A New Beginning

I'm reposting this from my photography blog... since I think it fits in both places. =)
 


Well, folks, I'm back... once again. =)

A lot of things have happened in my absence... the biggest one being that I quit my job! Yes, you read that correctly: we're in a recession and I quit my job. It's kind of a terrifying thought in many ways, yet I know it was absolutely the right thing to do. 

While I don't have as much life experience as many others who have more, um, "wisdom" as we call it in our family (yes, years), or people who have kids, or those who have gone through layoffs, or other things like that, I do believe I've gone through enough life to realize that there are a few times in your life when you're faced with major decisions that will literally change the trajectory of your life and story. 

A few of my recent story-changing decisions include accepting a teaching position in inner-city Philadelphia with Teach For America in 2006, and saying yes to my ridiculously tall (and skinny) Asian man on August 10, 2008. Now, I'm adding to that mix quitting my job in 2010. 

So why is this such a big deal? I mean, it's "just" about money, isn't it? Not exactly. In a few words, it's simply that I'm saying yes to myself. I'm saying yes to following my dreams; I'm saying yes to letting myself be happy; I'm saying yes to allowing myself to nurture myself as an artist. I'm simply saying yes to things that up until now I've said no to for the sake of being responsible. 

I realize that's a pretty privileged thing to be able to say. Believe me, I absolutely recognize that it is! But after many long months of conversation with Josh, along with lots of prayer, fretting, tears, soul-searching, reflection, and advice from family and friends.... I came to the conclusion that if I wasn't in an "emergency" situation (i.e. one where using some of our savings was an acceptable thing to do), I didn't know when a situation would ever come along. It wasn't a time where Josh and I had physical needs to take care of (mortgage, bills, etc).... but it was a time of desperate emotional and spiritual need. I don't want to live my life with regrets, and trust me, having my spiritual life, my marriage, and my happiness suffer would be things I don't know if I could forgive myself for.

So... I quit. And this past month has been a time of figuring out what exactly that means... but also just a time of stepping back, stepping out, and giving myself room to breathe and recover. And slowly, I'm starting to step back in. 

I know I've been gone for a very long time, but don't be fooled -- I haven't stopped taking photos. I'm still committed to a photo a day; I've just been horrible at posting them. =) However, it's time to step back into this place, and I'm excited to do so.

I'll also have some exciting news to update you on over the next few weeks/months... such as a very important piece of mail I should be receiving this week or next from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. =)

One last thing: I'm really glad you're all along with me on the journey.

The Best Pizza Ever (Outside of Italy)

Ok... so, I've been posting about food a lot lately. And this isn't at all a food blog. Oops. I guess I didn't get the memo on that one. But the thing is, I just want to share these recipes because the food is so good! I just can't help it. I hope you don't mind. =)

Today's recipe is going to be for pretty much the best pizza... EVER. I'm so not even kidding. Granted, I haven't been to Italy, but let me share a bit of my train of thought as I took my first bites:

"Wow, did I really make this? Is this my doing? And is it really as good as I think it is? Hmm, I better take another bite just to be sure... and another... ok, this is ridiculously good!"

And that's pretty much the story. It was confirmed by both Josh and Jacob (my little brother who was visiting Philly at the time). It's beyond delicious. And it's not in the least bit complicated. In fact, I made it again just to be sure. I actually convinced myself before the second go-around that it wasn't as good as I remembered... but then I made it again, tasted it again, and decided that yes, I probably could exist eating just pizza if it tasted like this.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light, May 2010 (I've been making a lot of their recipes lately -- all very satisfying, by the way). I did make quite a few of my own tweaks, including using pre-made dough and sauce from Trader Joe's (delicious and huge time savers). My version is listed below, but for the original recipe (including dough and sauce), click the link above. However, I think my edits are better, easier, and faster. ;-)

Also, note: I did use a pizza stone and pizza peel to make this. I'm not sure the crust will come out the same without them, so I recommend picking them up if you don't have them. Together mine were about $20 from Target. You can buy them for much more than that... but I figure since I'm not running a restaurant, the cheap stuff is good enough for me. =)

Pizza Margherita 

... or, the Best. Pizza. Ever.

