Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas, 2011!



Well, hello blogging world. It's nice to be back, and hopefully I can write on here a bit more consistently now that all my writerly attention won't be directed toward term papers. On that note, I am a Master of English and American Literature. Feel free to pose questions to test my newly recognized expertise, and I will feel free to plead ignorance if necessary.

Last night we began celebrating Christmas with Sam's family, and we have already been exceptionally blessed with wonderful presents, delicious food, and time with people we love. Some highlights include a book-paper wreath and magnetic memo board from my sister-in-law and a beautiful fluted pie plate from my mother-in-law.

Maybe after all the gifts have been exchanged I can post some of the craftiness that has been going on around here.

We're looking forward to more time with extended family over the next week and further gift exchanges. Also, at the moment, I'm craving a Market Street cheese ball. Hint, hint, Mom.

Wishing you a merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Best Husband Ever

This is an older picture of us, but I'm feeling nostalgic, and it's still one of my favorites.

I'm temporarily breaking my blogging hiatus to brag on my husband. He wakes up early, works hard, and is so good at his job. October is the month when orchestra wives become "orchestra widows" according to another director friend because there is an audition or recording session almost every Saturday.

In spite of the craziness at work, (which he takes in stride because he loves his job) he got up early this morning to surprise me with my current favorite drink from Starbuck's. He also made secret plans to celebrate this weekend and he's been teasing me by singing a little made-up tune about how "There are plans for your birthday" for a couple weeks. He knows the anticipation of an event is one of the best parts, (in my opinion) so he took care to let me know that plans are in place even though he wants to surprise me.

Well, first surprise accomplished. Starbuck's sets apart a day as special, and having it delivered while I was still dozing marked this day as fantastic. (Side note: Starbuck's has never been part of my daily routine, but my Dad delivered whatever my current drink of choice was on every birthday in high school. Then I continued the tradition by refusing to brew my own coffee on my birthday in college, and the sweet Starbuck's memories extend to my wedding day when I downed a grande cinnamon dolce latte while having my hair done. See, fancy coffee makes me nostalgic.)

The small gesture (not so small, since it involved sacrificing sleep) also reminded me what a thoughtful and loving man I married. And now you know, too. If anyone deigns to check my dormant blog. :)

I'll be back in December with a new diploma and hopefully lots to write about.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Notification

Maybe someday when I'm not a full time graduate student working 20 hours a week, I'll have something interesting to say and time to type it. Until then, I'm going to continue my blogging hiatus. Consider yourself notified.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

It's Been a Long, Long Time

The problem with getting behind on blogging is that updating on all the wonderful events that have happened since my last post seems insurmountable. So, without any promises to ever post about the summer (which really was busy and wonderful) I'm beginning again with my dedication to blogging.

This weekend was a good combination of productivity and relaxing. Husband and I spent our Saturdays separately. He had work events and a gig, while I went to the eye doctor, saw The Help*, and bought a week's worth of groceries. I finished out the day putting together a late dinner and reading before bed.

*See The Help. It is not a chick flick. It is an everyone flick, as in everyone should go see it because it will make you laugh, cry, and think about how you treat people. Consider this your recommendation/hearty endorsement.

I'll probably go to see The Help again once Husband has read the book. He likes to read and then watch movies, and I support that generally, so it'll probably be a couple weeks.

Today we visited a local church for the third time and went out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with some couples from church. If you haven't had their lemon ricotta pancakes, (or anything else I've ever tried on the menu) those have my endorsement as well. We've really felt welcome at this church and are excited about continuing to visit.

Sunday afternoon naps, followed by coupon clipping, sharing a slice of cheesecake, and trying a new recipe (zucchini boats stuffed with sausage, onions, garlic, and cheese) rounded out the weekend. I have one more week of full time work before my final semester of grad classes starts, and next weekend our niece turns 3, so there should be plenty to update and some pictures in the next post.

Have a blessed week!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

More to Come

Someday maybe I'll have time to write about the moving process, how we celebrated our first anniversary, and the gorgeous wedding I attended this weekend.

But, that day is not today. For now, I'm using the unexpectedly available Internet access to solicit prayers. My sister and grandfather are in Africa on a medical mission trip, and it was a challenging day. Please pray for healing and for peace.

