What's cooking

I have already started stage 1 of this and will be starting the process of baking this.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

Book Review: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

I finished reading this today & posted the following review on GoodReads:


This is a love story: the love story of Steve Jobs and Apple. 

I say that because that really is the primary thread of this biography. If you don't like reading about technology, you will struggle in parts. If you do, then it is a fascinating, albeit long, read. Indeed, for the last few nights I would end up dreaming about some of Jobs & co.'s creative processes -- no small feat since I'm not an engineer :) 

Love him or hate him, Steve Jobs was a compelling personality and the primary reason why there is, I think, a sort of romanticism to Apple -- because he loved it. This book is receiving, rightly so, a lot of buzz and it really must be read by those who have spent any time in Silicon Valley as well as those who love Apple (or, for that matter, Pixar). 

A few standouts (of many): 1) The Woz is a sweetheart (which we already knew), 2) The perspective from one of Jobs' colleagues that his temper tantrums (to put it nicely) are expressions of passion. I think that helped the reader see where that kind of behavior came from. And truly, passion was both Jobs' strength and his weakness. 

Isaacson did a lovely job drawing the themes together, putting harsh light on Jobs while still letting him shine. Well done.

Quote of the Day

“When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it. You can’t make them change if they don’t want to, just like when they do want to, you can’t stop them.”
― Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol: In His Own Words

Quote of the Day

Ben Franklin: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt they have more need of masters." 

Quote of the Day

“Sometimes we say that no other success can compensate for our failures in the home. And while it is true that no other success of ours can fully compensate, there is a success that compensates for all our failures, after all we can do in good faith. That success is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. By its power, we may arise from the ashes of life filled with incomprehensible beauty and joy”

Bruce C. Hafen

I knew October would be a challenging month, but it still exceeded my expectations. I thought about doing a post mortem here but I think it's best for me to just move on :)

With that out of the way, I'm very grateful it's November! Here are some things I am looking forward to:

• getting together with some old friends
• going to a new book club
• not traveling
• celebrating Thanksgiving

Quote of the Day

John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. Is is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

One Year

• Bruce and I celebrated one year of marriage on Sunday. To celebrate we took it easy and went to lunch in Los Gatos. While we were there we went to Icing on the Cake (bakery) and got a couple of cakes. One was banana with cream cheese icing and the other was chocolate with chocolate icing. We shared them with friends on Sunday night. It was really fun to host them and both of the cakes were delicious!
• Work is supremely busy for me this month. I am traveling to Bakersfield (by car) next week to do training for a customer and to Las Vegas (by plane) the week after for our annual users conference. I will be conducting 2 days worth of sessions, so I'm very busy preparing for that in addition to my day job. I managed to escape a nasty death by PowerPoint, for which Bruce is graceful.
• Bruce and I have started having Family Story Time each night. Since we've started reading our scriptures together in the morning, instead of at night, it's been even better! So far we've read The Hobbit, Dealing with Dragons, and we're halfway through The Secret Garden. We take turns reading the book, so Bruce is reading this one aloud and he does the greatest Yorkshire accents! I love it!
• We are hoping to plan a great trip for next year - something that is a bit of a splurge and that is more relaxing than adventurous (although exotic is not ruled out). Suggestions are welcome :)

Quote of the Day

Sometimes we may feel that our spiritual edge has grown dull. On some very trying days, we may even feel that God has forgotten us, has left us alone in our confusion and concern. God knows and loves us all. We are, every one of us, his daughters and his sons, and whatever life’s lessons may have brought us, the promise is still true: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5.)
- Howard W. Hunter

Quote of the Day

Samuel Adams: "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt."

#53: Visit all 50 states

Remember this? Since going to Yellowstone, I've added 2 states to the mix - doesn't the Western US look much better now? I just need 3 more states to be half way to this goal and luckily I am giving myself longer than my 30th birthday to finish it :) Which states should I do next? I think Alaska should be on the list, for sure..

visited 22 states (44%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

#50 Visit Crater Lake, Oregon

View from the hike at Cleetwood Cove (National Park photo)

I was hoping to include some of the awesome pictures Bruce took when we went to Crater Lake the weekend after Labor Day, but I don't have them available yet. I'll update the post later to share them with posterity.

This was a glorious trip!

Bruce and I took Thursday and Friday off of work and drove the 8-9 hour trip up to Crater Lake National Park (near Medford, Oregon). It was a beautiful drive and we got to our campsite quite late. We car camped for 3 nights, and had 2 full days at the park.

The first day we drove around the rim (33 miles) and stopped at all of the overlooks (okay most of them). We took a picnic lunch and met a delightful retired couple. Since it was after Labor day, most of the tourists we saw were international visitors or older couples -- fewer families now that school is in.

Plaikni Falls (stock photo from Portland hiking site)

We went to the pinnacles and did a short (new) hike to a waterfall called Plaikni Falls. Then we returned to our campsite and played Rummikub, made s'mores and banana boats. It was the only night we had a fire, so we had to have all of our campfire treats that night :)

Day 2, we woke up early to go to our scheduled boat tour at Cleetwood Cove. It's one of the only trails that takes you down inside the rim along the lake. It's a very steep trail, but it was a beautiful morning and the trail is mostly in shade, so we enjoyed the hike down.

