Tether My Heart

Spaghetti Squash, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil

2011-08-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

Dinner tonight was...

Spaghetti Squash, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil

There are several ways to cook spaghetti squash: whole or cut in half, in the oven or in the microwave, with water or without... This recipe is how I do mine, but you're welcome to try something different for the squash.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash–not gigantic, but not tiny
2–3 roma tomatoes, diced (cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, would be yummy too!)
8ish oz. mozzarella (I found smoked mozzarella, which was soo good.)
8–12 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade
1/2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2–3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 oz. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to-taste

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 375°/400°. Use a large, sharp knife to stab several holes in the squash. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut in half length-wise. (Either wait a few minutes for it to cool down, or be sure to use an oven mitt. That sucker will be HOT!) Place in an oven-safe casserole dish, like a Pyrex, cut sides down. Fill dish with water, about 1/2 inch deep. Put back in the oven for another 30–45 minutes. When your timer goes off, test to see if it's finished by scraping the insides of the squash to remove the strands. I like mine pretty soft, so I'll often put it back in for another 5–15 minutes. It depends on the squash and your oven and your preference.

• Dice, slice, and mince your veggies and cheese (tomatoes, mozzarella, onion, and garlic) while the squash is cooking. To chiffonade your basil, stack all the leaves lengthwise and use either a knife to slice or kitchen shears to cut into small slices. See a how-to here.

• Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions and garlic. Sweat them a bit. Sometimes I like mine softer, sometimes more crunch. Again, your choice. Add the tomato sauce. Remove from heat once the sauce is hot.

• When the spaghetti squash is ready, scrapes all the "pasta" out into the casserole dish or a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss. The heat of the squash will lightly cook the tomatoes without making them too mushy. Toss in the sauce mixture, basil, and cheese. Add salt and pepper to-taste.

********************

This is great as-is for a vegetarian, gluten-free meal all on it's own. Or it would be really great as a base for some grilled chicken or protein of your choice. I was looking for something fresh for a summer meal, and a basil/mozzarella combo had been calling my name for weeks!

I was afraid Rob wasn't going to like it—spaghetti squash isn't his favorite, and he's often hungry after a meal with no meat. He's a Kansas boy. But he said, and I quote, "It's actually not bad!" The fresh flavor combination did it for him. And two hours later, he's still not hungry. :)

Peace,

Words of encouragement

2011-01-23T10:30:00.002-07:00

Peace is not just for the sake of peace; it also creates a bond between the parties seeking peace. Bring it on!

Peace,

A Blurb and a List

2011-01-21T16:30:00.010-07:00

Here's an excerpt from "Cutting for Stone," a book I'm reading by Abraham Verghese:

By midmorning, when we return from our first Bungalow-to-Casualty-to-Women's Ward-to-Front Gate excursion, with Koochooloo as our bodyguard, the kitchen is alive. Steam rises in plumes as Almaz clangs lids on and off the pots. The silver weight on the pressure cooker jiggles and whistles. Almaz's sure hands chop onions, tomatoes, and fresh coriander, making hillocks that dwarf the tiny mounds of ginger and garlic. She keeps a palette of spices nearby: curry leaves, turmeric, dry coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mustard seed, chili powder, all in tiny stainless-steel bowls within a large mother platter. A mad alchemist, she throws a pinch of this, a fistful of that, then wets her fingers and flings that moisture into the mortar. She pounds with the pestle, the wet, crunchy thunk, thunk soon changes to the sound of stone on stone.

Mustard seeds explode in the hot oil. She holds a lid over the pan to fend off the missiles. Rat-a-tat! like hail on a tin roof. She adds the cumin seeds, which sizzle, darken, and crackle. A dry, fragrant smoke chases out the mustard scent. Only then are the onions added, handfuls of them, and now the sound is that of life being spawned in a primordial fire.

This is probably one of the most well-written passages I've read in a long time. I feel like I'm right there in the kitchen, smelling the smells, and worrying about being splattered by hot oil. I had to re-read it several times last night, just to absorb the whole experience. It was a similar experience to the part in Ratatouille when Remy & Linguine are cruising around the kitchen, really in the groove. Except this is a book, not a movie—it's rare for a book to evoke that kind of response for me. Amazing.

