Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Bonjour! I know the updates have been few and far between, and my good intentions of writing more frequently haven't been realized. So that's unfortunate. But here we are- Thanksgiving day and yours truly is writing from Paris. 

I don't remember how in-detail I went last time around, but in case you didn't know- Micky and Minnie once again took the kids, as well as myself and my friend, Jeff, to Paris for the Thanksgiving week. 

We haven't done a ton of sightseeing [We've been sort of living the life of a Parisian- walking around the city, shopping, etc] but that will all be changing *today*. The fam is heading off for a day trip, which means we are going to do all the "tourist must-see" activities that we can possibly cram in. (I suppose I'll discuss that after it happens, so as to provide evidence and not just a long list of the possible activities). 

So far it's been wonderful- morning walks to the gardens, and past the Louvre (before it all gets so busy and crowded!), coffees and fresh baked bread, shops, long chats. Just a very relaxing time. 

Yesterday we actually went to the circus, and Jeff and Jack were both selected from the audience to participate. Thank goodness it was just boys- I think I would've gone into full-fledged panic if I was ever called upon. (Not that Jeff loved it- but better him than me!) 

Anyhow, time to shower and get a move on- updates to come! I will leave you with a taste of pics for your personal enjoyment!

For now, au revoir!

View from the ferris wheel 

Le Train Bleu 

Sacre Coeure

First gelato of the trip!

Jeff being sucked in to joining the circus!

Untitiled

Gazing at a slow-sinking sun on the horizon-
The gulls dive time and time again
until at last they swipe a meal
and drift back home, just slightly away from the endless blue. 

The last of the light slips away
giving way to darkness- 
Leaving us to wade ankle-deep into the unknown, 
to whisper secrets to ourselves
and hope that a star may risk exposure
So that we  might make a wish- 
Knowing full-well it won't be fulfilled. 
But wishing it all the same. 

The tide dares a further reach
And breaks hard on the packed sand. 
Then subsides back-
once again becoming part of itself- 
Not because it feared separation,
but rather it recognized the strength
In being one. 

Snow Globe

Here I am back in Nantucket again. I actually was here over fourth of July week, and now we've returned for the month of August. Tonight I went for a little night walk (yes, it was because I was lethargic and reading my book all day and needed to get some steps- but a walk's a walk!), and initially intended on catching up over the phone with a few friends. But after talking to one friend I spent my forty minute walk back to the house in silence, with no one but myself. Which got me thinking and reflecting. I don't reflect too often- primarily because I don't often find myself alone and in silence- in fact I generally try to avoid that from happening, but after tonight I just want to bask in silence and soak it all up! 

As I was walking home I was thinking about how I would describe Nantucket to someone who hadn't been here. I mean, obviously I would have to mention the beaches and the bike paths, the quaint downtown, and the old cobblestone roads, the lighthouses, the white picket fences, the hydrangeas, and the wood-shingled houses. The lack of industrialization and commercial presence. It's peaceful. It's relaxing. It's care free and beautiful. It's kind of how I think God's creation was intended to look and feel. But beyond what it has and the ambiance, I was thinking that Nantucket would best be described as a snow globe. 

It's an island- and with that it is self-contained, and has clear boundaries. It is small, and you really do know all it possesses- there are no secret places or undiscovered areas. Everything is public view. Just like a snow globe it's a little piece of perfection, somehow captured in it's most picturesque and perfect form, and it remains like that all  the time. Everything in it is beautiful and desirable. 

But the best part- and the reason why I really think Nantucket could be described as a snow globe was this- you know how you shake a snow globe and those little white pieces or glitter flecks just cover every open speck until settling to ground? Well as I walked home in silence, I looked about me- I saw thousands and thousands of silver flecks just hanging there, as if they had just been shaken and were falling to Earth- stars. Stars in every direction. You didn't have to look up to see them- you could look just directly in front of you and see them hanging on the horizon or turn sideways or backwards- in every direction glowing stars. I counted 5 shooting stars as I walked home. Three shot quick and faster than I could make a wish they were gone. But two drifted slow, taking their time to be admired and wished upon before falling into the horizon and out of sight. 

