I’m feeling pretty on top of the world right now.
On another note, I think the following photo is one of the best I’ve ever taken.
We spent the evening over at Matt’s aunt’s house while he was house sitting. They have a beautiful dog named Woofy that I turned out to be quite allergic to, but he was adorable and cuddly all the same. Except when he maimed my toes by stepping on them with his gnashing claws twice.
I got in the mood to write a couple weeks ago, and it had to be something positive. I spent an evening writing and editing it, as I haven’t written something like this in a while, and sent it in to Steve at Spartanburg Spark. This is what came of it.
During grade school, as with anyone else, I made friends with those in my classes. I barely speak to any of them these days. However, since I finished high school and especially after college, I found that I made better friends with those that were either much younger than me, or older than me. I have just as much fun rolling in the grass or sledding down a hill with 8-year-olds as I do having a beer at Delaney’s with my husband and others with whom I graduated. I enjoy knitting with my grandmother just as much as a trip to the movies with friends I still talk to from college. I’m not sure what it is about my generation that I can’t find much interest in, with the occasional exception, but I try not to question it.
My younger side helps me embrace the simpler things in life. When I’m stressed, I either doodle pictures with a ball-point pen, or put my Crayons to work on one of a handful of coloring books on my bookshelf. The feeling of the pens gliding smoothly across the paper, or the Crayons smearing a rainbow of color across newsprint thin pages…these things soothe me more than most other things I’ve tried. When I was younger, I don’t think I put that much thought into these activities, although I loved doing them. Now, however, they take me back to a time when politics, worldly drama, and economic problems did not flood my mind.
On the other hand, I have an old lady in me. Some of my fondest memories are at my grandmother’s house on Lake Bowen, surrounded by velvet curtains and green and yellow shag carpet. I see the world issues and do my small part to do what’s right. I fight for what I believe in, but I choose my words carefully. I value the little things in life…a blooming white flower amongst a bed of weeds, a kind patron letting me in line at the grocery store, a news story that shines a little ray of light in a media frenzy full of negative news. When I’m at home, I enjoy knitting and reading. Wasted time is time lost.
I’m jealous of children because they have no worries, but at the same time, I am jealous of my grandmother because of the happy, content life she currently leads even knowing the kind of world in which we live. Ignorance versus a lifetime of experiences. I’d like to think I’ve found a happy balance between these two generations. I move forward toward one, unable to let go of the other. I’m guilty, as are most, of rushing through weeks or months so quickly I lose track of what day it is, but it’s the little things that I stop and take time to pay attention to that will ultimately shape who I am and make this life one that I can look back on with pride.
You can see the original post on the Spark here. Please join and comment there if you’d like. :)
I hope to have internet soon so I will be more apt to post more often. Weeee!
The last 2 years of my life have been insane. I have dealt with a lot of shit from other people and undoubtedly created some myself. Some friends have walked away, others I’ve pushed away, and some have proven to love me enough to put up with my shit and stick by me.
Over the last year, I think I’ve changed a lot and I attribute a lot of the friendship issues to that. At this point in my life, I need friends that make me feel like I’m worth a damn. Before, a phone call or email twice a year might suffice, but now I need to know I mean something. I don’t know why exactly, although I have a few theories. I’ve addressed this with a handful of friends in the last 8-ish months. I don’t think I’m talking to any of them right now. Most of the reactions I get boil down to this answer (paraphrased):
“This is who I am. I am not going to change for you. I guess I’m not right for you at this point in our lives.”
To be honest, my first thought is that this is a pretty shitty answer. I never asked anyone to change for me, and still don’t feel like I’m asking for much. A text when someone is thinking about me, an email every couple weeks, a 5 minute phone call telling me about a bad day.
But, I have to remember that I have changed. I guess I have to expect bad reactions when I’m all of a sudden expecting new things. I don’t really know how to handle these reactions, though. After arguments, wrecked friendships, and diminished family ties, I am at a total loss of how I should act or who I am, really. If me asking these things of other people results in everything I’ve gone through in the last year, then what the hell am I supposed to be like to have good friends? I’ve gone as far as to survey all the hobbies I’m into, questioning whether I’m even doing them because *I* like them, or because the people around me do. I’m at such a loss.
