Coincidence? Naaw, it was a "God" thing

I was at Panera (a different one) in line to get some coffees, and I turn around and see this tall guy and notice - OH WOW - it's Paul Peterson!! What a small world! Paul was the Youth Pastor at Grace Community Church, my old church! I knew he would be moving to Cincinnati to plant a church, but it was totally cool running into him at Panera. What he is doing is very exciting. I've been checking out his blog and know that I'll have a lot of great reading material for a while as I catch up on his blog! Check it out -- http://paulpetersonlive.com Great seeing you Paul! God Bless you on your endeavors.

Planning / Panera / Ping Pong / Pride and Prejudice

I know this is shocking - but I'm getting a wee bit excited about school starting! I've bought a new planner and have filled in everything from the School Calendar that pertains to me for this semester. Looks like some good Jr. and Sr. recitals coming up. Perhaps, I'll get to drop in on one or two of them. I've got a whole passel of dates I have to put in the date book to request off from work. Got to makes sure I get my choir and SWSE dates - they are priority! Now if I could just start ordering my books ... oh and getting my or a car, ETC.

Work is going pretty well. I closed dining room Friday night - It was a work out! I was pretty slow and the other workers helped out, but it was my first night, and I'm sure I'll get faster with experience. I've been scheduled for three 5AM - 1PM shifts coming up. We'll see how that goes!! It's good to finally have a job and begin getting in the swing of things. Most of my coworkers are really nice and helpful - so that's good. They're trying to get the pronunciation of my name straight - its mildly humorous. :) BTW I had a Chicken Cesaer Sandwich and French Onion Soup with Whole Grain baguette today and it was all very good! I have to try everything (or just about everything) and then I think I get a raise!

So to compensate for all this extra food I'm consuming, I'm trying to move around a bit more. Tonight the fam played ping-pong doubles, and mom and dad squeaked out a 3-2 lead. Dad is looking over my shoulder, printing something from his laptop and says that he resents the squeaked out part. He said that they had it made in the shade. Anyway -- it was fun. Beautiful evening too.

I've read 12 chapters (out of 61) of Pride and Prejudice and again am enjoying my trip through the classics. Austen makes me chuckle frequently. I like to laugh.

Check out my alliterative genius of a title. :)

Party Time!

Misty and her "Belizan" tan! :)

Ping-pong was fun!

Elena, Brandon, Misty, and Brenda.

Dad and Howard grinning and picking.

Me and my new hobby - the mandolin.

Andrew and Brenda with the "Grasshopper Pie" Andrew made. Quite impressive, eh? Fourteen years old and he can already make a pie! :)

Brenda and Ona enjoying dessert.

Experimenting with Tissue Fashions

We had a little party for my Aunt Brenda's birthday. Our good friends Howard, Elena, Brandon, and Misty came as well as long time family friend, Ona. Homeade pizza, salad, and chips were on the menu. Then we enjoyed ping pong and bocce ball outside, and finished the party off with yummy desert, gifts, and music. I love our family and friends! Happy Birthday Brenda!

Is this Weird?

I just like to get on my blog and listen to my music play through. Yep that's pretty weird!

Breads, Pastries, Bagels - OH MY!

I have completed my third day at Panera Bread. It is amazing what you can learn in three days!! Let's see I have/can:

• fill a bagel order "Would you like them sliced and toasted, and any cream cheese with that?"
• ring up a U Pick 2 order and I can even figure out how to switch out bread; take off stuff, and add stuff if you'd like
• if you had a call - in order, I can ring you up for that
• need a loaf or miche sliced? - I gotcha covered
• can I interest you in a frozen lemonade or strawberry smoothie or what about a frozen caramel drink - mmm .. those are good and easy to make
• want a pastry? Is that for here or to go?
• ooh - I can slice baguette dough, stretch them out, and slide them in the oven too

Yep that's about it. I still need to learn (among many other things) how to switch/make the coffee, and how to ring up discounts without messing up the order and asking for help. Oh, yeah, and when I press the cash button and I should have pressed the gift card redeem button ... that isn't good either. But overall, I'm learning and doing okay! Tuesday is my last day of "training" and then I'm on the schedule to work Friday night, and we'll see from there.

