Only Thinking in Bullet-points So Far Today

ok. Must recap.

• Last Friday Ele and I went with Rowen’s preschool class to a cute little farm to pick strawberries. We had decided we were going to make jam, so we picked about 10 pounds. If you’re a local, check out Buckwheat Farm here - they say they’ll be open through the first week of June.
• I spent Friday afternoon making strawberry freezer jam. Ele helped me wash the berries, and he helped himself to a couple dozen of them as well. There are FEW things, I think, that rival the intensity of flavor from a perfectly ripe strawberry fresh off the vine. WOW. KABOOM. I got about 20 pints of jam, too! Wee!
• (By the way, if *I* can make jam, anyone can - you only need some fruit, some sugar - a LOT of sugar - and some fruit pectin, and you will never eat storebought jam again)
• Jared came home on Friday night, and decided he needed to experience picking a strawberry right off its plant (and since I had chopped all the berries, he wanted to taste a whole one), so we decided to go back for more on Saturday. Hehe
• Friday night, Jared and I went on a DATE. Yes, that needs to be in caps, because it happens so rarely. We went out to eat(!) with no kids (!), and then we went to see Star Trek. Yeah, that is pretty much the only movie that could get us out of the house for an evening together.
• Star Trek was awesome. We got there 15 mins before the movie started, and the theater was packed. We ended up in the 4th row, which is WAY too close for this particular movie.
• The popcorn was delicious. Curse you, delicious buttery movie popcorn!
• On Saturday we went back to the strawberry farm and picked more berries. We will be making strawberry ice cream tomorrow night with some friends. My grandpa’s recipe. :)
• Yesterday was great - so relaxing, Jared and the kids brought me breakfast in bed (and then I had to hurry and get ready at 8:30 to be at church by 9), and then I got the whole afternoon to just relax. It was great.
• I hope your Mother’s Day was awesome. Mamas deserve more than one day a year, methinks, but it’s a start, at least.
• Here is a copy of a talk I gave last year at Mother’s Day. I feel like this might help someone out there, so I’m posting it again. Mother’s Day Talk.
• This morning, I’m having trouble getting rolling in the right direction. I feel like I can only think in bullet points yet. But hopefully the rain lets up a bit and we can go outside and feel some wind on our faces. And I do have some pics from the weekend events.

Comments

[Megan]

*I thought I was the only one who bulleted her thoughts!

*mmmm, strawberry jam. between this and the pioneer woman's strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting, I need fresh strawberries NOW.

*Star Trek was SO good. Think I might have to see it again.

*It sounds like a great weekend! :)

[Share :)]

Strawberries and Star Trek...sounds like the perfect weekend to me!
I have a friend who was seeing the movie before me, so I told her to text me when it was over so I could get her review. This is what she wrote:

"Set your phasers to AWESOME!"

How sweet is that?! And she was right, we LOVED it! And we are going back for more.

Love you J!

[Francisca]

I read your talk last November at a time when I really needed it (I was browsing through your posts when I found it). It has been very comforting to me then and it was still now when I re-read the talk last weekend. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings in such a beautiful way, and I am sure that reading that talk will help a lot of other mother's too!

Thanks for all the work that you do and for sharing all of your talents with us!

Francisca, in the Netherlands

[Missus Wookie]

Glad you had a relaxing productive weekend - are you going to share your Grandpa's Strawberry Ice Cream recipe??? Strawberries aren't in season yet but oh how we love them when they are :)

Thanks for the post on motherhood, mine are teenagers and that is a period of doubt just as much as toddlerhood... and sadly things don't seem to be as easily put right with strawberries and naps :sigh:

[Michelle Dial]

Wow!! Strawberries and Star Trek (& a hubby that like Star Trek!) - sounds like a great weekend to me. :) Our strawberries won't be ready until June and I have no idea when I will see Star Trek since I'd have to go by myself or with one of my brothers both live a couple hours away (my 2 brothers are the reason for my Treky addiction lol).

Thanks for your Mother's Day Talk - very nice. Loved reading it and nodding my head. :)

I hope you move past the bullet points soon! ;)
Michelle

[becky]

Homemade Strawberry Jam is the ONLY way to go! We can't and won't ever go back to store bought! :) Glad you had a great weekend and Mother's Day! It is a great holiday!

[Tammee]

My hubby and I saw Star Trek on Friday night (we found out too late that they were having a sneak preview Thursday night) and then I took my mom for Mother's Day yesterday. It was a great flick and definitely worth seeing twice on the big screen (though the price of movie tickets gives me a little bit of sticker shock). I say see it by yourself if you need to!

[pinewoodtoo]

Thanks for sharing the mother's day talk. It is so right on the money. ~Ann

[liz]

Ain't life wonderful? It's the simple things that make the world go around. It's nice to know such an inspiring person like you has time to stop and smell the strawberries! I just made my jam a week ago! Mmmm good :)

[latz]

I got a rare DATE night too for Mother's Day and saw Star Trek with hubby. The movie was my choice--I have fond memories of watching the original show on tv with my Dad.

[Monique]

If you throw in a couple of raspberries with the strawberries, your jam will be even more heavenly......
At least that's my opinion!
Making your own jam (and ice cream or cookies) just makes you feel good, doesn't it! Enjoy the season, Jessica!

[Debbie F.]

Just had a chance to read your talk- really enjoyed it. Going from a full time career over the last 18 years to a full time mommie of 2 under 2 years (and another on the way- so 3 under 3) has been quite the transition- I loved the comparison of motherhood and the mission as I can relate to both and you are right- we look back on the mission as this great time with wonderful experiences (which of course it was) but reading my journal, it was obviously hard each day and a lot of work. I am finding the same with motherhood... sometimes it seems like all I do is wipe dirty hands and mouths and change diapers and play the same games over and over. A far cry from the responsbilities I had before. But as I look back over photos and baby scrapbooks, what amazing experiences that I would never trade. Thanks gain for the reminder and the opportunity to read your talk.

[Jen]

Dude. My husband and I went out on a DATE...yes caps as well...and saw Star Trek in IMAX and we got there early but not early enough and we were still too close to the screen. However it was awesome and I was just reading your post and saying to my hubby we need to go see it again...maybe not in IMAX. It rocked. ;D I am like latz I used to watch the original show with my dad. ;D TFS!

[Christy]

You don't need tons of sugar to make awesome jam, there's a special pectin we get at our local co-op (natural foods-type store) its called Pomona's Universal Pectin and works super great! I just made my own jam last night and I'll bet I used a lot less sugar than you! :) It also lets you use almost any kind of sweetening agent, not just sugar, so you can use honey, sucanat, Splenda, etc. Jam on!