View from the western rim looking down on Wizard Island
(stock photo from a sacred destinations site. heh)

This was one of the highlights of the trip. I highly recommend that anyone who goes to Crater Lake do the boat tour -- specifically the one that drops you off at Wizard Island for 3 hours! It was so awesome! It is spectacular to be down inside the rim. After 30 minutes on a not very impressive boat, they drop you off on Wizard Island -- some folks fished, but most hiked to the summit. We did and picnicked at the top. It was fantastic! Also, I convinced Bruce to jump into the lake with me (twice!) It was cold, but it did not take the breath out of you, so I think that was actually pretty warm considering what we were prepared for :) Then the rangers picked us up and we still had about an hour on the boat touring the rim - we saw waterfalls, caves, and the Phantom Ship.

We ended the trip with a hike up to Watchman Peak at sunset. Then Sunday morning we drove home and stopped for church in Klamath Falls. It was a wonderful trip and our first of many family camping trips!

Quote of the Day

It comes only by saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much... It's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.

- Steve Jobs, referring to innovation; but I would say this applies to personal greatness

What we did (in August)

My precious sister-in-law Kristy with the Teton wildflower bouquet we collected for Bruce's mom

• Witnessed our dear friend Sarah's wedding to our dear friend Jed. Happiness! (and pictures)
• Went to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana (barely) with the whole Christensen crew! 
• This included the beautiful Tetons, going to Yellowstone for the first (but NOT the last!) time, and family pictures :)
• I got some mild excema reaction between the fingers of my left hand. Traveling to Utah and Idaho only aggravated this*, sadly, so I had it throughout our vacation. :( 
• Bruce got very ill the day before we came home (Tuesday) **. Turns out he had an infection, but he is in good shape now with the antibiotics he got from our awesome doctor. Hooray for Dr. Tong!
• Not even a week after getting home, Bruce is off to Tahoe with his coworkers (for some reason Google did not invite spouses. Lame!). He left this morning.
• Bruce and I went without sugar in August. I went back on today and almost died.***

*Within 2 days of returning to California it cleared up. Truly California is the promised land.

**102.6 degree fever. No joke.

***I was placing an order for our anniversary cake**** and picking up some cupcakes for a friend's birthday at Icing on the Cake in Los Gatos when I decided to treat myself to the cookie dough cupcake. Big mistake. I couldn't eat another bite until another hour later, it was so overwhelmingly sweet. I had to pace myself and I just finished eating the last bite now -- 4 hours later. Unprecedented.
****I know, right? Just 6 weeks away!

Quote of the Day

There must be more to life than having everything!
Maurice Sendak

Quote of the Day

The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.
Robert Louis Stevenson

#30 Witness Stuart's temple marriage

The happy couple!

Last weekend Bruce and I flew to St. Louis, Missouri to attend Stuart's wedding to Barbara Wittwer. It was extremely hot and humid, but St. Louis is so beautiful and green. We loved meeting the Wittwers, who are an incredibly sweet family, and we are so excited that Barb is now in our family!

Classic: beautiful Barbara and silly Stu :)

 We were so happy to have so many of my cousins come to St. Louis for the occasion! My Thomas cousins Glenn (with his wife Cindy & their beautiful boys + girl) and Melanie came as well as Jacob (with his wife Veronica and their sweet girls). On my mom's side (the Bradshaws), Hyrum and his wife Rae came. Jacob and my cousin Hyrum are two of Stuart's closest cousins, so it was so wonderful that they could both be there! Also, my adopted brother Dave Hodgman was there, so it really was complete.

The darling daughters of my cousin Jacob & his wife Veronica

It may seem silly to have my siblings' weddings on my list, but they really are some of the most important events I have had and hope to have in life. My brothers and sisters are some of my best friends and I love and admire all of them. It is wonderful to know that Stuart will have a best friend in Barb.

FHE Report

Bruce and I try to do a family evening on Monday nights, although sometimes we do them on Tuesdays.

This week we planned more in advance than we usually do. The goal is to sing a hymn (we started from hymn #1 and are going straight through -- sometimes we sing the same hymn two weeks in a row to be sure we really learn it!), pray, have a lesson and an activity.

This week's assignments were as follows:

Hymn: 18 - The Voice of God Again is Heard

Prayer: Karren

Lesson: --this was delivered late because my brother Gordon stopped by and our activity was time sensitive -- Bruce referenced Elder Porter's address in the June 2011 Ensign - Defending the Family in a Troubled World

Activity: We went to Santana Row and saw Midnight in Paris

Treat: We went to The Cheesecake Factory and got some small plates to share

We really enjoyed the movie! It had lots of references to American writers and artists from the 20s and the Hemingway references were especially delightful. It was one of the milder PG-13 movies we have seen in awhile. It was a fun, light movie -- perfect for a date.

#40: Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

Happy Birthday, Bruce!

Bruce and I drove to Petaluma (up north in wine country, southwest of Napa) on Friday night. We had a really nice dinner at Le Bistro and then we planned on a sunrise hike on Saturday morning (Bruce's birthday). What better way to greet a birthday than with the sun?

What Bruce didn't know was that we were actually going to go on a hot air balloon ride. I couldn't figure out how to wake him up at 4:15AM, but luckily he has talked about a sunrise hike for awhile, so I lucked out!

