Just some stuff that's going on.

Okay, so I think it's probably time to post again. I've been busy making my new website the last couple months, and I've been trying to spend less unnecessary time online since I've spent so much time doing that. Not that I really succeed, but I still try.

Right now I have a ... sickness. It's a cold/sinus infection of some sort. Who really knows? Not me, since I don't go to the doctor. Maybe I will if it doesn't get better.

We're going to see The Avengers today--and I'm hoping that will make me forget about my runny nose and itchy throat for a few hours. That, or I'll annoy everyone in the theater with my sniffling.

This month, I have loved 4% milk fat cottage cheese. Seriously. If you're like me, you probably always get the low fat or fat free kind... but do yourself a favor, and just once, get the regular kind. Your mind will explode.

And I also have to say that this month, I think spaghetti has finally outstayed its welcome at our house. It needs to take a vacation. We've consistently had spaghetti once a week for ... years. And we always eat all our leftovers; we love spaghetti. This week... yeah, I think we need a break. We'll see you in a few weeks, spaghetti.

Trevor finished his semester with a 4.0; and now he's writing for the summer. I'm genuinely excited to see where his two novels end up by the end of August. We're going to CONduit again at the end of May, and I'm also excited for that. We were so new to the whole writing industry last year; I'm hoping we'll be able to absorb a lot more and meet a lot more people.

We're also taking our annual stay-cation a bit early this year. We're taking it the last week of May. Usually we take it in October over our anniversary, but we thought it might be easier in the summer when Trevor doesn't have school. Plus, I REALLY need a break. It's hard sometimes to keep working when Trevor gets breaks from school, like for spring break or winter break, and now summer. He's still working his regular part time job, but it feels like he's the luckiest ducky in the pond. Ten days off should set me straight again.

Before that, though, is Trevor's 25th birthday, coming up on the 14th! I love birthdays :) I like that we get to lavish each other with attention.

Over the next month or two I'll be working on some more engagement photos, some bridals, some weddings. It's going to be kind of intense. I'm saving up to upgrade my camera body--that, or get a few new lenses. I haven't decided yet. They always say its better to get better lenses, but is that still the case when your camera body REALLY needs an upgrade? Luckily I have 6 months to figure it out :) I've already invested quite a bit of the money I initially intended to save into my new website and marketing stuff. I'm actually SO happy I made that decision. I have a new logo, a new look, and new business cards are on the way. I feel like I've taken a huge step in the direction of professionalism that I've been lacking so far. I finally made the decision to purchase a domain name, so I now have my very own website: www.beckygreenphotos.com! So instead of wix.com/photosbybecky or whatever, it's actually mine. And on top of it all, facebook FINALLY allowed me to change my business page name! I made the horrible decision when I first started to name my business "photos.by.becky" and within a year, I regretted it. Facebook finally changed their policy and let me change it to Becky Green Photography. It seems like a little thing, but it's SUCH a relief. Now, going forward, I'm focusing on things I offer my clients. I'm working on "the whole package" of what my clients receive, and I like the direction its going.

Anyways, I realize my blog and life have turned into all photograpy business and helping Trevor with his writing. That's pretty much all we do. I mean, yeah, we still work, and hang out with family, and still watch copious amounts of TV, and I still absolutely find time for cooking and baking. But basically, our worlds have been consumed.

Weekend: Conference + Editing

My weekend is pretty much scheduled out. I've got 6 sets of headshots to edit and get on proof sites. And conference is on, so I have something to listen to while I do it, at least :)

Waiting on Our Road to Damascus

This video really hit home for me.

How Church is Going--3 Months

Sew.

Here's an update on the whole church thing.

I'm getting back into the flow of church being a regular thing. At first it seemed like Sunday came way too often, but I'm actually surprised how little time its taken for me to get used to it. This week will be 3 months. I'm preparing myself for the novelty to wear off, and for thing to get hard again sometime in the near future, but for now, it's mostly okay.

