Monday, December 10, 2012

Of Recently

It's been nearly 2 months since I updated my blog!
Time sure fly's when your busy! (and when you're having fun! ;)
So whats new with me?
Well, not much really. 
I've still been doing a bit of cooking/baking :)


FUDGE
It's just that time of year.
As of recently, I tried a recipe I found for Microwave Fudge.
 
What can I say? I wanted a quick dessert!

The Recipe(from allrecipes):
Ingredients
Directions
  1. Grease a 9x9 inch dish.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Pour milk over mixture and place butter in bowl. Do not mix. Microwave until butter is melted, 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and stir vigorously until smooth. Pour into prepared dish.
  3. Chill in freezer 10 minutes before cutting into squares

It tasted good, although it was a little too thin... it would make a good thick frosting for brownies!
I found a different microwave fudge recipe that looks more promising. Maybe I'll try that one next! ;)




THANKSGIVING
We had thanksgiving at my Aunts house!
Yay for family gatherings!
We had quite the feast!  :)
And a great evening of "Wedding movies"!
Two of my cousins got married this past year, so we decided to watch the recording of the weddings with the fam!! It was great- what a special thanksgiving!
After dinner, I went home with extended fam so we could do a little Black Friday shopping!
My cousin and I had some great catching up time! We stayed up till close to midnight, then she, my aunt and I headed out to shop! By the time we got back... yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaawwwwwwnnnnnn!
Friday mid-morning we made sweedish pancakes (see below).
 
After breakfast, I ended up spending the day with them.  We had so much fun including: played settlers, went out for coffee and hung out until a parade in the evening. That was one COLD parade!




FONDUE
The first week of December, my friend Katie and I hosted a Fondue party for the girls from our church.
I prepared the cheese sauce.
Katie shared the idea of adding grape juice to the sauce! MMM!
The white grape juice gave cheese sauce a great flavor!
And for that matter, everything was delicious!
We had chocolate sauce, marshmallow sauce, white punch, and food galore!
Between games, dinner, Christmas lights, visiting, and a gift exchange, it was a wonderful afternoon!
I'm so thankful for Katie's efforts to organize this with me, and for all the guests/mom who helped out!


So there you have it: a sum up of some events from the past couple months.
The remainder of this month promises to be busy, busy, busy!

But it's ok, I like it that way! :)

Keep warm!

Sinceramente,
ISA

Monday, October 15, 2012

Re: Photog Challenge

Hello my friends,

This blog has, once again, reached a stand-still in the photography challenge.
This may be attributed to the fact that I'm currently feeling tired/xP, and that mostly every day has been a busy one.  Business and creativity don't seem to get along well.
I hope to return to posting pictures very soon.
Until then,

Buenas tardes!

y Vaya con Dios!

Tuyo fielmente,

~~
ISA

Friday, October 12, 2012

Happy Re-union

Today was a special day.

We welcomed family members back home after a long trip!

As a warm welcome home, my sister wanted to bake pie.

We settled on pumkin bread :)

 

 
 
Shortly after arrival, they shared the food they had brought home.
Among this food was:
 
Cider!
Fresh/sweet cider.
This jug 'o juice traveled hundreds of miles to get here! :)

It's good to be back together.
Praise the Lord for safe travels and protection.

Good evening, all!

Buenas noches.

Y ahora, el fin de semana ha empezado!!

~~
ISA

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Shadows

It's time again for: Photography Challenge of The Day!!

Today's picture is symbolic.
The challenge for today was "Silhouette".
My subject was a fast food drink cup.
After drinking mountain dew AND dr. pepper (in addition to my morning coffee), I would call myself one very-caffinated girl.
Believe me, if you saw me/heard me yacking my head off earlier, you would agree.
Anyways, my thought process behind today's picture is this:
The silhouette of the drink cup is like the shadow of a person we may become if we go buzzerk on our intake of fast food/junk food.
Or maybe... (this is an epiphany just coming to me now)... in the same way, the silhouette is like the shallow shadow of a person we might become if we let God's word become the minor part of what we feed our minds/souls with, and all the other meaningless junk of this world be our meat/bread/substance. 
Something to think about!
__________________________________
Day 15: << Silhouette >>
 
 
~~
ISA

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

*Blink*

Today's challenge was "eyes".
Aren't you so thankful for eyes??
Think of all the stuff we wouldn't be able to see if we didn't have eyes!
And think of how different our faces would look without eyes!
Scary!!
Of course... if we didn't have eyes... we wouldn't be able to see our faces anyways!
Alrighty, moving right along.
After much begging, I finally convinced a friendly shark from a local aquatic habitat to pose for today's challenge. (see picture below)
Isn't he great?!
Shout out to my sharkey friend: Thanks dude!!!
__________________________________
Day 14: << Eyes >>
 
 
~~
ISA 

Simple Foods

We've been making lots of basic food of late.
Basic meaning: no dairy products (including cream sauces, butter, cheese, etc), no corn products (including corn syrup, corn starch, etc), no gluten (including wheat, etc.)...

