No Place like Home for the Holidays

I had to work on Thanksgiving Day this year - so, obviously, there was no "going home" for us. But that didn't stop us! It just meant that we learned how to roast our own turkey!

And Jacob did pretty darn good.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied yams, cranberry sauce, stuffed mushrooms, green bean casserole, rolls - how are we supposed to eat all of this?!?!?

There's more?!?! AAAAA! Running out of counter space!

Cherry pie (my first-ever lattice top!), mini pumpkin cheesecakes, AND pumpkin pie? Only two of us, but still three desserts!

Lessons learned:

1. They say you should put the turkey in the fridge to defrost one day ahead for every five pounds. That's nonsense. After three days in the fridge, our turkey was still frozen thru and thru! Will definitely put it in the fridge sooner next time.

2. Stuffing may be easy to put IN to the turkey, but it is nearly impossible to get OUT! Definitely a two-person job.

3. Get up early! Maybe staying up until 1:30 a.m. the night before making the desserts isn't the smartest thing to do.

A Pie Crust Promise...easily made, easily broken

I'm shocked, floored, and amazed to realize this...but today is the one-year anniversary of when Jacob and I arrived in San Antonio. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. Time truly does fly.

So remember eleven months ago when I promised "genuine Texas pictures soon"? Well I certainly wouldn't call this "soon", but at least it's something!

Home Sweet Home.

We have an awesome sunset view from our apartment. I guess that's a perk of having an apartment that faces west - it's deadly hot in the afternoon, but at least we have a nice view!

We live about twenty minutes away from the beautiful San Antonio Temple, built in 2005.

I rejoice to be living close to the beach again. We took these pictures while camping in Corpus Christi last August.

The view from a hike we took a few weeks ago. Before moving here I always thought of Texas as being dry brown desert, but San Antonio is actually very green. The odd thing is that most of that greenery comes from shrubs about as tall as I am. I was so excited the first time we went hiking here, going up into these beautiful green hills, thinking I would escape from the city and ridiculous heat, only to find that those "trees" I was so excited about provided no shade and no illusion of escape - they weren't tall enough to block the view of the beltway.

And finally, you know you're in Texas when you see a pair of GIANT cowboy boots next to the highway. (I was so sad that the day I went to take a picture they had this scaffolding up. Not sure of the purpose - repairs? Christmas decorations? Are they taking down the boots because so many people like me laughed at them?) These boots are actually RIGHT next to the inner belt-loop, one of the busiest sections in San Antonio, and are impossible to miss. And, they mark the entrance to one of the malls. They are just so ridiculous. I rejoice in them.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Speaking of gardens, I've been growing pumpkins and sunflowers, lately, too - in sweeter form.

Those ladybugs are made from mini M&Ms. I'm a little too proud.

Of course, cupcake pumpkins are a little difficult to carve for Halloween. We had to resort to store-bought. Some cool carvings, though.

Not carved, but probably the coolest pumpkin I've ever decorated. Thank you, Family Fun, for the idea.

Raise the Song of Harvest Home

I've tried for years to be a gardener. As a teenager I grew little patches of swiss chard or cucumber in the side yard. In recent years I've attempted growing a herb garden more than once, which have all failed for various reasons. I worried that I would finally have to admit to myself that I didn't inherit my grandmother's green thumb.

This year, however, we've had a plentiful harvest.

Parsley

Basil - we've been eating a ridiculous amount of pesto

Green Peppers

Of course, the blueberries, strawberries, and chives all died...but at least it's a start, right?

I Am, I Am, I Am the Luckiest

A few days ago, Jacob and I celebrated the anniversary of the day that we met: September 19, 2004. I don't remember the moment very well, and had to figure out the date years later, but September 19th has turned into a very significant date for me nonetheless.

I'm still amazed, every day, that I'm lucky enough to know Jacob. That he fell in love with me and married me is unfathomable.

