Mandy’s Simply Adapting Story – Belfast Northern Ireland

My name is Mandy. Like Brittany, I’m a Delaware girl, born and raised. I’ve known Brittany and her family for about ten years now and I’m really honored that she asked me to write for her blog : )



While I’ve spent the majority of my life in the ‘Small Wonder’, the travel bug bit me at a very young age. I was lucky enough to visit the United Kingdom for the first time at age 12 and fell in love with its history, culture, and lovely inhabitants. However, a love for their food took me several more years! At age 13, I participated in Ulster Project Delaware. UPD is a program that brings Protestant and Catholic teens from Northern Ireland over to the States to neutral territory to teach them about peace. My family and I have been fortunate enough to host numerous teens, leaders, and make amazing friendships. This project introduced me to Northern Ireland – a place that not many people know a lot about.
As I’ve mentioned, my heart has a soft spot for the British Isle every since living in London, England for 6 months in 2005 and in Belfast, Northern Ireland for almost 2 years. Today’s story begins in the exact place where I left part of my heart back in December 2010…Belfast.



After graduating and spending 2 years in the working world, I decided that I wanted to go back to school to get my Masters Degree. I did my undergrad at the University of Delaware and I had always wanted to go to school abroad. So, in search of my next academic adventure, I came across the University of Ulster in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

For me, it was a no brainer! I love Northern Ireland and thanks to Ulster Project, I had a large network of friends there. In early 2009, I embarked on the process of applying to University and then obtaining a visa to live in the UK. While the visa process was a confusing nightmare at times, I’m so glad that I stuck with it. I spent an amazing two years living in downtown Belfast, having adventures throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. And in December 2010, after lots of hard work and months spent on my dissertation, I graduated top of my class with a Masters of Science Degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management :)

I moved back to Delaware after my degree…and well because my visa was about to expire! While I love being at home and the life I’ve had since returning, Belfast will always be my second home and it will always have half of my heart. Now I just need to go back someday and get it…

{ What are some of the things that you felt you had to adapt to in your new community or life situations } (Marriage, culture, distance, food, customs, etc)

Despite all of my previous visits to Northern Ireland, living there came as a complete culture shock for the first few months. Adapting to new money, being a college student in a different country, and getting used to new foods were several of the lifestyle adaptations I had to make to name a few. The one thing I had trouble getting used to was the grocery stores and convenience stores closed so early! If it was 7 pm at night, there was no Wawa or Sheetz to settle your cravings. Northern Ireland uses the pound for its currency – pounds are like fat heavy quarters – makes the wallet a lot heavier than carrying around dollar bills! The food was a welcome change – I was able to try lots of different world cuisines - Lebanese, Indian and delicious Irish home cooking while I was there.

{ What advice would you give to readers to help in simply adapting to their new home? }

What I would say to other readers who are getting used to their new home/surroundings is to be patient and dedicate some quality time to learn about your new town or state. Try keeping a photo journal and find a new spot to photograph each day. Or make a list of the restaurants around and try them! I would also suggest joining a club if possible. I joined a photography club in Belfast and was taken to places I didn’t know existed! It’s always good to get in with the locals if you can!

{ What are some fun tips and tricks that you have learned from living in your new Hometown? }

The main tip that I learned in Belfast was just to really make the most of out of every situation. On days when I was extremely homesick, I would force myself to go for a walk and explore a new area of town. Being somewhere new and finding new little treasures (coffee shops, cute boutiques, new trails, etc) can brighten any day when you’re feeling low. Also, if you’re living in a city, I always enjoyed walking places instead of taking transportation. It’s a great way to get exercise, it costs less, and you may even discover some hidden gems on the way!

{ Recipe }

Irish Potato Farls were my go-to yummy snack! They taste delicious with a little bit of butter! And how can you go wrong with a dish made mainly of potatoes :)


Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

1. In a pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on medium-high heat until the center of the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Drain, return potatoes to pot and allow to completely dry out over remaining heat. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
2. Place warm mashed potato in medium bowl. Stir in flour, salt and melted butter. Mix lightly until dough forms.
3. On a well-floured surface, knead the dough lightly. The dough will be sticky. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten into a 9 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into quarters using a floured knife.
4. Sprinkle a little flour into the base of the skillet and cook the farls for 3 minutes on each side or until evenly browned. Season with a little salt and serve straight away.