Anyways,
Tonight was Zucchini and Chicken!!

It's really easy!
 
Zucchini:
Slice zucchini.
Fry it with salt, pepper, and oil. 
 
 
  Chicken:
Defrost.
Fry it with garlic, ginger, salt, and oil.
 

That's all there is too it!
Pretty simple, huh?

Buenas noches, seguidores fieles!

~~
ISA

Monday, October 8, 2012

Un Amigo

This weekend, I found myself a new friend!
 
 
Adrian is a tough little cookie, a fiesty fellow!
You'd have to be to survive that sloshy drive home... ;) jk.
And now, my little friend is all settled in.
YAY!
                                             
- - - - - - - - - - ><>
 
Bienvenidos a la familia, Adrian!
 
~~
ISA
 

Myself & 13 Things

Hello folks!
Happy Monday!
Another week has begun!

The weather seems much colder!
Especially early in the morning... it's frigid!
Brr!

Today's challenge was interesting.
The word "thing" is so broad, there was a lot to choose from.
I settled on fine-point sharpie markers.
It was difficult to fit/balance them all in one hand, but it worked out in the end.
See below:
____________________________________
Day 13: << Yourself with 13 things >>
 
 
~~
ISA

Thurz-deigh ---> Suhn-deigh

Last week certainly was a busy one for me!
Here is a sum-up of Thursday through Sunday.


Thursday
What a special day!
After a busy morning, my aunt picked me up and took me to their place.  Then we went back out to pick up my cousin, and headed over for a playdate(/hang out time) with some dear friends.
These particular friends I hadn't seen for a while. 
It was so good to take a walk, chat over coffee, catch up, and hang out.
...And get my nails clipped/filed/painted, only from THE best ;)
After hanging out, my aunt picked us so we could all meet up with my uncle for dinner at the cafe.
When we left, it was raining preeetty good!! Umbrellas YAY!
My aunt (and cuz) drove me to band practice, and then picked me up and took me home. 
I am so thankful for my aunt/uncle and family: for their love and willingness to serve/help me -and others!


Friday
It was rather non-eventful as I recall it. Which brings us to:


Saturday
We enjoyed a quiet morning on Saturday, which was really refreshing after a week of early mornings!
Close to lunch time, our friend came over to go out to coffee with us. 
After that, we ran some errands.  It was a blessing to be able to go buy stuff because, for one thing, we go through produce so quickly! And it was good to "re-stock" everything a bit.
Chinese fast food for lunch :)
We picked up a few other things/did some other stuff as well.

When we got home, we burned some calories by jumping around, and probably damaged our voices xP
And as if damaging our voices wasn't enough, we decided to damage our hair too! ;)
Don't worry.. it's only temporary!
Then we made a quick dinner (yep, my specialty, that skillet dinner stuff), ate dinner, and called it a day.


Sunday
I straightened my hair. Not something that I normally do, but woo-hoo!
Some kind friends drove me to and from church- I am grateful for their willingness to drive me!
And after that, my sis and I enjoyed a nice mostly quiet evening at home.



Well, that's a wrap!

Adios, amigos!

~~
ISA

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sunset

I hope you guys like this picture... because, I went outside (without shoes or socks) to take it, and the temperature is something like 47 degrees right now!  Of course, you could say that me going outside without shoes or socks is just a matter of my own laziness.  And I would say that you're probably right ;)

Anywho, today's picture is of a sunset:
____________________________________
Day 12: << Sunset >>



~~
ISA

 

Mee-air-coh-lace!

Miercoles.
That's spanish for "Wednesday".
 
It's been a busy week!
Hard to believe another week is about to begin!
 
Wednesday was one of my busiest days this week.
A full morning, with volunteering in the afternoon and a fancy dinner with friends in the evening!
 
The plan was to have an Indian dinner, including indian attire. :)
 
I got home later than I had planned, but the girls did some prep before I got home and when I finally got there, we all set to work.
Shredding, juicing, saute-ing- you name it!
 
After bunch of prep, dinner was finally ready.
 
Travel with me to not-so-very-far-away india.
 
Hot curry chicken- mmm!


 The table, spread with a full feast! 
 
  
 
My plate:
12:05 - buttery rice
12:10 - pan (bread)
12:25 - curry chicken
12:45 - pita chips
12:50 - avacado hummus
 
 
We also had a super zesty indian style lemonaid
 
 
 
and "Mango Lassi"
(a smoothie) for dessert.
 
