shifting priorities

do you ever go through cycles with the types of blogs you read most? I mean, some are constant, everyday reads no matter what life stage. but overall the preferred genre is like a flowing, organic representation of who you are in that moment.

I used to be so addicted to endurance athlete blogs, most specifically ironman. I wouldn't read the blogs of hardcore, elite athletes. they were the real people, with real lives, just trying to do something amazing. they were inspiring. and I ate it up. their training, their struggles, their race day recaps. I felt like I was a triathlon racing pro just by reading them. it wasn't all ironman, some were just running blogs, some were just biking blogs. but then I slowly lost interest. maybe it was because at this point in my life I haven't been able to exercise myself; I don't identify with the endurance scene right now.

and so I move on to the crafty blogs. I am still very much a part of this. I have been sewing a lot of stuff for myself and the wee one to make his little home comfortable and sustainable. {my green baby crafting post will be up as soon as I finish all the little things} there's a lot of inspiring stuff out there. a lot of inspiring people. sometimes I devour more than I produce, which is a problem I will hopefully one day rectify.

then there is the foodie blogs. it turns out I really love to cook and peter really loves my cooking (most of the time). so perusing food blogs is a lot of fun for me. I love all the food porn out there. food photography is a gift, and I wish I had it (plus a fancy camera). and besides all the pretty pictures that make any food look good, there's a lot of healthy and unique dishes out there just waiting to be tried! I mean, what could be better than good food?

but my favorite genre these days is the crafty, resourceful, provident living type of blog. especially the ones who have kids. it is definitely a new life stage that I am entering here and trying to figure out a way to live simply with my small but growing family. I know even in raising a child there is a path toward sustainability. it is my goal to follow that path and have found a lot of kindred spirits lately.

I don't want to categorize myself by the type of blogs I'm reading at the moment, but it is a good representation of where you are in life. I know it will all cycle back and forth and up and down and through. sometimes I'm into more than one type, sometimes it's a narrow focus. I guess it just keeps life interesting.

what does your blogroll say about you?

determined

with little pj soon making his arrival, I have a lot still to cross off on my to do list. {and if you don't use gmail's calander, you should. I love that thing. use it all the time for my social planning. especially love the new tasks feature.} but I'm working on it.

the only problem with me and projects is that their usually a grande idea in my head that never get realized. or I start them and leave them unfinished while I move onto something else. maybe I have craft ADD. sometimes, I just need to step away from the project--especially if something is frustrating me at the moment--and when I come back to it it will all come together.

right now things are coming together, but I needed a break. take deep breaths. look at some inspiring blogs. get excited. and now I'm going to go get back to it. almost done with one project that I think I will be very proud of the finished product. we'll see how it turns out.

I am determined to get everything done this week, so I can just focus on relaxing and bringing pj into a calm environment.

can't wait to show you all what I've been up to!

cheese day, a household holiday

today was a pretty cheesy day around here. but that's okay, that's how we like it. I just wanted to share a couple yummy recipes, because if you have zucchini growing out of your ears like we do this is a good way to use some of it up.

{photo + recipe via 101 cookbooks}

lasagna tart. it's like lasagna, but sans noodles. and it's completely delicious. I actually used a different crust recipe than what heidi calls for in her recipe. it worked out well. plus I sprinkled the top with parmesan cheese before baking. definitely a must. the changes I would make would only be a little less ricotta and a little more sauce. but as is, it was still totally good.

click on over for the dish: lasagna tart recipe

and now for the crust I used. it's from the enchanted broccoli forest by mollie katzen. she has really great vegetarian recipes, so check her out if you haven't already (she's of the moosewood cookbook fame) this was the first time making this crust and I was really happy with it. it's also a good way to use up some fresh spinach if you have some laying around.

spinach crust
15 minutes to prepare
15 minutes to prebake
butter a 9" pie pan
preheat oven to 375 degrees

