:::Caved - Instagram:::

I have joined Instagram! Just in time for them to use my photos in advertisements. Can you imagine? My face in the papes! Huzzah!

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 Click on the link above to follow me.

:::Miracle:::

It snowed here on Christmas Day, and yeah, it was the best thing ever.

It's been in the 30s all week, which is also fantastic considering that we were still having 80 degree days at the beginning of the month.

Hallelujah, amen!

:::The Teens Say 'YOLO':::

On Sunday, in an effort to save some rapidly spoiling produce, I chopped up a couple varieties of apples and an Asian pear and made this apple-ly cinnamon-ish side dish that was so good that I ate some then froze the rest.

"Wouldn't this be so nice to serve to company?" I thought to myself as I slid the container into the freezer. "With a pork roast, perhaps, on a cold, winter night?"

Well, I hate pork roasts, and I never have company, and 9:45 pm on a Tuesday night is as just as good as any time.

:::So Nice To Come Home To:::

:::Cool Kidz Club:::

:::Yesterday I bought boxes and boxes of old Christmas balls at Salvation Army for .50 cents a box. I've never had a fully decorated tree before, and thought it would take me years to build up a collection. Huzzah!

:::I had a phone upgrade available that I'd been sitting on since June, so yesterday I joined the 21st Century and got an iPhone. Yeah, I'm pretty cool now.

:::Yesterday I also bought a second Christmas tree for my balcony. Merp.

:::if you send me a text message, I'll be responding from my iPhone 5.

:::If you call me, I'll be accepting the call from my iPhone 5.

:::Please let me know how often you'd like to receive selfies from me.

:::Just a Snippet:::

I...

• Just finished Call the Midwife. Very good at the beginning, kind of ends with a whimper. I wish there had been more of Chummy because she was fantastic. I'm looking forward to getting a hold of the miniseries, which has some of my favorite actresses in it - Miranda Heart, Pam Ferris, and Jenny Agutter.
• Am making tomato soup. I still love Mark Bittman. During the Christmas Season the first screen of the How to Cook Everything app has snow falling across the title. It delights me more than it probably should. 
• Am listening to my Instrumental Holiday station on Pandora. I know it's a little cheesy, but I love the Nutcracker. Last year we went to a performance put on by a local dance school, and I cried without shame during the Adagio. So beautiful. It pains, and lifts my soul at the same time. 
• Anxious about my new job. I started a paralegal position at a law firm three weeks ago, and it's been an extremely difficult adjustment. Towards the end of my contract job I had made friends with many of my coworkers and loved the team dynamic we had, so it was hard to leave that behind. I didn't feel very confident in accepting this new position, but staying at a lower-paying contract job didn't make logical sense. Sigh, alas. I still meet up with one of my coworkers and my department director for dinner on occasion. 
• Have realized that things that terrify me at first may turn out to be just fine down the road. Even things that shake me with fear can turn out to be kind of great. Dear self, please see the above re new job.
• Am looking forward to my home teachers coming this week. I've been feeling so down lately, and having the support of people from church has been a great blessing. Speaking of blessings, I've made a friend in the ward who is so wonderful. She is the greatest, and there have been multiple times in the past few months where I've sent a text message warning her that I was on my way and could really use a blessing from her husband. By the time I get there they've already called over another priesthood holder to assist, and then they take the time to ask me about my struggles. I love them. These have been some difficult months for me, and having someplace to go for support just means so much.
• Am going to finish this list now, and go string lights on my balcony. Merry Christmas!