We had fun with our head coverings/saris/whatever you call 'em! ;)
 
 
It was a great night.
 
Did you know that indian food is VERY filling?
Yes, it's true.
I learned that on Wednesday.
Soooo, keep that in mind when you next have indian food.
 
 
Well, that's all for now.
 
Que ustedes tengan una buena fin de semana!
 
~~
ISA


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Blue

Isn't blue a pretty color?

The Sky
Robins Eggs
The Ocean
Blueberries
Sapphire

Blue, blue BLUE!

Light shades, dark shades.
Cold and gentle shades, bright and harsh shades.

And it's not only a color, it's also a description of a feeling!

I'm so thankful God gave us the ability to see color so we can enjoy things like the "blue".

Here's today's picture:
_____________________________________
Day 11: << Something Blue >>
 
 
~~
ISA 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Photog Challenge -IS BACK!

For much (or possibly all) of my childhood/growing up, we have had sporadic fires in the fireplace.
We have kept a decent sized wood pile out behind our house for years and years.
Occasinally, when the weather gets cold, in the fall or winter, Dad puts some logs in the fireplace, turns on the gas and gets a sizzling fire started.

My family all enjoy a nice tosty fire.
The only trouble is, while the room the fireplace is in is nice and warm, the rest of the rooms are cold when we go to bed because the fire seems to suck all the air from the rest of the house...
So ultimately, the fire doesn't really heat the house up.
It just heats those who are sitting directly in front of it.
And sometimes, memories of time spent around the fireplace warm the heart.

Not all of the memories,  however, are heartwarming! 
I remember one time when a log fell out of the fireplace. Just my sister and I were in the house because my parents were in the yard doing something. One or both of us started screaming "FIRE!!"  My dad discounted it at first, thinking we were yelling "Spider!!":P  But he did come in and take care of it. 
We ended up having to sand a little spot off the floor from where the wood had fallen out, and I think my sister got a small burn on her leg from the firey-chunk of wood.  But in the end, it was all ok. (Praise the Lord!)
We now have a "fireproof" rug in front of the fireplace, just in case a log did happen to roll out again.

Though I have both good memories, and bad memories of the fireplace, I would say the good outweigh the bad.
I am grateful that we've had a fireplace to enjoy in our house.

So that brings us to the picture for "day 10" (in truth, taken this evening).
The fireplace.
No, there was not a fire going when I took the photo.
But maybe if you use your imagination, you can almost see embers dying down behind the screen and glass... smell the smokiness... feel the dying warmth...
_____________________________________
Day 10: << A Childhood Memory>>
 
 
~~
ISA 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

PA

It's just that time of year.

The damp/wet days.
The colors changing on the trees.
Nearly perfect weather for bike riding.
Allergies.

When the days are like this, something inside me calls: "Pennsylvania!!!"



Cookout(s).
Cold nights.
Distant -or nearby- noises in the woods.
The long driveway with that bothersome rope at the end.
The railing on the deck thats perfect for balancing/walking on.

The black&yellow striped bike path gates:














The view from the window:
(this wasn't something that happened every day btw;)


So many memories.
So many things that remind me of PA.
It's almost like a second home to me.


Oh Pennsylvania.
What a beautiful state.
So different from here that it seems almost like another country.

~~
ISA

Lo De Ultimamente

Volunteering.
Ringing phones, hot cocoa, happy/deep/crazy conversations, and discharges.
At the end of the evening, when it's time to go home, volunteering equates to pocket(s) full of 2 digit numbers scribbled on little scraps of paper.



The bike path looks like a big, long black tounge.... like I'm going to ride through a tunnel and find myself in some nasty creature's mouth.



And have you ever noticed that (from a distance) bats look an awful lot like butterflies?
They flap in a similar manner.
Bats almost look like plump, dull-colored butterflies.
OR you could say that butterflies are like skinny, painted bats.
Somebody needs to get a bat and a butterfly side by side and compare their flight patterns.
I think the most noticible difference would probably be that the bat flys in a more half-hazard fashon while the butterfly gently drifts on the breezes.



Yesterday, I tried a new smoothie recipe.
Supposedly, it's an indian recipe.
"Mango Lassi"
  • Fresh Mango
  • Plain yogurt (I used greek)
  • Sugar
  • Ice Cubes
Phenomenal.
Sweet, simple, refreshing.
Here's a link to the recipe if you'd like to try it: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mango-Lassi-II/Detail.aspx
Highly reccomend.



Well, I'd love to say more, pero tengo que irme ahora.

Ya es demasiada tarde!!