(link to recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/irish-potato-farls/detail.aspx)

{ New Words and Sayings I learned }

There’s so many words to choose from my time in Belfast but I’ve tried to pick a few of my favorites…

• Gobsmacked – astounded, astonished, speechless
• Bout Ye!: greeting; how are you?
• Dead-On: good, decent, alright
• Does in my head: An expression that means someone or something that really annoys you
• Wee: small – this would be the expression my friends said I used a wee bit too much!

I want to Thank Mandy for taking the time out of her busy schedule to be my first guest post and sharing her Simply Adapting Story! I love the courage she had to go forward with wanting to live in another country. I think all of us would love to do this but get scared of all the “What ifs” that could happen. I believe Mandy gave some terrific tips on how to Simply Adapt to a new area with forcing yourself to get out of that comfort bubble we all have and join a group, go on walks, and explore the town you moved to. I myself have tried some different things out here in South Dakota and maybe they didn’t all stick but it was fun trying them!


I hope that you all enjoyed Mandy’s Story and will continue to share her story with others that you know that may be a “Wee” weary about living in a new country.


Please feel free to comment on this post. I’m sure Mandy would love to hear some of your thoughts :)

{ If you have a Simply Adapting Story that you would like to share please contact me and I will tell you how it works! }

Also, remember to stop back here tomorrow for

Tips for Tuesday! Snail Mail …

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Tips for Tuesday! Today’s tips are going to be centered around my Simply Adapting Theme focusing today on, “Keeping your mailing addresses”

Well, there are a 101 things to do before you move and everyone has their own scenarios such as mine with Selling a Home this time around and oh yea… buying another first! Maybe you are in a situation where you need to find daycares or a school district for your kiddies. Mine will be searching for a good kennel once I move.

One thing that I am certainly glad that I did was collect & save all the addresses from our wedding. If you’re not completely in tune with my moving situation here’s the DL… In 4 days I packed up a u-haul filled with my life from Delaware, had a wedding rehearsal, a wedding with 180 people, and drove 1,400 miles in two days to my new home in South Dakota. Not only was I able to use the addresses for Thank you notes after my wedding but I have used them many times over to send Christmas cards, birthdays cards, thinking of you cards, wedding gifts, etc!

It’s really hard to stay in touch on a personal level and sending written snail mail is a wonderful gesture. Facebook, Skype, Twitter are great as well but nothing says I care like receiving REAL MAIL! Who doesn’t get excited when you get personal letters in the mail?!? I DO! I DO!

Another thought with saving your mailing addresses is that I just cannot wait to mail out “We Moved” cards! I’ve seen them on shutterfly.com and just love the idea. Especially for those friends that I haven’t contacted recently. It’s a wonderful way to give people an updated picture of you and your family along with the new address of your home.

Here is an example of a generic.. yet CUTE moving card to send!

 

I really want to have a picture of {G}, Winston, and myself in front of our new home in Iowa… Only a few problems with that…

#1: We need to buy a house first

#2: We need an address for that house

#3: We need an actual moving date

* Update! {G} and I are going to Ames, Iowa for a long weekend this week to travel around and view homes with our Realtor! Can’t wait to let you all know how that goes! SUPER EXCITED!

Remember if you’re moving to start collecting those mailing addresses, put them in a cute notebook or if you are techy add them to an online resource like Yahoo.com contacts.

 

Please join me tomorrow in Welcoming my first guest post!

Mandy will be sharing her Simply Adapting Story which takes place in

Belfast, Northern Ireland!

I’m jealous already! ;)

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was fairly uneventful for once, {G} and I had no plans what so ever! This is such a break from our usual get up and go go go schedule. I love weekends like this one but as usual I’m am always asked, “So what do you want to do this weekend?”. Well, what I really want to do verses what I know he will want to do are two completely different answers. I know I am NOT alone in this.

{ What I really want to do is }

Sleep in until 8:30… slowly make coffee and breakfast. Sit and watch Property Brothers in my PJ’s until 11 or so while consuming coffee and breakfast. Get showered and dressed around noon… run a few errands… Finally go see “The Vow”. Return to vegging out on the coach. I know I sound like a slacker… I’m really not.

{ What I know my husband wants my answer to be }

Get up at 4am with him to go to the gym, eat breakfast, get showered & dressed by 8:30-9am, run errands, do house chores, laundry, relax a bit, find something to keep us occupied.

