Adventures in Home Canning

The other day Justin asked me, "Bethany, if we get married, can we have turkeys?" and I asked myself, "Who am I dating?" Actually, I didn't really ask that, but I responded with a firm no. He then asked if we could just have a chicken coop instead. Again I had to make sure that we were very clear from the outset that I am not okay with livestock in my backyard.

Justin has been reading a book called Animal, Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver which is about her family's experiment with only eating locally grown food. Since he started reading the book, he's started buying all his produce from the farmer's market--a good choice, but that's just where it started. Now he's decided to learn how to make cheese, he's considering buying a bread machine and wants to slaughter his own meat. (Man, I hope Justin is cool with me sharing his bazaar new passions in such an open forum...oh well, it's adorable, so how could he possibly object?) On top of that, he decided that he needs to learn how to can his locally grown produce himself, so we spent last Saturday in a grand canning adventure.

It started with Justin happily canning some pickles, and me excitedly peeling tomatoes.

It turns out, however, that you can only peel so many tomatoes before the joy of it wears off. We peeled a little more than 50 pounds. It also turns out that canning is kind of a messy process.




I also think that we had been a little over-zealous in the scope of our canning adventure. We decided to can pickles (6 quarts), tomatoes (7 quarts), salsa (3 quarts) and spaghetti sauce (3 quarts) and we were going to do peaches at well, but apparently peach season ended the week before and the farmer's market was fresh out of peaches. (By the way, we were very disappointed to discover that a box and a half of tomatoes only produced 3 quarts of spaghetti sauce...and this was supposed to be cost-effective?) But after 7 hours, we were pretty proud of our accomplishment. We were also very sweaty. Imagine a poorly air conditioned room on the 3rd floor with five large pots of water boiling constantly for 7 hours, and you will understand why we were sweating.



So after we finished, we started cleaning up, and for the first time in an apparently really long time, looked down at the floor. It was really dirty, so I decided to mop. The look I was going for with this picture was "Wow, that's a digustingly dirty floor. " I think the look that I actually got was "Watch me squint my eyes and show you my teeth." I guess my dreams of becoming America's next top model may not ever come to fruition.


And here's a look at how dirty the floor really was...

In the end, I think we decided that unless you grow the food yourself, it's really more cost-effective (and time-effective) to buy canned vegetables in the store. An important lesson for anyone to learn.

What random adventures have you had recently? Please share!

Vomit and Hives

I have to start out this blog by assuring everyone that I am not involved in hanky-panky. The reason that I must begin this way will probably become apparent by the end--especially to those of you who are accustomed to the BYU honor code rules. So just keep that in mind as you read on...

Many of you many not be aware of the fact that I went to Girls' Camp this year. Well, this blog has nothing to do with that, but I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of how truly self-sacrificing I am. And now that I have officially nullified any potential blessings, my story for today begins the day I got back from camp. My roommates and I decided that we needed to have a beach day before the end of the summer, so we planned to go to Virginia Beach the Saturday after I got back from camp, and then stay and go to church there on Sunday in the ward Justin attended in high school.

So Saturday morning we (me, my roommates Rozlynn and Katie, Katie's boyfriend Dave, Justin and our other friend Brian) loaded into the cars and drove down to Virginia Beach. I kind of started feeling strangely nauseous on the way down, but after eating some delicious sour cream and cheddar chips, I felt much better. We had a great time at the beach. The water was perfect (those of you used to Newport Beach should try the Atlantic ocean for a blessed relief!). I continued to feel a little sick all day, but it would come and go, so I wasn't too worried.

After a delicious meal at Sonic (I only ate about three bites of because my stomach issues had begun to get a little worse, but I did have two large strawberry limeades--yummy!) we rented some sweet two person tricycles and rode up and down the beach. At this point, I decided that my nausea warranted more extreme measures. As we traveled up the beach in our tricycles, everyone else stopped to get Blizzards at Dairy Queen, and I went across the street and bought some Pepto Max at the Pharmacy. It's hard to say who enjoyed their treat more...

The Pepto did the trick, and I started to feel much better. By this time, it was around 9 pm, and everyone else decided just to drive back home instead of staying the night. However, I did not really feel like driving all night to get home, so Justin and I decided to stick to the orignial plan: we'd find somewhere to sleep (we were thinking sleeping bags at the stake center) and go to his old ward for church the next day, so we said goodbye to the rest of the party.

