New Couches!

Jake and I got some amazing new couches this week. The furniture store was having a 50% off sale so I ran down on my lunch break, took photos of some sets I liked, and texted them to Jake who was at home. I'm not really certain that 50% off is even that great of a deal, kind of like with jewelry, but hey, it saved me a ton of money so I'll take it. The set we ended up getting isn't what I would normally choose but once I sat on them, I was sold. They are so soft and comfy. They're made of a velvety type material and the bottom cushions are full of down feathers.

I thought I was getting better but it just isn't happening so I've been laying on our new couches resting a lot. It's so much nicer than laying on our tiny, hard as a rock, old couch. I went to work today but came home early because I felt like I was going to vomit. Working in a restaurant is not ideal when your stomach is upset because all of the different smells start to get to you. I was able to work yesterday for a few hours but felt really lethargic and dizzy. Hopefully I'll get better really soon. Like tonight. Hopefully I get better tonight, that would be amazing!

Summer Illness.

I have been sick on all of my days off this week. Boo! I've pretty much lived on my couch for the past 3 days, which hasn't helped my house get any cleaner but that's okay I guess. At least I didn't puke on anything. Even though I've been sick, I'm chicken sitting for my uncle who lives right next to me so I had to go out and feed his chickens, cats, and koi. Jake did it for me on the days I felt particularly awful but it felt good to get out in the sunshine, even if it was just for a short time.







You can follow me on instagram, my name is jordantg

Time to Rest.

I don't think Rocky is the culprit. 

Yesterday I ended up not having to go in to work because the restaurant was slow. I wasn't really able to revel in my day off as I didn't know it was going to be a day off until it was time to go in and my boss text me that I didn't need to. That's okay though, I think I really needed the extra time off to relax and get some stuff done around the house. Earlier in the day I was able to meet up with some friends I hadn't seen in 3 years and it was so nice to see their faces and finally meet their youngest son.

Sometimes my days off aren't very relaxing. This week, my "weekend" was spent at the VA for appointments. The first day was supposed to be the nice and easy appointment but the doctor accidentally took the wrong patient back and that made an easy in and out one hour appointment last almost 3 hours. The next day's appointment wasn't too bad but I had to sit in on it which always makes me nervous. Counselors weird me out a little, I'm not sure why. So with the appointments and the horrible weather on the one day we didn't have appointments, I kind of felt like my weekend was blah. I felt blah. I didn't really get much accomplished.

I think I would've made a great Home Ec teacher, except for the part on keeping up with housework. Since I've been at my new job, my steak cooking and pasta sauce making skills are already vastly improved, now if only they could teach me how to keep up with the cleaning too. I feel like I'm always behind and it really bothers me. I'm not looking for a perfect Martha Stewart house, I totally get that she pays people to clean her messes, but I don't want to be embarrassed to have people over either. One of the major problems is that one of the cats keeps peeing on the bed, creating a never ending pile of laundry which just exhausts me. How do you all keep up with that stuff? Sheer willpower?

Dealing with Crazy People.

So this happened on Saturday. No, I didn't back into anything, although that is what the lady who hit me is trying to claim. People make me so angry sometimes. The accident itself isn't what bothers me, it's the woman's reaction to the accident. Instead of being a responsible adult and exchanging insurance information and going our separate ways, she threw a giant tantrum in the parking lot, like a small child. She screamed and screamed at me until finally I had enough and told her that I did not have time for her shit and to go get her insurance information, now. And people wonder why I rarely leave my house, ugh!

Crocheting in Public.

I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms while Jake has appointments and I don't like to sit idly reading the awful magazines you so often find in waiting rooms, so I bring my crochet. I always have a fun time watching people as they try to surreptitiously watch me crochet. I get baffled stares, looks of admiration, and especially at the VA, I get elderly gentlemen coming up to me and asking where a young lady, such as myself, learned to crochet. They then proceed to tell me stories of how their mother used to knit or crochet when they were kids. I'm glad my public crocheting doesn't embarrass Jake because I love hearing these old stories of favorite blankets or hats made long ago.

I also use the waiting room time to work on old projects I put to the side. This blanket has been in the works for close to a year. I keep it in a bag in my car to bring out whenever I have some down time. I'm in no hurry to finish and the stitches are so easy and repetitive that I have no problem picking it back up months and months later.

For those of you visiting from Ginny's Yarn Along, welcome! I'm not currently reading anything, hence no book photo, but I'm thinking about going to the library and revisiting some of the books I loved from my youth. I've gotten to the point where I remember I loved a lot of different books but I can't remember what they were about so I need to refresh my memory. What book did you love as a child?

Nifty Thrifties (2)

I'm keeping the name for this little series. I find it hilarious. Last week when I drove the stroller down to my sister I stopped at a yard sale on my way home. At one point I thought I might get murdered but other than that it was fun. The guy was really nice but decidedly strange and I was the only person there. I gave him cash for the few things I had picked out, he went inside to get change and when he came back out he said, "Did you know there is no phone service out here right now?" He was already pretty odd to begin with and that was a really creepy sentence but he meant it nicely. The phones really did go down all down the Southern Oregon Coast. Still, I almost peed my pants for a second.

 

I got this amazing clock and listened to it tick all the way home and then the next day, when I went to hang it, it had stopped. I'm hoping it just needs a new battery because I'm pretty in love with the painted flowers.

