i was hopeful...and other miscellany

oh, so hopeful...hopeful that i would be able to type this at home. 

but alas.

it is not to be.

we are still without internet.

and that is all i have to say about that.

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our apartment is cute.  you'll have to come visit.

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very fall-like weather we are having these days.  that's bittersweet.  i like fall--the colors, the bite of the air, the apples and pumpkin and cinnamon smells everywhere, the bonfires, etc.  but i am a summer girl.  born for the sun.  born for the heat.  plus, fall means winter is right around the corner.  barf.  i am NOT a winter girl.

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peyton is still the man.

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i am in the middle of several books that i am really enjoying.  what are you reading right now?  not that i should, but i might add it to my pile.  :)

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we have an unusually high number of bugs, etc. in our apartment.  it does not seem to be as a result of cleanliness or uncleanliness.  they just sort of show up for no reason.  i feel like i should start a list to keep track of all the different types.  i shooed a cricket out yesterday.  maybe if i killed more of them, word would get around that we are bad mofos and not to be trifled with.  maybe not.

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these are just a small collection of the things in my head.  hope it was as good for you as it was for me.

30 by 30 update: 2 more months

time sure is flying.  hard to believe that a month ago, liz and i were running a marathon.  crazy.

so here's what i have gotten done in the past month:

1) i got my master's degree!  i graduated on april 28th, with much pomp and circumstance.  for all of you still confused about what i have been doing for the last two years, this is my degree: master's of art in counseling, specializing in student development counseling and administration.  no, i am not certified.  no, i do not want to be.

this pic is heather and me at the hooding ceremony.  oh, so fancy.  :)

2) my debt to my father is down to the last $200.  pretty exciting!  ($2500/$2700)

8) i knocked out the pinterest meals in one month!  and they were amazing.  the first two are on my monthly cooking segment.  i dominated this goal, though.  i made a total of eight things.  i am leaving comments on my pinterest board HERE if you want to keep track of the things i am cooking.  but i'll also link to the individual recipes below the pictures for you.  so here is what else i made:

thai coconut curry shrimp.  yum.  RECIPE.

garlic and mozzarella wontons.  amazing.  i baked them (425 for about 17 minutes) instead of frying them.  RECIPE.  

rosemary and goat cheese-stuffed mushrooms with bread crumbs.  these are delicious and rich.  RECIPE.

green coconut salmon (with cous cous, peas, french bread, and fresh mango).  liz said this was her favorite meal.  RECIPE.  

southwestern egg rolls with avocado ranch dipping sauce.  i should have baked them a bit longer.  and made the sauce zestier.  but still yummy.  RECIPE.  

tuscan chicken pizza.  we used a yellow pepper instead of a red one.  very good, and the pizza was delicious left over.  RECIPE.

11) as i said, the first two meals (spinach and artichoke baked pasta and eggplant sandwiches) were featured on my monthly cooking segment (18/20).  check them out HERE.

12) i planned a scavenger hunt for my sweet little wigger girls.  heather and keely helped execute the plans.  i think they had a pretty fun time.  i made them run all over marion and do ridiculous things.  but they got lots of treats along the way.  here are some pics:

the girls as they headed out on their adventure.

helping heather choose 'the right hat.'  not sure this was it...

delivering treats to our pal, fritz.

27) i am changing 'get another tattoo' to 'get another piercing,' because i haven't settled on my next tattoo design, and it is not something i want to rush just for the sake of the list.

29) i have read 74/100 books.  i need to get cracking on this.  this past month, i finished the simple life, the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society, and perelandra.

30 by 30: the late post with valid excuses

i have had a busy couple of weeks.  some of that craziness belongs to this update, and some belongs to may's.  so stay tuned for that.

here's what happened from march 22-april 21:

2) i paid off another hundred dollars...so around $300 left until my debt to dad is gone!

11) the monthly cooking blog featured the freshmen.  it's not hard to find due to my lack of blogging, but just in case, it's HERE.  that makes 17 out of 20.

16) i ran a marathon!  woohoo!  i actually ran about 26.7 miles.  missed a turn somewhere in mile 22, so that was a fun adventure.  my time was 4:57, so not nearly the marathon i was hoping to run, but i made a friend in last couple of miles who was really encouraging, saw my family and friends about 6 times throughout the day, and had a pretty joyful spirit the whole time, even while my body was rebelling against me.

i ran the first 7 miles with liz and steph and then had to do the next 19 on my own.  they ran great times.  this picture is at mile 15.  please notice the super cool fanny pack i am rocking (thanks, mom!).

i promise i was not nearly this smiley after my half marathon.  i'd say we look pretty decent for having busted our butts, though.

29) i only finished one book this past month...hopefully, getting grad school out of the way will increase my reading time.  :)  i read career information, career counseling, and career development.  that makes 71 out of 100.