I didn't just see stars- I saw the milky way stretching across the sky, arched like a rainbow. I saw a couple very bright stars which I assume are actually planets that I didn't identify. I saw planes and a satellite and probably much more that my eyes couldn't take in. Looking at the sky made me remember just how much I love the stars- all these brilliant shining lights are almost possess too much beauty to be appreciated. It's the kind of beauty that's overwhelming and almost brings you to tears because it's more than beautiful- it's magical. 

And as I continued on my way and neared the house, I saw some fireworks going off in the near distance- probably the beach just a couple blocks away. And I wondered if the people shooting them off had a reason to celebrate or if maybe like me, they just decided to celebrate the beauty around them. I think a true artist doesn't create to be praised or appreciated- a true artist created because he or she sees a beauty so powerful that it just must be shared so that others can benefit. That's the Creation Story after all isn't it? That's worth shooting off fireworks and celebrating. 

Happy 6th of August!
Rachel 

Hallelu Yah

Little known fact: At Wake, I would lock myself away in practice rooms in Scales (the fine arts/music building) with the intention of practicing piano or piccolo, but my most often activity would involve turning on my favorite song, Hallelujah, and singing it over and over again. Hopefully you are familiar with the song- it goes through a series of Biblical allusions or just direct references, and with each, there is some negative or disheartened emotion and yet the chorus resounds with "Hallelujahs". Literally translated Hallelujah breaks into Hallelu (praise) Yah (Yahweh God) and so it results in a joyful praise and boast in God. (definition courtesy of Mary via wikipedia). And so my favorite song reminds me that at all times to praise God- in times of confusion, in times of joy, in times of frustration, in challenges, in victories- in all times. 

This past weekend I ventured up to Philly to visit Mary and the Mission Year Team of North Philly as well as college friend (and musketeer), Jeff. And it was amazing. (I mean, how could times with friends be anything but amazing?) And it's funny, because my arrival was less than ideal and yet, I didn't even care. When I arrived, it was pouring rain, absolutely pouring. My things were soaked and my umbrella was doing very little to keep me dry, so as I made my way to the sub station dripping wet and soaking through, I wore a smile big as ever, because I had arrived. Hallelujah. Unfortunately, the metro was flooded, and I was forced to wade through 6 inches of an awful colored mucky water to get to the metro. But I was en route to Mary, and didn't even hesitate to continue through the pool! HALLELUJAH! Mary and Emily and I spent Saturday afternoon at Rittenhouse Square, where we sipped the ninth best coffee in the nation (as according to USA Today) from Joe's, and then enjoyed each other's company while chatting, story-writing (verbally) and people watching in the park. Hallelujah. Additionally, we rendezvous-ed with my dear friend David, from high school which was wonderful!

The weekend came and went full circle, when I left Philly to head to Jersey to visit Jeff it was once again pouring rain. But I got to see where he grew up, went to school, worked, etc. We got to enjoy each other's company and fail at geocaching. (Which quite honestly, is almost as fun as succeeding at geocaching in this case). And despite all the rain it was a perfect day. And somehow, Jeff managed to get me to the bus with 6 mins to spare, even after I made us leave late and we got caught in rough rush hour traffic. And to all that, I say Hallelujah. 

This weekend was full of new friendships, and friendship building, as well as just genuine time and joyous celebration of already existent friendships. 

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was on Sunday night, my last night with the North Philly group, while we sat around and Mary broke out her ukulele and we sang a mish mosh of wonderful songs. And the last song of the night that we sang before the group separated for bed- well, I can't even use an adjective to describe it. It was perfection. And thank goodness I had the thought to record it beginning mid song- 

Sunday Night Song Link

Now, this performance is far from perfect, which is what in and of itself makes it perfect to me. It reminds me that in life, sometimes we fall flat (pun intended) and we can rely on those we love to pull us back up. Sometimes in life we fail individually, and sometimes we fail collectively. Sometimes we step back so others can shine, and sometimes we step forward to shine, not to put others down, but to support them and guide them when they can't rise with us. And most importantly I am reminded, that regardless of what else is going on, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of how we feel, we can at all times find joy by boasting in and praising an ever-loving, all-knowing God. 

Hallelujah. 