Since it was still early, we decided to drive around and see if we could find Justin's old house. Unfortunately, a lot has changed in Virginia Beach in the past 9 years since he lived there, and we couldn't find it. Meanwhile, the momentary relief that the Pepto had given me was starting to wear away. On top of the nausea, I was also insanely tired from not sleeping well all week at camp. In my pitiful state, I told Justin that maybe we should find a hotel rather than camping in some random location, so we decided to just drive up the freeway until we saw one of those blue signs for lodging. It turned out that we had to drive for about 40 minutes before we finally found somewhere with a bunch of hotels--and we figured that at least one of them would be in our price range. During this lengthy drive, I finally gave up fighting the tiredness and nausea and went to sleep.

I woke up to Justin telling me he'd gotten us a room at a great rate (the military discount is fantastic! And another reminder that I am not the kind of girl to be involved in hanky-panky). So I got out of the car, and Justin started gathering our stuff out of the trunk. He handed me his suit to hold while he grabbed some other things. At this point, though I hadn't thought anything would come of my nausea, I started to believe that there was a very good chance that something was about to come of it, so I handed Justin back his suit and said, "I think I'm going to throw up really soon. Like now." But just then, the feeling passed, so I took back his suit and said, "Never mind." And then, just as quickly as it passed, it came again--this time I knew what was coming. So I again handed Justin back his suit, and being in a hotel parking lot, decided that the best place to puke would be on the grassy median between rows of parking. So I got down on my hands and knees and wretched. It was really a magical moment. When I finished, Justin's comment was, "Well, I'll always remember that the first night I spent alone with you in a hotel started with you on all fours throwing up in the parking lot." It was pretty funny. And fortunately, that one vomit did the trick, and I didn't feel even the slightest bit sick after that.

But, as if me throwing up in the parking lot wasn't humorous enough (or enough to ensure that nothing unseemly would transpire with the two of us alone in a hotel room), when we got up to the room, Justin started rolling around on his bed scratching his back and stomache and claiming that his skin was trying to kill him (he was suffering from a nasty case of poison ivy already). I took a look from where I was, and it looked like he had a nasty sunburn all over his chest and back. On closer look, however, it turned out that his entire upper body was covered in hives. We laughed pretty hard. There we were, alone in a hotel room without the slightest temptation. He had just watched me throw up strawberry limeade, and he was covered in hives. Pretty funny.

I'm sure you all have some interesting memories that this story has evoked. Please share!

More sponge-like behavior

I believe in my past blog about being a sponge, it was mostly focused on random hobbies and activities that I've participated in due to my "associations" with various guys. I just want to inform you all that I can also be a hobby-parasite of other people as well. For example, on my recent trip home to Utah, Emily and our friend Abby (Hawkins) Gonzalez, were meeting to go for a run, and since I didn't have anything else to do, in an unprecedented move, I decided to go with them. We ended up running 5.5 miles--which is farther than I've ever run before in my life, and it wasn't so bad, especially considering the change of altitude and the chimichanga I'd eaten only a few hours before. Since that run went so well, I figured I might as well join them for the 4th of July 10K run as well. (Since then, I've realized that one 5.5 mile run the week before is not actually the most highly recommended training schedule out on the market.)

I thought I was going to die pretty much the whole way. I kept thinking that I'd stop and walk, and just when I was going to, Emily and Abby started talking about how much fun this was (lies!), and that I could do it (I was pretty sure that was a lie as well, but I decided to try). It turns out that I can do it. Em and I finished in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 14 seconds. My dad took a picture of us from his spot on the parade route. I wish I had a copy of it to post here, although I doubt it turned out that well. Just when we got to him, the camera shut off, so we were kind of jogging in place, and Emily put her hand out so that it was covering my face. But still, it would have given documented proof that I actually participated in a 10K run. (And FYI I'm signing up to run another one in Holidaysburg, PA in October, but I think I might actually train for that one.)

Now that I've mentioned absorbing activities from my sister, I feel like it's okay to go back to talking about that which I've absorbed from Justin. Who would have guessed that I would ever be a rock climber? Well, I use that term loosely. I'm not super great at it, but I do own my own pair of climbing shoes. (This falls in the same category of considering myself a tennis player because I have a sweet tennis outfit.) Maybe all these years that I've considered myself a fairly boring person, I've been wrong. Maybe, despite my parents best efforts, I am actually an outdoorsy kind of gal. My mom has been telling me for years that I'm kind of sickly and will most likely die of some heinous auto-immune disease at an early age, but I think it's time that I fight back! I think I might be sporty!

