Tracey's Top Books of 2013 - Books 4, 3, and 2

Books 10-5 have been revealed, so let's keep going with 4, 3, and 2. Obviously, book number 1 will get it's own special post!

4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I read Kite Runner in 2012 and absolutely fell in love with Khaled Hosseini. I vowed to read every novel he has ever written or will ever write. So far, I have upheld this vow as I read his newest novel, And the Mountains Echoed, the week it was released. His writing is so beautiful I can hardly stand it, the emotions are real, and he has given me a greater depth of understanding of Iranian culture, religion, and lifestyle. I appreciate this part of the world so much more now. In our society, it is important to understand different perspectives and lifestyles, not merely to tolerate or condone their existence. In order to develop these perspectives, people must learn about and understand the culture. Khaled Hosseini's novels have given me that lesson and understanding. 

I think A Thousand Splendid Suns hurt me more than Kite Runner ever could, and of his three novels, this one is my favorite. I read this novel the week before Memorial Day, sitting by the pool in my parent's backyard, grilling up tasty food, surrounded by the comforts living in a first-world country provides. The juxtaposition of my luxury and the pain and poverty the main characters of this novel experience made me appreciate the novel even more. 

This novel follows the lives of several women living in Afghanistan. Through their unique experiences, we see the inequity of women and the heartbreak they experience. An unlikely friendship develops between the women and we experience their pain and devotion to each other and their children. Many political, social, and religious issues come about in this novel and are explored through actions. Hosseini has the gift of never telling the reader his own personal opinions about controversial topics. Instead, he allows the themes of his novels to become apparent through rich characterization and actions of flat, secondary characters. So much can be learned from a novel like this, and I don't believe anyone can read this novel and look at the world the same way after. I love a novel that challenges and changes my views. This one certainly did just that.

3. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 

Before I begin my review of this novel, I'll let you in on a little secret - I didn't actually read this novel. I listened to it. On audio. Gasp! I'm a big music fan, and most mornings, I listen to music as I get ready for the day. I also listen to music while I am working on school work or reading or sometimes just relaxing. Earlier this year, I discovered Audible, a website and app where you can download audio versions of books to listen to. It is through AmazonPrime and is wonderful! My sister loves books, but can't read due to her vision, so she uses Audible. I decided to give it a try, and what better book to begin with. Pillars of the Earth is an epic novel that takes place over the course of half a century, and the novel itself is over 1,000 pages. I started listening to this novel, and a few days later, my mom and I had to make an emergency drive to New Mexico. Ten hours in the car gave us a great jump-start on finishing this novel. Just listening to this novel in the morning as I got ready each day and in my car driving around, it took me a few months to finish, but man was it worth it! I love Ken Follett now! As soon as I was finished listening to this novel, I listened to it's sequel, World Without End, then The Handmaid's Tale and now, The Road. Audible is wonderful. 

Onto the review. Like I said, Pillars is an epic novel meaning it takes place over about half a century. It follows a lot of characters, a lot of story lines, and a lot of years. The main thread of the story is the tale of a friar named Philip and the building of a great cathedral. Throughout the novel, you get to experience love loss and growth, children growing, deaths, evil, good, people face turmoil and triumphs. Basically, every part of life and human emotion is experienced in this novel. The thing I love most about Ken Follett is his ability to so deeply develop his characters. Usually in a novel, there is one character who is developed richly while all the other characters are just secondary and remain flat and static. However, Follett develops almost every character to such a deep level. He allows the reader to experience their pain and hardship, but he takes it to the next level - he allows the reader to explore the thoughts of the characters. Not just the thoughts the character acts upon, but every thought the character has. In real life, people question their actions and weigh the pros and cons of even minute choices. Follett does this with the characters in his novel and allows the reader to be part of that process.

I have never felt like I knew characters so deeply and richly as I did in this novel. I felt like I was the characters. I could predict what they were going to do. I could anticipate their actions. I knew what they thought and felt about every little or major event in the novel. Even the characters I truly hated, I understood. This novel has sad parts that make you cry and happy parts that make you rejoice. There are characters you fall in love with, characters you respect beyond measure, and characters that you wish nothing more than a painful and terrible death upon. This novel has it all. While it is definitely epic and takes a great deal of time and energy to read, it is worth it. I can't wait to read another Follett novel in the future!

2. Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

I was intrigued by this movie because of the title. I have long referenced "the silver linings" in my life and have written about them a time or two on this blog. I think finding the silver lining in any bad situation is the elixir of life; it is what keeps you sane and optimistic and lovable. I didn't see the movie, but when Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for best supporting actress, I wanted to see it. Then, I stopped and thought, "I bet it's a book". Lucky me, I was right! I purchased the book and decided I would read it before I watched the movie. I wouldn't want the movie to ruin the book for me, but I'm perfectly ok with allowing the book to ruin the movie. ;)

As soon as I started reading it, I knew I would love it. It was another psychological book. A book about a man who suffers from depression and anxiety. He has bouts of anger that are uncontrollable and many people call him crazy. I love books that deal with psychological disorders, especially if they are taboo or hold a negative social stigma. This book definitely fit that bill. Books like this, that really delve into psychological disorders and mental illnesses allow me to once again broaden my understanding of these issues. I'm quick to judge, but these books give me an outlet to better understand what people are going through.

Matthew Quick is a brilliant writer and so wonderfully captures what the main character, Pat, is feeling and his emotions. We get to see how out of control he can be and how much pain he is in. Pat is recently divorced, due to his illness, and has been released from the mental institution to live with his parents under very strict surveillance and rigid rules. Pat works out, watches Eagles games with his dad, and runs...a lot. On one run, he meets Tiffany, who suffers from her own mental illness and addictions. The two become friends and through dance lessons offered by Tiffany, Pat is able to work through his own issues. The emotions in this novel are very real and remind society that even if people have a mental illness, they are still real people with real feelings, dreams, and ambitions. Once again, we also see that hard work can bring you joy and friendship and family are the most important things in life. I love everything about this novel and could read it over and over again. I did watch the movie after reading the novel and love the movie too. It is one of my favorite movies even though it will never be as good as the book. :) 

Tomorrow, I will reveal my "Number 1 Book of 2013" (which if you have talked to me in the last year, you already have guessed) and some of my reading goals for 2014.

Tracey's Top Books of 2013 - Books 7, 6, and 5

Installment 1 of Tracey's Top Books of 2013 included Lexicon, Son, and Gone Girl. These books were all fast-paced, adventure stories that gave me a lot to think about in terms of humanity and trusting society. Books 7, 6, and 5 were less adventure-packed and more prose on the state of society.

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth (and Insurgent and Allegiant)

I am a sucker for Young Adult (YA) novels. There is something really fun and enjoyable about the innocence of youth and the captivating stories that make me feel like I'm 13 all over again. While I never actually want to be 13 again, it is fun to pretend sometimes. After reading Hunger Games, I desperately wanted a novel similar to indulge in. That is when I discovered Divergent. I would describe this novel as a nice mesh between Hunger Games and The Giver. 

This novel follows Tris, a young girl living in the post-apocalyptic United States. She has come of age and now must undergo a series of tests that are intended to show her what she should be when she grows up. The society is split into factions that specialize in helping the country run. People are divided by their unique talents, gifts, and skills. While the tests can reveal what a talents a person has, the choice is ultimately theirs. Through Tris' choice, she shows her courage. She also becomes aware of the many problems her society has and is brought into a world she did not know existed. 