3/4 lb spinach - chopped very fine
3 Tbs butter
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 tsp salt
a dash of nutmeg

melt the butter in a cast iron skillet, add the spinach, and cook it quickly over fairly high heat -- stirring -- until it is just limp

remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, and mix well

pat into a buttered 9" pie pan. use a fork first, and then your fingers to mold the crust.

prebake for 15 minutes at 375, then bake as directed by recipe

we're back! kind of.

it's been a while, but we both put on some workout clothes and did our thang! okay, okay I didn't go running but I did feel like a runner! and I toyed with the idea of running. and I looked like my old athletic self. {well, besides the huge potruding basketball under my running tank} and it kind of made me feel like the old me. and I was happy to be outside in the sunshine, walking to my little heart's content.

and pedro? he's back on a bike! for real this time!! I don't know if I've ever told you about my super rad grandpa -- the one who is a hardcore cyclist -- the one who we all did an 80 mile bike ride with on his 80th birthday -- well, he gave pete one of his really nice, albeit older road bikes. and he says it rides like a dream and actually fits him better than his old bike. {the guy who fitted him to his old bike was on crack, I think. pete does not have freakishly small arms} he even went on a real ride!

it's like our saturday morning was normal. me out running {aka walking right now} and pete out on a ride. it really doesn't get much better. well, unless I was actually running, of course.

so true

I know, I know all I ever talk about is baby related. this is turning into a mommy blog faster than you can believe. but I saw this and loved it. what a fun sentiment.

bowling for two

why is it that women bowl better when they're pregnant? it seems to be a true, proven fact. I wish I had realized my potential months ago, I would have made my dream a reality: join a bowling league. (number 42 on anna jo's list of rad things to do before I die -- though in reality I secretly want to be the worst team in the league, so maybe I should join sans baby baking in the womb) now I only have about a month left. . .

yesterday was my department's summer party. youth ed once again came out on top and was the champions of the bowling tournament. yep, I had a very good game for myself.

strike + strike + strike = TURKEY!!!

thank you very much.

now if it had only been thanksgiving I would have accomplished THIS goal. (number 57)

{photo credit}

the baby bump

seriously? why is this picture so small? could someone please explain to me the idiosyncrasies of blogger's formatting sometime? 'cause I know peter gets sick of me coming to him when I want something little {and I'm sure very easy} like this fixed all the time. well, you can always click on it to get the bigger version, I suppose. because you might need to anyway to fully appreciate the main topic of this post: my mamma belly.

fyi, these are the most recent pictures of me. they were taken at my latest baby shower, which just happened to be last saturday. it's not a side profile belly shot or anything, but it will have to do.

okay, so in the beginning the belly was small. so small that nobody could tell I was pregnant. everyday I would stand in front of the mirror and ask pete, can you tell that I'm pregnant? he would always say no. then one day it just sort of popped out. and people could definitely see that there was something growing in there. but they always told me how small I looked.

well, as little pj has grown, the belly has grown with him. it's kind of funny to get the looks and responses from people when I tell them I'm due the end of september. they don't say I'm huge or anything, they just give me this sideways glance that says, you look like you should be due a lot sooner than that, sister! at least that's what I feel like the look is saying.

this morning at camp I was talking to a parent about how we only have two more weeks left of the summer and she turned to me and asked, are you going to make it? I laughed and said that I'm sure I would. when I told her I wasn't actually due until the end of september she gave me that look. when she left I asked my dear friend + coworker if I really looked that big for being eight months pregnant. she said she thinks I'm actually pretty small. so there you go.

and not like being big or small is something I'm concerned about. pj is in there growing, and my body is growing right along with him, at the right pace. I don't like to get caught up in the weight gain, and the body image and all that. but that doesn't mean I sometimes don't think about that stuff. sometimes it's hard not to compare yourself to other preggo bellies. but really in the end I believe that your body does what it needs and will, to a certain extent, do what it will anyway. as long as I'm not going crazy and indulging every craving {which, btw, I haven't really had cravings which kinda bums me out -- I was really hoping I'd experience craving dirt or ice cream and pickles at the same time} I know I will be fine.

