Oh, motherhood

THIS post was SOOOO helpful for me today!  I definitely needed to be reminded that it is fine if Everett doesn't sleep through the night yet (and likes to sometimes wake up every two hours..STILL and likes to breastfeed A LOT.... ).

I keep going back and forth as to wether I want to do some form of controlled crying but then I always decide he's not ready.  I am not against controlled crying and I still don't know what we'll do down the road, but right now, Everett is 5 months old and he is doing his thing.  I am home with him for a reason.  I made the right decision to not go back to work and we are going to be just fine.  We've made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to take time off from teaching, I am happy about it.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in what Everett SHOULD be doing...especially when it comes to sleep.  He is doing great with all his other milestones...he's rolled over, but he doesn't do it on command...because he doesn't need to prove to me that he can do it...he just does it when he feels like doing it...

Last night he slept for a four hour chunk, ate, and then slept for a three hour chunk, decided to get up at 6 and wanted to be back in bed by 7:30....ALL totally new things he's never done...he didn't even sleep with us last night...Like the post so wonderfully explains, I have a human baby, not a robot baby and I prefer it.  I prefer my need to read his cues and just enjoy the ride.  Sometimes he wants to sleep peacefully with us...sometimes he kicks and flails around when sleeping with us and so he needs to sleep in his own space next to us...I have no where to be and no one to answer to so I am going to enjoy this time away from the working world and just be a momma.

I love being Everett's mom, but I think lately I have started to get so bogged down with others questioning his habits and then my own stupid hangups of comparing him with what the good people on the web think he should be doing.  Lesson learned...I think I have just reached my limit of seeking out what everybody else says about what Everett should be doing and eating and how long he should be sleeping and I am just going to pay attention to what Everett has to say on the matter.  I will look up information and ask others another time...right now I need to just relax and enjoy this little human that I have the privilege to get to know and care for.

Genuine

The introduction to a new book I started reading today includes an excellent quote I feel I need to post.

"There is something in  every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have.  And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls."  --Howard Thurman

I am thinking about this today and what it may mean for me.

Making and Canning Strawberry Jam

**Here’s what I’ve learned through the years about canning jam (still learning)...you can always google it to help you prepare (I visited many sites over the years to help me prepare).  It is a little overwhelming at first, but it becomes second nature and is very manageable, especially if you have multiple people helping out.  The first year, I definitely felt like it was a little much--the past two years have been a lot smoother so don’t give up!  :)

Canning Needs:

Water Bath Canner

Canning tools kit (his tools like a funnel, headspace measurer, tongs to transport hot jars to and from water bath, magnetic stick to pick up lids so you do not touch--touching can cause bacteria to be inside the jar)

Half pint jam/jelly jars

Lids and rings for the jars (you can reuse the rings, but lids must be brand new and not reused--this is what seals the jars.  Most jars also come with labels for when you are finished.

Hot, clean rag to wipe the rim of the jar once it is fill.  You want to wipe around the rim several times after you fill the jar with jam and before placing the lid on the top--this helps it seal. 

Fresh strawberries that are in season--waiting too long after you have picked them will not make for good jam.

NOTE: To can, all jars must be sterilized in hot water--preferably run through the dishwasher and then just keep in the dishwasher until you are going to fill them and then process them in the water bath.  You do not want to fill jars that are not hot/warm.  Same with the lids.  We usually have a small pot of hot water on very low with the lids soaking in them so they stay sterilized and hot for when you are ready to use them.  The rings do not need to be sterilized--they just keep the lid on and make the jar look nice.  The tools above are a lifesaver, so I highly recommend buying them.  Walmart is your best bet for all of the supplies.  They usually have a canning section.  When in doubt, be overly concerned with cleanliness so that you don’t get bacteria in your jam.

Here’s the recipe:

--2 Quarts strawberries--crush 1 layer at a time (if you have a food processor, just pulse several times depending on how chunky you want the jam--very simple!)

--7 cups of sugar

*NOTE--we started weighing the strawberries and sugar and have figured that it takes equal parts strawberries and sugar if you want to go that route.  Weighing has been much easier for us.  If you want to use the recipe by weight, it takes 3 lb. 4 oz of strawberries and 3 lb. 4 oz. of sugar.

