Back From the Dead

So after a long hiatus, I'm back. I blame my absence on 1: my parents finally came to visit (yay!) the first weekend in March, and 2: I was immediately struck down with the cold/flu that has been making the rounds. So I took a couple days off work, and was pretty much a zombie for two weeks, but I'm feeling back to my old self again.

So to fill you in on the few events I remember from the last month, here is a little summary.

Ski Trip: Before I got sick and while my parents were here, we hit the slopes for the second time this season. We took a lesson this time, and had so much fun. Our instructor helped us with the finer points of turning, and by the end of the day we were tired and very happy.




Jane Austen Extravaganza: In spite of feeling very under-the-weather, I hosted a Jane Austen party on the fifteenth. Several of my bookish friends and I congregated at our home and delighted in hours and hours of Jane Austen yummyness. We made it through Jane Austen Regrets, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion and then if that wasn't enough Austen for one day, a couple of die-hards stayed on and watched Becoming Jane. Randy was thankful that he was at work during all of this girl time.

Craftiness: A year ago I picked up knitting with the help of a hilarious instruction manual my mom bought me entitled, I can't believe I'm Knitting! I have come to really enjoy knitting, and I have a few projects under my belt. I made some entrelac scarves for both my moms for Christmas, and a pink one for my niece Sydney. I made a pillow so I could learn how to cable knit--and my latest project is actually just for me: fuzzy socks. Fuzzy socks are my favorite thing to have in the winter, and here in Utah they are indispensable. So that has been keeping me occupied in random spare moments. I also managed to crochet the edging around a baby blanket for my newest nephew, Samuel, who is just as cute as can be.

Family: My favorite moments from the past month have been spent with family. Having my parents here was wonderful, even if it went by too fast. We managed to have a few game nights with Joe and Mandy--and recently Mallory--in between all of our work schedules and my getting the plague. We had to have a Monopoly tournament (which turned out to be contentious!) and we had to try out my favorite game of all time--Clue. I think we also got a few Rook hands in. I also loved having Ethan, Sydney and Anna over for some play time. I don't get enough time with my nieces and nephews!! I also loved the little time I've got to spend with Samuel. He is the sweetest baby, and I couldn't wait to get over the flu so I could go visit him.


Cooking: One of my birthday presents from my parents was this amazing cookbook, and I have been having so much fun trying out new recipes. I am officially addicted to their Sushi rice, which I can eat by itself, or with curry vegetables on top. I just bought the ingredients to make vegan california sushi rolls, so I'll let you know how that goes. I also have tried out their squash ravioli, and some Indian food: Dal and traditional flatbread. This morning I made the flatbread and Falafals . . . I feel like a new world has been opened up to me. My kitchen is a mess, but my tummy is happy!