Blogmas Week Two

 -  Blogmas  Week Two  .  Friends  &  Musicals  &  Presents ,  Oh  My!  -

What a pretty busy week it has been for me. I'm glad I took a break from blogging because there is no way I would have been able to keep up with it all throughout the week. But now it is time to give ya a good update! The week began more chill than it ended. Monday was just a normal teaching day for me. Nothing too exciting went down that day...

- Tuesday -

Tuesday also was a fairly normal teaching day with no festivities to report of, but I will mention Tuesdays are one of my favorite teaching days! This past Tuesday marked my last day working closely with Cavod's Citylight Dance Theater Junior team (pictured above), until next year. I love these young ladies so much! They are a fun crew and an absolute delight to set choreography on. I am so proud of all they have accomplished this year so far!

 - Wednesday -

Wednesday was a fun day for me! A group of my friends and I enjoyed a night "out on the town". I think it was about 24 of us that got together to attend "A White Christmas" performed at the Fulton Opera House in downtown Lancaster. It had been quite a while since I had last seen a show at the Fulton. Thank you to the Blatts for the invitation! We had a great time!

The view from the balcony

 - The  Weekend -

Thursday was chill, or should I say chilly! It was the first day of the season that freezing rain, sleet, and snow were forecasted. I was feeling pretty tired of "extroverting" by the time Friday rolled around, but I persevered forward. Friday evening after teaching a series of private lessons and conducting a two-hour rehearsal with the Citylight Dance Theater Senior Company, I then switched gears, and outfits to attend Cavod's Holiday Staff Party. It was a beautiful night at the Detweiler's Farm. Dinner was served inside a greenhouse with twinkle lights and candles everywhere! It was so magical. I regret not taking any pictures.

Saturday, just when I didn't think I had any energy left, I tapped into an extra reserve to get me through a seven-hour adventure with some dear friends of mine at Hershey Park's Christmas Candy Lane. The air was nippy and the lines were long, but we had ourselves a great time regardless. It was the perfect festive activity needed to help get me in the Christmas Spirit and I so cherished the quality time spent with the people pictured below.

gotta have a car selfie!

Our favorite interactive ride "Reese's Cupfusion" had a long line (90 mins.) but it was worth the wait!

All bundled up...

Freezing our butts waiting in line, trying to stay optimistic  😝

#hersheyparkhappy

pretty lights aglow

... Lastly

Pictured here are the gifts unwrapped and revealed, from my last blog post for those of you who were curious as to what my Secret Santa from church got me! Her gift selections were all so perfect for me and so thoughtful! I was all smiles opening them up! She did a great job! 

7 more days till Christmas! I am excited, but also am starting to feel the pressure as I still have several cards and gifts I desire to make before the big day. I didn't EVEN TRY to procrastinate this year. Time just got away from me, but ready or not, 

HERE IT COMES!

🎄

k

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Sunday Best

 -  Blogmas  Day  Eleven  .   Guarding  my  Boundries  .   Secret  Santa  -

Hi everyone! Today was a fairly typical Sunday. Church, Wegmans, friends, rest. Not much to report, except can I just say, I've broken a record!!! I've blogged for eleven days straight! I'm feeling so accomplished right now as I have never done that before. With that being said, even after making the commitment earlier to blog every day leading up to Christmas, I've decided to loosen up the expectations a little bit and grant myself the grace to skip days if needed. 

Blogging daily has been a MOST enjoyable process...but a VERY time-consuming one, which is the main factor influencing my decision to step back from it a little bit. Ideally, it would have been so cool and wonderful to document all the days leading up to Christmas, and every day for that matter, as I believe every day usually has at least one thing special about it worth remembering, documenting/sharing about... but I've decided to be a "big girl" and let myself be a little flexible with this insignificant commitment to myself since I've started to notice the pattern of losing sleep over the sake of writing and editing for Blogmas. As hard as it was to make this decision I think it is the wisest thing and for the best! You wouldn't have caught me making wise decisions like this a year ago. I must be growing up lol.  
BUT, in accordance with my desire to keep my blog active and current/relevant, and still participate in Blogmas, I will be continuing to do my best to post as frequently as possible, just not at the expense of my sleep OR at the expense of the post's quality, which was another reason for deciding not to "just post something daily for the sake of posting something", if I have nothing quality to post about.
I think overall since I am not a full-time influencer 😜, and have an equally time-consuming rich life to lead offline as much as online, this is the best decision to make in order to keep both realms healthily balanced! But I am so excited going forward. I have learned a thing or two the past couple days regarding how to become faster and more consistent with creating content and have gained fresh vision and creative inspiration for The Occupied Optimist going forward (online and offline to be honest!) Would you get excited with me and wish me luck! Thank you readers who have stuck by me and are following along on the journey!

My church's Christmas tree! Crossway's Christmas tree, In all its glory!