*****

I just read this post by Shaun Groves about an exercise they did while learning about adopting. Challenging, convicting, inspiring.

Here's what my list looks like:
Rob
Christ-follower
Family
~~American~~
~~Knowledge~~
Home
~~Cultural Information~~
~~Resources~~
Values
Creating

I'm not sure I can get to the second round of cuts. If I don't have a place to call home, or if I'm not able to create, I kind of become a crazy person. If pressed, though, I guess I'd cross off "creating" and "home" next. And if I'm honest, part of me wants to cross off "values" (which represents my faith on this list) before "home."

What things are left on your list? Could you get down to four?

Peace,

Work-in-progress Wednesday

2011-01-19T15:30:00.001-07:00

It's Wednesday. And I can't think of anything to blog, so maybe a theme will help me out. So, here's what I'm working on:

In a word, it's my future.

Or a giraffe.

More later, after I overcome my fear of failure. ;-)

Happy Wednesday!

Peace,

Words of encouragement

2011-01-02T14:45:00.001-07:00

I needed to be reminded. He's provided in the past, and He will provide in the future. So for now, I wait.

Peace,

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

A great verse to get the year started off right:

Here's to the upward call!

Peace,

The one about jealousy

2010-11-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

So, I have this problem. It’s called Blogs.

I follow a ton of really wonderful blogs. Most of them are written by women who are about my age. And they’re really creative! They cook, they craft, they have great style. I find them very inspiring.

But I also find myself becoming resentful sometimes. Or maybe just jealous. Is there a difference between the two?

In any case, I find myself thinking, “They’re living MY life! They’re doing what I wish I could do!!”

Sometimes this causes me to get up off my couch and go make some change in my life, be it crafting something awesome, finding a way to use what I have to reorganize or redecorate my house, or whatever.

But, more often than not, I just sit and marvel at how these other girls in their late 20s are living their dreams, and I get frustrated that I’m not.

I’m intimated.

I’m fearful.

I want to do something creative and awesome and not be tied down by someone else’s rules. But I don’t know where to start. I have a grand image of what it might look like in the end, but I don’t know how to get there.

Someday I’ll figure out what I want to do with my life. In the meantime...

Peace,

The one where I stack wood and discuss middle-child syndrome

2010-11-08T08:00:00.004-07:00

This is how I spent my Saturday this weekend.

Forgive my sweatpants. It was early. Like 9:00 a.m.

Well, Saturday morning. I spent the rest of the day on my computer and phone planning a super-fun monkey-themed baby shower for one of my dearest friends. ;)

But anyway, Rob and I received a cord of wood to burn in our cast-iron stove. And we had to stack it all ourselves.

As the two men who delivered the wood were tossing it off their trailer into our front yard, I posted on Facebook, “Stacking a cord of wood. It's weird to me to have wood delivered.”

To which my big brother said, “What are you talking about? You grew up having it delivered. Except then it was delivered by your dad and brothers to the back door.” And my little brother “liked” it.

And I said, “Hey! I helped. Once.” I can’t help it if I’m the princess.

But of course my brothers would gang up to pick on the MIDDLE CHILD!! This has been going on since we were little.

It’s true, though. Generally, it was my brothers out in the woods helping my Dad cut down the tree, chainsaw it to the correct length, split it into pieces that fit the fireplace, then stack and haul and stack and haul. I might go out occasionally. Not to take them coffee or hot chocolate. Nope, not me. That would be too nice. I just went to watch a little and maybe play with the cat that thinks it’s a dog named Marcus.

Sometimes it payed off being the only girl. ;)

And P.S. I happen to know that my Dad already has a day of work in woods planned while we're all home for Thanksgiving, so that he, Big Brother, Little Brother (who is 6’, by the way. But Big Brother is 6’2”, so it still works), and Husband can “do the manly bonding.” {Name that movie.} Maybe this time I'll take them something hot to drink. ;)

Peace,

Word of the Year Preview

2010-11-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

My husband thinks I’m a little bit of a big nerd, because I’m designing my own planner/daily calendar for next year. I started with November 2010, which I’ve already printed out. I’m hoping to catch some of the kinks this month and next, so it’ll be just right by January. I haven’t designed a whole lot into it other than the basics (days, months, weeks, etc.) plus those little extras that I can’t find in a store-bought planner (goals, chores, to-do and project lists, etc) which caused me to undertake this project to being with.