This novel pinpoints the problems in society and the entire series reveals secrets that are a bit too close to home for comfort. I liked Divergent, loved Insurgent, and found Allegiant tolerable. It was a roller-coaster of emotions throughout this series, but I would highly recommend it to any lover of dystopian or YA literature. 

6. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen 

When I picked up this novel, I had no idea what I was in for. In fact, I didn't even know what the book was about. A friend of mine had read it and rated it highly on Goodreads, so I marked it as "to-read". The ratings were good on Goodreads, so I decided to give it a try. I really didn't even know what the book was about when I started it, but the writing was so good I could not stop reading. 

This novel is about life. That's about the only way to summarize it quickly. It is about an aging and ill man and his wife. The wife wants the couple's three children to bring their families home for Christmas and she strives to make this happen, as she believes it will be her husband's last Christmas. Through changing perspectives and multiple books within the novel, we get to follow the lives of the three children and the couple. There is nothing extraordinary about this novel, and each person's life is basically straight-forward and real. Each person has their own secrets, their own issues, and their own problems. 

What I loved most about this book was that it made me think. I constantly questioned society and enjoyed the subtly with which the author examined controversial topics. This is one of those novels that after reading makes you want to go back to a simpler time. It makes you want to change all the things about yourself that you see in the main characters. These are the main characters' downfalls. If you want a book that makes you think, deals with controversy in a real and open way, this is the novel for you.

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

A friend I trust recommended and loaned me this book, so I could not wait to read it. It only took me two nights to finish. There are certain topics in novels that I am intrigued by most: the holocaust, autism, and social justice issues like marriage inequality, GLBT, or religion. I like controversial topics to be explored in novels. 

The Curious Incident tells the story of a dog who is murdered and a mother who disappears. The novel is told from the perspective of a teenage boy, who is autistic. There are so many wonderful things about this book. I love the curiosity and intellectual brilliance of the boy. He decides he wants to be a detective and solve the murder of his neighbor's dog, but in the process learns the truth about his own mother, which was kept from him by his father. This boy is fearless and does some very daring things throughout the novel. The pages of the novel are numbered in prime numbers because that is what the boy likes, and the novel is ultimately "written" by the boy as well. Some chapters are rich and poetic and some seem disjointed and incomplete due to the boy's attention when he wrote it. 

What is fascinating is how Mark Haddon captures the essence of the boy. The spirit of him. I felt like I was inside his head and knew what he was thinking and why at all times. It's not every day you read a novel where you truly get to know the main character. I really got to know this boy and the depth of his emotions. Autism is prevalent in my family so I appreciate such a real approach to understanding how this affects not only the person with autism but the families as well. The story is not entirely happy and definitely makes you feel.

So far, we have seen my love for books that make me feel something and question humanity. Books 4, 3, and 2 coming up, then the BIG reveal of my Number 1 Book of 2013! 

Tracey's Top Books of 2013 - Books 10, 9 and 8

I am a reader. 

I love books. Books are, in my opinion, the best drug. They help me escape, take me to new lands, teach me about human nature. I could not live without books. I read every night before going to sleep, and if for some reason I cannot read for a day or two, I start to get twitchy and grumpy. And let me clarify, I read every day for work and school, but the reading I am talking about here is reading for nothing more than pleasure and enjoyment. Fun reading. For me, that means reading novels, short stories or poems, books about powerful women, and the occasional biography or nonfiction. 

About a year ago, during my first "finals" week of being a full-time graduate student, I woke up early in the morning, in my bed, surrounded by stats books, my computer, my iPad, and notebooks filled to the brim. At that moment, I realized I had a problem. Grad school reading could easily take over my life, and I need a sacred place to get my fun reading in. At that moment, I made a deal with myself: when it is time for bed, no work or school related books can be in the bedroom, only fun books are allowed. I can work in my room during the day, but I have to put the books back in my office or backpack before bed. This has worked out marvelously and greatly reduced my level of stress. I have also ceased working on the couch or in front of the TV, which has done wonders for my productivity and sanity, but that's a tale for another post. 

Last year, I participated for the first time in the annual Reading Challenge through Goodreads (a social media site for readers!). I also joined a small, online book club through this site and have really enjoyed getting to discuss and read books that I probably wouldn't read of my own accord. For the 2013 Reading Challenge, I set the goal of reading 55 books. That is 1 book a week plus accounting for Christmas break when I get to read several books. In reality, I have read 61 books and am in the middle of three which I think I can finish by Tuesday. That will be a total of 64 books, or about 5 books per month. Obviously, some months I read more than 5 books and some months less than 5 books. I've noticed that when I am VERY VERY stressed, I tend to read more books. Hence, I read 8 books in November, which was by far my busiest month. The only month in which I read more books was January, which was my most chill month last year. 

I did not love, or even like, every book I read last year. But, I really enjoyed many of them. That being said, I've decided to pick my top 10 books of the year. This is tough, but here goes...

10. Lexicon by Max Barry

I am very picky about books I fall in love with - they have to make me feel. Before I read a book, I usually read several reviews on Goodreads, some from people who loved the book and some from people who despised the book. I ask friends and family for their opinions, and Google the author. There are a few exceptions to my madness which make me just read a book for the sake of reading it: (1) if a friend or family member I trust recommends the book, or (2) if it is written by an author I love. For this book, I broke every rule. I was perusing Barnes and Noble one day, saw the title, liked the artwork on the front cover, thought the summary sounded interesting, bought it, and read it. That's it. And, you know what, I loved it!

Basically, this book looks at the idea that we can weaponize words. People are chosen to attend this specialized school that instructs them on how to perfect persuasion to such a degree that it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. The novel is very fast-paced, includes a love story without being super mushy-gushy, and contains thought-provoking commentary on the state of society and pitfalls of humanity. I go gaga over a book that makes me think and questions society. I love an author who can subtly point out flaws in humanity and makes me question the world. I read this book at Thanksgiving and still haven't stopped talking about it with anyone who will listen. It is certainly worth a read, especially for anyone who loves words! 

9. Son by Lois Lowry

Son came out in October of 2012, and because it was written by Lois Lowry, I immediately purchased it. I read it in January 2013 and still remember it as clearly as if I read it yesterday. When I finally read The Giver, I was intrigued by a society that was so regimented. Son is the 4th book in The Giver saga but the direct sequel to the novel. It follows the story of Gabriel's (the baby who was rescued by Jonas at the end of The Giver) birth mother, Claire. In this novel, Lowry digs deeper into the cruel world that such rigid and strict rules create. Claire's lack of freedom and distrust of the government coupled with her vivid imagination, courage, and desire for a better life make her a beautifully crafted heroine. She is strong, powerful, and driven.

This novel shows the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love that drives us to do things we never thought possible. For me, this novel is one of Lowry's greatest. Filled with all of the things I love about Lowry's writing, from her use of figurative language to her depth of characterization. But, be warned, this novel is not a happy one. It is heartbreaking, and made me cry out multiple times. Lowry has a way of making readers feel all the pain her characters feel. While that is something I love about her, it makes her novels hard to read at times. This novel comes with my highest recommendation, and it is one that I would love to read with my future daughters some day.

8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Anyone who knows me will probably be surprised to see this novel make the list, but upon further reflection, there was no way I could be honest about the books that have affected me this year without including this book in the list. As I mentioned earlier, not every book I read was a book I loved or even liked. This book falls into that category. This book gets the official title as "The Book I Love to Hate". I feel very strongly about my books and sometimes get too emotionally involved, and this book outrages me every time I talk about it. So, the question is: why do I "love to hate" this book?