While it was quite thrilling to drive up and see the huge balloons, the ride itself was very serene -- you really do just drift and float. That day we just explored the area and then settled down to watch "UP!" :)

Here is the slideshow of the ride:

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Bruce's birthday and also marks 9 months of marriage for us. It's amazing how much life has accelerated and how quickly one adapts to change. I love being married to Bruce and am grateful that he is my partner in life and beyond!

After work today I'm surprising Bruce with a trip out of town (within driving distance). It was fun telling him to pack a bag without him knowing exactly where we're going. It's not really anything exotic, but it's fun to be able to go away together on an adventure!

Have a great weekend!

What we did (over the last two weeks)

Two Karrens together!

• Visited my first niece Audrey Karren Lyle on her birthday.*
• [I] co-hosted an epic*** bridal shower for a beloved past roommate Sarah O. Bruce took the pictures and witnessed his first (and last) bridal shower.
• Celebrated my brother Gordon getting a job after a two year hiatus. Hooray!
• [I] made this cake twice.****
• [I] worked a gazillion hours (including past midnight in the office on Friday). yuck.
• [Both] enjoyed work holidays on Tuesday, July 5th -- and borrowed my dad's convertible to celebrate.
• Celebrated my best friend Andie's birthday!
• Had the obligatory ribs, swimming, root beer floats, and flag-raising breakfasts that come with Independence Day.
• Biked to Shoreline Amphitheater on the Fourth and saw the San Francisco symphony along with amazing fireworks!
• [I] got a haircut with like 5-6 inches cut off. 
• Visited with two friends from out of town, Christina and her fiance Victor (in town from Chicago) who had come out for our wedding in October and Inki & Robert (in town from Norway with their beautiful little girls). It was great catching up!

*Which happens to be Friday, June 24th**

**Which anniversary she shares with my sister-in-law Amanda!

***Epic in both how happy it was and in how tired we were afterwards

****Bruce likes it served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. I like it best plain the next day.

Cause I'm a sucker for internet visuals

I got this via my cousin Alice via her SIL Ashley. Let's keep in mind that until my senior year of high school I had only been to 4 states: Arizona, California, Utah, and Hawaii. And I had been to 3 countries: US, Mexico, Australia. I've added 16 states and 2 countries since then. Don't you think I should add more countries to the mix? I do :)

Here are the states I've visited so far:

visited 20 states (40%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

And countries:

visited 5 countries (2.22%)
Create your own visited map of The World

A few things

1. On Friday my older brother Gordon signed an offer for full-time employment! After 2 years, 2 months of contract / part-time work since graduating with his MBA, we are extremely grateful! He starts on Monday - hooray!
2. I paid my deposit for the cruise in February 2012!! I am going with some high school / church friends from Saratoga / LG as a celebration of our 30th birthdays.
3. I found a spot behind the laurel hedge in our yard that is PERFECT for a discreet clothesline. This could save us $15-20 a month! (Our coin-op laundry is very expensive - $1.25-$2.00 / load - and we do 2-3 loads a week.)
4. I burned myself with the curling iron yesterday. It looked scandalous*, but only hurt for an hour or so.

*And, naturally, I burned the right side of my neck - the side that faces the entire congregation** when I play the organ.

**Do not you worry! I was able to strategically place my hair such that I think my burn escaped detection. ;-)

#49: Buy a Bicycle

I just crossed #49 off of my list - Bruce and I found a bike on Craig's List on Memorial day and now I am just riding all over the place!

So far I've completed 20 or 21 out of the 50 I've defined so far! My goal is to complete 25 by my 30th birthday and to add the next dozen or so (I purposely haven't defined all 100 as I want to give room to develop new goals).

Here is what I'm working on now:

• #8 - Go Rock Climbing
• #16 - Go on a Cruise
• #30 - Witness Stuart's Temple Marriage :)
• #45 - Learn to Play the Organ Using Pedals
• #50 - Visit Crater Lake, Oregon

Since the proposed cruise is technically after my birthday (even though it's in the same month!), I need to come up with one more that I could accomplish in the next 7 months or so - I want to plan on beating my goal of 25 by a few, so that there is NO risk I'll miss it! I'm thinking #33...

Things I'm Looking Forward To

• Riding my bike tonight
• Eating the strawberries, brie and walnuts that are waiting for me at home.
• The pending niece that has almost, ALMOST arrived...
• My haircut scheduled for next month.
• My baby brother Stuart's wedding in a month! (!!)
• Sarah's and Jed's wedding in August! (!!)
• Christensen family vacation in August*
• Crater Lake in September
• Spending Christmas in Portland**

*In Which I Will Take Off 7 Days From Work.
**In Which I Will Take Off 5 Days From Work.

Things that make me happy

<3

(in no particular order)

1. Sleeping 10 hours at night*
2. Riding my bike =)
3. Being married to Bruce
4. Cooking dinner
5. Flowers
6. Reading / listening / watching GC talks, Mormon.org profiles and Mormon Messages**
7. Being with my nephews (see picture)
8. Google Docs
9. Talking to extended family on the phone***
10. Having a clean house

*One of Bruce's 'surprises' when he married me
**I have found that when I don't do this, I'm not happy.
***Poor man's alternative to being with them....

