I helped a friend warm his new house by baking chocolate chip cookies. I really, really, really enjoyed these cookies that I yoinked from here.

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from The Frog Commissary Cookbook)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen.

Notes:
- If you chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking, you will have a slightly puffier cookie.
- You can substitute raisins for the chocolate chips.
- You can add up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts in addition to raisins or chocolate chips. You might want to make the cookies slightly larger if this is the case.
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Fortunately or unfortunately, I ate a lot of them myself. They were sooo good. Of course, part of that could be that I haven't had homemade chocolate chip cookies in too long. Mmmm... cookies...

We played a couple games of Agricola which we were awesome. The host won the second game which lasted too long and I didn't explain well enough to our new players. I completely enjoyed the company though. And everyone else wasn't drinking enough as far as I was concerned. ::grin::

Our host also fed us very, very well. He made chili and stew for us and had all kinds of cheese and crackers. It was very yummy. And then we got apple banana pancakes for breakfast on Sunday. So very good, indeed.

These two made good company this weekend.

That's right! I'm off to the sunny metropolis of Humboldt tomorrow. For this little expedition, I have planned to take my current chainmaille project now that my hands no longer start swelling after putting 3 rings together, my list of letters to write, and the third book in a series of seven that we got for a wedding present.

The only key now is that I successfully get up in 3 hours to do this drive. I am going to avoid Tim Horton's even though I really want an Iced Cappuccino. I will have some water bottles with me.

And for my lovely driving companion, I will be bringing pillows and blankets just in case she's not feeling well after her appointment. Don't worry, it's no one you know.

The best part about the trip tomorrow is that I have something planned. Having things planned in the day seems to help me keep busy these days and not just be a layabout, although that occupation would keep me from having to feed my family at Harvest.*

The best part about going for this drive tomorrow is that I get to help someone who needs it. I'm very pleased with this because it feels like it has been a while since I've been helpful. Probably not true, but it kind of feels that way. Probably just my high expectations for myself though.

In other news, I am applying for a job this week. Not because I really want it, but because I want to see if I can get it. I'm headed to Calgary this weekend to see friends whom I miss dearly. I miss a friend that lives just blocks away. It was my dad's birthday today. The cats are all starting to like me better than Jeremy since I'm home and available for attention more than he is.
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*Agricola is a fantastic game that we have played many, many, many times and still have a ton of fun. I recommend it to everyone.

I do have a lot to say and a lot that I've been thinking about lately, but none of it seems like it needs to come out. I don't feel that I need to talk about it. It just is and that's okay. I know that it would shock some that I don't need to talk about it. Heck, it shocks me a little.

I like having time to get everything in order. The house is coming along nicely, I think. I had unexpected, but very welcome, company this weekend and I didn't really have to clean my house for me to feel comfortable having them here.

It's funny how I haven't truly noted that the state of my home is a reflection of the state of me before, but there are a lot of lines of similarity. If my house is very messy and I'm okay having people in it means that I'm really at peace with my messy own internal struggles because I don't feel like working on them. I get restless with the general mess in my house when I start feeling more in control of my internal struggles and thusly, I clean and tidy. When I feel messy inside and the house is that way, but I don't want people to come over and see the messy house, I usually just don't want to pretend I'm okay. And when I tidy up just so that I feel comfortable with other people in my house, I'm putting on the mask that I'm okay for people. There are a lot of varying degrees in there, but those are the major parts. Right now, the house is pretty tidy and that's a pretty accurate reflection of how I feel. I also think it says something that my office is almost always a mess.

If you can believe it, I'm laughing more these days.

I'm not sure I remember how to do this. Type? Type what? About my life and my thoughts.

Well, I'm married. I had it in my head that getting married wouldn't change my relationship with Cheruby, but I was wrong. It has changed it. It's a promise. Yes, we still make the choice every day to honour that promise, but it's a promise that wasn't there before. A promise that will take a lot more to break than just one fight.

We spent the first week saying with a sort of dumbfounded incredulity, "We're married," and "You're my husband." Such silliness and loveliness. I enjoy having that promise and having given it.

Cheruby and I haven't been treating each other differently except to say, "I love you," ten times more than we used to. Not that we didn't say it often before, we did. It's just - different. That's weird to me because I don't get that. I don't get why it should be different and yet it is. It's better than before.

I'm happy.