Makes: 1 pie (it "should" serve 5 people... but it's so good it'll really only serve 3)

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough -- if you live near Trader Joe's, they carry three kinds of fresh dough (white, wheat, herb & garlic) which are all delicious and easy. They last about a week, and the best part? They're ready to go and only $0.99 each. Can't beat that! Also, I used the white both times I made this.
• 1/2 jar pizza sauce -- again, I used Trader Joe's. I think it's $1.89 a jar. Yes, I could probably make it more cheaply (and have at times), but it's a big time saver and lasts two pizzas. Also, since I'm convinced this is the best pizza ever and I made it the same way twice (using Trader Joe's dough and sauce), I'm a bit reluctant to try substitutions!
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups (5 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped -- the original calls for 1/3 cup, but we love basil and have a ton of it from our garden, so we pile it on!

Directions

1. There's a little bit of prep work involved here. But it's very easy. First off, if you're using the pizza dough from Trader Joe's (which I think you should), you have to pull it out to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. At the same time, you can put your pizza stone in a cold oven, then preheat the oven to 500. Quickly slice your mozzarella cheese, then walk away for 20 minutes. See? Totally easy prep work.
   
2. Once the dough has been sitting out for 20 minutes, sprinkle a surface with flour and/or cornmeal. This is where I'm not an expert in the least, but have just figured out something that works for me. I tend to work and roll the dough into as best and as big of a circle as I can. I transfer my dough from the counter to the peel once I get it into a large circle. Crimp the edges to make a 1/2" border. Be sure to sprinkle the peel with cornflour so it doesn't stick. (This is pretty important.)
   
3. Once your dough is ready and on the pizza peel (or a well-floured cookie sheet without a lip), sprinkle the dough with the 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, then pour on 1/2 of the jar of pizza sauce and spread evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/2" border. Arrange the mozzarella slices evenly over pizza.
   
4. Very carefully, slide the pizza from the peel onto the heated pizza stone. A spatula can be very helpful here! This is by far the hardest part, and why you need to make sure to use cornmeal!
   
5. Bake at 500 for 12 minutes or until the crust is golden.
   
6. Remove pizza and sprinkle the fresh basil over the top. Slice and serve immediately... and get ready for some of the best pizza you've ever tasted! =)

I don't have any process shots... but, mmm, I've got some finished ones, and honestly, if I had the ingredients to make this RIGHT NOW, I totally would. It's just that good.

Fresh Summer Dinner -- Roasted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

Some of you might remember when I wrote a while ago about my recovering relationship with spaghetti. Josh and I ate a lot of spaghetti at his house back in his bachelor days (in his defense, we were both teaching and it was cheap, quick, and easy). But since then, I've had a hard time really enjoying spaghetti like I used to. Every now and then, though, I find something fun that makes me give it a try again as I try to learn to love spaghetti once more.

That said... this recipe (adapted from one in Cooking Light, June 2010) is something that I could probably eat almost every day. My psychological block with spaghetti prevents it, but oh my goodness, this is so simple and so delicious. With summer coming in full swing, this is definitely going to be on our menu. The ingredients are simple, so be sure you use quality ones. This largely means make sure you have good tomatoes, fresh basil and parsley, and a cheese you like. Even once it's ready, it doesn't necessarily look like much, but don't be fooled! It's a whole bunch of deliciousy goodness, especially with a simple salad and garlic bread.

A word of warning: this meal could get expensive if you buy all the ingredients at the grocery store. This is definitely a seasonal meal, so enjoy it while these things are in season! Buying from the store, this could probably cost $10-$15. Which, for 6 servings isn't horrible, but it's definitely not great, either. However, if you have a garden, or at least an herb garden (which I definitely recommend), you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for the basil and parsley, which will significantly cut costs. And, pretty soon those cherry tomatoes will be ripe, too! (Ours are a tempting green right now... I just want them to hurry on up!) If you live in Philly, I recommend visiting Greensgrow Farms to pick up some plants, but you should be able to find them at any local nursery -- including somewhere like Home Depot.

I don't have any photos -- we ate it too quickly! I guess you'll just have to make it and see for yourself!



Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomato Spaghetti
Makes: 6 servings
Total Time:  25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt*
• 12 oz spaghetti noodles (3/4 of a box)
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (either is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 cup (3 oz) feta or semisoft goat cheese

*If you use sea salt instead of kosher salt, cut the amount of salt used in half.


