Getting Closer!

A few more pictures from my apartment.
You can see the front door, laundry closet and one of the bedroom doorways in this one. As well as a bit of the kitchen. Obviously I had been unpacking stuff that day and there is lots of garbage by the door. lol
I still need to get pictures on the walls, but the basics are all together.

The kitchen is the most important part for me, of course. :) I got the second fridge for the bakery business (required, but really a relief to have two to keep all the stuff separate and have enough room for it all), the smaller one belongs with the apartment and the big fridge is the one I am using for personal use. Apparently I need to quit buying groceries and just start eating them. I need a roommate again!

The other side of the "U" in my kitchen holds the microwave and kitchen aid. You can just barely see them in the picture of the living room above. I put in the spice rack and magnetic board (two fridges aren't enough, but now I need new magnets!). I also put in the paper towel rack and on the other side there is a matching one I am using for parchment paper. I also hung a clock and calendar on the side where I am standing. Julie helped me get it all hung up and leveled and everything. Really not something you can do with one person. :) Now there are spices and spice jars on the rack and a few more decorative cups hanging up, and the whole place is beginning to feel a lot more like home! :)

Apartment Previews

So, I finally downloaded pictures from my camera and here are a few of my apartment. It has already changed and developed a lot since these, but those pictures will come later. :)

As you can see, I can get a lot of sunlight through those windows. So far, even on the rainy days I get lots of light which I love, and often the sun peaks through.
I also have super cute nieces, who are way smarter than anyone else's nieces out there, naturally.
And the other side of the living room is my dining room/kitchen area. The bedrooms and bathroom are just down a little hall. The kitchen is in a "U" shape and is quite convenient. I've been working this week on setting it up to be bakery ready. Hopefully, I'll get my "new" fridge on Monday, and the inspector is coming Tuesday.

Bakery!

So, I haven't completely dropped off the face of the earth. Just partly. Mostly? Somewhat.
Since I moved into my apartment a month ago in addition to settling in, I have been working on getting licensed to have a home bakery business.
I'm going to need some additional income while I am here in the States and a traditional job definitely doesn't qualify as I already have travel plans for January and February, in addition to the writing/editing that I need to do.
So, I am sorry for my absence here, but it has been for a good cause. I have been putting every spare minute into getting set up to go into business. There is a lot of initial set up work, which is time consuming, but I am excited about it. I'm working on a website, licensing, recipe testing and soon advertising (okay, I'm already doing promos :D).
I'm very curious to see where God is going to take this business. I definitely feel that this is what He wanted me to get into, but I still have lots of questions. I'm excited that I can keep my options open by doing this and excited about being able to use some of my fun talents to be able to provide some extra financial income while I continue with my other commitments.
I don't think that business will pick up too quickly (actually, I'm hoping it won't as I have lots of other work to do), but I wanted to get all licensed up before Christmas, so that I could begin to build a customer base, so that when I need the work it will be there. I think it is going to work out quite well and am excited about it!

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about putting up some pictures of my apartment, even have them on my camera. There is just this small issue of having to actually download and upload them that takes more time than I've got just at the moment (and yes, it is 2:41am, I just couldn't sleep for the excitement of having my very own bakery!--even if it is just in my home). Good night all.

Proceedings

Sometimes I feel like I am in a tumble dryer, just waiting for God to press stop. It isn't necessarily bad, just topsy turvey. Life is all upside down right now...or not?
My seasons are messed up. I think this is the oddest fall I have ever experienced. Starting in Ohio and then going up to Canada where it was almost over and then coming down to Oregon where we just seem now to be squarely planted in the middle of the season.
Then there is the little fact of having lost the last two months out of my life. It was fun to travel, but being a creature of habit I am looking forward to having some down time where I can just get back into a routine. I miss routine.
And of course, I am still settling in here. No surprise that I am a tad overwhelmed, my life really has been turned upside down. Suddenly I am living in a new apartment that is almost completely furnished now and starting what seems to be a new life. I wonder if this is how people in the witness protection program feel. Only worse, since they can't contact their friends and family.
The thing is, that even though I feel all topsy turvey and upside down and somewhat overwhelmed, I am also totally at peace about it all. It is quite obvious that God is in control and I am pretty sure He knows what He is doing--even though I don't get it all. And that is a nice place to be. this whirlwind too will pass, but even in the middle of it I hear/feel the still, small voice that is Him. And I can rest in that.