I have only a couple of friends in town that I talk to on a regular basis. The other couple friends I have live in Canada, people I’ve never even met face to face who are there for me more than most people here. The only thing that really keeps me going right now is our moving to Georgia next year. I cling to thoughts of new friendships, getting away from bad ones here, and it makes me hopeful.
In the mean time, I still keep asking myself if I’m expecting too much from my already existing friends. I really have no earthly idea.
I know, I’ve been MIA for a while. I’ve had some issues. We’ll catch up soon. In the mean time, here is a press release from the Hub City Co-op, because we all know I’m about some co-op.
——————–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2010
Hub City Co-op Announces Start-up Board of Directors and Kick-off Fundraiser
SPARTANBURG, SC - June 7, 2010 - Hub-City Co-op (hubcitycoop.org), a community-owned grocery market announces the recently elected Start-up Board Members and Kick-off event. The community-based Co-op is pleased to announce the following Start-up Board Members:
Erin H. Ouzts, Chair
Paul Desmond, Vice Chair
Eric Nodine, Treasurer
Liz Fort, Andy Gustafson, Wesley Hammond, Rollie Knoke, Keysie Maddox, Tim Meade,
Robert Rainer, MD, Betsy Richardson, William Wheatley
The newly appointed board will focus on completing the business plan, defining location requirements and raising funds to open the grocery store. If anyone is interested in joining this exciting venture, please visit the website at www.hubcitycoop.org, email hubcitycooperative@yahoo.com or call 583-2040. Ownerships can be purchased for $150 each. Committees are being formed now.
“We have a wealth of talent in Spartanburg and are thrilled these new board members stepped up to open our first community-owned venture. Their skills and commitment ensure that we will have a successful grocery store that reflects the interests and needs of our local shoppers and showcases local products,” stated Erin Ouzts, the newly elected chair.
Paul Desmond, Vice Chair, said’ “we express our thanks to the many volunteers who have tirelessly sold ownerships and promoted the market and look forward to many new owners in the coming months.”
The Belleville Outfit, an award winning band with local ties, will perform at a Kick-off fundraiser on June 10th at 6:30pm at The Duncan Estate. This event will highlight the many benefits a locally-owned market brings to a community and provide an opportunity to meet other owners and ask questions. Tickets are still available for $50 each and can be purchased by contacting: Betsy Richardson at 864-582-8015 or hubcitycooperative@yahoo.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Paul Desmond
864-270-3535
pdsmond@zepco.net
About Hub City Co-op
Hub City Co-op is a community-owned grocery store promoting local commerce, harvest and
connectivity. Learn more at www.hubcitycooperative.org
(reposted here from my private journal, with some additional things from this past weekend)
(This entry was private until I just noticed in June that you couldn’t see it. Sorry!)
I truly do want to get in shape, and am planning on typing up a workout schedule to post at home. I’ll start small, trying not to push myself, but I probably will. That’s okay, though, because I learn things the hard way, and after a few days I’ll be forced to calm it down until I can build myself back up again.
I had an exhausting weekend last weekend (April 17/18). I visited my brother in Charleston and we did a lot of walking and running around downtown. We visited Folly Beach, but the wind was blowing so hard, we didn’t stay very long. The water felt nice, but the wind just made it too cold to move around. On Sunday, we stopped at the most charming little cafe to have brunch with my brother and his girlfriend before we headed home. The food was fantastic, and it makes me dislike Spartanburg a bit; we don’t have darling little places like that. Charleston has several.
My husband and I took one last walk around town before dropping my brother’s keys off with him at work. We stumbled across a lovely used book store and met the cat that runs the joint. He was very sweet, but like our cat, starts to attack you when you love on him too much. His eyes were breath-taking.
Finally, we set out on the road back home to prepare for another droning work week.