Ay de mi... siempre ocupada.

Guay.
Buenos Dias, mis amigos!

~~
ISA

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Mind Games, Melon, and a Meal

Have you ever read or repeated the same thing over and over again?
Do you know the feeling when something that has always seemed simple and familiar suddenly seems forign and complicated?
This morning, I was stuffing envelopes.
As I stuffed, I was checking the numer of pages.
Occasionally there would be 2 pages, though most of them were just one page.
At the bottom of each 1-page paper, it would read: "Page 1 of 1".
Simple enough, right?
But after stuffing what seemed like a gazillion envelopes, my brain went into overlooooaaad!
Page 1 of 1.
My thoughts went something like: "Wait, did it really say Page 1 of 1? Is that what I read? What did I just read?"
I eagerly looked forward to sealing each stuffed stack of envelopes as a break from stuffing.
Focusing got tough.
It was quiet, I'd been sitting for a long time, and I was losing my focus.
So I began to play mind games.
Page 1 of 1.
I thought of the words as a title. A "paige" named "Wun", from a place called "Won", introducing himself to a king.
As the peasent introduced himself, he would bow and say "Paige Wun of Won".
Page 1 of 1.  I'd read the words, and stuff it in an envelope.
Pretty soon, "Paige Wun of Won" was meaningless as well.
I stared at the words: "Page 1 of 1". 
Those 1's looked like L's.
Almost like the familiar online acranym "lol".
1 of 1.
What about lofl?
Laughing on floor laughing.
It didn't make sense, but for that matter, what did?
Page lofl.
Page lofl.
It worked for a while.
Eventually, "Laughing on floor laughing" wasn't helping either.
Back to the drawing board.
Page 1 of 1.
Ugh.
I tried to reason through it with myself.
My thoughts were something to the effect of: "What does that mean?  Well... it means that this page is the 1st page out of 1 pages. What?? Does that even make sense?  One out of one pages total."
Yikes.
Those last few envelopes were grueling.
But, by God's grace, I finished them.
And I am very thankful to be done!





Yesterday Em called me into the dining room to see an exploading watermelon.
I asked her if it was in the process of exploading.
She said it was.

Wow.
Doesn't it almost look like soap suds?
Believe me- it didn't smell like soap.
P.U.!!!!
Rather than exploading, oozed/bubbled would probably be a more accurate description of the mess.
The watermelon's spew got all over the tablecloth and mom's nice placemat!!
Yep. Disgusing mess.
So the moral of the story is: just eat the watermelon before it has a chance to rot.
A sitting melon, is a rotting melon. 
The end.






Last night we had an acutal dinner.
 
It's pretty sad.
We haven't been having many real dinners lately.
The biggest reason for this would probably be my own laziness with the second biggest reason being lack of time.
Anyways, this dinner was a spin-off on a skillet dinner recipe we got from a friend.
We've been making the original recipe for years, but that recipe doesn't work now because we're avoiding corn.  Mom said our friends had mentioned replacing the corn with green beans...
So last night, we switched it up!!
  • cooked ground hamburger (it was cooked ahead)
  • chili powder
  • onion powder
  • garlic salt
  • fresh cut up tomatoes
  • no-salt-added kidney beans
  • frozen green beans
...and I think that was everything.
Just throw it all together in a pan and heat it for however long it takes for the green beans to cook.
Then it's done!
You can enjoy it plain or with tortilla chips. 
If you're not avoiding dairy, you could also add some shredded cheese.
Bon appetit!


Well folks, this has been your blog post for the day!

Sorry for the lack of "Photography Challenge" posts.
Hopefully I will be taking more pics/posting more posts soon!
Until then...

Buenas tardes a todos!

~~
ISA

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Photography Challenge: To Be Continued

Hello All!
I just wanted to let you know that I have not, in fact, fallen off the face of the earth.
Things have been busy/crazy; thusly, I have not kept up with this challenge as I would have liked.
So please excuse this break in posting.
More photos will (Lord willing!) be coming soon!
Hope you're all having a superb Sunday!
~~
ISA

Thursday, September 27, 2012

My Sister

Hello faithful followers!
I hope that each and every one of you are having a maaarvelous day!
I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine.
This is my sister (see below).
My sis likes rabbits.
She's awesome in countless ways and I loveeee her sooo much, much, much!
Shout-out to M: you're a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sister. Love ya!
______________________________________
Day 9: << Someone you love >>
 
 
~~
ISA

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Burning The Candle at Both Ends