He amazed me from the beginning. He was so completely unlike anyone I had ever met before. One time, when I barely knew him, I asked him what he wanted to be. With my background growing up in northern Virginia, I was asking, of course, for his choice of profession. Instead, he answered, "I want to be poor and in love." I was so surprised, I think I walked away. I was too selfish and greedy at the time to understand him.

We were great friends long before we started dating. It took me a while to consent to a relationship, not because of Jacob specifically. He just happened to come along during a time when I was particularly bitter towards boys, and had convinced myself to never seriously date anyone. But I adored Jacob. I adored him so much that I tried setting him up with one of my roommates, whom I also adored. In my mind, that was the only quality that mattered in a relationship. I was hopelessly disappointed that things didn't work out between them.

One night, Jacob showed up at my apartment while I was reading a textbook and fighting sleep. I was bored out of my mind. He took the book out of my hands and read out loud to me until it was curfew and he had to leave. I remember looking at him at one point and absolutely knowing, deep in my heart, that whomever married Jacob would be the luckiest woman in the world. There was no inclusion of myself in the thought - I was still working on Jacob + my roommate, and was content that she would be the lucky one. It would be another several months before I started hoping to hold that position myself. But it's amazing to me that I knew so early on what a miracle it would be to win Jacob's heart. Years later, when I told Jacob that story, he told me that he remembered that night well. He had kept his mouth shut, but had watched and actually seen a transition happen in my eyes, and knew that something had changed for us.

We tried dating other people for months, but no one was fooled. Though I hadn't admitted it to myself yet, everyone else knew that we loved each other. I had dozens of people tell me that Jacob and I were going to get married, months before we started dating. I ignored them the best that I could.

Finally, after one particularly horrific date with another fellow, I sought out Jacob to complain and be comforted. We went on a walk - and under the cover of trees and the watch of the stars, he told me that he loved me. It was the beginning of a new life for me. Happiness, which had always been so delicate, was suddenly and unceasingly overflowing - and hasn't stopped yet.

But it all dates back to that first meeting, six years ago - because even if we hadn't fallen in love and married, I would count September 19th as a wonderful day in my life. Just knowing him is a greater gift than I could have asked for.

Couldn't Put Humpty Together Again

I have a lot of friends who leave cute little love notes around the apartment for their husbands. I, on the other hand, leave things like this around the apartment:



I believe that it's healthy to keep Jacob on his toes.

Unfortunately, a few days after I planted this guy in the egg container, I forgot that he was in there. I just about jumped out of my skin the next time I went to scramble breakfast. Jacob had a good, long laugh.

Expect Me When You Least Expect Me

A few days ago, I sent Jacob to the grocery store. I didn't see any of his purchases until the next morning. I'm sure you can imagine my horror when I saw him snacking out of this box:



Double-crossing crackers?!?!? Watch your back, Jacob; watch your back.

Your Son Fabio?

I love my job. Really, I do. But there are days when I feel like I'm working with Dory from Finding Nemo.

Three Examples:

1. One day, I set up a game of bowling. We played for 45 minutes, and it was a blast - the residents were laughing and talking to each other and having a great time, not to mention getting physical exercise. I was feeling pretty good about myself, even though I was dripping with sweat. For me, that group was all about assisting the residents while they moved from one area to another, and setting up the pins over and over again.

As we ran out of time, I announced to everyone that we had time for everyone to have one more turn. They all had their last turn, and I started taking down the game. One resident stated, "It hardly seems worth it to have come out to only have one turn."

I almost fainted. She'd had SIX turns...but didn't remember any but the last one.



2. Another day, I walked onto a unit to see one of the residents in an argument with a nursing assistant. He was angry that he hadn't had lunch that day. The nursing assistant was trying to explain to him that he HAD lunch - but how do you explain that to someone who has memory loss and doesn't realize it? I'm sure he thought she was crazy when she told him he had had lunch, but didn't remember it.