This Week

• Bought a bike on Craigslist
• Bruce fixed it up tonight :)
• Did wedding planning / helping (Stu's wedding)
• Bought a new pair of jeans -- I'm finally getting used to the new weight / body I have with birth control. My only real complaint is that half of my wardrobe doesn't work right now... (okay two: and the heartburn side effect. So happy to have Zantac and tums!)
• Planned Bruce's birthday surprise -- so excited about this!
• Punched the numbers and confirmed that nothing has changed -- we still will never be able to afford a house in the Bay Area. heh.
• Caught & beat a cold.
• Caught my youngest nephew FINALLY calling me "Kawen"* (instead of "Bruce").

*He's not the only one to miss the 'r's. A few months ago Bruce and I signed up to help clean our church building on a Saturday morning. When the sign-ups went around the following week, someone had typed out previous sign-ups and mine read "Kawen Christensen." 

Pixar Surprise

[Email sent 17 October 2009 to some former roommates of mine]

I am lying on a couch in the ladies restroom of the Oakland Interstake Center. My feet have healing ant bites from my uncle's grave dedication and so I find it particularly soothing to jam the right one between the hard arm and the seat cushion. I am taking a break from the two temple shifts I am working today and will return shortly to iron my hair and eat in the cafeteria.

But first I'm providing an update on last evening to you.

Last night started appropriately with Bruce and I meeting at Melville* for an evening run during which we relied heavily upon our inner compasses. Bruce runs in his glasses. After the run Bruce asked me when we could go out again. I wavered slightly in my reply because I am going to Arizona for a week (a week!) starting on Monday but told him that tonight or tomorrow would work. With that we decided we would meet back at my house to watch a movie.

So Bruce arrived and selected Monsters, Inc. I sat down on the couch while he negotiated the DVD player and when he came to join me he sat directly right immediately just next to me on my left.

I wasn't making my hand too available neither was he making the move he was clearly intent upon (seriously? But yes, he was intent. This much was clear) and when my feet were getting cold I threw caution to the wind and grabbed a blanket.

"Do you want a blanket?" I asked. He answered enthusiastically. And with one deft motion grabbed one end of the blanket to pull to his side with one arm and pulled me into him with the other. Not long after that he put his other arm around me and over my hand.

And so I found myself watching pixar in the arms of one BC.

Shortly after he left he sent me the following text:

1. If you walk out your front door and look to the right, you'll see Orion at the end of your street.
2. You rock.

Love
kt

*Melville is the name of a home I shared with the aforementioned roommates for 2 years.

Good Morning

Breakfast

Drinking at least 2 of these a day

Gift from Bruce =)

Holiday!

My company randomly gave us Friday as a holiday this week. Words cannot express my happiness!

Bruce still has to go to work (bummer) and, incidentally, has a scout campout that night. In the 6+ months we've been married, the only time we've spent apart has been when I've had business trips, so this will be quite the novelty: having 100% discretionary time by myself for ~30 hours.

I have a lot of ideas in my head, but I've decided to play it by ear and keep things relaxed. Here are a few things I'm considering:

• sleeping in (both Friday AND Saturday!)
• hiking "the dish" at Stanford, or maybe just 
• going for a run, or maybe
• getting a massage* at Courtside Club** in Los Gatos & then working out at their gym*** & maybe also using their amazing steam room with eucalyptus oil mmmmmm
• seeing my nephews
• cleaning out some files / papers
• seeing the new Jane Eyre in theaters****

*Let it be noted that Bruce gets free massages at Google (or heavily discounted at least) -- so I deserve one now, obviously.

**We got massages at Courtside Club last year for Bruce's birthday and pretty much that day was THE tipping point on us deciding to get hitched****, so you can see it's a good idea for me to go back to this place. 

***You get free access to the club (gym, steam room, pool...) when you buy spa services. Luckily, their massages are way more affordable than most spas since they are primarily a gym.
****Bruce has suggested I do this one without him. hehe

***** kinda kidding on that one - but only kinda.

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety -

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light -
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

6 Months

Bruce and I have been married 6 months as of last Saturday. To celebrate, we went to Arizona to attend the wedding of our mutual friend Benj Christensen. We are so happy for him and Meg :)

Photo lifted from Chris Perry's facebook. Thanks, Chris :)

It was fun to reflect on our wedding day 6 months ago - our ceremony, the day, the wonderful honeymoon afterward - and to hope the best for these two. Their wedding dinner was rather fabulous and the bride was beautiful. It was great seeing Benj's family again (since my surprise visit to them in Vienna almost 2 years ago!) as well as my grandparents, my Uncle Richard's family, and my Aunt Mary's family (with whom we stayed while in town).

Our First Date: Citrus Chiffon Cake

[An email sent on 16 October 2009] previous installment here.

High quality sifting by Bruce.

Yesterday I left work early to mop the kitchen floor & vacuum. I showered, put on eye-makeup, and wore a green v-neck with a jewel green cardigan and my strawberry necklace. I was barefoot. When Bruce arrived I had just finished flat-ironing my hair and I was on the phone with Strawbs. Bruce arrived with the following:

• a carton of orange juice
• 2 navel oranges
• 2 lemons
• 1 baguette
• 2 ears of corn
• 2 pints of strawberries

Bruce wore argyle socks and showed me how to prepare corn on the cob using his grandpa's method - the microwave. He had to redo the saran wrap I put on my corn because I didn't do it right ("I should have told you," he said). He glibly suggested we put cajun seasoning on the corn if we had it - which of course we did - and proceeded to eat the corn, hulled strawberries, and baguette with strawberry jam.

