New Year's Resolutions 2013

Hello all,

First of all I want to say Merry belated Christmas to everyone! This season seemed to come and go quicker for some reason this year and therefore I did not have a special holiday blog post for Christmas. (Although, as a quick note, it is my favorite season.)

This leaves New Year's.

With a mere hour or so left of 2012 during the writing of this blog post, I want to say that I am VERY excited about 2013 and hope all of you are as well.

Many of you either make resolutions you don't keep, figure you won't keep them so you don't bother making them, or don't bother making them period.

First of all, a "resolution" is "a resolve or determination" (according to Dictionary.com). This means that when you make a "resolution" you are stating something that you would like to do something and are determined to accomplish it.

Most people forget by the second week of January what our resolutions are. This happens for a number of reasons but I find that many of the resolutions that are made are unrealistic, stupid, or vague. "I would like to lose 20 pounds" is a "resolution" that can be made at any point in the year, and making that resolution doesn't mean that you won't gain that weight back after you lose it. "I would like to keep in touch with family and friends more." Vague. How will you do this? What is "more?"

So I am advocating that we abolish New Year's resolutions. Yes, I said it. Instead I think we should all get together and create "New Year's pledges" instead. A "pledge" means "a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something." Pledge to yourself to accomplish something (or somethings) this year.

How do you come up with a decent pledge? Make it short, to the point, and specific. Make it about something that's important to you. "Quit smoking" is good, but how about "I pledge to quit smoking by decreasing the amount of cigarettes I smoke weekly starting the first of the year until I am able to be smoke free?" Not that lengthy and it packs a punch because now you can see how you're going to do it and you feel obligated to yourself to accomplish it. Also make sure it's realistic. There is nothing more depressing than coming to the end of a year and realizing you never did create a robot that will paint a room to perfection and clean up after itself. I'd be sad if I promised I'd do that but didn't accomplish it.

How do you keep your pledge? Type them up (or better yet, write them!), print them out, and frame, yes frame, them and put them in a location you will see all year. If you feel they are too personal to be shared with others, put them in a spot only you will see. If you think that it will help to share them with the world, do so. This helps for two reasons: a) you will be reminded of them everyday, and b) at the end of the year, you can feel proud of what you accomplished, or critical of yourself over what you did not accomplish.

I also think making only one pledge is being lazy. Come on guys, one pledge? For the whole year? I would say make no more than four or five. You can do it. We have 365 days this year. Make each one count.

Two of Holly's 2013 New Year's Pledges:

1) To stay as organic as possible by consistently reading ingredients on packaging, choosing organic products, and researching for organic restaurants, farms, and stores where ever my travels take me.

2) To stay healthy/active by volunteering at a non-profit organization of my choosing, going on various hikes or nature related activities, and/or working a job that requires me to be on my feet for a total number of hours of a typical work week (including vacations, etc.)

I think making New Year's Pledges is an important thing to do but let's not forget that we should be keeping promises we make to ourselves and each other all the time. Too often in our culture today do we just say "I promise" and let it go like it's nothing. Keep your word. You'll feel better in the end if you do.

Aloalo Returns... And More!

Yulysta: We are very excited to welcome our friend Aloalo back into the Squishable Quintet!

Aloalo: Thank you very much. I'm honored to be here with all of you.

Peanut Butter: Tell us about your vacation, Aloalo.

A: I have to say it was quite lovely to spend time with Holly's fiance in the midwest. The trip from Maine to Missouri was pretty long but the flight from Missouri to New York was quite nice.

Lily: We hear Holly got sick while she was with her fiance, is that true?

A: Yes, she was terribly ill with what looked like a severe case of the flu. Her fiance took very good care of her and she is almost 100% today.

Julius: Yeah, we still hear her hacking from time to time.

PB: Aloalo will be joining us from now on for our Squishable posts but unfortunately will not be with us for our Costa Rica trip, unless something changes.

L: Why not? That's awful! We have to take him along, he's part of the team!

Y: I agree with you Lily, but the truth is because Aloalo's so large it's difficult to travel with him.

J: Well then how did Holly get here with him?

Y:  She set him on her lap during the flights but with her other carry-ons it was hard. Plus Holly wasn't feeling that well still.

A: I don't mind. In fact, it might be good for me to inform all of you on news that we're having here in the States.

L: I still don't think it's fair. You're one of us!

PB: We know and he still might go but it may not be practical to take him.

L: Aw.

Y: Anyhoo, that's all we have for tod-

J: Wow, that was short.

L: Yeah, I was having fun!

PB: Guys, Holly would like to say a few things. We'll have more to talk about another time.

J: Fine.

L: I guess I understand. I'm going to think of something exciting to share for next time!

A: I very much enjoyed introducing myself. I hope everyone stays healthy.

PB: Yes, everyone enjoy a nice mug of tea or hot chocolate!

Y: Bye, everyone!

J, L, & A: Bye!


So as it was mentioned above, I got extremely sick last Sunday afternoon when I was with my fiance. Body aches, headache, fever, eventually leading into a cough and some congestion. Not really sure what happened but I feel better now and I'm very happy to have Aloalo with me!

The previous blog post mentioned the newest member of my personal family and that is my kitty. I had mentioned her name being "Sagira" but that didn't stick to her because it was so harsh sounding. After going through a series of names, the longest being "Layla" (pronounced in Arabic as 'LIE-lah') which lasted for a week or so, I feel as though I've settled on a new name: "Colette" ('ko-LET'). I had been trying to do some research on names and for some reason naming her became a problem for me. I usually try to name animals based on how they look or where they come from but it didn't work with her. During my research on names, I came across Colette, which is a shortened version of the French name "Nicolette" and means "necklace" or "victory of the people." I like these meanings for her for two reasons" 1) the markings on her chest almost connect in the form of a necklace and 2) I feel as though there is some victory in her story.

