Two Little Kitties

  My two brothers, Isaiah and Levi, dressed as kittens for Halloween. Levi was the traditional black cat, while Isaiah was a spider kitty (since he wanted to wear his Spider-man clothes.) Isaiah's school gave out flyers inviting all the families to a Halloween festival at the Boys and Girls Club, located right next to his school. Inside there were games and of course lots of candy the boys were hysterical about. They had a sugar rush and now it is finally fading into a sugar crash. That means cranky babies.

  My family normally doesn't do Trick or Treating so this was the perfect opportunity for them to celebrate with friends and get candy a la mode. Nowadays Halloween is essential to society and kids who parents don't allow Trick or Treating feel they get to miss out. Schools do Halloween crafts, the TV advertise the holiday, it's hard not to catch on. It was really nice Isaiah and Levi got to do something fun and exciting and still get the feeling they are joining in on all the excitement. Levi kept on his kitty ears or had them sit against his neck rather cooly. Isaiah was shy at first but at the end was bouncing around from the sugary candy in his bag and the thrill of the occasion.

                                    The night was blissful and sweet, full of childhood innocence.

Food Photography

  I have always loved to blog. One, because I have a passion for writing and Two, I love to take pictures. Perhaps one of my favorite things to see on a blog is the pictures they take for it. It sets the mood and highlights the good things in life. Food photography is something I do most every time I sit down to a good meal. I love to capture the creation while everyone else is already digging in. My family says I'm a slow eater but I'm probably last to finish because I take a few pictures before to remember how pretty the meal was.

  If I could, I would blog only about food. I'm pretty sure I would. There are endless meals and treats to photograph and rave about. Everyone always gets hungry and I am joined to the hip with my camera, so It wouldn't be hard. But then there are thousands of blogs already dedicated to food. Making food and capturing food, it seems like it would be a lot cause. Especially since I'm a baby blog. If I honestly were to think about it, I might get tired after awhile. There are so many other things I like to talk about or share with people. There is so much more to me and so much more to my blog than food. (I still love it, don't get me wrong)

This blog will the be thoughts of Pepper. Or the latest obsession of Pepper. Or the craziness of Pepper. Anything that I am musing about, I want to write about and let people know the real side of me. I am quiet in person. I always have been. So many people have (playfully) teased me on being too quiet. It has always been my nature. 'Would You Like Pepper With That' is going to show the essence of who I am. My heart, my ideas, my loves and the journey I am still living, every single day. If you want, you can come along too. :)


Leaving you with something tasty:

Oregano's. Simply the best Italian food I have ever tried. Really, it's so good and authentic. My Mom and I decided to try it out as we were wanting to eat somewhere for dinner. Oregano's is down the street from my house we though we'd see what the rave was about. There are always advertisements about the restaurant and it was a popular college place to eat. I am so happy that I found it. The prices are cheap and you get a bunch of food for what you pay for. Good quality food too.
One of the things I got was the Italian Stuffed Mushrooms. Made with a portobello mushroom and Italian sausage, topped with melted cheese and fresh tomato and cilantro. So savory. I was inspired by this and tried to make my own version at home. As you can see, Oregano's got it down rather than me. It was my first time trying to make it, so next time I will have more of an idea of what to do. Still really good, but different in it's own ways. 

Nature's Finest

The other day I found a pomegranate tree! I was so excited, I picked two and got out my camera immediately to take of picture of them. They looked so pretty and the color is magnificent. I've only eaten a pomegranate so long ago I barely remember the taste, but I've always loved the pale flesh with the skin peeling away into a pretty flower shape, as if ready to enjoy. Nature gives us food but then amazing things to view where ever we go. If you look closely, all the detail put in is as intricate as if it were painted. 

Hands and Feet of Jesus

 The hands and feet of Jesus is people serving the people in the world. It is being with the outcasts and loving them as they were made to be. They are loving them as God's children. Jesus hung out with all the misfits. The prostitutes or the homeless. Even the people with disease. Jesus was there. Jesus cherished his Father's children and accepted them, taught them and mainly just sat and talked with them. For those people who were shunned by the rest of the town, it was validating knowing they were seen.

  Being apart of a church where serving is the main mission, I love to see and be the hands and feet of Jesus. There is a family I really admire. From the relationships toward each other and their servant hearts for the people around them. Personally they have blessed my family with doing our laundry every week because we don't own a washer and dryer. It is a luxury having clean laundry and I am so thankful for it. There is a park next to my church where every week they go and serve the homeless community there food. They sit and be with the people there and have developed relationships  The people at the park await their return because they can see the light that is shining through each of them. 

  That is the hands and feet of Jesus. Acknowledging them and treating them as equals. 