After dinner we baked the citrus chiffon cake (which, Bruce informed me, is pronounced 'chiFFAW'). Bruce zealously grated the zest and I sifted the wheat. There were moments of hovering on both sides that were really, really great. Just general closeness.

Finally, we put the cake in the oven and made the citrus syrup. That was especially fun because the syrup was the color of Bruce's hair. We took turns stirring it over the oven and while we prepared it Margie and Steph came home and came to visit us in the kitchen. It was so fun to have them there and there was lots of laughing and general merriment. The kitchen smelled delicious and Margie used her finger to eat the cake batter we saved her in a very small yellow bowl.

We were supposed to wait for the cake and syrup to cool entirely, but we didn't want to wait, so we decided to cool the syrup in the sink by placing it in ice water. That, my friends, is a two person job. Holding the pan steady and stirring it. And not a lot of space, but it is MOST DEFINITELY a two person job. Or, I should say, it's more fun with two people.

And then Bruce had his moment to sift the sugar on the cake. And we got out my white china plates and we all sat down to eat our cake. Steph took the first bite and simply laughed with delight. Margie started dipping her cake in milk, then pouring the syrup in her milk. Then asking shyly for another piece.

Bruce and I did the dishes together and then he took about half of the remaining cake & syrup home.

And last night I sent Bruce a series of pictures I took on my iphone (including the one I sent you), to which he responded:

Mmm... so delicious.
I think that might have been the best date I've been on all year—and it wasn't just the cake. :)

love

kt

Dow Wilson's Meddling

 [An email sent to past roommates on 14 October 2009] Previous installment here.

Dears. I had a splendid time at the camp out. It was lovely. MH was charming and the weather was fine.

I carpooled with Scott R and Bruce C and spent most of my weekend with Bruce. We went on the 10.5 mile long hike, during which Tim H delighted us all. Tim H! What a joy! I never knew. So great.

The group on the 10.5 mile hike.
Bruce is (of course) the one jumping in the background.

Saturday night at dinner, Bishop Dow Wilson (newly released*, as you know) was teasing in a rollicking fashion. He put his right arm around me and said, 'Bruce, this is a good woman.' Then he proceeded to put his left arm around Bruce and said, 'Karren, this is a good man.' Looking at Bruce, 'Bruce, have you ever taken this woman out on a date? Now that I'm released I can say whatever I want.' Bruce replied with a twinkle, 'Oh I'm planning on it.' They looked at me expectantly, and so I blushed and said, 'Well, I do love redheads...!'**

We then proceeded to the skit night and then to stargazing. At stargazing I was rather freezing and so after laying on our backs to look at Cassiopeia, et al, we all rolled onto our bellies to look at the Zodiac. I was still freezing and shivering and Bruce put his arm around me. I was surprised, but it was really, really great. It was just lovely to be at the top of this hill, in the public anonymity of the night, looking at the stars with a boy who loves rockets.

He put his arm around me during Sacrament meeting*** again (as MH and Dan C have noted since), and Monday night I received the following text:

Bruce: Hi kt! Did you make it to Arizona?
Karren: I did :) i made it in just before noon. How is it being back in the office?
Bruce: Just fine, but not as good as camping.
Bruce: So, I was thinking now that we have the official Dow Wilson stamp of approval, maybe we should plan a date.
Karren: Haha yes that was awesome! What are you thinking?
Bruce: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs sometime this week(end)? Or we could go on a little orange chiffon cake-making adventure.
Karren: Those both sound fabulous - I vote cake baking !! (!!)

And then last night we talked after tutoring at the institute and rather awkwardly (think cute-awkward) discussed a date/time. We talked later on the phone (less awkwardly) and the date is fixed for Thursday at 6pm.

Context: Once during home teaching I made devilled eggs for my home teachers (reminder: Bruce is one of my home teachers). They were appalled that my giant cookbook has no pictures. I was appalled that they thought pictures necessary and insisted on reading the Citrus Chiffon Cake recipe to them to prove that the words would paint a better picture of the possibilities.

I love you all. All.

kt

*In Mormon vernacular, one is called to and released from callings (e.g. Bishop, sunday school teacher, organist).
**I should note here that Dow Wilson is himself famously a redhead. As is his wife. And all 7 of his children.
***Sacrament Meeting is the main worship service on Sundays during which we partake of the Sacrament (similar to communion). 


Next installment here.

The reluctant resignation

It's true, I quit. Not my job, but my temple shift.

I started working at the Oakland Temple back in 2008. I would take the San Mateo bridge to Oakland every Wednesday afternoon to work the evening shift for all of 2009 until work made it prohibitive. In 2010 I just went once a month on Spanish night. Even just going monthly, I missed seeing my fellow workers (now friends) there and so after the wedding & holidays, I decided to try going back to my weekly shift in January 2011.

I found, however, that working full time and commuting up to a full shift at the temple once a week is not a good mix for me. I am proud of myself for taking better care of what I commit to, but it is also sad to feel that I can't keep up with all of the things I used to do. We had a great lesson in our women's meeting at church a few weeks ago about comparisons - one of the women pointed out that in addition to comparing ourselves to others, comparing ourselves to what we "used to be" is also unhelpful. I find that is often a temptation for me - it is very tempting to judge myself harshly for not being able to burn the candle at both ends with no obvious consequence like I used to. Ah, the glory days...

