Finally figs

June 24, 2012

I absolutely love to forage. I get so extremely excited when I find a fruit tree, a nut tree, or berries that are ripe for the picking. Since living in Texas I have discovered so many things to forage especially since it’s so warm most of the year. Despite the overall lack of rain quite a few things grown around here.

I discovered this here fig tree a few years ago in my favorite spot on campus. It’s this secluded little area up on the top of a hill right at the end of a street that is surrounded by trees. One time while I was taking a lunch break there I noticed a chewed up fig. I figured this could only mean one thing…that there was a fig tree nearby. Sure enough I was right! The figs weren’t quite ripe yet and by the time I came to investigate the second time they were all gone. Last year I don’t think the tree was very successful because of the horrible drought that happened last summer. What little fruit it did produce went to the squirrels and the birds.

This year however I got soooo lucky! A coworker brought in some fresh figs that her husband had picked and I just knew my tree had to have ripe figs also. I went home, got a container, walked to my tree, and sure enough it was covered with figs just waiting on me to come pick them! They were so ripe and delicious. I ate a few while I picked them and I still have quite a few. I’m thinking I will eat them with cheese, prosciutto, and honey. Yum!

Texas recap-moving day

June 22, 2012

Hey friends! If you are just joining me today I should let you know that I am revisiting the early times of being in Texas. I moved here almost 4 years ago and now my time here is ending. I thought it would be fun to revisit the past before moving on.

As I mentioned in previous posts Katie and I didn’t have a lot planned out when we arrived in Austin. We kept calm though and things really worked out well for us. We found a place to live on the 2nd or 3rd day if I remember correctly. That first apartment served us well. It had a pool, it was really close to a bus stop, we both had our own bathrooms, and it was in a quiet neighborhood despite being a larger complex. After living there for the first year we decided we were ready to find something a little nicer and with some character.

We ended up finding the perfect place in Hyde Park that we both loved. There was tons a light and lots of room and we still had our own bathrooms. Of course moving in never glamorous so I didn’t really document that but what I really remember about this day was how much fun we had once it was over.

Walker (we hadn’t been dating all that long at this point) and a friend of his helped Katie and I move and then after we got burgers, fries, and milkshakes and ate on a lovely patch of grass enjoying the cool night air. Then we drove around with the windows down and the wind blowing our hair everywhere. It was a blast. We laughed and honestly I really don’t remember how much moving sucked. I only think about this part of the night and laughing in the car and eating that yummy food that was so well deserved.

Texas recap-my first work party

June 21, 2012

So once again I am looking back on my time here in Austin. I’ve been here nearly 4 years and now I’m moving on. Once again the summer Olympics are almost upon us and once again I’m moving.

When Katie and I arrived here in Austin we didn’t have a place picked out to live. I had just found out the job I was interviewing for, the job I had made it to the final 2 for, was given to the other applicant, the day we left for Texas. To top it all off the car was in need of repair and neither of us had a huge sum on money. Things could have been really tense and stressful but we stayed positive and really calm about the whole thing and everything worked out.

Once we were settled into our new apartment I started looking for jobs. I searched all around but it seemed so daunting. I needed one avenue to focus on and that’s when I realized I should try a job through the University. I found their job listings and applied to a few (some I thought I had a chance at and some maybe not so much). A few days later I got a call to interview for a part time job in the office of admissions. A couple days after that they offered me the job and I began on September 15, 2008!! It was perfect! A weight I wasn’t even aware of lifted. My family finally expressed how worried they had been (ha really? no home no job not a lot of money what’s to worry about, hehe). Now we could all breathe a sigh of relief. A month after that my lovely mentor and job trainer left and I became a full time employee.

Within my first few days of working I had the privilege to attend my first monthly birthday party lunch (sometimes breakfast). The theme was hot dog bar if I remember correctly. Our parties were and are pretty great. Once a month we had a party to celebrate all the birthdays in the month. We all bring food, to fit a theme or not, and we feast. I’m pretty sure it’s a highlight for most of us.

A few months after I began working I chose to host the party. I chose to celebrate Pi day and I had everyone bring in pies both sweet and savory. It was the coolest party if you ask me! Look at all those pies! Mmm.

I made the open fruit pie and the one with the Pi symbol (pot pie) in front of me.

Lots of fruit pie, tomato pie, frito pie (haha), mini pies.