Something else I've discovered is that although she has tabby markings, I'm fairly certain she contains at least a portion of the "Ocicat" cat breed. (Check out the Cats 101: Ocicat video clip from Animal Planet!) My grandma and I both noticed that her markings were very unique for a tabby and that's when I discovered she had almost spots on her instead of stripes. She fits the personality and marking description except she DOES like to be held and enjoys sitting on my lap and she is considerably smaller than the size they say most Ocicats are. In any case, I love her and she's doing fairly well; she had a bit of a "litter box" issue which cleared up and now she is having a runny eye. Giving eye drops to a cat is about as fun as jumping out of a plane... without a parachute.

In other news, Costa Rica preparations are underway and things look good for that. Stay tuned!

There is one thing I wanted to rant- I mean talk about fairly briefly to clear up some issues that people may have on the matter. Note: I am not providing any research or anything to back up what I'm saying. The reason is that most of this information is becoming common knowledge PLUS I'm trying to simplify this as much as possible.

Organic food is NOT more NUTRITIOUS than conventional food. (Necessarily.)

I'm pretty irritated at people who are against organic because they think it's hogwash. The purpose of eating organic is not because people think they are getting more out of their food necessarily, it's the fact that we're not consuming toxic pesticides, artificial flavorings, HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), artificial dyes, artificial preservatives, etc. If you take Cheez-Its, then take the equivalent organic version, you will notice for one that it tastes better and secondly that you should feel full a bit faster and not as sick afterward. The reason for this is that per square piece, the organic version will not contain things that have no nutritional value ("fillers") and your stomach and body will not have an issue trying to figure out what it's eating. (We were not designed to take in Red #40. Our livers are amazing but it doesn't mean we should abuse it.) Technically, the organic Cheez-It will be "more nutritious" in the sense that it doesn't contain fillers/chemicals and what it does contain is more complete foods compared to the conventional brand where you'll be consuming ingredients that you've never heard of.

Okay, what about produce? Take a conventional apple, then compare it to an organic apple. Taste is definitely better, no doubt. But... what else? Nutritionally it's pretty much the same since the food itself isn't altered (yet, don't even get me started on GMO's), but there is more of a reason to eat organic. We're not consuming pesticides, which can damage our body, but another factor to consider is not just ourselves and our bodies, but the environment. Less pesticide usage means cleaner soils, which means less emissions and happier Earth. Simple as that. So before you go and judge someone who is spending slightly more money on keeping themselves and the Earth healthy, think about all the money you've poured into the fast-food industry, what exactly you're eating, and how much car exhaust you've poured into the air getting that food.

Ponder this: Why are we always so concerned about the food our infants consume, but when they get older we feel it's okay for them to start eating junk food? Here's a painfully true joke I read in the ninth-grade: "My mother always told me to finish my food because there are children starving in Africa. Thanks, Mom. The children in Africa are still starving and now the children in America are obese."

Okay that's enough of that for today. Christmas is coming up! Give $20 to a charity of your choice this year! (And please don't forget to give some change to the Salvation Army!)

¡Buenos Noches!

Be Thankful Everyday

Hello People,

I would have done a special holiday blog post yesterday but I was exceptionally tired and had a very long day. But that does not stop me from talking about Thanksgiving today.

Here in America, we were all brought up knowing the "true" origins of Thanksgiving. Well I have something to say about that.

PHOOEY!

Okay yes, there were pilgrims and Indians (Native Americans) and a feast that consisted of almost NOTHING that we serve on Thanksgiving today, but no one truly cares about all that anymore.

When I was in high school, almost every Thursday in my chorus class we had "Thankful Thursday." My chorus teacher would send around a "magic wand" and only the person with the magic want could speak about what they were thankful for. Many people would assume, like I had originally, that teenagers would abuse this privilege and start saying nasty and unwelcoming things. The truth is, they didn't.

I started becoming impressed with what people were thankful for and even more impressive was the attention that the class (which was pretty large at about 80 people or so) gave the speaker. And if the person had nothing that they were particularly thankful for that week, they just passed the wand along. Naturally there was some side conversations at times but by-and-large people were attentive and respectful.

Why don't we do this today?

I am widely known as an open, honest, and happy person. Yes, I've had some bad things happen to me but focusing on them is exactly what society wants because it gives us attention. There are few news stories that could be labeled "positive," almost zero TV shows or movies without some type of negative factor that needs to be resolved, and rarely does a doctor or psychiatrist say that everything is perfect and you don't need to do a thing to improve your health or mental well being.

Why not?

I'll tell you why not. Happiness almost never makes any money. Our society is riddled with expressions like "nice guys finish last." I went to the doctor last year and you know what I was told? I have "borderline" depression (gee, a rough life and a happy personality definitely are symptoms) and I need to take a vitamin D supplement which was promptly faxed over to my neighborhood Walgreens. Would telling me that I was healthy and maybe need a little more sun have been too much? (No I didn't pay to take the supplement.)

These negativities in our world make it difficult to be thankful or appreciative of people or what we have. So of course there's Thanksgiving. A day where people typically complain about cooking for scores of people or not wanting this person to come over or not enough of this or that. "Misery loves company."

Would being grateful for something really kill you?

I think it's a shame that our society degrades people the way we do. "She's too fat" or "he's such a jerk" or gossiping about someone you don't even know. Magazines are a great help to this. "What's hot and what's not." What celebrities are getting divorced. What celebrities are getting married because of money or pressure. Newspapers with drug busts, murders, and political arguments. It's enough to make anyone depressed just reading about it. But hey, why not see a shrink, get an SSRI, and shell out some more money for that? (Note: I understand that there are genuine cases of mental illness but I feel depression is the most over-prescribed.)

