When I Think of Fall...

It was bound to happen eventually. I was one week strong, blogging every day about the incredible going-on's, ponderings and ramblings in my life...when this morning, it hit me: I have nothing to write about. I knew it would inevitably happen, but I hadn't yet decided what my counter-defense would be. Do I write something fluffy, insignificant and superficial for the sake of keeping my streak going? Or do I limit myself to things I deem to be of importance and allow myself to succumb to writer's block? I've witnessed other bloggers going in both directions and haven't yet decided which group I will fall into, but until I do...

Here's my response to FTLOB's prompt, "When I think of Fall, I think of..."

Fall at Eastern

...Apple Picking at Linvilla Orchards

Bekah and I getting our apple-pickin' on!

...College Day on the Parkway

Love Park in Philly

...Halloween

The Impending Holidays

Don't get me wrong I love all things fall: pumpkin-picking, Halloween, playing in the leaves. But for me Fall is that time of year when I can feel that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. And with so much to love about the holidays: friends. food and family...that's my favorite thing about Fall.

...Home for the Holidays

Sunday Blessings: Part Trois

It's Sunday y'all and I'm up bright and early! Well, early. The impending winter sun has not yet shown it's face at this ungodly hour.

Time for another dose of humility, thankfulness and...Sunday Blessings!

hubs

Last night when the sleepies began coming on and it was about time to bring our lovey dovey long-distance phone conversation to a close, I asked my betrothed to sing me a lullaby. Not only did he do it, but it was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. Music to my ears. I lay, smiling ear to ear, wondering how I was so fortunate to find my soulmate. The past year has been easily the happiest in my life and I absolutely have him to thank for it.

work

Okay, so this isn't directly linked to work, but it's relevant, I promise. For about a week I haven't had hot water in my apartment due to a malfunctioning part on the hot water heater. I have dishes stacked up to the cupboards and it's definitely an inconvenience, but it could be a lot worse. I work at a premier health club- with some of the nicest showers I've really ever seen in a fitness facility. Holla!

family

I was blessed to have some of the greatest conversations this week with my Mommy and baby sister. When you have three people as close as we are, (especially three people as stubborn as we are), there's bound to be times when we butt heads, but at the end of the day- these are the people I love most in the world and they know my heart better than anyone. I seriously have the best family!

How has God blessed you this week?!

The Great Basil Experiment

I love basil. Fresh basil pesto. With tomato & mozzarella. Just the smell of it puts my soul at ease. So when the weather started getting cooler, I was not yet ready to say good-bye to my baby (they grow so fast, don't they?).

I'd heard and read all about salvaging your herbs and creating even more babies, but had never tried it myself. So as the the leaves began to turn and I could sense Jack Frost making his arrival soon, I decided to embark upon...The Great Basil Experiment! 

1. I started by breaking my off some of the branches. I tore some and cut some (to see if there was a difference in the success rate) right where the branch meets the main stem.

2. Once I had my mini-basil clones, I filled a bunch of plastic containers (I knew I was hanging on to those old salsa containers for a reason!) and Tupperware with warm water. Believe it or not, the temperature of the water does matter. With the exception of bulbs, most plants don't take kindly to cold water. I then placed them on my windowsill to ensure they'd receive plenty of sunlight.

3. It's been about three weeks since then. Today, I decided to see how they were faring. I knew that they had to be doing okay because they continued to flower, but I hadn't yet examined their roots. This is what I saw:

After I took this picture I busted out laughing- doesn't it look like Mr. Basil is just lounging in  a hot tub?

Amazing, right?!

4. I also did some routine maintenance. I changed the water (it was looking a little murky), took out all the dead and/or moldy leaves and trimmed the flowers. Another tip, the flowers on basil don't do anything except look pretty and suck energy away from the leaves. If you want the best possible tasting basil, do yourself a favor and get rid of the flowers.

Before

After

5. In the next couple weeks, I plan to get some potting soil and hit up Goodwill for some cute jars, pots and/or mugs. I'm thinking Christmas presents! I'll upload some more pictures then.