This statement is not really true of me in the sense of working oneself to death.
But as far as staying up much later than practical with respect to how early one is wakes up, I have been "burning the candle at both ends" as of late.
This is a bad habit, because it drains you of energy, which can cause sluggishness, grouchyness, and unproductivity.
People need sleep.
We were created with a need to sleep each night.
So tonight, make sure you get plenty of shut-eye.
Don't burn the candle at both ends!
______________________________________
Day 8: << A bad habit >>
 
 
~~
ISA 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

5 a Day :)

Have you ever heard that phrase "5 a day"?
Well, today I photographed 5 pieces of fruit.
After taking the picture, I proceeded to eat the pear.
It was delicious :]
Gotta eat your fruits ( -and veggies!!!).
______________________________________
Day 7: << Fruit >>



~~
ISA



Monday, September 24, 2012

Looking Up


And now, for today's picture:
 
 ______________________________________
Day 6: << From a low angle >>

 
 
~~
ISA

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Looking Down



The weekend is over!
How is that?!
________________________________________

Day 5: << From a high angle >>
 
 
~~
ISA

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Guacamole

Avocado, crushed red pepper, lime juice.
Que Deliciosaaaaa!



________________________________________

 
Day 4: << Something green >>
 
 
~~
ISA

How can you beet a smoothie like this one?!

I was sitting in a waiting room looking at a magazine, and came across a smoothie recipe.
"Berries & Beets".
It looked like a fun smoothie!  I took a picture of the recipe so I could try it at home! :)

I didn't end up totally following the recipe.  Substituted more frozen (rather than fresh) stuff, switched out raspberries for blackberries and agave nectar for honey, and added chia seed.  I also used canned beets instead of plain cooked beets.

Here's the list of ingredients I used:

Frozen blueberries
Frozen black berries
Canned beets
Non-fat plain greek yogurt
Honey
Orange juice
Chia seed

Blend and enjoy :)


*Note: you will taste the beets.  If you don't like beets, you might not like this smoothie.


~~
ISA

Friday, September 21, 2012

A Rainy Day

Today has been a rainy day.
Might I add a COLD day.
But a nostalgic cold.. reminding me of rainy autumn days past.

I decided to get creative with today's challenge.
So the clouds I photographed... are not your standard clouds ;)

See below:





________________________________________
Day 3: << Clouds >>
 
 

~~
ISA

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Un Jueves Loco

Here is something I have been learning.
2 things actually.

First thing: People talk.
Second thing: News travels quickly.

Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's a bad thing.
But it's always a good thing to keep in mind.
Think before you speak!


Today was LOCO!
But in a good way :)


So here's a summary of my day:

Morning came too quickly, and was rushed, as usual.
I'm not a big "morning person"... I am easily disgruntled in the morning.
But I was just thinking... one key to having a good morning is being content with whatever you're doing, and be thankful for the opportunity to do it.  Attitude of Grattitude! Don't forget to thank the Lord each day for all the ways he has blessed you! And remember: sometimes blessings are in disguise ;)
>>Thank you, Heavenly Father, for morning, no matter how early it comes.  And thank you for my family, friends, and others you have placed in my life, and for the opportunity to serve others.<<

Later in the day, I did some shoppping. That was nice.

And finalmente, BAND.
I'm so glad it's started again!
Tonight was fun.. new music and new seating arrangements.
Last week, I didn't get my music, so tonight was lots of sight reeeadddingg!!!!
Yikes!!
But regardless of how well/ how poorly I played tonight, I am sooooo soooooo super duper excited for this new concert band year!!
It's gonna take a lot of practice, but that's ok.
New year: here I COME!!


Ok so it's time for my photo of the day. 
I changed my outfit several times today.
So I think I missed a few things, but I did remember the majority of it.
And now, without further adou, Day 2-

_____________________________________________________________
Day 2: << What you wore today>>


 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

30 Day Photography Challenge

Today, I am starting a 30 day photography challenge:
 
 
Thank you Samantha for the idea ;)
 
 
 
 
See below for the first one.
_____________________________________________________________
 
 
Day 1: << Self Portrait >>

 
 

~~
ISA

Thursday, September 13, 2012

*Sarcasm*

Scarcasm.
What is it really?
It is an attitude.
Scarcasm is (to put it very broadly) saying something that you don't mean.

Now granted, there are many types of sarcasm.
Right now, I'm just talking about one, namely: a sarcastic response when someone asks you a question.

Example:
You trip, fall and skin your knee.
Your friend says: "Whoah! Are you ok?"
You could react one of two ways.
1. You could say something to the effect of: "Ugh I skinned my knee..." and possibly even "Ow! That hurt."
2. Or you could say something more like: "Yeaah! I'm GREAT! Isn't anyone after they fly into the pavement and start bleeding?"

The first reaction is a genuine answer to the question.