Today, a lady came up to me and said, "You look like Chelsea Clinton! Has anyone ever told you that?" I was like, "Uh, no - no one has ever told me that" as I looked incredulously at my coworker. She said, "Oh, it's a good thing, because she is really pretty." I just laughed. A visor and an apron disguises much. Although, I don't think I would mind having curly hair.

One plus for working at Panera - they send me home with bread, pastries, and bagels to try. MMmmm...some good stuff!

I bought a new CD tonight (well actually Andrew bought it and I'm going to pay him back.) It is the 5 Browns "No Boundaries" CD/DVD. I've heard about them for a year or two and have been impressed with their talent and passion for classical music. One of my favorites on this CD is Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin.

So I leave you as I go listen to my music and eat a slice of bread. Au revoir.

Classics

I just finished A Tale of Two Cities. I read the last chapters in one setting because the story was coming together and the plot was so thick and I couldn't put it down! This book was a very good book exposing the harsh realities of the Revolution in France. It was so refreshing to read something that I truly did not know what the plot would be - and sometimes was a bit confused throughout the book. And it was also refreshing to read Dickens' unique writing style - so clever. After reading the book I got onto Cliff's Notes website and read some of the summaries of the chapters and the analysis of the characters and realized that I had understood the book quite well! :) Perhaps some day, I'll read through it again. That is what is so cool about classics - by rereading them you discover things that you missed the first time. Kinda like the Bible - an ever alive book. I'm not saying that classics are like the Bible - God's Word is by far more supreme. But you get my meaning.

I guess the next book I'll start is Pride and Prejudice. After seeing the movie, I'm quite ready to read the book. After that - who knows? Any suggestions on good classics you've enjoyed?

The Newsy and "Dashy" Post

Christianity makes so much sense!! The creation view makes so much sense!! What is people's problem??? Why can't they see it? I know one place that makes it very clear - the Creation Museum. That is where I found myself today - with my three little charges in tow along with LBA's summer camp. I had a very enjoyable day visiting the Planetarium, Men in White, the beautiful gardens outside, the petting zoo (complete with zonkeys), the "Walk-thru History" museum, gift shop, and an Italian ice / vanilla twist to top it off. I'm sure I could have taken a bit more in, read more displays, but alas, when one is responsible for three 1st grade girls, its been a good day if they all made it out in one piece, and semi - conscious. Well ... it wasn't quite that bad - I was just always doing checks - Ok, I see Nikita, Stasi, and where's Nicole - Nicole you must wait for me and not run off! And making sure we didn't break anything - I kept telling them - That's why they have these bars - we are to look not touch! But oh - it was fun. And they were actually quite good. On the way home, as I was munching on some more of my fabulous lunch my mom packed, Stasi asked if she could have some blueberries. Hey - when kids ask for fruit - they've got it! :) So I shared my blueberries with her. Then I started munching on sugar snap peas (I like to munch) and the kids wanted to try those. I thought why not - and surprise of surprise they all liked them! Such good kids. It was so priceless - when I was leaving LBA, Stasi burst out the door and said, "Thanks for the blueberries!" *smile*

Talked with Mr. Renaissance Man - Sam - on the way home from the museum. After talking, I thought I probably should have waited till I dropped off the kids. Driving while talking on a cell phone, I'm told, is not too safe! :) But God's mercy was watching out for my lapse in common sense and safety! (Still good talking with you, Sam!)

BTW - I so enjoy keeping in touch with friends. The blogging world has reconnected and helped me stay connected with so many friends! It's been fun. I've also been emailing Alea, from high school, who I haven't talked to since high school. She's doing well at Miami Oxford - I'm so proud of her!

And then I talked to my close friend Tiffany the other day - and she is doing well too. God has been answering prayer for her.