I look down at my belly and some days I think it's huge and some days I think it's small. sometimes I even forget it's there until I look in a mirror or bump into something. this changing body thing is quite the wild ride. but I love it.

wow, such a long post about my belly. who knew. I'll end on a high note: club u had a little talent show this afternoon and I got to be the girl who holds up the appluase sign. someone told me afterward that when I would hold up the sign (which was a huge piece of poster board) from the legs down and the top up, I didn't look pregnant at all! that's always a little something nice for a pregnant mamma to hear!

funny observation

okay, so this observation isn't really ha-ha funny per se. maybe more like interesting funny. to me at least.

so peter got hit with this really bad cold that has lasted an entire week. it has put him out of commission even more so than when he had his accident, and you know, broke his neck + back. he even came home from work early one day. and then proceeded to sleep for an entire weekend. that never happens. it's hard to keep this kid down. unless he has a cold, apparently.

and all this time I was so proud of myself for staving of the sicknesses. my immune system must have the strength of two, I thought. yeah, now who's deathly ill? yep, me. but I have a plan of attack -- flush it out!! I've been drinking so much water today I'm surprised I haven't drowned. when in doubt, flush it out. that's my new motto. it goes hand in hand with my old motto, pee clear.

okay, that is enough about our sicknesses.

{ps: I should also mention that my other plan of attack is just to shove a tissue up my nose. oh, and do some oj/cayenne pepper therapy. seriously love that stuff. nothing says healing like burning in your ears.}

"not a sandbox or swings... or those monkey bar things."

I'm all in a heap here. my feet are asleep here. I'm flat out of space. I've got knees in my face. and I'm totally bored with this dumb bungy cord. . . I'm NOT kidding you. . . there is NOTHING to do! --barbara park, ma! there's nothing to do here!

seriously. what does little pj do in there all day?

sometimes I wonder if he's practicing his kung fu moves. or maybe a little tap dancing? whenever I go swimming I like to think that we're both doing the same thing. I think I've even felt him practice his flutter kick.

to be honest, though, I have no idea what he's doing in there. sometimes I can't tell his bum from his head. was that a fist or a foot? who knows. but I do love watching the belly move. I could sit there for hours just staring at my stomach. like, you know, maybe even when I'm at the movie theater watching terminator my belly might be more exciting than the movie. I'm just sayin'. totally fascinating.

since he's probably pretty bored in there with only that bungee cord to play with, I read him {and peter senior} this cute little book today. this is a great read for any expectant mamma. cute pictures plus a funny little story. am loving children's books lately.

{thanks again, oma! it was the perfect pioneer day surprise}

counting my life in weeks

my life right now is being tracked in week-long segments. I am 30 weeks gestation, 10 weeks to go until the estimated arrival of the little dude. we also just finished up week 6 of camp. which, happens to be the mid-week of the summer for us. only 5 more weeks and then it's the annual raging waters bash and the end of an era for me. life is cruising by. things will end and things will begin sooner than I know.

I feel like I have so much time, but time is slowly flying by.

defining moments

there are times in life when we make small decisions, little choices that at the time seem so insignificant and ordinary, but have the potential to put us on a new track and completely change the course of our life.

a long time ago I made a list of my defining moments in a notebook. it was left sitting, tucked away on a shelf. I found it this morning as I was cleaning out the craft room to make way for the nursery. it made me smile. a few of the the things I wrote really stuck out to me.

defining moments: what makes me, me?
born on a magic minute {3:33, good things always happen at 3:33}
learn from an early age the love of pushing a ball around in the grass
take a lit of the outdoors class - have it change my life without knowing it
out of the blue write an old friend from snow - have it change my life without knowing it
start the PRT program - Experiential Education
start running - have it change my life without knowing it
work in the field with kids, teaching about the outdoors
go through the same cycles - learn to trust my heart
find a cute boy - let love sneak up on my heart. . . have it change my life without knowing it

there was more on the list, but I think these things really did change my life without knowing it, as any defining moment should. I'm looking forward to the rest of the moments. I'm sure little pj will be a huge one, though I'm also pretty sure I know for a fact that he will change our life. and we couldn't be more excited for the adventure.

thriving

When I was little, when it rained, my grandmother would always say, "Well, it's good for the farmers." And I would give lip service and say, "That's true," and then I'd feel bad about the fact that I really didn't care about the farmers. I just wanted sun.