30 by 30 update: that awkward moment when march is july

hello, blogging family that i shamelessly ignore.  it's me, your negligent and sleepy friend, holly.  here are some updates for your reading pleasure.

1) in five weeks, i will be a master of students.

2) $2300/$2700.  turns out, all my dad needed to do to retire was get me to pay back this money.  :)

3) you know what?  i went to epcot over spring break and visited many countries.  so i'm going to call this a win for now.  boom.

8) i am officially changing this one from 'get something published' to 'make five food items from pinterest (check out my food board HERE).

11) i've been cooking my little heart out.  i've done 16/20.  HERE'S my most recent monthly cooking segment.

16) the marathon is in ONE MONTH!  eek.  it's in carmel.  you are super welcome to come and cheer if you want.  i'll need all the encouragement and prayers i can get.

29) i have read 70/100 books.  here are the most recent ones: a technique for producing ideas, wolverine, out of the silent planet, let go, and a diary of private prayer.

oh, hey, i turn 30 in 4 months.  no big deal.

30 by 30: the one where she gets punched in the eye

nothing very exciting to report for this month's update.  five months left...quite a bit to do still.

2) i have paid $2200/2700.  not bad.  almost done.  (yahoo...i'll get done just in time to start paying student loans again!)

11) uh...15/20.  i neglected to post a monthly cooking segment, so i am going to show you three things i cooked in the last month:

eggplant parmesan.  mmmmmm.  

garlic chicken, cous cous, sauteed zucchini and squash.

post-run meal: salmon, asparagus, cous cous...monster rehab...woot!

29) i have read 65/100.  the new ones are disney cash hacks, slave to child, simply christian, the purpose-guided student, and the unlikely disciple.  mostly good stuff.  

and...that's all i can give you right now.  i am sick.  deuces.

holly's 2011 reading list

back by popular demand!  ok, no one demanded.  actually, no one even asked.  but if you're curious what this grad student read in the past year, here it is.  i broke it down by month, and the books i particularly liked are in bold.  let me know if you want to know the authors or anything else about the books.

january
the lost art of listening
the hunger games
catching fire
mockingjay
first things first

february


march
the first year out

april
God hides in plain sight
counseling the culturally diverse
process and practice of group counseling
serenity: the shepherd's tale

may


june
the idea of a christian college
college of the overwhelmed

july
where you work matters
how colleges work
the Bible
emotionally healthy spirituality
snow crash
forgotten God
scouting the divine


august
another fine myth

september


october
ish
the dot
31 days to finding your blogging mojo
the prayer matrix
pray
the fire that ignites
dirk gently's holistic detective agency
crazy love
scholarship and christian faith
the furious longing of God


november
the abbreviated psalter of the venerable bede
read, think, pray, live
is everyone hanging out without me?
compassion
counseling research
assessment procedures
a parent's guide to the christian college

december
God's big picture
everyday absurdities
serenity: better days and other stories
serenity: those left behind
dr. horrible's sing-along blog: the book
sun stand still
4 months to a 4 hour marathon
why i teach
the long dark tea-time of the soul
the Bible
one thousand gifts

admittedly, it was a slow year for reading for me.  as always, i am open to suggestions and love when books randomly appear in my hands because someone wants me to read them.

30 by 30 update: joy of the season

my life update.  just for you.

let's see...

1) i have one class and one internship left until they let me walk across the stage and get my master's degree.  holy moses.

2) i've paid off $2000 of my debt to dean chester.  still on pace.  

6) i went on a fabulous tea date with my housemates.  you can see lots of pictures and read all about it HERE.  it was really fun, and i will gladly go on dates with other people when they wander through marion.  

7) it is sort of hard to explain the 'something theatrical' that i went to...honors students are in a world lit class, and they perform trilogy plays at the end of the semester.  i went because a bunch of my freshmen were in them.  i sat with honors professors and laughed my head off.  there were togas, melodramatic tripping onto the stage, pregnancy with several different sized balls, british accents, and mocking of the professors.  all in all, a very lovely time.  and it was free.  bonus!

11) i made another meal.  not my finest, but it didn't appear to kill anyone.  you can see most of it HERE.  so now i have made 13 out of 20.

15) i kicked the crap out of chicken.  and i continue to do so.  cause all i do is win.  you can see the big event HERE.

29)  i only finished two books this month.  i'm at 47 out of 100.  i read God's big picture and everyday absurdities.  

and...that's it.

30 by 30 update: a semi-productive month, surprisingly

8 months to go. pow.

here's what i got done this month:

#2: i have paid off $1900 of my debt to my dad. booyah.

#5: i took a weekend trip by myself. it happened october 21-23. you can read about it HERE.

#11: i have been cooking tons and tons since i moved into the wigger house, and that has included several dinners for my super cool freshmen. THIS was one of them. my tally is 12/20.