(*Sidenote: I think she was being ridiculous arguing with him about it. If he's complaining that he didn't get lunch, he is obviously hungry. The correct way to handle it, in my opinion, would be to just apologize that he didn't get lunch and offer to get him something to eat. Silly woman.*)

To prove that he hadn't been to lunch that day, he went around to every other resident on the unit and asked them if they remembered seeing him at lunch. Of course, none of them did because THEY all have memory loss issues but don't realize it. He came back to the nursing assistant and proclaimed that none of the other eleven residents remembered seeing him, so he obviously wasn't at lunch that day. And she, of course, stuck to her story that he had been there and didn't remember, and nobody else did, either.

I think the residents must feel like they are in a spy movie or something; how scary/weird would it be to never know where you are, who the people are around you, why they know your name and talk to you like they know who you are, etc. Or why they insist that you've eaten when you don't have any memory of having done so.



3. I spent probably a full five minutes one day trying to convince one resident to join everyone for a group. She refused over and over again. Finally, I left and started the group. She emerged out of her room a few minutes later, and asked in a dejected tone why she hadn't been invited. She had heard all of us laughing and talking, and honestly thought that no one wanted her there. Poor woman.

You'll Be in My Heart - Always

This may be the longest blog entry ever.

While in Virginia over Mother's Day weekend, I came across a bunch of my old journals from late high school/early college years. It was an amazing experience to read over events and stories that I had completely forgotten about, but that, ultimately, led to where I am today.

I've been overwhelmed the last few weeks, thinking about how blessed I am to have so many incredible people in my life who taught me who I wanted to be, who brought me closer to Christ, and who stuck with me through the dark hours. And I feel sad, also, thinking about how difficult it is to stay connected with all those souls who mean so much to me.

Several of you (readers) received messages from me on Facebook about memories I had been reminded of while reading my old journals, which I wanted to share with you again. It was precious for me to re-connect with so many of you who have helped to shape my character and personality. Along those lines, I wanted to share some quotes on here. Maybe they will be meaningful to you and maybe not, but either way, this is probably the only time you'll get a look into my journal, so you may want to take a peek. :) And some of them, I hope, are at least slightly amusing.

(Sidenote: I learned two major things about myself when I reviewed these books. First, I used to cry A LOT. Second, apparantely I was a very angry person who started arguments with people all of the time. I don't do either or those things anymore. At least, I don't think I do. But if you're one of those people whom I used to pick fights with, I sincerely apologize. Maybe we should try being friends again. You may be surprised by my current personality.)

-----

February 19, 2002
"...then I realized what an incredibly stupid life I would lead if it weren't for Rachel."

September 15, 2002
"I've decided that I really love senior year. It's nice to not care about anything anymore."

September 20, 2002
"Government today was the greatest class ever. Mr. McGinnis talked about the Urban Cultures Club meeting that he had to go to. He hates that club, but he's the sponsor so he has to go to all of the meetings. Supposedly he thought they might do something cultural, but they really just break dance all the time. Anyway, he was talking about a meeting they had a few days ago, and about how the cheerleaders, Step Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Urban Cultures Club had all been in the cafeteria at the same time, and what a funny mix it was. I quote: 'In one corner they're singing Onward Christian Soldiers, and in the other corner they're spinning on their heads to music that tells you how the molest girls three different ways.' "

October 17, 2002
"I've decided that I'm suffering from a pre-adult, not-really-midlife crisis."

February 22, 2003
"...the next night we went to Jordan's house and David brought this girl along [that none of us really knew very well]. At the end of the night when he was giving her a ride home, she told him that he should go out with me and he burst out laughing."

March 4, 2003
"Later on that night, we were driving around and these teenagers standing on the sidewalk starting throwing snowballs at our car. David rolled down his window and started yelling about how he hates kids and blowing his air horn that he always keeps in his car for some reason. I just sat in the passenger seat and laughed and laughed."

March 18, 2003
"'Best Technical Play' is such a stupid award anyway. As if I want people to see my play and think, 'Wow, look at how technical it is.'"

