Hi there! My name is Darci and am still fairly new to blogging. I noticed that there aren’t any FB groups dedicated to bloggers in Maine. I thought this would be a great place to first connect, and see if there may be in interested in joining one. If there is, than I’d be very happy to get one going.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to be involved. Just comment below!
Thanks!
Growing up, I didn’t care much for meatloaf, but it was a staple dish at our house. We were the quintessential downeast Mainer, meat and potatoes kind of family.
Now, my house consists of me, my husband and my 28-year-old brother. Most nights the decision as to what to have for dinner falls on my shoulders. It’s my cross to bear. My husband will happily eat most anything. My brother is far more picky. I’ve made turkey meatloaf a few times, and he was having no part of it. But he had a suggestion. “Why don’t you make it like Meme does?”
I had no idea how my grandmother made her meatloaf. I mean, how many ways is there to make it really? I asked J.J how Meme made it. He wasn’t sure either. The only thing he knew for certain was that it came with some type of tomato based sauce.
So the other night, I called my Meme. I told her I was going to make her meatloaf, and needed go over the recipe with her. When I told her that I was going to make it with ground turkey instead of ground beef, you could sense the hesitation. She was trying to be so nice. She said “Uh, well Darci, I just don’t know how that will turn out”. And ” You can’t put tomato sauce with turkey!” I assured her that it would be fine. I also had to give J.J. a pep talk. I told him that it would be fine. He agreed to try it, and voila, he ate it all. I win.
So here’s what I did:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey, 1 egg, 1/2 a large chopped green pepper, 1/2 an onion finely chopped, and 5 or 6 ritz crackers. Put mixture in a loaf pan and put it in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
When it’s done, lift the meatloaf out of the pan and put the pan on a burner and turn it on low. Add a can of Tomato soup, half a cup of chicken stock, and a couple of tablespoons of wondra to thicken. Heat the mixture until it starts to simmer. If the consistency seems too watery, add more wondra until it thickens. Once it’s the right consistency, I pour it into a gravy boat so everyone can serve themselves at the table.
So that’s that. But now, I’m curious… What was a staple dish at your house growing up? Have you revamped it or changed it now that you’re the one cooking it?
When you sign on to be a Lularoe Consultant, they ask you to create your “Why”. Your reasoning for signing up with the company. It’s not just about selling clothes, or their amazing leggings. It could be, they are that good. It’s about so much more. They are a company who motivate and inspire people to work hard and achieve their goals. They built their brand with ethical business practices at the forefront, a unique plan for customer engagement, and a beautiful product. So, this is my “why”.
A few months ago, I started to get bogged down a little. I felt like I was starting to drown. One morning I was reading the news and came across a story about recurring dreams. The most common one is where you feel like you’re falling. I had recently started having this dream almost nightly. The article said that usually means that you feel like you’ve lost control. And it was right, I had. There was so much going on at home, with my brother, professionally, financially. It was overwhelming. I didn’t feel like any one person or thing or task was getting 100% of what they deserved or needed. I was keeping a running tally in my head of who I had disappointed. J.J. wanted to go to the store one night, but the dog was sick so I couldn’t take him. I told him we’d go the next night. The next night, something came up with Kruno, and he needed something. But I had already disappointed J.J. the day before so I couldn’t do that two days in a row to him, so that night I had to disappoint Kruno. My work suffered, my relationships, my health. One of the biggest reasons we moved home was because of my health. I was stressed to the max in Colorado. I was having migraines almost every day. I had lost feeling in my left arm and leg, and I had a 1.3 cm cyst in the middle of my brain. Stress does very strange things to the body. And some of the same symptoms had started happening again. I had to regain control, prioritize, and just get my shit together in general.