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Bring about 4 quarts of water to boil in a large Dutch oven (a big pot, also known as a French oven). As you wait for the water to boil, combine the tomatoes, 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper in a bowl. Toss gently to coat tomatoes well. Place tomatoes on a jelly roll pan (basically a cookie sheet with a lip) and bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and lightly charred.
3. When water comes to a boil, add 1 Tbs salt and the spaghetti. Cook 10 minutes or until spaghetti is al dente (still a little firm). When spaghetti is done, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Then drain the noodles and return them to the pot.
4. Add tomatoes and any tomato juice to the spaghetti. Add 1/4 of the reserved cooking water to the jelly roll pan to loosen and scrape up any brown bits. Carefully pour the jelly roll pan contents into the spaghetti mixture, and add the remaining 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (the more you add, the hotter the dish will be), and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
5. Turn heat to medium. Add the rest of the reserved cooking water slowly into the spaghetti, tossing/mixing frequently. Mix in the basil and parsley. You can either add the cheese to the pot or serve it separately, adding to individual plates (or letting people add it themselves. Eat immediately and enjoy!

Photo Time!

Back in March I was in Seattle for a week. My dad was having surgery, so I was doing lots of chauffeuring and meal cooking, and my little sister was up looking at various wedding venues for next year (I still can't believe she's engaged!), but in the midst of the crazy week of busy family love, I got to spend a small bit of time with my dear friends Patye & Minh, and my favorite little "niece", Amelie.

Originally, Patye and I had talked about maybe doing a "maternity" shoot... but in the end, it ended up being a bit of an impromptu, laid-back family shoot (down to Minh in his outdoor-work sweat pants). I hadn't spent much time "preparing" for the shoot given the circumstances around my visit (i.e. my dad being in the hospital)... but it was pretty exciting to get out there for what was my first (unofficial) "official" shoot in a long time (about 4 years).

In some ways it ended up being really different than I'd envisioned, but it was still so much fun! I had such a great time (it's hard not to hanging out with their family), and I learned a lot. While I may not have gotten all the shots I'd hoped for, I think there are a bunch that truly portray their family and what they're all about: fun laughter, deep caring, intense respect, and unending love.

If you have Facebook, you can view the full album of their photos online: facebook.com/HannahSnyderChen

If not, I've posted a few of them below. You can also find some on my 365 Project blog (Photos 45-55 and Photo 102). I'd love to know what you think!

Even though you may not believe it, Patye was only 29 weeks along when these photos were taken. Today, May 21, is Lucy's due date, but she's been quite content to just delay her entrance into the world. I guess it's cozy in there. Maybe posting this will encourage her that it's pretty exciting out here, too. =)  Congratulations, you guys!

Springtime Dinner - Pasta with Asparagus & Pancetta

With it getting warmer around here, Josh and I are starting to get our garden going. Perhaps I'll post a little bit more on that later, but we're hoping to grow a bunch of vegetables and herbs again this year, as well as receive lots of delicious goodies from our community garden CSA. Along with various farmer's markets starting up, I'm hoping to significantly cut back on what we need to buy from the grocery store. It's a happy time. 

Along with the promise of fresh, local produce again, I've been pulling out some of my cookbooks and magazines, and searching for recipes that capitalize on some of this Spring goodness. Below is a recipe I found in the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light. I haven't actually used pancetta before, but have been wanting to, and this looked like a great opportunity to try. Not to mention it makes great use of fresh asparagus, which is the first local produce to hit our area.

This recipe went together really easily and pretty quickly, and Josh and I really enjoyed it. The flavors are delicate and rich at the same time, and it was a deliciously light and filling Springtime dinner. The only adjustments I made were to add a little more garlic (the original recipe called for 1 teaspoon - I used 3 cloves), and a little less than 1/4 cup cheese, but aside from that, it's pretty much all the same. Enjoy!

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Makes: 4 servings

Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz cavatappi pasta - I couldn't actually find cavatappi, so I just used rotelle
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 oz pancetta, diced
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, crumbled
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt/fat if it calls for it. As you wait for the water to come to a boil, trim and diagonally cut the asparagus into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Add the asparagus to the pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Also, while the pasta is cooking, go ahead and mince the garlic and dice the pancetta.
3. When the pasta is done, drain and sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic. Return to pan and toss well.
4. When the oven is ready, arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan (baking pan with edges). Bake at 400 for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring 1-2 times. Take out and place in a small bowl.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 475. Arrange the pancetta on the same baking pan. Bake at 475 for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp.
6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Happy 100th!

