Earlier this week, I applied for a position within my company. The position had been open for a few weeks, and they had already interviewed people for the job. I was interviewed by two people, I’ve seen them before, exchanged pleasantries, but was never formally introduced to either of them. I’m thrilled to say that I did receive the position and will be moving into my new role early in September. It does have a later start time, however, I will be able to spend even more time with my daughter, daily, than I already do. God is good.
Celebrate Life!
I write what I like…
Job: Transitioning into a new role
Adventures in Driving: My daughter’s learning to drive
I love meal prep!
Being that my life has been jam-packed with obligations, one way I’ve been staying on top of healthy eating is preparing meals in bulk, breaking down into two meal portions (for my daughter and myself) and placing the food into our deep freezer.
Earlier this week, I made a large batch of taquitos and today I believe I’ll be making a large batch of chili.
It’s a beautiful day outside, and so after my daughter finishes some of her work, we’ll be headed outdoors!
Loving my Franklin Covey (Classic) Planner
I have two Franklin Covey planners. A Franklin Covey Classic and also the much larger Franklin Covey Monarch. The Monarch is exclusively used for business and recently, I decided to use my smaller planner for independent work/goals. Swapping to this set-up is working beautifully for myself. I can honestly say that I use my Classic planner daily. It’s one of the first things I reach for in the morning and also one of the last things I look at in the evenings. Nighttime is my chance to unwind after a busy day. During that time, I typically review (and check off the tasks completed throughout the day) what I’ve done for the day and assign myself any additional new tasks for upcoming days.
My planner is also where I add my ‘organized brain dumps.’ Once, I’ve sifted through that chaos, I place my organized brain dumps as actionable tasks into my planner. Doing this simple, has helped me out tremendously in making sure that I complete those wishes also and it guarantees that I won’t forget those thoughts. Of course, a writing down tasks are only good if you put them into action. I do. Of course, there are times that I don’t complete projects on their assigned date. In those cases, I move them forward to another date and on the rare occasion, the task is deleted.
Jim Engel has an excellent video on Youtube on how he organizes his planner. The video was made in 2015, however, the information is timeless. Guess what? His system is very similar to how I use my Franklin Covey planners.
Computerless…
A few weeks ago, I started having issues with my computer. Turns out, I had a hard drive failure. Whoops! Since I didn’t have the time to replace it myself, I finally got around to having it taken in to be replaced last week. The computer is still under warranty. It arrived back today and now I’m in the process of adding everything back to my desktop computer. Thankfully, nothing was lost, so yes… all my documents and pictures are intact.
Garlic fried brown rice with a mushroom sauce and caramelized Brussel sprouts
A few weeks ago, I made this dish.
Garlic fried brown rice with a mushroom sauce and caramelized Brussel sprouts.
The rice simmered in an herbal tea and the rice received its golden color from turmeric.
A few of the herbs came from our garden. All the herbs/spices were ground in my 15-pound granite mortar and pestle. The herbs/spices that I do purchase are bought whole. Why? It’s much more flavorful. I grind them in my mortar and pestle. The scents that are released as you grind your herbs and spices can be intoxicating.
The Brussel sprouts were coarsely chopped and sautéed in my steel hand hammered wok. I’ve had that wok for almost 30 years. I purchased it during my sophomore year in college. Quality cookware can last a long time.
In other news…
It’s been very busy. Currently, I’m working on a few sewing related items that will be given out over the next few weeks and I have some orders. Besides that, all is well with my daughter and me. We’ve taken several road trips this year and are truly celebrating life. I hope you are also.
Carnivorous Plant: Pinguicula laueana x emarginata
Say hello to my little friend! A few days ago, I received this carnivorous plant in the mail. It’s a Pinguicula laueana x emarginata. Isn’t it tiny! I’ve named it Zaccheus, after the Tax collector in the Bible. He was short in stature.
Pinguicula is Latin for “little greasy one.” It’s a reference to the plants’ greasy feel. Their leaves are covered with tiny sticky hairs that catch small prey like fruit flies and gnats. The leaves also excrete a liquid of enzymes and acid that quickly dissolve the prey.
I’ve always been fascinated with carnivorous plants, but outside, of a venus fly trap (that I’d had several years ago) I really haven’t ventured into welcoming them into my home. The main reason is, I didn’t know too much about them and I won’t allow something into my space unless I can take care of it properly. Well, that has changed. I’ve read a lot about carnivorous plants, watched numerous videos and have even purchased the book, The Savage Garden by Peter D’Amoto. That book discusses carnivorous plants in detail and I’m now willing to start welcoming them into my home. From my readings, pinguicula, are some of the easier carnivorous plants to tend to, which seems like a great starting point.
I repotted the Pinguicula laueana x emarginata the same day I received it in the mail.
From my research, carnivorous plants are best suited in plastic containers, since these vessels aren’t porous like clay. I used one of my small containers that held beads. I cleaned it and punched holes in the bottom of the container and repotted my plant. I then added a small stainless steel bowl, to which I placed the plant inside. This small bowl has tiny gravel, to which I add water for moisture.
Soon, my daughter and I will be visiting a local carnivorous plant nursery. I believe it will be a fabulous experience and will be wonderful to see many of them in one place and ask questions. I’m sure we’ll be leaving with a few of our own.