Anyway, as I’ve been laying my planner out, I’ve been pondering what else to do with it. Design it? Make it pretty and girly? Do I want to use colors, or just black and white? What do I want to commit to looking at pretty much every day for an entire year?

I remembered the idea of choosing a “word of the year” to focus on, rather than making resolutions in January, etc. My word for 2010 was Balance. To be honest, I didn’t do much with it this year. I thought about it occasionally. I wanted to become a more balanced person, and have less of an all-or-nothing attitude towards life (because when I’m faced with all-or-nothing, I tend to pick Nothing). I think I’m a few steps advanced in this journey, even though I wasn’t all that intentional with it, and thankfully I still have two months to work on it, right? ;)

Part of me wants to pick Balance again, because I think it’s important, and because I haven’t achieved it. But let’s be serious—I won’t ever achieve balance in this life. I’ll get better at it, but I’ll never get there 100%. So, instead of dwelling on my “failure” and trying to get a mulligan, I’m going to allow myself to move on to a new word for next year.

Is it too early to be thinking about all of this? I don’t think so. I have two months to get my planner ironed out and two months to work on picking my word, too!

Last year’s word: Balance

This year’s options:

abide
abundance (acknowledge the abundance in my life, not the abundance I “want”)
Adore
Appreciate
Awe
Be
Beloved
Blessed
Breathe
Calm
Compassion
Create
Creativity
Delight
Discover
Embrace
Enjoy
Flourish
Grace
Gracious
growth
Journey
Joy
Observe
Possibilities
Presence
Refine
Relish
Satisfaction
Savor
Simplify
Thoughtful
Thrive
Wholehearted
Wonder

I think I know the one I want to go with, but I want to give it time to simmer and settle.

A little background: I read about this concept all over the internet, but the conversation Ali Edwards held on her blog was the one that really impelled me to explore my own “One Little Word.” She has a great list of words her readers contributed here.

So. Has anyone else chosen a Word of the Year in place of, or in addition to, New Year’s Resolutions? What was it? What will you choose for next year?

Wedding Guest Book Update

2010-11-01T12:00:00.001-06:00

This quilt has the most pieces I've ever worked with. Seeing as it's only my third quilt, that's not saying much, but hey... I have the privilege of putting together my friend's wedding guest book, which is a quilt. I've loved reading other people's well-wishes (is that bad?). I've also made it a point to say some prayers for the bride and groom, their union, their transitions, and their new family. I've loved the whole process.

It's currently sandwiched and draped over my sewing chair, just waiting for me to get my *new* walking foot attached to my machine. I've never used one before—any advice??

Here are some sneak peaks:

I blurred this pic so the bride & groom can still be surprised by their messages.
Just enough of a sneak peak to whet their appetites. ;)

All Photos © Me

This quilt has been a total and complete experiment. Thanks for being my guinea pigs, L and M! I've tried some new tricks, which have turned out spectacularly, if I do say so myself!

Peace,

Cowboy Quilt—Blogger's Quilt Fest!

2010-10-29T20:10:00.000-06:00

This is my second quilt, and first ever entry in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival! I just hope I have enough nerve to hit "publish" and then go through the link-up process... ;)

Introducing, my cowboy quilt!

Front

And the back.

This quilt was a gift to my (at that time) unborn nephew, who has since been born: Isaac Lawrence. See the original post/fabric selection story here, and the official "finish" post here.

And the in-between time included:

Planning...

Cutting...

Pinning, stitching, ironing...

Arranging...

Piecing...

I decided it needed sashing...

Adding the border...

Designing and piecing the back...

Sandwiching (blech, least favorite part)...

Quilting...

And that's how I got from here...

...to here! All for the sweetest little boy!

All Photos © Me

Thanks for checking out my process, and don't forget to take a look at the other masterpieces at the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Peace,

P.S. Keep an eye out for some upcoming photos of my current WIP—a friend's wedding "guest book quilt"!

Cousins don't shake hands, cousins gotta hug!