For months, I had heard people talking about Gone Girl, it was making all the best-seller lists, and I just couldn't help myself. I had to know what all the fuss was about. The rating on Goodreads is pretty high (close to 4 out of 5 stars) and the summary seemed interesting. One cold winter's night in February, I picked up this book and started reading. That night, I read 1/3 of the novel. I could not wait to go to bed the next evening so I could continue reading. I was fascinated. Every other chapter alternated between a married man and woman. The man's part of the story was present-day while the woman's was past-tense. The basic premise of the book is that a man comes home to find that his wife has disappeared and his house is in disarray, suggesting that she was kidnapped. Through her past-tense part of the story we learn about the man and woman's courtship and life. Through his part of the story, we get to see how he reacts to his wife's disappearance and how the police handle the situation. Through both stories, secrets are revealed. 

Now, on night 2 of reading, I read another third of the book but something happened. Something terrible. Something that made me go from pure love to pure hate of this author. The author twisted the story. A huge, mega, super-sized twist. So big, in fact, that I no longer trusted one of the narrators. How can I not trust the narrator of the story? I know it sounds silly, but until that moment, this was something I took for granted. Since I began reading at a very young age, I have always believed I could trust the narrator to tell me the story correctly. I mean, in a novel, what more could you ask for? If you can't trust the narrator, what is the point of the story? What's more, on night 3, the author did it again, pulled a second plot-twist and completely changed the story. Again. I finished the book that night. And, almost a year later, I am still mad at this book. 

And, here is where the love-hate comes into play. The book was fascinating and a brilliant story. The writing was so good that I had no trouble keeping up, the action was fast-paced, plot-twists were wonderful, and I finished the novel in 3 nights. I remember almost every aspect of the novel and think it would make a great thriller film. I hate that the author made me not trust the narrator. I love that the author made me question my long-held beliefs about what a narrator should do. I read Dark Places later this year, also by the same author, and plan to read her third novel in the near future. I can't help myself. 

As you can see from books 10, 9, and 8, my choice of books is varied and my reasons for choosing books for this list are just as wide-spread. Stay tuned for the next installment of "Tracey's Top Books of 2013"...

The Merry Misadventures of the Hodges Clan...

Christmas in my family has always been a rather quiet affair. We are simple folk and prefer a calm and relaxing holiday to one filled with rushing and too much activity. I always see Christmastime as a few days to cozy up by the fire with a hot beverage, read lots of books, watch lots of movies, and enjoy the company of the people I love. Oh, and eat far too much delicious food (but that's a given during the holidays, right?).

There have been a few select Christmases that stand out in my mind as being particularly memorable. The Christmas of 2013 will certainly join that select group. Here begins a few tales of misadventure and Murphy's Law. Thankfully, I've been blessed with a family that sees the good in everything and maintains a high degree of optimism and laughter through mishaps. The more I learn about the world, the more I realize this is a true gift that makes life much more enjoyable.

Merry Misadventure Number 1 - The Ambulance

Right up until Christmas, I was busy with all things grad school. I had tirelessly tried to prepare several papers for upcoming conferences while TA-ing for a winter-mester course. I was grading, grading, writing, coding, grading, grading, writing clear through the evening of the 23rd. I promised myself hard work would pay off, and I would allow myself an entire WEEK-long break (Tuesday-Sunday) for my good behavior. :) 

I told my family to expect me on Christmas Eve morning, but to due to my hard work, I was able to finish enough to leave on the 23rd. I called up my family and was able to reach my dad. He told me that my mom, sister, and grandmother were out doing their grocery shopping and such, but that he was home and we could have grilled cheese sandwiches and soup (one of our favorites) for lunch, just the two of us. Great! I packed down Blue (my Escape), loaded Jack in the car, and headed out. 

I arrive at my parents house, walk through the door, and greet my dad. I had just enough time to ask him if he would help me unload my luggage and Christmas presents from the car when the phone rang. I went to answer it and got my mom on the other end of the line. "Grandma passed out at the grocery store," she informed me. Ah! Over the past few years, my grandmother has had several "fainting episodes" when out and about with no clear medical reason as to the cause. They are always the same with the same symptoms and outcomes. Since she is elderly and passing out is never a good thing, the EMTs are always called in to ensure that she is ok. Therefore, my mom wanted us to know that the EMTs were on their way to our local Wal-Mart. 

The EMTs checked my grandmother over, insisting that she go with them to the emergency room, but in true Hodges-stubborn fashion, she refused. They could not find a single thing wrong with her, and she assured everyone she felt fine, so my family headed home. For my family, this would not be the first Christmas that involved an ambulance and it probably won't be the last. Thankfully, everyone was fine the rest of the holiday and no other ambulance calls were needed. 

Christmas Eve (prelude to a Merry Mishap)

Christmas Eve is my favorite part of the holiday. Ever since I was a little girl, Christmas Eve has been the day my family opens presents. Rather than waking up super early on Christmas Day, Santa always rang the doorbell on Christmas Eve and left presents on the doorstep. Once Santa came, that was the cue that the rest of the presents from family could also be opened. (I know it's weird, but so is my family.) 

Christmas Eve was a relaxing day spent just enjoying the company of my family and pre-cooking for Christmas. My mom and I prepared our famous pot roast for Christmas Eve dinner, and that night, we loaded up the Gator and golf cart and headed to my grandmother's house. My grandmother lives next door to my parents, about the length of a football field. When my grandparents first moved here, my grandfather had trouble walking long distances, so we got him a golf cart to ride around the property and get from house-to-house. Today, we still use the golf cart and a Gator to travel between the houses.

At my grandmother's house, we enjoyed pot roast, rolls, Christmas cookies, and presents with my aunt, uncle, and grandma. It was a nice, enjoyable evening. As the evening began to wind down, we re-loaded the Gator and golf cart with our new loot. My dad was driving the Gator with my sister, and I drove the golf cart with my mom. When we arrived at my grandmother's house, I parked too close to my uncle's truck to get out without backing up first. My dad had parked his Gator behind the golf cart. 

After we had loaded everything up, I distinctly remember hearing and seeing my dad get into the Gator, turn it on, and head back to the house. My mom was talking to the rest of the family, so I knew we would be a few minutes in leaving. Without looking, I started to back up the golf cart but rammed right into the Gator (which had not left as I previously thought). While no one was hurt and no damage was caused, the event caused an outcry of laughter from the family and reminiscing about my driving mishaps (which are plentiful!). I'll admit it, here in the open, I'm a terrible driver. Like Sheldon, from Big Bang Theory, I'm just not equipped to drive, but it's a necessary evil in Texas. 

Now, alone, this event seems unimportant and unrelated to anything. In hindsight, it was a premonition... 

Merry Misadventure Number 2 - Melody's Merry Mishap

My older sister is legally blind. She has a genetic disease called Stargardt's, or juvenile macular degeneration, which means she has slowly been losing her eyesight since she was a child. About 8 years ago, it was determined that she could no long have a driver's license. She is still able to live independently, work, and pretty much do whatever she wants...and she has Vulcan hearing (though that part is not important to the story). 

On Christmas Day, my family prepares a lunchtime feast. We are then free to spend the afternoon reading new books, watching new movies, and playing with new toys. Again, just a nice, relaxing, easy-going kind of day. My mom and I worked in the kitchen on the morning of Christmas Day while my sister and dad prepared the house for my aunt, uncle, and grandmother to join us for lunch. Around lunchtime, everything was just about ready to come out of the oven. My OCD-self had kept all the dishes cleaned and kitchen tidy. I'm the type of person who cleans every spoon right after use, even if it will be used again. Drives my mom crazy. 

