Monday, December 29, 2008

A Post of Random Proportions

Just to prove to you that life is uneventful in the Saltsman home... This weekend I sat down and figured out how to make the super cute 'box bags' that everyone sells on Etsy! I guess I'm finally tired of the quart sized ziploc... Now I am obsessed! I LOVE them, though! Will be adding five to my Etsy shop this week...




We had the Thummel family over Saturday evening after mass... I always love hanging out with Sarah and Bill because they are plain 'ole good people ~ but when they bring baby Ella... Oh my! She makes my heart pump peanut butter! John will even hold this baby. She's beautiful, folks, with and without clothes!



Oh, for dinner that evening I thought I would woo John with my culinary skills. I made some foccacia bread from Lidia's cookbook. It looked beautiful, tasted wonderful, and even gave me an excuse to use our new food processor. After all the work I then remembered that we're married, and wooing is no longer necessary. Ah, everyone enjoyed the bread anyways!



On Dec. 26 I started on the baby blanket for Surprise Baby Zawislak (surprise being, they refuse to find out the sex). This seems to be trendy these days, surprise babies, and while I appreciate the surprise in everything, neutral colors are soo hard! John and I picked these out at the Loops after Christmas sale! I love it so far ~ hopefully I can manage to part with it at the end of January. I hope to finish this week so I can get started sewing the diaper bag...



And I think that's it until I have something more thoughtful... I hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Marriage and Money

My husband is an accountant. I work in human resources. If you had to make an assumption based on this little bit of information, who would you bet on for being detail oriented? The accountant, right? Well, for some reason, my accountant husband trusted his human resources wife to balance the checkbook.

I have managed my own checkbook for oh, ten years. While I do not bounce checks, I do not claim that my checkbook is good to the penny. I prefer the 'round up' method. Well, managing the sheer number of entries from the use of two debit cards proved to be more than I could handle. When John looked at our checkbook he was utterly disgusted at the inaccuracy of the whole thing.

Over the break, John has spent only 5 hours or so reconciling our entries to the PENNY. Needless to say, my banking privelages have been revoked and all I am to do now is insert receipts into register for hubby record and balance. This is fine with me, really.

This may actually be a result of some very good advice that I received from Mrs. Sims. If there is ever something that I do not truly want to do, mess it up so bad that your husband has to spend his time fixing it... Then you'll never be asked or expected to do it again :-)


Saturday, December 27, 2008

Oh, the Holidays!

I have not blogged in, oh, say one week! But, who would have time! John and I hosted Christmas Eve and Christmas evening this year so we've been busy little bees in the kitchen! We did have the luxury of going to my step sisters Christmas morning ~ and all we had to do was sit back and relax! Overall, I would say things went well!

John and I set a 'limit' on gifts this year which I kind of liked. It seemed to cut down on all of the confusion and anxiety the usually accompanies the purchasing of gifts.

A reflexion on the year... and a confession. I believe it was in January or February when John and I went to mass at St. Mary's. On this particular evening our elder priest was presiding - and as he shuffled down the aisle John and I looked to each other and said, "Oh my, I hope the homily is good..." I believe the said priest is probably well over 80; most people that I have known to be well over 80 (which aren't many) are often grasping at words if they are able to formulate words. We sat - and we listened. His homily was amazing! So amazing that even today I remember that the overall message was, 'analysis is paralysis...' Ok. On to my point.

This evening we sat at mass... With the same priest. Only now we giggle with pure excitement when this priest shows up on the aisle. We know that whatever it is he is going to say, it is going to be good. And it is going to be something that we remember. Something that we use. Something worth reflecting on.

Tonight he spoke of families. And the characteristics that are gained by simply being a part of a family. Families, in comparison to factories, are messy. Things are not well kept. They are not clean. They are complicated. But in all of the complication we learn to forgive. We learn patience and if we practice family prayer - all will be successful!

Until next time...

Friday, December 19, 2008

Nature VS. Nurture

A question from yesterdays post, "Why?" My only answer to that is I am human. I made a mistake. I am not always nice - am sometimes cuttingly mean. I am a work in progress. I do know I will not say that to anyone again. So - while it was not right, I am glad I made the mistake now. And I am thankful that I had the opportunity to apologize.

The topic of Nature vs. Nurture is one that can be considered controversial - especially when referenced relative to adoption. I plan to research the topic more thoroughly - to provide opinions other than my own professional opinion :-) - so this may turn into a series of posts.

From where do our characteristics come? Are they taught and learned or are we born into our nature? Is there really one answer or does our person form as a combination of these things? To really explore this topic one has to be willing to be blatantly honest with ones self. As people, we have the ability to see what we want - to perceive things in such a way that is fitting to our own ideals. Example: I am adopted, look nothing like either of my parents - but often hear the comment, "I see the resemblance... You look like your mom, dad, sister, or brother..." It is the expected - or 'normal' - societal response. Children resemble their parents; or do they?

This topic is on my brain because I was told by my birth father that I share similarities with him, like it or not. That is okay with me. Really. There was a time when maybe it would not have been. He is intelligent. Well read. Well spoken. Oddly enough - while similar - we go through phases. Sometimes bumping heads and sometimes having head on collisions both driving 85 MPH foot off the breaks.

It is odd - but it is what it is :-) (John's favorite saying) To date there have been no fatalities - only concussions. We always recover - some scars left behind from the last collision. Eventually, one can hope, that the scars will heal and we are able to move forward. Slowly. We have been like this for five years.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

My Mistakes are Consistent... That's the Goal, Right?

For as long as I can remember, admit it or not, I am a perfectionist. And as much as I try to be perfect - I still manage to make mistakes. The one thing that is guaranteed when I make a recognizable mistake is that I will dwell on it and beat myself up far longer than the mistake is actually recognized by anyone else. My mistakes haunt me.