I got these Christmas gifts from my Secret Santa from church today! Isn't the wrapping paper just darling!!! Want to know what is in them? me too!
I guess you will just have to come back and see my next blog post in order to find out! 

😁

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Blogmas Day Ten Photo Dump

 -  Blogmas  Day  Ten  . More  Shopping  .  Photodump  -

A merry sight at "Creatively Lancaster."

Hello friends, I hope you had a good day. I had a pretty good day. It has been a long one. I think I will go ahead and drop a short description of it and then just dump a few photos of it here for you. My day started at 9am with choir practice at the church. I LOVE choir! It is just so fun! Following our 2-hour rehearsal, I set out to do some Christmas shopping at Lancaster's Park City Center shopping mall. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to find what I was looking for, but I did! I also was delighted to discover Creatively Lancaster was having one of their maker's markets there! Yay! Tis the season for artisan craft markets. I spent so much time perusing through all the stands... daydreaming of having one for myself someday.

Yes, it has been quite a chill day, one without much structure which is a rarity for me, but I have been loving it! Currently, I find myself killing time in one of my favorite coffee shops, New Holland Coffee Co, and in just a little bit I will drive down the road to watch some of my favorite students perform in Cavod Performing Arts' Christmas show, Wonder! Well, that's all for now! Signing out!

The Makers Market in Park City

Mission accomplished!

Homemade Poptarts at New Holland Coffee Co! Poptarts definitely make the world a better place!

POV: Apple Walnut Salad from New Holland Coffee Co.

Later Update: The dancers ended up doing a fantastic job!

Also, 15 more days till Christmas! Are you ready?READY OR NOT, here it comes!!!!!😊
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The Perfect Recipe for Encouragement- Ps. 130

 -  Blogmas  Day  Nine  .  Happy  Paper Clip  .  Psalm  130  -

Hi Folks! How has your week been? We made it to the end! I have not much to report on today.  Today has been a fairly quiet day for me. Sometimes I like it like that, but other days like today, it can be a challenge. In full transparency, as evidenced in my journal entry from this morning, I have come to realize I'm still wrestling with feelings of loneliness. The feeling comes and goes, but ever since my recent breakup experience, it has been harder for me to shake it off. 

 We  demolish  arguments  and  every  pretension  that  sets  itself  up against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  we  take  captive  every  thought  to make  it  obedient  to  Christ. 

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 

... But I diligently fight against it by continually reminding myself of truth and renewing my mind with scripture. I know that even if I am experiencing loneliness on a whole new level, the loneliness doesn't by any means define me. Jesus Does - And that truth brings me much comfort.
I definitely feel like I am in "a valley" in life right now, looking up, longing for the next mountain top. I'm not going to declare this valley a bad thing though. Besides the fact that I do feel like I am trekking upwards out of it, I take heart in this valley knowing God is using it to grow me. He and I both know, more often than not, I am quicker to call, rely on, and turn to him in the valleys than when I am on mountain tops, unfortunately to say... but THIS article says it well, AND I also know- furthermore to his glory, valleys don't last forever! Praise the Lord!

For  no  one  is  cast  off  by  the  Lord  forever.  Though  he  brings  grief,  he  will  show  compassion, so  great  is  his  unfailing  love.  For  he  does  not  willingly  bring  affliction or  grief  to  anyone. 

I  remember  my  affliction  and  my  wandering,  the   bitterness  and  the   gall.  I  well  remember  them,  and  my  soul   is  downcast  within  me.  Yet  this  I  call   to  mind  and  therefore  I   have  hope:  Because   of  the  Lord’s  great   love  we  are  not  consumed,   for   his   compassions  never   fail.  They  are  new  every  morning,   great  is  your  faithfulness. 

I  say  to  myself,  “The  Lord  is  my  portion;   therefore  I  will  wait  for  him.”  The   Lord  is  good  to  those  whose  hope  is   in  him,  to  the  one  who  seeks   him;  it  is   good   to  wait   quietly   for  the  salvation   of   the  Lord.

 Lamentations 3: 31-33, 19-25 

 

SO, anyway, is an apology necessary for my content not being the most "happy" today? After some quick thought, I've concluded: No, I don't think so. Though not those most "fluffy" of entries, I think it is stilled grounded in optimism. Life does not always dish out mountain tops, but there can still be faith and hope in the valleys to write about, and that is what I am setting out to do! I know as a "Blogmas" entry, this post insufficiently cultivates the "Christmas Cheer" that Blogmas posts typically do, but I'm just not for it today. I'm not sure I will be at all this year. I think the paper clip in the photo above has more Christmas cheer than I do at this point. But that is okay. I cherish the real "reason for the season" and meaning of Christmas deep deep deep in my heart... It has just been a little hard for me to jump on the commercialized Christmas bandwagon this year with the loss I experienced earlier, but that is okay. Can anyone relate?