  The world is so busy with people rushing back and forth to each of their duties, but a family has dedicated time to come and be with them. Their family inspires me and has shown me so much of God's love. May He continue to bless them and use them for great things. 

Another Fall Post

  Here I go. I am going to be another blogger talking about Fall and the beauty of it. Well, it really is wonderful. The weather is awful where I live, but in Fall it finally starts to let up and everyone comes out of their caves. Coffees are spiced and pumpkinized (I'm sure that's not a really word), goods are baked and everything that symbolizes warmness and comfort is introduced for the holidays.
  The feeling of Fall coming is a nice feeling. I can feel it in the air and see it in the stores as the country prepares for falling leaves and snow. If I had a porch, I would curl up with a cup of coffee, read a book and here the birds chirp to each other. The birds never leave as my state is the warmest place to stay in the winter.
  The holidays really do bring everyone together, no matter how cliche that sounds. The weather encourages us to go outside, spend time with each other and breathe in the Fall air. I am excited for the holidays and for the weather to get colder so I can bring a jacket when I go outside. Or hide in a blanket and savor the warmth as it spreads over me. The simple things that make the winter enjoyable.
Have a happy Fall as it one of nature's prettiest times of the year. Soak in the falling leaves, the pumpkin coffees and long walks in the cool, breezy afternoons.

Tour de Fat

  While driving home, I came upon this in front of my house. Literally thousands of people riding their bikes, dressed up in the coolest and wildest costumes. From triple seater bikes to double deckers, there was a non-stop stream of riders so we couldn't turn into our driveway. It was the Tour de Fat, where everyone was riding to the city lake to get beer for Oktoberfest.

It was so cool to see the city come together and ride in style. There was laughing and cheering, a girl was even throwing out cookies as she pasted us. So many people were joined together just like a community. Their spirits was contagious and the sites mesmerizing as each person rode by, each dressed differently than the last for the yearly festival. It went on for over a half hour so we finally had to turn around and go another route since all of the streets were blocked off. People were as one, hanging out and accepting of whoever you were. It was a sight and makes me love the city I live in even more.

  

Bus People

Photo by: FelipeGarcia

           
          Bus people are interesting. If you needed a good character for a story, the bus is the place to go. You won't know what you'll find each time you step aboard. It is a mixture of shapes, sizes and personality. I take the bus to and from school every day. I'm quiet in general, but really observant in places such as the bus. I see each person going through the process to get where they need to go. Some wear annoyed facial expressions and others, tired, blank ones.
  There are the ones holed up in the corner (Me included), ones talking to the bus driver, loud people and then the ones that make you want to know more about them. 
  And then the wondering begins.
  Who are these people? The bus people?
  Each person is on a journey in their life somewhere. Good or bad, they each have a story and make up the characters in the bus. It makes me want to know what is going on in their life. So I can help or really what I need to do, is just be there.
  I was taking the bus home with my little brother when this girl around my age said I could sit next to her as the spaces were already full. She told me how the bus scared her because people have harassed her while she was on it. She said that she hated going on here by herself and that she wanted me to sit next to her because I would make her feel better. I was speechless. This total stranger was confiding in me out of all the other people. What was so special about me that gave her security? The bus ride was short and I had to leave, but I hoped she would be alright.
  We ride as one to get to our destination but we are so mentally withdrawn. When you realize it, a bunch of strangers come as one. We are there though just to get from point A to point B. Shouldn't it be different? The public bus systems are one of the most used services nation wide. What if there was a ministry to serve the people who went on the bus? Or some kind of essence of God being shown? Create an environment with positivity rather than hostility. Of security rather than fear. It made sound like a difficult task, but there should be a way where people can travel with a new feeling of something. The feeling of God. There should be a way where God is seen.
  What I can do, is I can just be there. Bring in a light that some people have never seen before. Because I come with the reassure that God is my provider and my protector. I don't know what I would do without knowing that. People go so long or forever without knowing there is a loving God out there. So they won't feel the comfort of being loved by a Heavenly Father. Their souls are restless as there is no place they can fall too.
  There is a scientific study that proves how people feel, it affects the other people around them. With or without knowing it. Even changing your mood can make a difference towards your surroundings. I find myself being really withdrawn and having a hard expressions. Not on purpose, because I get self conscious and don't know where to look on the bus. I need to remind myself to relax and look nice. Simple as that. I'm not saying you need to let your guard down (You are on a public bus with strangers) but check your appearance. How you look can set the judgement for how people will see you. Let God radiate from you. People naturally gravitate to their maker. They will see it in someone even if they don't know what it is. They can't name it, but that feeling of God, it settles their wandering souls.