What's the solution?

Be happy that you have a loving husband or that you actually have a job or that you have some food on your plate. When I volunteered in Washington, D.C., they had a homeless man come in to speak about what happened to him. It turns out that his house burned down, then shortly after he lost his job, then his car broke down, and that was it for him. He was on the street. It's that easy. A series of bad incidents can leave you without. And people in America are too spoiled to realize that.

I want everyone in this world, but especially everyone reading this article, to be grateful about at least one thing everyday. The fact that you can read this article means you have access to the internet somehow and that is amazing. That's just one thing to get you started.

My chorus teacher said that Thanksgiving is the "Ultimate Thankful Thursday." Just because Thanksgiving's over doesn't mean you can't be thankful right now. Go around your dinner table and say one thing you're thankful for. If you teach or are a parent, ask your kids what they're grateful for. At work? As your co-workers. You might be impressed with what they say.

Today, even though it's no longer Thanksgiving, I want to provide a list of ten things I'm thankful for, in no particular order. I hope that everyone can consider doing the same.

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

1) My  fiance. No one else in the whole world could take his place. He is wonderful.

2) My grandparents. I love them so much. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for them.

3) My ability to travel. My lifelong dream is coming true.

4) That I have a family. So many people forget that there are people who don't have one. I care about every single person in my family from my siblings to my parents.

5) My friends. I only have a few but that makes them more special to me. I am grateful for them.

6) Crafts. A hobby that I truly love that helps me get through my day.

7) Kids. Especially the ones that I have babysat over the years. I have been blessed with some amazing children.

8) God. People forget that they should be thankful for what they believe in. It is the cornerstone in one's life.

9) My laptop. My access to the world.

10) Sagira, my new kitty. She is about a year and a half and my grandparents agreed to allow her into their home as a temporary residence.

Sagira's Story: As I mentioned before, I volunteer at HEART Animal Rescue, where they mostly have cats. While I was working there, one cat named Rootie, came up to me. I started petting her and before I knew it I was holding her and giving her love. I asked what her name was, then put her down. Thinking nothing of it (I play with and pet lots of cats), I found her the next time I was at the shelter and started petting and scratching her again. I found that she had a attachment for me and I was developing an attachment for her despite the fact that I'm staying with my grandma who already has two cats. Rootie started to stand up when I gave her a hello scratch on the head and almost jumped into my arms at one point. I started talking about her to my fiance, grandma, and the other volunteers at the shelter who lobbied for me to get her. I asked how old she is because she is very petite and discovered she's actually a year and a half. I found out she needed surgery to have ear polyps removed and has a slight head tilt as a result. She was also found abandoned at about four months old on one of the nearby state routes, thus contributing to her name "Rootie." She was clearly the runt of her litter, or came from rather small parents because she weighs in at less than six pounds. I found myself hoping she was still at the shelter when I would arrive there and nervous at home when I wasn't at the shelter because I didn't want her to go to any other home but mine. I came home one day and my grandma said to me that we could get Rootie! I was so excited! I e-mailed someone from the shelter almost immediately and after filling out an online application picked her up the next evening and she was home within 24 hours of knowing I could have her. I discovered that she had been with the shelter for over a year, which saddened me a great deal and made me realize why people were really hoping I'd take her. Upon bringing her home, I noticed that even though she's so thin, she can stretch longer than either of my grandmother's other cats, and despite likely being partially deaf from surgery, has huge ears compared to her head. Her tail is almost as long as her body and I find her absolutely charming. Because I found her to look rather Egyptian, I decided to rename her Sagira (sah-GEAR-ah) which means "little one" in Egyptian (and Arabic, apparently). She's working on adjusting and I love her dearly.

Isn't she adorable? (And little?)

How I sometimes feel around kitties.

Presenting: The Squishables with News Updates!

Lily: Hi everyone! I'm SUPER excited to be here today with the original Squishable Trio updating you all on what's going on!

Julius: Oh great just what I need: someone that's overly excitable. Hey, wait. Where's Aloalo?

Peanut Butter: Julius, will you please be nice? Lily is very excited to be a part of our growing family. Aloalo happened to be a bit too big to take back from Maine. He was originally supposed to be shipped to Holly but right now he's hanging out with Holly's fiance in the Midwest.

J: Of course HE gets a vacation.

Yulysta: Julius, come on now. You have to lighten up. You just seem to get more and more agitated as time goes on. Relax, will you?

J: Sorry. It's just been a crazy time, you know? Traveling everywhere, growing Squishable family... it's not as easy for me as it is for you guys. Not a big fan of change all the time.

L: I totally understand what you're talking about. I mean, new places, new people, new plans... It's a lot for anyone! I'm a pretty happy girl so nothing really bothers me but I accept you for who you are Julius.

J:  Thanks.

PB: Moving on! So there has been a lot of activity lately. As you all have probably assumed or heard from the grapevine we are all safe back in Western New York, well, all except Aloalo, who's not here with us at the moment.

L: I heard that Aloalo might not go to our next adventure! That's awful!

Y: Well here's the problem: Holly loves us all but Aloalo is, well, he's rather large. Holly's decided that if she is unable to find a way to stow him on the plane that he will give "News From the Homefront" when we do blog postings. We'll connect with him in another way.

L: I don't want to spoil the surprise but you didn't mention the best part! The ADVENTURE part!

PB: Easy, Lily. We'll tell everyone. But first we want to keep everyone up to date on what's been going on recently first.

L: Aww.

PB: Holly's been keeping herself busy with volunteering, babysitting, and planning for her trip in January.

Y: Holly's volunteering with refugees and cats but not at the same time. Two different places.

J: That'd be weird. Although refugee cats do make sense...

Y: Almost.