{ What my compromise is }

Knowing that I need to come up with something to do, “Hey, lets refurbish the old piece of furniture you have had sitting in basement for 3 years!” {G}, “Yeah, that would be good project for the new house.” And it begins… He goes to gym at 5am.. I sleep until 7:30. We both eat breakfast and have our coffee. Get dressed by 9am, run to Menards to get supplies for project then run to Wal-Mart to get lunch meat and other items on our list. Come home and start tackling part 1 of refurbishing.

This is the piece {G} picked up at a furniture auction back in 2009. Some how it slipped onto the trailer of what he had purchased so he paid $0 for it. It’s kind of a mail desk/ dresser/ armoire that can be used for anything. I had looked at it a few months ago and realized that some old shutters that were in the basement when we purchased our home would fit where the current doors are. This would work great since I don’t feel like figuring out where to buy replacement glass for the current ones and think that it adds some uniqueness to the furniture.

Here is {G} looking to see if the hinges will work out right with Shutter doors instead of the current ones. Winston is always by our sides on projects making sure we are doing it right. :)

So far between Saturday and Sunday we have Sanded the piece down & painted it with two coats. We didn’t prime it before hand so it’s soaking the paint up more in some spots then others so at this point we have to do some touch ups, add the hinges, put on the shutters, get pretty drawer liners, and possibly spray it with a gloss enamel.

*Note: If you are going to re-use shutters be aware that it is a VERY tedious project. You have to get into every little space and make sure not to paint the shutters shut. And you have to do this front and back multiple times.

{G} has had a cold for the past couple days and was super tired by the afternoon so we decided it was a great place to stop. We should be able to work on this a little throughout the week. I can’t wait to show off the final product even though it will sit in our basement until we move.

{ Can you guess what color we painted it??? }

Other then our little project taking over most of the weekend we didn’t get into too much. {G} took me out on a dinner date to Ruby Tuesday’s Saturday night then we had a fire and watched the second half to “Hangover Part II”. SOOO ridiculously funny. Sunday, we went outside for a while and played with Winston in the snow.. it was a high of 29 degrees so that didn’t last too long. Then we went back and forth with watching the Oscars and “Tastiest Foods in America”. My vote was for the Oscars.

* Circ de Soleil was the best part of the entire event! AMAZING!

 

Viola Davis was snubbed! I know that Meryl Streep was wonderful in “The Iron Lady” but “The Help” is such a compelling story and really needed a strong actress in the part of Aibileen to do the book justice. My only hope is that Viola Davis will get another chance in the future to hold such a compelling role again.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

See you tomorrow for “Tips for Tuesday!”

Keeping Life Simple - KLS

Acronyms have taken over social media sites, teenage conversations, and the Jersey Shore.

I'm 26 years old and cant keep up with the techy world that surrounds me and the English language that I thought I use to speak well. When did we start talking in #hashtags? I completely missed the boat on this one... It must have Sailed right on by as i was leaving delaware a year and a half ago. Also, I read facebook all the time and I still don't know what the letters "SMH" means!

Ok this bothered me so much I just this minute googled it... Shaking my head... Really?

If the jersey shore can get away with GLT then let's KLS "keep life simple" while I post on the simple things that made my week:

{snow}

It snowed the first substantial snowfall of the year on Monday February 20th! It's a little late for South Dakota but it was beautiful "east coast" snow... Heavy. Wet. Fluffy. And most melted away after 24 hours! Love that kind of snow! Usually it's light, blows around where you just scooped it up from, and never leaves.





{ Big Bang Theory }

Sheldon played the bongos this week! I don't care how many reruns or even new episodes I watch... It's funny every time!

{ Playing in the Snow }

Today it snowed another 3-4 inches in Mitchell. When I got home at 5 I had to jump on the four wheeler and plow the driveway again. Winston loves to ride along. Then as we were about to walk in the door I thought "what am I doing! I have snow pants, coat, gloves, boats and it's snowing! I have to play in this stuff!" So that's exactly what Winston and I did for another 40 mins until it got too dark outside. We even made a snowman for {G} to come home to with a little hat arms and face.
Winston and I had a blast, that is until he tried to eat our snowman's face off.

                                 

                                 

Winston was a little jealous of the snowman's hat....