Also, on a lighter note, I may or may not have eaten these chips twice in the last week. I may or may not have chosen Subway for lunch yesterday because I was craving another bag of them. And I am not being paid by Frito Lay for this endorsement. Go get some of these chips, and thank me for the recommendation later.



We're moving on Saturday. I'm especially thankful for all the help my family (both sides) has given and will give during the whole process, and I'm so excited about getting settled at our new place! I'll return once I have Internet access at our new home. Until then, have a wonderful week!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Big News

No, the news is not baby-related. Consider yourself chastised for thinking the only big news a newlywed could possibly have is related to pregnancy. I forgive you, but try not to jump to that conclusion next time.

The actual big news has been on the tip of my tongue for a few weeks, but I had to keep it a secret until the appropriate people had been notified in person. Drum roll, please. Husband got a new job, and we're moving!

I had to wait to write anything about apartment hunting or packing until he finished up end-of-the-year activities and told his students that he was leaving. The new job is an amazing opportunity for so many reason, and we found an awesome apartment located about halfway between his new school and my office. Bonus: it has an attached garage!

Among so many upsides of this new opportunity, the one huge bummer about moving is that we love our church family, and we'll be too far to travel there multiple times each week. We'll be close enough to visit, but we want to be really involved with our church, and that means that we have to find a new church to place membership.

As I type, I am surrounded by boxes, both packed and unpacked, and there's still so much left to be done. I started full time work this week, and we're moving the middle of next month. When it rains, it pours. I'm looking forward to the long weekend to relax and pack. A dear friend is getting married on Saturday, so I'll get to attend her wedding and see lots of friends there. Then, I'll probably spend some time packing more boxes and relaxing.

I hope your weekend is filled with friends, fun, and exciting news!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Precious Commercial

I finished the semester, and now I'm on to a busy summer of working, etc. Maybe I'll write more about the end of the year later. For now, all you need to know is that I'm happy with my grades, and I've applied for graduation in December!

And now, to appease the jealousy of those of you who still have a couple weeks of school to go, I have a treat to make you smile. Watching the video is well worth 30 seconds of your time.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of mother's day, I thought I'd post some pictures of some of my favorite mothers/grandmothers. I'm overwhelmingly blessed with them. So, thank you to the women who are related to me by birth for shaping me into who I am today, and thank you to the women who inherited me by marriage. You've made me feel very welcome, and I appreciate it more than I can say.

Without further ado, pictures of my mom, Sam's mom, and our grandmothers, courtesy of our talented wedding photographer, Arlene Cloud.



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Blogging Hiatus

Sorry about my extended absence from the blogosphere. I've been a little busy finishing up this semester while working. Thankfully, there's only a week left, and I'm completely finished with my Middle English course as of this afternoon. After two and a half hours of writing for the final exam, my right hand is tired, and the professor is in possession of two hopefully well-structured essays.

This weekend, Husband and I will attend the youth missions auction on Saturday night and maybe update our cell phone service. I'm quite excited about the youth auction because we had tons of fun last year. We donated some money to youth missions and left thoroughly entertained, well fed, and the proud new owners of a printer/copier. The theme this year is Western, so I'll have to brainstorm a costume. :) Other than those bright points, I will be welded to my laptop finishing up my final essays. And then the sun will shine through the clouds and I will rejoin the blogging world.

For now, since I've consumed your time reading all the reasons I haven't been able to write, I'll leave you with a treat. Last night was the final Awana meeting, and the scale has tipped in the favor of my fourth graders. I will definitely miss them. One in particular is very interested in my new job and asks every week, "Miss Jordan, what did you write today?" Last night she asked in front of some of the other leaders, and I explained that she was so sweet to ask every week. She then recapped what I had told her about each Wednesday over the last few weeks with bubbly enthusiasm and surprising accuracy. It made my day. Not only does she care enough about my "boring" technical writing job to ask about my workload; she also cares enough to remember from week to week. See why I'll miss them?

I hope you have a beautiful weekend with the right balance of productivity (i.e. essay production) and fun (i.e. a youth auction!)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Happy Birthday, Husband!