In the mean time, enjoy a beautiful shot of my very last harvest of the season:

The Best Things Happen after 2 AM

There's an episode of How I Met Your Mother entitled "Nothing Good Happens after 2 AM." Although it's entertaining (as is every episode of HIMYM), I have to disagree with the good sir, Ted Mosby. In fact, I would argue that the best adventures, the best stories and the best thoughts frequently happen in the wee hours of the morn'.

Last night, staying up until 5 AM watching re-runs of The Colbert Report and creepily stalking my own blog (admit it, you do it too!) was the best thing I could've done. I should pretty much be a professional job-seeker. I rock at finding and applying to jobs (it's landing them that has eluded me...). I began working on an Excel sheet of virtually every anti-hunger or international relief organization that I could find that might hold the key to avoiding unemployment post-grad school. I looked at the type of positions that I might potentially be qualified for when a thought occurred to me.

Many of the jobs I've been applying to thus far have been all wrong for me! As you may have read on here already, I've been incredibly all-over-the-place about my grad career: whether it's the right choice, what I want to concentrate on...I've been leaning more and more toward finally integrating writing into my career and it struck me last night, that not only is it what I'd like to be doing, it's what I need to be doing!

I am not a natural born leader. Never have been. I hate the feeling of people looking up to me for guidance. I hate being responsible for organizing events and programs. I hate being the center of attention. I've always known this about myself, however, my desire to seek global change kind of overtook my rationality in regards to where my strengths lie. Last night, after 2 AM, I had a "Eureka!" moment. Writing is my ticket to changing the world!

I can't lead a company, or direct a program (as much as I dislike admitting it), but I can communicate on behalf of those leaders! I'm a decent writer and the thought of spending my days pouring out the written word regarding my passion for hunger issues sounds about eleventy more times appealing than causing myself unnecessary stress trying to do something I just don't have the ability or desire to do.

Needless to say, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Perhaps, this is why it was God's intention to keep me in school, after all. I may have a clue what I'm doing with my life...

Hallelujah!

Throwback Thursday

Today, in honor of this beautiful Thursday afternoon and my new-found ability to create buttons (Thank you, FTLOB!) I am initiating...

Each Thursday, I want to make a habit out of taking a trip down Memory Lane and re-visiting past blogs. It's so fun to look back on past experiences and marvel at how my life has taken shape. I am in a constant state of evolving and growing into what I hope will be a faithful, loving and graceful servant of God. 

Today I chose a blog I wrote following my semester in Uganda. Our last 5 days in the Uganda Studies Program were spent on a debriefing retreat so that we could share everything we'd learned, confess our worries for how we would implement our knowledge upon arriving home and preparing for the inevitable culture shock we'd experience once we were immersed once again in American culture.

This is a letter I wrote to myself on our last day of the retreat, and is one I read every so often so I don't forget the value of my experience abroad and don't allow myself to ever take for granted the life I've been so blessed with:

A Letter To Me

For a Reason

Call me naive. Call it blind faith. Call it a scapegoat. I believe everything happens for a reason.

I believe I was wait-listed when I applied to Uganda and had to wait a semester...for a reason.

I believe I got offered an AmeriCorps position in that little Ohio town...for a reason.

I believe I got into the Food Studies program at Chatham University...for a reason.

And,

I believe that in the midst of this job vs. school dilemma, I'll remain in school...for a reason.

Allow me to explain.

Prior to starting my first semester at Chatham, I applied for a position at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. I kind of forgot about it as the weeks passed until about 2 months later, I received an e-mail requesting an interview. The morning of, my suit was laid out, my hair straightened and I was ready to go! I typed the address into my phone and was on my way. 45 minutes later...I was lost. I usually make a habit of scoping out the locations of my job interviews beforehand just to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, I had just returned to Pittsburgh after a week spent in Ohio for a friend's funeral and frankly did not have the time. I realized my error and called the Food Bank immediately to explain the situation and re-schedule.

