Recent Happenings

Oy, I have fallen very behind in this blog challenge, and quite frankly, I don't know if I have it in me to finish the last few topics.  I feel like I've been writing about a lot of the same things over and over, so today I will just update everyone on the happenings in my wonderful life.

Spring term ended on a better note than I was anticipating.  General Chemistry at a University is not my cup of tea.  I had to take the last term in a three term sequence here at OSU after having taken the other two at a community college, which was so much easier and I got such better grades there.  Luckily, OSU's chem department curves their grades!  It didn't effect my GPA too much, especially since I got an A in my psychology class and in case you didn't know, I have added a second major.  I will now be getting my BS in Dietetics AND Psychology.  I've toyed with many ideas as far as grad school in the future.  My most recent idea is that I complete my dietetics internship while completing my grad degree in health psychology.  I would then have my masters in health psychology and be a registered dietitian, woot woot!

So, since Spring term has ended I have moved into a new apartment (which I love, by the way) and read 2 3/4 books by Silas House (I have about 40 pages of the third to finish!).  I LOVE these books (The Coal Tattoo, Parchment of Leaves, and Clay's Quilt) and am really sad that they are the only three of his at our public library. 

Last week I started summer session.  I am taking two terms of Organic Chemistry, which is normally a total of 20 weeks, in 8 weeks.  I had my first exam today (and have 5 more in the next 6 weeks) which went ok, but I'd like to do better. It's those darn enantiomers and diastereomers that have me all confused!  It'll sink in eventually, I have my handy dandy molecular model kit to help me get them straight.

So, my old roommate, James, got a bike at this auction at the end of Spring term and is letting me use it this summer since he's in Costa Rica.  I LOVE having a bike.  First off, I live about 1.25 miles from campus and while that is an easy walk, it is not very convenient if you are running late, so I get there in like 4-5 minutes on my bike.  Second, I do not have to drive AROUND campus like you do with a car.  So, it takes me 6 minutes to get to the gym rather than 10.  Third, I hate driving now.  I find it annoying and a waste of my money.  I would so much rather ride my bike everywhere and I do as often as possible. The only thing is I'm dreading when fall comes and the rain starts again.  It rains nearly every day from like October through May and sometimes into June over here, boo.  I will have to get some good rain gear.  I learned a lesson on my bike today, watch out for car doors.  This guy was parked right around the corner where I live, so when I turned said corner I could see his door was cracked, but I didn't know if he was opening or closing it.  Well as soon as I was next to him I found out.  Luckily, only my foot hit the door, which only tore off a minor piece of toenail and has left me with a purple bruise on my big toe.  The guy felt terrible and at least wasn't one of those jerks who blames everything on cyclists.

I'm still working on the gardening research project.  I've recently started analyzing diet and physical activity records.  I am also still doing the cooking for the project.  We just had a meeting this past Saturday and we were able to have lunch out at the picnic tables in the middle of the garden; it was a gorgeous day and we made a giant salad from our produce.  We're harvesting a TON of produce.  My roommate (who is one of the garden coordinators on the project) and I have been eating VERY healthy lately (minus the baked goods).  I go a few times a week and get lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, peas, red and green broccoli, beets, onions, and the potatoes should be ready in a few days.  My sister and brother in law came to visit yesterday and we went to the garden and had some raspberries and I had eaten our one and only full size, ripe strawberry.  Tom, my tomato plant who lives on my patio, has been growing like an inch a day, it's time for me to get a cage for him since he has the potential to grow 5-6 feet tall!  I also need a bigger planter for his roots to grow.

Tomato cages. (Tom is way bigger than these guys right now).

Me harvesting some lettuce.

Note to all: don't plant an entire bed of radishes all at once; plant one row per week so you don't end up with 100 radishes ready to harvest at the same time.  We donated them to the Latino gardeners next door :o)

Pretty good view of the lower half of the garden.  I have more pictures at home that are more recent because everything is much larger and greener these days than in these pictures.

Well that about wraps up this edition of Rebecca's Life.  Time to go aloe my awesome sunburn that itches like crazy, eat some ice cream, and watch Breaking Bad because we get free On Demand and I have an entire season to catch up on before the new one starts!

Day 26: Something that is Important to Me

Day 25: My Day

Day 24: A Picture of Something You'd Like to Change

Day 23: A Picture of Your Favorite Book

So, when I think about the book I would read over again, I think I would chose Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.  Her books are fictional, but based on real life occurrences.  This one is about a boy who is bullied and is then the gunman of a school shooting.  I feel like she does an excellent job of capturing both sides of a bullying situation.  I've witnessed kids getting picked on in school growing up and always worried what the long term consequences could be.  I think it is terribly unfortunate that people don't realize the psychological effect their words and actions have on people.  This is one of the top reasons I would never want to relive high school.  I myself was ostracized from the group of people I considered my friends starting in 6th grade and into 7th grade.  It was a terrible feeling thinking I was alone.  I rather awkwardly made my way through junior high; high school was a tad better, but not by a lot until junior/senior year.  I think this is why I appreciate and respect the wonderful friends in my life now and why I don't like to bother with a superficial friendship.  Life is short and I want to spend it with awesome people who think I'm awesome too.

