Sisterhood

Its amazing to me how much the sisterhood that developed when I joined a sorority would remain a lasting part of my life. Not only are some of my closest friends those that I met at the sorority house, but it is also a connection I've used now that I have moved.
The strength of sisterhood has been present lately as one of our sisters is having a difficult time. Her daughter (2 years old) was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Not only have we all been praying for the family, but many of us have donated gift cards and/or made meals so the family doesn't have to worry about it. They have recently started a blog to share the journey with friends and family. Please, whether you are part of a sorority sisterhood or not, keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Weekend Recap

James and I had a somewhat quiet weekend. We had pizza and watched National Treasure 2 on Friday. Saturday morning we went for a run. I wanted to try a new route, so we did...I think we ran about 4.5 miles. We were all wiped out afterwards, including Barley. Then Ricky and Lisa called wanting to play tennis. Not ones to turn down some tennis practice, we said sure. So, we were really wiped out after about 2 hours of tennis. We ran a bunch of errands afterward, including a stop at Harry's (Whole Foods) to take advantage of the 20% off case of wine. (We're wine lovers if I haven't already mentioned that). We got a couple favorites and decided to try a couple new ones. We also got some tuna steaks for dinner. GREAT...we seared them with sesame seeds and had wasabi mashpotatoes as a side. Then we watched Syriana. It was a bit deep....Sunday, James got up and gave Barley a haircut, bath, and nail clipping. Then we went to church and got James' car washed. At home I cleaned and James hung some bathroom fixtures. We tried a new recipe for dinner. Beef Sukuyaki. It was pretty good. I got it from a Food and Wine cookbook.

So, today's its back to the grind. Looking forward to the Hootie and the Blowfish concert on Friday!!

Blog Roll

I haven't updated my blog list in awhile....If you've been reading and want me to add you to the list, please leave a comment and I will update my list!

Happy Weekend

We have no plans for the weekend....should be nice. Its been a pretty uneventful (read slow) week at work. I did workout 4 days so far and am counting on a nice run in the morning. Maybe I will do some yard work after....I can't wait until we get some rain and I can get the yard looking the way I want it. Our grass looks horrible right now because it gets so much direct sun. I think we are going to switch to bermuda next year.



Have a wonderful weekend!

Favorite Summer Recipe

I just wanted to share one of my favorite summer recipes. It is good warm or cold. It just tastes so fresh. We had it last night with grilled barbeque chicken. (I don't really follow the measurements except for the couscous and broth. I just throw in vegetables that I have on hand)

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon onion, diced
1/4 cup julienned sweet yellow pepper
1/4 cup julienned sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, saute the carrots, celery, onion and peppers in oil for 5-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the next five ingredients; mix well. Stir in the couscous. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5-8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

Tennis Recap

Well, the tennis season is over. I listed my stats below. They don't look very good, but considering it was my first time playing tennis, I am happy. I really enjoyed playing tennis and hope to continue playing. I am not playing in an ALTA league this fall, but am planning to keep practicing. I may try to find another league to play in to keep up the competition. I'll keep you posted. Just wanted to share my wonderful stats with you.....

Matches W-L
0 - 2
Sets W-L
0 - 4
Games W-L
12 - 24

Working Out!

We are finally back into a workout routine. We started going to the YMCA last week. Last week I ran 3 times, lifted 1 time, and played tennis. This week I have been to the gym everyday (at 5:30 AM, too). Hopefully we can stay in this pattern because it definitely improves my overall moral.

Oh and by WE, I mean James is going, too!! James has been asking for an IPOD nano, so I am using it as an incentive to get him to the gym. If he goes for 3 times/week for 1 month, then he can get the IPOD. Maybe if I stay committed to the workouts, I can convince him I need one, too!! I have an MP3 player but it just is not user friendly and its difficult to transfer songs. And I definitely need good music for my workouts, especially the runs!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Visit Nordstrom for their anniversary sale. Tons of fall stuff on sale until August 3. I usually find quite a few things!