Discovering my Roots

I have found that through having my first apartment or moving to Rochester, it's a toss up, that I have had a deeper appreciation for things I associate with normal in some Lewis County lifestyles. Specifically finding an appreciation and understanding of all that my Mom gave to me and my siblings growing up.

So what does this entail?
Sewing: In college I decided that I wanted a sewing machine. Granted there's a lot more I'd like to do with sewing, but I did happen to fix a dress for a wedding this summer and I think it turned out quite well. That and I'm in the process of sewing something for a Pay-it-forward post earlier this year on facebook.

Cooking: I'm getting in the habit of enjoying making things from scratch a lot more than having it made for me. I think part of it is the fact that I know exactly what ingredients are in it and I get a sense of accomplishment when it tastes good. On that note I got an icecream maker for my birthday and have been putting that to good use. I've made French Vanilla, Blackberry, Rasberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter Icecream AND this week I intend to add Nutella Icecream to that list. Today I made pizza dough from scratch and am very excited with how it turned out. In the Fall I want to make applesauce

I enjoy going to the Farmer's Market and getting grown produce rather than the convenience of getting it at a supermarket.

While training for Iron Girl I realized how much simpler it is to train near where my parents live than in Rochester. I can bike pretty easily in Rochester and I've managed to find an outdoor pool to swim in. Running is more of a struggle. Partly at home you know everyone for miles- here I know the renters upstairs and that's about it.

I could go on the distinctions of life of what I associate with Lewis County, but more than anything else I think it's a realization of what I grew up expecting being brought up in it. I've begun to realize all that my mom did when we were younger and what she still does.
How many kids get their first taste of store bought bread in Kindergarten? How many families these days don't know what it is to to have to go to an alterations place because they know how to make their own alterations? How many kids have homemade clothes in their kindergarten picture?
You look at all the preplanned meals, "just add ______", "15 minutes to the table", etcetera. Growing up we had chickens that made their way to the table. Add onto all of that and I had a medical hotline when I left to college.
Then I could get started on how Dad built the house. The grounds around the house have always been kept up. He's building a barn. He's peeling trees and making rustic furniture by hand! He taught himself guitar and continues to learn each day.
For them that was the life they grew into and I am glad that there are generations still coming up learning these skills. It's what was expected of them rather than a choice for them. Sadly with that being a choice many skills are being lost. I think of how much I probably won't be able to learn or acquire because of the demands of work and life, but am hopeful and excited about small things that I am starting to catch onto. Who knows I might become a homemaker yet!

Resolutions Update/ Changes :)

So in the beginning of the year I had resolutions- some have been kept to- some have transformed so I thought an update might be in order...

1- Go to 5 places I have never been before. Places that I've gone- Philadelphia, Schuylkill County, and Brewerton (Iron Girl). Plans to head to Albany for a wedding and hoping to see Niagara Falls in the Fall :)
2- Read Catcher in the Rye (started and am not the greatest fan of the profanity- some books I can read, but finding it doesn't really seem to add anything to it), The Great Gatsby (done!), and Moby Dick- don't know that I care to read this one actually. Never read them (completely in the case of Moby Dick) before!
3- Learn to play guitar well. I feel that this comes in waves and I'm okay with that. That and my definition of what it is to play guitar well constantly changes to playing guitar better.
4- Be open to new possibilities. I think that this is going well :)
5- Be at least 5-10 minutes early to appointments/work/class. Works pretty well. My schedule is so flexible however that whenever I arrive is fine.
6- Train and complete a triathlon! *DONE- more on that in another post to come :)
7- Be frugal and budget my finances wisely- still working on this one. I feel that some things are going well in this area, but things keep coming up. Most recent Chiropractor Appointments... On the other hand I've been good at saving some money by riding my bike to work, using Old Navy rewards, and started to be a more active coupon user!

That's the resolutions update :)