You can all go ahead and call me a nerd now.  Since school currently is my life, these two books need some mentioning.  I love them so much I did indeed keep them.  Good thing too because I found my lost sock while digging my A&P book out from under my bed!  Very exciting since it is from my favorite pair of socks to wear around my apartment :o)  So, I have this extreme fascination with the human body.  It may be one of the coolest things I've ever studied.  And if you've been reading my blog from the beginning you know that nutrition is the other coolest thing I've studied.  So the BEST part is learning the connection between the two.  The human body heals itself, but what you eat has a huge effect on that.  The human body can create another human being (Hello! AMAZING!), but what you eat effects the development of that being.  The human body has all these ways of communicating within itself like neurotransmitters and hormones, but what you eat effects the production and release of those communicators.  The human body generates it's own energy, but what you eat effects the amount of energy and how it is used. (A bit of a side note: your metabolic cycles cannot function without carbohydrates, which is why I hate hearing people say carbs are bad.  You just need to chose the right ones and the appropriate amounts). I could go on and on because I am absolutely enthralled with these two topics and am so anxious and excited to continue learning about it and then have the opportunity to share that knowledge with people for the rest of my life!

And now for a picture from my day....

Remember those awesome people I mentioned in the first paragraph?  Well, these two belong in that category.  Dr. Leslie Richards (middle) is the amazing woman directing the research project I talk about so much.  She is such a generous, determined, understanding, enthusiastic person and it has been a great pleasure to be a part of this project.  It has brought so many opportunities and life experiences that I will carry with me forever.  I've also met some other awesome people working on this project like my new roomie come summer, Nadege Dubuisson.  And the lovely lady at the right of the picture, Jillian Grant, who has been an awesome friend and is always an enthusiastic and supportive person.  So, the picture is from the Celebration of Excellence that occurred on campus today to represent outstanding undergrad and grad students who received fellowships, scholarships, and research awards for 2010-2011 and also the 2011-2012 school year.  We had a chance to hear from the Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, the President of OSU, the Executive Associate Dean, the Associate Dean, along with some student reps and several other faculty members.  We were also surrounded by many of the donors who made it possible for all of us to receive our awards.  OSU has received a total of $850 million in fundraising and $113 million of that went to the College of Health and Human Sciences.  Unbelievable!  I hope you all have enjoyed the weekend!

Day 22: A Picture of Something You Wish You Were Better At

I've always wished I was more coordinated at playing sports.  However, it's just not my thing.  Maybe if I had like a personal trainer to teach me everything they know and to work me to the bone, then I could possibly be awesome at sports.  My hand/eye coordination is not the best; I even have a hard time determining when to release while throwing a Frisbee.  Not good.

If I were an awesome athlete I think I would chose to be a soccer player; my mom always told me I was a kicker in the womb.  Just kidding.  But, I really like to run (in this dream of amazing athleticism I would also get rid of my knee and hip problems) and wish I could do all the fancy foot moves and bump the ball with my head.  It just looks cool ;o)

Check me out in my alternate life!

Since I don't think I will become this sports pro any time soon, I just wish I was better at pushing myself at the gym.  Like many people, I would like to lose about 10 lbs.  And like a lot of those people, I've been working at it for a long time and I seem to fluctuate from being about 8lbs lighter for part of the year to slowly gaining it all back; and the cycle continues.  My biggest problem area is my core; and my least favorite type of workout is core work.  You can see where this could be a problem.  However, I may have found that motivation FINALLY!  For the past year, I've been feeling a bit emotional and down.  I thought I had gotten over it last fall, only for it to return again.  BUT, I had such an awesome, hard workout yesterday that my body was flooded with endorphins and for once I finally felt like my old self again!  It had been a long time since I truly felt that good and I think it will be my motivation to keep on pushing myself as hard as I did yesterday.  I've always felt good after a workout, but now I've broke that threshold from just feeling good to having a literal endorphin high; a better high than any pill could give me :o)

Hopefully I can get myself to do this kind of thing soon!

So, it's the weekend again.  And today is the first day in a long time where I didn't have to wake up and do something or go somewhere right away.  It's nice, but I also just don't know what to do with myself!  I would love to go to the gym, but my body feels like it needs a rest day...maybe.  Maybe I'll feel more motivated once the sun comes out like the forecast said it would.  Happy Weekend!

Make Up Day!

So, if you've been following along you may remember there was a day that I was supposed to post a picture and a letter, but I said the topic needed to wait.  Well, that's because I was going to write a little note to my future niece/nephew that no one knew about until recently. So here it goes....

