Five Simple Things (January 10)

 Hello.

The year is picking up quickly and getting back on track in the right direction, I think. Hopefully, it stays that way. I maybe having some surgery planned coming soon and I'm a bit worried about that. It's a surgery I've been wanting to have for awhile, and have just been too afraid. I'll speak more on this at a later time when I'm more comfortable, maybe. But, as far as for now, we are getting things cleaned out and figured out for the new year. One thing we've been doing a lot more of is simplifying things. What does that mean? Well, we are making everything in our house earn its place. If I can't find reason in keeping it, it gets the boot. If you're looking for ways to start your own process in minimizing down, there's a link at the top of my blog to help you, it's labeled Minimalism. I'll slowly be adding things over this year to that link in order to help others. Hope you find it useful. In the meantime, here are five simple things from this week.

1. This Cabinet.

We've been slowly, but surly downsizing more and more, and this filing cabinet didn't make the cut. Lucky, it went to an accountant that lives in Newport, Oregon. I was glad to see it go to a good place and be used for a good reason. Not sure what a bad reason would be, but all the same. It was a great piece from our homeschool classroom all these years, but with Skylar being in high school now, we've cut back a lot of homeschool paperwork. That was a chore, let me tell you.

2. This Kitty.

I realized today that I take a lot of pictures of Eleven and not a lot of Hardy. It's mainly because Hardy is so high strung he can't sit for longer than five seconds without having a "squirrel" moment.

3. This Daybreak Glow.

I am definitely not a morning person, but I do appreciate the light glow of my nightlight in the mornings when I get up for the day. Yes, I sleep with a nightlight because, even though I love horror, I don't like being alone in the darkness. Living in a city, it changes you a lot. The sounds you hear are not pleasant sometimes, and having just a small beam of light when those sounds wake me up, is nice.

4. In-N-Out Burger.

A new In-N-Out Burger location went in in Salem, Oregon, and we decided to give them a try. We've had In-N-Out before in Medford, Oregon, but we didn't really like it then, so we thought we'd give them another chance. And, nope, we are not fans. One thing, is sitting in the drive through for over 30 minutes, and the food has zero taste to it. Sure, it's a basic menu of items and would otherwise go fast, but the taste of the food was extremely bland.

5. Air Museum.

Skylar and I took a drive down Highway 101 and ended up in Tillamook. We stopped at the air museum to shoot this picture and then headed back home. We really enjoy taking off on a day trip just to explore. This was one of those times.

Have a nice weekend.

Another Day at the Coast

I feel like we've been spending a lot of time on the coast lately, but it's been such a great way to get out of the Willamette Valley. We've been looking at wet suits for ourselves and also some beginner foam boards. We've found a great company out of California, Degree 33, and their associates have been walking us through the process. Since our surf lessons, we are anxious to get back out in the water soon. We are looking into fully committing to selections after the spring of 2020.

Jalapeno Poppers

I can't cook. Anyone that's around me for longer than three months knows this. I do try, but I honestly can't stand cooking, so me sharing a recipe is a huge deal. Plus, I'm a picky eater, so the things I eat, that I've cooked are rare. Some of it is a failure, but I am getting better with knowing what I can and can't cook. Here's one of the things I actually enjoy making and cooking. And, plus side, they are easy to do.

Jalapeno Poppers

What you'll need:

1. 20-30 jalapeno/poblano/Anaheim peppers (seeded and cut lengthwise) **use gloves for this**
2. 3-4 (8oz) blocks of cream cheese (room temperature)
3. 1 tablespoon of onion powder
4. 1 teaspoon of pepper
5. 1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)
6. 1 tablespoon of jalapeno juice (this adds some additional spice to the mix)
7. 2-3 jalapeno seeds (if you want it spicier)

Mix together in a bowl and fill each jalapeno shell. Be sure to overfill to your desired amount. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until the tops are browned. 

*Additionally, you can add bacon bits on top, or shredded cheese in the last two minutes of baking

We Took Surf Lessons

Yep. Just as the title says, we took surfing lessons and let me tell you, you loved it! We have always wanted to take lessons just to see what it's like. We went through a surf shop in Lincoln City and our instructor was amazing. He's name was Declan and he is a world class surfer, so he knew a thing or two. He taught us the basics, how to avoid ocean currents, how to balance, popups, riding small and large waves, and pretty much everything we needed to know to begin. He stayed with us for about three hours making sure we had down the basics to surfing and then allowed us the boards and suits for the remainder of the day, which was about six hours more. We just couldn't get enough of it. Skylar got up on his board about three times and rode in some waves straight away. Jeff and I took some time getting our balance, but once you get up once, it's really a lot easier than you think. We have never had so much fun in the Pacific Ocean before and it is definitely something we will continue doing.