--1 package of powdered pectin (we have tried the liquid pectin and DID NOT like the results)

--1/4 cup of lemon juice

1. Combine strawberries, powdered pectin, and lemon juice in a large stock pot.  DO NOT ADD SUGAR YET :)  We use a deep, stock pot because when you do add the sugar, the mixture can really rise fast and you risk it spilling over the sides.
2. Bring the mixture to a good boil, stirring occasionally.  Then, add sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Return to a rolling boil.  
3. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat.  Skim the foam off of the top.  
5. Ladle the hot jam into hot jars (the funnel really comes in handy here), leaving a 1/4 inch headspace (measure using the tool in your kit).
6. Wipe the rim of the jar several times with a clean, hot rag.
7. Use the magnetic stick to grab a lid from your pot of hot water and place lid on top.  Adjust ring around the jar.
8. Use your tongs from the kit to transport the jars to the boiling water canner (make sure the water is boiling before you start timing).  Process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.  We can usually fit around 7 of the half pint jars in the canner at a time.  Make sure the jars do not touch each other and are on the rack that comes with the canner so they do not sit on the bottom in the canner and make sure there is plenty of water above the jars (as you continue, you may need to add more water to the water bath so that this is possible).  You want the boiling water to be able to circulate all around the jars. 
9. When the 10 minutes are up, use the tongs to carefully lift jars out of water and unto a steady, flat surface.  We put down a bath towel for the jars to sit on.  After a little bit of time, you should hear the jars start to “PING.”  This means the jars have sealed.  You may not hear the ping for all of the jars.  A way to test if the jars sealed is to push down on the center of the lid.  If it doesn’t pop up, you know it sealed properly.  If it does make a pop sound, you can still use the jam, but it must be refrigerated and used sooner.  Jars that are sealed can be stored on a shelf and then refrigerated after opening. 
10. TIP--collect the extra bit of syrup from each batch in a bowl to use later over the top of ice cream or to blend with ice cream and milk for a to-die-for strawberry shake.  This won’t be canned, so you just have to refrigerate it and need to use it within a week.

RECIPE YIELDS ABOUT 8 HALF PINT JARS (for us, slightly more for some reason).  We also like to fill the cute, little jars to give as gifts.

I'm back?

   I might be back...we'll see.  I don't post on here too often.  With pinterest, punchfork, and etsy currently satisfying my need to collect things I like in a visual way (thus, the subtitle of this blog, my cabinet of curiosities) and working on a shutterfly maternity memory book, it has been difficult to want to blog.  I love reading blogs.  I have many saved in my google reader, but it is sometimes confusing for me to know if I feel like writing something that potentially anyone can see.
   The reason I am here is that now that school is out and I am 8 months pregnant with our first child, I have been busy preparing for our little one to arrive.  I have especially been preparing in terms of food!  I have tried many new recipes, which is something I LIVE to do, but have also been cooking and baking a lot of my go-to's so that I can freeze and store for after our baby arrives.  I know it will be too easy to want to just order in food, which I'm sure we'll do occasionally, but with me breastfeeding, this is not ideal.
   I am so blessed to have the summer off before our baby gets here to dive into all things related to nesting.  I am enjoying every minute of it--even last week with the major temperature swells!  Today is wonderful!  The air conditioner actually makes it cool in our apartment and I can go to the bathroom or kitchen without sweating!  I was starting to get a little cranky, something new for me while being pregnant.  Before the heatwave I have loved everything about being pregnant.  Hopefully this 80ish degree weather will continue and I can continue to enjoy my last month of pregnancy!  I will either way, but it sure would be nice to be cool during it!
   Well, that is a little of what I've been up to.  I am posting a new post that is a HOW TO for making and canning strawberry jam.  This is something that my husband and I have done for several years now with his mom and dad.  We pick, cook, and can all in the same day.  With four people, though, it is not too bad and well worth the effort!  I just used some of our jam with the biscuits I had this morning for breakfast.  Delicious!  We always make a lot of extras for gifts as well.  Friends and family members have started to know that June soon means a fresh jar of jam.  I like that a lot.  Anyway, I have tried to be as detailed as possible to include all the little things to remember when canning, which I learned over the years through various websites and books on the subject.  The jam recipe is from Ball's Blue Book of Canning.  Sorry I do not have the exact link for the book, it is my mother-in-law's. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you use the recipe and how it turns out for you.