The Food Bank was kind enough to re-schedule and 2 weeks later I was in a conference room surrounded by potential supervisors profusely apologizing for my prior absence. I rocked the interview and was soon called back for a second.

After a long game of phone tag with the HR stand-in, my interview was scheduled for this morning, Wednesday, October 26th at 9:00 AM. I had my outfit planned out and was ready to go. This morning I woke up to the sound of my alarm and mentally prepared myself to get out of bed and score myself a job! The time read 10:00 AM. You do the math.

I wasn't upset. I wasn't angry. I just was. This job had never felt like mine to begin with. For the last several weeks I've been contemplating whether I made the right decision in entering grad school. It's expensive, there's no guarantee that I'll be better off career-wise and I want to help people (not sit in a classroom and learn how to help). But on the other side, it's an amazing opportunity, would give me credibility and could help me continue to improve my writing. I was as on-the-fence as a person can be and have prayed continuously that God might help me to make the right decision and understand His plan for me.

Today, that prayer was answered. Sure, you could say that all the obstacles I encountered were just me being absent-minded. (Which could be the case, but I'd also like to say that I take my career very seriously). Or maybe just an example of Murphy's Law. But for me...

I believe my grad school career has only just begun...for a reason.

What the heck is Food Studies??

I should preface this by saying that I entered my graduate program with some strong beliefs as to how our food system needed to change. I was convinced that meat and dairy industries are unnecessary evils, that buying local was politically, economically and environmentally responsible and that organic was the means by which we could save the earth we've so quickly managed to degrade.

What I've learned through my studies has shocked me. I still believe the meat and dairy industries are evil (no change there!), but my thoughts concerning the terminology of the food revolution have been completely altered. If anything, I assumed I would become even more passionate and empowered to fight against such injustices, but as it turns out, I've headed in the opposite direction!

nutrition

 Our bodies cannot function without protein. Now this is not to say that meat is the only source, but I'm allowing myself to become a little more lenient and enjoy some turkey chili or some chicken on my pasta about once a week, as well as nuts, beans and legumes! Another vital nutrient? Omega 3's are huge in promoting cardiovascular health as well as a huge assortment of other health benefits, so I've also upped my seafood intake!

food systems

Organic. Local. Natural. These words have lost all meaning. There's so much grey area in the land of organic foods. According to the USDA, meat, dairy and produce may be labeled as organic if the amount of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is under a certain percentage. This means that your certified organic veggies may still have traces of serious toxins! Then on the other hand you have the small farmer who produces organically, but doesn't want to jump through the hoops (and pay up!) that the USDA requires to be certified. Which is better?

Local is also a tricky little word. There is no designated distance that qualifies a product to be labeled as "local." This means that your freshly grown produce can be grown on the farm down the road. Or it could be grown on a nearby industrial farm. Or it can be grown by a small farmer..in California! There's a common misconception that the words "organic" and "local" are synonymous with each other and it's just not true.

food access

I literally had no idea the significance of the relationship between gender and food. We all know it's common for the woman to be the obtainer and preparer of household meals, but there's so much more planning and "invisible labor" (as we foodies call it) that goes into making a meal that is not taken into account. It's partly discouraging that women have not escaped this societal expectation. On the other hand, it's empowering to know that as women, and as "homemakers," WE have the power to erect change within the global food chain!

These are just a few of my observations as I've passed the halfway point of my first semester in grad school (eek!). As is usual in the acquisition of knowledge, I'm finding myself frustrated, confused and discouraged, but I remain hopeful that by the end of my program I'll be confident in my ability to

feed the world!

Being True to Me

For as long as I can remember, I've been writing. For me, the term "self-expression" doesn't even begin to cover my relationship with the written word. Ask me to speak to the issues of world hunger and I can give you an awkward yet adequate response based on my studies thus far. Ask me to write about malnourished mothers and emaciated children and I'll have you abandoning your steaks and burgers in no time! Okay, this is probably untrue, but you get the point.