So I guess all of this is just to say - relationships are very important. I used to think I could be Miss Independent - you know - live on my island ... I don't need people! But that's not how God is - duh - He created us to have a relationship with Him. So keep cultivating that relationship with God and the people He's placed in your life!

*Step down from soapbox* :)

I am officially an employee of Panera Bread - at least my info is in the computer and direct deposit is set up! I have so much peace about this job. Everything is working out! Praise God! Saturday, I go to Planet Bread, aka, orientation, then training, and then I think I start the 30th! Wohoo!

Well, I'm going to wrap up this newsy and "dashy" (---- lol) post.

THE END

A Continuation in the Computer and Car Saga

The good news is that one of my dad's work buddies gave us a computer that wasn't being used - so that is a BIG blessing! So my IM friends - I'm connected again if you want to chat. The bad news is we are not sure if our files and pictures from the old computer can be recovered. So I've already resigned myself to that loss and have learned some hard lessons through it - but life goes on.

As to my car - our mechanic called a couple of days ago saying that he was still waiting on some parts and that he was going on vacation till Tuesday or Wednesday - so I'm HOPING for sometime at the end of the week.

One thing God has been teaching me through all of this is that HE PROVIDES. Nothing can happen that is too bad or too much. He still comes through. It looks like He has provided a job for the school year and even in the meantime he's provided a job. I'll be helping out at LBA's Summer Camp for about thirteen hours next week. A fun job that I get paid for! So I'm continually being reminded that God is my Great Provider. I feel blessed.

Guess What?

The letter reads:

Dear Alanna:

We want to personally thank you for your interest in an employment opportunity with Kohl's Department Stores. We enjoyed meeting you and learning about your background and experience.

We have had the opportunity to meet many qualified candidates for the opportunities we have available. Although you demonstrate many qualities, we are unable to offer you a position at this time.

We will retain your application on file for any future opportunities that may develop.

If you have any questions, please contact the store.

Thank you again for your interest in Kohl's. We wish you the best in all your endeavors.

Sincerely,

Ben XXXXXXXX

Pers/Ops Manager

Kohls, StoreXXX

Miami Twp, OH

But my dear bloggers, had this not been a letter of decline, I would have really been in a quandary. Because Tuesday, Troy - manager - offered me a position at Panera Bread!! I go in Tuesday to get my name into the computer and to set up my direct deposit! God is good all the time!! This manager knows I am unavailable to work on Sundays yet says he thinks he can work around it! Thank God for a sympathetic manager! He told me not to expect too many hours this summer, because everyone is wanting hours now. So, I told him that I just really wanted to get my foot into the door so that I can have a job throughout the school year (and next summer, hopefully!) So I'm very excited about this new adventure, and really think it's all going to work out. So never fear - I will keep ya'll updated! :)

PS I apologize that this entry is all scrunched together. I tried to add breaks, but it's not seeing them or something!

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Recipe adapted from Sally Fuller in Collector's Cookbook

First turn on some music.

(This particular set up is how I best receive KLOVE in this location of the house.) :)

Saute diced celery, green pepper, and onion (around 1/2 cup each), and one diced garlic pod in olive oil.

Brown meat. I did probably about a pound of hamburger and half a roll of Italian sausage. Drain grease. Mix meat and veggies.


Add 1 cup of water, 2 small cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of tomato soup (I substituted about 1/3 jar of Ragu since we didn't have tomato soup), 1 small can of tomato paste, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 small can mushroom stems and pieces, chopped. Stir Well.


Finally, add Italian seasoning (I just shake some out - lots!), 1 tsp. of salt, black pepper, and a shake or two of dried parsley. Let simmer for four hours stirring occasionally. (I simmered it for about 2 1/2 hours because we ran out of time - and it was still very good.)

This is a very poor picture of the end result (Parmesan cheese is on top) but according to the family and myself, it was very tasty! Mom and Andrew were running errands so I had the whole afternoon to myself, and enjoyed it very much! :)

P.S. Interview tomorrow (Wednesday) at Panera at 2:30 p.m.!! :)