PB: Holly's also had the opportunity to head up to Canada with her friend Justin for his first experience at a Whole Foods grocery store.

J: Not to be cynical or anything, but why did she go to Canada to go to a grocery store that we have here in the U.S.?

Y: Actually Julius, if we were to stay in the U.S. the closest Whole Foods to where we are is in Ohio. But that is actually almost four hours away whereas the one in Canada is an hour and a half away.

J: Hour and a half without dealing with the border patrol people maybe.

PB: Oh come on you know they're there for our safety.

J: Uh-huh.

L: Guys? The new trip??

PB: We're getting there, don't worry. Holly also did a couple of crafty projects, including a needlepoint and two little cross-stitches. She also completely organized all of her things and bought a brand new travel game: Qwirkle!

Y: Holly will have her needlepoint framed and will start to work on her fiance's Christmas gift soon, but she is truly ecstatic about her new Qwirkle game. She also has travel Scrabble and travel Rummikub to bring around with her.

L: Fun facts time! Rummikub was invented in the 1930's. Scrabble was invented in 1948. Qwirkle was invented in 2011. Qwirkle has been associated with being a combination of both Scrabble and Qwirkle. Although Holly finds it more like dominoes. (Thanks Wikipedia for awesome trivia!)

PB: I think we can tell everyone about the trip now. What do you think, Yulysta?

Y: Should we leave it up to Julius?

PB, L, J: NO!

Y: It was a joke guys, just a joke.

PB: I think I'll let Lily tell everyone the specifics since she's so excited, but I'll give the background information first. Holly has mentioned looking up places in Costa Rica, specifically organic farms. She finally heard from someone, but it's not exactly an organic farm. She went through an interview process and she got offered the position from the end of January until the middle of May. Okay Lily, I can see you bouncing with excitement. Go on and tell everyone.

L: It's a BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY! They also do RAINFOREST RESTORATION! They're really close to a volcano and hot springs and they get regular earthquakes and it's tropical and there won't be snow and I'm probably more excited than Holly is to be going!

Y: Holly's been busily preparing. She bought hiking boots, a Spanish dictionary, a rain jacket, a waterproof flashlight... she's been really getting her things together. She's even bought her plane ticket.

J: I'm just afraid I'll melt. Or an earthquake will cause us all to be trapped in a building. Or lava will flow and cause mass destruction!

L: Did you know that volcanic soil is one of the most fertile soils on Earth? I learned from the movie "The Incredibles!"

Y: You know what Lily? I'm really glad you're here. You add a bit of spark to our family.

PB: I agree. Nice to have you aboard. I wish Aloalo could have joined us, but I'm sure he's enjoying his vacation.

J: Wish I could enjoy his vacation...

Y: Do you really hate being around us that much?

J: No, just cranky. Kinda tired.

L: It's past his bedtime! We gotta get him all wrapped up in a blankey!

Y: How cute.

J: Shut up.

PB: Alright, alright. We'll head to bed soon, it is kind of late. Sorry about the lack of pictures this time around folks. It's been a rough past week or so. But we're very excited to continue with our travel blog. Holly will be going to the Midwest after Thanksgiving and she might even bring Aloalo back with her!

Y: Thanksgiving is also coming up, plus Holly will be going to see The Nutcracker with her grandparents like she does every year. She loves it.

J: We're not going to the Midwest with Holly are we? I'm not sure I could handle it. I need a break from the traveling.

L: I wanna go!

PB: We'll have to wait and see. For now though, let's say good night! We'll write again soon.

L: Yes, good night everyone! It was nice being here today! Thanks for reading!

J: I hope everyone gets some rest... it's a vital part of life.

Y: Curl up in your favorite blanket tonight! Good night!

Time is a Funny Thing

*NOTE: This blog post was started about two weeks ago or so. Below will document my last few weeks in Maine and expect a Squishables blog post next time!

Time. One of the few abstract yet fixed concepts in the world. One day you will be thinking: "I can't wait until [insert event here]." The next day you will say to yourself: "I can't believe it's over already." Time can only go one way (time travel, not yet invented) and the past cannot be altered or changed. People live in fear of the future, people live in regret of the past, but very few people consider the present. Our actions today are a result of yesterday and will influence tomorrow. While I wouldn't go as far as the comic below, I do suggest that people do something spontaneous and exciting today. Do something harmless yet uplifting. Take a minute to think about your options.

So there is yet another new addition to the Squishable collection! She is a red panda and her name is Lily. She is a gift from my friend Justin and it sadly took me a very long time to think of a suitable name for her. She is rather excitable and is very much looking forward to speaking with you all. As of right now, the Squishable group's name is the Squishable Quintet because there are five members. If I get more the group title will be the Squishable Bunch. But check out the new group picture!

There has been quite a lot of activity lately! I made it to rock climbing with my fiance and two of our friends. The BIG Adventure Center in Bethel, ME is a whole lot of fun! We spent a while rock climbing, then we did the first half of the mini golf course, then we did two rounds of laser tag, then we finished the golf course... and we ended the evening with a Thai dinner! So much fun! It was my fiance's very first experience rock climbing and he had a wonderful time.

Me at the top!

Mini golf!

We also made it to the Fryeburg Fair which was very interesting. My fiance and I went the day it opened and it was raining a bit. We walked around for a while, enjoying the fair atmosphere. We were able to go through the animal stalls and see all the different animals, ranging from horses to sheep, plus we got to watch cows getting milked and learn the process behind that. Of course, there was a gourmet food house, plus a craft house. There were people's artworks and foods getting judged plus we were able to buy, if we had wanted to, locally made products ranging from honey and beeswax to handmade wooded clipboards. But by far my favorite area was the Sugarhouse. Full of maple goodies (organic!), I walked away with some maple sugar candies, a one pound tub of maple cream, and a whole bag of maple sugar cotton candy... which was gone in about 10 minutes between me and my fiance. Definitely a fun day.

