Today I ventured on another sweat-soaked adventure, as each outing into the steaming city leaves you glowing (wilting). But I returned successful! I lugged my three terra cotta pots and 16 quart bag of soil onto the bus, with miracle grow tucked in my pocket. My plants will not die! I procured a farmer's market steal (3 basil plants for $6) and quizzed the farmer who sold them to me on how I too could grow/sustain/not kill innocent green things. I see this as my first real patient-caretaker interaction, if anyone is keep track. Once home I sloppily baptized the pots with white paint (so hot, the paint dried the instant I lifted my brush, making for awkward pot-paint negotiations), painting swirls and squiggles to my hearts content. Soon, ground breaking and planting. They will not die! Also, I discovered that Ace hardware is, apparently, my inner city stop for all needed kitchen supplies. I swear I asked every person I passed in the street where I could buy a pie pan and there must be nary a pie in Baltimore because no one knew! But in addition to soil, keys, and paint, Ace is home to bundt and pie pans. Lovely.

Crisis!

Tomorrow is a holiday and all school buildings will be closed...which are the only places I go and I have THINGS to do! I have recruited another class mate to track down all of the study-able coffee shops in our neighborhood. We will frequent each for 4 hours before getting a brief break and returning to work. The day will end with sushi. I have met some great girls, one especially that will crack the whip and make me work hard to keep up with her. Awesome (not sarcastic, really, awesome).

Moments of fear and hope are crowding so closely together its hard to distinguish one from the other. I am sitting here thinking to myself, this is why we do things that are hard and challenging. This is why we put ourselves in places that make us uncomfortable or may seem impossible. This is where we grow.

Okay kids, its happening aka I am doing it aka first homework assignments aka classes start Tuesday aka holy crapola!

Phew! I am exhausted. But I sit here scanning my Nursing Care Plan text book, reading about patient education and sample patient histories and I am totally pumped! This year will be ridiculous, exhausting, and even more ridiculous, but whoa, I will learn a lot.

Summary:

- I found the nearest Good Will (snagged some steals, like a pie pan, cute cardigan, etc). At school we have to dress business casual everyday, meaning only a limited supply of my hippie dresses are doing to be acceptable. And I can't wear sandals. And its humid and feels like 100 degrees outside (Come on!). But it will be okay because there is a H&M and I found a buddy that will clothing swap with me and I have a few more bedsheets I can turn into darling sun dresses. The Good Will was quality, though the lady at the counter looked at us like we were the scum of the earth. Nothing like a good ol' stink eye to throw you off your thrifting game.

- First load of laundry here went well. Clothes drying on the balcony. Check.

- Made a list of homework. And I wrote my new resume. Can you believe at orientation they talked to us about writing resumes? That's how fast this program is.

- Tomorrow: Yoga in the park, farmer's markets, more exploring, syllabus party, etc. etc.

Do you remember August in Hinton James with no air conditioning? Anyone? That is what it is like here except its still May. August will kill me. I literally woke up last night in a claustrophobic fit because I couldn't escape the hot, sweaty sleeping bag I was trapped in. Except there was no sleeping bag. It was the air.

Baltimore is my dragon that has taken me home (aka my eczema is healing and my asthma is gone because this city has no trees. A bittersweet victory.)

I almost feel like I need to rename the blog to signify the shift that has occurred, this move that in some ways does represent a very significant change in my life course. But I won't, you will have to discern the shift yourself, aka my absence due to excessive amounts of work.

First apartment-made meal in Baltimore: Homemade Hash Browns and a Cheeky Chick In A Loop

What is a Cheeky Chick in a Loop you ask? Well, it is a sandwich of my own invention and it is delicious. It's grilled cheese meets egg in a nest equals awesome.

Want to try this at home? Here's how:

1. Take two pieces of bread, cut one hole in each of them, of equal diameter. Eat the rounds

2. Place butter in a a heated pan, listen for a sizzle

3. Place one piece of bread in the pan and place tiny squares of cheese all around the edges (not in the hole!)

4. Place the second piece of bread on top, aligning the holes

5. Cook, flipping as needed, as cheese melts

6. Before cheese is completely melted, crack an egg in the hole

7. Cook until egg is semi solid, then flip

8. Once browned to perfection, enjoy!

YUM!

Okay, things about Baltimore:

- I live in the cultural district, which means a giant library and at least 4 museums within walking distance, several historical houses to tour, and lots of beautiful churches.

- Pretty enclosed courtyard in the apartment complex, also lots of locks and gates (for safety, Dad. I am very safe.)

- I am next to the Peabody Conservatory, which means easy music library access and limitless concerts

- The apartment is international! Moving out: a Korean and Canadian, moving in: a gal from Hong Kong and gal from Jamaica. Vieen is cute and hilarious, plays violin and studies public policy (Favorite incident so far: my uncle asked if she had a dolly and she quickly said yes. A few minutes later she was handed him a dollar expectantly, confused at his confusion. Dolly and dollar, not the same). Rhonde selected the best Korean food for lunch, winning MVP for the day, and is a Chemistry PhD candidate.

- This is a city, rolling, loud, walkable

- I am at the sea! The harbor is beautiful, with giant ships, er, one giant ship. I haven't figured out where the rest of them are.

Tonight I get the house to myself. I am resting, contemplating how to organize things. Unfortunately, I can't unpack until my first day of classes, when someone moves out of my room. Ack! But then I get the whole place to myself for three weeks! Eureka! Let the decorating begin!

Projects for this week:

Futon cover

Finish bedding

Decorative pillows

Dinnerpolooza

Oh the fun, oh the food, oh the dishes!

