Graduation!

On Sunday I graduated from Saint Catherine University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work.

My journey from high school to college graduate was a long one. Thirteen years long to be exact. Sometimes it seems disappointing that it took me so long, but as I look at everything I have done over the past 13 years I realize I wouldn't change those experiences for the world. I have grown so much as a person and those experiences will be invaluable in my future career. I have come to realize that going back to college 2 1/2 years ago was something that happened at exactly the right time.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past couple of years as I worked my way through school, working full time, internships, and more.

First and foremost, to my dear Kristin who listened to me complain incessantly about the homework and the time it was sucking out of my life. Who listened to me cry at midnight because I had a huge paper due the next day and had yet to start it. Who listened to jokes or funny stories from class that didn't sound nearly as funny outside of class. Who understood when I was too tired to clean or too busy to cook. Who read papers and gave suggestions even when she didn't have a clue what the assignment was all about.

To my classmates who also listened to me complain and complained right along with me. Who were there to offer support when life got crazy. Who made group work bearable. Who each in her own way taught me invaluable lessons about life, friendship, perseverance, integrity, hard work, and survival.

To the professors. Who all cared about us as students and human beings. Who were passionate about social work and instilled that passion in each of us.

To my sister, Cassi, who always answered her phone (even if I had already called her 10 times that day) to answer questions or just lend a listening ear.

To my parents who were always willing to read a paper one more time.

To my various coworkers, managers, and friends at Dow Jones who were always supportive and flexible - allowing me to leave early or come in late to accommodate my school and internship schedule.

To friends who have been understanding when I've had to cancel plans at the last minute or who have sat here and listened to me complain (I seem to have complained a lot over the past 2 1/2 years, haven't I?!?) without complaining back. Who called at 6 a.m. to make sure I was up cramming for a Spanish test. Who always had answers when I asked questions.

And finally to the person who once said "if she can go all the way to China to follow her dreams you can certainly go a few miles down the road to St. Kate's to follow yours." Who always told me I could do it even when I insisted I couldn't. Who never gave up hope and assured me over and over that I am not now, nor have I ever been, crazy. :)

I couldn't have made it through the past 2 1/2 years without the help and support of all of you. So thank you.

And now...a few pictures from graduation...

A large portion of the group of amazing women I had the privilege of spending every other weekend with for the past two + years!

Kristin and I after graduation.

Elizabeth, me, and Becky

Kristin and me!

An official St. Kate's aluma!

2008 in Review

The new year always gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the outgoing year and look forward to the upcoming one. Kristin and I have talked a lot about 2008 and have decided it wasn't a very exciting year, but one worth remembering anyway.

Highlights:
I started school again in January and was completely freaked out by having to take two Spanish classes, but I survived!

February brought participation in our very first caucus! It signaled the middle of a long presidential election cycle.

The only notable thing I could find in March was that I started seeing Luis, a Spanish tutor. I think he single-handedly got me through.

In April we welcomed a new nephew, Corban, to the family! We still haven't had the chance to meet the little guy yet, but are hoping to sometime in 2009.

May brought the May Day Parade as well as Lisa's graduation from law school.

In June we celebrated the end of Spanish (yay!) for me as well as Pride.

The CPA community welcomed a new little guy - Xavier - in July. July also found Kristin and Jehn having a garage sale and Kristin and I going to Duluth for our first wedding anniversary!

In August Robyn and Dejan came for a visit, and we had a great time! We also attended the annual Dow Jones picnic and joined Heather and Michele for some camping fun at Wilderness Way!

It was back to school in September with Kristin heading back to CPA and both of us heading back to college.

October brought another trip to Wilderness Way (this time we brought along Jehn to join in the fun), we celebrated our 5th anniversary (of being together), and I started my internship at CPA.

The all-important presidential election brought us out to the polls in November. We also went to South Dakota for Thanksgiving!

December was a busy month with my birthday, finals for school, attending the Dow Jones holiday dinner, preparing popcorn trains for Kristin's class, attending Heather and Michele's holiday bash, both of us getting sick, spending Christmas in South Dakota, and finally saying goodbye to 2008 at The Melting Pot with Heather, Michele, and Jehn. Unfortunately, Grandpa Moe passed away on December 30...which brought a sad end to the year (see previous post).

We've definitely had some ups and downs over the past year - here's hoping 2009 is a little more exciting and a little less bumpy!