Rachel 

Nobody Said Parenting Was Easy

I recognize that I'm not actually a parent- but I pretty much feel like I am. By the time I'm ready to have my own kids it'll be great, because I'll have mastered all parenting skills and therefore my children will be just incredible. (Right? I mean, clearly there's a one-size-fits-all formula...Right?)---[NOTE: in case the sarcasm was undetectable, I will just say- it was there...] 

But in all seriousness, I do feel like I am learning first-hand some of the many challenges that come along with parenting, and how one might go about overcoming these challenges- on a frequent basis I have to figure out how to deal with temper tantrums, attitudes, refusal to do things or eat things or go places, schedule conflicts,  navigating peer relationships, answering awkward questions, to name just a few. I feel like these are all things parents would expect to encounter- they cause anxiety, frustration, nervousness, disappointment, and pain. But- somehow, I managed to overlook the *hardest* most terrifying part of parenting. No one ever mentioned how I would be moved to panic- I'm talking cold-sweat, racing-heart, hyperventilating sort of panic. What is the cause, this awful, all-consuming stress inducer?

Becoming the tooth-fairy. 

In what should have been a fairly stress-free ten second period, I realized that I suddenly possessed the power to destroy magic in the eyes of a child. I waited until I could barely hold my eyes open before creeping into Jack's room around midnight. I could feel and hear my own heart pounding. I could hear my shallow quick breathing- and these blaring noises muted the most important thing for me to hear- Jack's breathing. I couldn't tell- was he asleep? Was he awake? Was he faking and hoping to catch me in the act. 

I did a double-take. Left the room. Went and washed my hands, took a few deep breaths. Went back in- the scrunched money in my hand ready to switch it for the tooth. I slowly inch my hand beneath the pillow- but I find no tooth. Where is it? Did he intentionally not put it under the pillow? Is this a test? My hand hits plastic- I have found the tooth bag. My heart races and sweat begins to trickle down my face- all I can think is he will wake up, and look at me sleepy-eyed, yet fully aware of what has happened and the truth that is unfolding before him. But, God had mercy on my soul- I make the switch and walk safely out of the room. Upon conclusion of this terrifying experience, I conclude one thing:

Whoever came up with the concept of the tooth fairy quite obviously did not have children. What kind of sicko would do such a thing?

And I'm also left with one hope- that I never find myself responsible for making the magical trade of tooth for money ever again. Ever. 

Yours Truly, 
Rachel 

Making a Comeback

Well, 

I suppose it's been quite a while...It's funny how in that much time lots of things have happened, and yet right now life feels pretty uneventful. But the best thing since last blog was: going home for Spring break. Nothing like seeing family, sleeping in, letting other people be in charge, cooking whatever we like, and taking someone to experience NH for their very first time. It was quite strange to transition from the mild (dare I even say warm) DC weather to the still-frigid cold that comes along with the Northeast in even late March, but oh it was glorious all the same! Note: I really should practice up on Just Dance before my next return home- Mary may have won the title a few too many times- got to get back to my A game! 

Trip highlights:
 - Going into Boston: climbing Bunker Hill, getting veggies from the farmer's market
 - Brookline Sculpture trail with snow (except for that I forgot my darn fitbit!) 
 - Lounging around- watching tv, playing just dance, having 4000 cups of coffee
 - Cooking family dinners once again 
 - Going to Northern NH (or more Northern) and seeing the mountains and the Mt. Washington Hotel 

After that it was a 10 hr bus ride back to DC. (Which went by surprisingly fast...). Two friends came up from NC for a fun weekend of hanging out and seeing some sights. And then of course there was Easter. We had an official real-people Easter lunch after going to church. It's weird doing grown up things like hosting an Easter Lunch- it feels like being a little kid playing house. But it was pretty darn great if I say so myself!

Unfortunately tax season took and continues to take a toll on me! I hate filling out all the tax forms (unlike the rest of the population, who I'm sure loves it...) but both a blessing and a curse is that some of my state taxes still haven't reached their deadlines...which means I did two thirds of my taxes but now still have one state left to do...Is there no end?!?! 

Anyhow, that's all for now. No more of this months-without-posts though. I'm going to begin posting at least weekly! 

Until next time, 

Rachel 

Quick! Get this girl a cooking blog!