Right now, I really, really just don't want to have to worry about getting up on Sundays. Waking up to no alarm clock on Saturdays is the best part of my whole week (at least ONE of the best). I realize that as my life changes, with kids and other things, Saturdays won't always be like that. Maybe then, I'll be grateful for a 9 AM "late start" on Sundays. When spring and summer get here, I'll probably have to nix the Saturday sleep-ins for photography sessions--but that's FUN :)

Thinking about churchy things throughout the week has been a different experience than I remember. Yeesh, lookit me, I sound like I've been away for eons. I'm telling you though, it is so easy to forget. Different periods in my life have shown me that scripture study and prayer come more easily at different times. But I have never had so much in my life direct me towards reading daily. My mind hasn't ever felt so open to the concepts and guidance in the scriptures. I feel like this is one gigantic mercy Heavenly Father has decided I need right now, and I'm incredibly grateful.

It's not all easy; it's not all hard. Some things will take lots of time to make right. But I'm here. I'm doing my best to be a part things.

We hear all the time (and it's so easy to start thinking of it as cliche; try not to though) that God's hand is always outstretched, we just need to take it. Or that the door is there, we just need to knock. It's true. My back was turned, not his. It's so easy to feel like we have to climb this huge mountain in order to be spiritual. That God waits for us to get far enough and then decides to help us if we've gone far enough. That's SO wrong. As soon as we decide to climb, He's there. As soon as we think about getting ready to climb, He encourages us; and we can feel His encouragement if we listen. Soon, other peaks and valleys that seemed impossible to begin with, aren't so bad once you get there.

Also, today I ate a Snickers bar. An entire candy bar, all to myself. It's been years. There's something so delicious and satisfying about eating a whole regular sized candy bar all by yourself, especially when there's no guilt for actually buying it yourself--we had some extras at work they were giving away. I could feel the calories sliding down my throat and settling in my stomach, but they were glorious, and I was willing.

Pictures of Bella

Sorry to all of you who see this twice since I put it on my photography blog. But it's a personal shoot too, and I wanted the people who get emails of my posts to able to see the pictures without going to the blog.

I got to hang out with my sister-in-law and my niece last week! We went to the aquarium and saw some penguins and otters. And then we played at the park and had dinner. I don't get to see them very often, so it was really nice to be able to hang out and see Bella be herself. 

I'll let the pictures do some talking for themselves :)

Tortilla Soup

Look at me big! I'm a pretty picture :)

Mmm, tortilla taco-y soup. I have no idea what to call this kind of soup. It doesn't have tortillas in it... so is it still tortilla soup?

Whatever it's called, it's delicious. I made it on Saturday night--and I just have to say, I chose all the ingredients at the store BEFORE looking at a recipe, and I chose correctly! Not sure about you guys, but every time I try to do that I always end up missing something. Go me :)

I added up all the calories in this soup, and it's ridiculously low. If you have a medium sized bowl, it's about 400 calories with chips and no sour cream.

It turned out to be a little bit taco soup, a little bit chili, a little bit tortilla soup. Kinda just a Mexican-y soup. The chipotles really make it what it is though--they have a very distinct spice and flavor. I'd never cooked with them before, but I'm definitely going to again! You can find them in little cans on the Mexican aisle at the grocery store, and you'll have lots of leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, this fed us dinner plus lunch for 2 days! Convenient? Uh, yeah.

Here's my version; it's based on Rachel Ray's Tortilla Soup only it has all stuff I wanted.

stuff you'll need:
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow pepper
1 medium white onion, diced
crushed garlic, to taste (1 tablespoon ish/ 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground rep pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups beef broth
1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed
2-3 tablespoons corn starch
1-2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 to 1 cup chopped cilantro

optional toppings:
shredded pepperjack cheese
fritos or tortilla chips
sour cream

here's how you do it:
First, you halve and de-seed the pepper, and stick it either on a grill pan over medium high heat for 10 minutes, or in the oven to roast for a few minutes. This grills the outside and sweetens it. If you don't feel like doing this, just add the chopped pepper in with the onion when its turn comes; it will be tastier if you grill it though.

