Goodbye 20 somethings

Well, in less than a week I am going to have my 30th birthday. 30.
I really find it hard to believe I am actually going to be 30. I still think I am 26 I think. I am in a really reflective mode today so I am going to reflect on the past decade and who I was then, and who I am now. It's been a busy 10 years.

10 years ago I was 20. I was seriously dating Adam, and we made a big step in 2000. We adopted our first baby, Lucy. Adam and I were living separately while he went to UC Davis, and I finished up at Cabrillo.



In 2002 I married the sweetest man I have ever known. Everyday I am thankful for him. Our wedding was on the cliffs in Capitola. It was a beautiful day, and one of the best days of my life.


Soon after our wedding we adopted the second love in our life, Mango. She has added so much happiness and has always kept us on our toes.


In 2003 I graduated from UCD and we moved to Virginia. We loved Va, but not at first. We bought our first house in 2004.


In 2004 I started working at Mosaic, my favorite yarn shop, and became truly obsessed with knitting. I have no idea how many things I have knitted now......



In 2007 I graduated from Radford University with a Masters degree in Elementary Education. Soon after, I started teaching at Christiansburg Elementary. I know the classroom is where I belong. I love it.

In 2008 (?) Adam got his PhD from Va Tech. Although he said they "just hand them out", I am still extremely proud of all his hard work and perseverance.



In 2009 we came full circle and moved our little family BACK to the Bay area. We are now living in Berkeley.


Along the way I learned some important lessons, and made some life long friends. I met my best friend, Sarah, who knows about all the bad stuff about me, and still loves me. I keep waiting for her to stop liking me, but am amazed at how she keeps loving me! I am thankful for her and how she makes me laugh when I am crying. How she knows what I need to hear, and tells it to me nicely. I love knowing that she is loyal and will never treat me bad. I am lucky to have a friend like her.

I feel a list coming on.....
Lessons I have learned:

1. When it comes to weddings: The bride is always right. The wedding is about the celebration of love, not about the flowers and the cake. Honeymoons make you fat.

2. When it comes to marriage: Dont make little deals into big deals. Be NICE to eachother, sometimes it's just THAT easy. Never talk about it when your so angry you want to scream. Listen, and put yourself in the other persons shoes. I spouse is a partner, a friend, a love... NOT a child, a maid, or a maintenance man.... treat your spouse with love and respect. Dance together.

3. When it comes to raising pugs: Pugs are the best animals in the world. DONT free feed them. DONT give them table scraps. DONT get them wet and let them run around the house... (sounds like they are Gremlins)

4. When it comes to knitting: Dont be to proud to rip it out. RIP IT OUT. I learned not to be afraid to buy more yarn. I can NEVER have too much, and anyone who complains can get over it. There is no shame in putting a project aside, and starting another one. I dont believe in knitting something you hate doing. Knitting serves different purposes, therefore you need different projects, depending on what purpose you want it to serve on any given day. Knitters are nice, most of the time.

5. When it comes to being a friend: Listen to your friends because you want them to listen to you. Never judge. Never try and tell them what to do. Love them and support them. Friends should make you happy, make you laugh, and be ok when you cry. Friends dont go away when you move. Friends dont go away when they move. Friends are important.

6. When it comes to life in general: Life is not fair. I will say this again because it is a big one I learned. LIFE IS NOT FAIR. Just because you work hard at something doesnt mean its going to happen. Bad things happen to good people. IT IS HARD to wait your turn in life. Sometimes the only thing you can control is your reaction to life, and sometimes thats the hardest part. Life is full of beauty and love, you just need to open your eyes and heart enough to see it.



Looking for the next decade:
I dont really know what the next decade will bring. I know what I WANT it to bring, but I will just try and enjoy the ride as we go. I know that I have so many wonderful things in life, and I have learned so much about myself and about life in general. I am looking forward to the lessons I have yet to learn!!!!

Quinoa Mango Salad

This salad is YUMMY. It's gluten free, vegan, delicious, and... 3 weight watcher points for 1/2 cup.

Here is the recipe:

5 cups COOKED quinoa ( Sorry, I dont have the uncooked amount)
1 mango- cubed
1/2-1 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 vidalia onion chopped VERY fine.
2 cloves of garlic, also chopped VERY fine.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 PINCH ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 large apple, or 1 small apple- peeled and cubed
lemon juice squeezed from 1 small lemon

Cook the quinoa in water or broth (twice as much liquid than quinoa).
When cooked, put in onion, garlic and cilantro (while still hot).
Cool. You can put in fridge, or just do the next part later.
Mix the Olive oil, spices, and lemon juice in another bowl.
Once quinoa mix is cooled, stir in oil mixture.
dump in fruit, raisins, and almonds.
SALT to taste.

