The other day when I took my husband to work, I noticed a book. (BTW, he works at a book store.) It was a book on drawing. Of course, such books always draw my attention, and this one did no less. But, this time, as I looked through it, I remembered the joys of seeing a pictures develop on a page and of looking at what I had created and a streak of creativity sprung up from deep inside.
I've had these streaks spring up before, but this time a friend also had a poetry reading at her place, which fostered this streak a bit more. As I listened to the others read their favorite poems and poems they had written, the desire to write grew inside of me. I took that desire and ran with it. I wrote and wrote, about things I had felt at some time or about something I thought. I wrote about little things like not wanting to get out of bed, and about big things, like missing Mom. None of it is very long, but its a start. Perhaps, eventually, my creative writing will grow and fully mature into something beautiful. But even if remains a stunted expression of my inward creativity, that's okay, because even stunted expressions are better than nothing!
And I think I'll keep my eye on that book. Drawing would be fun, too!
Rachael's ponderings and ramblings about life, teaching, gardening, knitting, home keeping and the various other topics and hobbies that prompt her interest.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Success, on one front
In cooking, that is.
I made a sponge cake last week. I had never attempted any thing other than a basic cake before, and after reading the recipe, I realized that sponge cakes are not a cake walk (pun intended!). But it was a chance to use my kitchen aide mixer, so I attempted the making of the sponge cake.
I actually followed the recipe exactly. I will often tweek this, or change that, especially if I don't have an ingredient, or I'm short on something, or it sounds better this other way. But this time, I did nothing of the sort; no, I followed the recipe to a "t". As I took the cake out of the oven, it looked good, and crumbs I tasted were good (it was an orange sponge cake). Then I hit a snag. Things like sponge cakes and angel food cakes must be suspended upside down while they cool, but my cake had been made in a silicone pan, which is soft and squishy, and, thus, is difficult to suspend. The pan started to squish in on itself and that didn't seem good for the cooling cake. So, I plopped the cake upside down the cooling rack. Alas, I discovered the need for suspention. The cake is sort of... squashed. Not bad, but you could see how it sank down on itself while cooling, once I put it on the cake stand. I'm still pondering the issue of "suspending" the next cake made in the silicone pan, and if you have any ideas, please let me know.
I made a sponge cake last week. I had never attempted any thing other than a basic cake before, and after reading the recipe, I realized that sponge cakes are not a cake walk (pun intended!). But it was a chance to use my kitchen aide mixer, so I attempted the making of the sponge cake.
I actually followed the recipe exactly. I will often tweek this, or change that, especially if I don't have an ingredient, or I'm short on something, or it sounds better this other way. But this time, I did nothing of the sort; no, I followed the recipe to a "t". As I took the cake out of the oven, it looked good, and crumbs I tasted were good (it was an orange sponge cake). Then I hit a snag. Things like sponge cakes and angel food cakes must be suspended upside down while they cool, but my cake had been made in a silicone pan, which is soft and squishy, and, thus, is difficult to suspend. The pan started to squish in on itself and that didn't seem good for the cooling cake. So, I plopped the cake upside down the cooling rack. Alas, I discovered the need for suspention. The cake is sort of... squashed. Not bad, but you could see how it sank down on itself while cooling, once I put it on the cake stand. I'm still pondering the issue of "suspending" the next cake made in the silicone pan, and if you have any ideas, please let me know.
More Job Hunting Frustrations
ARGH!!!!
Perhaps it is too early to be frustrated; it has, after all, only been 4 weeks since starting the "I'm really serious about finding work" process. I find a job that I think, "this might work", but as I look further into the job description, I find that I don't have experience, or the right education, or the right credentials.
Perhaps most frustrating is that I think I am most qualified to teach, either language (English, Chinese?) or linguistics, but California has made the process of getting a teaching credential long and difficult. I guess if you start out thinking that you will teach, you can get the right courses, and pick up the credential along the way. But, alas, for those of us that teaching was an after-thought, California is determined to make it about impossible for us to teach, whatever our qualifications might be! There is a good chance that every other state has the same requirements, it just so happens that I happen to be dealing with California right now, and so they get the brunt of my bashing. (yeah, it was my bad to turn down the teaching job in Fullerton, even if it was a bit far away. 'course, hind sight is 20/20.)
What else am I qualified to do? I, unfortuanately, am a "jack of all trades", which means I have dabbled in just about everything, but don't have much depth of experience in anything. Plus, I got tons of theorectical knowedge (but little practical knowledge), and I'd be glad to pass it on, but that requires a credential. Can you hear my sense of frustration oozing out of these words?
I'm sure something will come along eventually. Perhaps I should apply for stuff even if I'm not sure I'm totally qualified. Who knows? Maybe someone will take pity on me and hire me anyways.
Perhaps it is too early to be frustrated; it has, after all, only been 4 weeks since starting the "I'm really serious about finding work" process. I find a job that I think, "this might work", but as I look further into the job description, I find that I don't have experience, or the right education, or the right credentials.
Perhaps most frustrating is that I think I am most qualified to teach, either language (English, Chinese?) or linguistics, but California has made the process of getting a teaching credential long and difficult. I guess if you start out thinking that you will teach, you can get the right courses, and pick up the credential along the way. But, alas, for those of us that teaching was an after-thought, California is determined to make it about impossible for us to teach, whatever our qualifications might be! There is a good chance that every other state has the same requirements, it just so happens that I happen to be dealing with California right now, and so they get the brunt of my bashing. (yeah, it was my bad to turn down the teaching job in Fullerton, even if it was a bit far away. 'course, hind sight is 20/20.)
What else am I qualified to do? I, unfortuanately, am a "jack of all trades", which means I have dabbled in just about everything, but don't have much depth of experience in anything. Plus, I got tons of theorectical knowedge (but little practical knowledge), and I'd be glad to pass it on, but that requires a credential. Can you hear my sense of frustration oozing out of these words?
I'm sure something will come along eventually. Perhaps I should apply for stuff even if I'm not sure I'm totally qualified. Who knows? Maybe someone will take pity on me and hire me anyways.
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