My sister approaches my mom and dad in the kitchen and asks, "Do y'all want me to take the golf cart and Prince over to grandma's to tell them lunch will be ready soon?" Now, Prince is my parents' 2-year-old golden retriever puppy, who is just shy of 90 pounds. He's big! The biggest dog we've ever had by a long shot. He's still learning to cooperate, so he can be a lot to handle. But, he LOVES to ride on the golf cart or Gator and can be quite well behaved as a passenger. As I was standing in the background for this conversation, I immediately thought, "Hmmm...I'm not sure that is a good idea. My sister, who can't see well, driving the golf cart to my grandma's with the ginormous dog who can be uncooperative at times. I should probably say something." Alas, I did not say a single word. I figured my parents knew what they were doing. After all, I don't live here anymore, and I'm not around for the day-to-day adventures.

Later, my mom would tell me that she told my sister "no" at this point, but my dad said it was fine. I have no idea - I can't remember this part of the story well. Anywho, my sister takes off with the golf cart and Prince to my grandma's house. A few minutes after she leaves, both my dad and I go to separate bathrooms and discover that there is no water pressure in either bathroom. Strange. My dad comes into the kitchen and says something about it, then turns on the faucet to the sink and realizes the lack of water pressure is everywhere. Stranger still. "What would cause there to be no water pressure?" I ask. He informs me that a water main break would do that. (Did I mention how lucky we are that all the dishes to that point were done, the kitchen and house were clean, and Christmas lunch was completely prepared??)

My dad walks outside and returns a few minutes later in a mild rage. He hollers something to my mom then goes out to his shop to retrieve some tools. I walk outside a few minutes later to see my sister on the golf cart with the dog in the middle of the yard looking a bit lost. She tells me that she doesn't really know where she is (because she can't really see). She takes Prince and goes inside the house and only then do I see the geyser behind her. Where a water spout used to be now exists a spewing geyser and miniature lake. My dad then comes running from his shop with a [wrench or channel locks, or something]. He and I go over to the water mess to try to turn off the now destroyed water spout. Unfortunately, the place to turn off the spout is now under a lake of water and mud. As we are tackling this issue, I see my uncle walking over and my aunt and grandma getting into my grandma's car to drive over. Perfect timing, but remember, my sister went over to tell them lunch was almost ready, but in the process, hit the water spout and destroyed the water main. Dad gets the water spout turned off and decides to deal with this issue later.

We come back in the house and enjoy Christmas dinner as a family with no running water in the house. Luckily, we didn't need it! 

After dinner, we congregated outside to fix the water main, which turned out to be an even bigger problem than we previously thought. In my family, when something breaks, it does it well. The water spout was broke and many of the pipes underneath were broke as well. Fixing this problem required digging up most of the piping and replacing it. Fortunately, my dad has his huge "shop" full of tools and parts. He just happened to have everything he needed to fix the water main just enough...doubly fortunate because everything is closed on Christmas Day. After 4 hours, we had the water main fixed enough to function for the rest of the day, and we could enjoy a calming rest of the holiday.

Merry Misadventure Number 3 - The 2-hour Drive to College Station

The final Merry Mishap is my own. After spending a wonderful holiday with my family, I needed to be heading back home. I'm lucky in that my work can pretty much be done anywhere, and for the most part, I dictate when and how it gets done. However, my parents live just outside a small, rural town that really hasn't modernized to many luxuries and comforts I have in my own home. When I am at my parent's house, I have limited access to Internet, which runs exceptionally slowly, and I have basically zero cellular service. Because I had planned to take this entire week off from work, this was not a huge inconvenience, but it does make me a little crazy. 

I had told my family I would be returning home on the evening of the 26th. That evening came, and my parents helped me load up my car with my luggage, new loot, and left overs to last me a week or two (we never out-grow some things). However, as we were loading up the car, Prince decided dashing out the door looked like fun. He did just that and ran off to terrorize the village, also known as the neighbor dogs. Before I could say my goodbyes, my parents and I set off in the dark to find the loose puppy. He was retrieved and brought back home with the help of the Gator because he loves rides, remember? 

With everyone back where they belong, I checked and double-checked the house to make sure I got everything. I said my goodbyes and headed out. About 30-minutes into my 1-hour drive, I realized I left my laptop. The curse of not working for a week is that I forgot I brought my laptop with me at all. I didn't even crack it open for 2 days which is unheard of in my world. I called my mom and said, "My laptop is sitting in it's case beside the couch, right?" "Yep," was her simple reply. Crap. I turned around and headed back. 

After retrieving my coveted laptop, I once again began my drive home. My usual 1-hour drive had turned into a 2-hour drive. I made it home safely, unloaded the car, and unpacked every single thing. I cannot stand to have luggage in the house or things in boxes. The first thing I do when I get home from a trip is unpack everything, put it away, and do laundry. After all these things were done, I finally settled into bed for my long winter's nap after all the Merry Mishaps.

Like I said, my family definitely rolls with the punches when misadventure strikes. While nothing was catastrophic, it caused just enough inconvenience to make things interesting. Christmas 2013 will be in our memories for a while as the Christmas of Merry Misadventures. Thank goodness for family and laughter, and surprisingly, I feel very relaxed, at ease, and ready to tackle a new year! 

I am reminded of all the good in my life and how blessed I truly am. Here is a a Christmas prayer (taken from Big Bang Theory, recited by my dad and I, and something my grandma loves dearly)"

"By his hand, we are all fed.

Give us Lord, our daily bread.

Please know that we are truly grateful,

For every cup and every plateful.

Amen."

I hope your holidays were full of adventure, fun, and family!

-Small Town Girl

Monday Madness #1

While this weekend was not my weekend for football (Ags and Broncos lost...:( ), I had so much fun spending time with my bestie and her family. The weekend was fast-paced, exciting, and full of love, laughter, and fun. Today, I'm a little tired but I couldn't ask for more!

Today also marks the first installment of "Monday Madness" which will serve as a quick way to update everyone on the happenings of my life in a systematic way. Each question I will answer reflects what is currently happening in my life and hopefully reveals my constant dedication to serve my life mission and passions.

Monday Madness #1

Currently reading for school...articles about replicability (jack-knife and cross-validation). I have a presentation in less than two weeks for my multivariate stats class...I'm freaking out just a little bit. eek!

Currently reading on Kindle...The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1) by Patrick Ness. I really love it when I pick up the right book at the right time. Lately, I have felt very overwhelmed by life. This is a YA book by an author that I am growing a deep appreciation for. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I quickly put it on my to-read list but haven't gotten around to it, until now. Set in a futuristic world in which everyone can hear constant Noise (or everyone else's constant thoughts), danger and foreboding are ever-present. I'm not far into it, but curious to see where it will lead.

Currently reading Hardcopy...my current tangible book is The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Again, I'm just getting into it but already love the writing style and subtle quip the author uses. 

Currently writing...the IRB protocol for my pilot study. This is a long, arduous process that researchers have to go through in order to make sure their study is ethical and doesn't harm anyone. Necessary but a pain!

Currently stressing about...hmm, we don't have enough time for that (jk). The biggest stressor for me right now is attending a conference this week in Dallas from Wednesday through Sunday. I have two presentations on Saturday and am not worried about how those will go, but I'm anxious about losing so many days of work. 

Currently cooking...taco chicken with green chilies in the crockpot. YUM!

Currently waiting for...Halloween! :) 

Currently wishing I had more time to...relax and do nothing for school. This weekend, I took Friday afternoon-Monday morning off from work. No writing. No reading. No screening articles. No nothing. It was glorious! However, in the life of an academic, time off is never really time off. It took me three hours to get through the 50+ emails I ignored all weekend. 

