365 Questions: 64-70

64. If a doctor gave you five years to live, what would you try to accomplish?
I'd travel as much as I could, try as many different foods as possible, and spent enough time with my friends and family to last a lifetime.

65. What is the difference between falling in love and being in love?
Its like comparing traveling somewhere and actually being there. One is the journey while the other is being at the destination.

66. Who do you think stands between you and happiness?
Me.I am my biggest road block at times.

67. What is the difference between innocence and ignorance?
There is usually no malice in innocence.

68. What is the simplest truth you can express in words?
Bread is good.

69. What gives your life meaning?
My mister. And my bunnies.

70. Can there be happiness without sadness? Pleasure with out pain? Peace without war?
Sure. But feeling one and then be able to experience the other makes you truly able to appreciate the former.

-Marsha

Vacation Pics

It finally happened!  And now it's over.  :( 

Isn't that the way of everything we look forward to? We anticipate it until it comes (which seems like forever!) and then are mournful when it is over. Any who here are few (cell phone) photos from out trip to Disney World!






We had a blast! But we also got rained on a ton, had lots of back and knee pain from 12 hour days of huffing it around the parks for 7 days straight, and spent way too much money.  Haha. I would love to share all the photos I took but there are hundreds. Literally. They came out so good though. Maybe I will share some of my faves in another post. Especially since there are no Festival of Fantasy pics in this post!

Here's to the next vacation!

-Marsha

365 Questions: 57-63

57. Have you ever regretted something you did not say or do?
Of course. Hasn't everyone?

58. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
No, thankfully.  But I suppose there is still time for it to do so...

59. Why do we thing of the most when they are gone?
Because we glorify them in their absence, we seem to cling to the best in people. It seems to be the way our mind remembers them most.

60. What is your most beloved childhood memory?
Going for motorcycle rides with my dad.

61. Is it more important to love or be loved?
While both are extremely important I think the former may edge out the latter just a smidge. The capability to love others opens one up to a barrage of other emotions (like empathy, sympathy, selflessness, compassion, etc) that I think lead to a full self and a full life.

62. If it all came back around, would it help or hurt you?
 I'm not really sure what the "it" is in this instance...

63. If you had the chance to go back in time and change one thing would you do it?
Probably.

-Marsha

Journal Day #10

Here's this week's prompt-

Quite simply, what are you good at? All of us have particular strengths- what are yours? This week, talk about these talents, big or small. Ideas: discuss how you use these things in your daily life or job, how you discovered a knack for this or that, perhaps even touch on whether or not you are passionate about the things you're good at. via- Sometimes Sweet


I feel like I have never really figured out the answer to this question. I can do quite a few things well but I don't have that one thing that I truly excel at. Some of the things I do well are not even transferable to every day life but are skills that I have picked up over the years at different jobs and hold no use to me now. Other things are just barely notable.

I can organize the pants off paperwork or a crap-fulled closet. I really love when things have a place and everything is in its place. For some reason this is not something I can transfer to my personal life as noted by my messy house. Strange how that works... 
I am great at collecting scrapbooking stuff and then letting it sit for a few years before I remember I even have it. Haha.

I am also great at hording clothes. I have an endless amount of clothes that I simply cannot bear to part with. And even though most of it doesn't even fit me anymore I just don't seem to be able to let anything go.

I make a mean meatloaf. At least my parents think I do. When I moved out they would occasionally call me to come over and make one. It became a kind of joke with friends and every time I got off the phone with my folks I would get asked if I had to go over and make a meatloaf. :)

I am a decent baker. I dabble in cupcakes, cakes, bars, and cookies. So far everything I've made has been met with good compliments.

And finally, I am amazing at (and love!) untangling bundles of necklace chains. Weird skill to have and only occasionally helpful. This came in handy when I worked in retail and we occasionally got a ball (that's right-ball) of necklaces in a shipment box. Best afternoons ever.


-Marsha

Snapshots

Target is dangerous when movies are on sale / Vinylmation project for our trip! / Pretty sure I need to take more photo booth pictures / The only Orla Kiely item I will probably ever be able to afford / My lipstick collection is growing! (and don't let the photo fool you, 2 of these are reds!!) / Loving these jade rose plugs / Bright flowers make me happy

-Marsha

365 Questions: 50-56

50. Can you describe you life in a six word sentence?
Disney World in under ten days!!

51. If we learn from our mistakes, why are so afraid to make a mistake?
I think a large part has to do with the risk factor and the "after shock" of making a mistake and how it'll effect us. But at the same time, both are present if you succeed or fail...

52. What impact do you want to leave on the world?
On the world? Not really sure. But I want the people in my life to feel loved and happy and hopefully I can have a hand in that.
53. What is the most defining moment of your life thus far?
Meeting the mister. At the time it seemed ordinary to meet a guy and go on a date with him but 5 years later my life and me as a person have changed since he came into my life.
54. In the haste of your daily life, what are you not seeing?
As I spend about 9 hrs each weekday behind a desk, I would guess quite a bit.

55. If life is short, why do we do so many thing we don't like and like many things we don't do?
I feel like responsibilities take priority in life more so that doing what you want at times. I spend most of my time at work when I would rather not. But I need to work to pay for food and a place to live. Then we get trapped in this mobius strip-like existence where were are working to live and living to work.

56. What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
Disney movies, seeing my bunnies, when a stranger is nice to me, the mister singing in the shower, and a the moment Starburst jelly beans!


-Marsha

Recipe Review ---> Coconut Oil Biscuits

Bread has always evaded me in the kitchen. The recipes always intimidate me with their talk of yeast rising and warnings of over kneading. I never try to make it because I feel like I am sure to fail. Attacking my irrational fear of making homemade bread has been on my yearly to-do list for a couple years now and I think this recipe gets me one step closer to being able to cross it off! 

I stumbled across a recipe on Gimme Some Oven for 3-Ingredient Coconut Oil Biscuits. I have never used coconut oil ever so I figured this recipe would kill 2 birds with one stone: expand my kitchen knowledge by trying new things and attempting to make homemade bread. 



The recipe is fairly simple. Blend the coconut oil with the flour. And then add the milk. Easy peasy. When I opened the coconut oil I noticed it was solid like lard or shortening but more stiff. Naturally I decided to nuke some to a softer consistency to be able to measure the correct amount and make it easier to mix with the flour. I may have softened it a little too much but whatev. It worked fine.



I spread the dough onto my floured counter and flattened it into an even layer. I used a glass tumbler with a bit of oil on the rim to cut out biscuits and realized I should have used more flour as they we sticking a little. No worries.



I baked them a little longer that the recipe called for because mine were not getting toasty golden brown on top the way the recipe said they should. After 2 extra minutes I did the cupcake test (where I lightly push down the center to see if it springs back up meaning its done or stays depressed meaning it needs more time) and they seemed just fine. I even turned one over and the bottom was nice and brown. If I left them in any longer I would have run the risk of burning the bottoms. And then I would have thrown them away in a fit of failure.



Once they cooled for a few minutes I ripped a piece of one to make sure the insides were done and do a taste test. The biscuit's innards were fluffy and soft. Upon tasting them they were pretty good, a little denser than I was expecting (which is probably from me over handling the dough). The mister liked them too which is always a plus!

Verdict: I will totally make these again. Next time I will try to "fold" the dough when I knead it at the mister's suggestion. It should help get more flaky layers and may even help with the fluffiness.

Happy baking!

-Marsha