Anxious but Trying to Drive

 Recently I've started learning how to drive, and I can't tell you how excited I was and still am. The first few times were quite jerky, but I eventually was able to control the amount of pressure, and grip I had on the steering wheel. Although I'm not mandated to earn a specific number of hours behind the wheel before taking my drivers test, I want to be well prepared for a number of situations. Therefore, I'll be spending some quality time behind the wheel in various situations until I feel more confident being on the road. 

Some of my friends hopped into driving, but I decided to wait, and I admit, Covid has given me an additional push to go ahead and start learning. I waiting for a few reasons, but one is because I didn't want to quickly attain a license knowing good and well I'm not well experienced. I want to learn how to drive in bad weather, rain, snow, and how to drive defensively PRIOR to encountering the situation. I'm anxiously excited, and I've been doing pretty good at recognizing what frightens me on the road. Once I feel comfortable with things such as envisioning myself blending onto a freeway, or making sharp U-turns, then I'm hoping to hit my lightbulb moment. My dad insist that I try to get familiar driving among others by cruising around at the Mini Grand Prix in the go-carts, and I admit it might help me to get better adjusted and used to the idea of driving. 

I'm still feeling those moments of "I don't even know what I'm doing" and that's when I realize I have a long ways to go. Plus I've been thinking of this little jam I heard on a Fisher Price kids steering wheel toy  that I was playing with called "I've been working on the Railroad". Brought back some serious memories, and I may want to step back and start with the Fisher Price toy. 

What tips, and steps did you take as you learned to drive?

On a +Positive : Just a Little Kind Gesture

 Although we're all living in a fast paced world, it's still vital to inculcate kind gestures as a part of our everyday lives. Whether it's by saying "please" and "thank you", or by commending someone for a job well done, or simply taking the time to wish someone a sincere "have a good day". More than likely, those words will leave an impression on that person as they continue out their day, and you never know how much of a benefit your doing so did.

Recently I've experienced a small yet kind gesture as I've been battling being under the weather. I'd ordered a meal through UberEats and was surprised to find a little note of appreciating on the side of the bag. Despite my feeling unwell, the little note made my day. And no it wasn't because it was a corny or cliché Ziplock commercial quote where the mom packs the daughter a snack and she shares it with another student. Rather, it was a simple expression of thanks, and the smiley face that made a world of difference. 

On a +Positive : Desk/Work Space

With so many things being moved from in-person to online, such as schooling, and work, my desk space has endured quite the renovation. Now that I'm finding myself becoming more acquainted with my desk space, I've made sure to add some new features to it, in order to help me stay focused, relaxed, and motivated. 

In order to assist myself in radiating good energy, I've added a number of precious stones and crystals. Although some look into the meanings of each one, and the natural power they contain, I enjoy having them as accessories around my workspace to add natural beauty. Along with this I've adopted an incense waterfall, salt lamp, and a desktop water fountain. In this way I not only add some relaxing background sounds, but also some aromatherapy to the atmosphere. 

One main issue I wanted to resolve, was my constant getting up to find snacks, or something to do as I worked. Therefore I've been able to cut down on my "aimless wandering" by having a little variety of snacks, objects, and little tech necessities to keep my mind focused on whatever task is at hand. This includes kinetic sand, stress balls, clay, chargers, and stuffed animals. Keeping these little things located around my desk space minimized the number of excuses I have to wander off in search of something in order to avoid working on assignments, and provides me with all those additional tools that I'd need to keep things running fairly smoothly as I work. Even though these are some little measures I took in order to help myself adjust to schooling from home, I've been able to spot a significant difference in my work tactics.

How To : Dutch Baby with Cardamom Honey Apples

It's one thing to be knowledgeable, and another to use that knowledge and teach others.

So today I'm going so share one of my favorite dishes with everyone. This is one meal that my family adopted, and enjoys to make and serve with grits, bacon, and eggs. Fall and winter seasons make this an extremely special warm treat, and is a perfect go to for a "breakfast for dinner" kind of evening.

This dish is such a lovely meal that only requires 10 ingredients, and can be made to serve in about 45 minutes : Maria Simmons, Pancakes A to Z | Dutch Apple Pancake.

INGREDIENTS 

Makes 4 Servings 

Dutch Baby Pancake

3 large eggs
3/4 cup of milk
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Cardamom Honey Apples
2 large apples (golden delicious)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. To make the Dutch Baby: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place an 8-to-10-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy skillet with a heatproof handle in the oven. 2. Combine the eggs, milk, flour, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Using a pot holder, remove the skillet from the oven an add teh butter; tilt the pan to melt the butter and coat the skillet. Add the batter all at once and immediately return the skillet to the oven. 3. Bake until the pancake puffs up around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the Cardamom Honey Apples: Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut into thin wedges. Heat the butter in a medium skillet until sizzling. Add the apple wedges and cook, stirring gently, until lightly browned on both sides. Sprinkle with cardamom and stir to coat. Add the honey and heat to boiling. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon juice. 