{ Spinach }

That's right people ... I love me some spinach! Especially fresh leaves cooked up in a small dab of veggie oil. Mmmm mmmm I've even had it raw on all my sandwiches this week.

{ American Idols top 24 }

All of the contestant that I wanted to stay ended up getting through! Super excited for next week. Also who will get invited to be the 13th guy on Tuesday? My guess is Evan.

{ Conversations with my sister }

                                       

{ The Weekend }

Cheers to the freaken weekend! {G} and I have nothing planned! We may work on a fun project by refinishing a mail cabinet that he bought 4 years ago that's been sitting in our basement. Also it's Oscar night on Sunday! I can't wait for the follow up of fashion police on Monday!

What things made your week?

Also my blog hop from yesterday is still open, if you are new to the site and want to post your blog for readers to check out please add it :)

Thoughtful Thursday - Blog Hop

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursdays Blog Hop - brought to you by { Simply Adapting } Please join in on my first open blog hop! I've been joining a few this past week and thought they were such a great idea to find new blogs out there that I wanted to start one up myself.

{ How to Link up }

 Please click the link up button below and add your blog information.

From there your blog will be added to this post!

{ Rules }

I'm not a big rule person such as I don't think that just because you stop into my blog that you HAVE to follow me. I want readers not clickers and I'm sure most of you feel the same way. However! Sharing is Caring so if you see a blog you like, stop in and let them know. :)

{ Enjoy }

I hope you enjoy the Blog Hop and will come back again next week!

Please take my Blog Hop button to Share :)

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Simply Sharing – Mandy’s Story

 

I am excited to announce my first Simply Adapting Guest Post! Unfortunately, you have to wait until next Wednesday, February 29th to read it! Now now don’t get your panties in a bunch, I just got my new blog rolling on Saturday so it takes some time to get writers and for them to write about their story.

Mandy has been a friend of mine and my family for many many years now… it has to be 6 or 7 years already. Goodness how time flies by! I reached out to Mandy to tell her story since it’s such an interesting one that I’m sure everyone will enjoy!

{ What to expect }

Simply Adapting to another COUNTRY!

You didn’t think Simply Adapting was strictly United State Stories only, did you?!? 

{ hint }

Lucky Charms anyone? ;)

* If you would like to join in on the fun and share your Simply Adapting story please go to my contact tab and fill out the questionnaire and email it to me.

Don’t forget to grab my button and become a follower :)

Tips for Tuesday! Making a Grab Button!

Happy Tuesday everyone! In addition to having my blog revamped I am also going to try and keep a blog schedule going for each week. My { Tips for Tuesday } post will have a helpful and fun tip for the day.

Today’s Tip for Tuesday is on  { How to create a grab button! } YAY!

When my blog got updated my package did not include a grab button so I had to figure out how to create one myself. Here are some helpful tips on how I made mine in 5 easy steps!

{ Step One }

Creating your button image: I used http://www.picnik.com/ to create my button’s image. First, I went to my blog and right clicked my header and background and saved them to a file on my computer. Once in picnik I uploaded my background first then uploaded and dragged my header photo on top. I played around with the “border” which is where I found the stamp setting. In the basic edits go down to re-size and play around with it until you get the desired image size. Click and save!

{ Step Two }

Getting a URL for your image: I used http://www.photobucket.com/ to upload my photo. It’s free and easy! Once I created an account I uploaded my image that I created in picnik. Once you do upload the image it will show up in “my album”. From there if you put your cursor over the image it will show your URL source which you will need for step three.

{ Step Three }

Grab button Generator: Go to this link - http://www.mycoolrealm.com/sandbox/gbgen/ Fill in all of the blanks that it has listed. Once you are done you can hit the “preview” button at the bottom. If you like what you see then click select code and right click copy.

{ Step Four }

Adding code to your Blog: Login to Blogger and go to Template. From there click add gadget or widget. You will want to add HTML code. Paste your “copied code” from the generator into this box. Save and adjust to where you want it to show up on your template. Save!

{ Share with friends! }

Now you should have a grab button along with a code underneath for

fellow Bloggers to grab! I hope this helped! 