 

My favorite find was this mustard yellow pumpkin cookie jar. I had to have it because we had one like this when I was a kid except it was clear and I've been looking for a cookie jar for a really long time. I love it in mustard and it goes well with the rest of my kitchen decor. He had a really amazing cookie jar there (he had quite the cookie jar collection) and I really wanted it but it was chipped so I opted not to get it. I'm thinking of going back (not alone) to get it to use as a flower planter.

Beach Days.

Due to his PTSD, Jake sometimes doesn't leave the house for weeks on end. He doesn't feel comfortable in unfamiliar places surrounded by strangers but staying inside all of the time isn't good for him. I try to get him to go out and do something with me every week or two and he's usually pretty receptive because he loves to be outdoors exploring nature. Yesterday we went to Bandon, Oregon to have lunch and explore. Although it was absolutely beautiful out, the wind was howling but that's okay. We walked around Old Town Bandon, got chocolates and candy from a local sweets shop, Jake tried some chowder, and we explored a cute little beach area.

New Job & New Phone.

I got an iphone a few days ago and I've been using it to take photos of all the delicious food at my new place of employment. One of my friends recently bought a restaurant and asked me if I would be willing to help out. Since my normal job is caregiving for Jake 12 hours a week, I could easily fit it into my schedule and the best part is... I get to learn all kinds of cool stuff about food!

Obviously I've downloaded instagram on my phone (my name is jordantg) but what other apps should I get? The iphone is a lot cooler than any phone I've ever had and I think Jake wants to get one too when his number is eligible. In the mean time, I downloaded angry birds for him to play so he won't feel left out.

I work at a little cafe that is open 4 days a week. We serve the most amazing food, bread, desserts and a very large selection of wine. It's a fun place to work. Only a few people work there and they're all super cool. My job title is "flying monkey" (not really) which basically just means I help whoever needs it. I wash a lot of dishes, help make salads, get ingredients from wherever they may be hidden, chop things (very poorly) and do all sorts of other random tasks. It's pretty fun because each day is different, the menu is constantly changing, and I get to learn new things about cooking every day. 

Port Orford, Oregon.

My sister and niece headed back down to California yesterday but when they were about 2 hours out of town, my sister realized she'd forgotten the stroller in my mom's car. Since my mom was at work, I went and got the stroller and met my sister halfway, in Port Orford, Oregon. Port Orford is a little tiny town where I broke my arm on my 14th birthday. It boasts some of the most beautiful ocean views. It was really nice to spend a few extra minutes with my sister and Lana. I even got some extra hugs and slobbery kisses.



I've always loved this sign painted on the ground but have never ventured up to see this view. I'm not sure why I haven't but I think I probably ought to.

Cell Phone Advice, Pretty Please!!

Ladies, gentlemen, and lovely friends, my cell phone contract is up and in 4 short days I will be getting a new phone. We already go through Verizon and we'll be staying with them as one of my friends works there and I'm all about supporting my friends. My question is, do you prefer androids or iphones? I've been in the dark ages of cell phones for years, quite happily, but I think it's time to upgrade to something with internet capabilities. I don't really need anything too fancy, I just want to be able to take photos and upload them to twitter, is that too much to ask? So, what are your thoughts, observations, suggestions? Also, does anyone else remember the candy bar/brick Nokia phones that had snake on them? Please tell me there is an app for that snake game.

Happy Birthday, Handsome!

I think you are pretty damn amazing and I hope you have the best year of your life (so far)! xoxo

Today is Jake's 28th birthday and last night we had a little party at my mom's to celebrate. It wasn't really a party, but dinner and cake with family. It was pretty perfect. My niece even helped him blow out his candle. I got Jake a guitar amp for his birthday and it was a complete surprise to him, which I count as a success. He loved it. I think I was looking forward to his birthday more than he was. I just can't help but get excited to give gifts, I love giving people something I think they'll be truly happy about.

Lemony Cherry Jam

Cherry Jam is my very favorite flavor of jam. It probably has something to do with cherries being my favorite fruit. When we went to California for my cousin's graduation there was a guy selling cherries on the side of the road. They were a overpriced but still less than what they are in the grocery store (cherries are so expensive!) and I just couldn't help myself.



When the jam was cooking I tasted it and although it was amazingly delicious, I wanted to add something to lighten up the flavor a bit. I decided to add some lemon and it turned out perfectly and has quickly become my new favorite cherry jam recipe.

Ingredients:

8 c. pitted cherries
5 c. sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 box pectin

Before you start cooking your jam, fill up your water bath canner and turn on the burner, it takes awhile to bring it to a boil. Wash your jars in hot soapy water or on the sanitize cycle of your dishwasher. Put your lids in a small pot and warm them up on the stove so the rubber becomes soft, do not boil them.

Add cherries and sugar to a large non-reactive pot. Stir so the sugar mixes with the juices from the fruit. Bring to a boil and cook for a good 20 minutes. 

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and pectin and let jam boil for 5 more minutes. It should be a "rolling" boil, where even if you stir, it's still boiling.

Turn off the burner, skim the foam from the top of the jam and fill your jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Wipe rims of jars with a wet cloth and then dry, apply lids and bands and process for 10 minutes. When your 10 minutes is up, remove your jars from the canner and wait for the little "pop" that they've sealed. If any of them don't seal (it shouldn't take very long to know if they haven't) pop them in the fridge and use within a few weeks.