I'm off to work, but before I go...

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Well it is now 9:00am on the first day of school, and I am finally admitting to myself that perhaps summer vacation has come to an end.:o)  I started out working a few extra days at the hospital, then flew up to my parents house, and then spent my last week with friends in Seattle.  What a blessing each of these experiences were, and I returned to Southern California feeling refreshed and ready to start another quarter.  This time next year I will be starting my last quarter of school!  So exciting to think about, but my prayer is that I won't wish away the next 15 months.  I have such a tendency to anticipate what is ahead to the neglect of my current surroundings.  I pray that God will give me the courage to boldly proclaim the Gospel to my fellow nursing students, professors, and patients.  And I pray that my quarter in a psychiatric facility will not be full of fear or a desire to "escape," but rather compassion, patience, and love for the people God places in my life.  May God be glorified through all I do and say!

A pictorial glimpse into my vacation (more pictures from other cameras to come...):

Those of you who know me well will be surprised to know that I woke up early

enough to watch the sunrise almost every day of my vacation!

I watched my incredible little sis play competitive soccer and volleyball.

Enjoyed another "Gold Rush Days" with my parents in Old Town Sacramento.

Summer in September

So this morning, I slept in.  We're talking SLEPT IN!  What a wonderful feeling.  No alarms, no school, no work, no finals.  No finals.:o)  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  On a side note, I don't think my body handles finals quite as well now as it did four years ago when I was a freshman.  I know all of you older readers will get a chuckle out of that statement, but when my alarm would go off after a couple of hours sleep, I wasn't exactly springing from my bed...  Yes.  Finals are indeed over, and I am a free woman!  (At least for the next 2 1/2 weeks...)  I had quite a "to do" list for today, as I forced myself to write things down as I thought of them rather than doing them when I was supposed to be studying.  Anyone who I've lived with can tell you I become quite the chef, cleaner, organizer, etc. during finals week.:o)  Anyway, I wasn't as productive today as I'd planned to be, but I did get quite a bit done and even managed to scatter some fun in along the way.  I mentioned to my aunt that I really wanted to bake something, and she recommended a cake recipe they have.  The recipe is actually on a trivet that sits next to their stove.  That sounded good to me, but to be honest it was the first time I'd ever made a cake from scratch.  Sad I know, but the boxes are just so easy.:o)  It turns out, making a cake is actually pretty easy, and tasty too.  It was even educational, as I learned for the first time that you can make buttermilk from milk and vinegar.  Ah.  Learning finds me even on vacation.;o)  So I'm including the recipe below.  Give it a try.  It honestly took me very little time, and the result was delicious! 

Hershey's Chocolatetown Special Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2/3 cup shortening (I used margarine)
  
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk*

      * To Sour Milk: Use 4 teaspoons white vinegar plus milk to equal 1-1/3 cups.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
(I used a 9x13 pan and it turned out just fine.  I baked it for about the same amount of time too.)

2. Stir together cocoa and water in small bowl until smooth. Beat shortening, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended. Add cocoa mixture; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely: frost.  8 to 10 servings.