So, this is my 100th post... and in it I get to apologize for horribly neglecting this blog! It's been over 2 months since I've updated, and I have no excuses... but I do have a reason. Does that count?

Basically, this blog has become the forgotten child. I've been working to keep my photography/365 blog updated, and have sadly given all the "leftover" time to this blog. Which, obviously, has been none.

So, for my 100th post, I get to promise to hope to be more consistent once again. Because, let's be honest, there are quite a few board games to be reviewed, recipes to be posted, and random stories to be shared. =)

Week in Review

So, what's happened this week? Well...

February 4 - A field trip to The Franklin Institute. Lots of gizmos and gadgets to explore.

February 5 - The Wheaton Promise event at the Union League. We ate delicious food right as the snowstorm settled in.

February 6 - Day 1 of the great Blizzard of 2010! (We got about 2 feet of snow that day...)

February 7 - Snow church at our house! That's what you do when everything else gets canceled, right?

February 8 - A day of being snowed in...

February 9 - A story of being locked out...

February 10 - Still to be determined - check it out later. Though, we're getting pummeled with snow again - we've gotten about 8" so far, and it's still snowing... so it may very well be more documentation of Blizzard 2010!

In other words... I'm posting every day at my 365 Project, and if you're interested in daily happenings, you should check it out! =) 

Joy in the City

Last January, our church started a project to build a new adult ministry center across from the church building. Well, let me rephrase that. Last January, our church started a project to totally renovate an old, abandoned, dilapidated factory warehouse into a new ministry center called Joy in the City.

It was a pretty major undertaking, and despite a number of setbacks, we held a pseudo dedication for it last weekend. There are still a number of things to be finished, but the windows are in, the drywall is up, and it's actually being used this weekend!

This center has long been a dream for our church, and it will be a new, expanded, consistent home to a counseling center, legal clinic, adult education classes, offices, and Biblical Seminary's urban M.Div. track, to name a few. Although I was definitely participating in the dedication, I managed to snap a few pictures...

 

 

 

 

 

Community: Birthday Party Style

This post is a bit of a connection to to my earlier post about thoughts on our home and community.... at least it is for me! I'm sure you'll see the relevance between the two, although this one is just a bit more fun and lighthearted. It's an opportunity to see a little bit more of what goes on in our lives on a fairly regular basis.

This past weekend, our friends and neighbors, Ted & Katharine, had a birthday bash at their house to celebrate Ted’s golden birthday. I posted a picture over at my 365 Project, but I wanted to post a few more photos here. Here's a bit of what we found after walking a whole 5 houses down the street...


People: Blurry style. (Sorry... still trying to figure out indoor lighting when it's not fantastic and I don't want to get up in people's business. I'm thinking an external flash would be a great birthday present this year...)

Silliness: Ted style. Also, blurry style. I was focusing on something else, but there was a momentary, thoroughly Ted expression, so I tried to catch it. The goal was partially achieved.

Food: Indian style. Katharine made some amazing butter chicken curry... and promised to share the recipe with us...

Rice: Asian family style, compliments of Cecily (she's got a 10 cup rice maker... fancy, right?)

Announcing: Newlywed style. Ted & Katharine know how it's done.

Presents: Haitian style. Ted will be going down to Haiti in a few weeks with his law school, and taking the donations he asked for in lieu of gifts to the organization they'll be working with.

Dessert: Chocolate cupcake style. Mmm, indeed.

Celebration: Birthday and singing style. Hooray for Ted being born!

Candles: Trick style. Notice Ted's expressions.

"Blowing" candles out: In the sink style.

The End: Hannah style, meaning that's it for today, friends. But, one last comment:

Happy Birthday, Ted!

The Adventures of Jack Sparrow

Just thought I'd share one of my lunchtime emails with you all, concerning one of our cats, Captain "Jack" Sparrow...


From: Josh ChenTo: Hannah
Date: Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Adventures of Jack Sparrow

So I'm working away, and Jack starts doing his pathetic meowing in the bathroom. I can't figure out why until I realize he has jumped down and trapped himself in the bathtub. Survival expert he is not.