Finally using up some sweet potatoes

Today I am trying my hand at a sweet potato pie using some combination of these recipes:

here, Here, and HERE....we'll see :) I've never even eaten sweet potato pie, but I am sure I will like it. I am making the puree using the crockpot method I found from THIS website. So glad I won't be wasting these little beauties.

Sparkle Fingers!

We had our Girls on the Run race today and it was a lot of fun! My two running buddies rocked it! We had excellent weather, perfect for running. The race is always so special for the girls because the finish line is inside Toyota Park and they display the girls on the jumbotron.

Running a race always makes me want to sign up for another one. I am comfortable running a 5K at a slow pace, but I want to work up to feeling comfortable running at least five miles. I don't know if I am ready anytime to run another half marathon, but we'll see. I have been toying with the idea...especially if it is in a fun city :)

Time to eat my leftover greek chicken and orzo and do a little knitting! What a lovely day!

more thoughts on success

Success today is going to the library for picture books for a unit on inferencing and loving it. Success is looking online for reading comprehension ideas to help me teach...without pressure, for pleasure, because I enjoy teaching.

Success is sitting through a meeting this past week--getting chastised--except this time, leaving the meeting knowing that I am doing a good job and staying confident in what I know works (see our results from last year).

The me of previous years would have wilted and felt more insecure at a bad meeting. The me this year realizes that you can't please everyone and I know that I have my students best interests in mind. period. I feel so much freedom and I know this will only help me to do a better job than last year. Last year I felt so much worry and anxiety. This year, I feel hope, I feel like trying new things, I feel like working harder than ever and it is self-driven, not out of fear that I will get a bad review. SUCCESS! I am SO loving this concept of one little word. January will be here soon and I am already thinking about the word I will focus on in 2012. Still not ready to give up the word, success, though, because I know I have more to learn. Small steps (this is a hard concept for me. I want things fast and RIGHT NOW).

success

So, I found out about something called One Little Word from a blog that I really like and decided to give it a go. I thought at first that the word I would choose would be enjoy...which is something that I decided would be a focus for me this school year (my saying was, "enjoy the whole process"). It is a good thing for me to think about, except that it just hasn't been strong enough to really change much about my work habits. I have still been working way too much and feeling way too much anxiety. After several conversations with my husband, the one most poignant occurring on our fifth year wedding anniversary, I discovered that I have a really distorted view of success.

So, with the suggestion of my husband, (he said to pick failure, which is also very fitting since I do see that I often fear this the most) I choose the word success. I will be thinking on this one little word and all that it means as until New Years. I love this concept of having a singular focus and then seeing all the dimensions it will inevitably take as the year progresses. Today, succes for me, is cleaning my whole house and getting rid of things I don't need. Today, success is waking up early and hitting the farmer's market with my best friend and husband and not giving a second thought to the work I know I will get done. Success, today, are my plans to cook a delicious meal and have my family over....again, leaving the work I know I will do and get done until tomorrow.

I usually end up working both of my days off and I just can't do that all the time. Success used to mean making other people happy and pleased with me. Success used to mean living up to the expectations (and perceived expectations) of others. These next couple of months I am choosing to think differently.

Bagels

HERE is the recipe I used to make bagels this week. It is different from an old faithful recipe that I really loved but that I lost to a dead link on the internet. This one is great, straightforward, and simple. I did not use the malt syrup that the recipe calls for, instead I used honey and it seemed to work just fine. I topped mine with fresh minced garlic, kosher salt, some I made with several different kinds of seeds, some I made with rosemary, salt, and garlic, and a few I made cinnamon and sugar (although I prefer the savory over the sweet).

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. I will definitely learn my lesson by printing this little baby out so that I have it no matter what!