Dear Baby Karr,

This will be my first time being an auntie, but don't worry, I am fully prepared to spoil you like crazy!  I am also fully prepared to teach you to root for the Packers, Badgers, and even though this may be a rough 2011 season I will still teach you to root for the Beavs (except when they play the Badgers, you always root for the Badgers over all other college teams!).  I'm also taking  up a new pass time to make you a little something for when you are born.  Hopefully I can make your great-grandma Schindler proud (I may need to cross my fingers through the entire process!). I will also be the cool auntie who teaches you how to cook tasty treats and about nature and how to make mud pies in the summer and let them bake in the sun (your grandma taught me how to make those!).  But don't worry, I know how to make real food too.  Especially sweets!  If you're lucky you'll inherit your mom's sweet tooth and your dad's liking of fitness and his metabolism so you can work off all the yummy cookies and cupcakes I make you :o)  I'm not going to lie, you're pretty lucky to have me for an aunt.  But, I think I'll be even more lucky and happy to have you as a niece or nephew.  See you in 7-ish months!

Love,

Auntie Rebecca

Day 21: A Picture of Something You Wish You Could Forget

To be honest, there are a few situations from my freshman year of college I wish I could forget.  I'll also be honest in saying my freshman year of college was a big 'ol crapshoot.  I got way too involved in the social scene of college life and my school work got pushed to the side.  When I look back on that year, I say to myself, "who was that person?"  I am generally a far more responsible person than I was at any instance that year.

However, as much as I regret a lot of my decisions from that year, if things hadn't happened as they had, I would not be here in Oregon enjoying life as much as I am.  Sure, I would probably have my bachelors degree finished and likely almost done with my master's, but I think I'm much more happy with the way things are now.  When I hear people talk about their college experience, I can tell that some of them didn't really get much out of it except a degree.  They didn't get involved in clubs or volunteer, or get really great life experiences out of it; and you can usually tell that they just wanted to get through it and be done without enjoying any of the extras.  Well I feel like if I had made better choices and stayed at UWSP I would have had an experience like that.  At OSU, I feel like I'm getting the opposite.  I absolutely love it here and feel this was definitely the right school for me; I'm involved in clubs and get volunteer work in, plus I'm working on an awesome research project with an awesome group of people and getting some great life experience from it.

So, all in all, there were many downsides to that year, but I'm glad they happened and lead me to where I am today :o)

I don't have any pictures to really represent this, so here's one from my weekend which I will talk a bit about.

Me, Grandpa, and Buster

After a very stressful couple of weeks, I found out last Tuesday that I was going to fly back home for the weekend :o)  I had an awesome time!  I had Easter at Grandma Rau's on Saturday filled with lots of great food and tons of laughs.  I even had an egg to search for filled with candy :o)  I got to see one of my favorite people in the whole world, Maggie :o)  Then, I went on a bike ride Sunday morning in lieu of church.  I feel much more connected when I'm outdoors with just my thoughts.  Then it was off to Aunt Jayne's for even more food and laughs.  I saw some family I hadn't seen in a while.  Someone counted and said we were only missing 13 of the 83 Schindlers, pretty good turnout!  The next couple days were spent with my family, grandparents, and Maggie.  I also went to check out my mom's new calf barn.  It's all computerized and keeps track of how often and how much milk each calf is eating.  And when a calf that already drank it's daily limit tries to eat more, it doesn't dispense.  There are four pens where the calves get to run around and they have balls to play with and when it's time to eat, they all line up until it's their turn at the feeder!  I got to fly back to Oregon with my sister, which made the fact that our flight was delayed almost two hours a bit more bearable.  I spent all day Wednesday catching up on Chemistry and today I will be making up my Biopsych exam, so it's a pretty easy catch up :o)  My only complaint is that this is the third day in a row that I've been wide awake before 6am, jet lag!  BUT, it's the weekend again and next weeks weather is looking pretty promising; lots of sunshine and almost 70 degrees with only a couple days of rain :o)

So, I think you can tell by the amount of smiley faces in that paragraph that I had a great time! :o)  Happy Weekend!

Day20: A Picture of Somewhere You'd Love to Travel

Ok, so I've always wanted to go to Greece.  And then I was dating a guy who has family in Greece...and then I broke up with that guy....so now my desire to go to Greece is tainted with memories including him.  Basically, I still really want to go to Greece, but not until my hands are washed clean of said person.

There are so many other places I'd like to go.  Pretty much anywhere in Europe would be awesome.  The romantic in me would love to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower.  I also wouldn't mind visiting India sometime. I've been thinking of doing an abroad internship next summer (2012) if I have time for it and think India would be cool.  Plus my friend Alka who is from India has been encouraging me to go.  Besides, it would be cool to see first hand where she comes from and she says her family would help me out whenever I needed it.  (Side note: Alka has been in India since January and I really miss her; cannot wait until June!).

Presently, I would love to go to the Oregon Coast.  I'm itching for some sunshine and a Tillimook ice cream cone.  While the ice cream is ready and waiting, the sunshine is taking it's sweet time showing up.  I love the Oregon coast.  I love it way more than SoCal.  Oregon's coast just has so much more than just sand and ocean. It has rocks and trees and other stuff; just check out the pictures and tell me that's not beautiful!