Piggies!

Aside from me making homemade pierogis, which I followed Allrecipe's version of (expect I only made the sauerkraut ones), I decided to go back to my childhood for a few minutes and make homemade stove-top hot chocolate from scratch. For those of you who have never done it, shame on you! It takes almost no time at all and it tastes way better than store bought and microwaved. I based my recipe below on About.com's recipe.

Pierogis! This ended up being a mess. I should never have laid them on top of each other... they ended up getting stuck together!

Holly's Homemade Hot Chocolate!

(serves 2)

My pot of hot chocolate!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (or a serviceable equivalent of unsweetened chocolate)

2 tablespoons of sugar (honey, agave, or maple cream would work well)

pinch of salt

1/2 of a vanilla bean (1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract would work too)

2 1/2 cups of milk

1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Directions:

1) Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape the insides and place all, including the insides in a medium pot. Add all of the other ingredients to the pot. Wisk well together and keep wisking over medium-high heat. Heat until hot chocolate darkens and it is brought almost to a simmer.

2) Take off of heat, pluck out cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, pour in two mugs and enjoy! (Topping with homemade whipped cream is optional, but recommended.)

My fiance and I also went on a hike up a nearby hill/small mountain/butte named Sabbatus to get a great view and look at the beautiful autumn colors. We saw a falcon and I climbed a beautiful tree. The view was amazing.

The view from the top of Sabbatus.

The autumn colors there are amazing.

Last but not least I brought some people to a local private-style airport and got to see little planes! I took two pictures while I was there and have shown one below.

Tiny airplane! I want to learn how to fly or at least ride in one and jump out with a parachute! (Or I guess just riding in one would be fun...)

That's it for now! Expect an interesting Squishables post next time!

Busy Month Here in Maine!

Hey everyone!

First I want to make an announcement: THERE IS A NEW MEMBER OF THE SQUISHABLE FAMILY! He is a regular-sized Squishable, unlike my three other mascots who are miniature-sized. He is a Palila bird which is a bird native and only lives on the big island in Hawaii. I thought about what to name him for a long time. I wanted to give him a name that would make sense in English but could be easily translated to Hawaiian. I finally thought of Hibiscus, as the yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. "Yellow hibiscus" translates to "pua aloala" (PU-ah ah-LOHah-loh), and Aloalo is the perfect name for him I think. Thus, we have a new friendly Squishable who will be joining us from time to time. Welcome Aloalo!

Next I wanted to tell everyone how sorry I am for not posting sooner. Things have been a little hectic but are starting to fall back into place. I am not sure how long I will be in Maine for, it could be anywhere from three weeks to the beginning or January (more on January later in this post). I have posted pictures on some things I've been doing below. We've had some glorious sunsets, my fiance and I have been doing various activities such as apple and grape picking, we've both been working pretty hard, and I've finally been decompressing from being in Munich. Some cool things worth mentioning:

Podcasts - Awesome to work by. I may be a huge loser, but I love learning. Podcasts are a great way to find something that interests you that you can expand your horizons in. For example, I love cooking. I searched for "cooking" in the search box, found the America's Test Kitchen Radio show, downloaded all the shows for free, and only have one and a part of one left to listen to. It's awesome (and free)!

Speaking of cooking, we (my fiance and I) have finally been doing some home cooking. I cooked a roast chicken with veggies served with wild rice that had been cooked with vegetable broth (yum) for my birthday (with homemade halva for dessert!) but a recipe that I will share with you below is actually one of my mother's favorite dishes and it turns out I love it too! No picture is included with this one, I hadn't thought to take a picture and if I took one now it wouldn't look as good... been sitting in the refrigerator for some time...

Holly's Homemade Baked Ziti!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of dry ziti or penne pasta (gluten free works)

3 large jars of pasta sauce (about 20 ounces per jar or so depending on how much sauce you like)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 smashed cloves of garlic

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 fresh large mozzarella balls, cut into about 8-10 round slices per ball

1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil

1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1) Melt the butter (or heat olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. During this time also bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil.

2) When the butter has melted or when the oil is hot, place onions in the pan and saute until soft. When the salted water comes to a boil, pour the pasta in and cook until al dente.

3) When the onions are soft, place the mushrooms and garlic in the skillet. saute until mushrooms are soft then remove from pan. (If not using mushrooms, cook garlic with the onions and then cook onions until slightly brown.)

4) Heat the pasta sauce and Parmesan in the skillet until hot and slightly bubbly, then set aside.

5) When pasta is done, drain, then set aside.

6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large baking or casserole dish, layer about a third of the pasta sauce on the bottom. add about half of the cooked pasta. Top with half of the onion/mushroom mixture, then with another third of the pasta sauce and evenly distribute 8 of the mozzarella slices on top of that. For the final layers, add the rest of the pasta, the onions/mushrooms, the last of the pasta sauce, and then the final mozzarella slices.

7) Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until mozzarella is melty and slightly browned.

Thanks to Allrecipes for the baking time and temp.

And speaking of food even more, apple and grape picking was amazing! We got to go to a real orchard and pick organic Jonagold apples. When we first got there, we arrived at the store portion of the orchard. My finace had a caramel apple which he adored and I got a gallon of apple cider. We were directed to the area where we could pick apples, and when we got there and got our half-bushel bag and were surprised to find out that we could also pick grapes! We got an additional bag for that and spent a while walking through the trees and eventually the vineyard. I have never had a fresh picked apple and let me tell you: there is no comparison. None whatsoever. I thought I had taken a bite of heaven. It was so good I didn't even think it could be an apple. The grapes are to die for as well. We had a really amazing time. (Want to find an orchard to go picking near you? Check out Orange Pippin!)