I began blogging prior to my semester abroad in Uganda over two years ago. I was fascinated by African culture and wanted to prove that I was the kind of girl who could live in a mud-hut for a week, master the "squatty potty" and ultimately live a life of simplicity and purpose. It was much harder than I imagined it to be, but for those four months, I became that girl. I also became a girl who was witnessing unimaginable poverty and hunger around me and felt sick at the thought of my own affluence in light of it. Upon my return home, I was going to do something about it.

February 2009: My host brother, Ephraim and I

I was fortunate enough to attend a Christian university that placed a high emphasis on social justice. I knew I was called to serve, but in what capacity I wasn't (and am not) fully aware of. Through a handful of internships and job experiences I learned that I am not cut out for a lot of positions. I am not detail-oriented, I'm not a leader and I have yet to learn how to handle stress. But damnit, I can write.

And it's for that reason, that this blog exists. I want people to read what I have to say. To be inspired by it. I picked up on the fact through examining the Blog-o-Sphere that those bloggers who seem to win "Most Popular" are devoted to marvelous Mommies, culinary queens and dazzling DIY-ers. While I admire these women and aspire to master my own tricks of the trade, it's not what I'm called to write about.

I took Jamie from the Inspire blog community up on her offer to provide some feedback for my blog. I think she picked up on the treachery I was inflicting upon myself in not writing about what matters to me. She was kind enough to leave me with this advice, "...you are a great writer. My biggest suggestion would be to find your voice as a writer. Don't blog about things you think will be popular, write about what you are passionate about. And if you are passionate about it, people are going to show up to read it!"

So with that said, I'll continue to enviously look upon the master craft-womanship of some of my fellow bloggers and steal a few recipes along the way, but in the long run, I'm going to be true to me.

September 2008: My truest self.

Sunday Blessings: Part Deux

Well, a week has come and gone and my blog has remained fairly neglected. The neglect, however, stems from my crazy, busy, beautiful life and so here I am, taking a moment to praise God for my countless blessings...

wedding

We have a guest list! Okay, so it's not finalized yet, but I'm just excited to be making progress in wedding planning! Chuck was also home this weekend and got to speak with our photographer, Mama Byrd, as well as the chef of our reception site, The General Denver Hotel. Since I'm stuck in Pitt, my hours have been spent glued to my wedding Pinterest board and anything DIY-related on Etsy! It's nice to feel like I have some things accomplished- now I just have to make sure we can afford it!

blogging

I spent countless hours this past week doing homework taking a peek into the blogging world. I got some inspiration from some other amazing fellow bloggers and even got some love back! I've been writing for as long as I can remember and have always had this desire to have my voice heard, so I'm having so much fun making that goal a reality!

love

For the first time in six weeks...I GOT TO SEE MY LOVE! We only had about 2 1/2 days together before he left to visit back home on his inevitable trip back to Missouri for work but they were much needed.

My Boo helping to make the aforementioned  Pumpkin Pancakes!

Our days were spent kissing, cuddling, cooking, pumpkin picking and constantly reminding each other of exactly why we're gettin' hitched. I love this man so much and am counting down the days until Thanksgiving when we'll have a whole week together in Ohio. The holidays can't come fast enough!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Friday already? This week has been a complete blur, mostly due to the fact that I was caught in an alternate reality called "Young-and-in-Love Land." Two and a half days spent kissing, cuddling and giggling with my betrothed after 6 weeks apart. It was pure bliss. And although my inner feminist was hanging her head in shame, I was bound and determined to make sure Chuck knew just what good wifey material I am destined to be by preparing delicious and festive fall delicacies!

Pumpkin tea, Turkey and Pumpkin Chili, Pumpkin Delights and best of all- Pumpkin pancakes. In case you hadn't picked up on it- there's not much I believe can be done wrong with pumpkin. So as I continue to further investigate the land of blogging and am slowly being sucked in by all things Pinterest, I thought I would do something highly routine in the blog community, but new to me- share a recipe!

Enjoy!

