“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Today was the last day of Chuck’s week-long visit. The CCA is over and he’s off to Naples, FL to photograph a FEE event. 

I am definitely going to miss my helper.

Fortunately, I have so many wonderful friends in Hillsdale that the next year shouldn’t be so bad. 

Last year, I was fortunate enough to land a job working for Dr. Tim Caspar in the CCA Office of Hillsdale College. The CCA (Center for Constructive Alternatives) is a lecture series put on by the college twice per semester. The topics range from Reagan to Science Fiction Films and the speakers are just as diverse. Through the CCA I have met both Peter Bogdanovich and Steve Forbes. 

Most students think that we student assistants are only responsible for passing around the microphones and preventing college donors from monopolizing the Q&A period, but we do much, much more. 

We coordinate guest meals; oversee the registration desk; select and supervise introducers, invocators, and attendance-takers; ensure that the needs of visiting speakers and college donors are met; and serve as an intermediary between at least 5 Hillsdale College offices. And that’s not including all of the prep work! I could seriously go on forever. 

It’s challenging (and sometimes pretty stressful) but, in all honesty, I LOVE this job.

Also, check out this “Behind the Scenes” piece from the Collegian.

Chuck is in town, this week, to fulfill his final credit before becoming an official Hillsdale College graduate. We decided to spend the day in Ann Arbor and have lunch at Zingerman’s Deli to celebrate. 

This is a #63: Abra’s Nutty Yard Bird
Chicken salad (chunks of hand-cut Amish chicken, mayo, onion, celery) & sunflower sprouts on toasted pecan raisin bread 

I have a headache from the bread, but it was totally worth it!

Since starting the Primal Diet, I have been in constant search of primal snacks that are easy (and cheap!) to make, filling, and tasty. These smoothies are the perfect solution. Just throw the following ingredients into a blender:

1 Banana
Strawberries
Pineapple
Vanilla Yogurt

I make these all the time, now. Bon appetit!

Occasionally, I babysit Dr. Kiledal’s 5-year-old son, Henrik. Dr. Kiledal is a speech professor at Hillsdale College. 

Today, we made Valentine’s Day placemats for each member of his family. Henrik had a lot of fun, and his mom was happy to see him practicing writing and cutting. 

Each placemat has a family member’s name, paper hearts, and heart stamps. When he was finished decorating, he sprinkled crayon pieces on top and laminated each placemat. The heat from the laminator melted the crayon pieces and left fun (Valentine’s-colored) designs. 

Day 21 marked the first day of formal sorority recruitment for the Hillsdale College greek system. The first day is always open houses, when we dress in our matching pencil skirts, wine-colored sweaters, black pumps, pearls, and arrow pins. I remember how excited I was to watch the women of Pi Beta Phi stride out of the house, singing. I sincerely hope that this year’s potential new members were equally blown-away.

Day 2 is always skit parties, where members of each sorority put on a little show for the potential new members. This year, our Vice President of Member Develpment, Erin Alderson, took it upon herself to rewrite our skit. It was such an improvement! The new theme is “Angel Airways” (we used to do “Grease”) and each stop of the “airplane” represents one of our six core values (Integrity, Lifelong Commitment, Honor & Respect, Personal and Intellectual Growth, Philanthropic Service to Others, and Sincere Friendship). For this round, our name-tags were stewardess wings.

Day 3 is dessert parties and day 4 is preference parties (where girls make their final decision as to which sorority to join). This year, we were fortunate to welcome 18 beautiful new angels into our sisterhood.

Today, I made the 2.5 hour journey back to Hillsdale, Michigan. It was wonderful to be home and see my family, but I’ve really missed my Pi Beta Phi sisters and all of my other wonderful friends at school.

I did’t tell any of my sisters that I was engaged, until tonight, because I wanted to tell them all in person. I am so glad that I waited because the experience was much more special.

About 6 months ago, Chuck decided to try out the Primal Diet. Not only has he lost weight, but he sleeps more soundly and has more energy throughout the day. Although I was super skeptical at first, Chuck benefited so much that I decided to give it a shot, too. 

I have been primal since New Year’s Day (except for the other night, when I fell off the wagon and ate a half-bag of truffles). I, too, am sleeping more soundly, waking up with more energy, and I don’t find myself exhausted after lunch. I really can’t believe how good I feel!

This is the delicious breakfast I made for myself this morning:

fresh spinach and scrambled eggs, topped with a tomato. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Primal Diet, visit www.theprimalchallenge.com (did I mention Chuck writes for this blog?)

I found a wonderful surprise waiting for me when we got home from Georgia! My grandmother (Mimi) had sent us our very first gift. 

Since my grandmother is an artist, she paints her own cards.

I can’t wait to use this in our home. :-)

The day after Christmas, Chuck and I headed to Georgia with his parents to visit some family. On the second day, we all (Me, Chuck, Linda, Jr, Rhonda, Kevin, Lindsay, Wyatt, Mumaw, and Pupaw) visited Amicalola State park and climbed the 600 steps to the top of the falls. The view was beautiful in the middle of winter, so I can’t imagine what it must be like in the summertime. 

Later that night I went out to the backyard with Chuck, his dad, and his cousin, Wyatt, to shoot some targets. The top photo is me using Wyatt’s .22 and the bottom is me using Mr. Grimmett’s 9mm automatic.