As things started to fall into place, and the stress was subsiding, I started to wonder about these episodes. They seem to come on during times when I was in, what I consider to be, a mild state of depression. I was down and out, unhappy, a real negative nancy. In going along with my New Year post, that simply wasn’t going to do anymore. I desperately wanted to change. My outlook. My situation. In order to do that, I had to do some serious soul-searching. This is my theory:
I decided to take on a second job… I know, it sounds crazy. I’m sure most people would think that taking on additional projects or business ventures would be counterproductive. Hear me out. While I enjoy my lovely little life. I am truly blessed in all aspects of it. There does seem to be something missing. It’s hard to put into words exactly what it is. It’s lacking a little creativity, a bit of a social aspect, a desire to be in control (to a certain degree) of my future and success. I don’t feel completely fulfilled. And I really really want to be, or at least know I’m working towards it. Think of your life as a set of gears. Lots of them, but all different sizes. Some big some small, remove one and everything after that one, will stop. And the end result will never be realized the way it was meant to be if all the gears were there. And maybe that missing gear is an aspect that you unknowingly long for, and just didn’t realize until now. For me, I think that gear is something that brings a sense of accomplishment and confidence. And it only took me 33 years to realize how important these things are both professionally and personally.
Kruno and I want to be business owners. We both have an entrepreneurial spirit. We want something of our own. Where we get out exactly what we put in. We don’t expect to quit our jobs and start a business, have it be a success and make six figures tomorrow. But we wanted something to work towards. We’ve tossed around business ideas for months. There was always something that held us up. Not enough time, or space, but mostly money. It takes a lot to start a business. But, what we’ve come to realize recently, is there will, most likely, never be the “right” time or specific conditions, for anything. And if, by chance there is, you only realize it was perfect after its passed. I think this is true for most everything. I probably shouldn’t be giving advice so early in the game, but at this point, I say if there’s something you want, or feel like you’re missing in life, get after it! (responsibly, of course) You want to go on a trip? Book it. Want to start a new career? Make the leap. Want to adopt a child? Do it. I am a firm believer of the “everything happens for a reason” theory. I think this opportunity came along at exactly the “right” wrong time for us. It’s a wonderful company with a product I believe in. I think this will give me the exact gear that I’ve been missing my whole life. And Kruno and I couldn’t be more excited.
When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. – Alexander den Heijer
There are many ways to say “Goodbye”. It can have many different undertones. It can be sad or even happy in some cases, and other things in between.
My brother has hit a milestone in recovery from his work accident. After 46 days in the hospital, he has been transferred to rehabilitation in Boston. There, he will get his first prosthetic and soon start walking again. We have been preparing for this day since he was out of the ICU.
J.J. doesn’t remember much of the ICU. How could he? When they first brought him in, he was hooked up to multiple machines and had 19 different bags of fluids hanging from what the nurses called his “Christmas tree”. As they days went on, and specifically after the amputation, periodically the nurses would come in and trim the tree. And soon enough he was down to barely a shrub. During his stint in the ICU, those nurses were his lifeline. They were our lifeline. They barely left his room. We relied on them for everything. And they never did disappoint.
The day that J.J. was moved from the ICU to a regular room was one of those confusing types of goodbyes I’m talking about. We said goodbye to our lifelines, and cried a little. It was tough. The uncertainty of it. What this new floor, with the new nurses was going to bring.
These men and women were every bit as amazing as the last bunch. The nurses seemed to love J.J. like a member of their family. Some brought him in homemade food. They hung out with him in the middle of the night when he couldn’t sleep. They checked in on him even when he wasn’t assigned as their patient. J.J. loved them too. He had a system, how he liked things. Certain pillows in certain places on the bed. All the nurses knew this secret, sometimes unspoken system, and obliged. If they were ever bothered or annoyed by his requests, they certainly didn’t let on.
On Friday November 18th, J.J. was told that he was ready for Spaulding. He would leave Monday morning. I asked him a few times if he was excited. He response was always the same. “Yes and no.” I know the decision to leave CMMC was a hard one for him. But his case worker assured him that Spaulding was the place to be. That Sunday, we said goodbye to a couple of our favorite nurses. Shelby, Kristen and Abby. I started to cry, and so did they. J.J. said “way to go, Darc.”
Monday came, more goodbyes were said. I’m sure there were fewer tears considering I wasn’t there. They loaded him into the ambulance and headed to Boston. He’ll be at Spaulding for about 4-6 weeks. The facility is amazing. It’s a state of the art, futuristic looking place right on the harbor. While the first day was tough, just getting accustomed to their way of doing things, J.J. knows this is where he needs to be. And in time, saying goodbye to the people here will be just like before.
To all his nurses at CMMC, we miss you terribly!