My goal this week is to finish getting the apartment organized no matter how much time it takes. We are still struggling with where to put things since we downgraded from a house to a tiny apartment a third of the size, but it will be done. I starting digging up a patch of grass in the back to plant some flowers and vegetables, but the fact that we had no plans with anyone this weekend made us pretty lazy (and the fact that we finally have a TV after being without one since we moved over a month ago). At least I’ll have something to do after work all week.
Congratulations to my friends Clay and Heidi for closing on their new house today! I am so happy for them and can’t wait to see it. They are finally getting the house they want, and they deserve it so much.
I’m also super excited about Jessica and Peter moving into the apartment 2 doors down from me on Friday. Hopefully our broken fridge will be fixed by then so that they can have theirs back, as I currently have to run back and forth from my apartment to theirs for food and drinks since ours is out of commission!
PS: If you’ll notice, there is a new page I added to the left in the menu under my “The Daninator” about page. My husband and I had a quick lunch together today and came up with a great idea to start a vegetarian resource for Spartanburg. Check the page out and please don’t hesitate to let us know what you think or offer suggestions.
Hello all!
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day and I wanted to get the word out before I started my day.
At 9AM, I’ll be at Hatcher Gardens to volunteer for an hour or two. My allergies are killer, and I’m pretty sure that’s all my immune system will allow before I spontaneously combust. Normally, the gardens do a volunteer day on the first Saturday of the month, but due to Easter weekend, they pushed it to this weekend. Unfortunately, that didn’t cross my mind last week and I was still there at 9AM. Oh well!
THEN, when I get home, I’ll hop in the shower and get ready for the Hub-Bub Art Mart! It starts at noon, so we’ll be there early to unload and set up our table. My husband will be selling copies of the comic he’s working on, and I’ll be selling random knitted things, earrings, and grocery bags recycled into a new items.
I recently discovered all the ways of re-purposing grocery bags and have since been on the hunt for them!! I recently started using reusable shopping bags, so my grocery bag stash has been depleted. I harassed some co-workers yesterday and got a good handful out of them (used them all already!), but I still need more so that I can practice all this weird stuff I’m learning. I will have a box or bag of some sort with me at the Art Mart; if you are up to your eyeballs in plastic grocery bags, bring them to me! I promise you they will go to good use. Once I perfect the new stuff I’ve learned a little more, I hope to built my Etsy shop up again and really start focusing on “green” items. It makes me feel fantastic finding new uses for stuff that takes up so much landfill space, and takes SO long to break down (grocery bags take a THOUSAND years to break down!).
Come by our table tomorrow and say hello!
YAY
Life is full of surprises, not always good ones.
Random intro, I know. Because I haven’t posted here in a while, it seems there is so much I should reflect on, but I’m so tired!
Kyle and I moved across town into a small apartment this past weekend. I underestimated the small size, and it’s been quite the task trying to find a place for furniture and stuff all week. On top of that, we aren’t letting our cat outside anymore at the new place (he’s always been allowed out) because we feel it’s too dangerous with surrounding businesses and a busy road. He’s not holding back on his mission for revenge, as he kept me up all night last night howling, scratching at the door, and tearing chunks out of my hand.
Hopefully, once we get rid of some stuff, the apartment will be a little more bearable. We tried to sell our huge coffee table and our love seat before we moved, but neither have sold yet so we had to take them with us. We also have a massive pile of Star Wars collectibles Kyle is trying to sell. Also, we still have a brand new lawn mower to sell that we don’t need anymore, and a small deep fryer for home use! No one is biting on anything from my craigslist postings, and it’s pretty disheartening, on top of spending hours unpacking each night. If anyone is interested in any of the aforementioned items, please let me know. We’re pretty desperate.
Any who, a couple of reminders…The Hub City Co-Op meeting is tonight at The Showroom at 6:30. I totally forgot until I saw it on my calendar a few minutes ago. I was planning on crashing at home after work, but I’ll be there just like I promised I would be!