Enjoy :)

Oh, Here's what I had for lunch today.... Egg salad on gluten free bread (from Mariposa Bakery), pickles and fresh berries.

A vacation...

This month is my vacation. Some of you are confused because you know very well that I am at home all day everyday anyways. How could this be a vacation? Well, if you have ever seen the movie "What About Bob" with Bill Murray, you know that his character was a very sick man who obsessed about every little thing in his life. His life was full of worry and upset. His doctor decided to write him a prescription. "Take a vacation.... A vacation from your problems"
Lately I have felt like my life has become full of this obsession, worry, and upset. I feel obsessed with things in my life that I can not control, and I found myself really turning into a person I didnt like. So I thought really long and hard about this.... and realized. Life is going by whether I like it or not. Whether I obsess or not. Whether I get what I want, or not. The question here is: Do I really want to live my life like this? SO- I decided to take the wise doctor's advice (except in the movie he was nuts) I am on a vacation from my problems. I made a little list of things that the "ME" I like would like to do. What do I need?

Heres a list of things I came up with:

I need to teach. I feel like the passion I found everyday in teaching is gone. I found myself longing for my old classroom. The little things like sitting in my rocking chair and reading a book that made kids laugh. I miss hugs from 8 year olds! I miss hearing their long and drawn out stories about "guess what happened last night", that were really not interesting, but meant something more. They meant "Mrs. Wallace, I trust you enough to share my life stories with you... and I want you to know me" .... I want this back. Now, I am working on getting my licence pretty quickly.

This is me pretending to sign the Declaration of Independence- in my classroom







I need to contribute. I feel like I spend so much time thinking and worrying about myself and my problems, that I really need to step away and help other people. I have signed up to help volunteer at "jumpstart" an early literacy program that helps at risk young children love literacy. I will get to read to them! :) I also signed up to help out at the local SPCA. I love animals, and would love to help walk dogs, wash them, or just play with them. I also send a message to a senior home who was looking for someone to teaching knitting to the senoirs, so I would love to do this.

I need to create. I suppose this is why I love knitting so much. I AM knitting! I finished a Manos Silk Wool blanket that I adore, and now I am working on a sweater... not for a baby, but for ME! Stay tuned for picts. I also would like to make some soap. I ordered a book on amazon about how to do this. I pulled out my cello and played, and am trying to learn piano. WOAH, I know, I am really up to a lot these days.

I need to be thankful. It kind of makes me sick to think that I could possibly be unhappy about anything. I have an amazing life really. My husband Adam is more of a husband than I could have ever imagined. He is amazing and he loves me all the time, and treats me with respect and patience. Who could ask for more? I have amazing friends and family who love and support me everyday- thank you. I need to remember, even when I am down in the dumps because another month has come and gone, and I am left feeling out of control and helpless, I have so much.

I know that everyone has something in their life that they can not control. Whether it be a stressful job, a horrible co worker, a lack or job, financial stress, sickness, a loved one's illness, or just a bad day...I hope that each of you can look at your life and ask yourself, "what can I do to take a vacation from my problems today?" Find something that you love doing, and do it. Let me know what you did. I would love to know!

Hello 2010

Well the year has begun and I really have been keeping myself busy! Like Adam says, "you knit all day everyday"... and there is some real truth in that. If I am NOT knitting, I am thinking about knitting, and planning knitting, and reading knitting blogs and magazines. So what I have I been knitting? you ask?

Well, I dont have any good pictures right now,except the cute sweater set above! Otherwise, I am knitting gifts, and I dont want the surprise to be ruined. SORRY. The picture above is the color I made my BFF, Sarah's baby boy sweater/hat/sock set out of. The color is MUCH more jewel toned in person, in fact, it might be the wrong color.......

I HAVE finished my Manos Silk Wool blanket, and it is WONDERFUL, so once i weave the ends in I will take some pictures. SO you will just have to wait. It has taken me a year to make it.

NOW what is next you ask? ooooh man...
My new knitting group "Berkeley Stitch and Bitch" is doing a KAL of the February Ladies sweater. If you are not a knitter, or for some reason have been living in a cave and dont know this pattern: Heres a picture.yeah, cute.

I made the baby version twice now, so need to make one for me. (Then I will have a baby/ mama set) I already have the yarn, just ready to go!


Also, Fell in LOVE with this pattern:

Its hard to really see the amzing detail, and the back pleats... ahhhh.. .MUST MAKE MUST MAKE....

SO those 2 sweaters are on deck for me. YEAH!

OK, what else... I have been cooking like a crazy person. I will please you with these pictures and show you that gluten and dairy free hasnt been half bad lately!
Pork potstickers.


Chicken Ravioli with pesto cream sauce
Scallops and Shrimp with garlic lemon sauce, brown rice, and green beans.

Grilled halibit and creamy shrimp with avacado sauce, black bean salsa.