I met my husband, Krunoslav on Match.com. He worked 7 days a week and I worked at a busy Irish Pub. We both had odd schedules that didn’t afford either of us many opportunities to meet a potential girlfriend/boyfriend. He sent the first message, I noticed his name was not an American one. He said he was from Macedonia and that he liked soccer. I made up a story about needing some info about soccer for something I was working on for the pub. And within only a couple of messages our first date was arranged. It went well. So well in fact, we met again the next night. He watched “Glee” with me and I helped him deliver papers at midnight. And as they say, the rest is history.
The first time I met his parents was when they made the long trip from Macedonia to Denver for our wedding. Their names spelled phonetically are Nikola and Kruno’s mom is Blageetsa. His mother speaks english “little bit” as she says. She speaks it better than she thinks. And his dad can say a few words. It’s amazing what you can tell about someone without speaking. Just by observing a single moment. As I walked towards them coming out of the international arrivals gate, I knew that they were lovely people.
Well, the In-Laws have arrived for another visit. We have been looking forward to it for months. For the last few days I have been thinking about what to post. And this morning it came to me. An interview with my in-laws. I wasn’t sure how the request was going to translate. But, they agreed and thanks so my wonderful husband and his translation services, it went very well.
Q: How did you meet?
B: We met at a party at a restaurant. We were introduced by friends.
Q: Do you remember your first date?
N: Not the specifics, but it lasted awhile. It was the next day after the party and we had our first kiss.
Q:What is Skopje, Macedonia like?
N: It’s very historical (dates back to 4000 b.c.) . Similar to the Old Port portion of Portland. Our house is in the Suburbs of the capital, Skopje. It’s a very tight-knit community. Learn more about Skopje, Macedonia Here.
Q: What are some customs or traditions of Macedonia during the holidays?
B: On Christmas Eve (usually on or around January 7th as they use the orthodox calendar), we make a loaf a bread and put a coin in it. When we sit down to dinner we each take a piece, and also have a piece for family afar and Jesus. Whoever gets the piece with the coin, it will be their lucky year. For us Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s about family and emphasis is on the meal with family. On August 2nd, we celebrate our Independence from Turkey. It’s like your 4th of July.
Q: What is the biggest difference between your country and the US?
B & N: How friendly people are here. Whenever you go into a shop or store. People greet you. They say “hello” and “how are you”. People don’t do that in Skopje. The other thing, is that people seem so busy here. We work either the same or more hours per week back home, but aren’t always in a hurry. We have time to spend with family and friends. Back home, families only have 1 car. Here, everyone has a car to get where they need to go quickly.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Macedonia?
N: Family. Not just the family as in people but the sense of family and community. Kruno added – Our country was recently in a way. It went though a very hard time and what got people through that, was family. It’s very important there.
What is the hardest part of international travel?
B: Being bored on the long flight.
N: Blageetsa being bored on the flight. She kept getting up and moving around.
~ They did add, that being in the last row was nice. It seemed a little less cramped then the other flight. I asked if they minded the long wait to disembark the plane. They both agreed that it wasn’t a big deal. They are far more patient than I.
What has been your favorite thing you’ve eaten while in the US?
B: Yummy Chicken (A family recipe of mine, find it here)
It’s interesting how a short visit with someone can give you so much perspective. How different families and different cultures go through life. I always thought that my family was an affectionate group. We pale in comparison. The love my in-laws have to give is immeasurable. When they said during the interview how important family is, it was an understatement. They love with their whole hearts, their whole being. I can’t count how many times I’ve been told “I love you” Or “Kristinia (kruno’s sister) says she loves you”. And it’s not just me. It’s to all members of my family, and friends. People they have only met one, maybe two times. Their second day here, they asked to go see my brother in the hospital. They talk about him everynight. They’ll ask how he is doing today, if I’ve talked to him. They’ll tell me how much they love him and that they pray for him. They share memories of their first trip here and the people they met. How our friends are lovely people, and how nice they were, how much love they have for them because they are our friends. The language barrier is tricky to navigate, but when sharing a feeling they are able to communicate with ease.
I knew it the first time I met them and I know it now. They are some of the most kind, generous and loving people I have ever met. And I am so very lucky to have the Petrov family as my in-laws. I couldn’t have asked for better.
The Petrov’s First Thanksgiving!
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