Fresh Tomato, Green Pepper (and Cucumber) Salad

School is out and I am back in action around the house. Goal for this coming school year is to still do things I enjoy doing despite the long hours I put in..we'll see. For now, no worrying about it, just going to enjoy it and play as hard as I worked this school year...WATCH OUT!

So far I have been cleaning and reorganizing and rearranging and LOVE IT! I donated my hair to Locks of Love so I have a spiffy new haircut, which was free by the way because I let a Tricochi student use my head in order to take her test over cutting long hair into layers...her first time ever cutting a real person's hair and she did such a good job! I had a dentist appointment today and am CAVITY FREE!! SUCH GOOD NEWS BECAUSE I HAVE A HISTORY WITH LOTS OF DENTAL WORK, UGH! AND, tomorrow I am going with my mother-in-law for a manicure and pedicure through an awesome deal on Groupon.

Ok, enough of my gushing about how happy I am to be on vacation...Here's the recipe I made today for lunch. I am not sure where I got this recipe. I had the card in my recipe box and pulled it out while going through my recipes to menu plan this summer. Here it is!

2 large tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 cucumbers, chopped into small pieces
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 TB red wine vinegar
1 Chopped green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 Red Onion (optional) **I didn't have it on hand or else I would have added it for sure!
Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, Italian herbs


Next up....Bagels! So sad that my usual recipe's link died. I found another recipe that I am going to try today.

Going to crash a Diddy party in disguise....

A little taste of a song I am enjoying off the newest Weezer album:

You don't keep house and I'm a slob
You're freakin' out cause I can't keep a job
We don't update our blogs
We are Trainwrecks


This song just cracks me up because it describes how things have been going so far this year...and really, in the end, does any of it really matter, nope. So, who cares if our place is messy or I haven't been on blogger or tweeted....

I am really pumped to be turning 27 tomorrow. I spent this weekend feeling really peaceful and content. My job is tough, but rewarding. The reason I have been so stressed is completely my own fault. I am learning how to deal...learning how to stop this need to always please and to stop being so concerned that I am messing up. I have had a rough few months (and all of last year) because I have not let go of these things. I have tried to hold onto things so tightly and that just doesn't work. I need to wake up, do my best, and leave it at that. I know how hard I work and that's all I can do. I have tried to force things and have worried over things waaaaaaaay too much and it has not brought me much gain nor peace/happiness. If I get a bad observation, or upset someone, what is the worst that could happen? It sounds insane, but I have to think these kinds of things through. My worst fear is disappointing someone who cares about me/believes in. I have to start living my life and not be so afraid of these kinds of things.

I have been putting myself and the people close to me through craziness and I am just not going to do it anymore! This next year is going to rock!

Bagels

Yay! Yay! YAY! I made bagels for the first time this morning!!

Check out this link for a great recipe.

I tried to post some great videos from E-How.com, however, I couldn't quite figure it out...so, if you need the visual, like I did, you can search on E-How.

I am super excited because bagels are so delicious and I never thought I could make them! I topped mine with a variety of things---garlic, salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, and cinnamon and sugar. The recipe makes 10 and I read that if you do not boil the bagels (which I did), you can freeze the dough, let rise, and then bake. This really cuts down on the time it takes, which it is rather involved, but TOTALLY worth it!!

Well, time to relax a little and clean up a bit before Tom's family comes over. Tonight, we are celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday at an awesome pot sticker house in bridgeport!!

Happy Weekend to all!!

Summer Grilling

Tom and I bought a grill this summer and love it! I especially love it because we can have home-cooked meals without making our kitchen so hot. It is miserable to cook in there during the summer. It also saves us money on our gas bill, since our electricity is always higher during the summer in order to run our window-unit air conditioner. We bought a small, table top grill so that we can take it with us on our camping trips. Camping is WAY UP THERE on my list of things to do this summer...we'll see!

Last night's meal was probably our favorite meal so far. We grilled:

*Lemon-Herb Pork Chops--marinated them in olive oil, lemon juice, and rubbed on some garlic, oregano, parsley, sea salt, and ground black pepper. The secret was rubbing on some Rocky Mountain Seasoning from Pensey's. SO GOOD!