In honor of my husband's first birthday since we got married (our first anniversary is fast approaching) I thought I'd dedicate a post to him.

He made my first birthday as a married woman spectacular. I'm attempting to do the same. It's a busy week for him at school and things haven't exactly been stress-free in the education world recently, so on the menu for tonight and this weekend is relaxation. I'm making one of his favorite meals so that we can unwind at home tonight, and you'd better believe there will be presents galore. That is, if three carefully chosen and lovingly gift wrapped presents and a card count as galore. Then, for Easter we're heading to the Metroplex to visit my family where there will be more delicious food and fellowship. I'm also hoping there will be time to improve my Wii bowling average, play with my cousins, and maybe watch a movie. :)

Other than making my birthday a blissful day to remember, here are a few more things I love about my husband in no particular order:

1. He makes me laugh. A lot.
2. He's been helping me adjust to working while finishing my Master's by doing more around the apartment.
3. We can enjoy being together even when we aren't saying a word.
4. He's the first person I want to tell about my day, and I love coming home to hear about his.
5. He's passionate about music and teaching, and he gives 110% to his students.
6. We both enjoy eating out, but we're also both budget-conscious.
7. Our Friday night movie nights are becoming a tradition, an inexpensive weekly date night.
8. Last week when I forgot to mail the Netflix movie back in time to get a new one by Friday, he got a Redbox movie for us to watch instead. Thus, he is thoughtful and does sweet things to make me happy.

I hope he has an amazingly wonderful birthday, and I hope you all have a blessed Easter weekend!

Friday, April 15, 2011

First Paycheck, I Hardly Knew Thee

I got my first paycheck today, and then I immediately spent a large portion of it on work-appropriate attire. Don't worry. I discussed the decision with my husband, and we're looking at the splurge as a start-up cost for jump starting my career. In related news, the company where I work redefined their dress code last Friday to exclude any denim, so the pants I was super excited about are going to be exchanged for a black pencil skirt. One of the reasons I loved them was their affinity to jeans, only dressier, but the new professional attire rule is probably for the best.

One reason dressing professionally is so important for me is my youthful appearance. If you've ever discussed this topic with me, I have probably hyperbolically compared myself to a twelve-year-old. That's a slight exaggeration, but I do often feel like people assume I'm younger than I am. That's a problem, since I'm young enough that if people subtract years from my age, my tenuous grasp on authority slips into oblivion. I thought that the wedding ring might tip people off, but my petite frame and youthful expressions negate any attention paid to my ring finger.

All in all, shopping for dress clothes was a necessary process, but I fully intend to avoid the mall for the next several months. I got enough of the "shopping experience" at the dozen stores I browsed today. Have a blessed mall-free weekend. Unless you enjoy that sort of thing. In which case, I don't understand you, but I still wish you well.

Friday, April 8, 2011

I Should Be Writing Right Now...

But I think blogging counts as a form of writing, don't you? Since I haven't blogged about my school life recently, I thought I'd update you on some current writing projects. Even if it isn't on my official "To Write" list, blogging may just help me formulate my plan of action for the next week.

I have two essays due next week, one a rough draft for my Dante Studies course due on Monday and the other a final draft Bibliographic Essay for Middle English course due on Thursday. Oh, and I am in the reading/researching phase of my final analysis paper for my Feminist Theory course. Would you like to know the topics of each of these brilliant compositions? Of course you would.

My Dante paper is about the character of Beatrice and how her affinity with multiple descriptors places her in a unique category. For example, she could be compared to an angel, a saint, an allegorical figure representing Trinity, or a courtly lady, but she is not encompassed by any one of those categories. Rather, she is an amalgamation of several literary tropes, and as such, she stands alone.

For Middle English, I have compiled articles about the poem Pearl and I am focusing on the Pearl-maiden's shifting identity as a courtly lady. This assignment requires more synthesis than original work, so my goal is to show how different critics are in conversation about the courtly lady aspect of the title character.

For Feminist Theory, I am engaged with Gilbert and Gubar's Madwoman in the Attic, and it is as awesome as the title implies. Basically, their work traces elements common to female authors in the nineteenth century and engages with cultural stimuli for the dichotomy of female characters portrayed as either angels or monsters. I love it so far, and I would love to further discuss this topic with anyone interested.

