I turned in my key today...all done at LOFT. Not sure what to call it, I can't really call it retirement, because I only worked there 1 1/2 years, and of course it has no benefits, I can't call it maternity leave since I won't be going back, besides, I'm not pregnant, Jessi is, so I really can't call it much except quitting. I have soooo much coming up in my life in the next while. A ton of company, I LOVE company and I want to be around to spend time with them all, and Jessi will be here in 3 weeks for 3 weeks, a long weekend at the beach with John and Rachel, Emily and Joshua, a trip to LA to meet Dennis and Abby's baby when the arrive back from Korea, (still not sure WHEN that will happen, but know it will be this year), and then of course wanting to be around when Jessi has the baby later in the fall. Rachael, the store manager was always so perfect at making sure that I had off any day I requested, but after taking a look at my calendar for the next few months and beyond, I knew that there was no way that she would be able to work that kind of magic to give me all that time off and still have me be a manager. Nope. I had to let something go and work was the obvious choice. It was the only choice if I wanted to enjoy all the good things coming up. A month ago, when I realized I need to make some choices and I told John I thought I needed to quit, he said "But you LOVE your job!" and I did...it was fun, and I really loved it when I took on the manager role. (I wasn't the store manager, I was a manager on duty.) I will miss it, miss the ladies I worked with, miss the play money, miss the fantastic discount on clothes. It was always fun to help somebody find an outfit for an event, whether it be a wedding, job interview, concert, or even a funeral. Sometimes, they would see something I had on and say, "I want that!" Now, I have never considered myself a fashion type person, but it was a nice ego boost when somebody bought something because they liked how it looked on you.

I will laugh when I remember all the things we didn't like there too, the clients who would ask your advice but not believe your answer, like which color they should wear, and buy the opposite, what size looks best, but buy the bigger one anyway, picking up the clothes they left in a huge pile, clients who spent the whole time on the phone...even at the register while paying...kids EVERYWHERE, falling mannequins, the amount of theft, unbelievable!!! and the craziest thing that happened EVERY day...some of the women would be kind enough to hang the clothes back up...INSIDE OUT!...yes, on hangers inside out! What the heck? ...so many little things that some days are nothing and other days very annoying. But I will miss it all....well....maybe... in a few days.....maybe? Funny how much I loved it until I knew I was going to be done there.

Today was my last day. WOW! What a long day it was...I felt like I was just going through the motions, good thing nothing really important happened there today, I was in survival mode only. How can a clock move so slow? Especially that last hour...tick...tick...tick...tock! I was outta there!

and then guess what I did? I met John and my parents and Cyndi and Dan (Lindy had to work, or would have been there too) and we had a little 'retirement party'. Yep, some people will think up any reason to celebrate! That's ME!

I tried a new recipe last night that was so fantastic that I have to share it! Normally, even though I love to eat shrimp, I avoid cooking shrimp at home because I just can't seem to get it right and they taste terrible.

Well, last night, I got it right! Maybe it was just that I bought some better shrimp than I usually find. WINCO had some really nice jumbo wild shrimp. Don't know if it was because they were wild or jumbo or whatever it was, but they were so good!

The recipe is a soup, but since it was mostly brothy, I served it over rice. It has red curry paste, which I have never used, I thought it was going to be spicy, but it was not, only a medium curry flavor that didn't overpower the coconut milk. I have one more serving left for my lunch, I can't wait!


Here goes:

Coconut Shrimp Soup
3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 c water and 3 tea MSG free bouillon)
1 14-0z can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tsp red curry paste
1 T fish sauce (I didn't have any, so I used oyster sauce)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tea minced garlic
1/2 tea salt
1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 scallions (green onions) sliced very thin
a sprig or two of fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a medium pot over medium high heat, combine chicken broth, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, ginger, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
2. Add green beans and cook 2 min. Add shrimp and 1/2 of scallions and cook until pink, about 5 min.
3.Put a cup of rice in bottom of bowl, pour soup over, top with the rest of the scallions and cilantro. Makes 3-4 servings.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

really...
except for those tiny slivers I shaved off for John and Rachel and Emily and Joshua...

the rest was all MINE...

a whole cake...

BUT!..It was MY BIRTHDAY!!!!...

time to hit the road...

I took a photo class last Sunday. It was so much fun! I can't believe that after all these years of taking pictures, I really don't know that much about how to really use the camera. I am finally learning how to use all those settings. Sunday we started out in the studio for some basic info, then headed to the Chinese Gardens and finished up at the waterfront. She had specific things she assigned us to do and we have to send her our assignment photos and she will critique them for us. I am especially happy with what I learned about night photography. Did you know that the hour before and after sunrise/set that the pictures you take will have a blue sky? It is called, believe it or not, BLUE HOUR. It was dark and cloudy when I took the photo above, but looks like it was mostly clear and blue sky. There were storm clouds up there and it even dropped a few drops of rain on us as we were leaving. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me and can't wait to take more.

Wishing you the Blessings that God has planned for you this Easter!