If you found this helpful Please grab my button and become a follower :)

{ My Simply Adapting Story }

Hi! That's me at my wedding August 7th, 2010! My name is Brittany Rigdon and I am originally from Wilmington, Delaware. For all of you non-east coasters, that's the state surrounded by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Not trying to pick on you guys, I had to refresh my thoughts of the states that surrounded South Dakota as well before I moved here. :) I am 26 years old and live in Mitchell, SD, where the corn palace is. Google it.... you'll find that I love to google. I come from a very tight knit family of 6 that raised me with good moral values and a hard work ethic despite whatever prejudices there are about "City" people. My siblings are Corey 27, and Katie and Nikki (TWINNIES) 21. I grew up in a neighborhood outside of the largest city in Delaware (Wilmington) population 71,000. As I went through high school I got very involved in the Agriculture program and became an FFA member. I fell in LOVE with agriculture which lead me to pursuing Ag Ed @ DelVal College where I met my hubby (G) About a year and a half ago we were married after 4 years of dating and I moved out here to South Dakota to be with him. He is originally from Maryland but moved for work around our 2.5 year dating point.

After blogging for the past couple of months I have found my niche with in the Blogging Community. There is a huge population of us "transplanters" out there and no blogs that really talk about how hard it is to move across the country! Hopefully here you will help me in sharing your story as well. :)

{ What are some things I felt that I had to adapt to in South Dakota }

I really had to adjust to how open it is out here compared to Delaware. There are more cows then there are people here in South Dakota so the towns are far and few between. I felt at first like I would never meet anyone since I was the out-sider but then I got a job subbing in the Mitchell School District and it lead me to talking to people! I had missed that so much, I am what they call a social butterfly so I was itching for some contact. Another adaption I had to make was to the weather. Delawareans are weenies when it comes to weather, it gets to 30 degrees and an inch of snow on the ground and we freak, I was one of them. My first winter was last year and it hit -20 one night! Some of the highs for the day were in the single digits, and snow... oh that snow! Lets just say there was a lot! Once I got through my first winter I've been fine, the locals like to say that you kind of forget about how it was the year prior (Probably because they are bad memories) but really you do just forget about it and deal with it as you go. People here are polite, traffic is almost non existent, and the lifestyle is more relaxing.

{ What advice can I give to readers in simply adapting to your new home? }

#1: It can always be worse! You have your health and people back home to support you whether its on a phone call once a week, skyping, or facebooking. Communication has grown so much that keeping in touch isn't like mailing a letter once a month.

#2: Talk to people: Whether you just started a new job or are in the check out line in the local town grocer. People love hearing how I am from Delaware and asking how I am doing here. You never know, it could lead to a new friendship or just someone who had a nice conversation with you that made your day.

#3: If you are alone a lot get a pet. Winston is my savor. I think sometimes people think I am overly attached to my dog but really he is the one that helped me get through my first few months here in South Dakota. My husband travels frequently for work so Winston is my lil man that I can take on walks or snuggle with at night.

#4: Find a hobby & try new things! Since living here I have read more then I have in 3 years back home, I can knit better then ever and I'm still learning, and my cooking skills are growing.

#5: Explore! My husband and I love to drive around and find neat things at the towns in the area. We have visited Mt. Rushmore 3 times now, have been to the Bad Lands National Park twice, and have been snowmobiling for our first time ever! I couldn't do these things back in Delaware and I'm glad I did them now seeing how we are moving to Iowa in a few months.

{ What are some fun tips and tricks I have learned from living in Mitchell, SD }

I have learned to plow a driveway with a four-wheeler... I have grown in my faith more being here ... I learned that there is a distinct difference between East River and West River... I learned what a "Jersey Chaser" is .... along with a "Pick" :)

{ Local Recipe }

Deep Fried Pheasant

What you need: Pheasant breast, eggs, canola oil, 2 cups flour, 2 table spoons seasonal, 1/2 packet ranch dressing mix, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cut Pheasant breast into smaller nuggets, dip in beat-ed eggs, then into mixture of flour, seasonal, and ranch dressing mix (do this twice for think crust)

Place nuggets into hot oil on frying pan. If not fully submerged flip after 1 minute

Watch not to over cook nuggets; pheasant dries out quickly.

Serve with:  Green Olive Tomato Beer ;)

{ South Dakota Dialect }

Ruff = Roof

Rut- Root

You Bet! = No problem or Your Welcome

* I, along with others would love to hear your Simply Adapting story! Please go to my contact page to find out how to submit your story to be posted on Simply Adapting.