That covers my grad school writing, but a large section of my brain is also currently consumed with the technical writing project I am working on 2 1/2 days per week.

Think good thoughts and offer a prayer that I don't allow technical writing jargon and natural gas lingo to slip into my Literature assignments. I'm partially kidding, but really, I feel like I have a divided mind these days, and I am looking forward to this summer when I can focus on one writing project and read during the evenings (dare I write it?) for FUN.

I still love my English Lit studies, and I am interested in the assigned reading, but balancing technical writing and term papers isn't appealing as a permanent situation.

Tonight I'm taking a break from all of the above to eat out with my husband and watch a Netflix movie, so I'd better buckle down and produce pages of articulate analysis about Pearl. Fun fact: the unknown Pearl-poet also wrote the popularly anthologized Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. You're welcome for that dissemination of knowledge.

Have a blessed weekend filled with something other than forced writing!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Healthy Stress Baking



Those of you who know me from my college days know that I like to bake, especially when I should be doing a million other things. The longer my to-do list becomes, the more I want to pull out some flour and sugar and make a mess in my kitchen. That said, although I am really loving my new job, my days have become more hectic, and term papers are looming in the near future. So, last weekend I baked.

Because I am now a mature wife of almost a year, and most of the food I create is consumed by two people (Husband and Me) I needed to channel my stress baking habit into healthier foods. Enter one of my new favorite blogs with a healthy whole wheat bread recipe. This is where I confess that I am a blog-stalker. While I am never more than one person removed from the blogger, I do not actually know all of the bloggers who I stalk. I feel better now that I've cleared the air about that.

The new favorite blog is summer harms and I found her through a mutual friend's blog. I think we would be friends if we had a chance to meet. She loves cooking and babies. Enough said. The bread recipe is honey whole wheat bread and you should make it. It has good things for you in it, and it's really yummy.

Another confession: I am cheap. I used to describe myself with the more positive term "frugal," but I have since come to terms with my bargain hunting obsession. Thus, investing in two types of whole wheat flour and flax seed goes against the grain because the cheaper staple all-purpose flour costs significantly less. However, the investment in my health (and my husband's) was worth it. I've since made whole wheat pizza crust for calzones, and not only were they healthier, the crust tasted richer in my opinion.

The summation of this blog is that I think you should go buy some whole wheat flour, indulge in stress baking, and then feel healthy eating your delicious baked goods. Have a stress-free healthy week!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Working Woman

Wednesday was a long day. Since August I've helped with Awanas at church. It's a good program that gives the kids time to memorize and digest God's Word and then some time to run around and play games. I have a group of 4th graders who I get to follow around, and they're quite entertaining. Anyway, after starting my first day of work and then sitting through the notoriously congested Houston traffic, I met Sam and inhaled some food before hanging out with my 4th graders, driving home, and collapsing. Oh, and then I had to shift gears and participate in a discussion about Breton lays and Authurian Romance yesterday.

After such an intensely exhausting day orienting myself to a new workplace and skill set, some of the things my Wednesday night group told me were funnier than usual. I was dressed up for work, so I expected some comments about that, but when I walked up to the group the first thing a kid said was, "Hey, you know you look like..." I expected him to compare me to some teacher or professional-looking character on TV, but instead he inserted the name of a Disney channel star. I looked up the show when I got home, and she looks 15. So much for my attempt at a grown-up appearance.

The other funny anecdote occurred when I told one of the girls she had to act like a big kid. She jokingly whined that she was still a little kid. I responded that sometimes I wished I was still a kid, but we would both have to accept that she was a big kid and I was a grown-up. Such an appropriate conversation to have on the day I start my job and try to digest all the responsibility that goes with it.