The second, is a hardened (maybe even bitter?) and not really honest answer to the question.   The asker, who likely just expressing legitimate concern for you, may be taken a-backor even hurt by your sharp reply.

Scarcasm can easily become a habit... a standard reaction to any question.
Sometimes you react with sarcasm without even thinking. 
Not because you have a motive, but just because it's how you're used to reacting.

Sometimes sarcasm could be a way to protect yourself.
A way to express your feelings without directly saying them.

Sometimes sarcasm could be a way to get attention.

Sometimes sarcasm comes about when you've been hurt by someone in the past.
You react with sarcasm because inside, you're still hurt by what they did/said before, and you almost can't believe they have the nerve to still talk to you.

So how can we change our attitude?

I think it starts with dying to ourselves.

We must not focus on ourselves (I feel really clumsy and uncomposed right now... I need to regain control of this situation) (I don't want to sound wimpy!)  (Wow, this person never expresses concern for me, and now I'M supposed to accept this gesture of kindness??!) etc, etc.

Instead, we must focus on Christ and others. We need to think before we say something out of habit, and make sure that our words are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy...(Phillipians 4:8).   Have an attitude of grattitude for the people God has placed in your life, and be ready to express joy in every situation and constantly be a vessle of God's love, forgiveness and grace.   It's an attitude of humility: being open and willing be sincere and/or to show that we're weak, instead of pride and trying to protect ourselves or get revenge or whatever.

I'm not saying that I'll ever totally stop being sarcastic, but I do think it's good for all of us to think before we speak, and examine our attitudes.



Nuevo subjeto!
Mi trabajo.
He sido trabajando desde el fin de agosto.
Cuando empece, yo estaba trabajando a jornada completa. 
Pero ahora, estoy trabajando de jornada parcial.
Mi trabajo es muy ocupada. Y hay mucha estres. 
Un parte de mi trabajo es ayudar a los pacientes hispanicos/los hispanohablantes.
Me encanta el espanol! Pero mi espanol es muy lejos de perfecto.
Muchas dias, tengo mucho sueno.
Lentamente, estoy acostumbrandome a mi trabajo.
Bueno.. sea lo que sea..


Cooking/baking.
I like making food.
Sometimes when you can't hardly do something anymore (in my case, for lack of time) you come to appreciate it more!
I'm thankful that my mom is still cooking.
My mom is a superb cook!
Tonight she is making stuffed peppers.
Normally I don't like peppers, but when mom makes them like this it's so delish!
Yum yum yummmmmmmmmmm.



On Friday, I turned 18.
It was a busy day.
My boss was so thoughtful- she bought me coffe (white choco mocha x) and this coffee cake thingy!
Later when I came home, my sister called me upstairs.
My door to my room was closed...
I was like "Are you in here?"
"Yeah." she said.
So I opened the door....
AHHKK!
I was greeted by a chorus of: "SURPRISE!" and my room was full of balloons/streamers!
It was a special afternoon!!
(note: my floor is still covered in balloons:)
Then in the evening we played frisbee!
It was a great night for it! (a bit breezy for the frisbee, but it was refreshing!).
What a special day!
Thank you God for Birthdays- for allowing me to complete another year!

I'm an adult now.
It doesn't feel like I should be...
But legally, I am!
I can now: vote, carry pepper spray, and enter in all those contests that say "must be 18 or older to enter" lol.
I'm a "grown up" now ;)



Today I tried this new nail-doing tecnique.
I don't paint my finger nails very often because it always comes off so quickly.
But I talked to one of my friends from volunteering yesterday, and she told me how she did her nails with scotch tape!
So I decided to try it!
The thumb nails are the only ones I did with tape.
Unfortunatly, they turned out really sloppy.  it's so hard to cut the tape and stick it on!
I ended up doing them in a half-hazard, slap-it-on fasion.
Still though, they turned out nice-ish.
We'll see how long it lasts before the tape falls off!
 
 
 
 
Pennsylvania.
I really do like PA.
Seeing extended family.
Grandma's house.
The big-ish creek.
The majestic mountains.
The eagles. The deer. The snakes. The wooly bear&the white n' black caterpillars. Sometimes bears!
Fresh apple cider and apples.
The old railroad bridge.
Drinking hot cocoa out of little, thick-ish brown and white mugs.
Writing notes on the dry erase board.
Eating cotton candy/teaberry ice cream.
Reading/making up a song for the poem in the wall-hanging.
Spotlighting deer.
Helping find dead deer and all that follows.
Frequenting the general store to buy candy :)
Trying to catch tadpoles and other water critters.
Stopping to see the fire department make apple butter.
Long car rides.
Breathtaking views.
Stocking trout.
Country store meat.
Hiking at beaulah land.
Looking for teaberries.
Arguing over who's unpacking their bags into which drawers.
Running out to the garage to check email.
The bulk foods store.
Birch beer.
The "clunk, clunk, clunk" of dad's boots on the porch as he returns home from morning hunting.
Calling my friends back home on the white cordless phone that dies so often.
Rattlesnake rock.
Stargazing in an open field.
And so much more.
Countless memories.
I thinking this year, I might possible have an appreciation for PA like never before.
When the weather starts to get cool...
When the first frost comes...
When the leaves start to turn and fall...
As October draws near...
I'll step outside and say "Today feels like Pennsylvania."
 