Now, I don't know if you can tell, but the reason Jack is sitting there so helplessly in the bathtub is that our shower actually has glass doors across (though we also put up a shower curtain to try and hide the awesome '70s style), and Jack was trapped. How, you ask, did he get in there in the first place? Well, take a look at the picture below...

It's really horrible quality (both photos are from our phones), but this was the site that greeted me when I got up a couple mornings ago: both of our cats, sitting atop the supporting/dividing wall beside the shower. Mizu is in front, Jack is in back. They were just as cozy as can be, perched a good, oh, 7 feet up. We're still not quite sure how they get up there (the cabinet you see is in between two walls, with no place to jump/climb onto)... I'm guessing they jump on the toilet first (below the cabinet) and then up. Regardless, they looooove being up on their high perch.

You're probably piecing it together now, but Jack must've been sitting up there, then jumped down - into the shower with the closed doors - and commenced his pathetic meowing that just melts my heart. =)

I'm so in love with our cats. It's ridiculous, I know.

And that's my lunchtime email. For some cuter pics of our little troublemakers, check out my 365 Project from a few days ago!

P.S. Just as a disclaimer, the bathroom is one of the rooms we haven't remodeled yet. Though, you know how I love me some great blue tubs, decorated glass doors, and floral wallpaper!

Home and Community

The past few months have contained a lot of realizations for me about where Josh and I are in life, and what I view as “home”. (You can see some previous thoughts here and here.) Now, there is a part of me that will always, always, always consider Washington home. We moved there the summer I was 12, and those next 6 years before heading off to Wheaton were pretty formative. Some of my most cherished friendships were forged, I discovered many different aspects of myself as I learned, grew, and created in various groups and communities, and, most importantly, it’s where my family was and still is. I’m uncertain I’ll ever be able to fully relinquish Washington as a big part of my definition of home.

That said, it’s funny what happens when you get married. In our house, we now talk of three homes. There’s my “home back in WA”, there’s Josh’s “home back in NY”, and then, there’s home… our home. And that’s really all there is to it. I’m home when I’m with Josh. Sappy, sure, but true, nonetheless. Now, that doesn’t change the deep, deep love I have for my family, nor Josh’s love for his (or our growing love for each other’s), but it does mean we’re in a different place now. The “end all” of home is simply where the other is.

Now, to add to that… location wise, we think of Philadelphia as home. Neither of us was expecting it, and I certainly didn’t even want it. But that’s what’s happened. We’ve both been in Philly 3 ½ years (and married for 1 ½ of those) and will be here at least another 3 more since we just bought our new house. And I’m actually ok with that. I still have a pretty big pang in my heart whenever we have to leave Seattle, but I’ve realized that, were I closer to my family, I would actually be really, really happy where we are. (And by closer to my family, I mean close enough that I could affordably get there and back in a weekend… like a 2-hour drive. Of course, I’d totally also love it if they were 15 minutes away.)

So, why do I like living in Philly so much now, given that: a) when I first moved here I hated it, b) my family lives 3000 miles away, and c) I live in the inner-city in a high-crime, low-income neighborhood?

Well, in one word: community.

The community here is absolutely amazing. I really mean that. There are 3 other church families on our block. Within about a 5 block radius of our house, there are… well… at least 30 other families from our church – that we know and talk to/hang out with on a regular basis. Sometimes it blows my mind a little bit to actually stop and think about that: 30 families/friends within walking distance. And that’s a low estimate. Think about it… once you hit your teenage years and stop “playing outside” regularly… how many of your neighbors do you actually know? And we’re not talking about being in college, either. We’re talking your permanent home.

It seems like the norm these days is to know a couple of your neighbors – particularly the ones who are the same age as you or have kids the same age – and to have no clue about the rest aside from what they might look like and maybe their name. That’s what I largely grew up with, and that’s what I experienced for the first couple of years after I graduated from college until Josh and I got married and I moved into Hunting Park. Then it changed.