I also really want to go hike around Crater Lake sometime before I leave Oregon.

I feel like I had a rather productive Friday.  Got a few tasks around the apartment done before my meeting this morning.  Attended said meeting.  Had a great workout at the gym.  Chemistry was interesting; we had a guest lecturer who was talking way above our heads.  I then realized I forgot all about my online lab homework that I then found out was due by 5pm today and I didn't get out of class till 4.  BUT I still got it done with 13 minutes to spare!  AND I got my diet analysis for SDA done and started on the poster for the Hoo-Ha.  Vacuumed my car, got gas, got a few groceries, painted Megan's nails, and currently baking cookies for our all day gardening event tomorrow. We're hitting up opening day of the Farmer's Market (woot!) and then having American Dream pizza while we hear from some local organic gardening experts; should be fun :o) Happy weekend!

Hump Day

So, my next blog is supposed to be a picture and a letter.  Since I am stumped on what the heck I'm going to write about, I'll just fill you in on my day (exciting, I'm sure!).  Actually, I have an idea of what I'm going to write about, but it needs to wait.

Well my day started bright and early at 6:30am with my usual oatmeal cooked with egg whites, topped with honey, almonds, and fruit. I always thought people were crazy for eating the same thing every day, but I honestly eat this for breakfast every day unless I'm in a hurry or lazy and just put fruit on cold cereal.  Work in the history department was as lively as you all can imagine a history office to be.  The most exciting thing I did was go tell a class their 8am class was cancelled, which didn't happen until 8:20.  Shockingly there were like 20 students still there.  Fifteen minutes people.  If you're prof isn't there, LEAVE.   But, I do like my job.  I turn on Pandora, do my homework, and get paid for it :o)

Chemistry recitation was a very minor step up in excitement from the history office, but we got out early (yay!).  Then I hit the gym for a killer workout, I can tell my legs will be sore tomorrow!  Had a nice bean salad for lunch that I made last night.  It's quite tasty and has tomatoes, artichokes, onion, celery, black bean, garbanzo beans, chicken breast, and parsley in it with a homemade dressing.  Very healthy.  I'm ruining my healthy streak today with cupcakes now.  They're white cake with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting.  My excuse is that I'm taking some to my friend who just had her baby and my roommate is taking some to the people she babysits for.  The fact that I'm getting rid of a lot of them still doesn't negate the number of cupcakes I just ate in the last hour or so.  A number I'm not even going to admit to.... :~$

After the gym I had chemistry lecture, came home and read some psychology and took a nap in the sun for the 30 min it was out.  As you can see I lead an exciting life on a daily basis :o)  Next weekend will be much better.  Friday is the Hoo-Ha, Saturday we plan the rest of the garden, and then I head to Portland to visit my sister for her birthday and some Schindler homemade chocolate cake! I don't have pictures from today, but yesterday I took new pics of the garden, so I'll share those!

This is our entire, 10,000 sq. ft. garden.  I'm standing at the NE corner.

These four patches are planted with a variety of onions.

Peas!

Strawberry plant

New leaves growing on the raspberry canes!

Day 18: A Picture of Your Biggest Insecurity

Hmmm..well I can tell you a couple things I used to be insecure about, but I find that they don't bother me so much anymore. 

I used to hate that I have big hands and feet.  When I was in Junior High/HS I thought women were supposed to have petite little hands and feet.  I actually used to try to buy a size 9 shoe whenever possible even if they were slightly uncomfortable because a 10 was just way too big to admit to.  I don't care anymore though, I embrace my giant Schindler feet ;o)  Plus, then fewer people can ask to borrow my heels (I'm a bit protective of my shoes!).

I also really don't like that I have a bit of a hunch in my upper back.  That's one I still don't like, but I don't worry about as much anymore because it's never going away so no sense in letting it bother me.  I do remember being in High School and almost never wearing my hair in a ponytail to try covering it.  And I do remember the boy I had a monster crush on in HS telling someone he'd never date me because I have a "hunch back."  Meanest and most shallow thing I think anyone has ever said about me, but I don't waste my time on people like that anymore!  I actually kind of chuckle about it now because it is such a petty thing to judge someone on.

It is now day two of me thinking about this blog, but I woke up this morning and realized something I tend to worry about a lot.  I tend to worry that something I say or do is misinterpreted by the person(s) it was directed at.  Sometimes I worry about it for a long time and eventually push it further back in my memory.  Other times, I confront the person about it and I was usually worrying for no reason.  So, this leads me to believe I should either remind myself in this situation that I'm worrying for no reason, or confront the person about it so there is no misunderstanding.  I think I worry about this most when I feel the person will interpret it as me being rude, conceited, or insensitive.


I don't really have a picture of my insecurity, so here is my new haircut!



And here is my giant size 10 foot :o)

Day 17: A Picture of Something that has Recently had a Huge Impact on Your Life

The MU Quad in the fall; campus is B-E-A-UTIFUL in the fall!

