Pot Luck Joy

Hey There!

I am truly sorry I haven't been writing much lately.

I'm still trying to figure out how to balance work and fun. 

Working 8 hours a day is hard work.

Through the long days and trying to find time to do laundry and do simple things like sleep...

I'll admit I kinda forgot about my blog.

However,

I really want to show off the brownies I made for my first ever pot luck at work. 

They turned out gorgeous.

and totally yummy =)

I know that as a writer you are supposed to write what you know, 

so I figured in the kitchen, as a "baker" you should bake what you love...

And I love chocolate and peanut butter.

So, the obvious solution was to make peanut butter swirled brownies.

Let me show you what I made.

I apologize for not saving you any... 

.........

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fluff

 A note about the fluff: 

It is a real battle to not take the bowl of peanut butter awesomeness,

go sit on the couch, and eat the entire bowl of fluff with a spoon. You've been warned.

All Swirled Together

It's Just So Pretty, I Had to Show You Again

And so I baked up some delicious brownies, cut them up into little squares and had only one left over to bring back home from work. =)

I always feel really proud when people enjoy eating the stuff I make.

Ooh, and I couldn't help but notice that this is a good place to plug a picture of my Kitchen

(being as my house is still pretty new)

Isn't it lovely? Seeing it all clean like this makes me all smiley inside.

Until Next Time!

Melissa 

"Beetle Bottom" has a whole new meaning.

This morning:

I awoke out of a semi pleasant dream with the odd sensation that something was in my shorts...

 

Now... I was half asleep, so I quickly felt around down there and felt nothing and so I started to drift back to sleep... and then it is was there again... an odd, slightly scratchy, feeling of something in my shorts.

So I jumped out of bed like a maniac. 

Did a frantic little dance while trying not to trip over my blankets and out of my sleep shorts and on to my knee fell a beetle. Which I swatted off of my leg so fiercely that I heard it thunk against the floor. 

Still being very tired and thinking I was certainly safe after it hit the ground as hard as it did I crawled back into my warm bed and quickly fell back asleep.

Two to Four ish hours passed and I thought I felt something on my leg. I remember thinking to myself:

"you're just being paranoid, that beetle is surely dead, it hit the ground pretty hard"

and rolling over to fall back asleep... 

then I felt it again...

"Guh, you have GOT to be KIDDING me!" 

I thought as I grabbed the beetle off of my leg and swatted it to the floor... 

Unfortunately I don't have the heart to kill anything, not even overly friendly beetles, so I made sure to get it out of my door and then crawl back into bed... which was pointless. It was time for me to get up anyway.

So tonight:

I crawled into bed, got comfortable... and then remembered exactly how I woke up this morning... 

This led to my mind playing games on me and my sudden urge to make sure there were NO bugs in my bed. So I ripped the blankets and sheets off and put them in the wash. I took off the foam mattress and inspected both sides. I took off the actual mattress and flipped it over, cleaning off both sides fully...

I got a little bit OCD...

And I found nothing. No little black beetles, no bugs at all... which isn't a surprise, I clean my blankets weekly.

So now here I sit on a naked bed waiting for the wash to get done so I can go to sleep...

Oi...

So, while sitting here I decided that a beetle in the shorts is a rather rare occurrence... and so I looked up it's significance and symbolism. 

And I liked what I found!

Some symbolic meanings of beetles:

• Progress
• Simplicity
• Persistence
• Stability
• Methodical
• Contemplative
• Practical
• Grounded
• Potential
• Security
• Introverted
• Protection
• Solidarity

Beetles are considered a symbol of being grounded. Of having deep and sacred wisdom. They are steady and do nothing without pragmatic, methodical movement. 

Hmm... this could be related to my decisions lately, they are certainly more grounded than decisions I have made in the past...

Beetles also symbolize protection. And upon looking up black beetles I found that they specifically promote stability and protection and heal misunderstandings.

Does this mean that in making more stable, grounded decisions I'll be Safe? Stable? Secure? I'm OK with that right now!

Pretty neat right?

Some other messages a beetle may impart:

• “Get to the root of your desire”
• “Be practical in your expectations of progress”
• “Find stability in simplicity”
• “Anchor yourself in honest, true, natural ways” - I like this one the best.

So... I hope I didn't injure the poor thing too badly... As for tonight, I hope for no visitors.