Currently loving...that I got to see my wonderful friends from Arizona, eat good food, and watch the Ags at Kyle Field all weekend. Little things in life make it worthwhile, and I loved being reminded that while my work is important, it is pales in comparison to the love of friends.

Currently serving who or what this week...this week I'm continuing my work at the university which serves future teachers and students. However, my presentations at the conference this week are geared towards brand new or soon-to-be-brand new teachers. I hope to inspire them to incorporate technology and solid pedagogy for clear learning purposes to ensure their students' successes.

:) Happy Monday! 

-STG

Welcome to Fall, Y'all!

Wow. I know my last blog post was random and all about how busy Fall has been so far, but man oh man. Life is busy right now!

This past week almost almost did me in. It was jam-packed and to be honest, a bit bizarre. I am learning how to be a counselor this semester (not really, but it seems like it), and I don't know that I am doing the best job at it. This has led me to some reflection and deep meditation to figure out: 1. what about my personality draws people to tell me uncomfortable things, and 2. what do I do with that information to best help the person.

What made this week so cray-cray you ask? 

1. It's high stress time for the graduate students. Moody, stressed-out graduate students are the worst. End. of. story.

2. It's high stress time for the undergraduate students. Moody, stressed-out undergraduate students are almost as bad as graduate students. 

3. My dryer vent broke.

4. My refrigerator keeps leaking. 

5. I broke my favorite cake podium. :(

This weekend, I also happened to catch the cold that was going around the university. It knocked me flat on my bottom for two days. Oh well, I got lots of sleep. 

And....in good news for the weekend, I fixed the broken dryer vent all by myself! (Well, Jack helped a little. Supervised really).

That's modern domesticity at its finest!

And...this happened for the rest of the weekend...

And this...

It's going to be a long Fall, Y'all.

Random Thought Wednesday...

My poor little blog has been neglected for almost a month...clearly school has started again!

The first few weeks of school started off well-enough, and as usual, I hit the ground sprinting. It is the end of September and we are about to head into the first exam week, and I feel ready for Christmas break. I look behind me and so much has already happened. I look ahead, and I've only just begun. 

So far, this is without a doubt my favorite semester in graduate school yet. Or school. Or life. Gosh, I'm so excited about things right now and life is definitely moving in positive directions. I'm all smiles (and stress) but feel really good about where I am. Here is a little sneak peek into the randomness that has been my life for the past 4 weeks (and the randomness my brain is currently operating in!).

1. Friends for BTHO Bama!

This past weekend I got to see most of my favorite people for the big game. :) I can't ask for more than that.

2. What are we teaching these kiddos??

I'm an educator and had a very startling moment last week. A group of students in my class presented on the order of the planets, then had the rest of the class engage in an activity. ME and one group of 3 students were the only ones in the class who KNEW THE ORDER OF THE PLANETS! Gah, I was in shock. What on Earth (like the pun?) are we teaching our kiddos these days. There is something further for me to research...

3. Take a risk

I've been taking a lot of personal risks so far this semester. It's more of my buck-the-system, who-cares, the-worst-they-can-say-is-no mentality. So far, these risks have paid off in dividends that I couldn't even imagine. Yay! 

4. Don't falter - Optimism is supreme

This past week has really been challenging for me (even though it is only Wednesday). I have been faced with so much pessimism which really drags me down. Yesterday, I caught myself being a complete you-know-what in the pessimistic category. As I was reflecting on my day yesterday, I realized that I control my attitude and if I don't want to be pessimistic, I don't have to be. I believe optimism is supreme. As a kid, I used to get disappointed so easily in everything when my expectations weren't met. Over the years, I have always had to fight people telling me that I was too optimistic and how foolish that could be. But, I would rather have high expectations and fill a little let down (but most of the time be pleasantly surprised) than always think the worst. I'm kicking my newfound pessimistic attitude to the curb and embracing my positivity for life. 

5. Prayer and meditation

For my birthday, one of my besties got me a 5-year journal. It is a little journal with predated pages. Each page has a question written at the top (some insightful, some silly) and space to write 5 yearly dates below with a few short lines. The idea is that each day for 5-years you answer a question. Then, you can track how your life and answers change over time. This is so much fun already, and I am looking forward to when I can compare answers across years. 

This idea of a 5-year journal inspired me to start keeping a nightly journal. Each night, before I read, I write about my day, my issues, my concerns, etc. This helps clear my mind before sleep and let out any frustrations. I also find that I don't carry those frustrations into the next day, and I am able to forgive people more for their faults each day. I'm also able to let go of my own indiscretions each day. 

After I journal, I've gotten back to reading a devotional each night. I know the typical way to read a devotional is in the morning, but my brain is already too muddled at that time. I read the devotional for the next day before I got to sleep (or read for fun) each night. Right now, I'm working my way through the updated version of Purpose Driven Life. I read this a long time ago (late high school) and have found myself drifting from my relationship with God over the past few months. A few sad things happened to me this summer, and more sad things have happened to people I care about. Rather than turning to Him, I've been running. This "meditation" at night has helped refocus my life.

These meditative practices have helped me become more relaxed. I have more going on now than ever before and feel pulled in many directions, but I have more clarity than usual. I have more peace. I feel safe and assured that things are ok. I know there is time to accomplish everything. I even find myself dropping everything I had planned to work on something for someone else and not resenting it or the person. 

5. Bottom line, life is good!

I hope yours is too! :) 

Fall is in the Air!!

Ah, my favorite, favorite, favorite time of year is almost here! Words can barely express how much I love Fall, but I'll try to do my feelings justice within the confines of the English language. It is August 18th, and I realize that the official start of Fall is September 21st. However, I consider the beginning of the Fall semester to be the real start. This weekend is the second to last weekend before school begins again and it was a wonderful ode to Fall. :)

Reasons I love Fall:

1. My birthday (end of August)

2. Football, football, and more football (college and NFL)

3. All things pumpkin (lattes, pies, bread, scented candles, decorations)

4. Cooler weather

5. Light sweaters, scarves, and boots

6. When Fall ends, we get Christmas!! 

Like I said, this weekend was filled with wonderful odes to Fall that have really put me in the mood for the season! 

1. Making game-day wreaths with friends

A friend of mine suggested we make game-day wreaths to hang on our front doors during football season. Pinterest offered the inspiration, and while I'm not the craftiest person, I wanted to enjoy the company. We met up on Saturday morning, enjoyed some shopping, perused the craft shops for our supplies, came home, made wine smoothies, and set to work. Nearly 4 hours later, we had works in progress. Let me just say, the Pinterest directions were not very specific or helpful and we had to figure things out on our own. Luckily, we managed and came up with some cool designs. Each unique. Each fitting our house-style and personalities. 

My work in progress...excuse the little details I still have to perfect...

I'm so happy with how this turned out! It is a simple wreath frame weaved with burlap. I painted the T maroon, my friend painted my A&M and '09 off-white, and I glued the letters on. The bottom corner has maroon fabric weaved into the wreath frame, and I attached the the sunflower and two maroon flowers for an edge that is very unique to me. I haven't attached the white fabric but like the detailing, and haven't secured the letter in the center yet. Once I'm finished, I plan to scotch-guard the entire thing for protection against the elements, and will hang it on my door for game-weekends! So fun. :) 

2. Enjoying my freezer cooking!

Last weekend was all about testing out recipes for freezer cooking, which was a success! This week, I tested three of the recipes for flavor and all were magnificent! The Sour Cream Bake was so yummy and easy to heat and bake. On Thursday night, I tried the Shrimp Scami-Fredo, and I think it tasted even better after having been frozen than it did on the day I cooked it. Today's lunch was the Cauliflower Soup and it was to die for! Soup also makes me think of Fall...mmm...cold weather, a blanket, and football! 