I would have to say that transferring to OSU last fall has had a huge impact on my life.  I haven't finished my first year here and I've already done so much networking and made connections with some great people whom I know will be good resources throughout my college career!  When I first started the pre-dietetics program I learned that the hardest/most competitive part is getting into an internship.  A GPA of 3.7 or higher is recommended and they also look at your volunteer work and other extra curriculars; they want people who are passionate about what they're doing and get as involved as possible.  I didn't have a quantitative amount to work with; I didn't know how much extra curricular activity I should participate in, so I just wanted to do it all.  Plus I didn't know where to go for this kind of opportunity and connection; I was panicking a little!  But, I was encouraged to join the Student Dietetics Association (SDA) on campus and they are always involved in a lot of activities happening on campus.  March was National Nutrition Month so for the first four days of the month we put on a huge tent event in the MU Quad.  In a few weeks we're partnering with the Organic Growers Club for their Hoo-Ha event; I think the name can tell you it's going to be a great time!  It's circus themed so there are all different performers and rides and games and food and FUN!  I'm also joining a committee for a project called "Take Back the Tap." It's purpose is to get information out to the campus population about the importance of water and using reusable water containers, etc.

I was also informed about the Undergraduate Research Award Program (URAP) on campus awarded by the College of Health and Human Sciences.  There are several research programs being facilitated by campus faculty who are looking for undergraduate apprentices and researchers; so, I applied for the "Producing for the Future" project and was accepted!  This is the gardening project I've been working on recently.  By the way, our garden is looking pretty killer right now.  The only things planted are peas, raspberries and strawberries, and today they're planting onions.  However, this garden is friggen huge!  Like 10,000 sq. ft. and we have this cool irrigation system running through it and straw paths and it just looks like it will be this big, bountiful production this summer. Unfortunately I don't have a recent picture, but trust me, it's cool.



This is only about a quarter of the garden!

 I also took an Extension class last term which got us involved in the different resources provided by Extension.  The class required us to do some assisting on projects being done by Extension which helped me form new connections.  While at the project I assisted with (which was an Iron Chef competition at the Boys & Girls Club with kids and their families, too cute!) I was working with the new SDA president so she and I got to chat about the dietetics program and the future of SDA .  Then, we were approached by the Extension food & nutrition agent who asked if SDA would be interested in assisting her with a project called Teen Maze where tons of kids are bused in from area schools and learn about healthy lifestyle choices.

So, it's only my first year here and look at the connections I've made!  I'll have an amazing networking system by the end of my fourth year :o)  Happy weekend!

Day 16: A Picture of Someone Who Inspires You

I find that I am inspired quite easily and by the littlest things.  Seeing others perform acts of kindness is a big one, or people overcoming huge obstacles.  I guess right now I've been thinking more about the latter of the two.

As many of you probably know, my cousin Louie is in an intensive rehab clinic after sustaining a severe head trauma. It's more unfortunate than I can put into words that this happened to him, but we can't turn back time and I am so proud of him for fighting so hard and all the people who are supporting him.  Hearing his progress has made my heart so happy, ever since the day they woke him from coma.  When my family posts on Facebook or calls to tell me how their visit with him went I get so inspired because he is fighting a harder fight than I've encountered in my life and he's totally kicking ass at it!  The last update I heard was on Facebook from his dad that Louie was able to put a sentence together, Woot!  I am also inspired by the people who came together for his benefit last weekend to help raise money for his recovery.  I was told there was an estimated 400-500 people at least!  It makes me so happy to know that so many people care about him; I know that kind of energy from a group of people that large has to send some good healing vibes his way!  I suppose this little blurb really talks about both things that inspire me; acts of kindness, and overcoming obstacles.  The kind of people who come together like this for the love of one person totally rock in my book! And so does the person who everyone cares so much about....so here's to Louie, I see why your friends call you "The Man."

As for today, I am getting really sick of the weather teasing us.  It was 70 degrees last Friday and now we're back in the low 50's.  Really, I just want more sunshine (which we're supposedly getting tomorrow, then more rain) even if it's going to be cold.  I bought new spring/summer flats and capris that are calling my name.  Today has also been an up & down day.  Work was fine and class was fine until 20 min. into my 2 hour lecture when my stomach decided it did not like the turkey sandwich and yogurt I just ate and started twisting.  It felt like my intestines were going to rupture and I was afraid I may start crying or throw up.  I tried deep breathing which didn't do much but minutely distract me from the pain.  It went away once I got home and layed down.  Then I hit the garden for some heavy labor and an awesome work out; I will have a body of steal if I keep this up!  Probably not if I keep following it up with pizza like I did tonight, but I was a starvin' Marvin and starvin' Marvins don't like to cook, they just want to eat :o)  Happy (almost) Friday!