Blog face lift

Hi everyone! I'm sure you have noticed the new blog I have up! I'm really excited about the direction of my blog - simply adapting! Jackie from memories by design did a great job! Her button is on the right side bar. Over the next few days I will be tweaking some things but I would love to hear your feed back so far.

Also, as part of my new blog I'm looking for people who want to tell their stories about having to pack up and move to another place in the country... Or even out of the country. If you are interested please email me at SimplyAdapting@yahoo.com
I will then get back to with a quick questionnaire.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I'm blogging from my iPhone so I'll get back on here tomorrow and add some more info!

Also I would love some new followers! When my new blog uploaded i lost some of you in the process. Please join by following or subscribing :)

Heck Yes for Friday!

 

Things that made my week!

• This link a friend had on Facebook – 40 things that make Corgi’s Happy

#39 Pugs 

• I found my teasing brush Thursday morning! I thought I had lost it forever back during our snowmobiling trip. Where did I find it? In the basket under the sink… who knows why I put it there?  Brushes go in the top drawer not under the sink.
• Pizza Bagels :) 

 

• My Amaryllis bulb has started to take growth this week!

• My shooting star Hydrangea has come back to life… the car ride back from the East after Christmas killed all the live blossoms and steams. I cut it back to the base and coddled it with love and lots of water with drainage!

• And my favorite of the week: The weird conversations we all have with our husbands

*If you are wondering who “Slava” is that is a nickname our dog has – as previously stated in my Winston’s World page. 

 

Have a great weekend Everyone!

5 Favorite Trial Movies:

 

I have lived in South Dakota now for a year and 5 months. Back in October right on the day of the 26 birthday I received my papers to serve as a juror. I couldn't believe it! My husband has lived here for 3 years and never has been summoned, and I have friends that have lived here their entire lives and have never gotten the call to duty. I will say that as much as I complained about getting selected that there is a part of me that was excited. I LOVE movies that deal with trials, they are my favorite kinds, even above romantic comedies.

Yesterday was my first time actually going into court for jury selection and it happened to be for a big case for what the size of our town is. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the selection so for me it was an interesting process not to mention the best people watching I’ve been able to do in awhile… I miss the boardwalk in the summers, they always bring out Delaware’s best. However, jury selection did it’s picking for me. I couldn’t believe how some people dressed! Some looked as if they rolled out of bed and slicked back their hair 5 minutes before showing up to court. Others of use in our professional attire. Looking back now, maybe this was a strategy for not being picked for the trial? Look as gross as possible so it seems that you just don’t care about being there… some how I believe that those people dress like that every day though. Anyway, I’m trying to be positive about the experience, I’m glad I wasn’t chosen since it is a criminal case regarding child molestation. I know I could be impartial and view the case through to the end and make a decision but listening to witnesses in real life compared to my movies is something I think would bring me to tears.

My brother and I LOVE flicks and always compare the movies we have seen and rate them. He is pretty good at selecting movies but I have a knack for the dramatic ones. If you’re into trial movies here are some of my favorites to put on your viewing list:

#1: A Time to Kill (1996)

* My all time favorite movie! First time I ever saw the gorgeous Mathew McConaughey on screen.

The entire film is heartbreaking but Matthew McConaughey's closing remarks in this film are the epitome of tear-jerker. The film, set in the Deep South in Mississippi, tells the story of the rape of a young black girl by two white men, who are then murdered by the girl's father, and the subsequent trial of the father who's played by Samuel L. Jackson. It's a star-studded cast: McConaughey, Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Kiefer and Donald Sutherland and Ashley Judd.

#2: Runaway Jury ( 2003)

This film is all about jury selection. Wendell Rohr, played by Dustin Hoffman, is taking on the gun lobby. The gun lobby, however, has hired an infamous jury consultant called Rankin Fitch (played by Gene Hackman). Nicholas Easter (played by John Cusack) is a juror with an ulterior motive.

#3: A Few Good Men (1992)

In the film with by far and away the most famous court scene ever, A Few Good Men tells the tale of two low-ranking Marines from Guantanamo Bay who face court after the death of anoth­er marine because they were ordered to carry out a “code red,” which went wrong. The Marines are defended by earnest JAG lawyers (played by Tom Cruise and Demi Moore), who face off against Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson).