Also, a few of my friends and I have a knitting group that meets twice a month. Our next meeting is tomorrow. Comment here if you’re interesting (make sure I have an email in which to reach you) or email me at midgetontheedge@gmail.com if you’re interested in the details. :) We sit and knit, talk, have coffee, and sometimes we do lessons. The experts are always open to questions. Beginners and pros, young and old are all welcome.
I ripped this recipe out of a magazine, although I can’t remember which one. I think it was Womens Day (it’s dated Oct. 23, 09). I posted the above image on my Flickr and lots of people asked for the recipe, so here it is. :)
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Serves: 4
Cost per serving: $2.01Ingredients:
-6 small sweet potatoes, peeled, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices (about 2 lbs.)
-3 red onions, thinly sliced
-1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
-5 sprigs plus 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
-1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. ground allspice
-Salt and Pepper
-1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butterDirections:
1. Stir together potatoes, onions, tomatoes, parsley sprigs, cumin, allspice, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water in a slow cooker until thoroughly combined. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high. Discard parsley sprigs.
2. Just before serving stew, stir in chopped parsley and peanut butter. Serve hot in bowls.
Tips:
*Add meat: This is a hearty vegetarian stew, but if you’d like to include meat, stir in chunks of ham, Canadian bacon or cooked chicken towards the end of the cooking time. You can also use low-sodium chicken broth instead of water
*Serve it up: Rice makes a good accompaniment to this tasty stew, or serve it up with whole-grain bread to sop up the juices. For a dinner party, hollow out small crusty bread loaves and use them as bowls for the stew.
I didn’t use 3 onions…I’m not a big fan of onions, so I used one big one instead. Also, most recipes I make say they feed 4, but I find that me and Kyle alone can eat most of it (without eating too much) and have only enough leftover for a third meal. To make this stew go farther, I served it over rice and it lasted another night for both of us.
I’ve been in touch with a couple folks at the HUb City Co-Op about volunteering and I received an email yesterday about some big changes, namely that the original founder of the co-op has stepped down, and the fund raiser, originally scheduled for March 27th at the Duncan Estate, has now been postponed until further notice.
I hope to get more involved in the co-op, and volunteering around Spartanburg in general, so I’ve opened up my blog to them for any announcements! They sent me this press release yesterday to post, and it should also be in the Herald-Journal this morning.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2010Hub City Co-op Announces Leadership Change and Board Development
SPARTANBURG, SC – March 2, 2010 – Hub City Co-op (www.hubcitycoop.org), a member owned and operated grocery market that is currently in developmental stages, today announces a change in leadership as well as the formal development of a board. Representatives of the Hub City Co-op announce that due to unforeseen family obligations, Ashley Campbell has officially stepped down as lead organizer.
During a meeting today, the transition of leadership was discussed, the current financial state of the Co-op was deemed to be both positive and stable, and next steps determined for the establishment of future leadership. An owners meeting is scheduled for 6:30PM March 25th at The Showroom at Hub Bub, at which time by-laws will be voted on, committees formed, and board members nominated. The goal of the board will be to complete a strategic plan as well as fully investigate collaborative community partnerships, which will enhance efforts to bring this grocery market concept to our community.
“As founder of the Hub City Co-op, we appreciate Ashley bringing this wonderful concept to our community and thank her for the time and effort she has put into this organization,” stated Erin Ouzts, facilitator of today’s meeting.
A fund raising event scheduled for Saturday March 27th has been canceled and rescheduling is anticipated for later this spring.
“While we are disappointed in having to delay the March 27th event, we are confident in the direction we are headed, and look forward the input and involvement of our owner members in selection of formal board,” stated Jeff Bartee, Hub City Co-op Events Steering Committee member.
Purchase of ownership units of the Hub City Co-op are still available through the website hubcitycoop.org. Units are $150 and are limited by law to one per individual.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Sims Hammond
864-580-2350
sims@launchsomething.comAbout Hub City Co-Op
Hub City Co-op is a member-owned and operated market that promotes local commerce, harvest, and connectivity while also providing a vibrant forum for broadening community awareness and fostering collective creativity. Learn more by visiting www.hubcitycoop.org.
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