*Seasoned Apples--core the apples and fill with a little butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and then top with a few drops of water and seal in tin foil to throw on the grill for about 30 minutes. SO EASY and delicious!

I also made brown jasmine rice and green beans that I seasoned with Northwoods Spice from Pensey's, using the stove. I had a Fat Tire (my favorite beer) and Tom had a Heineken. It was such a fun night to sit at the dinner table, talk, and listen to some records. We both agreed that it was even better than the night before, where we went out to dinner. Sometimes it is so easy when we are at home to eat dinner in the living room and watch a movie or tv show on the internet. Sitting at the table was very lovely and I am going to make it a priority to do a little more frequently.

Tonight, we are grilling marinated round steak and seasoned carrots. I think we'll grill the apples again for dessert!

Even my neighbor's mexican tuba music can't bring me down...

This summer marks four years of living in Chicago. There have been many ups and downs, just as anyone experiences, but the past two years have been especially tough. Not that it was all terrible or horrible or awful, just difficult. I have never felt so challenged personally, and then to be so early in our marriage added another level. We have both learned a lot, so I am happy to say that I think things are starting to look up. I feel a lot more freedom and security and hope for the future. Part of this is because last week I was hired for my first teaching position! I am so happy to officially begin my teaching career! Summer school will be over in another week and a half and I will have a good portion left of the summer to relax , visit with family and friends, and prepare to teach 6th/5th grade! Tom is busy working for a free breakfast/lunch program in the city and is doing really awesome things with that. The program lasts through mid-August, so we are just praying that he is next to land a teaching position for this coming school year.

This would mean the world to us and would finally give us both the stability we have been longing for. We know that we just have to continue to work hard, trust God, and be patient that it will come. We believe our hearts are in it for the right reasons, so we have no reason to worry.

SO...YAY! I feel READY for whatever God has planned!!!

Peanut Butter--Yum!

I made some peanut butter today using a recipe from the Food Network. I made a slight adjustment or two (instead of using peanut oil, I used olive oil and then added a tiny bit of sesame oil, which I am not sure if it really made a difference, but it tastes delicious either way). I am looking forward to a PB and strawberry jam sandwich on homemade wheat bread for lunch tomorrow!

I truly get SO much satisfaction and joy through cooking. I am so happy to have the extra time to do so...now, if I can just make time next school year.

Ok, so here is the recipe that I adapted from Alton Brown of the Food Network:

Ingredients

• 15 ounces shelled, unsalted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• A touch of sesame oil

Directions

Place the peanuts, salt and honey into the food processor. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Place the peanut butter in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

I never have this much energy on a school night! Maybe it was the Americano I had after school, or just the way things have been going lately. YAY for a great weekend and a happy outlook on the coming week! I am pretty busy at school, but every teacher is as the year comes to a close.

This weekend Tom and I enjoyed good food as well as company. I was able to start an herb window box, do a little organizing, and finish up a knitting project. Unfortunately, this weekend also included a going away dinner for our friend, Michael, who is moving to North Carolina to start law school. I am so happy he is going for his dreams, but we will miss our Thursday TV and dinner night. I loved using him as an excuse to try out some new recipes!

To wrap up this post, I must also mention that in 30 minutes I will be tasting fresh bread from my new-to-me bread maker!! Tom and I picked it up today from John, a nice man who sold it to us for an awesome price via Craigslist! I hope it is good! I used this recipe, from the amazing, Finding Joy in My Kitchen blog. I want to try all of her bread recipes! I am planning on making french toast in the morning as well as use it for my sandwich for lunch...we'll see!

Pita Chips

Here's a simple recipe Tom and I use at least once a week. I love having chips with a sandwhich for lunch during the week, but chips can be pretty expensive and most aren't really that good for you....so, we started buying whole wheat pita from the market and then turning them into pita chips and they are SO TASTY!

To make them, split the pockets in two so that you can get even more chips for your buck. Then, just use a pizza cutter to cut the pita bread into bite-size, chip-like pieces.

Once all the pieces are assembled on a cookie sheet, drizzle them with a little olive oil. Last, sprinkle them with seasonings and bake at 350 for about 5-7 minutes (or until they are a nice golden color).

