Best. Apples. Ever.

So, I was hanging with my mom yesterday, and she introduced me to the most amazing piece of fruit I have ever tasted in my life.

Honeycrisp apples.

Seriously. If you haven't tried one, go do so. Right now. Mind you, you may want to split one with a friend, because these babies are as big as grapefruits, (and as I did some research, are a man-made cross-pollination), but, boy, are they delicious. Perfect texture, perfect sweetness. So good that I didn't want to ruin them with peanut butter or caramel.

I'm so happy that something so healthy can be so yummy!

NaNoWriMo...I'm Doing It!

Don't mistake the exclamation point in the title for enthusiasm. It's more of a, "What the heck am I getting myself into?!"

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a way for aspiring authors to attempt to write the novel they always say they will but never get around to doing. (Sound familiar?) It provides accountability, kicks in the pants, and encouragement to just go for it and finish that novel...IN ONE MONTH.

I've signed up, made a profile, and am staring at the website with apprehension. Novel planning. Daily word counts. Sweating over a keyboard. Eek!

Weirdly (or not so weirdly), I've often done my best writing under pressure. So maybe this will be appropriate pressure to get myself out of my writing rut caused by grad school and start doing something I once loved and that I believe that God gifted me with to use for Him.

 Pray for me! Here is the website, if you are interested in what NaNoWriMo is all about. http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

Organization Attempt!

In an effort to be a good housewife even with a full time job, and channeling my inner elementary school teacher, I have made the chart below to keep myself organized. Tidy-up can mean anything, from cleaning the bathroom to vacuuming to general de-cluttering--I'm basically letting it happen on as-needed basis. For every job complete, I will put a sticker (I love stickers!) in the appropriate box. This will be placed on my fridge. Sunday does not have any chores because that day is for Jesus (though it's not like I won't do a devotion on Sunday). My goal is that if the whole thing is filled up for a week, I will treat myself to a reward; I'm thinking a new book. Prayers for this working for me are appreciated!

PS: Can I also be excited that I figured out how to save my chart as a picture to include on the blog?? :-)

Just Keep Swimming!

Well, I still have my job. Thanks for the prayers. I did not get the letter of reprimand, so now it's just a matter of keeping up the good work and improving where I still have weaknesses. One of those is developing more friendly working/social relationships with people, which is something I am not good at it. I tend to approach a job, sort of keep my head down at it, and then go home. It just doesn't work in this office, and makes people think I'm stuck up, and then a know-it-all if I do end up saying something, particularly if I express an opinion. Maybe I just shouldn't express any opinions. Sigh. Now, how I balance that without participating in conversations that I know I shouldn't participate in as a Christian is the big question. We'll see how it works out.

Cooper is job-searching yet again; his internship ends on November 19. We are praying for something full time so I can eventually be the stay-at-home wife/potential future mom. It may be out of the state, which is sort of scary but exciting at the same time. But God has brought us through this sort of thing before so I know He can do it again.

Otherwise, life moves along and we do our best to be obedient and faithful to the Lord, even if that's not in any flashy way. We're really pretty boring. But I trust the Lord is using us. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...