In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the beef with salt and pepper. Add chopped onion and garlic while it's browning. If your meat is very lean, you may need to add a bit of oil to saute the onion. Add seasonings and chipotle peppers. Continue to cook for a minute or two.

Lower the heat to medium, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, and broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to allow a simmer.

Using a ladle, spoon out about 1/2 cup of liquid from the pot. In a small bowl, stir the liquid in with 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch until it's dissolved. Add it to the simmering pot. You may want to start with a little corn starch, cook the soup for a few minutes, then repeat the process until the soup is the thickness you're looking for.

Stir in corn, cilantro, and chopped pepper. Cook until corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. Remember to taste test to see if it needs more seasonings.

Top with cheese, serve with Fritos or tortilla chips, and/or sour cream, as you like.

Who are the Mormons?

I thought this infographic was pretty neat.

VODNIK review, as promised

Vodnik by Bryce Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My husband won an ARC of this book, and we've both loved it. I won't include any spoilers for you, but I'll just let you know that I've never read anything like this. I don't give out 5 star reviews willy nilly. I 100% enjoyed this book! It was the complete package for me.

The simple fact that it's set in Slovakia, and revolves around Slovak folklore sets it apart from other books. The setting feels real because it IS real. The magic is exciting and new.

This book is COMPLEX; moreso than I was expecting. You're figuring new stuff out, making guesses as to who's the bad guy, what's going to happen, and getting clues all the way up until the climax. It's paced wonderfully, giving you just the right amounts of information to hook you at the right times. It's PACKED with stuff! I felt like I was reading much more book than there was, which was great because I loved the story.

The characters are developed nicely; I believe their motivations. One tricky thing the main character has to deal with is deciding how much to involve his parents in his troubles, which, I think, is exactly what happens in real life. Our parents seem to take the back seat when we're trying to deal with tough situations on our own. And the characters have a great blend of magical and real-world obstacles to overcome.

There's an underlying conflict where the main character deals with racism, and it is handled with the care it deserves at the same time as being frank and open about real life situations.

This book would be great for anyone 12 and up; It's not too simple as to feel like reading a Fablehaven book, but there's nothing so dark that a 12 year old couldn't handle it.

View all my reviews

smell in fridge, ruined soup, shred, new calling, and church

I haven't posted yet this week, so I thought I'd share what's been going on. Nothing super fantastic. Mostly normal stuff.

• The smell in our freezer/fridge is going away--Oh wait. I don't think I told you about that. Basically, one day there suddenly came a horrible stench from our freezer mostly, and filled our fridge, ruining 90% of its contents. We threw away at least $50 worth of food, if not closer to $100. Basically, anything not sealed tighter than Superman could open tasted like... nasty. When we cleaned everything out there wasn't even anything super old or rotting that had obviously caused the smell. It's a mystery. We spent a week or so with a mostly empty fridge, trying a new remedy each day. Lysol, bleach, baking soda, vinegar, vanilla... just a few. For now, we have a freezer that just smells like off vinegar, and we're sealing all our food, like, triple. 

• Speaking of bad food. I recently had one of the worst food foibles of my life. Remember this delicious butternut squash soup? Yeah, the one that takes an hour to roast the squash? Well, lucky me, I used cream that had gone sour and ruined the whole batch. Needless to say, Wendy's never tasted so blah after that. 

• What else is going on... I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. This evening will be day 6. It was incredibly hard the first 2 days, and now it's getting better. But it's still really difficult. 20 minutes of intense workout, at home, where I don't have to drive anywhere, or wear appealing clothing, and I'm allowed to pant and grunt as much as I need to because no one can hear. I make Trevor stay in another room while I exercise--best idea ever. 