Okay, we once again find ourselves taking a turn for the foodie. If you're one of those people who reads and thinks, "What the heck- why is she talking about recipes when she *should* be talking about the nannying life?" well then I apologize- but *guarantee* that this recipe will not disappoint!

This weekend sheer laziness resulted in a miracle- quite possible the most delicious thing I have ever cooked in my what, 6-7 years of serious cooking? I gift you the recipe for fried chicken pumpkin ravioli. It will change your life as you know it. Don't believe me? I dare you to try!

So- how did this come up? 2 days ago I bought a rotisserie chicken- why? I don't exactly know- I never buy  them, but kind of had that "I want a home cooked meal but I don't want to cook" attitude so wahlah- chicken! But then yesterday came around and I was like, "welp- now I have 6/7 of a rotisserie chicken left...what the heck am I going to do with that?" 

A while back I had heard that you can use wonton wrappers for making homemade ravioli- I had my doubts- and then I decided to give it a try. I don't know if you could exactly call this a ravioli (fried ravioli, actually). But that's what I'm going with! I may have picked up some wonton wrappers last time I was at the grocery store- so I thought what the heck- lets make some ravioli. Next thing I know I'm throwing some spices and pumpkin into some chicken- cooking it up hoping it won't be God-awful and then boom. Magic. It would be a sin for me not to share- so without further ado, here's the recipe: 

*Recipe is for 8 fried raviolis (which I consider a meal for 1- obviously how much you want to eat is up to you!)* Also, I almost forgot to mention: Unstarted to plated= about 10 mins- so yeah, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Ingredients:
 -canned pumpkin (3/8 C)
-leftover chicken (I used white meat from a rotisserie) (3/8 C)
-cinnamon (3/4 t divided)
-nutmeg (1/8 t)
-vanilla extract (1 t divided)
-wonton wrappers (can find at almost any grocery store- check by the tofu which is usually by produce or dairy section) (8 wrappers)
-vegetable oil (1 T)
-onion (1/4 C chopped)
-butter or margarine (1 t)
-sugar (1/4t)

Step 1: shred up/finely cut up chicken and combine with pumpkin, 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/4 t nutmeg, and 1/2 t vanilla 

Step 2: Put out 8 wonton wrappers. Divide the pumpkin/chicken mixture evenly between the wrappers by dropping ball of filling into middle of wrapper

Step 3: Wet your finger and wet the bottom and right edge so that when you fold over wrapper (making triangles)- it will seal. Repeat on each wrapper and fold over and seal all edges. 

Step 4: Next, take a fork and press along edges (this will help seal and also adds decorative touch). 

Step 5: Next up, heat 1 T oil (I used vegetable oil) over medium or medium-low heat . When warm put the raviolis into pan

Step 6: Cook until crisp/browned on one side and then flip (need about 1-2 mins per side) Once done, remove and put raviolis on paper towels to drain. In the same pan on low heat melt the 1 t butter (or margarine) and add the onions and 1/2 t vanilla. Cook until onions are translucent. 

Step 7: Pour the butter sauce and onions over the raviolis, sprinkle with some cinnamon (about 1/4 t) and 1/4 t sugar. Eat ASAP!

Put it all together and what do you get? One happy Rachel!

ENJOY!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Well hey there!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! It has been quite some time since an update...Life.is.good. This past weekend we had a Valentine's Tea for Jill and her group of girlfriends. I spent lots of time baking and preparing, which was awfully fun! And today the kiddos started off the day with a nice Valentine's breakfast- pink chocolate chip heart pancakes or pink heart waffles. I mean, if you're not going to be festive, then what's the point? 

Everyday that our dad dropped us off at school he would tell us to learn something and not talk to boys. So whenever Jill leaves for school I also tell her not to talk to boys. I would usually be returned a dirty look or a disgusted sigh. But then Jill got clever and started returning my comment with, "well no talking to boys and no texting boys!" In honor of Valentine's Day, we both have today to break the rule so we can "meet our lovie dovie" as Jill said. So things might get crazy, I mean, the seven-year-old gave me permission to meet my lovie today- so I need to go talk, fall in love, and elope all prior to midnight, or it's another 365 days until I'm allowed to talk to boys again...what can ya do?