Day 15: A Picture of Something You'd Like to Do Before You Die

Oh boy, I know I'd like to travel outside the United States, but that will likely happen when I'm much older.  A part of me would also love to study other cultures' nutrition and traditions relating to food hands on.  My career goals tend to change a little every now and then.  First I wanted to focus on fitness nutrition.  Currently I want to specialize in diabetes care and it's relationship with obesity.  I'd also love to help promote gardening in private and public schools.  I'm currently working on a gardening project with young adults and think it's an important tool to teach kids and teenagers so they can start making healthy decisions on their own and possibly influence what their family eats at home.  For a while I've thought research didn't sound like my cup of tea, but now I think after I get several years of experience under my belt and hopefully have a family started research would be cool.  I also wouldn't mind teaching in my later years; maybe after researching.  And then there's that book I kind of want to write...And all those insurance companies that need to be convinced to add RD's to their list of health care professionals they will cover.  I've got a busy life ahead of me! Because I think nutrition is so awesome and cool, I am really excited to devote many of my years to it fully.  I find it exciting, invigorating, and refreshing; all the things I'd want in a career!  So now a picture to represent all of this...

A garden I might help implement at a school

Low GI foods for diabetics

Yay! We're low GI foods!  We're so tasty :o)

Some kids I might work with in another country

This is me doing research...probably not as a blonde, though.

Kids I might teach one day!

And of course that family I said I wanted...notice I also plan to lose weight before I die ;o)

Well, it's Monday and I have a surprisingly high level of energy right now.  I guess the weekend went by so fast I didn't have time to fall out of my usual groove!  I got a couple hours of work done, no gym today because that hike yesterday irritated my Baker's Cyst in my knee.  All that's left to do is study chemistry before lecture later today and get some food cuz I'm Starvin' Marvin'!  Happy Monday :o)

Day 14: A Picture of Someone You Could Not Imagine Your Life Without

Not only are my parents genetically responsible for creating me, but they're also partly responsible for shaping me into who I've become.  Now that I am at a mature age, I can honestly say my parents are pretty much always right.  I think back to some of the arguments I remember having with them when I was an unruly teenager and realize they were right all along!  One argument I remember quite vividly was my dad telling me I didn't have my priorities straight and telling me what they should be.  Well, guess what?  My priorities have changed and they're pretty much exactly what he said they should be!

My parents are very kind and generous people, a few traits I know I've picked up by their example.  I remember my mom always cooking for a family who was going through a hard time.  Either they'd lost a family member, someone was having a medical procedure done, or anything else that can be a hardship for a family.  I mentioned this idea to my boss once when a coworker of mine was being hospitalized and had a family at home.  My boss didn't really seem to think it was necessary.  I was a little surprised at first, but simply explained it's "what we do" where I'm from.  My parents have also been generous in donating to "good causes" that come their way.  They always support any high school student selling things or donate to foundations such as Parkinson's.

I've also had the pleasure of watching them run the farm together and how they treat their employees.  Neither of them sits on a high horse; their employees are treated with respect and honesty.  I've been told by several of my ex coworkers that I always seem calm even when I've got a million things happening; or I've actually had a resident say having me at work is "like a breath of fresh air."  I think I get this part of my character from my dad.  I've learned from him that it doesn't do any good to get worked up especially if there's a job to be done.  Just stay calm, keep pushing, and eventually everything will get done.

I also owe my parents a TON of gratitude for helping me out when I moved to Oregon.  The move would not have been successful without their help and I am absolutely loving it out here (but for those wondering, no, I do not plan on living here forever!).  I love being at OSU and have had so many great opportunities presented to me, I couldn't ask for a better college experience right now!  I've gotten used to the small town vibe again, the campus is beautiful, and I've really been getting everything I ever wanted from a college experience and I owe a big thanks to my parents for all of it; I wouldn't be here without them!

Today I ventured out for my first hike since moving down here.  I decided to play it safe and go with the hike with the lowest climb height of 800 feet and boy am I glad I did!  I thought my lungs were going to explode after the first 10 minutes of steep climb, but only about the first third was steep, the rest was downhill :o)  Although I did almost get lost due to poor directions from the internet, but luckily I only went a quarter mile in the wrong direction.  I've also made the final decision that I am going to chop my giant poof of hair off so it's just touching my shoulders. Very excited for this; I've gotten sick of feeling like I have a blanket over my neck, it's just SO hot!

Day 13: A Picture of Your Favorite Band or Artist

Ow Ow, look at those studs!  So, it's really hard for me to chose one favorite artist.  Some people like an artist and like every song they ever wrote.  However, I mostly like a whole lot of songs from different artists with different genres.  Except these guys.  I never get tired of CCR's music.  It's actually what I call my "kitchen music." I put their Greatest Hits album on repeat whenever I'm doing a lot of cooking or baking in the kitchen.

So that's that for my favorite band.  Today has been a decent Saturday, I just feel like it's going by really fast.  Started out volunteering at a Diabetes Symposium, did some shopping at Kohl's and Target with Megan, took a snooze, and I'll be on my way to the gym shortly.  Then it's study time!

