Uh...Can you spell that for me?

I know that I have a unique name, but I don't think it's a real hard name to say, or to spell. It's pretty much like it looks: Sha-vonne. But I always know during a roll call, or when I have an order up at a fast food place when I'm next.
"Uh.....Shh...Sha-uon?" I try to come to their rescue- "Shavonne."
Then when they ask for my name when I order food, and I say it, you can see their pencil automatically going to the page to spell it, then pause as their brain registers what I said...

Occasionally I'll use a psuedonym, if you will, for those times when I don't have the patience to deal with the puzzled looks. I've started using the name Sharon. It's close enough to my name, plus it's my sister's name, so its familiar to me. Everyone knows how to say it, and spell it. Piece of cake.
But during those times when I go by Sharon it's been a little anticlimatic when I order. Sometimes its fun to see them stumped:
"Can I have your name?"
"Shavonne"
"*pause*....Can you spell that for me?"

And still more strawberries...

With so many strawberries, and not so much freezer space I had to find a way to use some of them up. Derek and I made Strawberry freezer jam, which is 10 times better than canned jam in my opinion. The strawberry taste is so much fresher, and the color brighter. Though I know it doesn't work for long term storage, unfortuneately. We ended up with 5 1/2 containers of freezer jam. I think it should last us two for awhile, dont you? This yummy jam has given new life to PB & J. I don't like big, honkin' strawberry chunks in my jam, so its pureed pretty fine.


Then we froze two full ziplock bags full of stemmed, and hulled strawberries, ready for smoothies, cheesecake toppings, oatmeal, or whatever. Then I had leftover strawberry puree, and I had seen a few years ago for a recipe for strawberry bread, so used the last of it to make that. It turned out good, kind of reminds me of cherry chip cake, but not so overly sweet. The cake didn't turn a pretty red, like I though it would, but it still tastes good. I added a few globs of cream cheese to the batter to make a little suprise, but it didn't turn out like I wanted it too. I had a strawberry muffin with a cream cheese center a long time ago and it was really good. I was hoping to recreate it. Didn't happen.

Strawberry Pickin' cont...

Ok, I was able to get the pictures up today. In this picture you can see how large the field is, and the "Honey Buckets" or whatever in the background

The trolly in the background. They were so pretty, peaking out from underneath the leaves! Like little jewels.

13 pounds worth!

Strawberry Pickin'

This last Saturday I went to Greenbluff to pick strawberries with my mother and brother-in-law. Greenbluff is a great place to pick your own fresh produce, at great prices and not full of chemicals. There a many different farms and orchards and you can pick strawberries in the early summer (most of the time, unless your summer is late, like this year) to apples in the fall. We went to Seimer's farm this time and it was really well ran, and very conscientous to the customer's convience. We rode a trolley to the srawberry patch (Yeah, it was that large of a farm) where there were port-a-potties there, and straw laid out between the strawberry plants for easier kneeling and keeping the berries off the dirt. It was really well ran and the price was 99 cents a pound. Very good price.
So here are a few of the pictures I took. I got two flats of strawberries which I made freezer jam with, froze some, and will probably make strawberry bread also. Yummy!

Ok, well I was going to put pictures up, but I'm having an error at this time so I'll have to try again later. Sorry...

Happy Birthday my sweet husband!

It was Derek's birthday on Sunday, July 6th and I want to let him know how much I love him, and appreciate him! He is my favorite person! He turned 25, a quarter of a century.

Now for the next 6 months I'm only 4 years older than him...
Happy birthday Babe!



This is my favorite picture of him.

Books, Glorious Books!

Just wanted you all to know that if you need to find me over the next week or so (except when I'm at work) I will be on our couch, or cozy corner chair reading a book. I am in the middle of two really good ones. I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and Finally just got The Host by Stephenie Meyer. They are both big fat books, totally 2081 pages and I'm totally excited to read them. I have been out of the reading scene for a few weeks because I"ve been busy and I was starting to go nuts. I love having a book that is not just good, but that totally grabs me. If I don't have a book that doesn't just absorb me at least once a month then I feel off.

So, be happy for me, but poor Derek will have to scavenge for food. I"m too busy reading...

PS, I know some of you have left ideas for books to read on my sister Shaina's blog http://just-because-i-am-me.blogspot.com/ but for anyone else please send your suggestions this way!