NOW, for the meat of the blog post (as if the verses above were not enough 😆). I wanted to share with you this passage in scripture that has been absolutely rocking my world lately, Psalm 130. I first discovered this Psalm through the music artists, Shane and Shane, and their reference to it in one of their songs "I Will Wait For You" (featured in my blog post from Monday). Without fail, no matter how low I am feeling, whenever I take time to visit this passage in scripture, really read the text and "marinade" in, and pray through it, my soul renews. Continue reading below to read through it for yourself, discover its richness, and read my thoughts on it. I hope you find yourself just as refreshed by it as I!

Psalms 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

My Thoughts:
Psalm 130:1-2 Wow! the psalmist is in a really low place! CRYING out -longing to be heard! #relatable
Psalm 130:3-4 I LOVE these verses. They highlight our biggest problem, that we have offended a mighty, perfect, just, and holy God with our sin, and in light of remembering that, any present hardships, trials, and/or sufferings, become seemly small in comparison.
BUT THEN GOD GOES AND TAKES CARE of our biggest problem, forgiving us through Jesus! If this good and glorious God is big enough, and cares enough to take care of my biggest problem (my sin debt), it encourages me to know and believe He can then take care of, oversee, and handle any of my other problems. "Therefore he is feared" - Is a reminder to me to have a proper perspective on just how mighty and amazing the God is that I am praying/crying out to and that I better darn be doing so reverently. 
Psalm 130:5-6 A reminder to be putting my hope in the right thing, God and his Word! And Oh, how the psalmist EXPECTANTLY LONGS & HOPES & WAITS FOR GOD and for his salvation to be fully consummated. #iamforit
Psalm 130:7 With HIM is unfailing love, (I surmise, deep down inside, is all my being really wants and needs in this life) and redemption (His heart is for the restoration; one day all that's broken will be fixed) FULLY.
Psalm 130:8 HE DOES IT. He does the work.

Is this text NOT just the MOST BEAUTIFUL, HOPE-INDUCING, LIFE-GIVING text you've read all week? Tell me I'm wrong? 


😊Hope you enjoyed this post, Blessings! Thanks for stopping by, Let me know that you did!
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 ↓ For More Optimistic Reads ↓ 

• Overcoming Insomnia and Anxiety
• Forgetting Everything Except Christ
• Feeling-Down-And-Out
• 12 Bible Verses for the Persevering Ballerina

Puerto Rican Style Cassava Chili

-   Blogmas  Day 8  .  Cassava Chili  .  Yum!   -

Hi everyone! How goes it? This year's series of "Blogmas" posts might end up being the most boring, unfestive string of Blogmas posts in all of Blogmas history that anyone has ever seen. I just don't have too many holiday festivities going on this year. Oh well. I am simply happy that the challenge of writing every day for Blogmas is getting me back into blogging more. 😊
But Hey! Speaking of Christmas, last Christmas I was gifted a Puerto Rican cookbook from my dad and I absolutely love it! I have been meaning to tell you guys about it here on my blog for quite some time... maybe since last Christmas! Has it really been almost a year? Well, what better day to share with you about it than today!

"A Taste of Puerto Rico" by Yvonne Ortiz

I was given the opportunity to pick out whatever Puerto Rican cookbook I wanted! I landed on this one, not only because I liked the author's last name, but because she boasted of including a total of 200 recipes in her book, more than any other book I'd seen on the market! Low and behold upon acquiring the book I discovered not all of the recipes to be of value to me- things like dressings, seasoning combinations, or marinades, which out of convenience, I'd probably be more apt to buy than make, and then there is the whole chapter on seafood which I don't really eat, BUT there are a lot of other intriguing recipes in there too that I am interested to give a try! 
The book is also very interesting because the author shares a bit of the cultural background and history of Puerto Rico's culinary journey over the years, as well as personalizing the book with her own stories and experiences around each recipe she shares.
When the book first came in the mail and my dad gave it a lookover, the first thing he said was "there are no pictures!" But that didn't bug me. I figured if I had any questions I could always ask google! 

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you my experience working with cassava for the first time! Continue below for a sneak peak into this book's Cassava Chili Recipe!

 Cassava Chili 

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 Pounds cassava, peeled and cubed
• salt water
• 2 tablespoons of annatto oil combined with 1 tablespoon of corn oil (I substituted the corn oil with vegetable oil)
• 1/4 cup of basic recaito
• 1 16-ounce can of whole tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped
• 1-1/4 cups of tomato puree
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 2-1/2 cups of white navy beans, cooked
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• A pinch of ground nutmeg

This recipe serves about six.

