The thing you've all been waiting for...

I know you've been waiting, and by you, I mean Megan, Rick, and Donna. Okay, so it's not the granola recipe. But a close second:

MANGO VINAIGRETTE DRESSING (4 servings)

1 Mango
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (don't ask me)
salt and pepper to taste

So there ya go, folks, Megan most particular. And speaking of cooking, I made these really flat chocolate chip cookies the other day for my transitioning party. See if I ever use crushed flax with water instead of eggs. But at least they turned out to be vegan for those who cared, me not being one.

Stay tuned for the granola recipe. Y'all are going to love it.

Not running out of fun yet.

I smell like strawberries, and it aint cause I'm sweet. Rather, a few of us had a strawberry war, in which we pelted rotten and malformed strawberries at each other. I might as well have been playing paintball, because I have welts all over my body. Anyway, thank goodness for strawberry patches. They provide nourishment and fun. If any of you are looking to have a strawberry war, let me know, and I can post the rules and regulations for ultimate play. In all seriousness though, it was a good time. Reminded me of days of wrestling in the water buffalo pit.

Speaking of creating your own fun, I'm waiting on boat ideas. Tell me if you think this will work. Bambboo poles bundled together, and put on each side--pontoon style, with some kind of board on top? Simple, but do you think it will float?

The Livin is Easy.

Well, the complaints are few. Things are so smooth they could almost be called relaxing.

I start a new job next week. I'll be working with CooperRiis's graduate program, in which I'll be support staff for one of the local group homes. I'm leaving the farm. And hitting the city. It's a small city, and just a few minutes away, but a city nonetheless.

As far as the job goes, I'm pretty excited about trying something new and learning about another facet of recovery. It won't be too different from my current role, as I'll still be very much a "mom." Yet, the smaller setting will actually allow it to be more homelike and intimate than the farm sometimes is. I'll also get to occupy the beautiful apartment that is in the basement of the house, so having my own space on my off time is very appreciated. I'll be working with the graduates on developing life skills, cooking, cleaning, etc. Since I haven't cooked in ahwile, as the food is always healthily prepared for us here, I might have a bit of a learning curve. Brushing up on my skills will be good for me too.

The schedule should also allow me time to start studying for the GRE or to take some classes or pick up a new hobby.

Other than that, I've just been swimming, running and organizing a homemade boat race. My team hasn't begun building our boat yet. Any ideas?

No longer cranky.

Well, I must have been really cranky in that last post. Sorry about that folks.

I'm in a better mood now. Work is smooth. My time off is smooth. Went hiking. Swam. Bounced (on an itty bitty trampoline). Weight-trained. Read some. Listened to a Community Chorus. Babysat. Ate ice cream. Spring cleaned. Watched our footage of trading spaces. Did some pottery.

Oh yeah, I also posted interest in a new role with my organization. So we'll see how that goes. It looks like it will happen sometime in the next 6 weeks, so that could be a nice change.

That's all for now. Not too thrilling, but I'm out and about.