5. To serve the pancake, slide it from the skillet onto a large platter. Pour the Cardamom Honey Apples into the center. Cut into wedges and serve, distributing the filling evenly. 

And that's truly it! Hope you take a moment to try it out, and see how you like (love) it. 

A Different Kind of Concert Experience

Covid-19 has changed so many things as it's embedded a itself in our lives. It's opened minds to an entirely new perspective, and forced each person to strive to adapted to new ways of work, school, and life's daily activities, and recreation. One includes live streamed concerts. Although some platforms such as Moment have been around for a period of time, such companies are being shed more light as many remain at home. 

I've been to a few concert events in the past, but none have been for artists that I personally discovered and deeply loved. However, during the lockdown, I was able to tune into small live performances by a few different artists I love. In those few occurrences, I'd realized that despite it not being the same as an in person concert, it still seeped a ton of concert like emotions. Thinking about that now, I'm reminded of a  picture book I'd bought at a book fair in Elementary called "Two eggs please".

The entire book shows different animals ordering eggs and breakfast. Eggs can be scrambled, boiled, pooched, fried, over easy, or sunny-side up. It's still eggs.  The book did a great job at depicting that just because it's different, doesn't mean it's bad, or the wrong way to have something. Despite concerts being social distanced, and a bit limiting at this time, I've still found myself excited to order new album merch, set alarms for EP releases, and watch little live sneak peeks. 

Since I've enjoyed the few times I tuned into artists Instagram lives, I decided to step up and buy a ticket to a concert featuring two of my favorite artists. It'll be my first time streaming a full concert, and I have no idea if I'll receive a paper copy of my ticket as a keepsake, so I made sure to buy a tee for the memories. I am extremely excited for it!

"Different. The Same" - Two Eggs Please 

Making Secondhand more Second Nature

Secondhand stores are vastly becoming well-known, and well-loved, as many young adults have opted for sustainable fashion. Growing up with money a little tight at times, I loved scoring a good find right when I needed it most. However, such stores offer so much more than simply a more affordable way to shop for clothing; they positively impact the community around us. 

At times it's hard to keep in mind all that stores like The Salvation Army, Savers, Goodwill, or Deseret Industries do to help ones to impart good recycling and reusing habits. Many help to inculcate a circulation of reusable items through donation centers located within the building. This does more than aide in the vast amount of inventory readily available daily to thrift shoppers, it assist in keeping pieces such as clothing, jewelry, and household items out of landfills. Along with this, Goodwill stores are able to provide a number of job opportunities, and career assistance programs, freely to those in search of employment by means of each purchase.

Yes, it's important to thrift from these stores, but it's also vital that we give back to them. Utilize Savers fun-drive option as an outlet to raise money for a club, and encourage your peers to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Bring a smile to someone else, by donating your gently used items that you no longer use, or don't fit your style, and give it a second, third, or fourth life. Doing so makes a difference, and grants a world of opportunities for someone in your community. 

All in all, do your best to give a thrift. 

Snippets + Tidbits About Me

My name is Katia (kah-tea-yah) Goldsberry, and I'm a West Career and Technical Academy 2020 graduate, and a first time student here at CSN majoring in CADD technology. Born and raised here in Las Vegas, I've somehow managed to come to terms with the heat, grown accustom to the predictable, unpredictable weather. Although, I've come to tolerate, and find beauty in the desert, I continue to long for crisp rainy days, dark clouds, and hot tea.

My passion for reading and writing bloomed with the help of my first grade teacher, who presented reading to me as a second world. Since then I've accumulated an assortment of books, notebooks, sticky notes, and weathered pages with dialogue, and brainstormed ideas for my various novellas. Despite the various challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon my family and I, we've still managed to find some enjoyment in these new found circumstances. I've shopped from more smaller businesses, added more plants, to my window sill and bedroom, and have began to nurture a love for precious stones and crystals.

Along with that, I've come to know a little more about myself and others. Originating from a family with two younger sisters I've learned a few tips and tricks about wise spending habits. Therefore, I acquired a love for thrifting, and came to be a kinder human to the Earth. I grew up a PBS kids kind of kid with a never ending love for Curious George that no doubt still remains (and I will gladly accept all gently used donations towards my nostalgic collection). Among many other things, I enjoy Engineering, and therefore am excited to envelope myself in this journey towards my Certificate of Achievement in CADD Technology at the College of Southern Nevada.