I have loved being an ordinance worker. It was such a gift to work there after all of the stress of Prop 8. I had wanted to work at the temple for over a year and finally I had my opportunity when that assignment was over. I loved having the temple be a normal part of my life. I loved learning the ordinances intimately and I am so happy that I got to learn them in Spanish. I especially loved my shift and that they worked with me when I was very much single, then dating, then engaged, and finally a newlywed. I know they are all invested in my happiness and I am sad that I won't be seeing them regularly.

I am grateful that I had this time and I know that it is right for it to end now. I look forward to the future when I will get to work in the temple again. :)

What it means to be a daughter of God

"You cannot imagine the gifts and talents each of you has. All women have appealing features. I do not refer to model-type appeal, but rather that which comes from your personality, your attitude, and your expressions. I urge you to enhance the natural, God-given, feminine gifts with which you have been so richly blessed. None of you should be so content that you cease to care about how you look or act. In his day, President Brigham Young encouraged women to get an education. This is still good counsel, but I hasten to add: in all your getting, do not lose your sweet femininity.

"You sisters do not know the full extent of your influence. You sisters enrich all of humanity. All human life begins with you. Each woman brings her own separate, unique strengths to the family and the Church. Being a daughter of God means that if you seek it, you can find your true identity. You will know who you are. This will make you free—not free from restraints, but free from doubts, anxieties, or peer pressure. You will not need to worry, “Do I look all right?” “Do I sound OK?” “What do people think of me?” A conviction that you are a daughter of God gives you a feeling of comfort in your self-worth. It means that you can find strength in the balm of Christ. It will help you meet the heartaches and challenges with faith and serenity."

[Read the full address by James E. Faust here.]

Remember that bread I made?

Well I finally have some pictures to show you that it really was as beautiful as it tasted. :)

This was all white bread. We made an all wheat version a few weeks ago and it was even more delicious.

Here is the cake in all its glory

The cake I made for the Relief Society birthday party. Photo credit: the amazing Bruce, of course.

It turned out beautifully, but I had to make a last minute substitution as I had forgotten to buy cream for the icing. I went ahead and used the remaining buttermilk (from the cake recipe) in the ganache. It tasted fine that evening, but a few days later the buttermilk flavor was rather strong (read: sour). Alack.

While we're on the subject of cakes, Bruce and I were in Idaho & Utah this last weekend and my sister-in-law Amanda made a rather delicious "strawberry shortcake" cake. Let's just say that if I had Bruce's metabolism she would not have taken home any leftovers... Yum!


[Strawberry Shortcake Cake recipe from Pioneer Woman here.]

Also, I'm baking a cake

Tonight is my church congregation's "Birthday Party" for our women's organization the Relief Society. Pretty much we're having dinner and 10+ cakes. I am making this amazing chocolate cake from Smitten Kitchen.

[Instead of coffee, I use raspberry extract to give the chocolate a richer flavor and to go with the raspberry filling option.]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! It's going to be great! [see the results here.]

p.s. It turns out that Bruce isn't really that into cake. However, I knew this before marrying him. He still supports me in my baking efforts however by buying me 12+ boxes of cake flour for Christmas. You see, Marriage is all about Compromise.

Today is a good day!

A few reasons why:

• I got a new shirt at costco that I am wearing today and it is pretty cute!
• I went to my new GI specialist and I don't need to have any procedures / surgeries pretty much until 2015!*
• Bruce and I are taking tomorrow off to go visit family in Utah and Idaho - I'll be meeting a bunch of family that wasn't able to come to our wedding in California. I'm only sad we will only have a few hours in Utah for the in-laws there.
• I am feeling confident about some decisions I've made to simplify my life. I am making progress on learning to say no to things.
• I like my husband. He is my BFF.

*I don't know that I have gone into it on this blog, but in 2007 2008 I was diagnosed with the very glamorous condition of ulcerative colitis (UC)--in my case it is specifically proctitis--and I had to get some routine sigmoidoscopies / colonoscopies when I was first diagnosed. It's all incredibly sexy. Lucky for me, proctitis is a very mild version of the condition and for that I am very grateful. I feel 200% better than I felt before I was diagnosed and treated. The most common symptoms I have now are some fatigue & nausea, which is nothing compared to what it could be :)

To the Lighthouse

And all the lives we ever lived
and all the lives to be,
are full of trees and changing leaves,

she murmured, sticking her needles into the stocking. And she opened the book and began reading here and there at random, and as she did so she felt she was climbing backwards, upwards, shoving her way up under petals that curved over her, so that she only knew this is white, or this is red. She did not know at first what the words meant at all.

I finally finished reading Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse. I loved the passage above - I think it is a wonderful way to articulate the processing of any kind of art or media that we find beautiful without perhaps even understanding why or what it means. It may even sum up how I feel about this book. Maybe.

The book is definitely a modern piece and, as I've implied above, I haven't quite digested it yet. Not because it's shocking or bizarre or overwhelming, but because it is very much the style of that period (It was published in the late 20s) so it is more about what the characters are thinking and their own subjective experiences than it is about a narrative. That being said, there is a plot and the writing is good. It's just the author isn't leading you down a path but rather presenting you with the insides of the characters' heads in about as organized a fashion as she can. It's a short novel and I think I may reread it next month. It reminds me in some ways of Willa Cather's The Professor's House in both the style and my own response to it.