Now, that’s not to say I know everyone on our block… because that’s definitely not the case. In fact, we’ve only met a few people so far, since we moved in in the middle of winter and it’s so cold that nobody stays outside a second longer than they need to. But we did know a number of people on our old block (2 blocks down), and had a lot more that we regularly waved and said hello to whenever we saw them. When it gets warmer, people will always be outside, talking, visiting, hanging out on the porch and you’ll get to know them – good and bad included. You see, there’s very little privacy in row houses since everything is so close by… if a baby is crying next door, you can hear it. If kids are screaming as they play in the street, you can here it. If neighbors are fighting a few doors down, you can hear it. There’s an interesting transparency here that’s very different from anywhere else I’ve lived, and it can often be pretty uncomfortable and even painful. But it’s pretty good for giving you a good kick in the rear and helping you realize your own criticisms and hypocrisy, and forcing you to confront and work to change those things. (I’m still in the process of that.)

Our neighborhood is far from perfect. It’s not what most people consider safe or desirable. I live literally 3,000 miles away from my family. But I also am part of an incredible community. In the midst of poverty, crime, brokenness, and so many other kinds of pain and painful issues, there’s a real sense of hope. Many people are originally from the neighborhood, many are not. But nobody’s looking for it to gentrify – we’re just looking for it to improve for the people here. And I think it will. My neighbors are people who really care about helping their friends out, bringing justice, and making Hunting Park a better place. They are people who want to see the kids succeed in school, youth be given the exciting opportunities they deserve, and adults fulfill their dreams and goals. And they are people who will work on your new house for hours, help you move in the middle of a massive snowstorm, watch your cats for two weeks without expecting a dime, and come over last minute for lots of board game and movie nights (that’s one of the best parts about living so close by – you don’t even have to look for a parking spot!). They are people who are ready to live life with you day by day, sharing in the good and the bad with you, encouraging you when you’re down, laughing and celebrating with you when things are great. I’d say that’s something pretty incredible, something I haven't really seen anywhere else, and the reason I’m pretty excited to stick around for at least a few more years.

I just have to figure out how to create a little more time and find a few more funds to get out to Seattle more frequently… then it'll all be perfect. =)

Hats & Scarves for Haiti

My little brother is doing the coolest project to help with Haiti relief efforts.... and I really want you to check it out!!! I am seriously so proud of him. If you haven't already, head over to The 365 Project to check it out! Here's a sneak peek:

P.S. You can read a little of my own Haiti story while you're there...

The 365 Project

Alrighty, the 365 Project has officially launched! My first photo is up, and here's a little excerpt...

So, I have to admit. Yesterday I started getting really nervous. I was thinking about how I'm starting this new project, and it's all about photography and art and creative expression, and whatever my first photo is, it should be impressive, right? Or super meaningful. Or deeply thought-provoking. Or amazingly beautiful. Or... or... or... The doubts just started piling up, thick and fast.

Check out the full post (and the photo) here.


Plus, I'm SO EXCITED about what I'm going to be posting/photographing tomorrow! Be sure to check back in, because it's going to be good! =)

The "HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY?!" Gas Bill.... or, In Which We Learn What Being a Homeowner is ALL About

I'm sure you've all had bills that you open and go, "Wow, wasn't really expecting it to be that much, but... ok... what can I do now?" and pay it. It's high enough that it sticks with you, and you change your course of action the next time you almost leave the lights on, or want to turn the heat up another degree or two.

Well. Josh and I have a similar, although perhaps a little more crazy story to add to the mix.

As you know, we barely managed to move into our new house before we left for Seattle for Christmas break. We spent 3 nights in the new house (and lived there approximately 54 hours before leaving for Seattle), then left for 12 days. Even though we had our rental through the end of December, we were completely moved out, the heat was all the way down, and no electricity was being used. When we came back in January, we spent 4 days in the house before our gas meter was read. Last Saturday we got the bill.

Ready for this one? Because I wasn't.

Our gas bill was $540!!!

Yes, you read that correctly.... $540. I think I was in shock at first. I couldn't possibly fathom how we could have a $540 bill. First of all, as mentioned before, we were GONE FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. Secondly, we keep the house at 60 except for one hour in the morning and a couple hours at night when we put it up to 64... sometimes even 65-66 if we're really cold. And did I mention Josh works at home most days during the week? We use a space heater in our bedroom at night, and during the day if he needs it, he'll use that in whatever room he's in. Granted, we didn't get a chance to put up plastic on our windows or bleed the radiators before we left (since we spent all of 54 hours in our house), but even during those two weeks, the heat was all the way down - which was 40, I believe.

Yeah, we were completely stunned and stumped, too.

