A Return from Flying South for the Winter

Sometimes, you need a break.  You know what I am talking about, like when you eat all the swiss cheese in the Kraft package and the thought of swiss cheese makes you want to hurl?  Ok, maybe you're not an ex-chunk like me, but, well, I took a break; ironically, a three year break from when my last post was.  What happened to this woman during that time?

First, I quit my day job.  Yep, you read that right.  I quit doing what I was most passionate about...teaching 11 years olds how to read, write, and sing the rendition of the YMCA known as "It's Great to be in Miss Meyer's 5th Grade."  This was a really hard thing for me to do.  It is scary to leave what you know, love and are comfortable with to step out into a world that is unknown with no support net to catch you.  How do you say good-bye from where you got your start?  Leave your boss, colleagues, parents, community and friends?  What did I choose to do?  Start my PhD.  :)  That is correct, I am working on becoming a Doctor of Philosophy in Literacy.  I am up at K-State working on it while teaching two sections of senior undergraduate literacy classes.  Essentially, I get to teach future teachers how to teach!  What a dream job I get to have and do while completing my personal goals and aspirations.  

Then, I found a new home.  My family is amazing.  Have I ever mentioned that?  I come from what is lovingly known as a Family Forrest vs. a Family Tree.  Mom is the 10th of 11 and Dad is the 4th of 8.  I live with my fantastic and creative cousin and daughter who is lovingly explained as my "niece" in the Little Apple.  Never a dull moment with three ladies and a Wabash fight song in the mix.  

After that, I adopted a feline child.  I have a cat who my "niece" found in March of 2014.  He was abandoned at a local park and running around.  She brought him home and I stumbled upon him after a tutoring session.  He has been lovingly named Max after Maurice Sendak's book Where the Wild Things Are.  Yes, Max did have his tag before the Royals went on to the World Series this Past Blue October.  What a delight that was for the Kansas City native.

Next, love took me in a Nordic direction here in the Little Apple.  Was discovered in a line up by a Viking fan and traded my heart for his affection.  We have had a fun year in teaching me how to hold, load, lock and shoot various firearms, traveling to Southeast Kansas, Branson, the Ozarks, Eureka Springs and Minneapolis.  Whew!  What a year it has been when you really stop and see what we did already.

Finally, I am starting to run again.  I found that with my change in teaching position here in Manhattan, that everything that I was working to have taken off was starting to creep back on.  Having a goal in mind is what helps to motivate me best.  So, a 5k in February, 10k in March and a half marathon in May is to help keep my sanity and motivation with living the healthy lifestyle.  May not be the fastest, but I am showing up, and I am in it to push my own physical limits.

When I have a free moment here and there, I do plan on updating my recipe page - I mean, it has been a very long time since any goodies showed up there and it is high time I start eating like a bird again.  Here is to a year filled with family, healthy habits, fun and positive attitudes.