3. More prepping for Aggie Football

Game-day wreath making was a great way to kick-off football season, but I had to get Jack ready as well...

Ready to watch the Ags Beat the Hell Outta...hopefully everyone! :)

4. Daddy's Baked Cinnamon Apples

It's clear that I have been trying to expand my cooking arsenal. I've been sampling lots of new recipes, but today I decided to put a twist on an old family favorite. I was in my kitchen this morning and saw that I still had quite a few apples from my last grocery trip, so the wheels in my head started turning...When I was growing up, Daddy would make Bake Cinnamon Apples and a few years ago, he shared the really easy recipe with me. Today, I brought this recipe back, but mad a minor adjustment!

Baked Cinnamon Apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Core and cut apples into slices (skin is optional, I love it, Daddy hates it)

3. Melt one stick of butter in the microwave

4. Toss the apple slices into a Pyrex dish (any glass dish works great for this treat)

5. Take the melted butter out of the microwave, add 1/4 cup of sugar and about a tablespoon of cinnamon.

6. Here's my adjustment: add a dash (half a tablespoon) of vanilla extract (gosh, I love this stuff!)

7. Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla mixture

8. Pour over the apples

9. Mix the apples and mixture until all of the apples are coated then sprinkle with more cinnamon

10. Bake in oven for 30ish minutes (this will give you soft but still crunchy apples; if you want crunchier apples, bake for less time and if you want softer apples, bake longer)

11. Eat 'em up!

The BEST thing about this recipe (besides the deliciousness it creates) is how it makes the house smell - the mix of vanilla and cinnamon is a glorious scent! Yum. 

The Fall semester begins in a week, football starts in 13 days, and all the things I love are fast-approaching. I can't wait to enjoy all of these things with the people I love just as much. 

Freezer Cooking, Take 2...

Today was another success in the world of freezer cooking! I made two soups, put them in tall, round Ziploc containers, and added them to the freezer. Both of these soups turned out ah-mazing! I can't wait to eat them on Sunday football nights.

Soup Number 1 - Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I accomplished something I have never done when cooking. Something wonderful. Something amazing...

                   I followed the directions.

That's right, folks. I did what I was supposed to do! And, boy am I glad because this soup is to die for. Yummy chunks of cauliflower. Celery. Carrots. Fresh herbs. Creamy goodness. This is the Ph.D. of all soups - yumzo! 

The recipe filled four Ziploc containers which are probably about two servings each. 

Soup Number 2 - Chicken Pepper (a Small Town Girl creation)

During my senior year of high school, I got really sick with the flu and all I wanted to eat was chicken noodle soup. Now, for as much as I love soup, I'm a bit of a soup snob. It has to be hearty, full of chunky pieces of meat and vegetables, with a very savory flavor. No soup could do the job. Then, during my freshman year of college, I got the flu AGAIN! This time, there was no one around to bring me soup - and I mean, the soup had not met my expectations anyway. 

Super sick and not feeling well, I journeyed to the grocery store and bought celery, carrots, chicken broth, and an already cooked rotisserie chicken. I shredded the chicken, cut up the carrots and celery, and mixed it into the broth. My go-to soup was created. Over the years, I have perfected and changed this soup to be more sophisticated, but it meets all of my requirements for what a soup should be. 

The soup I made today is inspired by this simple recipe but with a little more flair and sophistication. Here's how I did it:

1. In the crockpot, add 2 quarts of water, salt, pepper, a chicken bouillon cube, and 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook on high power for 4 hours. (This cooks the chicken while making homemade chicken broth!)

2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from crockpot and allow to cool.

3. Pour the chicken broth into a large pot on the stove.

4. Add half a stick of butter, half of an onion (diced), and a little salt and pepper.

5. While the butter is melting and the onion cooking, shred the chicken. 

6. Cut up 2 green bell peppers.

7. Add the bell peppers to the pot and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

8. Add one can of diced tomatoes (with the juice). 

9. Add two cans of hominy, drained. 

10. Add chicken.

11. Finely chop some oregano and parsley and add to the pot. 

12. Allow this glorious mixture to reach boiling. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. (This allows everything to cook through and the herbs to flavor the veggies and chicken.) If your soup is too thick, add water or chicken broth. 

13. After the 20 minutes are up, taste the soup and add seasonings as you like. 

I then let the soup cool and transferred it into Ziploc soup containers. Again, this recipe filled 4 of those containers with 2-3 servings per container. This is a perfect, easy soup. It'll also be great for cold winter days - it's one of those soups that can sit on the stove and cook all day. It just keeps getting better the longer it simmers. 

Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Muffins

As a reward for good behavior, I tried out a Cinnamon Swirl bread I found on the Internet. Except, I added a few things (of course) and made the bread into muffins. Here's how I did it:

1. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.

2. Add 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 egg, and a splash of Vanilla (I love Vanilla!). Mix well.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a handful of chocolate chips.

4. Pour into muffin pan or bread pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (for muffins) or 45 minutes (for bread). 

YUMZO! 

Today was a great day of cooking. I have a freezer filled with delicious goodness to last me through the beginning of the semester and muffins to get me through this week. Now, off to finish a literature search, transcribe a reading session, and update my CV before bed! 

Freezer Cooking, Take 1...

Ok, I'm behind on this one. One of my recorded Pioneer Woman cooking shows was about freezer cooking - this is a completely new idea to me! Who'da thought: cook stuff, freeze it, and you have easy meals?!?! Anyway, I decided to do some research on Pinterest, blogs, and just general Google searching to figure out dos and don'ts along with recipes. Armed with my groceries, a clean kitchen, some recipes, and a free evening, I tried my hand.

Before I get into what I made (3 recipes tonight and my plan is 3 or 4 more tomorrow), there are a few things you should know.

1. I cannot follow directions. Yes, I am getting a Ph.D. Yes, I was a middle school teacher. Yes, I am an adult capable of living on my own. Every single recipe I tried, I changed something. Sometimes because I felt like it and sometimes because I wasn't paying attention or forgot something. Domesticity is not my strong suit. It should also be known that my grad school mentors frequently get frustrated with me because I just do what I want and don't always listen to them. I also get pulled over for speeding quite a bit. Maybe one of my 2014 New Years' Resolutions will involve learning how to follow directions. Probably not, but maybe...

2. I'm a bit of a hazard. I've always been in an on-going battle with gravity (i.e. I trip a lot), I run into door frames on a daily basis, and I break stuff. Just this past Thursday, I was at a training where lunch was served. I got a salad and while eating the salad, I broke my plastic fork. What's worse, this happens to me a lot. I don't understand how people eat with plastic utensils; they're so fragile. Anyway, these behaviors also occur in the kitchen. My poor arms and hands are covered in burn scars...with a new one from today's adventure. Whomp, whomp.

Since I live alone and am usually cooking for one, I wanted to use plastic Ziploc baggies and small loaf pans when I could. The idea was to have individually portioned meals that I can grab and bake/heat. Typically when I have company, I cook. I also wanted stuff that was super easy. I work during the day and have classes or teach at night. Most of my days are 10 or more hours and my brain is friend when I get home - I need dinners that don't take brain power to fix.