For thirty years, I pretty much just wanted sun.

But the other day, when it rained, I wasn't disappointed. I'd seen the difference to my new community garden plot after watering with a hose versus a soaking with a good rain. One keeps it alive. The other makes it thrive. --colin beavan, no impact man

well, then. our little garden is thriving. normally I would be thrilled about the amount of rain we have been getting here in salt lake city, utah. this is no ordinary june. every day on the forecast, more showers. it isn't unearthly hot. I really quite enjoy the thunderstorms.

but only after three pm.

as you could imagine, running a summer day camp {when all your activities are based outside} is kinda hard to do in the rain. especially when kids only come in tshirts and shorts. I guess their parents just don't look outside. so all I am saying is bring on the rain--my garden is loving it, the foliage around this valley is loving it, the water supply is loving it; but I am not loving it during camp.

that is all.

clear the air

I don't know about you, but I am in love with salt lake city, utah. it's proximity to everything you'll ever need in life {minus an ocean shoreline} is ridiculous. the skiing alone is the reason we will most likely never leave. but as I look around this beautiful valley of ours, with its pristine mountain backdrop, I can't help but be sickened and discouraged. the air we breathe is right up there with some of the most polluted cities in the nation. if you've ever come down one of the canyons and descended into the soup, you know what I mean. actually being able to see hazy, polluted air is not a good thing. and we're all breathing that stuff!

my work formed a team for the clear the air challenge and I'm really excited about it. I already try to take public transportation as much as I can anyway, so this isn't going to be a huge lifestyle shift for me. but maybe I'll start walking more on my errands {too bad biking is out of the question right now} and hopefully others will join the fun too.

the point of the challenge is to get people using their cars less and doing alternative forms of transportation more. just the act of getting fewer cars on the road will greatly affect the air quality in this place. that's something I want. for me. for my little guy {and big guy}.

so go sign up today. the official challenge starts june 01 and ends july 10. prizes are even involved if that's your incentive. for me, I'll do it for cleaner air and the chance to join thousands of others in trying to make a positive change in our community.

all it takes is one or more of the following:
a little less driving
more carpooling
walking
biking
taking public trans {bus, trax, frontrunner}
linking your trips
stop idling your car
telecommuting
compressing your workweek
being creative

rock the vote

my fabulous place of employment, youth ed, was nominated for best day camp in salt lake city. I seriously believe that club u is the best day camp in the state. our program is engaging, enriching, and exceptionally fun. it is experiential education at it's best. and as a testament to that fact, I leave you with the words of an eight year old camper as screamed for all to hear one day in our morning circle: club u rocks harder than bon jovi! see? how could we not be the best if we rock harder than mr jovi?

go exercise your power to vote. {and exercise that power daily until july 15th!}

mercury overload

one thing I love about having a house is the fact that we have a backyard to grill in. at the old apartment our neighbor would often grill on his little hibatchi and the smell of briquettes and smoke would make their way into our apartment... not so fun. if we wanted to grill we would have to pack all of our stuff and head over to the local park. not a bad deal, but this is so much better.

now that the weather is getting warmer {I think it should at least wait until june to hit ninety degrees, but whatever} and it's not as fun to cook inside our own home, the grill is going to be our best friend. we've already used it a bunch.

today, in an effort to venture from the traditional chicken or beef, I made some killer salmon burgers. I'm sharing the recipe for your summer barbecue delight. next up, I'm going to tackle the homemade veggie burger!