Day 12: A Picture of Something You Love

Look at all that beautiful deliciousness! As I mentioned in my "about me" blog (blog #1), I LOVE LOVE LOVE produce.  I love everything about it; I love the bright colors, the texture, flavors, pairing different flavors, and especially the wonderful nutrients that come from it!  Before I even started taking any nutrition courses, I used to look up the nutritional value of the foods I was eating; if it wasn't delivering substantial nutrients or health benefits, I considered it wasted calories (aside from my monstrous sweet tooth cravings which seem impossible for me to get rid of).  Nutrient dense foods are those that deliver the most nutrients per amount of calories.  For instance, a baked potato vs. potato chips.  Per amount of calories, which do you think is more nutritious?  (I find black beans, corn, and salsa to be tasty baked tater toppers!). 

FOOD IS MEDICINE.  The very things that keep us healthy and allow us to age healthfully come from food.  Some think their cholesterol medication is keeping them healthy; however, if you eat a balanced, varied, moderate, and adequate diet you most likely wouldn't need cholesterol medication, fiber supplements, multi vitamins, or any other supplements for the most part.  Your blood pressure would be well controlled along with your blood sugar. The number one cause of death is heart disease and even though I am not yet a professional, I can tell you that many cases of heart disease are related to poor diet habits. Cancer is the number two cause of death in the U.S; did you know that approximately 35% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. may be related to poor diet?


Cooking for a garden meeting :o)

As much as I love produce, I also love cooking!  In this picture I am making a roasted vegetable soup.  It was really delicious and got some really good feedback from the group.  The next purchase I make for my apartment will definitely be a fully loaded spice rack.  My favorite Disney movie is Ratatouille because I feel like I can relate to 'little chef.' I like to smell all the different herbs before adding them to my dish and really appreciate and understand the importance of every ingredient I add.  I would love to go to culinary school or some shorter version of it, if one exists :o)  That's it for now; happy eating!

Day 11: A Picture of Something You Hate

So, I thought real hard for a couple days about this one; which is why it is late to be posted.  I really don't like to use the word 'hate.' I think it's a really strong word and would rather say 'strongly dislike.'  I also realized I don't hate or strongly dislike all that much.  Most things are just annoyances that aren't worth my time or energy to hate.  HOWEVER, I did come up with one thing that erks me to the point of hate; I HATE when people use the phrase 'f my life.' Take Mr. Kitty above for instance.  No way is having to wear a hat and eat a piece of chocolate cake worth the phrase fml.  First of all, I would wear that hat proudly and eat that cake like a champ if I were in his position.  But kidding aside, I really don't think it is necessary to assume life is so bad that you are indeed f***ed.

An unfortunate occurrence in the past year has taught me to live life with this philosophy, "as long as everyone is alive and well, the day can be nothing worse than a bad day."  I really don't think this needs explaining, but I do think that sometimes it takes a real eye-opening, personal experience to make a person change their attitude and outlook on life.  And I can say that despite the sadness that arises from thoughts of the event referred to, I have been a more humble person and far more grateful of the life I have since then.  Despite the tragedy of the event, it has also taught me the meaning of life and importance of love and family.

Here is a little video of a song I like to dance around to when I get ready in the mornings, hope you enjoy!

It was really sunny out today.  Like really really sunny!  With a little western breeze which was perfect for working in the garden and made it even more exciting when I found little pea sprouts growing :o)  If you haven't checked out the facebook page for the garden research program I am working on you should.  It's called Producing for the Future, check it out!  As for the rest of my evening 1) holy smokes, it's already 7pm! 2) We need to find a new place for our compost container now that I have the patio door open (composting food isn't a very pleasant aroma) and 3) time to continue my new book, The Syringa Tree (pretty good so far!).

Day 10: A picture of the person you've done the most ****** up things with

Aaaand the winner is....MAGGIE ANN GEIGER!!

In this picture we're both trying to make a silly face without the other knowing.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily say everything Mags and I do or have done in our passed is ****** up, but I've had some pretty silly moments with her.  Although, there are some things we've done that I will not be mentioning in this blog partly because my parents have access to it :o)

Lets see, where do I start with the memories...
As kids, I remember racing our bikes around the circle driveway at the farm Maggie grew up on, pretending they were motorcycles.  We were going so fast that when Mags whipped out I was certain she broke a bone or something.  Just a scrape on the knee that her mom cleaned up and covered with a band-aide.  Then, she gave Mags a package of Twizzler Bites that she was supposed to share with me, but I'm pretty sure I got very few Twizzler Bites (you owe me! Haha).

She's better at silly faces :o)

I also remember pitching a tent in my backyard at least once every summer for several years running.  Eventually we got daring enough to sneak a couple beers from my parents basement.  It was warm and disgusting and I'm pretty sure the reason I absolutely hated beer until I was 19 or 20.  A sad story about pitching a tent in our yard occurred when Mags and I found a bunch of baby bunnies in an unused calf hutch.  The two of us plus my younger brother, Zayne, were in the tent with the bunnies when we realized one was missing...it was under Zayne.  BUT, to take your mind of a squashed bunny, here's a funny story (at least to me); I kept the bunnies in a shoe box and had them in my bedroom.  While I was at school, one of them escaped and was sitting nice and quiet on a stair when my mom came around the turn of the stairs and screamed because she thought it was a mouse. Random tangent.