#16: i have gotten a TON of reading done in the past month! i am now at 45/100 books. here's what i read/finished reading this past month:

the fire that ignites

dirk gently's holistic detective agency

crazy love

scholarship and Christian faith

the furious longing of God

the abbreviated psalter of the venerable bede

read, think, pray, live

is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns)

compassion

counseling research

assessment procedures

a parent's guide to the Christian college

#28: liz and i ran the flannels and flapjacks 5k at our church. you can see our ridiculous outfits HERE.

there's the update. november has been much kinder to my soul than october. i can't believe it is almost thanksgiving...and almost christmas...and almost my last semester of grad school. insane.

30 by 30: still alive, surprisingly...

i know i have been a terrible blogger for a while. and i apologize if you are experiencing feelings of abandonment. as promised, i made some changes to my list. i am including those changes on this update list.

2) another hundo. officially $1800 out of $2700.

4) i posted about the warrior dash last month, but here's the 'after pic' with my friend, nate:

6) CHANGE: have a tea room date with my housemates!

7) CHANGE: attend something theatrical...

11) once again, i did not post the picture for my monthly cooking blog, so here it is:

bleu cheese pita pizzas. let me just tell you, they were super easy and super delicious. let me know if you'd like the recipe.

also, since moving into the wigger house, i have been cooking nonstop. it's really fun to fix a big meal and know i don't have to eat it all by myself.

12) CHANGE: plan a scavenger hunt for my housemates. (they seem excited about this one.)

24) i did this in august, but here's the skinny dipping proof picture:

you do not even have to tell me how awesome those tan lines on my arms look. i know.

26) CHANGE: play guitar in a public place. (no, mj, not the farmer's market)

28) CHANGE: run a race with liz.

29) i forgot to say i read a book last month: another fine myth. and this month, i read ish, the dot, 31 days to finding your blogging mojo, the prayer matrix, and pray. so i am up to 33 out of 100. grad school has severely slowed my reading pace.

30 by 30 update: yeah yeah yeah

i am aware of my negligence this week. these last two weeks of school are out to murder me. but i am a known fighter, so i am punching back.

i have a very minimal 30 by 30 update, so i'll keep it short:

i made a yummy meal for my friend liz. that was number 5. if you have suggestions for anything you'd like to see me attempt to make, i am sort of open. haha. you must, of course, avoid my allergies. cause i have a bad habit of munching on the meal while i am fixing it.

i also finished three books this past month. please disregard the fact that two of them were for school. i read God hides in plain sight, counseling the culturally diverse, and process and practice of group counseling.

ok, i'll explain the picture. i feel all over the place, so i googled, 'crazy pants.' :)

why i write: because books kick me in the butt

sorry about the hiatus yesterday. it was kind of a long, strange day. turns out i was more attached to my wisconsin license plates than expected.

anyway...

there are a few books that have really pushed me to

a) write now,

b) write more, and

c) write better.

they are books that challenge and encourage me. they are books that make me feel completely inadequate as a writer but also [oddly] inspire me to believe that i have a voice.

if you ask very many writers or bloggers, they will probably include at least one of these books on their 'books that make me wanna write' list...because they're awesome. i don't claim to be unique in my love or appreciation of these books. i just want you to know about them.

so here you go:

letters to a young poet

(rainer maria rilke)

bird by bird

(anne lamott)

the war of art

(steven pressfield)

a million miles in a thousand years

(donald miller)

there are tons of books i could add to this list, but these four, in particular, have helped me take pivotal steps in my writing journey.

so tell me--what else should i be reading? what inspires you (or kicks you in the butt)?

my 2010 reading list

some of you like to know the things i read. if you don't, you should probably just skip over this post. i'll bold some of the books i really loved. let me know if you would like to know any of the authors. also, every book that has an exclamation mark was part of one of two series i read, just in case you were wondering.

january

the shack

independence!

nebraska!

wyoming!

oregon!

texas!

california!

colorado!

february

nevada!

washington!

montana!

confessions of a shopaholic

tribes

all creatures great and small

what the bible says about healthy living

march

all things bright and beautiful

all things wise and wonderful

the Lord God made them all

the adventures of johnny bunko

april

dakota!

utah!

idaho!

missouri!

mississippi!

louisiana!

tennessee!

drive

the search for significance

illinois!

wisconsin!

kentucky!

may

arizona!

new mexico!

oklahoma!

celebration!

the papa prayer

the historian

june

a million miles in a thousand years

july

space

westward!

expedition!

kittenwar

august

outpost!

naturally supernatural

eat, pray, love

zoom

it's not easy being green

practical magic

september

understanding people

the developing person

outliers

october

stuff christians like

follow me to freedom

hidden worldviews

november

living faith

december

interviewing in action

theory and practice of counseling and psycotherapy

66 love letters

gazelles, baby steps, and 37 other things dave ramsey taught me about debt

the christian college

the history of higher education

press play

the war of art