September 2, 2003
"We played frisbee with cookies for a while..."

"We sat around and talked in the lobby of my dorm for a while before Spencer, Austin, Jeremy, and a girl named Heather showed up. I left with them to stand under the bell tower so that when it went off we could all be permanently deaf."

October 5, 2003
"Elizabeth suddenly realized that she had an assignment due at midnight online, so she was hastily working while Erika helped her. The rest of us were playing cards, drinking chocolate milk, and eating pizza. We're pretty sure we gained about fifteen pounds that night..."
[Entry continues, talking about the next day when we fell asleep after a movie.]
"We woke up and felt really gross because we had eaten donuts for breakfast, and then we'd eaten a bunch of cookies and chips, and basically we just felt like we had gained fifteen pounds. Again."
[Entry continues...]
"The next day we watched a movie and played some games and gained fifteen pounds. Again."

November 17, 2003
"We also had Preference lately, a dance where girls ask guys. It was a HUGE mess; people were all wondering who to ask and who not to ask and wishing that they had asked someone else."

"Then David called me up, demanding that I ask Spencer to the Preference dance. I absolutely refused. We fought for a while, and then he said that he wouldn't invite me to his wedding unless I asked Spencer to Preference! What was I to do?!?!?"

January 3, 2004
[Written at the end of Christmas break after my first semester of college.]
"Overall, I'm just shocked. I can't believe how much everything has changed. I guess I was expecting everything to be exactly the same when I got home. I thought I could talk to people the same, I thought I'd laugh the same and act the same, I thought everything would be the way that I remembered it. But it is not. I forgot to realize that the world would keep turning in Virginia like it does in Provo, regardless of whether I'm here or not. And I've changed, too. It was foolish to think that things could go back to the way they were.

"As I sat in Church on Sunday, I suddenly realized that I don't belong here anymore. This is home and I have great memories from here, but I can't stay and expect for things to be the same as they were. I've grown up, and that's the end of it. I can think back as much as I want and laugh, but things will never go back to the way they were. And when it comes down to it, that's okay. Things need to change so that we can learn and grow and become better people.

"Before I left in August, I felt like I had completely lost control of my life. I felt like time was slipping through my fingers, no matter how hard I tried to hold on to it. Suddenly, I had to go. I feel the same way now; here I am, completely unprepared to take this step in my life. But this time, I'm going to accept it and try my hardest to make this a great semester."

February 28, 2004
[Written after a bunch of us went to Logan together over President's Day weekend. This part of the entry is describing our sledding adventures.]
"Another time, we decided to make a big chain. Paul was in the front, on a sled. He held on to David's legs, who was on a sled behind him. David held Spencer's legs, who was sitting behind him on an inner tube. Spencer and I were sitting back to back, with our arms linked, and Austin was holding on to my ankles. Austin and I were riding saucers.

"The chain began to move, and down the hill we went. The only problem was that the front was moving much faster than the back, so I started getting stretched between Spencer and Austin. In fact, I got stretched so much that I was lifted completely off the ground! My saucer went flying out from under me and hit Austin, who got knocked off his saucer and let go of me. My body went slamming into the ground. I rode the rest of the hill on nothing but me, hitting every bump along the way. I was screaming for Spencer to let go; but, being unaware of what had happened, he faithfully held on. When we got to the bottom, I was completely in pain and out of breath from laughing so hard."

April 14, 2004
"Things never seen quite so bad when you've got a best friend nearby."

August 15, 2004
"One day, I took Jake to the sand bar with me. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and the light from it danced off the waves. I looked out onto the water, feeling it wash up on my feet, and feeling the gentle tug of my twenty-month old nephew holding on to my finger, and I could've sworn that I had accidentally stumbled into heaven."

October 27, 2004
"When we first walked into Galyans, Spencer and I were walking with our arms linked and he said, 'Shall we go up this escalator?' I didn't realize that we were standing in front of the escalator going down, so I agreed. He gave me a really funny look, then smiled, then we stepped on. It took me a second to figure out why I was going backwards, and by then Spencer was pulling me up the steps. When we got to the top I slapped him."