• I'm now officially the Relief Society accompanist. Who'd have guessed? ;) I was expecting it, and hoping for it, actually. When I was set apart, it was said that I could use my calling as a means of healing some of the old hurts I have, and using the spirit of music to move forward with my spiritual goals. I totally 100% agree. I always feel like the pianist is the luckiest person in the room. I love playing prelude music, and I feel like I'm getting the long end of the stick by being able to sit and enjoy it. I don't even know if other people listen that much. 

• I bore my testimony in church and completely ruined it. Five seconds after getting up to the mic I became one of those ladies who talks like a mouse and pauses for unknown amounts of time. After that my goal changed from bearing testimony to just saying a few sentences that would actually make sense to the congregation and sitting back down as quickly as possible. I even snorted uncontrollably as I was heading back down. Oh gosh. And I have to show my face there again.
• I'm speaking in church this Sunday. I don't know what came over the bishopric to make them think I'll be any different than last time, but okay. I just need to steer clear of anything that invites the spirit, then I won't cry. Sounds like a terrific plan.
• Lastly, this hasn't happened yet, but I'm looking forward to it a bushelfull. My sister-in-law and my niece are coming for a visit tomorrow! We are going to have loads of fun :)

Books I need to re-read because I hated them at first

I feel like I can be a forgiving person when I want to be. And I love books. So that's what this post is about :)

I went through my Goodreads reviews and noticed that I haven't really given that many books a rating below 3 stars. I was curious to see which books I gave a rating that I consider sub-par. And I am giving myself a challenge to re-read some of these books to see if I still hate them. It turns out that some of them are books I read a long time ago--maybe I'll like them now? Some are books I couldn't seem to get through.

I hate the idea of an author spending years of their life creating and writing a book, only for me to hate it. So I'm giving some of them a second chance--a few don't deserve a second chance quite yet, though ;) I don't even remember why I didn't like most of them.

These aren't in any particular order:

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. I read this in 2010, so not that long ago. I wasn't impressed. It was much better suited to a movie. The only two things I found redeeming were the fact that it was a quick exciting read, and Silas. He was basically the only realistic character, even though he was the most extreme. I won't be re-reading this anytime in the next quarter century.

 I actually really like my review I wrote on Goodreads, important parts highlighted: 


"I honestly and sincerely started reading this book with an open mind. I began with the knowledge that some people love it, and some people hate it. I entered the world of the Da Vinci Code with the expectation that I would be entertained, and perhaps a little enlightened on a few things. Instead, I was directed to every point the author wanted to make, and bashed over the head with it in each chapter. Dan Brown repeats himself OVER and OVER, as if I can't remember what I was just told in the chapter before, or heaven forbid, two chapters ago. I stopped counting how many times he informed me that the "Rose" had roots to the "rose" on a map. I felt like Dan Brown was in charge of my reading experience, not myself. By taking so much control, he limited my imagination, and limited the personal experience I could have had with the book 

On top of that, I think Dan Brown is a little close-minded himself. The moral of his story seems to be that we need to open our eyes to the truth of history and the symbols and true meanings of things around us. BUT, he completely dismisses any other possibilities except for those "truths" he presents. 

I found his style very "young adult." There's a pattern, identify a secret, let the characters talk about it without informing the reader, and then inform the reader in the next chapter. Seems to me to be the simplest form of mystery writing. 

I came away feeling the most sympathy and connection with Silas, surprisingly. I felt no connection to Robert Langdon, and hardly any for Sophie. Silas only wanted to get out of his hole. He was abused as a child, forced into a life he should never have had to experience, and miraculously rescued by a good person (no matter his religion). He started a new life, with a new family and purpose, that no one can presume to call evil, if a little misguided and sensational. He was taken advantage of, manipulated. And he lost everything. All that remained of him at the end of the story was a white body lying in the park. He deserved more." 

 Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown. Yeah, I know, it's a kids' book. But oh my heck, it gets a lot of hype! Last year, I discovered that I'd actually never read it. After checking it out, I was unimpressed. I don't remember exactly what it's about, but I remember a "What? That's it?" feeling. Even for a kid book.

Next time I get the chance, I'm going to take 2 minutes and read it again. I'm sure there's something good about it. I mean, kids love it, right?

 Fire of the Covenant, by Gerald N. Lund. Oh my. When I was 12, I read the entire Work and the Glory series and fell in love. (That's another series I need to re-read because I've been feeling its memory being cheapened in my mind, and I wonder if it's really as good as I thought when I was a Beehive.) I picked this one up off my mom's shelf in high school, and could only get a few chapters in. I don't have an official rating of this book, since I barely got started but I've always assumed it must not be that great if it couldn't hook me. I think I might have been bored with pioneers at the time. Lund is a celebrated author; I'm sure it's worth something. I'm going to give it another chance.

 Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. I know a few people who would be shocked off their rockers to hear that I didn't enjoy the first quarter of this book either. Last year I honestly TRIED. I tried my very hardest to read this book but it was like walking through thick mud. I'm not sure if I'm ready to give it another go yet, but I will. Eventually. I'm not usually one to get annoyed with the "classic" or old style of writing. But this book... I swear Charles Dickens was trying to annoy people by not writing coherently. I've heard so many people rave about the characters... So I must be missing something.

 

 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. I'm ashamed that I don't like this book. I read it in high school and ever since it has been my go-to least favorite book. I'm now foggy on the details, but I remember disliking the accents, and racism, and simplicity of the characters. I knew, and I know, those things are basically what makes the book infamous... I think I might have been uncomfortable with the subject material, maybe? I'm ready to try this one again and see if I still hate it.

 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Yet another book I read in high school. I actually have hardly any recollection of what this book is actually about-- just know I wasn't a fan. Looking back, though, I think I might have disliked it because I disliked my English teacher at the time... She was a treat, let me tell you. I'm surprised any of us went on to enjoy reading after being in her class. Poor woman.

The Witches, by Roald Dahl. I read this book in elementary. And as far as an 8 year old review goes, I didn't like it. I only remember one scene in the whole book, where a kid is sneaking up on the witches in a big meeting. I remember hearing that all my friends loved the book, but when I read it, I didn't understand why anyone liked it at all. I felt like they liked it for the gross art rather than the actual content.

 Against the Storm, by Gaye Hicyilmaz. This was the very first REAL chapter book I ever purchased. Actually, my mom helped me buy it at the school's book fair. I don't think I was ready for it--as my mom sincerely tried to tell me. I wouldn't listen, though, and insisted I could read it. I tried multiple times, once even in high school. I've always been curious if it's actually good.

 Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller. No idea why I didn't like this. We even read the play and watched a movie with John Malcovich in high school. I'm looking forward to giving it another shot.

 Monkey Bridge, by Lan Cao. Whew! A book I actually read and remember why I don't like it :) Here's my review from Goodreads with the important parts highlighted. I won't be reading this again for a very long time.

  The first half of the book is like reading a really convoluted dream sequence. I couldn't even tell if the main character was male or female for like 30 pages. Everything is from the point of view of the main character, Mai, who is a Vietnamese immigrant in her senior year of high school. On top of the hardships that go along with immigration, she's dealing with her mother's failing physical and mental health, the regular mother-daughter misunderstandings, as well as the sorrow of an unidentified event leaving her only remaining family member in Vietnam. 

If I was going to rate this book on IDEAS alone, I would give it 3, maybe 4, stars. But the organization and flow of the content is frustrating, slow at points, and jumbled. And although the book was written in first person, I felt like I got to know Mai's mother by her journal entries better than I got to know Mai through her narrative. 

I recommend refreshing your memory on the vietnam war before reading this book. You'll be a lot less confused once you do. The book doesn't remind you itself who was on who's side, or the history and timeline in plain terms. So be prepared to remind yourself of who fought the war, what each side stood for, the major battles, and the geography of Vietnam. 