Pie Crazy

Can you tell its a slow day at work? I am currently researching pie recipes and all I want to do is go home and whip up the most abundant batch of pie crust ever seen by the world and bake pie after pie. Spinach ricotta, zucchini and corn, buttermilk shoefly, apple, maple pumpkin, and anything with cloud or lemon in the title. How many years until my retirement pie shop can exist?

Also, I am about to lose my mind I am so excited about Baltimore. LOSING IT! What did I do today other than look up pie recipes? Search the Johns Hopkins public health website and explored many of their community outreach programs - including their food and faith initiative to bring fresh food and produce into the inner city. I have already cultivated a list of organizations to volunteer at and explore. This is my dream! It is coming true! I am going to be equipped with a career that lets me help people, be involved in gardens, children, delicious food, community education, sunshine, making a difference, and I can make money. Praise the Lord! No, seriously, some praise is due.

Go tell Aunt Nancy the Old Gray Goose is Dead

I am in love with this woman - Almeda Riddle

Christa's Celebration de la Chic

Fashion is the unbarring of your soul to complete strangers. A mere flip flop can reveal an obsession with youth as a belt can reveal a subconscious need to reign in your inner fire. Clothes are a language and we define ourselves by what we own (or by what we don't own). How many times have you purchased something you won't really read/use/wear because you thought it would make you look/feel/be cooler? Case in point. Even a rebellion against fashion is still spoken by what you wear. You will never escape.

This season, style is all about layers. Today I dressed in 7 layers of awkward.

Layer 1: Foundation Garments, made by Underlying Insecurities

Layer 2: Camisole in Light Pink with Antique Lace Trim, made by Hide Yourself

Layer 3: Grey Blouse with Wooden Buttons, made by In My Head So I Can't Hear You

Layer 4: Jeans, made by Who Do You Think I Am

Layer 5: Extra Soft Socks of Angora Wool, made by Trying Too Hard

Layer 6: Brown Riding Boots, made by Pretending Not To Care

Layer 7: Earrings, made by Don't Look At Me

But more importantly, what are you listening to? Check out this shout-out to my brother's band. You should listen to them. It will make you cool.

I noticed at the library lately I have been running into a lot of people. Literally, bodies smashing together inconveniently as I try to accomplish the already impossible task of walking while holding things. "Oh Christa," I say to myself while rolling my eyes, "you are so clumsy!" Then this morning it happened again and I finally realized the reason: I have been walking out the entrance door rather than the exit door (This library, apparently, has two very separate, very well marked doors, one for entering and one for exiting). Got it. Not clumsy, stupid. Check.

I have been very stressed lately about getting financial aid in order for school, especially since I will be borrowing a preposterous amount of money. I have never done loans like this before and I hate doing things I don't know how to do (hearken back to Christa learning to drive, Christa learning physics, and Christa buying a car). But finally I broke down and asked some questions. You have to pity to Johns Hopkins financial aid office, because they probably have hundreds of type A, anxiety ridden, over-achievers calling them daily. The lady I spoke with exclaimed, "What did they send you students in the mail? Everyone is FREAKING OUT. Honey, you are doing a great job. Everything will be fine. We will wait for the money and you will be able to register for classes." A nice little pep talk, I thought. I have discovered that 75% of my anxiety is self-created. Not to belittle the power of this anxiety, because when it strikes it is like a lightening bolt to the brain that sucks all of the wind from your lungs and laughs as it begins to eat your heart while you watch helplessly. But...a little perspective goes a long, long way. Also, my mom was in town this weekend, a balm to my soul.

Have you ever worn a bonnet?

This was the query of a blog I read occasionally. I was saddened and mournful about the half-hearted comments of folks who vaguely recall a time in their lives where they may or may not have worn a bonnet. They say "well, I was a girl child once and I like to sit in grass, so I must have worn a bonnet at some point." Kids, if you wear a bonnet with pride, YOU DO NOT FORGET. Can I get an amen? I, naturally, commented in length. I have decided, for your reading pleasure, to create a bonnet time line of my life.

* Timeline Translation because for once "paint" has failed:

- Birth

- First Bonnet

- Walk toward my first bonnet

- First crib escape in bonnet

- Speak first word: bonnet

- Speak first phrase: Mother, where did thou place my bonnet, my head covering of choice?

- First reading of Little House on the Prairie

- Climb first tree in bonnet

- First annual Bonnet and Field Frolic

- Sew my first bonnet

- First wearing of bonnet in public aka not in a field or forest

- Finished writing "Bonnet: The Musical" which includes great hits such as "My bonnet lies over the ocean" and "I like big bonnets"

- I begin bonnet street evangelism

- First visit to the Amish; I weep for joy

- First realization that historical museums offer a bonnet-safe space

- Found B.W.B - bonnets without borders, a non-profit dedicated to bringing bonnets to those in need

- Design the first nursing bonnet

- Publish first issue of "The Bonnet Quarterly"

- Live the remainder of my life, in bonnet, on the commune, where children and flowers flourish

- Death, buried in bonnet

The most comforting fact I have ever learned: anxiety can cause dementia-like symptoms. This explains so much in my life.

Stewed

Hmmm...picture rotation problems...

but I wanted to show the flowchart that got Christina and I through dinnerpolooza yesterday. Eight hours of cooking produced brie in croute, french onion soup, garlic mashed potatoes, bouef bourguignon, green beans, buttered peas and for dessert: Queen of Sheba cake with almond cream and strawberries. It was so much fun to cook with such extravagance and then to share it all with friends. There were ten of us in all, with Christina's GIANT Le Crueset pan as the shining star. More pictures to follow.