Both of us have also been going around Maine doing some other things as well, going to Whole Foods, visiting local organic/all-natural grocery stores, going to fair-trade places, vising the Maine Mall... but we do expand our horizons from time to time. We have talked about going mineral hunting which I think is a great idea and we still may do that. The Fryeburg Fair, which is a huge deal around here, is happening on the 30th of this month and I have wanted to go ever since the end of my first summer here. I'm so excited! And the best idea I've had in a while which we will be doing on Saturday: indoor rock climbing! We found a great place just north of here and we're going to have a blast! We've invited some friends who may go with us but either way we will have a great time. (Want to find an indoor climbing facility near you? Check out IndoorClimbing.com!)

The weather has been cooling down quite a lot so working outside (which we all pretty much have to do) is not so much fun anymore. But we do get some amazing sunsets and have fun watching various animals. We saw a garden snake slithering along the parking lot the other day and not so long before that we had seen a beaver in front of the cabin! It's really neat to be in a place with such cool animals.

Now on to the pictures!

This is the beginning of a sunset we saw while we were on a hill near where we are staying.

Monarch butterfly... my grandma grows them and I wish I could do that again with her.

The apple orchard! I loved this entire trip.

A section of the vineyard. I thought this was a beautiful picture to take. (My favorite grapes are the ones that are fat and round and dark purple with kind of slimy insides... tart and sweet! Yum!)

I thought this picture was hilarious. Let me describe this to you: this is an apple I found on the ground near the vineyard. There is an obvious tear where it is rotting out of the side of it. Now, this hornet you see is not stupid. It does not want the rotting flesh. It wants to make its own hole and dig inside this delicious apple and get as much of the fresh juice as possible. So this little guy was tail-deep in this apple just enjoying the fruit to the fullest. So funny!

This is our final harvest. It was just under $40 for a rather large half-bushel of organic apples and about a half peck of grapes. I think it was worth it. (By the way? Boggle? Not ours. It was left in the van we were using. Never really liked Boggle. I'm a Scrabble girl all the way.)

This was the sunset over the lake tonight. Definitely one of the prettiest I've seen... and I've been here for four summers!

So... the million dollar question everyone's been asking me: what am I going to do next? Well as of today the ball has been set in motion for my next adventure... working on an organic farm in Costa Rica! I sent out four mini messages today to see if any of those four farms would be willing to take me from January until May. I now can afford it officially plus on my birthday I realized I'm not going to ever get younger years back again, so I'm going to go for it. I'm very excited about it and my fiance has backed me 100%. (Japan is still on my list for 2014!) If you'd like to check out the WWOOF Costa Rica website to learn more, just click on the link!

And by the way... my best friend Justin said that he may have purchased me another Squishable... so I may have a Squishable Quintet soon! We'll have to see!

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll write again sometime after we go rock climbing! I'm so excited!

Arrival to Portland, ME, Brought to You by the Squishables Trio!

Julius - This trip was awful.

Yulysta - Julius, you're so negative.

J - Am not. It's the truth.

Peanut Butter - It may be the truth but you're still pretty negative.

J - Yeah well this time I'm right to be negative. And how come you guys aren't more upset? We were stuffed in a bag for over 30 hours.

PB - I'll admit, that was a little uncomfortable.

Y - To be fair, Holly had it worse than we did.

PB - Holly arrived at the Munich airport at about 8:30am local time. Her flight wasn't until 2:00pm or so, but had to be there early because her host father had a flight at 9:15am-ish and there was not other way Holly could have gotten to the airport with all of her bags without injuring herself.

Y - The first problem was she had to wait until about 11:00am or so to check in because the departure boards weren't even showing her the gate number she had to go to.

J - When Holly did check in, she noticed her bags were tagged to be sent to JFK airport. When Holly asked if the bags would make it all the way to Portland, the lady said yes and Holly didn't think any more about it.

PB - The first flight was about 3 1/2 hours long to Iceland. Smooth flight and Holly got some great pictures of Iceland during the decent. (Pictures below.)

Y - From there, Holly had only one hour to go through the passport checkpoint and get to her gate which was also the place she was told to pick up her ticket to get from Iceland to JFK.

PB - Holly made it, of course, but she was carrying two fairly heavy bags plus a pillow that had her special blanket and the book her host family gave her before she left. At the gate the lady gave her her seat number and she got on the plane nice and safe.

J - It was a long 5 1/2 hours to get to JFK. Once there Holly had her first experience through American customs. There was a really long line but it went faster than she had anticipated. This is where things got rocky. Holly's bags were not sent all the way through to Portland. Instead, she had to collect her bags from the baggage claim, then take all of the bags (which probably weighed the total amount that she weighs herself) to the JetBlue counter.

PB - Holly thought that because JetBlue has an agreement with IcelandAir her baggage would just be taken in free of charge. Instead, she had to pay for her second bag because there was apparently no record of her transferring from IcelandAir.

J - By the time she made it to her gate, she was totally exhausted and overheated from carrying all the luggage. Even worse, her plane to Portland was late but she still managed to get to arrive just about on time.

Y - Her fiance had to work therefore could not be there when she was picked up but she was still picked up on time by someone. She finally arrived at the resort at about 1:30am Wednesday.

PB - Due to time changes and travel time, Holly didn't sleep well the first night and someone actually had suggested she work that day! She didn't have to and she did manage to take Thursday off (which also happens to be her fiance's day off) so she got a little rest.

Y - Holly hit the ground running starting Friday though and has worked every day and evening since, except Thursday again where she managed to get out with her fiance. All of this is why she hasn't posted a blog entry until now.

PB - It was a relief for all of us when we finally made it here safe and sound... and out of the bag. Holly actually will type a little summary below.