Anyway, Justin came out to Utah for a week of my stay, and we went on two adventures. The first was rock climbing in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was my second time climbing outside, and it turned out to be a lot more difficult than Justin had intended. We were doing a two part climb, and I made successfully to the top of the first half, which I consider quite a feat--especially considering the fact that I had run a 10K that was completely physically unprepared for the day previous. I think that must be why I completely broke down in physical and emotional exhaustion after the first half. I had Justin lower me back down (where I waited for 4 hours for Justin and Katie (our friend from DC) to finish the route and get back to the bottom). I took a nice nap in the bushes.

The other adventure that Justin and I had (besides throwing Justin into the deep end of Durham St. George vacation) was canyoneering in Zions National Park. I hadn't ever done anything like it before, but it was the most fun hike I've ever done. We repelled 7 times--the last one was a 200 ft free repel. I felt pretty tough. And at the end, we got to hitch hike back to our car. It was fabulous. Here are some choice pics from the canyon:

My first big repel of the day

Aren't we cute? I'm sure glad that boulder didn't fall and squish us!

The last big repel--straight down on the rope.

Justin is crazy.

Are we doing anything today?

I am amazed at the frequency with which I am asked this question: "Are we doing anything today?" My reply to my students is usually "Nope. Not today. Today we are just going to sit here." At this point in the year, most of my students have figured out that I tend to be rather sarcastice, although there is the occasional kid that in delighted anticipation of doing nothing grins and asks "really." At which point I shoot them down and say, "Of course not. How could we possibly just sit here, when we need to learn the Law of Sines today?" Why do my students ask me silly questions? And more importantly, why do they hope they will come to school and just sit here and stare off into space? I just don't get it...but I will share with you some of my most commonly asked questions, and some of my choice responses.

10. I was absent last time, did we do anything? Response: No, since you weren't here, we just sat here and did nothing. I know, I shouldn't be so sarcastic.

9. Are you going to grade this? Response: Yes. Ummmm...is that really a question?

8. Is this going to be on the test? (Now this is a very loaded question...because if you say no, everyone will stop paying attention and will not bother even trying to learn the information...) The answer to this question is always "Probably."

7. Can we just do the odd problems? Seriously, today I gave my students a handout with 10 little practice problems on it. After doing two problems, they all started complaining and asking if they could just do the odd problems because there were just too many. Sheesh. Response: Please tell me that you are really not that lazy?

6. When are we ever going to use this? Response: Next week on your test.

5. When are we ever going to use this besides next week on our test? Response: You're not going to use this...why do you have to be able to use it in order for it to be valuable?

4. Can we go outside today? Response: No. (Actually, I usually let each class go outside once...on a nice hot and humid day so that it is miserable and they never ask me again.)

3. I didn't have time to study last night, so can I take that after school today? Response: No. Did people ask this kind of ridiculous question when I was in high school? I certainly don't remember having the gumption to admit to not preparing for a quiz and thinking my teacher would let me come take it after school that day.

2. Is there any extra credit? Response: No, but if you started working on what we're doing right now you could get credit. If you got a little more credit, you wouldn't need so much extra credit.

1. Do we have to learn today? Response: Yes. (But in my head I'm often thinking, "you don't bother learning anyway regardless of what I'm doing...so why are you asking?")


Oh the joys of teaching...

New Life Plan #274

I am amazed that some people stay in the same profession--sometimes even the same job--for decades on end. My Dad has been at BYU for 31 years now. THIRTY-ONE YEARS! That is a wicked long time. My Mom has been teaching at Timpview for 16 years. So far, I've been able to stick with a job for two years before I start getting ancy. And during those two years at any given job, it seems as though I spend a significant amount of time thinking about what else I could possibly be doing. Over the past two years alone I feel like I've had a new life plan every few months...Here's a few:

11. Be a full-time PhD student in History (career goal: University Professor)
10. Get a random job on capital hill (career goal: Try something that isn't teaching)
9. Be a High School Teacher (career goal: pay the bills and have the summers off)
8. Be a part-time MA student in History while teaching Math (career goal: just get a Master's so I can earn more as a teacher)
7. Be a High School Teacher (career goal: throw my heart and soul into teaching and inspire the youth of today to become the leaders of tomorrow)
6. Be a full-time MA student in Educational Policy (career goal: tell the people in Washington how silly all their Educational Policy is and improve our nation's schools...and go to Harvard)
5. Be a full-time MA student in Marriage Family Therapy (career goal: help others improve their emotional well-being and share some of my wisdom with them)
4. Teach myself Spanish and move to Spain for the summer (career goal: ummmm...Spain is just cool, and I need to go there and see for myself)
3. Be a full-time MA student in Instructional Design (career goal: improve teaching while giving myself options for something other than classroom teaching)
2. Be a part-time MA student in Instructional Design while teaching math (career goal: same as above, without intense amounts of debt)

And my most recent and most exciting new life plan (one that I'm actually pursuing):

1. Be an instructional design consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton. (career goal: earn lots more money and have them pay for my Master's degree in Instructional Design)

Yes, I am just beginning the interview process with Booz Allen, and if all goes well, I will have a new career in a few months! It will be hard for me to give up summer vacation, but I'm ready to try something that isn't teaching. Maybe then, I will stop thinking up new life plans all the time (and I haven't exaggerated a single one of these. I have honestly had each one of those plans at some point over the last 2 years). And if I hate it, there are always new new life plans to think up.