I like to try out all kinds of flavor combos but my two old faithfuls are as follows:

*Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder

OR

*If you are lucky enough to have a Penseys Spice store nearby, buy the Brady Cheese Sprinkle and give the pieces a light dusting ( a little goes a long way).

Hope you enjoy!

fun with oral hygiene!

Check out this toothbrush my sister told me about. I bought one yesterday at Target and really like the design. I also like it because the handle is made from the plastic of recycled yogurt cups! AND when it is time to get a new toothbrush you can mail it back to the company (postage is already paid for on the package) so that it can be reused again. I think that is pretty neat!

i do this for the wormies...

So! After many years of talking about it, Tom and I finally made a worm box!! I learned of using worms for composting when I took an organic gardening class at IU and have wanted to make one ever since. I hope our worms are happy in their new home! Here are some pictures of our little project. I wanted to take pictures, step-by-step, but our two young and very energetic neighbors saw what we were doing and were VERY curious and wanted to "help." It was really cute to see these two girls so excited about worms! They were even picking them up! I loved it because this being the city, at school, I had trouble just getting kids to pick up soil to plant sunflower seeds. It was great to see their fascination and wonder.

Here are some great websites where you can learn more about worm boxes:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/build-your-own-worm-bin.php

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/homecomposting/worm.html

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm

ooooo weeeee! what's up with that, what's up with that?!

Well, I have realized that this year, for me, has been all about learning the hard way. I spent the first half of my break with family, but I was halfway miserable most of the time. It was a really hard thing for me for some reason. I jumped right out of my hectic life into my hometown and I found that I was easily irritated and not to mention exhausted. I wanted to make sure to spend quality time with my family, but I was just so spent. I fought it until I just became a big grump and had to give in and stay at my mom's and sleep. I thought I had rested, but my body thought otherwise.

I got back, had a productive day--writing thank you cards, doing a bit of organizing, blogging, ate dinner with my hubby, did my usual bedtime routine which includes flossing my teeth and woke up in the middle of the night with SERIOUS tooth/gum pain and an ENORMOUS migraine. Boy, I was ticked. I had plans of organizing the office, baking and cooking at least seven new recipes, cleaning the whole house (including mopping with my brand new mop head), making this container to grow tomatoes in, but all to no avail.

My body was ticked off and I spent the rest of Tuesday, all of Wednesday, all of Thursday, and most of Friday in serious, miserable pain. Nothing helped to relieve the pain. Toothaches and migraine combos are the absolute worst. I would have much rather birthed triplets than deal with it (i think??). BUT, I refused to go to the dentist until Friday when they couldn't get me in until 2:00. The main reason I didn't want to go is due to finances, but I finally got in through my thick brain that I had to go...there was no other option...nothing was working for me. And I am so thankful I went. The dentist was wonderful. She examined my tooth and is going to give me a partial root canal in two weeks and then finish it in September, when hopefully I will have some kind of insurance. It turned out to not be so bad...even the bill. I just have to get through the next two weeks...the antibiotic and pain medicines she gave are miracle drugs and make me feel like nothing is even wrong, so thankfully, it won't be so bad!

All this to say that last spring break, when I finally took a moment to relax, I ended up with a crazy fever/rash that made me look like a sun-burned lobster for three days. I slept SO much and thought I was going to die.

Tom pointed this out to me---that I just go, go, go through the school year and then when I finally have a break that is longer than the weekend, my body just screams and yells and punishes me in very creative ways. I am promising myself that when school starts back, no matter what, I WILL rest and take a little time, even for just five minutes a day to relax. I used to think knitting was my way to relax, but too often I use it as another chance to be productive...to make something for someone. I always have a project that I am working on for someone else. I rarely knit to just knit.

To prove that I am FOR REAL about this commitment to relaxing I am going to read this book called, Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton. I found it in a box of my sister's books while I was visiting my mom and I am going to give it a whirl. In all seriousness, I have learned that having a day off from work does not equal rest if I am constantly thinking about work, planning, grading, obsessing. I am going to try to learn to rest my mind.