Popcorn Trains

So when I was little we would make these things called popcorn trains. I don't remember making them every year, but I know whenever we did it was good times all around - popping the popcorn, forming the trains, getting the frosting ready, and, the best part, getting the candy opened and poured into bowls.  Within minutes all of us would be hunched over our box car or train, trying to get it to look just right.  There was never a shortage of candy chomping, laughter, or "oh crap!" going around.  

Making popcorn trains is one of my favorite holiday memories, so every Christmas I think about it and consider making one.  I've never done it because I never knew what we'd do with it, but this year I told Kristin she should make them with her 3rd graders. She agreed, but only if I would come in and run a "station" (no pun intended) at her holiday party on Friday. They have 4 stations where 6 kids come for 20 minutes and do an activity. So my station will be making the engine car of a popcorn train. 

I pulled out the recipe a few weeks ago and have been mulling over how this is going to work. This weekend I went out and bought a bunch of stuff to try - the key is going to be ease since there will only be 1 of me and 24 of them (in groups of 6, but still!).

So this morning I made a 3-car train. I had limited candy resources (because I only wanted to use what I was going to have there for the kids to use) and tested out a new frosting (in a can instead of the homemade stuff). I'm still not sure if the canned frosting is going to work. I really need a frosting that is going to set up and get hard in a short amount of time (like before the kids have to take them and run out to their buses)...and I'm not thinking the canned frosting is going to work for that. If it doesn't I'll be going to a candy store to buy a ton of decorating bags and tips and spending all Friday morning making frosting (we're going to be making a ton of train cars Thursday night if anyone is interested in helping :)).

Anyway, the final product is below. It's not done very well (I totally blame the canned frosting), but what can I say - I did the best I could with what I had this morning :)

Sugar Snap Peas

We had friends over for dinner last week and I stopped at the store on my way home to pick up a few last minute things. I was surprised to see they had sugar snap peas on sale. Usually they have the snow peas but not the sugar snap. I picked up a couple of bags. When I got home I washed some for the salad and couldn’t resist trying a few.

Immediately I was taken back 20 years to my grandparents’ garden. Their garden was actually an acre located across town from where they lived. When we’d go to grandma and grandpa’s in the summer and early fall (which was at least a couple of times a year), we’d all pile into the station wagon and grandpa’s truck and drive across town. When I was little I remember thinking we were really going out into the country – in the middle of nowhere – to work in the garden. In reality, the field was within the city limits.

I remember all of us tumbling out of the car or truck and going over to the fence that surrounded the garden. Grandpa would open it up for us, and in we would go. We lived out in the middle of nowhere – amongst the dirt and bugs – but grandpa and grandma’s garden was different. The dirt smelled fresh. And even if I often complained about working in the sun (and did I complain!), I always loved going to the garden.

I don’t remember all of the things they grew in their garden, but I know there was a plentiful assortment - corn, green beans, strawberries, raspberries, and my favorite, sugar snap peas. Grandpa would have the little containers ready for us – small green pint-sized plastic containers for the raspberries and strawberries and plastic sacks for the beans or peas.

And so we would start. Usually a kid on each side of what seemed like a really, really long (endless, really) row. We would pick, we would laugh, we would fight, and we would eat. Keep one, eat one, keep one, eat one. That was our mantra until grandma would notice and tell us to stop eating all of them. So we would keep 5 or 10 and eat one until we forgot or the temptation became too great and we would go back to keep one, eat one, keep one, eat one.

While I was a big fan of the raspberries and strawberries, my favorite thing to eat was the peas. I loved opening up the bright waxy pods and finding the small green pearls inside. I remember always looking for the really fat pods – the ones with the plump peas that seem ready to burst through the pod at any moment – I loved the feel of the pods and the taste of the peas.

I remember shelling peas at grandma’s house in the kitchen or on the porch. It was boring work, but the prize at the end of grandma’s famously creamy peas and potato soup was worth the work of shelling peas. I also remember watching grandma snap the ends off of green beans. I’m sure others helped, but it’s her hands that I remember grabbing bean after bean and swiftly breaking each end off.

I don’t think about the garden much anymore. When I go home I am often lucky enough to have corn from their garden or be gifted with a pint of homemade jam (which I was raised on – it wasn’t until I was 12 or 13 that I discovered you could actually BUY jam in a store). But it was those peas in a supermarket in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that took me back to the days of grandpa and grandma’s garden in Pocatello, Idaho.