Y - Although we all had a rough trip, we are very grateful to be here, even Julius.

J - Yeah, yeah.

PB - We even were brought along to babysit!

Y - That was fun!

PB - Anyway, we'll let Holly talk now. Bye!

***********

Hey everyone,

So it's been quite the week and a half over here. I have included some pictures and descriptions below but first some basics on where I am:

1) There is barely any cell service here. It's choppy at best.

2) Maine produces 99% of the nation's blueberries. There's nothing like picking them fresh from a field.

3) Internet is a little weak. Not so easy for me to get on all the time.

4) I work A LOT here. Mornings, evenings, and nights... evenings and nights only when babysitting.

5) Pine trees are everywhere. Living in a forest means high oxygen content, high oxygen content means sleepy. I am very sleepy all the time.

6) Where I work people sing a lot. It's actually kind of nice.

My day off is Thursday, which means that most of the fun stuff I'll do will be then. I went to the Maine Wildlife Park which is full of wildlife only from Maine, did a lot of shopping, went to toy stores, ate yummy organic food... it's been pretty nice. I am planning on going to see the performances they show this week. VERY EXCITED!

I didn't realize how picturesque Iceland is. I would really like to take a vacation there someday.

The rivers are also beautiful there. I'd really like to visit someday.

Turkey vulture! The best part about the Maine Wildlife Park is they only have animals that would not otherwise survive in the wild. I find that amazing.

This picture proves that frogs are not the only animals that hang out on lily pads. Turtles are fans too!

Black bears! Roar! They had a special dispenser for bear food so we got to throw food to them!

Wild blackberries here at the resort I work at. They're not quite ripe, a bit bitter, but they will be delicious in about 2 weeks or so!

Wild Maine blueberries! Their season for picking is about over; the low-bush variety is about finished for the season, but the high bush season still has a week or two. (The high-bush variety is sweeter and very tasty!)

This is Lake Kezar with the White Mountains in the background. I get to see this every day I maid.

We have an abundance of red squirrels and chipmunks here and I found this little guy in a blueberry bush snagging the ripest blueberries and stuffing them in his mouth. See his fat cheeks?

I happen to live in a forest at the moment. It's pretty crowded with pine trees.

When I clean guest cabins, sometimes they leave things behind for us (the chambermaids). This week I got a bottle of sparkling apple cider and these pretty sunflowers! (At least I think they're a variety of sunflowers... I'm not really sure.)

I think that's it for now. I'm going to try to post once a week. It'll be easier when August is over!

Talk to you soon!

Holly's Terrific Traveling Tips

Welcome all to Holly's final blog post during her 2012 Munich stay! Holly is presenting to you all today:

HOLLY'S TERRIFIC TRAVELING TIPS!

1) Bring your own food! Yes it's allowed! As long as it's not in liquid or paste form, bring whatever you'd like. Apples, bananas, energy bars, cookies, candy, pretzels... the possibilities are endless and the best part: you know what's in your food and you don't have to touch airline entrees!

2) Know how to kill boredom! Let's face it, bringing a book is fun and all, but it doesn't take away that feeling of being in an airport or airplane. Movies are good too if you have decent battery life on your computer or iPhone/iPod, but personally I suggest anything pencil and paper oriented. Crosswords, word searches, sudoku, nonograms, coloring books, anything that will stimulate your mind with more than just your eyes.

3) Sleep? What's that? Here's another thing that most people don't do: sleep enough. This is especially difficult before and during long flights. If you can't get enough sleep beforehand, and I know it is difficult, don't fortify yourself with coffee or sugar. Take little walks around the airport or airplane to get blood flowing or get yourself some whole nuts or dried fruits to snack on. Or, if you want to try to sleep, bring your own pillow! No one cares. I can't sleep on moving objects but it does help me to feel relaxed.

4) Carry-ons are great! Sure, they're a bit annoying sometimes, but think about it: feel like your checked-in bag is over the weight limit? Your carry-on bags have no weight restrictions (probably because no one wants to carry 50lbs. of stuff) so this means you can pack to your heart's content... as long as it all fits in the required size dimensions. Plus, you're only carrying it from place to place... the rest of the time it's on the ground or in the air.

5) Patience is more than a virtue. It's a way of life. It's the way to help the time pass smoothly. Anxiety can be a problem for some people, but stressing about something you can't control will only make things worse. Just take a deep breath and relax. Everything will be fine.

6) Airsickness can be avoided. If you're truly prone to it, take a Benadryl or Dramamine beforehand. Otherwise, just don't eat within two-three hours of take-off. And before that time, eat something with pro-biotics like yogurt and possibly pre-biotics like oatmeal. Avoid eating or drinking on the plane. Long flight? Desperate? Nibble, and I mean nibble, on crackers or pretzels (both contain baking soda which helps the tummy) and sip, yes I mean sip, water.

7) Stretch! Even if you want to stay seated, just push your legs out a bit and stretch your arms. It will prevent you from knotting up.

That's all I've got for today! I have to leave around 6:30am tomorrow morning, a change in my schedule because of when my host father leaves to go to the airport. It's almost 11:30pm here and I have to get up at 4:30am or so! I have to get some rest!

The Squishables Trio will relay travel information when we return home!

My List is Now Complete... With a Visit to Lake Starnberg

Hello!

As all of you had known, I had one final thing on my list to do before I felt as though my visit to Munich was complete. And that was to visit Starnberger See, or Lake Starnberg in English. The lake has a lot of rich history stemming way back to King Ludwig II who died in this lake and it's also worth mentioning that I believe he died during the construction of the castle in Neuschwanstein.