Mickey and Minnie actually gave me concert tickets last weekend so I got to see Bon Jovi in DC! It was so incredible! (And so outrageously generous of them!) I was a Bon Jovi fan back in the day, (like 10 years ago) but didn't keep up with them. I knew more songs than I realized I would- and really enjoyed seeing the concert with some friends! 

Other updates: I finally decided to join the gym close by and go almost every day. I am absolutely in love with the yoga classes which are on Mondays and Fridays- talk about the perfect way to start and end each week! LOVE IT! I've also taken up some semi-regular ice skating (by which I mean, I go once a week). I may end up trying to take a learn-to-figure-skate class in March. I just would love to be good enough that I don't ever worry about falling or feel wobbly. I'm already much better than I was, but of course there's always room for improvement! 

That's all for now!

Rachel

Living the DC Life :D

Hey there, 

Long time no post! (sorry about that). One of my dear friends from college is up in DC for an internship, which has been absolutely wonderful, and also has caused me to actually get out there and see more of my surroundings. We went and toured around DC, seeing some of the monuments (and paying a special visit to a big white house). We also went to Mount Vernon  and hiking in Potomac Maryland. So I've been quite busy looking around town. 

And then, this week, I did something incredible. Something beyond incredible, in fact. Micky gave me tickets to go see the Inauguration. Tickets to the Inauguration. Inauguration is one of those things that happens on TV. Like the Olympics- those events which I know happen in reality but seem to only exist through television, not feasibly an attendable event. And yet there I stood, about 75 yards from the capital building, listening to the President of the United States speak and renew his position of service to the nation.

Even though the words I heard are the same as the words that came through the radios and TVs- there's something magical about being there. Whether its the huge crowd (estimated at 800,000 this year), the almost tangible optimistic attitude/spirit, or the slight delirium induced by waking at 3:00 and standing for 8 hours in wait, it was magical. And the thing is, while I'm assuming most of those in attendance were democrat, it didn't matter your party affiliation or political views. The Inauguration wasn't a time to pick sides or to bicker over differing views- it was a time to celebrate another new beginning, a time to rekindle the hope and faith in the future of America. A time to hear the President and Vice President of the United States vow to protect and defend the people and constitution of the United States to the best of their ability. 

Anyhow, that's all for now. 

~Rachel~

An (almost) white Christmas

Wow, incredible how quickly Christmas has come and gone. I was back home in New Hampy for the holidays through New Year. It snowed probably 1.5 feet while I was home, starting right after Christmas. It was quite relaxing to not have any real responsibilities. A week and a half of Ping Pong, movies, Just Dance, and holiday cheer were more than welcome. Of course we had our traditional Chinese feast on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Nothing says happy Holidays quite like Chinese food. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to set the records on too many of the Just Dance 4 songs, but oh well- there's always Spring Break or summertime for that, so family: practice up!   The more mobile I become the more I appreciate knowing that there's always a home waiting for me back in NH. I had a great week with the fam and it was quite sad to leave (I'm very used to the month-long vacation that college provided, so a week and a half just feels sooo short!) 

But my vacation home with the family transitioned to another vacation, so it wasn't straight back to DC for me- I headed out west to Colorado to meet Mickey, Minnie, Jack and Jill out in Aspen. Once landing in Aspen we actually drove to Vail, and I had my first skiing experience out West. I took a full-day group lesson, which went quite well if I say so myself. We started off with easy review of technique, going down a bunny slope to make sure we knew the basics. We quickly advanced and headed up the gondola to the summit and spent an hour or two coming down the mountain. We stuck mostly to green/blue trails, switching back and forth, but I did officially do part of a black diamond (which was a little intense for me- I wiped out and was de-skiied...but made a nice recovery once I figured out how to put my skis back on mid-slope). If you watch the winter olympics, (women have a course in Vail) I completed the part that they call "Hewey, Duey, and Louie". 

(Here's the view from our hotel in Vail)

I think landing in the Aspen airport may be the prettiest landing I ever have seen- all of a sudden you start descending in the mountains, and just have snow-covered peaks around you in all directions- INCREDIBLE.  And now we've come full-circle, and I once again am in the airport waiting to depart and head back to DC. I have a few hours to kill still, so I am currently very grateful for free WiFi. 

Talk to you next from DC!

Rachel