Recipe Number 1 - Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This recipe is taken from the Pioneer Woman - I love her stuff. Her food is full of flavors I love, easy, and hearty. I saw this one on the episode I referenced earlier and could not wait to try it! Since I was planning to freeze this and read that freezing sour cream is not a good idea, I omitted that part. On the day of this meal, however, I plan to add sour cream after baking. 

Here's how I did it:

1. Brown ground chuck in a skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. 

2. Drain the meat, and add one can of diced tomatoes. (The original used tomato sauce, but I love chunks of tomato in just about anything. If I don't have canned diced tomatoes in my pantry, I get a bit unnerved.) Add a little bit more pepper. Let this sit on low while preparing the other part of the ingredients. 

3. Cook noodles of your choice. I chose tri-color penne. 

4. In a bowl, mix 1 and 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, black pepper, and green onions. 

5. Drain the noodles and add them to the cottage cheese mix. 

6. Take your baking container. Pour a layer of the cottage cheese/noodle mix, then layer on some of the meat/tomato mix, and top with grated cheese. Repeat as many times as you like, depending on how many layers you want. You can also mix everything together and not layer. 

7. Let it cool, cover with foil, and label. On the serving day, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

For me, this recipe made 3 small loaf pans of the meal. Each loaf pan is about 2 servings. 

Recipe Number Two - Bacon Ranch Chicken and Potatoes (Crockpot)

This morning, I realized I would want to eat dinner and was planning on going grocery shopping. I make grocery lists, but if I don't have something cooking at home for dinner, my grocery trips turn into a kid on a candy-craze. I want everything! I didn't have much in my pantry, so I grabbed some random items, threw them in my crockpot, and hoped for the best! As luck would have it, it turned out great! This is also a Tracey-created recipe, but I'm sure it exists in a more sophisticated presentation.

Here's how I did it:

Add to a crockpot...

- 2 pieces of chicken breast 

- 3 sliced red potatoes

- 4 slices of chopped uncooked bacon

- 1 packet of ranch dressing mix (the powdery, seasoning stuff)

- season salt (I love this stuff, so a lot)

- salt

- pepper

- chicken broth (just enough so that things don't burn or get dried out)

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. 

This was so delicious! Ranchy, bacony, yum! I ate some of this for dinner, then packaged the rest in 3 Ziploc baggies and added to the freezer. When I want to eat it again, I just have to thaw, heat, and eat. 

Recipe Number Three - Shrimp Scampi-Fredo 

If there ever existed a meal that I would want to marry, it's this one. This meal represents everything I love about food and symbolizes how my misfortunes can still make a great dinner. I LOVE pasta and shrimp. Shrimp is probably my all time favorite food, though I love all shellfish pretty equally. If I end up living in a coastal city, I will be in Heaven. Now, the beauty of this meal is that I royally screwed it up, but it still works! In the title, I've linked to the original recipe, but I'll show you what I did below.

Here's how I did it:

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet.

2. Once the butter is melted and the mix starts simmering a little, add in some chopped onion and garlic. 

3. Let the onions and garlic cook a little. 

4. Add in the shrimp (I used half a pound, but you can put in however much you like). 

5. Oh yea, heat some water for the pasta. (and yes, this is really the moment I remembered to do that)

6. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons. Toss in some chopped fresh basil. Add pepper. 

7. Pour in about a cup of whipping cream. (Here's where I messed up. The original recipe called for white wine. I didn't want to use wine because I would have to open a new bottle and consequently, would have to drink said bottle. Normally, this would be fine, but tonight I just wasn't feeling it. Understandable, I know. However, what this created was more of an alfredo sauce with a really tangy scampi taste. DELICIOUS! Hence, the name "scampi-fredo".)

8. Reduce heat to low and let simmer. 

9. Add Angel hair pasta to the boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes, while scampi-fredo sauce is simmering. 

10. Drain pasta, keeping a little bit of the pasta juice to ad to the final mixture if it isn't to your liking. 

11. Add pasta to the scampi-fredo sauce. Mix around. 

12. Pour into small loaf pans, cool, cover, and freeze.

Thank goodness I ate dinner before cooking this meal. I sampled it and thought I would fall over, it was THAT good. This will now be a staple in my house. I CANNOT wait to pull it out of the freezer, thaw, heat, and eat!

This concludes the minor cooking adventures of the Small Town Girl. I learned a few things, have a new scar, and have a total of 9 meals waiting in the freezer for one of those busy days this coming semester. Tomorrow I'm tackling two soup recipes and salisbury steak. Wish me luck! 

Hello, I'm Tracey!

With the blog make-over and an increasing following, I decided now was as good a time as ever for some re-introducing! 

Howdy, I'm Tracey! 

I'm a twenty-something, Texas girl living my dream! I was a middle school English teacher  (brave, yes) for several years but love school so much and wanted to make more of a difference that I decided to return to the place I love most, Texas A&M University, for a Ph.D. in education. Now I work on research grants for universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations and teach undergraduate education courses. I love my work! Every day I get to do the things I love - writing, reading, researching, running statistics (I'm weird, ok!) - while making a difference in the lives of kiddos. *Sigh* 

After coming home from a long day of work and classes, I enjoy the simple things in life. I'm a writer, mostly dabbling in short stories and poetry, and a blogger. I hope that my blog is filled with inspiration and humor, which I believe are the fruit of life. I'm an avid reader with two or three current reads at one time (check out my reading lists in the tabs above or check me out on Goodreads for more). Teen fiction, chick lit, classics, best sellers, and a select few favorite authors stock my bookshelves. My life is an endless competition between wanting to own all my favorite books and not wanting a cluttered house. Somehow I manage.

As a twenty-something I feel there are skills I should acquire and what better time than now! One of those skills is cooking. I did not come from a long line of great chefs but love food. As a graduate student, money is a constant battle so planning ahead is a component of every part of my life. I cook meals at home five or six nights a week and am always looking for tasty, simple recipes. I don't have time to cook extravagant meals but if it can be done in less than an hour - perfection!

I am crazy about traveling. Growing up, my family took trips to New Mexico to visit family each summer, and I loved it. Now that I'm an adult and have job that requires me to travel to conferences to present research, I get to travel more. (I haven't traveled anywhere for 3 weeks and am about to go crazy!) Little road trips to the big Texas cities or hill country are great as are trips to other states. Since my traveling really began at age 24, I've made a few traveling goals, starting with trying to see all 50 states. I've only been to a few so far in the past two years (California, Arizona, Nevada) from my trips to San Diego, San Francisco, Vegas, and Scottsdale. This year, I will get to travel to Philadelphia and New Orleans and cannot wait! A group of friends of mine have also decided that we want to take a cruise in May to celebrate passing our comprehensive exams and proposal defenses. Woo hoo!

If inspiration and humor are the fruits of life, the foundation (what food analogy would that be?) of it is family. I am very close with my family and we share a special bond. Now that I'm grown up, I've enjoyed seeing the family dynamics switch from being a child in the family to being one of the adults. I'm thankful for their support and tolerance of my craziness each and every day. I'm equally blessed with several best friends who have married the loves of their lives and hope to start families some day. These friends are also family. The bonds we share truly make us sisters. Finally, I am a proud pet parent. I love my little companion, Jack. Taking care of a pet forces me to stop, smell the roses and take breaks from work every now and then.

