egg-in-a-hole + this & that

We enjoyed breakfast on the back patio together this morning...I betcha can't guess whose plate is whose... :)

The "Egg-in-a-Hole" is a breakfast treat that we used to eat at my sweet cousin Laura's house when we were kids. Don't know why I haven't made one before now--YUM.
<Have you ever had/heard of an egg-in-a-whole?>


While we were eating, I noticed this tiny bead of water on the chopped off stalk of my basil plant...you can also see a *tiny bit* of new growth. [Kelly (my sis-in-law) told me that if I cut the stalk completely instead of just snapping off the leaves, it would produce more...let's hope!]

on to the "this & that"...

Paul started school today, so we spent the morning printing out syllabi, organizing notebooks, and ordering his textbooks. If all goes as planned he should be finished with his B.S. by the end of next summer. YAY. [just a side-note: he is off work until September due to a lack of orders--good: allows him to focus on getting started well this semester; bad: no $.] Then he left for a flying lesson...not sure if everyone knows this or not, but he is pursuing his pilot's license--he wants to be a commercial pilot eventually. And he is so excited about it--which makes me so excited about it! He started flying in May, and was hoping to have earned the 40 hours he needed for his private license by the end of the summer. However, he ended up having to switch instructors and airports a couple of times which set things back a bit. But as of last week, he is now getting into a regular routine of about three lessons a week. And, I have to tell y'all the story about his new instructor--when they met for the first time, Paul said they both kept looking at each other, trying to figure out how they knew each other. They finally realized that Paul's step-dad coached them in little league basketball, and they played football together in 8th grade! Hadn't seen each other in years. Neat to see how God brings things full circle. He is so pumped about flying. I can't wait for his first solo flight--I can go up with him!!

Here is a pic of the kind of plane that he is training in: Cessna 152

       

I also started school today--or had orientation--my first class is actually on Thursday night, 5-9pm.../yuck/. I'll also have class on Saturdays 8a-3p.../double yuck/. Orientation lasted from 4-7p, and when I left, I was def on INFORMATION OVERLOAD. *But* I'm really excited about what I'm going to be learning, and so far, I've been super impressed with Union U and its people!

This past weekend, one of my roomies--Diana-- from sophomore year came for a visit...SO good to spend some unhurried time with her! We really had a pretty low-key weekend: stayed up late Friday night just catching up; slept late Saturday morning; shopped a little that afternoon; played a game of Farkel--in which Paul had a last second stroke of luck to beat us both!--, baked some cookies, and watched a movie that night. [Side note: I introduced her to Nutella at breakfast Saturday am and she's hooked...consider this your formal introduction, if you've never tried it. GO.BUY.SOME.NOW.] She will soon be joining the National Guard--eek! but I so admire her confidence and determination. She's one of my favorites, and it was so good to catch up for a couple of days.

Right before she left on Sunday am.     

One last thing, I have to tell y'all that I tried Iowa Girl Eats' recipe for sweet potato fries, and we--yes I said WE-- are hooked! [Y'all know this is a breakthrough for Paul. He ate sweet potatoes-a vegetable. They were NOT fried.] The recipe is SO easy and simply delish--I've already made them twice. Just slice up your sweet potatoes--I like mine pretty thin so they get a bit crunchy--drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper. 425degrees for 15 min., then 450degrees for 5min, stirring occasionally. Did I mention they were divine? Also, I tried her recipe for French Dip (Sandwiches) a la Crock Pot. It was super easy and also yummy. (Although my roast cooked much, much quicker than the 8 hours she says--mine was done after about 3.5 on low.)

Thanks for enduring such a random post. I just had to squeeze it all in. :)