Beyond the organizational and structural items that bothered me, by the time I finished the book, I found Mai's main conflict to be satisfying. Throughout the book, she is confused about how to interact with her mother. This is in the normal way mothers and daughters have a hard time understanding each other's goals, desires, history, and life. But there's the added conflict between Mai and her mother that her mother is stuck in traditional Vietnamese ways, while they are living in America and Mai is willing to adapt. They are growing much further apart than I believe they would have if Mai had grown up only in Vietnam. In the beginning, Mai is resistant to her mother's ways and lifestyle centered around Karma. But by the end of the book, although there is a bitter end in some ways, Mai learns to appreciate her mother's ways and apply them to her life in ways she can accept. While I don't agree that her mother HAD to do the things she did in order to give Mai a Karmatic "fresh start," I can appreciate Mai's appreciation, because she needed to learn her mother's heart. There are often very visual metaphores and analogies that I found quite impressive. 

If someone asked me if they should read this book, I would probably say yes. But more in a "go for it and see what you think" way. I would recommend that they stick around for the end, and try to read the book in 1 or 2 sittings to not get dragged down. Everything comes together in the end.

 The BFG, by Roald Dahl. Always said I hated this book, but can never remember why. I'll try this one again soon.

 Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen. I think I got turned off of Jane Austen because all her books are basically the same. I really liked Pride and Prejudice, then sort of liked Emma, then got bored with Sense and Sensibility. If I'm ever interested in giving it a second chance, I'll probably just read an Austen book I've never read before to see if it's similar. Here's my Goodreads review:

"All I could think the whole time was, "Have I read this before?" So much like Pride and Prejudice, and even like the beginning of Emma so far. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough to discern the subtleties? I was liking it in the beginning, getting to know the characters, discovering Marianne wasn't going to be with Willoughby, and that Elinor was losing her "true love." But it felt like it dragged on in the middle. There was waaay too much detail about the depression Marianne fell into for Willoughby. I liked Pride and Prejudice. Why didn't I like this one? I wonder if I went back and read P and P again, if I'd like it a second time... I sort of feel like I've discovered what Jane Austen's style is like, and now I've read them all. I think I'll give Emma a chance and keep reading though... I didn't feel like anything was a shock, even the end when Edward really isn't married, I feel like I already knew. Maybe I've seen the movie and just can't remember. 

I wish Edward would have been explained better. And why Elinor likes him. I didn't even know she liked him until like half way through, and then it was hard to believe she cared. It ended with a happy ending, but not the happy ending it could have been if we would have REALLY seen Elinor suffering. She would have been fine without him. She was ready to move on. 

I don't know if it was just this book, or if I'm really beginning to be turned off by Jane Austen, but it really started to get on my nerves how often Austen doesn't specify which "she" she's talking about. Or which "Miss Whoever." She'll bring up a character you've never met before and talk about them as if you should know who they are, and then explain who they are a page later. Normally I love the style from this time period, but there seemed to be a lot of talking about nothing in this book."

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. My book club read this over the summer, and I couldn't get in to it. I'll admit, it may partially be because I'm kind of annoyed by how much attention Robert Pattinson gets in the media for being Edward in Twilight (don't get me wrong, Twilight has its place in the world). I'm just super annoyed with how much hype book-movies get when they pick the right actor or when the book was a thriller with little real worth while content. Twilight is one of those, sure. Same with Hunger Games. I'll also admit that I was immediately turned off by the language in the book and by the naked lady dancers and such. I'm not one to be incredibly particular about things like that all the time--but it didn't seem to flow with the book. I think I need a little extra time before coming back to this book. The movie needs to not be so popular and I need time to forget all my negative feelings.



Well, that's it. What about you? Do you feel similarly about any of these books? Think I should give any of them a second chance? Do you have any books you should give a second chance??