Thanks/Nonthanksgiving

Dude.

Hi.

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Here is my 2017 list of things I'm thankful for.  And a list of things I'm not thankful for.

Nonthankful list

1. Cancer.  As far as I'm concerned, cancer should get cancer and die and leave everyone the hell alone.
2. Sickness of any kind.  Life is always better when you don't feel like trash.
3. Tuna fish sandwich smell.
4. Waking up early. 
5. People who cut you off in traffic and go 5 mph when you are going 50.
6. Wind.  Wait no, Cedar City wind. 
7. Perfectionism.  In all forms.  I am a die hard perfectionist when it comes right down to me, which is probably why I don't like myself a lot of the time.  I give others way more compassion and lenience than I ever would even think to give myself.  I hate perfectionism because it makes us all feel like we suck when we are just people trying to be better.  I hate it when it comes to religion and making people feel like God won't/can't love them because of their struggles.  I'm a fan of the idea of embracing our imperfections and supporting each other through them.  I can't ever get a ponytail to look just right and that's okay.  I don't have faith from time to time.  My entire kitchen looks like a crafting bomb exploded and I don't think that is going to change this week.  Maybe next week.  I'm chunky and I have freckles and cavities and white eyelashes and invisible eyebrows.  And that is perfectly imperfectly okay.  It's all okay.  I'm not worried about looking like I'm perfect or pretended that I am.  I'm more worried about people expecting that from me and me falling short every. single. time.  Yuck.
8. Feeling smothered, even if it's well intended smothering.  It just doesn't work for me.
9. Change.  I'm not good at it.  I know, I know, sometimes change can be good.  But this is my list, homeboy, and I'm not thankful for change. 
10. People who care more about politics than they do about people.  That kind of stuff makes me sad.  I think it's cool so many people want to make the world a better place.  I think it's even cooler when you still care for others that have differing views than you do.  None of us are right all of the time.  Maybe instead of fighting so much, we could learn from each other and work together?  A girl can dream. 

Thankful list

1. Books, Audiobooks, Coloring Books.  I love books.  I cannot live without books.  I love all kinds.  And I love my friends that talk books with me. 
2. Mad Pita.  Holy crap.  This year was the year I found Mad Pita.  It is the best.  Fresh to death.  Good enough that I sometimes text my mom, we go eat Mad Pita, and come straight home.  It's pretty much the best.
3. A NEW OFFICE!  My boss is the BEST BOSS EVER.  He got me a new office and a new desk and a huge evidence room and it is just wonderful.  I'm really so grateful for the job I have.  I love it, even when I struggle some days.  I feel so blessed to work with so many awesome people.  I am thankful for the DLD people who have become really close friends.  I am thankful for the Dispatchers who deal with every single call that comes in.  Some of the calls are absolutely heartbreaking, but they do their job excellently and help so many.  I am thankful for the people who show up in person to those scenes, whether it is Fire, EMS, or Law Enforcement.  We are so blessed to have people who care more for others than themselves.  I work with some of the best Troopers.  They work so hard to make our community better.
4. My parents.  My dad freaking drops everything all of the time to help my sisters and me.  My mom watches the kids and supports us through a lot.  We are really lucky. 
5. My nieces.  They are so many of the reasons I like my life.  They make me so proud whether it is swimming, dancing, school stuff, personal stuff, etc.  They are great kids.  I love watching them interact with friends and each others.  It is so refreshing to see kindness, humor, and silliness in them.  I love them each so much. 
6. Friends.  I have hit the lottery with my friends.  I had a pretty crazy anxiety attack this year in front of Angie and she STILL is my friend.  (Who has anxiety about the Hoover Dam?  🤣🤣🤣)  I love the friends that I don't have to see or talk to for a while, but we pick up where we left off.  Mostly, I love the friends that love me despite my imperfection.  I love love love my friends. 
7. Tacos, Coca-Cola, & chocolate.  My lifeblood.  🌮🌮🌮
8. Crafting/Pretty things.  I love making pretty things.  I love seeing some project in my head and having it work out the way I dreamed it would.  It is like therapy for me.  I don't know what it is, but it helps me let go of stress and focus on beauty instead.
9. My little car.  She's a champion.  I have really loved her.
10. MUSIC.  I can say of all the things I love to do, listening to music, playing it, singing, are my very favorite things.  I love music.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and eat mashed potatoes and gravy and most importantly, Stove Top Stuffing.  That is all I eat on Thanksgiving.  It is so on.

