Just a plain, regular howdy-do booth. No big updates. I'm still alive. Still teaching. Still loving it. Still more tired than I have reason to be. Still feeling blessed. Still missing you guys :) :)
Oh, wait. One thing has changed! THERE IS SNOW OUTSIDE!!!!!!!! YAY!
I couldn't let the Old Year pass without coming by to greet and share some love with the wonderful people I've met on Dailybooth. Delinquent I may be, but never unappreciative of the warmth, friendship and fun conversation that I've found here.
Last year this time, I was not in a happy place. It felt like my life was completely out of my control and nothing was going the way I wanted. I was depressed. In the midst of that, I was able to recognize, if not fully appreciate, the many blessings in my life. Still, I remember distinctly sitting in the same chair I'm sitting in right now and saying "Good riddance 2010!"
I laugh now as I type that because 2011 has also been a challenging year, but as it ends, it leaves no bitter taste in my mouth. This time around, I not only recognize, but truly appreciate the blessings that this year has brought to me. It feels like I have been surrounded by kind people. People who have encouraged me, lifted my spirits, offered advice, and given their help in practical ways. I no longer take small kindnesses for granted. I end the year in a much better position emotionally, financially and spiritually because of small acts of kindness that have huge ripple effects. For example, I am in the contract I have now because, as I was supply teaching, I acquired a "cheering-squad" of teachers and TAs who made it their business to constantly offer positive feedback to admin about my work. They didn't have to do that. I neither asked for, nor expected it. They are simply kind people, with nothing to gain except my unending gratitude.
This Christmas, my aunt gave me a card which really meant a lot to me. I am not generally into cards, but when I read it, I could tell that she had taken the time to select one that spoke to my life. It said:
If I could give you any gift this Christmas,
I'd give you the promise of a new year
filled with health, hope, and happiness;
a heart filled with peace;
and days filled with all you could wish for.
I know what a rough year it has been for you.
You've had more than your share of hard times -
and you deserve so much better.
My Christmas wish is that this holiday season
will be the start of much better days - filled with smiles, laughter, good health, and all the happiness your heart can hold.
As 2012 begins, my New Year's wish for all of my friends is that, however 2011 seemed from your perspective - good, bad or neutral - you will also find much better days in the year ahead!
Lazy Man’s Gourmet – Tomato Basil Mussels (served with pasta)
I didn’t have to work today, so I decided to play around with some of the ingredients in my kitchen to make a nice lunch. I had a general idea of what I was going to make, but I knew that I would need to make a few substitutions for more classic versions of this dish.
I call it lazy man’s gourmet because I took the easy way out, using frozen, dried and canned ingredients to save time and effort. Most of the effort was chopping up the fresh seasonings.
I didn’t plan this meal for a #recipebooth, so I didn’t take measurements. I’ll try to give you general ideas of quantities as we go along.
I guess that our warm spell is over. I can't complain, because our average temp for this time of year is about 14C and most of the past week and a half has been in the 20s. Today will be cool and rainy. Hence the coat. :)
Had a great day yesterday and I'm off for another wonderful day. I hope you enjoy yours as well!
You might not be able to tell by looking at me, but inside, I'm doing the happy dance!
As of this morning. I am finally employed within my field! I have really, really missed teaching, so I am thrilled. For now, I'll be doing supply teaching for the public school board in my region. I also have a promising prospect for a long term position sometime in the next few months (replacing a teacher going on maternity leave) so cross your fingers for me that that works out, And from there, I'm hoping to get a full time contract. Everything in stages. :)
I signed the paperwork today and I already have bookings for this Thursday and Friday. Over the past year of volunteering in Special Education, I have made some really good friends who continue to look out for me and I know that things will only get better from here on out. It won't be easy. I'm told that supply work tends to be feast or famine, but I get to be back in the classroom and there's nothing that's going to bring me down right now!
After overdoing my carb intake earlier in the day, I decided to grill some eggplant for supper. Once I had the grill heated up, however, this turned into a much longer process than I had planned and I ended up not only grilling eggplants but zucchini, yellow and green bell peppers and a small pork roast that I had marinating in the fridge.
If you've never grilled eggplant before, you should absolutely try it! Cut it thick, spritz it with some olive oil, sprinkle on some of your favourite seasoning rub and grill it at a high temperature. My grill just goes to 425, so that's the setting I use. The eggplant carmelizes and takes on a sweet flavour. It's great to eat alone or you can keep some in the fridge to use in sandwiches or incorporate into other recipes. For example, I used the last of an earlier batch of grilled eggplant as one of my veggies in chow mein.
#FoodBooth - I took pictures planning to make this a #recipebooth but I got lazy. Will do one another time :)