Anyhow, I loved my visit there although the weather wasn't exactly perfect and I didn't stay very long. I took a few pictures and I walked around quite a bit. It was a nice enough day to go for a nice walk along the water and there were several people swimming but with the amount of dark clouds swooping in I decided to head out after an hour and a half or so. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

I could have taken a tour on this boat but I wasn't sure if I felt up to being at sea today. This was also the first thing I really saw when I got off the train.

This building holds some kind of historical significance though I'm not entirely sure what. I liked it though!

I always think it's funny when I see the German (left) and the Bavarian (right) flags flying instead of the U.S. flag and the respective state flag.

I thought it was kind of cool that I saw this military vehicle during my walk around Starnberg.

Here is the actual lake. This is probably the best picture I got. It is a very nice lake.

There was this little statue of abstract-type art in the water. There was a little sign with the history of the monument but I didn't take a picture of it.

I also did my other final two minor things, one was to purchase a bag of tea, and the other was to eat one small bowl of organic ice cream... which was delicious but some may argue that the "sorbet" I had was technically not "ice cream." I didn't take a picture of the ice cream, but I had mango on one side and strawberry on the other with a waffle circle on top! Very pleased with myself.


I also finished packing today. I thought it would take me much longer than it actually had which is why I started and inevitably finished today. However it does free up my schedule a bit for tomorrow and Monday so that's one less thing to worry about. Plus I am allowed to have two checked bags which takes a load off my mind. That's right... tomorrow and Monday. That's it before I leave. I'm still in denial. I love Munich so much and I do hope to come back someday... but I know it's time for me to go.

Despite my sadness, which is pretty sizable and comes and goes in waves, I will post at least one more blog entry (my Holly's secrets to making flying fun) and I believe the Squishables would like to report on the homecoming experience. But until then...

... have fun!

The Countdown Continues... Six Days Remain

Hi Everyone,

I made a vow to myself to do something unique or otherwise special every day while I'm still here. This means things that I cannot do elsewhere for the most part. For me, this largely involves food but does include other things.

For one thing, I saw another Marlboro advertisement. Disappointingly, it has the typical Marlboro slogan on it but with a new picture. I've decided to share it just because I've been such a longtime fan. (I'm still hoping for one more new one before I fly away on Tuesday!)

Don't Be A Maybe. Be Marlboro. Become a Rockstar. Be Marlboro.

I have really loved the Tollwood Festival. It ended yesterday (tear) and I did make a point to stop by not only last night but also on Saturday. I want to start by saying that there is just SO much to do there. Natural and handmade clothing, authentic ethnic organic foods, music, jewelry (natural and handmade again), and so much more. Best of all for me was the food, of course. It's very difficult for me to find food I can eat, so when I find it, organic and regional no less, I really take advantage. Many of you recall me having Turkish and Indian food, but I am now adding Middle-Eastern, African, and Thai. Traditionally made and all fabulous, I have shared pictures of the edible delights below.

Falafel wrap. Traditional of the Middle-East. Hummus, lettuce, two tomato slices, three "patties" of falafel, and sesame sauce on top. Yum.

African open-fire (I watched this) roasted pork. With some kind surprisingly non-spicy sauce on top and a dash of what I think was cayenne or something similar.

Thai vegetarrian dish. I believe it was called pag pak or something along those lines. It was essentially cabbage, carrots, maybe some spring onions, made with a very light sauce and served over rice. Of course I added a touch of sweet and sour sauce and some spicy sauce too. I love Thai food. Probably my favorite ethnic food with Mexican and Indian tied as very close seconds.

Continuing on with food, I have discovered the deliciousness of a new food: dragon-fruit. I will say this about dragon-fruit, it was not at all what I was expecting. I looked up the best way to cut it (thanks About.com) and then I proceeded to cut and taste. The first surprise was that a pinkish-red fruit was white inside with black seeds! The second surprise was somewhat more intense for me. I was really expecting a tropical flavor since it has roots in Thailand and the like, but it honestly tastes a lot like a sweet pear... only softer somehow. Pears often have that very slight tang to them. This had no tang whatsoever. I liked it but it was on the expensive side (6,99 Euros for one... yes I know that's a lot of money) so I may not have it again in its raw form. I have included some pictures just for fun.

A perfect specimen.

Cut it open... and look! White! I guess that some dragon-fruits are red inside but I haven't seen any obviously.

Scoop out the guts and you have a perfect medium for cutting. It's such a soft fruit. Very tasty, just subtle.

As of today I have six days left, but considering I plan to go to bed earlier than normal I'm really saying about five. What are my plans?

For starters, I have already planned out my meals for the last days. Breakfasts will consist of muesli, either crunchy (like granola) or non-crunchy (like cold oatmeal/cereal, it's delicious this way) with a non-dairy milk, lunch will have the traditional yogurt and fruit - peaches in this case (with the exception of Saturday... I have plans for Saturday's lunch) and dinners will consist of finishing my lasagna and also using up the rest of my barley which I plan to make with a vegetable medley. I leave the house around 11:00am local time, so before I leave I plan to pick up my last Bavarian organic pretzel before I head to the airport. More packing and airplane fun Holly factoids in a later blog post.

As far as plans go, I have one final, final thing I want to do and I plan to do this on Saturday. I do have my special Holly lunch/treat on Saturday as well, and I also will be picking up a special bag of tea to take back with me to the States (black currant... my fiance's favorite fruit flavor... say that five times fast). I also have the boring things to do, like closing my German bank account and doing my own recycling. I'll keep everyone posted. Other than that it's packing, packing, packing for the most part.

I plan to do at least two more blog posts before I head out of Munich. One will be on my weekend and status updates and one will be my Holly's Fun Flying Factoids (the letter of the day today is 'F,' but only good words please). The latter will be my last blog post while I'm here in Munich... this time around anyhow. I'm denying my sadness.

I hope everyone things of something to be happy about today.

Schönen abend!