Mandy Leach

SOO, since it's been over a year since my last post, and since I've been bugged to update this lately, I suppose I might as well do so.

A lot has happened in a year.  Here's a short overview (in no particular order...)

• Worked for Renee Leach and Associates
• My brother hit his year mark for his mission, yay!
• Paid off school debts
• Contemplated going on a mission
• Dated Gavin Ely
• Got a job at Enhanced Physical Therapy
• Made business cards for Piano Teaching, and reached a goal of 20 students
• Road Tripped to California
• Went to Denver for my cousin's wedding!
• Contemplated getting a Mazda RX-8 but then changed my mind to a Mini Cooper
• Tried several more flavors of Ben & Jerry's that I have yet to document on my other blog...

I went to go visit my Aunt Jenny, and among many awesome things that she showed me, one of them was these super-de-duper delicious pancakes.  I am telling you, pancakes never tasted as good as they do in this recipe.  And now I will share it with you.  In her own words.  (This is from our family website.  Aaron is my uncle.  Jenny, I hope you don't mind.)

I love the pancakes Aaron makes with the Krusteez mix.  Just take a cup or so of the Krusteez Buttermilk Pancake mix, add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of oats, some cinnamon and vanilla and enough water to get the consistency of pancake batter. Cook on a hot griddle w/ a little butter. Serve w/ warm syrup. YUM, and healthy.

So there you have it.  Try it.  I know you'll love it.  They're my new favorite.   

Speaking of plants, (see post below) I am going to plant a garden!  I am so excited.  I can hardly wait to start!  I looked up online what vegetables would be appropriate to plant in Arizona right now, and out of those, these are the ones I decided to maybe try:  Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, onions (bulb and green), peas, radishes, snap beans, spinach.  Ok... so that's a pretty big list.

My dad said I could use part of the backyard.  I started on Saturday, and without my list handy, I bought some vegetable packets and potting soil.  I got carrots, cucumbers, green onions, radishes, spinach, and lavender just for fun.  Then, my Dad and I cleared out a small section (to start out with) of the gravel that was there.  He had a drip system installed when he had some concrete laid nearby, so that's coming along too.  I think all we need are the actual dripper parts... I guess you poke them into the hose that hangs out underground.  He'll have to help me figure that out later. 
 
It started getting a little dark, so we had to stop after we cleared out the gravel and most of the random rocks in our riverbed of a backyard.  The dirt is pretty sandy, which I heard is good, and then I'll put the top soil and mix it all up next. 
 
So... sad day... On the lavender package, (which I didn't read in the store) it says that it doesn't bloom until the second year after planting.  I love the smell of lavender, and I was hoping to have some soon.  I guess I'll have to be patient, or return the 1.50 packet of seeds, as frivolous as that seems.

I have this little plant.  It is very pretty, but through some possible trauma and accidental neglection, it might be dying.  I don't know what to do to help it!  I've moved it to a better spot for sunlight, and have cut off the dead leaves.  I hope that works!  It's such a cute plant!

So, I can't really figure out the whole texting thing.  It worked once, but after that, nada.  If anyone else reads this and has figured it out or knows something I don't, let me know!  Thanks!!

Guess what! I just learned how to text a posting to my blog! Wow... This is really cool.  Although... I'm not totally sure if I'm doing it quite right... I just had to delete two posts that came through from my phone as jumbled garbage... hmm....

For all who would like to know:

Rachmaninoff - Etude in Eb Major
Rachmaninoff - Cello Sonata Op. 18 mvt. III (Kyle Grant, cello)
Starer - Sketches in Color
Pink
Blue
Purple
Black and White
Bright Orange
Debussy - Images I
Reflets Dans L'eau (Reflections in the Water)
Hommage a Rameau
Mouvement
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (with a full-orchestrated BYU-Idaho student symphony)