 
 
~~
ISABEL

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Que hay de nuevo???

No he querido escribir mucha de ultimamente..
En tratando de descubrir lo que debo hacer esta otono, he estado un poco confundido.
Estoy pidiendo el Senor por sabiduria.  Ahora, tengo que esperar.
No es facil esperar.

Hoy, decidi hacer un smoothie, porque he estado comiendo mucha comida que no es sano para mi cuerpo.  La comida mal no me hace sentir muy bueno... xP
Pues, hoy, hice un smoothie con: "Flax seed, wheat germ, chia seed, coconut milk, emergenc, frozen banana and pineapple, oatmeal, and cran-raspberry juice".
Mezcle todo en el blender y... vuala! 
Muy deliciosa! 
La unica problema era que la leche de coconut no hubiera estado resfriado antes de que yo lo use.
Pero no me importa.
Todavia era una buena smoothie. (Realmente, estoy bebiendola ahora!)
Aqui es una foto:

Bueno.. me encantaria escribir mas, pero ahora tengo que prepararme para salir por el hospital.

Que disfrutes tu dia!

Sinceramente,

~~
ISA

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

People I'm Thankful For

I am thankful for Dad- faithful protector/provider, and Mom- mentor/teacher, and more!

I am so thankful for my sis.  She's been a faithful best friend.  She is a diligent, daring animal lover and darling. She is a trustworthy confidante, fellow goofball;), and a great inspiration.
I'm so thankful God gave me my lil sis ;D


This week, my cousins returned from the Mission field. It was a joy to fellowship with, share with each other what we've been doing over the past year, and encourage one other.
Thank you, God, for cousins!!!!


Today I was the only volunteer in my department.
One of my fellow volunteers was on vacation; the other, I don't know where she was.
But anyways, it was REAAALLY quiet.
Sit at desk, answer the phone occasionally. No discharges.
But I was thankful, because I got a chance to talk to one of the nurses for a while.  She gave me some practical advice on college, healthcare carreers, and classes.
God brings us the people we need to talk to, just when we need them! Thank you, Lord!

Last night, I got to talk to one of my friends from church, a dear sweet girl who I graduated with!  It was encouraging to talk to her and to know that I'm not alone in this whole "What comes after highschool?  What are you doing??" puzzle/pressure/battle/discussion/confusion.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord!
But truthfully, I never have been, nor ever will be alone.  Jesus is with me in this.. he is with me and he will show me the path he has prepared for me. Praise the Lord!


I am also thankful for another dear friend of mine, who tolerates my craziness, my rapid changes in mood, and overall irrationality.  I pity her and all the spazzy loco-ness she puts up with (from me:P) on a weekly basis. Lol
I am thankful for how she encourages me and points me back to the Lord and encourages me to dwell on the optimistic/positive instead of the negative.
Thank you, God, for all the dear friends you have given me.




On a random side-note, I am currently in denial that auditions are due 1 week from tomorrow.
That must be why I'm not in a state of mental shock and panic right now. Hm.
Ironically, I am currently listening to music from our most recent concert of the 2011-2012 season. LOL
Yeah............. I better get recording.


Oh also: the fair was great!
I took reserve on my one board, and class on two other projects.
2 of my chickens places 2nd and 4th in their class!
I am thankful for God's grace in the eyes of the 4h/open class judges. :)
I enjoyed set-up, jr. superintending, chicken judging, and "touring" all the exibits and stuff on the fair grounds. My last fair was a good one. PTL!

Since partway through the fair, our chickens are now laying eggs!
Toooooo SWEET!!
We believe two of them are laying, though we aren't yet certain.
Either way, I'm super duper-dee-duper exciteD!!!!


This month is going to be busy with so much stuff.. more and more stuff is getting scheduled. YIKES!
And so much is still up in the air... undecided... uncertain.....
And so much still needs to be done. So much to do, so little time.

I've been doing a lot of thinking... and I'm learning that sometimes, there comes a point when you can no longer figure stuff out via guessing and speculation and assumption, and you must simply trust God with (everything) and let it go. 
Easier said than done??? I think yes.
Ayyyyyy de mi.
These things take time.
But God knows. He's in control. And what great relief, peace, and joy we would experience if we would only trust him with whatever issue that's troubling us!
"Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer."