Fridays I'm only working half days until I finish grad school, so today is shaping up to be much less intense. I went to work this morning, put in four hours, and was able to come home to eat lunch and brew some iced coffee. I even had time to blog before heading to the grocery store. Have a wonderful weekend, and maybe I'll have more to report soon!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Life Just Got a Little Busier

Husband and I had a great spring break. We got to spend some time with both of our families and see some good friends. And then I got a call from a place I interviewed a while back and was offered a job. I start tomorrow, so my dismally sparse blog posts might get even more sparse. Or maybe I'll have so many interesting work anecdotes that my blog will become an enlightening space overflowing with humor and the secrets of adulthood. We shall see. The former is probably more likely because I will continue studying literature with all the associated reading and writing. Oh, and I like to live in a clean place and wear clean clothes. So those things will continue taking time.
Hopefully I can find time to update occasionally, but until then, you know what I'll be doing. Working. I bought some awesome office-appropriate pants today. You should check them out because they're on sale at Target. That's all for now, as I join the working world. Happy mid-week!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Food on the Brain




Have you eaten at Buca di Beppo? Well, you should. It's family style dining, so gather up a large group of friends and family, and head to the location nearest you for your next special occasion. Or the next time you crave delicious Italian food. Sam and I tried it for the first time this weekend, and everything was delectable. We went to celebrate his mom's birthday with his parents and sister's family, so there were plenty of people to share a variety of dishes. Mmm...and somehow we lucked out and got to take the leftover chicken marsala for lunch the next day. Thank you Marla for inviting us and Laura for having a birthday!

For small group this week I made monkey bread. It rose to perfection. I've had trouble with that in the past because our apartment seems to retain warmth to me, but apparently bread dough finds the environment too drafty. The solution was found in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Maybe you already know this trick, but for fellow bread bakers who have trouble creating a warm, moist environment I'll share the trick. Place a bowl of steaming water on the bottom rack of a cool oven, and then place the covered dough on the higher rack. The moisture and heat from the steam make the dough rise beautifully. Just ask anyone from our small group. I brought home an empty plate with nary a crumb left.

On another note, can you tell I'm hungry? I've been browsing The Pioneer Woman's site, and included on the menu for the rest of this week are her meatball sliders and spinach and mushroom quesadillas. Are you hungry yet? Happy eating (and exercising) this week!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Bit of This and That

How do you welcome your husband home after he's been at a convention all weekend?



With a homemade pizza, of course. My favorite variety has a simple crust from scratch, sausage, zucchini, and LOTS of mozzarella. In the past, I've sliced fresh tomatoes and drizzled olive oil, but since Sam inexplicably likes tomato sauce on his pizza, I opted for store bought pizza sauce this time. I've thought about adding mushrooms cause those flavors would be good together. Maybe next time...

On another note, my second class was canceled yesterday, so we got to spend an unplanned Valentine's Day together. We're loving re-watching Boy Meets World together, so we may or may not have spent a few hours curled up on the couch laughing at Cory, Shawn, and Topanga. Thank you Netflix for allowing us to relive our childhoods.

Since we didn't think we would be together on Monday, we celebrated Sunday by eating lunch at Carino's (my mouth is watering) and going to see our friend in The Diary of Anne Frank. The show was well done and has a powerful message. I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

This weekend, we're heading to the Metroplex to visit my family and a friend who just moved to start a new job! More on that later. Have a wonderful week!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

When Houston Freezes Over

Husband and I spent his extra day off sleeping late, knitting (me), playing computer games (him), and working out together. In spite of the hazardous three bottom steps, which were frozen solid, our trek to the workout room was uneventful. Overall, we had a wonderful snow(less) day, and I got to enjoy more time with Sam than I had in a while. We finished the day with a dinner of queso and chili and a Netflix movie.
Today, the temperature is back up and the roads are clear, so we're heading to visit our niece and then go to the opera tonight with Sam's parents. This is shaping up to be a very good weekend. My favorite part about the Super Bowl is hanging out with friends and getting to create, then eat appetizers, so tomorrow should be good, too.
I hope your weekend (whatever the weather) is as pleasant as mine, or more if you can manage that. Good luck!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hunger Games

I have been meaning to post about my latest reading spree for several days now. In case you are unaware, I have a slight addiction to reading. This addiction has affected my life in many ways. Once, when I was quite a bit younger, I was told to go to bed, and proceeded to disobey and finish reading an entire book with a flashlight under the covers. I then was eaten with guilt and woke up my parents to confess, but only after completing the final chapter. My sister still complains that once I discovered chapter books, she would beg me to play, and I would promise (blatantly lie) to stop reading once I finished the next chapter. She has always been smart, so she noticed that when I finally would put the book down my bookmark had moved much further than the width of a single chapter. Being second fiddle to a book was apparently scarring because she still talks about it.