Janalee

Kindness

Yo.  I haven't posted in a very long time and was just trying to figure out what my password was and all that.  I guess I just want to post that there are a lot more kind people in the world than not, and I am so lucky to have the people I do in my life.  Thanks to everyone who helped me in the past and recently.  I love my people.  I hope you are all doing well.

Gratitude/Ungratitude

Yo Yo Yo!

What up!?

This is the annual Thanksgiving post that I actually really enjoy writing and it just comes way easier than any other post I do, mainly because I'm good at being thankful, but also because I'm good at complaining as well.  :)  What an astute observation.  For a previous list, see here.  It strikes me that I must have not done one last year because I was so FREAKING excited about DisneyLand.

It was the best.

Now for the lists.

Let's start this one by being thankful.

Thankful list:

Aren't they so dang cute?

1. My nieces.  They are the most prized of anything I have anything to do with.  They are ones who can make me laugh when no one else can, they can make me cry with pride, they can make me angry when they aren't nice or helpful to their mothers, they can make me feel like everything will be alright.  Sometimes, a phone call is all I need from them as the push to keep going.  One of the best things as of late is when my youngest niece, Charlee, is in my arms and she turns and looks at my face and smiles really big.  It is the best when someone looks at you with love.  I love my girls.  I hope of all the things they doubt, my love will never be one of them.  I truly thank Heaven for little girls.  Sap.  Sap.  Sap.
2. Food.  I love food.  I love making it.  I love eating it.  I love looking at it.  I just love it.  And you know how sometimes people hate the food pictures people post?  I get why they are posted and I actually like the pictures.  Sure, it might be silly, but life could use a tad more silly, in my opinion.
3. Instagram.  It is so fun to see the posts on Instagram, mainly because the things people post are actually the things that really matter in life.  It makes me happy.
4. Work.  I am incredibly blessed to work in the job I do.  Some days, I don't love it.  Some days, I want to stay in bed forever and not go anywhere.  However, I'm really lucky to work with people I care about who I know want to help people and want to make the community safer.  With all the stuff being said on the news about how awful police officers are, I will say that the ones I work with aren't perfect, but they are hardworking, honest people.  I love them.  I'm thankful that they are willing to work in a job that you are required to wear bullet proof gear.  I am proud to work with them.
5. BENEFITS.  This year was a HUGE change for me in that I actually get benefits for working full time.  I am incredibly happy about this portion of my life.  I love that if I'm sick, I will be able to afford healthcare.  That is so nice.  And if I want to take a personal day, now I can!  Its wonderful.  I'm so so so so so thankful for this.
6. Books.  I don't get people who hate reading.  It calms me in ways nothing else can.  It helps my creativity and imagination.  There is nothing better for me than a really good book.
7. Kit, the Night Rider.  My car.  I love her.  I am so glad she has survived this year.  It was rough for us.  It was either the last part of April or beginning of May that a stupid deer suddenly ran in to my car and flew up on the roof (must have been a reindeer) and totaled her. :( :( :(  It was such a sad day.  So after being held hostage for months and months, and having paid ahead of time, which I'll never do again, she was back in my possession.  She's had a radiator leak and a dead battery, but as of right now, she's doing very, very well and she is happy in her little garage.  I love my lil car.
8. Friends.  Life can be super hard.  I'm really lucky that I have good friends.  I'm thankful I can watch Project Runway and talk about this with friends and share opinions and have the conversations go all over the place before we are done.  It seems like your friendships either grow or perish and I can definitely say that I want mine to be growing.  Sometimes it's hard and you feel like you are the only one who cares.  Sometimes that is true and you either can keep working by yourself, or move on.  Sometimes, however, things will get better.  I'm really, really glad that I have friendships that have weathered storms and made it through.  I'm really, really grateful that relationships that have been really bad for me are over.  Life is all about learning and I think the more true you are to yourself, the better a friend you can be to others.  Blah blah blah.  
9. Movies/tv/entertainment.  I'm very thankful there are creative minds in the world who choose to make films and other forms of fun things to make life less boring.
10. Capabilities.  I'm so very delighted that we all have different capabilities.  I'm thankful that I can make things that others enjoy.  I love when others do the same.  It never ceases to amaze me the beauty in each work and life.  Creating is one of the best parts of my life.

