Glazed Blueberry Pie- A story in pictures

Goodbye 28, Hello 29

On Thursday, I will be 29. Truth be told, this is not at all what I expected my life to be like as I turned 29. But, overall, year 28 was pretty good.

Some highlights of Year 28:

I went on three interviews and got offered two jobs. If the one in Pittsburgh had been for longer than just one year, I would be writing this post from a different city. But, all in all, things worked out well. I love the school I'm at and the people I work with. Things happen for a reason, right? So there must be some explanation for why I got hired in Hollidaysburg.

I bought a house!


I reconnected with some friends from college and high school, but I also "lost touch" with some friends as well.

I finally got to see a Stanley Cup banner go up in the Mellon, after waiting since 1993.



I also got to see the last game at the Mellon Arena, too. And yes, I will admit that I held it together until Mario walked out onto the ice, then I started crying.


I bought an imac and my life has never been the same!


I am the smallest and healthiest I have been in my adult (heck, even teenage) life. I probably drive people crazy with how particular I am about the types of food I will and will not eat. In my defense, I do try REALLY hard not to be a pain about it, so if I am, I apologize! :O)



As for year 29, who knows what it has in store, but here are some hopes:

* Many games at the new CEC
* A trip to Chicago to see the Hawks and Pens
* Participate in a 5K (to walk, not run- my poor knees could never handle running!)
* A 30th birthday vacation to a location that requires a passport
* And many, many good times with friends and all of their babies, especially the ones who love to cuddle (Talkin' 'bout you, Camden!)

Homemade Zucchini Straws

Every summer, I buy zucchini from the Amish thinking that I will love it, and every summer, I find out that I am not a huge fan of zucchini. Although this summer, with the help of P-Dub (aka The Pioneer Woman), I found a great recipe that could make anyone love zucchini...

Homemade zucchini straws!!!!

Between the flour, the oil, and the thin pieces, you don't even know you are eating zucchini! And those are the kind of vegetables that Laura likes!

Visitors from Virgina, Part 2

On Friday, we had a fun filled day at the best parks in Altoona. First, we stopped at the Learning Express playground. Everything is perfect size for toddlers and small children. While we were there, we ran into my friend Maureen and her little girl.




Next, we headed to Delgrosso's. Such a great park for kids! It was such a beautiful day: sunny, warm, and ZERO humidity!



After dinner, we headed to the Penn State campus to walk and find some ducks to look at.

Visitors from Virgina, Part 1

This week, my friend Kelli and her little boy came to visit. They live in Virgina, so they had quite the drive to Altoona. Thursday night, we went to Legion Park and had a TON of fun. I haven't been there for years, but the playground was great! It wasn't too busy, so it was nice to be able to run around and play where we wanted.

Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About...

Found a great new set of books by Steve Sheinkin, a former text book author. He would get upset when publishers didn't let him use the "good" stories he found when researching, so he kept track of them and compiled them into books for kids. So far I've finished




(I secretly love American history, so I thoroughly enjoyed these books!)

Now off to find

Summer Flowers

More Books

Last week, I read:

Utterly Me, Clarice Brown- an older Junie B. Jones type character, but doesn't get in quite as much trouble as Junie B.

Lawn Boy- not your typical Gary Paulsen book (author of Hatchet). Quick read. About a boy who needs a new bike tire, so his grandma gives him a lawn mower to raise the money to buy a new tire. He ends up making hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Magician's Elephant- typical Kate DiCamillo book- short, big vocabulary for a children's book, and an overall cute story involving people and animals.

Swindle- by Gordon Korman- Griffin plans a heist to take back an old Babe Ruth card after he was told it was a fake. Great read. Can't wait to read Zoo Break, which is the follow up.

Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School: We the Children

Just read this great book by one of my favorite intermediate age authors, Andrew Clements. Ben and his friend Jill have to save their school from being torn down and turned into an amusement park. Luckily, before he died, the janitor gave Ben a special coin to help solve the mystery. The book is short, the chapters are short, and there are some illustrations- great book for boys in grades 4-6, especially reluctant readers.

Open House

Last night I had a few friends over for desserts and to show off my house. I was too busy eating and talking to take pictures, but I did manage to take some of the flower arrangements before everyone showed up.

June 12

What a great, but busy day!

First, I headed over to the Autism Walk at Blair County Ballpark, where I was the official CBH (Creamer Baby Holder). It was so much fun to catch up with everyone I used to work with and see how their babies had grown since last summer. It was brutally hot on the field, so we weren't able to walk as long as we normally do each year.




After I left the Walk, I drove to the produce farms in Sinking Valley where I bought 3 more quarts of strawberries. I think I've already eaten 12 quarts, and they've only been picking them since Memorial Day.

yummmm!

When I got back into town, I had enough time to run in the house and store all the produce in the fridge before I had to be at my mom's house to pick her up so we could head to my grandma's for her church's strawberry festival.


The strawberry festival was UH-MAY-ZING!!!!!!!!!! They make all of their sandwich buns from scratch. Then, they bring you these desserts that are HUGE and made from scratch. I couldn't decide between the strawberry pie and the strawberry shortcake, so I got both, along with homemade ice cream for on them. It was DELICIOUS!!!! I already have the date for the Peach Festival written down in my calendar! It was so much fun to spend the afternoon with my grandma and cousin, especially when Kristie and I decided to take a trip down memory lane...

I'm Back!!!!

I haven't blogged about anything in forever! I decided I would try to blog a ton this summer, so when I think I haven't done anything, I can look back and see all the things I have done.