Okay, that's all.

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was on a Saturday this year, so I didn't have to take a day off of work. [Every year I take my birthday off out of principle.* It's very celebratory to not be at work on one's birthday.]

Saturday morning / afternoon we...

• Slept in
• Took calls from family (Highlights include one singing of "Happy Birthday" by my mother-in-law accompanied by my youngest brother-in-law on the flute and my nephew Brady (now 3 1/2) telling me my birthday was "gonna be jus' won'erful!")
• Rode bikes on the coast in Pacific Grove (near Monterey & Carmel). 68 degrees, people!
• People & dog watched in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Saturday evening we...

• [I] blew out candles that Bruce crammed onto cupcakes for me. The one in the middle had like 10 in it.
• [Bruce] gave me balloons! I luuurve balloons. They were pink & red and also there was a sparkly/shiny one. 
• Watched Flipped per Merzy's recommendation (I especially liked that it is PG!)

Sunday my family had a birthday party for me. My dad made lemon chicken and banana cake (With fresh banana filling and cream cheese icing. Wowza!) It was so good to be with my family and to blow out candles again. Turns out that is a necessary party of birthdays for me.

Valentine's was equally if not more fabulous. Mostly it involved Costco lasagne, homemade salad by Bruce, leftover birthday cake, and a work call at 10pm with Singapore / Denmark. Ha! In spite of the work call it was chill and great.

xoxo
kt

*This principle was founded in 2007 -- the last time I did not take off my birthday. In that year, my birthday was on a Monday AND the night before I had JUST gotten my FIRST kiss from my new/pending boyfriend. I went into work that morning to find flowers from this love interest and then promptly left them (and him) to go on a work trip. Yes, the evening of my birthday I was on a plane to Denver (in February, mind you). And it just so happened that it was on Wednesday, February 14th at approximately 10pm that I returned from said trip. So both my birthday and Valentine's Day were sabotaged by work. And, I might add, a year later the client in Denver de-booked. Hence, the principle.

3 Things

1. My baby brother Stuart got engaged on Wednesday. Her name is Barb. The date is July 15th. She's pretty cool and we approve.

2. I cut the very tip (think fingerprint*) of my left index finger on Thursday night grappling with a butternut squash**. Bruce came home and took me to urgent care where they couldn't sew or glue it back together as it was no longer attached (Bruce found it on the knife when we got home***). 10 layers of surgicell later, my finger will be bandaged for approximately 2 weeks. Also, I got called to be the organist at church on Sunday. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate God's sense of humor? Because I do.

3. My older sister found out today that child #3 she is expecting in June is not boy #3, but a girl! This is the first granddaughter on both sides and my and Bruce's first niece. Needless to say, we're all very excited!


----------------------
*I may or may not have a fingerprint when it heals. I'll let you all know how it turns out.
**Yes, I know that Costco sells pre-sliced butternut squash.
***Yes, he took pictures.

I hope you enjoyed the clip art. Adds a bit of class to the blog, I think.

Of Things That Matter Most by Dieter Uchtdorf

When stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be.

We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.

The wise resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.

Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are. It is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing.

Printed material, wide-ranging media sources, electronic tools and gadgets—all helpful if used properly—can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation.

We would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.

If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.

Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most.

You can read the talk here.

What we did

on Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, AKA HOLIDAY!

• slept in
• made waffles
• worked (boo) - I on work-work, Bruce programming a statistical analysis of the game Farkle so he can beat me at least once (hehe)
• blew zubbles - one of my Christmas presents from Bruce :)
• tasted the samples at Costco
• visited my parents and exchanged a fake Christmas tree for some of my dad's tasty food
• read a chapter of Silas Marner aloud.
• ate at Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries for the first time (meh)

Word for the new year

This blog post inspired me to think of a word I would like to use for 2011:

happiness

I want to have happiness in spite of uncertainty, stress, and especially in spite of my own imperfections. I know happiness is possible in all of these scenarios through faith in Jesus Christ. That being said, I am deliberately choosing happiness as the word rather than faith, so that I won't be tempted to focus on the inadequacy of my faith and how I am falling short, but rather to keep my focus on the fruits of faith - which are always available!

A few things:

1. Bruce helped me put the strawberry in my header. It makes me happy.
2. Here are my goals this week:

• walk for 10 minutes (5 days)
• personal prayer daily
• work from home only 2 days - not all 5 :)

 3. Things from my list I want to accomplish this year:

• visit Yosemite
• visit Norway
• learn to code in python (changed this from javascript)
• learn calligraphy

 I'll probably start revising / adding things to the list this year, too.

A growing fondness

Previous installment here.

When Bruce and I went running at the Baylands, I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to him. When we were alone together, he spoke more openly and was not as reserved as he was in our monthly home teaching visits.

I was very pleased when later that same week I got a text from him: "Been running lately?" I felt that I wasn't just a home teaching 'duty' and that he had also enjoyed our time together.

And so we went running that next Friday instead of going to the Mid-Singles (30+) conference. He ended up coming over to my house after our run and watched a movie with me. After the movie ended, we talked and talked into the wee hours of the morning.

