i've decided something.
i can't focus without pressure.
i mean, i've sat in the library for at least 2 hours already... and have done all of the homework that i feel inclined to do. especially because none of it is actually due until friday.
doesn't particularly motivate me to get anything done...
i know i am going to regret this later.
now i wanna know-
does this actually work???
"how to use an elevator..."
too bad there aren't any elevators nearby or i would try this right now.
forget the homework.
...but i would need an elevator with more than 2 floors to make this worthwhile!
next time i'm in an urban metropolis (like idaho falls??? har har har...) i'll give this one a whirl.
ooooooh i'm burning with curiosity right now!
and i've decided that i fail on a few things:
(you know those little new years resolutions that you get so gung-ho about for the first week of the year? yeah... i found it yesterday.)
i'm telling you so that you can hold me accountable now.
failed resolution #1: write my best pal on his mission in canada every week.
failed resolution #2: memorize a poem every month... i am still going to do this! i just have to make up for january and february.
failed resolution #3: using the snowshoes that i got for christmas. i blame school. otherwise i would be out there right now instead of very uneffectively trying to study.
failed resolution #4: stop caring about boys. as much as i try... i don't think that this one is possible.
failed resolution #5: blog 3 times a week. ooops. i will be working on that one though!
i promise!!!
so i'm pretty sure that there are more of these little puppies that i've missed, but that's ok, at least now you know that i'm not perfect. cuz i know you all though that i was, you awesome people you! sorry if your whole world is crashing down around you now.
i always feel like i have to make smaller goals.
new years resolutions aren't really a good thing for me, because i get too overwhelmed...
weekly and daily planning are much more my thing.
what are my rocks?
i am talking about an analogy, but probably not the one you were thinking of.
not stumbling blocks, but priorities.
i love stephen covey.
being the goal-driven, plan-everything type of person i am, reading "the seven habits of highly effective people" was heaven-sent.
i mean, he tells you how to be effective.
not doin so well with that one today, but i'll live i guess...
A man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers, and he said,
"Okay, time for a quiz." Then, he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar
and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized
rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is
this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel
to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then, he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time, the class was
onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.
He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks
and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted. Once again, he said, "Good!" Then, he grabbed a pitcher of
water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then, he looked up
at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your
schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us
is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? A project that YOU want to accomplish? Time
with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching
or mentoring others? Remember to put the BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get
them in at all.
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask
yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life or business? Then put
those in your jar first.
what are my rocks?
i am usually fairly good at organizing my time, but lately i have definitely been a little on the "fly by the seat of my pants" kick.
not doin so hot.
(even though i thrive off of stressful situations, being unorganized is not part of that procedure...)
this is what my "bucket of rocks" has looked like recently.
i need to take mr. covey's advice.
big rocks first.
then i can fill in with the other "fluff" later.
deal? deal.
oh, speaking of things i've done with my time...
i made these little beauties...
(do they not sound divine? trust me... they are.)
and super easy too!
1 C. all purpose flour
1 C. cake flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground ginger
6 T. unsalted butter
1/2 C. raisins (optional)
1/3 C. pumpkin puree
1/3 C. heavy cream
6 T. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper (not required but makes cleanup easy!). Cut the butter into small pieces, put it in a small bowl and put it back in the refridgerator. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well. Place bowl in freezer (refrigerator is fine if you have no room in freezer).
2. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Put this bowl in freezer (or refrigerator) and take the other bowl back out. Get the butter pieces out of the fridge and dump them into the bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins if you are using them.
3. Get the liquid mixture out of the freezer and pour into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.
4. Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.
Icing: For ginger molasses icing, stir together 1 T. molasses, 1-2 T. milk, and 1/4 – 1/2 t. ground ginger (to taste). Adjust the amount of sugar or milk to make the icing the consistency you want. It should be pretty thick. For cinnamon icing, mix together 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Again, adjust amounts to change consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.
it only makes 8...
so if you have 6 roommates
(just a suggestion)
you might want to stash the extras if you want to have any left over for yourself.
i learned this one the hard way.
so if you get to eat any of the fruits of your hard work...
enjoy!
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