Bizarre Changes on my Horizon

In the next few weeks I’m hoping to unload a few things on ebay & craigslist…

1.  End-Note (a program to help you write papers).

2. A brand new (really big) tent –sleeps 8 & you can stand up in it

3. An older camera

4. Rosetta Stone Computer software for Greek (not Ancient, that was the problem).

5.  A herd of my DVD’s.

6. Most of my textbooks which I paid about $900 from last year when I was in Seminary full-time.

I’m hoping to make myself about $500 buck-a-roos.  Why, you say?  Great question.

I can only answer that question one way… (okay fine, two ways)

I am finally growing up.

I’m ready to invest in my kitchen.  I’d really like to get a really great blender, a good quality coffee maker, one of those big griddle things & a few other tools that will help me be a better cook.  (Also, I’m hoping to save enough to get some zillion braids) 🙂

It’s really bizarre -I mean, super bizarre- for me to want to…

1. Have our kitchen be clean. Like, um, every day.

2.  Cook everyday & have all the things I actually need to do so.

3.  Prepare fruits and vegtables every day in a way that everyone actually likes.

4.  Plan out meals for the week & then shop weekly for just the things I need.

5.  Eventually, I’d like to grow some of our own fruits, veggies & spices.  This, however is a 2011-2012 goal.  I can’t even wrap my brain around keeping something else alive besides my children this year.

6.  This may go without saying, but the idea that I’d actually spend my own money on kitchen stuff as opposed to clothes, or shoes, or handbags or my hair is bizarre in and of itself.  Frankly, some of my close friends response could reasonably be: “Who are you & what on earth have you done with Grace?”

Now, #4, may take a small miracle but it’s worth a shot, eh?  Truth is,  all of these are worth a shot, but so very different from our lives and how weve been living at a break neck speed for so long.  I’m truly your typical messy, unorganized, slightly irresponsible last born who has never been into to cooking, cleaning or eating healthy.

But, in large part thanks to the good influence of my friends targetshopper & Sidewalk Theologian (who posts a blog every Tue. about how to eat healthier) I’ve been really trying to do better for me and my family in the last 6 months, especially surrounding food.

To take baby steps I’m doing a few things all ready…

1. Striving for Five veggie or fruit portions a day and trying to get Ransom and Dave to do the same.

2. Beginning my kitchen investment program in small ways.  For example, today I bought two small but important essentials.  Would you believe me if I told you we’ve only ever had one very small incompetent cutting board?

3. I spent the majority of our grocery budget on fresh things and am committed to trying to eat ‘as close to the ground,’ as possible.

4.  Targetshopper got me hooked on this stuff:

It’s so good with a little bit of butter & blueberry syrup.  Apparently, to hear Targetshopper tell it, it’s the “healthiest food on the planet.”

Well, I’m off to strive!  Tonight, Ransom is going to help me make a big fruit salad & home-made whole wheat blueberry muffins made with flaxseed.

5.  For the last year or so, I’ve been trying to cook with the Simply in Season Cookbook, which encourages you to cook what is fresh/in season and that which you can get locally.  At some point, Dave & I will join up with one of those local farmer things.  It seemed so overwhelming a few years ago… but now I’m ready! 🙂

It was a lot of fun today taking the kids with me to Meijer.  We were there from Noon until 4pm, with a mid-shop nursing session, a bathroom break, a snack break and lots of drama –but we did it!

After every long shopping trip, little Sailors should get a treat…