Pues, por esta noche es todo.

Buenas noches a todos!

Hasta luego!

~~
ISA

Friday, July 20, 2012

Finalmente!!

Ha sido mucha tiempo que he escrito algo en espanol.

En mayo, tome el examen AP para espanol. Recientemente, recibi mi nota!! Saque un "3".
Esta nota no es fantastica, pero estoy contenta y satisfecha con mi nota. Gracias, Senor Padre, por la gracia en el dia de examen!

Tengo muchas cosas que quiero decir, pero son las diez y cuarto ahora, y tengo mucho sueno.

Espero seguir escribiendo en espanol en mi blog en el futuro.  No quiero perder todo el espanol que he aprendido este ano :P

La semana que viene estara MUY ocupada. Estare tomando mis gallinas a la (ay de mi!.. en ingles, la palabra es "fair").
Me hace falta mi amiga "KLOVE". Ella esta en un viaje de missioneros. Que vuelvas muy pronto, amiga!

Hoy, mi padre me compro helado y [papas fritas]. Que delicioso!! Me ENCANTA el helado.

Estoy un poco preocupada del otono.. no he decidido lo que voy a hacer para escuela. Es muy complicado... Padre Dios, que nos de sabiduria!
Y ahora, concluire con un versiculo:

Mateo 6:33-35

Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)
33 Más bien, busquen primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia, y todas estas cosas les serán añadidas. 34 Por lo tanto, no se angustien por el mañana, el cual tendrá sus propios afanes. Cada día tiene ya sus problemas.


Buenas noches!
~~

ISA

Oatmeal Smoothie

I had heard of these before, but didn't try making one till today!


1/4 cup dry, ground oatmeal
fruit juice
protein powder
1 small frozen banana
frozen strawberries
chia seed soaked in coconut water
milk

...and I think that's everything I used.

I blended the oatmeal&protein powder with a little juice first, and then added the other stuff and blended again.
It's SO GOOD!
You'd hardly know the oatmeal is in it!


This is where I got the recipe for it: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-oatmeal-breakfast-smoothie/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=oatmeal%20smoothie&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
Except I didn't really follow that recipe much cuz I wanted to use other ingredients instead.
But you can if you like! And LMK how your oatmeal smoothie turns out!


What I find so cool about this is that, normally, if you eat a smoothie for a meal, you're hungry again in a little while.
But oatmeal smoothies should (in theory) stick with you longer. 
Also, adding protein powder should add to the filling factor.


Hope you're enjoying your summer!

Keep cool and GO MAKE A SMOOTHIE! ;D


Sinceramente,
~~
ISA

Monday, July 9, 2012

Malted Milkshake

  • Vanilla Yogurt (or vanilla ice cream)
  • Vanilla
  • Milk
  • Malted Milk powder
  • Cherry (optional) for garnish. 
I just added random ammounts of each ingredient till it looked good, and then blended it.
Please note: go easy on the milk, or it will be runny.

If you get a chance, try making one of these.
Malted milkshakes are delicious!!!!!



Hasta luego!

~~
ISA

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Milkshake Madness

I like ice cream.

It's as simple as that.

And on hot summer days like the ones we've been having, who isn't craving ice cream??
So many delicious flavors and combinations, which one is best???
Birthday cake?
Cookie dough?
Mint choco-chip?
Butter pecan?
Neopolitan?
Banana split?
Root beer float?
Or how about good 'ol vanilla?

Is your mouth watering yet? ;)

Well, I don't really have a favorite, I just like ice cream.  (^.^)

So today, I decided to try making my own version of this [Steak&Shake] milkshake:




I can be rather impulsive when it comes to cooking.
I should learn that it would help to plan before I start.
Oh well...


I first whipped up a hot fudge sauce on the stove.
Unfortunately, I overcooked it (or something?) and it turned into more of a crumbly brownie.


 Next I got out the vanilla "ice cream"...
Ice cream is in quotes cuz I actually used frozen yogurt. Less fat, same taste. Why not?



Dumped in the semi-frozen strawberries, milk, and "ice cream".


Blended.


Topped with "fudge".  Voila! 



So although this concoction is technically a "Chocolate covered Strawberry milkshake"
It should more rightly be called: Strawberry Smoothie with Brownie Pieces.

Still tasted great!!- just not what I was aiming for.   (>.<)

Maybe some restaurant will see my blog post, start selling these and make millions!
Any McDonalds smoothie developers out there????
Tehe.


Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Keep cool!


Fielmente:

~~
ISA