Unthankful list:

1. Feelings.  Sometimes there are too many for my liking.  And I don't know how to deal with them sometimes. 
2. Mold.  Oregon taught me well.
3. Unreliability.  Do what you say you are going to or just don't say you are going to do it.
4. Whiners.  Now, this is irony, if I've ever read it.  But seriously, some things just are what they are and whining about them doesn't make much of a difference.  Isn't this a hilarious addition to my unthankful list?  I'm funny.  And not just look wise.
5. Cold weather.  Some people just love it.  It makes me sad on the inside.  It can't be changed,    thus, it does no good to say this, but it is not my thang.  And it makes my skin SUPER dry.
6. Germs.  Well, not all of them.  Just some.  I don't like touching carts at stores like Wal-mart, or even going to Wal-mart for that matter.  I hate when you leave a place and you feel like if you don't wash your hands, you might freak out.  Do I sound too OCD?  I'm feeling more and more that way all the time.
7. Drugs.  I never thought drugs were such a prevalent thing in our area.  Well guess what?  THEY ARE.  They are disgusting and they cause a lot of heartache for people.  They are dangerous.  Even prescription drugs.  It is so sad to see the effects of drug use.  Don't do drugs.
8. The word rectory.  
9. The bear toilet paper commercials on tv.
10. Kayne West.  And his wife.  And his daughter's name.  :(
    
    
    
    So, there are my lists for 2014.  Please feel free to share your unthankful/thankfulness with me.  I hope you all eat Stove Top Stuffing and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  Cheers!
    janalee

Halloween!!!!

Monica,

Since I'm nearly certain you are the only one that will see this, this is dedicated to you.

As you know, Monica, I work with police officers.  Every year, I have dressed up as something that was related to cops.  One year I was a Junior Trooper.  One year I was a bumble bee (but nobody came in at all, so I might do that one next time I work on Halloween....)  So this year, I thought it would be funny to go as something the cops would really enjoy..... a Donut.

:)

Happy Halloween everyone!

janalee

Food. Food. Food.

So...one of my best friends went to Argentina on an LDS mission.  She taught me something wonderful that she learned there.  It has been fantastic.  Absolutely fantastic.  So, last night, I thought I would make it and take pictures and share with you wonderful people this amazing recipe.


Argentine Pasta

1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 yellow onion
1 lb ground beef
garlic salt
pepper
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
basil
oregano


Dice all of the peppers and onion.

Aren't they pretty?

Saute them in a little big of olive oil.  This smells REALLY good.

Then after a couple minutes, add ground beef.  Sprinkle garlic salt (you can use fresh garlic if you want, but lately I've used garlic salt on it and it tastes just as good) and pepper over the beef.

Let the beef brown.  Make sure its all cooked.  It looks amazingly colorful.  Once all beef is cooked, pour the two cans of tomato sauce and stir real good.

Now,  this is my favorite part.  You pour however much basil you desire into your palm.  Then add the basil by rubbing your palms together.  It will bring out the flavor and smells absolutely wonderful.  Do the same with the oregano.  Stir it all together. 

Serve over linguine noodles.

And enjoy the crap out of it.


Thank you and good night.


janalee

Food

So, I am doing this bucket list thing and most of it is new recipes....is that weird?

So I made Tuscan Garlic Chicken.  And it was de-freakin-licious.

I mean, look at it. 

The chicken was so good.  I would say you can do it without the pasta (Shocking, I know) and just do the chicken and sauce with a side of green beans (fresh, not canned) or asparagus.  It was totally worth it, and hey....One more item off the list.  :D

If you want the recipe, here it is.

Also, I didn't add the spinach and I used linguine instead of fettuccine because I like it better. 

Anyway, bucket list 2014 is going well.


janalee

Food!

Dude.  I make good food.  My resolution this year was to cook more.  This one was an item from the bucket list, and my! my! my! it is so good.

My friend ate it a couple days later at my house while we watched Downton Abbey.  She said it was perfect.

My niece and I had it and she asked, "Where did you buy this food?"  I said, "I made it."  She said, "NO WAY!  I thought it was from a restaurant!"  HAHA.  Awesome.  I love that.  Best compliment.  Also, Julia Child was right, "The best way to execute french cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken!"  I love that.

Anyway, the recipe is right here if you wanna try it.  

Happy Cooking!

janalee