room, shutting off the sink while I brush my teeth, and shopping at thrift stores and only buying sale items (with the exception of an already moderately-priced pair of really cute shoes). I don't go on a beach vacation every year and I turn my thermostat up 7 degrees from the normal comfort zone in the summer, and down 7 degrees in the winter. I want to read some miracle way to make me a millionare without giving up everything that constitutes a comfortable, civilized life. 20 thousand extra would be helpful in paying off future college debts.
I have a goal: to graduate college without accumulating any debt. I have the first 2 years knocked out. I am on the A+ plan. For those of you who do not have this wonderful program, I will explain it. If you do well in highschool, do not skip class, and do some 50 hours of volunteer tutoring by the time you graduate, the program will pay for 2 years of community college tuition. Some state universities have scholarships in place for A+ recipients that don't want to go to community college, but this is mainly a state-funded program to get good kids to go to school.
All I have to worry about right now is the next 2 years of college. I am planning on going to a state university, getting into their honors college, and working my way through so I don't end up paying off thousands of dollars in my own debt when I am sending my future kids to college. This seems pretty far-fetched when you see the numbers for a public state university, not to even mention private universities. For University of Missouri, St. Louis, 15 credit hours plus parking as a Missouri resident (not including books or other course-specific fees) is $4,585.68, or $10,380.18 for a nonresident. For the University of Georgia, tuition and fees for a resident is $9,472 and a non-resident is $27,682. University of California, Los Angeles, per year of school, resident, $12,686, non-resident, $35, 564. The price of an education is ridiculous. Of course, you can't expect to be much better than a fast food chain worker or possibly a floor salesperson at a department store unless you have gone to college. This is why I am trying to get involved in as many honors activities as possible. Universities notice this and take it into account with your grades when you apply for scholarships and honors programs with cash stipends. Hopefully I make it. Hopefully I go to the university and they give me loads of money because they see my good grades and test scores and programs I worked in. It is just about all I can do.
Sources:
UMSL: http://www.umsl.edu/services/cashiers/fee_sch.htm
UGA: https://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/tuition-and-costs-of-attending.html
UCLA: http://www.umsl.edu/services/cashiers/fee_sch.htm
I have a goal: to graduate college without accumulating any debt. I have the first 2 years knocked out. I am on the A+ plan. For those of you who do not have this wonderful program, I will explain it. If you do well in highschool, do not skip class, and do some 50 hours of volunteer tutoring by the time you graduate, the program will pay for 2 years of community college tuition. Some state universities have scholarships in place for A+ recipients that don't want to go to community college, but this is mainly a state-funded program to get good kids to go to school.
All I have to worry about right now is the next 2 years of college. I am planning on going to a state university, getting into their honors college, and working my way through so I don't end up paying off thousands of dollars in my own debt when I am sending my future kids to college. This seems pretty far-fetched when you see the numbers for a public state university, not to even mention private universities. For University of Missouri, St. Louis, 15 credit hours plus parking as a Missouri resident (not including books or other course-specific fees) is $4,585.68, or $10,380.18 for a nonresident. For the University of Georgia, tuition and fees for a resident is $9,472 and a non-resident is $27,682. University of California, Los Angeles, per year of school, resident, $12,686, non-resident, $35, 564. The price of an education is ridiculous. Of course, you can't expect to be much better than a fast food chain worker or possibly a floor salesperson at a department store unless you have gone to college. This is why I am trying to get involved in as many honors activities as possible. Universities notice this and take it into account with your grades when you apply for scholarships and honors programs with cash stipends. Hopefully I make it. Hopefully I go to the university and they give me loads of money because they see my good grades and test scores and programs I worked in. It is just about all I can do.
Sources:
UMSL: http://www.umsl.edu/services/cashiers/fee_sch.htm
UGA: https://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/tuition-and-costs-of-attending.html
UCLA: http://www.umsl.edu/services/cashiers/fee_sch.htm
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
In the beginning...
I am a girl living in the US, hoping to graduate from college with something notable, land a better than mediocre job, and live with a fair amount of happiness. This blog will describe my daily adventures in attaining these goals; the speedbumps, potholes, and major road construction involved in my journey. Thank you for joining me, and wish me luck!
As of right now, I go to community college, work part time at a city-run arts center, have a long-term boyfriend, and live at home with my dad and younger brother. I actually have an appointment today with the director of human resources at my work, hoping to learn about benefits. My plan right now is to graduate from community college with as many honors things as I can muster, go on to a nearby university, earn a useful degree and take over my boss's job when she retires. Here's the first speed bump: her retirement date is 8 years off. That is a lot of time for someone to stay part-time with no benefits.
Second speed bump: I listened to my dad. He said I should wax my very bushy eyebrows (that I got from him!) so I look more feminine. For once, I listened to this remark and headed out. The place I normally go was closed for remodeling. I drove around the city, hoping for another place to pop up, and I found one. I walked in, put my name down, and laid back in the chair, bracing for some pain.
I walked out with eyebrows that were 1/10 the size they were orignially. I stared in my rearview mirror for a couple minutes and decided that I hated the look and would never listen to my dad about doing my eyebrows again. I look like a human-alien mixed breed.
I called up my boyfriend, almost hysterical, and he said, "Now what did I tell you about listening to your dad? ...Don't." I half-laughed and sent him a picture. He told me that both hair and self-esteem grow back, and it'll be ok. He is wonderful.
So I am a girl wanting to go through college, get a better than mediocre job, and live my life with a fair amount of happiness. Will I be able to conduct a normal meeting with HR? Will I be able to will my eyebrows to grow back, as bushy as ever, and never have them done again? Will I get that wax out that the lady left in my eyebrows and is uncomfortably plastering them into shape?
As of right now, I go to community college, work part time at a city-run arts center, have a long-term boyfriend, and live at home with my dad and younger brother. I actually have an appointment today with the director of human resources at my work, hoping to learn about benefits. My plan right now is to graduate from community college with as many honors things as I can muster, go on to a nearby university, earn a useful degree and take over my boss's job when she retires. Here's the first speed bump: her retirement date is 8 years off. That is a lot of time for someone to stay part-time with no benefits.
Second speed bump: I listened to my dad. He said I should wax my very bushy eyebrows (that I got from him!) so I look more feminine. For once, I listened to this remark and headed out. The place I normally go was closed for remodeling. I drove around the city, hoping for another place to pop up, and I found one. I walked in, put my name down, and laid back in the chair, bracing for some pain.
I walked out with eyebrows that were 1/10 the size they were orignially. I stared in my rearview mirror for a couple minutes and decided that I hated the look and would never listen to my dad about doing my eyebrows again. I look like a human-alien mixed breed.
I called up my boyfriend, almost hysterical, and he said, "Now what did I tell you about listening to your dad? ...Don't." I half-laughed and sent him a picture. He told me that both hair and self-esteem grow back, and it'll be ok. He is wonderful.
So I am a girl wanting to go through college, get a better than mediocre job, and live my life with a fair amount of happiness. Will I be able to conduct a normal meeting with HR? Will I be able to will my eyebrows to grow back, as bushy as ever, and never have them done again? Will I get that wax out that the lady left in my eyebrows and is uncomfortably plastering them into shape?
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