Am I the only person constantly re-thinking the direction of their life? What interesting possibilities have you come up with?

I'm a sponge...

I spent last Saturday rock climbing. Yes. Rock climbing. The kind of rock climbing where you put on a harness and then find a way to scale the face of a cliff. Those who know me well are probably wondering why on earth I would be involved in such an adventurous activity. Well, the truth is, left to my own devices, I probably wouldn't be that adventurous--most likely, I'd be a lump on my couch. Not that I aspire to being a lump, but without some impetus it just usually turns out that way. Fortunately for me, throughout my life I have had friends who are autonomously active, and they usually need someone like me who is looking for a motivation to get off the couch.

My current motivating force: Justin. Justin is to a rock face as I am is to my couch. I'm pretty sure that if he didn't feel some obligation to work and save for the future, he would quit his job, live in a tent and spend his life climbing large rocks. But this blog isn't about Justin. It's about me. It's about the fact that I am a sponge. I think that I have no natural hobbies, but I'm really good at absorbing the hobbies of those I spend a lot of time with. Before I go on, I want to specify that I don't absorb these hobbies with the purpose of impressing anyone. I just wouldn't get involved in certain things if I hadn't happened to meet someone who did them first.

So here are my top ten activities that I have "absorbed" from someone else:

10. Jumping in Rivers. I guess I was wrong in saying that I never absorbed these things to impress someone. I hated jumping in rivers, but I dated a guy that thought it was the cat's meow to jump in a river with your clothes on, so I felt really pressured to do it with him. Don't get me wrong, once per summer if you are in the right mood and happen to fall in, sure. Doing it on a regular basis? I don't think so. My only excuse on this one is that I was brainwashed and crazy at the time.

9. Guitar. Actually, I always wanted to play the guitar. Hmmm...now that I think of it, this one really was other-induced (probably because I can do it on my couch).

8. Fly Fishing. I thank Billy for this one. Actually, in a year of dating, he only took me fishing twice, but I really enjoyed it both times.

7. Tennis. I started playing tennis two summers ago mostly because there were so many people in my ward who would go play. I love it! I even bought myself a sweet tennis outfit. I'm not going to lie, I look pretty cute in it. And I actually find that I play way better when I'm wearing it.

6. Rock Climbing. This seemed like an intimidating sport until I went with someone who knew what he was doing. It's actually really fun--and it's way better than weight lifting.

5. Golf. Technically I'm still waiting for someone to get me into this one. Once I was practicing chipping golf balls into an umbrella, and I got way more in than anyone else--including the guy who owned the golf clubs--so I've always thought I am probably a prodigy waiting to happen.

4. The Hills. I never knew there was such a fantastic show until Roz moved in. I think it began one Saturday night when we sat there and watched a Laguna Beach marathon. We may or may not have watched 6 episodes in a row.

3. Dance Shows. I don't like dancing. I'm not good at dancing. But for some reason last summer, I watched every single episode of So You Think You Can Dance. I voted for Benji 50 times. I blame this entirely on Mike Fronce. And it didn't stop there. We started watching all kinds of random dance movies. My favorites: Step Up, You Got Served, Honey.

2. Hackey Sac. Okay, so in this case, I did actually pick this up entirely to try to impress someone. Jeff. I literally bought a hackey sac and practiced it in my apartment until I was at least good enough to join in with Jeff and his friends in the Elms parking lot. And even though I started hacking for Jeff, I continue hacking for myself. (Sidenote: Last summer I mentioned to a guy that I enjoyed hacky sac, and he left me one on the windshield of my car. I call it "the love sac".)

1. Hackey Sac. This one is my favorite random thing I picked up from someone else, so it counts for two.

Alrighty, have you ever learned some random skill or gotten involved in some activity because of someone else? I'm sure I'm not the only sponge out there...so please share!

I'm so back!!!

Well, folks, it's been a long time, but I've finally found a way to get around the sill blocks at school--which means that my blogging days are not over after all. You should expect something new and exciting in the near future!!!