* * *

salmon burgers, via real simple magazine

1 1/4lb skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 scallions thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat grill to medium-high. Oil the grill grate. In a food processor, pulse the salmon 3 to 4 times, just until coarsely chopped (the mixture should still be somewhat chunky). Add the scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse to combine. Form the mixture into 3/4-inch-thick patties

Grill, turning once (do not press or flatten), until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve on rolls with the desired toppings.

* * *

as pictured, I topped the burgers with avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime and served them on a wheat ciabatta role. delish.

{this afternoon I had a tuna fish sandwhich for lunch. obviously I forgot what was on the menu for tonight. two fish in one day, I don't know if my pregnant self can handle that much mercury! oh well!}

fire drill

we had the ever-so-fun fire drill at work today. unfortunately we all knew it was coming in the near future, so it wasn't a total surprise or anything. that would have added to the excitement level. but I guess anytime a loud bell goes off in your office excitement is bound to ensue.

well, I'm only mentioning this fact about my day because I noticed a funny thing about myself. (and this funny thing will be a total no-brainer to anyone who knows me) if I was faced with a dire, you-could-die-if-you-don't-get-out-of-the-building-fast situation my main concern would be:

I don't know how long I'll have to stand out there... do I have snacks? I need snacks!

and then I would take some precious escape time and rummage through the mini fridge in the office for some baby bell cheese and carrot sticks. yeah, I've got my priorities straight. (but in my defense, I knew there wasn't an actual fire in the building... who knows how I would have really reacted if there was. I'm sure I would still grab the snacks.)

he's back!

...if you and i had some drums and some horns and some horses

if we had some hats and some flags and some fire-engines
we could be a holiday we could be a celebration
we could be a whole parade...
--i like you, sandol stoddard warburg

it hasn't even been three weeks and he's already back on the bike, braces and all. it does my heart good to see him back in the saddle, a grin on his face.

lovin' the cruiser bike, oma. I think you're going to start a trend.

I'm a lifer

I just took the pledge.

"I, anna jo, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of LIFE. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed, anna jo."

I figured I might as well jump right in and become a lifer. I mean, how often do I buy new clothes anyway? in the recent months my commitment to thrift + reconstruction has spilled into every aspect of my life. I don't want to buy new. I want to re-use the resources we've already got floating around this world.

I'm excited to start my adventure in refashion.


{do you want to pledge for two, four, or maybe even six months? read the rules here and jump in on the fun! and don't worry, if you screw up you can use your get out of jail free card}

blessed.

thank you one and all for the kind words + support given to me and my small family over the past few days. peter and I have felt the love + and know that prayers have been answered on our behalf. we are so blessed.

every time I think of how things so easily could have turned out differently, I get emotional. every time I think of the blessings and the support of family + friends I get emotional. maybe it's all in the hormones.

but honestly, it is in moments of tragedy that you are reminded of the fragility and simpleness of life. how it can all be taken away at any moment. my heart aches for those who have gone through that. I was given a gift on tuesday morning: continued time with my husband here on this earth. how precious that is. I know he has been watched over on more than this occasion. for this I am grateful.

he is the lucky one. he will heal. it is his quiet strength and good attitude that have helped him this far. he is home. he can get around for the most part. this is not a chronic condition. he is lucky.

and we are blessed.

{for those not aware, my husband was hit by a car while riding his bike to work on tuesday morning. the person driving fled the scene and thankfully because of witnesses the paramedics were called in. he spent the next 36+ hours on spinal precaution in the hospital. he was released earlier than I ever expected possible from an accident such as this with a fractured skull and a compression fracture on his back. he is home now and confined to life in a neck brace + a back brace for a while, but his spirit is not confined. especially when the meds are kickin' in.}

spoon!

I won my very own cake for easter
brought to you by the lovely spoon!

it was layer upon layer of yummy
red velvety goodness
my favorite
peter's favorite
plus there was a nest on top
best easter cake
ever