Source: biggirlssmallkitchen.com via Kaity on Pinterest

Sunday Blessings

It's Sunday. The Sabbath. The Holy Day. And on this particular Sunday I'm reminded of just how blessed I truly am. I sat in my car on the way to work this morning praying out loud and thanking God for my amazing life. (The fact that I found myself praying was honestly a miracle in and of itself).

love

Perhaps the biggest blessing in my life goes by the name of Chuck. Last night I recalled for him all the fun my best friends, Laura, Bekah and I had in college joking about who our future husbands would be. All the while, I never truly pictured myself being one half of a happy marriage. On the contrary, a rocky adolescence led me to believe that I was undeserving of anyone's love so I accepted the fact that while I had no plans to die alone, I probably would not find love in my lifetime.

Enter Chuck. From the moment we met, I knew he was easily the most genuine and trustworthy man I'd ever met. Months later, he has become my best friend. He has taught me to trust and what it truly means to completely give yourself to a person. I am so incredibly in love at this moment. I am not naive enough to think that our relationship will remain at this place forever, so for the time being I am taking in every moment and cherishing every word spoken with my future husband.

school

I'm halfway through my first semester of grad school and I'll admit, it's been hugely challenging for me. The course material is not particularly difficult and truth of the matter is, I love what I'm studying. But my ability to focus on anything has been non-existant. For some reason, I just feel so distant and disconnected and it called me to question whether I had made the right decision in entering grad school. I got an interview with the local Food Bank and received a call inviting me back for a second. I have been weighing my options: enter the job market and gain practical experience in serving the underserved or continue on with my schooling to continue to improve my knowledge surrounding hunger issues and improve my writing skills. (This last part is particularly intriguing to me as I've thought more and more about a career in writing).

Currently, I am leaning more toward one side than the other, but the fact that I'm even having this dilemma is just another example of just how freaking blessed I am! How many people have the amazing opportunity I've been given to get a graduate education in a field they love?

work

My job is boring at times. Whose isn't? I'm getting paid minimum wage. I'm getting paid. The fact of the matter is I'm working a job where I get a free pass to continue to working on getting my body to the best shape it can be...and I'm writing this blog at the front desk as we speak. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

family

Thankgiving is a little over a month away and I could not be more excited! My mom and sister are coming to Ohio!!! Over the past year or so I've been so incredibly blessed to become a part of a wonderful family and I am so happy that my future in-laws have been so gracious to welcome me into their lives with open arms. They truly feel like my second parents and I have grown to love them immensely.

Needless to say it's pretty exciting to think that for the first time ever, my two families (the people I love the most in this world) are coming together! Turkey day can't get here fast enough!

I'm a big believer in counting your blessings. To remain negative is to completely discount all the love, grace and beauty that surrounds you. So on this beautiful, October Sunday, I, Kaity Best, profess that I am one blessed chica!

Finding the Joy

Every Friday, my beautiful friend Erin hosts a segment on her blog entitled, "Finding the Joy Friday." She uses the opportunity to share with her friends and family the many blessings present in her life. (Have I mentioned she's a super smart lady?)

Today, I decided to follow in the footsteps of the amazing Momma St.J. 

Thanks for the inspiration!

love

It's been over 5 weeks since I've seen my betrothed and to be honest, I've never been more in love. Today he told me that the day Pumpkin Delights came out in Wal-Mart he picked up 2 boxes to bring home to me. Corny as it sounds, I started to tear up because without even trying my hubby-to-be continues to remind me 1) how well he truly knows me and 2) the extent of his love for me.

friends

I recently reconnected with a dear friend. We have one of those relationships where we're able to pick up and support each other as if it hasn't been 4 months since we last spoke. It's pretty great.

family

<Gettin' Hitched Spoiler Alert>: 

My Mommy is so incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about all things wedding. It is for this reason among about a billion others that she'll be walking me down the aisle on my wedding day. Blessed as I am to have two fathers, my Mommy has been the one constant in my life, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.

Follow in the footsteps of Momma St.J and find the joy in your life on this beautiful Friday...you'll be glad you did.