Last christmas, my mother-in-law blessed me with a wonderful cookbook that I never got around to opening until last night. That maybe a bit of an overstatement, as I’ve opened it a ton of times before but I never got around to actually cooking anything. Yesterday was my lazy day and after a few too many unsatisfying McDonald runs with the King, I decided to take advantage by re-creating this Greek style lasagna dish that I’ve been drooling over lately…I was a bit hesitant at first because I’m not the biggest fan of feta cheese. Personally, I think it smells like feet and I didn’t want it to ruin my meal. But for the sake of my challenge journey, I said what the hey, and BOY…………..was I glad I did that! This meal was absolutely phenomenal!
I apologize ahead of time for not taking pictures…I started cooking around 9pm and it takes a good 45 minutes alone just to prep everything. So as you may assume by the time I finished, it was already pushing midnight. If you do plan to try your hand at making this dish, I would advise you to start EARLY! The only thing I had an issue with was the time, other than that I followed the directions word for word (aside from seasoning the meat, always always season your meat) and it came out perfect. I enjoyed the gooey cheese, the hidden olives, and the hint of cinnamon that invaded my mouth from the meat mixture. After pairing it with a light greek salad and glass of merlot, this dish instantly became one of my favorites :) Ummmmmhmmmm!!!
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I went to see my mom tonight after realizing that I wouldn’t be able to complete my 4 miles. Its been a while since I’ve seen her because I’ve been super busy these last few weeks and haven’t been able to go over there. It was almost 9:00 when I arrived and I just knew she was going to be sleep but surprisingly she wasn’t. I walked in, said “Hi” to her roommate Maria and went to kiss her on her forehead. My mom looked uncomfortable. The nurses had just moved her into this awkward position on her side. They do this occasionally to prevent the patients who are immobile from getting bed sores…It looked like she had a few dried tears on her face, so I grabbed some tissue and started to wipe them away.
I like to say that my mom is two different people. If you look deep into her eyes, you’ll see the person she used to be before she got sick. It sounds weird I know, but its like the person she once was is now trapped in the new person that has MS. You can tell that she just wants to have a “normal” life again. A life without pain, without the medications, and without the nursing homes. I don’t know. I guess its hard to explain, but sometimes my mom is very disoriented. After she takes her meds in the morning, she’s a bit loopy (is that a word?). Its difficult to have a conversation with her because when you think she understands what you’re talking about, she doesn’t. Her responses have absolutely nothing to do with the topic. Just so that you kinda get where I’m coming from, let me give you an example…
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All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. - Walt Disney
Ten years ago today, I was rushing to my first period accounting class at Rancho Cucamonga High School. The moment I stepped on campus, I could tell something wasn’t right. The quad was still packed with students who seemed hesitant on going to class even after the late bell began to ring. I hurried past a group of girls that were crying and saying that our choir had boarded a plane to New York earlier that morning…The principal was saying something on the loud speaker, but I never paid any attention to him. When I finally made it to class I noticed that my teacher hadn’t given us the weekly quiz yet. I pulled out my book and started trying to cram before he could remember that he forgot…It took me a while to realize the rest of the class was silent. The voices I thought I heard were coming from the little T.V suspended high above the chalk board. The news was on. There were images of burning buildings and people screaming and scrambling for safety…Our country had just been attacked.
Today we take a moment to celebrate the lives of those who perished during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. We celebrate the heroes and the fallen soldiers who fought and continue to fight to keep our country safe. Today, take a moment to reflect back on history.
Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself……” - Paramahansa Yogananda