#4: Philadelphia (1993)

Starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, Philadelphia was groundbreaking for being "one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia." In the film, Tom Hanks plays an attorney who sues his former employer after they fire him because he is sick. Washington plays his lawyer.

#5: Murder in the First (1995)

An eager and idealistic young attorney defends an Alcatraz prisoner accused of murdering a fellow inmate. The extenuating circumstances: his client had just spent over three years in solitary confinement.

 

 

There you have it! I’m sure my brother would also agree on my selection. Did you also catch that most of these trial movies were in the early 1990’s? I guess the vampire movies hadn’t caught on yet. ;)

Simple gestures from above…

 

Monday morning I was on the verge of being completely overwhelmed. I get this way when there is something weighing heavily on my mind, of course by now you should know with my postings that our home search is starting to really get to me. As I started writing my post for the day I decided I wanted to add a picture to go with how I feel… I tried Google of course but no luck. Then I decided on Pinterest to see what would come up if I searched “anxious”. This photo caught my eye immediately:

“Don’t be anxious, pray instead.” What good does it do me to sit here and worry? At least through prayer I can be guided just like I feel I was today, to this scripture. After reading it over and over I could feel my blood pressure lower and I feel less nervous about my situation.

George and I are going to find a home and I may not be able to pray for God to give me the specific home I want but my prayers will guide me in knowing that :

“God is for us, his grace is sufficient”.

Also, just recapping on Valentine’s Day yesterday, here was my gift to George.

By: JHILL DESIGN

Sisterly Love…

On this Valentine’s Day 2012, I wanted to go against the grain here and dedicate this post to my sisters. I figured this would give you a break from all the mushy gushy kissy Wissey romance post flying around out there. Today I searched the internet to find inspiration on what is means to me to have Sisterly Love...

Dedicated to: Katie and Nikki and my best friend Missy 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Part II: Here vs. There {Food}

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I know I sure did! My husband took me for a lovely dinner in the city of Sioux Falls which is an hour from home. We love this Brazilian Steak house called “Carnival” since we can GORG on endless cuts of beef for hours. Lets just say we hit the gym HARD Sunday. Well, leading up from all this food talk is part II of my Here vs. There post I started last week. 

{Eating Out}

What’s not to like about food where ever you live or move to? It’s always frightening exciting to try new things, right?

Right away I missed being from a larger population because of our fast food choices. Here are my FAVORITES that they don’t have out here in South Dakota. You can even click the photos to go to their home sites to see what they serve. Oh the comforts of home!

 

 

There you have it my favorite places from back in Delaware. Now you may ask, well what does South Dakota have to replace these wonderful eateries. I can’t replace my favorites, I will always long for them, but surely I can find something else to satisfy my cravings.


Yes Culvers… you succeeded in your slogan! You have Welcomed me to the deliciousness of your concrete mixers, burgers, and chicken fingers. Seriously, some of the best Custard I have ever had! MMM MMM! I still think it’s funny when George goes through the drive through and ask for a Cement Mixer… they always pause then ask… you mean Concrete mixer? Ha gets me every time.


Qdoba satisfies every spicy, juicy, yummy Mexican craving that I’ve ever had. We don’t have one in town so I try and go when I see one in the city.





Chef Louie’s is our favorite steak house in South Dakota. It’s great mid – west steaks cooked perfectly to order. Their biscuits are in home made and just melt on your mouth. Even if you don’t get a steak you can be sure that everything on the menu is DIVINE!


I have yet to try Cherry Berry but I’m sure its super yummy! A yogurt bar is coming to Mitchell, SD but most likely I’ll be moved on by then… FIGURES.

There ya go! If you’re ever out here in South Dakota be sure to stop into one of these places, I’m promise you won’t be let down.

{What the heck is a hot dish?}

Some of the other fun things that I have learned about food out here is that a Casserole and a Hot Dish are the same thing! Who would’ve thought!

    Mid-West = Hot Dish

Tator-Tot Hot Dish

East Coast = Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole

{Beer}

What do Beer, Green Olives, and Tomato juice have in common?

Nothing, if your from the East Coast! However to a mid-westerner they will say the best tasting beer around! Can I just have my Yuengling back? No, cause they don’t serve them here. :(

I’ve even seen people put pickle spears in their beers. I have not tried this mix nor of the above olive and tomato juice but I believe that I need to in order to fully immense myself in the culture.

But I don’t think it will be anytime soon.. ;)