Something else about me that has been ever so constant is my mouth. I always have something to say, and it is not always the 'right' thing to say - and to make matters worse I may know this and I still say it - even when it is not my place - GASP! I know...

Well this time it was not my mouth per say, but more of my fingers tap, tap, tapping on my keyboard... Similar to right now. The only difference is here, you are choosing to read it. It took me all of 15 seconds to type my statement that I felt to be fully and entirely justified, "You are a sorry individual." I had actually forgotten that I sent this message to someone - at work no less - until my boss brought it up today. "Annie, the VPGM (<-- Ahem, Very important person) informed me of your e-mail that you sent to said individual. You need to watch what you send over e-mail." Yikes. No more than that and in my mind I have just received a one way ticket to the unemployment office because surely they fire people for saying such things? I have in a single statement managed to seal my own fate with the 15 seconds tap, tap, tapping of the keyboard. How will I ever tell my husband that our entire livelihood has fallen onto his shoulders because his wife cannot keep her editorial comments to herself??

I felt like a young child being scolded for fighting with a sibling. The kicker - companies do not have an obligation to tolerate my BS. Siblings and parents do.

After pestering my boss - touching on my impending termination - then back to layoffs (which are surely more important to deal with at the present time rather than my inability to control myself) - I think I am convinced that my one statement is not actually a terminable offense, just one that required notation by my boss.

I decided that what I said may have been a little off base - and unnecessary. Well, a lot off base, but I'm admitting it, aren't I? Consequently, I apologized to the individual to whom I said such nasty words.

I have managed to learn a few lessons from this... 1) I should probably mind my own business sometimes 2) I do not always have to say what I am thinking EXACTLY how I am thinking it... Tact can help both myself and the other person 3) Send e-mails cautiously - especially while at work from work e-mail. You never know when they may resurface to bite you square in the arse.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Marriage Presents a Lifetime of Firsts

This is our first Christmas together as married people. We bought our first tree - a frasier fur. Not only is this our first Christmas being married, it is also our first Christmas together period. Last year we enjoyed our last 'single' Christmas' where John traveled to Detroit to be with his family and I stayed home.

John and I are clearly still in a state of wedded bliss, as we should be seeing as though we are only 2.5 weeks into this new gig, but everything we now do together is a first. Being married has presented many new opportunities for firsts. It feels like an undiscovered world to us - and as we navigate our way through our new lives together the opportunity is increasingly exciting.

As we begin this journey, and embrace the opportunity to have so many firsts - each one just as exciting as the last (we evidently haven't had any major 'first' married arguments yet) ~ I really am thankful that he is the one that I get to be with!

Here's a photo of our first Christmas tree!! More later...

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Consistency, That's What I'm Going For!

I've not blogged in awhile, nor have I really felt like it. We had the wedding, the honeymoon, and then we returned home - and while my home life is great, work life, not so much. We're right squat in the middle of layoffs and while I don't ever have a problem terminating employment for a deserving party, when the employees are essentially undeserving, well, it's a different story.

Don't worry... I know it started off as such but this blog will discuss nothing of the economy - no more about layoffs - no more about work, really. We're going to discuss my feeling fat.

While on our honeymoon, with much ease I seem to have gained 10 pounds. You know, it usually takes people weeks to gain this amount of weight, but not I. I did it in 6 days. Should I write the Guinness Book of World Records for this blessed event?

I think it started with eating in our hotel room - after the reception - where I swear, I ate nothing. I ordered a fish dish. I ate fish on our honeymoon, hell, how is it I partake in sushi and John has something fat and greasy and I gain the weight that theoretically should have landed on him, not me!

When we arrived in Hawaii I attributed my swelling fingers to the difference in climate and even called my god-mother to confirm. I didn't eat anymore than usual - and I'm sure that caramel macchiato I had everyday had no effect - after all, it was non-fat milk. Now that I'm home, it's just not improving.

I called my mom for some comforting and she said, "well, you were probably starving yourself up until the wedding so when you started eating normal again...." blah, blah, blah, I didn't starve myself until the wedding so that school of thought isn't working. I mentioned my weight gain to my husband and instead of his usual response of, "No your not" he said, "I've gained weight, too" so this should tell me it is noticeable!

And happy fat? Well whoever coined that term wasn't any bigger than a toothpick because there is nothing happy about fat. Not to mention the fat is upsetting all of my clothes :-)

Back to the gym in the a.m. where I can hopefully head off this explosion before it fully happens!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Back to Work and Reality

I have not blogged in almost two weeks due to our wedding, honeymoon, and an attempt to get back into the swing of things at work (which is extremely hectic at the moment). In my few years of working, I can count on one hand the times that I have worked past 6:30 PM - I prefer mornings instead of evenings, and last night, I was here until 6:50 PM! Amazing, I know. I either managed to lose my wallet or someone stole it. BOO! The upside, it forced me to call and change my names on my credit cards, and I will have a license with my new last name much sooner than anticipated.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving - and is happily preparing for the Christmas holiday. John and I have been home for almost a week and so far so good on married life :-) I am actually starting to feel a bit more relaxed, definitely more secure and settled. It's a nice feeling!

I did manage to make a creep scarf one evening this week for a Christmas gift (thank you LoopsScoop for the link to the pattern) and hope to accomplish more this weekend! I will post pics in small doses, as I am sure they will get annoying at some point!



Love My Daddy :-)

Monday, December 8, 2008

We're Married!!

And we're back from Hawaii... Return to work today... I plan to post pics as soon as I figure out how to save everyone else's from snapfish. Don't you miss the good 'ole days when people would just e-mail pics? Aw well, such as life!