Guess I should update this thing...

I suppose I should update my blog. Seems a fitting thing to do.

I just purchased tickets to go to California. I leave April 20 and return April 27. I look forward to that.

I redecorated my bathroom this month. The hardest part was finding artwork to put on the wall, but I got something that goes really well.

That's all folks!

Can she bake a cherry pie?

Who knows, but she can bake an apple pie. I baked my first apple pie yesterday. I used a recipe that said to cook the apples first, then bake the pie. I found a dutch apple pie recipe online and used the topping and bake time from that recipe in combination with the apple filling recipe (that's the Apple Pie II from The All New Joy of Cooking for those of you who have it) in a frozen grocery store purchased pie crust. The crust was a little bit overdone (although not burnt), but the apples were so soft and smooth and yummy and the topping was very good as well. So why cook the apples first? They won't shrink when you bake the pie. The reason for this is actually for a second crust so it will lie flat and won't crumble when you cut it like it usually does for a more traditional two crust apple pie. I really think that I will always make apple pies with the precook method because I think it was the best filling I have ever had - twice-cooked apples with sugar and cinnamon and a dash of salt. The only thing I would do differently is make the pie a little bit fuller. I used a combination of apples in the pie, which probably added to its flavor. I used Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Cortland (that's a local variety, but they are very good) apples, and will have to keep that in mind for the future. I still have one more pie crust and more apples, so maybe I'll make another when this one is gone. I might just like pie after all...

Roommate swap

My roommate is getting married this summer and will be moving out much sooner than I had realized. Everything is in place for my new roommate to move in as soon as Nicole moves out. In the past two days she got a job, we got the okay from the office for her to move in, and we discussed the financial aspect and came to an agreement we are both satisfied with. Possibly as early as March I will be sharing an apartment with a two year old. This will be a learning experience for me. Mommy's job is at a daycare, so that's where Olivia will be spending most of her days and I will probably be on sitting duty for a few hours in the evening one or two days per week, but she's easy to watch, so I'm not concerned about that.

I have already planned out how I want the living room laid out and know what I want to purchase as far as furniture. We need a couch, since the couch and recliner in the living room are Nicole's, so I'm thinking getting a sectional to put in the corner and open up the room a little bit more that way. The only problem with the scheme is that the colors I want to use are the same as are in the bathroom right now, so I think I'm going to redecorate the bathroom. Fortunately that's cheap. Nicole wants to do her new bathroom in the colors we have in there now, so I told her she can take the shower curtain. I can certainly replace it!

This weekend I have thought a lot about Hosea and what God was saying through him. God extends His love to people He knows will not return it as they should and will go off and do their own thing, but He still goes after them again to bring them back. That's amazing to me.

It's beginning to look a lot like...winter

It's 2 degrees outside right now according to weather.com with a little bit of snow on the ground. Sunday evening into Monday morning put on a warmer but much more impressive display of snow.

It was pretty where it was untouched...

And then there is the practical reality of snow...

And where man and nature mix, it can still look lovely...