"Of course, just walking around the store wasn't enough; we [Austin, David, Spencer, and I] had to make more noise than that. So we started flocking around like velociraptors. And attacking each other."

-----

I'll end there. I was going to add in more from my AmeriCorps term and the rest of college, but I think those entries are for another day.

In the meantime, know that I miss and love you, whoever you are reading this. And I hope we get to reconnect someday.

"My dear Sam, you cannot always be torn in two...You have so much to enjoy, and to be, and to do. Your part in this story will go on."

Well...I'm Back

So remember how I dropped off the face of the earth and didn't write in my blog for five months? I remember that. But I'm back now! And, oh boy, do I have a story to tell.

The last few months have been insane. Here's the quickest possible version of it: I was adjusting to my job and loving it; then, one day, I was informed that my original contract was being terminated, and I had to sign a new one if I wanted to stay with the company; I declined because it was a crappy contract; weeks followed of arguing back and forth about whether I had been laid off or whether I had quit, thereby deciding whether or not I would violate the "Non-Compete Agreement" I had signed; lawyers and accountants were consulted; I went home to take a vacation from the situation and to surprise my mom for Mother's Day; I came back and started applying for jobs; I accepted a job; and now I'm in the middle of my fifth week! Whew!

So NOW I am working at an Assisted Living home for the elderly, and working specifically on the Memory Care units - Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other forms of dementia. And I LOVE it. Quick background: I had an experience five years ago with this population that made me choose my major, but after I discovered all of the different fields I could work in as a CTRS, I went exploring and got side-tracked. But now I'm back where I started, and I'm happy. I could almost say that I feel called to my work - every day is a very fulfilling experience for me.

But this post is not about my new job. It's about life before I had a job, when I discovered, yet again, how much I LOVE being unemployed. I mean, of course it's stressful worrying about finances, but besides that, it was wonderful. I've never been one of those people that needs to stay busy; I can easily entertain myself. Not to mention that being home all day with Jacob every day was blissful.

Here are some of my favorite quotes heard in this household while when I was unemployed. I hope you find them as hilarious as I do.

---

Me: You told me once that you would rejoice if you ever heard me say something vain.
Jacob: I did?
Me: WHAT?!?!? YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT?!?!?! Hmm...no wonder you've been so annoyed with me lately. I thought I was doing you a favor.

---

(Background on this one: Jacob is always complaining about how old he is. I always tell him that he's ridiculous and should enjoy his youth while he has it.)

Jacob: I mean seriously, LOOK at me! I am old! I'm thirty-six!
*An long, awkward pause while I wait for him to correct himself. Then...*
Me: Jacob, you're TWENTY-six.
Jacob: What? I am? Wow! I feel so much better!

---

Here's my favorite. I walk into the kitchen one day to see this:



That's our cookie jar. Wearing Jacob's glasses.

Jacob: Beka! Look, I've found our long lost son!



Actually, they do look really similar.

I've Been Thinking About My Work...What Is It Exactly That I Do?

I suspect that this quote, expressed so eloquently by Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail), reflects how many of you think about my work. And, let's be honest, after a four-year degree, a national certification exam, a state license, and nearly three years in the field...I'm not sure I entirely know how to answer it, either. But I can at least give a beginner's explanation.

I am a Recreation Therapist; or, according to my credentials, I am a "Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist", or a CTRS. The American Therapeutic Recreation Association explains that this means I am certified to provide "a treatment service designed to restore, remediate and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning and independence in life activities, to promote health and wellness as well as reduce or eliminate the activity limitations and restrictions to participation in life situations caused by an illness or disabling condition."