That night when he left, I wondered why he had stayed so late talking to me. I wondered if he was even slightly interested in me. And then of course I wondered if I was even a little interested in him. My mind couldn't quite put us together, but I liked him. I felt rather fond of him, even. I decided that I would continue to spend time with him and not create a forced crush. That meant NOT talking to my girlfriends about him.

Even though I knew better than to talk to my friends about him, I just liked him a lot. So the following (abridged) gchat with my former roommate RM was, I suppose, inevitable.

She was already engaged to marry a redhead, so the segue was simple: I confided that I was, "rather fond of a red-head myself -- and rather fond is about its level."


gchat excerpt from 28 September 2009:

RM: 
why are you fond of bruce?
btw
his hair is not red
it defies color definition
it's like.....
orange
yellow
red
blue
green

me:
yeah
it's awesome
well we run together twice weekly
and I am just rather fond of him
that is all.

RM: 
oh yeah
is he fond of you?

me: 
oh, I think so.
we hug often
and we hung out the wknd of mid-singles conference
and he stayed until 2:15am talking with me
but I think it is simply mutual fondness
but I just find that I really look forward to seeing him
I had been wanting to tell someone but there isn't anything to tell
and I am okay with that, too
I mean I don't have anything I am driving towards
if that makes sense
in my head
or heart
no experiments

RM:
yeah
that makes sense
just growing fondness/attachment
sometimes that's a lovely way to go /feel

me: 
yes, it is good to have a friend
and I know he is my friend. so that is a great thing to me.

I think that my decision to just "wait and see" was possible because I had wiped my slate free, so to speak. In previous months or years, I think I would have just made a decision immediately and either have fed a premature crush or just blown him off. It was very pleasant - and refreshing - to have a simple affection for my new friend with, of course, just the tiniest bit of curiosity. :)

Next installment here.

Unstructured Time

One of the things on my mind quite a bit summer of 2009 was how to have more unstructured time in my life.

I had been working long hours, traveling for business, teaching a summer institute course (including writing my own lesson plans), teaching gospel doctrine, and tutoring. I had finished my third move for the year and had just returned from a trip to Europe. I was burned out.

I have always struggled with giving myself alone time and not over-committing myself. I have also always struggled with exercising regularly. I felt that perhaps these two things were connected. I wasn't prioritizing exercise enough because I was crowding it out with other things.

I remembered a church conference address that had given counsel to parents to not structure their kids' schedules too much and I realized that if I couldn't do that for myself now, then I couldn't expect to do it for my (theoretical) kids.

I spent much of the summer trying to change and found it extremely challenging. I decided I had to retrench socially to get my life in order. Many of my friends were concerned that I wasn't prioritizing my social life (I was, after all 27!) but I knew that I needed to slow myself down. I felt good about skipping social activities to attend my yoga class and go to bed early.

In August, when my home teachers asked me if they could do anything to help me, I confided that I was struggling to find a way to run regularly. I told them I had always struggled with making time to exercise - and now I was concerned because it was starting to get dark and that was just another barrier to overcome.

My home teacher Nathan suggested that I just do what I could each day - even if it's just a 5 minute walk or jog. My home teacher Bruce, the quieter of the two, offered to run with me.

I was pleased with both of their answers - and promptly accepted Bruce's offer to go running together. We ran the next evening in the baylands.

--------

Postscripts

--------

Bruce's motives
I felt instinctively that Bruce's offer to run with me was not an attempt to pursue me, but just a way to help me and at the same time be more physically active himself. I felt that and so I trusted him. I had never run with a man before (nor had any desire to), but I felt at ease with him.

(By the way, Bruce confirmed later that he really did just want to run to help in his training to hike Mt. Rainier. HA! I was right!)

How this changed me
I know I would not have had time for a relationship prior to giving myself more unstructured time. I might have made formal dates a priority, but I simply would have been too busy for the casual shared time that is required to build the friendship that should be the foundation of any strong relationship.

Next installment here.

p.s. the bread is delicious!

Tabula Rasa

I've been thinking about the past year and a half - already so many of my memories of my and Bruce's dating, courtship, and engagement are starting to fade. I've decided to blog about what I learned from those experiences to document them. If along the way any of you few, but beloved, readers have questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.

Dating Bruce was easy, natural, and simple, but it also required a lot of change on my part. I had no idea of this up front, of course, and some of the changes took place before we even started dating.

For instance, in the spring of 2009 I felt very strongly that I needed to either walk through or close the "open doors" I had with various men in my life. I felt this so strongly that I went through a process of taking steps to walk through those open doors -- and each time I approached each one, either something in my heart or something I observed in him closed it for me.

It wasn't easy, but opportunities arrived. I saw some of my ex-boyfriends who were still single, spent time with some with whom the timing had never been right. In all of the cases, I consciously felt that I wasn't interested and neither were they. I let those "possibilities" go and by the time Bruce and I were spending time together in September, my heart was a blank slate, and as a result, I think, ready.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I've baked my first loaves of bread!

In honor of my dear friend Kate, who encouraged me to achieve this goal and I know would have liked to be a part of it, I have finally baked my first loaves of bread! They are beautiful, I will be posting pictures soon, and we will see if they taste as good as they look. :)

Thank you. Thank you. I'm so happy!