Now, once we got back, we got a couple whiffs of natural gas smell. We couldn't pinpoint it, but it was only in the kitchen and the stairs from the kitchen leading down to the basement. The same day we got the bill, we called the emergency number at the gas company. They sent someone out to check for a leak.... and the guy found nothing. Zero. Zip. We even led him around the kitchen and basement - he just told us his instruments were really advanced and powerful, and that we had no leak. Since it was the weekend, we couldn't talk to the billing department, so we simply winterized whatever we could. We bled the radiators (though it turned out they actually didn't need it), and we put up the plastic on all of our windows. But aside from that, we just had to wait.

(Side note: when we moved into our rental house we bought/installed one of the energy-saving thermostats, where you can set it at different temps for different times/days. We then took it with and reinstalled it in our new house. I know most of you probably consider this normal, but if you don't have one or live in an older home like ours, I highly recommend getting one. I love that we don't have to worry about turning the heat up or down - and that we can set it for each day of the week so that on nights we have things scheduled at church and whatnot, we're not wasting heat. Plus, it just helps us save a lot of energy and money in general.)

Well, on Monday we finally got a chance to talk to the gas company about things. They put our bill into dispute, and let us know they'd get back to us within a few days. A few days later, my heart rate started returning a little bit more to normal. Turns out a couple things contributed to the high bill:

1. Because we bought the new house on Nov 20, for their own internal billing processes, the gas company waited 2 months to send the bill. Ok. In the midst of refinishing the house, we hadn't noticed a gas bill hadn't come. But $540 for two months is still a lot, even if it was for two houses (especially since we were still only living in one).
2. For our rental house, they had ESTIMATED what our bill would be. And somehow, when they estimated our usage, they estimated way more than what any of our previous bills/usage had ever been (and yes, that's taking into account that it was for two months). So when they actually READ the usage, they found out that, hmm, we hadn't used $340 worth of gas in 2 months. We'd used $200. Fair enough, considering it has been a good deal colder this winter than last year, and we didn't winterize our rental house since we were moving out.

So, our bill was now down to $410. But, in case you didn't notice, that still leaves a bill of $210 for our NEW house... the one that we lived in for 54 hours before we left and 4 days once we got back. So how the heck did we get a $210 bill?!

After doing some more snooping, and turning on lots of appliances trying to figure things out (which, as you'll see, was actually probably pretty dangerous), we thought we could narrow it down to the gas whiffs coming from the stove. They were very inconsistent, with no pattern whatsoever, but it was the best we could do. We called our home warranty people, and they said they'd send someone out, but that first, we had to call the gas company to come out and have them "tag" the stove (whatever that really means). So, gas company guy comes out again.

EXCEPT, OH WAIT. This time, the guy comes in, comes into the kitchen with the same aforementioned "advanced and powerful" instrument, and finds that there indeed IS a leak in the kitchen.... and not only one, but there are THREE. The pipe connecting the stove to the gas line had THREE HOLES IN IT. Did you hear that? THREE. And the first guy had completely missed it. The second guy actually said he had no idea how the first guy didn't catch it because it was "very obvious". Hmm. So, for the past two months we've had a pipe with three holes leaking gas into the house that cause there to be MORE gas used than it took to heat our rental house for two months. Perhaps that's been contributing to how tired Josh and I have been? Food for thought, at any rate.

But the story gets better.

Turns out, you're supposed to have an emergency shut-off valve within 6 feet of your stove. We have an "emergency" valve.... but, um, it's down in the basement. And, the guy from the homeowner's insurance who can fix the stove's pipe actually can't, because he cannot legally hook it back up until we have a shut-off valve within 6 feet. But he doesn't do that kind of work (a plumber does), and apparently, that kind of plumbing isn't covered by our warranty. Can you see where this is going?

The plumber is coming to look at things today... he couldn't give us any estimate until he looks at how far it is, what kind of piping we have, etc. All he said was that it could be anywhere from $85-$500 to move the shut-off valve. So, in the meantime, we have no stove (sound familiar, Mom, Dad, and Jacob?), we're waiting to hear the final word on the gas bill (maybe it'll come down a little bit more?), and we're waiting to see how much money we'll have to shell out to fix the piping and make our house livable again (why aren't we still renting?). Hence the title of this post: in which we learn what being a homeowner is ALL about! =)

 
P.S. If anyone has any suggestions or experience with this, we'd gladly welcome it!!!