CTRS's are found in many settings, from nursing homes to psychiatric hospitals, to rehab centers, to community programs. If you've been following my career, you'll remember that I did a full-time internship at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, working with stroke survivors in an in-patient setting; then I worked with at-risk youth in residential care, then at the fantastic National Ability Center (a community setting where any person with a disability was welcome to participate in specialized recreation programming including alpine, nordic, and water skiing, archery, horseback riding, cycling, rock climbing, aquatics, sled hockey, bobsled, canoeing, etc.) And now, I work for Recreational Therapy of Texas, a small company that works with individuals with disabilities in the community.

So what exactly do I do? To make things easier, I'll only answer that question for my current position. I have a caseload of about ten clients (hasn't been finalized yet) that I see regularly every week. I either work with them in their home, or I take them out into the community. Almost everything that I do falls into two basic categories:

1. I use recreation as a modality to build functional skills. You've probably heard of physical and occupational therapists; they use certain equipment to build functional skills in their clients; I do the same thing, but using the client's interests and hobbies. For example, if I had a client who needed to work on fine motor skills and loved music, maybe I would teach them how to play the piano. Or, if they loved art, maybe I would teach them how to crochet. Those skills are still being worked on and developed, but the client is enjoying themselves as well. Which therapy do you think the client would rather attend or work on during their free time? Mine, of course. That's why I love it. It's a sneaky way to accomplish therapy.
2. I help the client to develop their recreational interests and skills, adapting to their abilities and needs as is necessary. Maybe they love to go to the theater, but don't know how to find out whether the theatre is wheelchair accessible or not. Or maybe they love watching basketball and wish they could play, and had no idea that community wheelchair basketball leagues exist! Or maybe they need a certain type of equipment to further participate in a hobby they are interested in. It's my job to know the answer to those types of questions, and to teach clients how to find the answers to such questions themselves.

Whew! Does that make sense?

And next, the question that everyone asks...who pays for it? Good question, and again, it depends. In my current job, Medicaid pays for it...but I admit that is really rare, and I've never heard of it before. There's another long explanation for that, but the short and sweet of it is that Medicaid laws vary from state to state, and Texas just happens to be very generous to this population.

Well, this has been rather long-winded. Hopefully you learned something, as I try to advocate for my profession! Moral of the story: thank heavens for free-time. Go do something that you love, right now.

Love,
Rebekah, CTRS

Deep in the Heart of Texas

YIKES! I'm shocked that I haven't posted anything in so long...my apologies...I can only make the excuse that JACOB AND I HAVE MOVED TO TEXAS! I hope you're surprised at that because you should be...I've been terrible about keeping in touch with people lately...and Jacob and I are still surprised ourselves.

We moved in to our new apartment in San Antonio on December 3rd; long story short, we decided in mid-October that we were willing to move anywhere if it meant that one of us (and by one of us, I mean me) got full-time work...in the beginning of November I interviewed for a recreation therapy position in Texas and was offered the San Antonio position a couple of weeks later. It didn't take too much thinking for us to decide that we would accept. We were desperate. Full-time work at the highest pay I've ever received, plus insurance, plus paid-time off...it seemed like a miracle. In fact, it still does.

Another thing that shocks me: I actually like it here. I am sheepish to admit that I always said I would never move to Texas. Why do I say stupid things like that? It's like an invitation. But it was a stupid thing to say anyway, since I had never been to Texas. I was just bitter. Anyway, who knew that San Antonio is one of the ten biggest cities in the U.S.? And big city=lots of do. Did you know there's a Six Flags theme park here (less than ten minutes away from our apartment, I might add)? And Sea World? Sea World?!??! Not to mention all of the museums and historical sites and gardens. And Sea World.

But it still manages to be a cozy, friendly city, too, which is pretty exciting. We've met tons of great people. It's a treat.

And there's Sea World.



P.S. Don't be deceived by the picture. I took it while vacationing in Yellowstone in summer of '08. As random as it is, it seemed the most appropriate. It's taken a lot of time to unpack to find my camera and all the gadgets that go with it. But don't worry! I'll have some genuine Texas pictures up soon.