Hopefully through the first few parts of this post, you've gotten to see my personality (I sound just like I write) but in case you haven't had enough, here are a few more of my quirks:

*I love winter more than summer (cold weather, hot beverages, sweaters, and boots)

*I'm a work-aholic

*Good wine can turn any bad day

*I should have been twenty-something the year I was born (hair bands, rock metal, crazy outfits)

*Journey is my all time favorite band - my other favorites are 80s or alternative

*I hate working out. Really, hate it. But I hate the thought of gaining weight more so I do it

*Titanic is the greatest movie ever, hands down

*Cleaning is a stress reliever

*I collect crosses, bears, books, and shoes

*Ice cream and chocolate are food groups

Happy Wednesday! 

T

Summer Accomplishments

I'm a big fan of lists! I can attribute this to my Type-A personality and my desire to do as much as possible with the limited time I am given. In fact, I begin every day by making a to-do list. One problem I often face, though, is that I have Luby's syndrome (this refers to the activity of going to Luby's and getting way more food than you can eat, your eyes are bigger than your stomach). This summer, I started making to-do lists with a corresponding "accomplishments" list. I was finally able to see how I compare to what I think I can do, but more importantly, I realized just how much I do in a day! Rather than focusing on where I fell short each day, I can be proud of what I did.

That being said, here goes my summer "Accomplishment" list! See this posting from the beginning of summer with what I wanted to do - haha, it makes me laugh.

Summer 2013 Accomplishments

1. Write, submit, and publish my first research article! (Whoop...coming October 2013!)

2. Traveled to Dallas to see my best friend! 

3. Traveled to Arizona to see my bestie!

4. Attend a wonderful concert that relived my childhood (NKOTB, Boyz 2 Men, 98*)

5. Enjoy a weekend in Fredericksburg with my family

6. Read 9 books (working on #10) for fun!

7. Took day trips to Austin, Houston, and the zoo

8. Wrote and researched more hours than during the regular semesters (what's up with that?!?). Check out my Living on a Writing Prayer blog for that story!

9. Presented at 2 conferences

10. Sampled new recipes (with some success and a little trial and error)

11. Blinked and summer was gone! 

August is by far one of the busiest months of the year. Life gets crazy in anticipation for the upcoming semester, plus it's my birthday month. And, people just get a little panicky, a little anxious, and a little wound up worrying about what challenges new semester will bring. 

Summer, until next year...

August of Make-overs

Apparently, this August symbolizes make-overs for me (as evidenced by the blog!). 

I finally decided that I want to be a "real" blogger, so I researched HTML coding and blogging how-to websites. The result is what you see! Just a few minor changes, but I love it. Very true to my style.

Wait for it...

Growing up, my dad gave me some great advice. One of his stand-by phrases was "Don't ask a question if you can't live with the answer." This was usually his response to one of my meltdowns. I have a few character flaws that make me obsess, over think, and constantly second guess big life decisions. During one of these crazy periods, he would look at me and say, "well, don't ask the question if you can't live with the answer" followed by a dramatic scene from A Few Good Men.

While my problems and "big decisions" from my early twenties and teen years seem petty now, at the time, they were all I could think about. Now that I will officially be in my "mid-to-late twenties" later this month, decisions are a little more important. Within the next year, I will solidify my graduate committee, take my LAST courses, take my comprehensive exams, defend my proposal for my dissertation, and begin the dissertation process. These are the final BIG steps to getting a Ph.D.

After these tasks are completed, I have to think about the more practical changes coming up - selling my house, packing up all my stuff, getting a job, and moving away from the place I truly grew up. I have no idea where I will be in two years, but I like that. I also like that I have come to the realization that graduating this last time is exciting and I'm finally ready for it. May of 2015 will be monumental in my life, but these last two school years leading up to it will be epic.

As I've been thinking about all of these big steps to come and eventual life changes, I've had to ask myself some really tough questions. So far, I have been able to live with all of the answers, but stay tuned because there is still a long way to go!

To quote my newest obsession: these next two year will be LEGEND....wait for it.....

Stay tuned to see how this ends,

Tracey

Weekend of Relaxation

Here we are 9 weeks since the Spring semester ended, and it is my FIRST weekend at home. Between birthdays, visiting friends, mini-vacations, and the family emergency, I just have not got to be home. I am so relieved to get to spend this weekend in my own home, doing my own things. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and friends and love traveling, but it is draining to be away living in other people's routines for so long. So, what did this exciting and relaxing weekend involve?

Saturday morning began with some deep and dirty cleaning. I love to clean, and since I've been away, dust had built up. I broke out the Clorox and went to town on this poor little house of mine. It feels fresh now. After the cleaning spree was a trip to the grocery store because I had a craving to test some new recipes. Saturday night was girls' night so what better way to test some new recipes on my friends! (I just hoped they turned out!)

The first new recipe I tried was Chicken Spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman. In true Tracey fashion, I didn't follow the recipe exactly...here's what I did.

Southern-Style Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

1. Boil several chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. 

2. While the chicken is boiling, cut up 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, several carrots, and1 yellow squash. (or whatever veggies you like)

3. Boil 2 cobs of corn, cut the corn off the cob, and add to the veggie mix. 

3. Add 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup, 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup, and 2 cans of Rotel. (I like the kick of Rotel instead of the seasonings The Pioneer Woman uses)

4. When the chicken has finished boiling, remove it and let cool on a cutting board. Scoop out 2 cups of the broth and set aside. Add spaghetti to the boiling broth left in the pan and cook for about 6 minutes (you want it to still be a little crisp). 

5. Cut up the chicken and add to the veggie mix. 

6. Drain the spaghetti and add to the veggie/chicken mix.

7. Add 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like).

8. Mix together and add broth so that the mixture is smooth and just a little liquid-y. 

9. Add salt and pepper to season as you like.

10. Pour mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle more cheese on top.

11. Cover the dish with aluminum foil to keep the cheese from burning, and cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 

Yummy finished product! And yes, it tasted as good as it looks. 

The Chicken Spaghetti was well received and scrumptious!! I have left overs to eat for the rest of the week because I didn't think to pare down the recipe for my smaller crowd. Oh well, live and learn.

Now for dessert! I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman and could not refuse...it looked too sinfully delicious to pass up. I was nervous because this recipe involved some of the cooking chemistry (adding hot things to cold things to create reactions) which always makes me nervous. I also did not follow this recipe exactly since I'm not the biggest fan of orange, so...

Instead of regular coffee, I used this Coconut Coffee from Dunkin' Donuts...

And instead of Orange Liqueur, I used this Chocolate Wine from Fredericksburg...

Chocolate-Coconut Dream Mousse

1. Add 12 ounces of chocolate chips to a blender (I used milk chocolate chips). 

2. Crack in 4 eggs.

3. Add a dash of salt and about a tablespoon of your chosen liqueur.

4. Blend until smooth-ish.

5. While the blender is going, add in 1 cup of REALLY hot coffee through the little hole in the top of the blender. Add it slowly. 

6. Blend until smooth. 

7. Pour into glasses, jars, bowls of your choice. (I chose wine glasses, naturally). 

8. Put the glasses in the refrigerator and let them set for a few hours. (I put a little too much liquid in mine and they didn't quite set, but were still very tasty. I can't wait to try them again and hopefully they'll set like mousse.)

9. When you are ready to serve them, add whatever toppings you like. To capitalize on the coconut flavor of the coffee, I added shredded coconut and whipped cream! 

Like I said, these didn't quite set completely, but they were also well loved. Try them today!

Dinner was lovely. Girls' night was lovely. I am happy.

This Sunday morning has found me full of energy after getting to spend a relaxing Saturday at home. I enjoyed a morning run, walk with Jack, and am currently watching the Men's Final of Wimbledon which is my yearly Christmas in July. What more could I ask for on a relaxing summer weekend?