Directions:

1. Boil the cubed cassava in the salt water for about 25 mins. then drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add recaito, tomatoes, tomato puree, and tomato sauce.
3. Cook mixture for about 5 mins over medium-low heat.
4. Add beans, cassava, and seasonings and cook for 10 more mins

Buen Porvecho!

______________________________________________

I had never cooked with cassava before so this was a whole new experience for me. I figured with it being a tomato-based chili, I wouldn't be able to screw it up too much! I did have to do a sufficient amount of research before attempting this recipe. After all, I thought yams, yuca/cassava, and sweet potatoes were all the same thing/interchangeable. BOY, was I wrong!
Cassava does go by several different names though: Yuca, Manioc, Mogo, among others.
If you are a first-time user of cassava I'd like to share the following youtube videos which really helped to give me a visual frame of reference (you know, since the book didn't have pictures!) and get me started with even the basics of how to peel and chop up the cassava. 

How to Cut and Cook Yuca/Cassava/Tapioca || Kerala Style Mashed Tapioca
Boiled Cassava ( Manioc ) | How to Cook Cassava Root | cook with mom
How to Make Chilli Mogo (Cassava) - A Quick and Easy Recipe!

Cooking cassava was a super fun experience for me. I have tried this recipe a couple times now and it really is an easy one to conquer after getting over the initial intimidation of using this foreign root vegetable. Just be careful not to overcook the cassava as it will then get super tough to chew. #personalexperience
The recipe above calls for some other ingredients that may be foreign to you if you are unfamiliar with Puerto Rican cooking, recaito and annatto oil. These can be bought premade at the market but the "Taste of Puerto Rico" cookbook explained how to make them from scratch so I went ahead and tried that out..

Making the Recaito from scratch; like a pepper, onion, cilantro paste, THIS is what MADE the chili taste so bom!

 I got these little seeds from the Puerto Rican mercado downtown. The seeds look like bacon bits and are what contribute to the oil's orange color! Very Pretty!

I am not much of a cook, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning new things and making this recipe from my "Taste of Puerto Rico" cookbook, my Christmas present from daddy! I can't wait to discover just how delicious all the other recipes in this cookbook are. Wish me luck and I hope all your cooking endeavors, especially this holiday season, are successful and delicious! 🧡

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 ↓ For More Optimistic Reads ↓ 

• Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Sweet Potato Kale Corn Soup
• Mongolian Beef
• Top 5 Favorite EASY Back Bean Recipes 

Change of Plans

 -  Blogmas  Day   Seven  . Normal  Work  Day  .   Shopping  Small  Biz  -

Hi everyone! Blogmas day seven isn't exactly going to be as exciting or festive as I originally was expecting it to be. Originally, this evening was supposed to be my Church small group's Christmas party. I was looking forward to preparing food for it and sharing pictures of this evening's event with you all but unfortunately, the party has been postponed due to illness of the host. So, ill be praying for the host in the meantime and you all can just look forward to a post in the future regarding our Christmas party.
It ended up being a fairly normal day. I worked- taught two private lessons, and then a ballet technique class, followed by a short pre-pointe class at Cavod's Manheim location. With only a week and a half left until Christmas break for the kids, it is always a fun time of the year to be teaching. I feel at ease with my lesson planning mostly all set, up until the final day before break, The kids are buzzing with excitement in anticipation of Christmas vacation, and while we haven't quite gotten there yet, Christmas music rings through the studios and halls of our school. Who can't help getting caught up in the Christmas cheer in that kind of setting!
I headed to Manheim early today so before teaching, I stopped by one of my FAVORITE local small businesses, Prussian Street Arcade! It is a super cute artisan craft market featuring the most one-of-a-kind, high quality, beautiful homemade crafts, home decor, as well as fashion boutique and antique items! They have a little something for everyone. I love coming here to shop but also to just walk around and be inspired! Today I sauntered through just to get some ideas on what I want to do for some last minute Christmas gifts I still need to get. I suppose it is not too last minute yet... The rest of this blog entry will feature pictures I snapped of certain vendor booths and items that stood out to me. Enjoy!

"I wish life wasn't so expensive, and dogs lived longer, and leftover french fries 
still tasted good heated up"

I spotted these cute little guys at Sweet Arrows Co.'s Booth.

...maybe someday I will have a booth of my own. 💭 #dreaming

Though I am sad our Christmas party got canceled, I must admit, it is extremely nice having a quiet Wednesday evening home early this week; Actually getting to eat dinner at a normal hour! (Whereas usually I teach lessons right through dinner time and eat once I get home, OR have church small group on Wednesdays). I have been in great need of a "Selah". With all of the engagements, Christmas preparations, and general holiday bustling that has kept me busy the past couple of weeks, I think this might be the first time in a WHILE that I get to actually pause, read a good book, and wind down early tonight. I am praising the Lord for this unexpected unplanned evening of relaxation! I hope your able to get some soon too! All the best,
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