Let me tell you one of the great things about being a kid on my dad's farm, there was always piles of "stuff" everywhere for playing in.  There was a period of time when my dad used pizza dough in the cow's feed.  Mags and I would take our shoes off and squish around in it, it felt pretty cool between our toes. There also used to be huge piles of cotton seed that was nice and fluffy and when a fresh load of it came in, we would climb to the top and make caves, houses, and little nooks to sit in.  We also climbed the big piles of corn or hay silage after they were covered, dodging between the tires and feeling on top of the world as if on a mountain since the horizon was a lot further out when up there.  Speaking of playing on the farm, Mags and I spent every summer together at the county fair for at least ten years, if not more.

Maggie and I have several inside jokes and endless memories that would take a long time to write about.  What I remember, though, is that I always have a good time with her and laugh a lot, sometimes to the point of tears.  She's also a person I can confide in when I'm going through a rough patch.  We understand each other in a way that I can't explain, but I suppose it stems from the countless time we've spent together (many summers we spent an average of five days a week together); and when I fly home to visit, she is usually the first person (after my parents) that I go see :o)

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

I thought this was going to be a tough one because a lot of people in my life have been there for me during varying situation.  But, I thought about it and realized my old roomies, Tracy and Shawn, have been there for me quite a bit.  Not only while we lived together for a tad over two years, but they've continued to be there for me ever since.  They've heard all about my work drama, love life drama, family tragedies/drama/excitement, and just about anything else I feel necessary to either rant about or do a little happy dance for. 

These two are both very kind hearted people and always lend an ear and their words when needed. This coming weekend there is a benefit luau being held for my cousin, Louie, who suffered a severe head trauma and is receiving intensive rehab and therapy.  At the luau, they're having a silent auction; my brother called me up to see if I could make anything "crafty" to put in the auction.  I said, "no, but I have a friend who is crafty."  As soon as I proposed the idea to Tracy about getting together to make a package of handmade greeting cards for the benefit, Tracy was all on board (and really excited too!).  It was a really fun project and I've been excited to do some more "scrappy" stuff soon!

We also used to be a pretty great work out team.  There was a 24-hour Fitness just down the street (that I miss dearly) and we were each others motivation to go at least 3 or 4 times a week.  Shawn was also the chef of our domain and I still call/text him for cooking tips and advise.  I would also have to say my use of punctuation has improved in my writing since Tracy is my designated proof-reader for all important documents.  I've also been trying to use better adjectives when I write too.  Not so much in my blog, but in my school work at least. I suppose I'll have to let Tracy be the judge of whether I've actually improved or not (I better go back and proof-read this!).

All-in-all, Tracy and Shawn were great roommates and continue to be great friends.  I know I can always count on them when I am just dieing to talk to someone about something whether it be good news or bad news; they're always there.

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh

This is a picture of my Grandpa Schindler telling my sister a story Christmas evening.  I laugh when I see this because I remember my sister motioning to me to take a picture of she and Grandpa; trying not to let him see because Grandpa doesn't like his picture being taken.  "What is that you're doing with your hand?!" says Grandpa.  Steph exclaims, "how did you see that?! I thought you couldn't see?!" in an accusatory tone since Grandpa tells us he "can't see" a lot of things, but he says he could see what she was doing; Steph told him to never mind it.  I don't really remember what Grandpa's story was about, but I tried recording it with my new camera I had just gotten the night before.  My mom and I were dieing with laughter, but trying to hold it in while Grandpa started mimicking Aunt Ines's voice panicking about a storm or something.  It was pretty hilarious.  I don't think I've heard Grandpa mimic a woman's voice before.

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item

Since I am several days behind on my blog, I will try to catch up today.  Also because it is down-pouring outside and I'd rather be cozy on the couch today.

So, my most treasured item.  That's a toughy.  There are a lot of things I own that I value.  Mostly things people have given me like all the things my grandmothers have made me, or the stuffed snowman my mom gave me one winter that I sleep with.  People sometimes ask, "if your apartment was on fire and you could take one thing with you, what would it be?"  Well, I would like to save my cat, Stanley, however, given how skittish he is it would take me far too long to search for him and should probably save myself.  I kept thinking about it, and realized that everything I own can be replaced and that my most treasured item is my family and close friends.  I will do my best to represent this in photos, however, my family alone consists of about 120 people and I do not have photographic representation of every single person, but I'll do my best :o)

 A few cousins with Grandma & Grandpa Rau at the fair.

 Mom, Dad, Wayne, & Donna at the Capital One Bowl.

 The Schindler Siblings.

 My siblings & some friends at Lambeau Field.

 Katie & I at Lambeau Field.

 Maggie & I

Jayne, Ashley, Steph, Mom, and I at my sisters wedding.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend!  I will continue my internal argument of whether I should hit the gym or get some things done around the apartment and ready for Spring term to start Monday (yikes!) including another batch of oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies; yes, they are as awesome as they sound :o)