Anyway, I have always struggled with obsessive reading, especially when I discover a new series. Something about the continuation of the story of a core group of characters makes me gorge myself on books and forsake all other pursuits until I reach the conclusion. The Hunger Games grabbed my attention immediately. I love Katniss and Peeta and Gale, and the adventure/romance/fantasy genre has always been near and dear to my heart. However, these books are dark, and by the time I reached the end of the series (which took less than 3 days) I was left with a melancholy feeling. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone younger than 13, and consider yourself warned, the gruesome nature of the books doesn't lend itself to a typical happy ending.

Overall, I'm glad I read the series. It was my last chance to read for fun before the semester reading load threatened to crush me under its weight. Sam just finished the first book, and I'm enjoying discussing them with him. Haunting, but timely, The Hunger Games has my nuanced stamp of approval.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Becoming Busy

In case you haven't noticed through diligent observation, or by some chance you have stumbled onto this blog and don't know me, welcome! Also, I have a confession to make. I am not good at not being busy. Since moving to live near my fiance/now husband I have been diligent about not becoming too busy. I have graduate school most months of the year, I volunteer at church, and I need time to cook/clean/sleep/eat.

That said, when I'm not in school, such as over the long Christmas break, I become creative in finding things to do. I've already blogged about the holidays, and I stayed cheerily consumed with festivities and family for several weeks. Then, we arrived home, put away the Christmas decorations and unpacked. I ordered my books for the next semester and twiddled my thumbs until I could not think of anything else I wanted to do.

So, I am pleased to announce that I am in the process of becoming a substitute teacher, I opened an Amazon seller account, and I taught myself how to knit. Rather than clean the apartment (which seems to always get messy again) or write thank you notes, (I've been horribly negligent, but they're coming) I found other projects to keep me busy. So far, I'm fairly proud of the results (other than the thank you note negligence). I've learned that knitting can be relaxing, but it makes my stubby fingers tired, and I'm impatient to finish a significant project that I consider worthy of giving away. I've sold 6 books on Amazon, and our bookshelves are grateful to bear a lighter load. As the semester progresses, we shall see how substituting works with my studies, but the process thus far has been fulfilling.

In a month, I might be drowning in Dante and Chaucer, but for now I feel the satisfaction of having diversified my interests and spent a break doing something other than sleeping, watching TV, and reading. Don't fret; those have been included, but they aren't exactly blog-worthy pursuits. I hope, the above mentioned are slightly more worth reading about. They were considered worth writing about.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year, Change of Plans

In case you haven't discovered this by living your life and observing the lives of others, (SPOILER ALERT) plans change. Sam and I had reservations to go out and indulge in fondue on New Year's Eve and toast champagne at midnight. Then, his minor sinus issues became major and we spent New Year's Eve visiting a doc in the box and becoming thoroughly frustrated with an incompetent pharmacy tech. Sound like fun?

We managed to salvage the festive mood when I dropped him off at home to take lots of medication and sleep, then headed to the grocery store. I ended up buying a couple bottles of sparkling grape juice (with a coupon) and the ingredients for potato skins and spinach and artichoke dip. After a stop at the local fried chicken place, I had all the necessary elements for an evening of watching Without a Traceand snacking on junk food. Sam felt ok after a long nap and we toasted at midnight while watching the ball drop in NYC.

While the evening was nothing like I planned, it was wonderful. I was with the guy I love, and I had plenty of good food to eat and entertainment on the TV. As a bonus, I got to wear my pajamas instead of a little black dress. In case you can't tell from the rest of this narrative, I really enjoy the simple things in life, and sometimes it takes respiratory issues to force me to reevaluate and simplify my plans. I only wish Sam hadn't felt so bad to necessitate simplification. Nevertheless, 2010 was a fantastic year for me, and it ended beautifully. At this point, I'm not making many long term plans (or at least not any that can't be changed). I can only look forward with anticipation to what God has in store for 2011.