Sunday Update

Wow. It's been a month since my last post!  Not really sure where the time has gone. 

I've been spending any precious free time I might have on starting my jam business. This is something that makes me very happy. If I can work out logistics on a kitchen that will be acceptable to the board of health, I plan to apply for a cottage license. This will really get the ball rolling. Until then I am perfecting recipes, practicing, learning, and building a brand. 

Still working on my three year plan. 

Natalia has gained nearly 9 lbs since she has been in the U.S.  I don't really think it's her diet. It's lack of exercise. She has gone from working out at the gym every day after school, to coming home, eating, and starting on homework. Both she and her parents are surprised by the amount of homework American students are given. She has just made the lacrosse team however, and will be getting plenty of exercise at that. Keeping up with academics will now be even more of a challenge. 

All in all life is good. Is this where I see myself in three years?  No. Is this where I need to be now?  Yes. The rest will fall in to place in due time. 

Three Year Plan

Aside from the pure and absolute joy my children give to me, I absolutely cannot stand where I'm at in my life right now. 

I'm ready for changes. And I am on a 3 year plan to get there. 

If God lets me live, and doesn't strike me with some unbearable affliction or tragedy in the meantime, my life will be a whole lot different then. 

A Day In The Life

Today was kind of a rough day. 

Life is evolving yet again. Nothing is constant. Nothing. 

And it was really, really cold. 

Nataliaisms

Almost every day, something interesting happens with Natalia, then I think I should post in this blog. But then life happens, and there never seems to be time. So I will group several of them together now.

We don't wear flip-flops in public.

Natalia says that people in Spain have flip-flops, but only wear them at the beach or pool. Never for fashion, as everyday attire. She said her mother would never let her go out in public wearing flip-flops as part of her outfit!

We don't turn on the Christmas lights.

She says some people decorate their homes with Christmas lights, but it is too expensive to turn them on for long, so typically they are only on for a couple of days.

We don't exchange presents on Christmas Day.

Natalia's family celebrates Three Kings Day, which is January 6. This is the day they exchange their gifts, although they may get to open one on Christmas eve or Christmas day.

I threw it away.

Natalia had her first encounter with a rice crispy treat. She said it was disgusting, and tasted very strange. She wasn't sure what she was eating. After one bite, it landed in the trashcan.

Stay tuned. There's literally something pretty much every day.

Life With Natalia

Natalia recently experienced her first American Thanksgiving. Well, I guess I could say her first Thanksgiving in general, because they do not celebrate a holiday such as this in Spain. 

Her jobs were to make the pumpkin pie and a sweet potato dish. She has very little experience cooking, but was enthusiastic about making both. She likes pumpkin pie and had eaten it before. She likes sweet potatoes too, but had never seen them assembled in this fashion, with a bunch of butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Oh yes, and the little marshmallows on top. 

Most all of our family was together, which can sometimes be a little hectic and overwhelming. I think she enjoyed it, and even asked for a group photo. She seemed to enjoy the meal. Interestingly, it was the first time she had ever seen or tasted a whole, roasted turkey. According to her, people in Spain do not eat this meat. I suppose it makes sense, since turkeys are native to the Americas. She was curious just to see what it looked like and what it tasted like. Her first response was that it tasted like chicken. 

Since we have celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving, and now are leading into Christmas, I see clearly how over-the-top Americans celebrate every holiday. Much more elaborately than other countries. I haven't decided yet if this is a good thing, or not. 

Two Months Is Too Long

Oh my Lord, it's been two months since I had a counseling session with Kate. They had to cancel my October visit. I wish tomorrow's visit was going to be a two hour session, because I feel like there is a lot to catch up on.

Life With Natalia

One of the first nights Natalia was here, she was looking for a snack in the pantry. She pulled out a packet of "peanut butter and cheese crackers" like the ones pictured here. She looked puzzled and said to me "What is this?"   I told her it was cheese peanut butter crackers, to which she replied, several seconds later, "This is not cheese". 

What Natalia learned:   When it comes to food in America, you are not always getting what you think you are getting. "Cheese" might really mean artificially flavored, artificially colored crackers, chock full of preservatives.

What I learned from Natalia:   We eat a lot of shit that is not real food.