2010-09-27T12:00:00.002-06:00

Are you tired of my summer vacation stories yet? I've got one more, and then since it's been almost two months, I guess I'll find something else to report. Thanks for humoring me! ;)

My cousins and brothers and I are all super close, especially because we've been doing this reunion thing since before I was born. That said, sometimes we treat each other more like siblings than cousins. Take this as an example.

See this picture? See the two people sitting between the boat?

That's my youngest cousin with her (relatively) new boyfriend. He'd never been to our reunion before and was meeting most of us for the same time. Cute, right?

This was the welcome he received.

A cousin, a cousin-in-law, and a sister, spreading the love.

The balloons hit the boats around them and water in front of them several times before they realized what was happening.

This was right after she got nailed in the back of her leg. Ouch.

Run guys!

You can imagine we were all laughing pretty hard by this point.

All Photos © Me

And that's the kind of love we share.

Peace,

Bats in the Belfry

2010-09-24T12:00:00.002-06:00

Weird things happen at our family reunion. I mean, it's to be expected when you have 25 grown people, all related to each other one way or another, living in close(ish) quarters.

But this has never happened before.

I'm sitting in the living room, talking with my cousin, and I lean my head back on the sofa. I'm staring at the ceiling, and all of a sudden, I realize that there was a little black thing up there that I didn't remember seeing before. I continue to stare, and slowly it occurs to me that the little black thing...is a bat. I have no idea what to do. Quietly, I mention to my cousin what I've just discovered. And one by one, we tell the other folks around us, so we're all standing (or sitting), heads back, staring at the ceiling.

Eventually someone calls the folks we've rented from, and they send out animal control. Not much later the guys showed up, and sure, they were missing a few teeth, but I've never seen anyone so gentle with, let's be serious, a rodent. A wild rodent, no less. They just kind of nudged the little guy with a really long tape measure, which caused him to fly down to a window ledge. They nudged him again, and he flew across to the steps. He was in a bit of a stupor, seeing as the middle of the day for us is the middle of the night for him, so the guys had no problems picking him up with their gloved hands. Up close, he was actually kinda cute! (The bat, that is.)

We asked what they were going to do with him (I keep assuming the bat was a him, but maybe it was a her? We didn't ask for confirmation), and apparently the older animal control guy has bat houses on his property, similar to bird houses. He hosts several hundred bats! Said he has zero problems with mosquitoes. ;) At least we know our small friend was going to a nice new home.

All Photos © Me

Peace,

Cut Flowers

2010-09-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

Can I just say, my mom and aunts grow the most beautiful flowers? These are from my aunt's garden.

All Photos © Me

I love hydrangeas.

Peace,

How much fun is skiing?

2010-09-20T12:00:00.037-06:00

I love this series of my cousin skiing.

All Photos © Me

Now, I don't see the appeal in being dragged behind a high-speed boat by a rope on a single plank, but he sure does make it look like fun, doesn't he?!

Peace,

Lake fun and games

2010-09-17T12:00:00.001-06:00

Being at the lake is more than just eating and sleeping.

And then there's tubing.

Behind the pontoon (ie. slooooooooowwwwww) boat.

Going less than 1 mph.

This is pathetic.

Yup. That's my brother in the water back there. He fell out. And then Rob fell out. It was awesome.

All Photos © Me

Peace,

What we do at the lake

2010-09-15T12:00:00.002-06:00

Our trip to the lake every year isn't just about gorgeous scenery.

There's tie-dying.

Woah, flashback to when we were 7.

Relaxing...

...and/or napping.

My two favorite men—my dad and my husband—"reading."

Playing games.

Snacking.

In honor of Gugga

Telling stories around the appetizers as the sun sets.

And hanging out around the fire (usually involving more food in the form of s'mores).

All Photos © Me

Peace,

My Favorite Place on Earth (and it ain't Disneyland)

2010-09-13T12:00:00.003-06:00

In the last post, I mentioned that the lake is my happy place. We've had our family reunion at Deep Creek Lake, MD every year for about the last 25 years, and it really is my favorite place on earth.

Wanna know why? Here's why:

All Photos © Me

Peace,

Cowboy Quilt—Finished!

2010-09-10T12:00:00.002-06:00

In typical procrastinator fashion, I finished quilting the cowboy quilt and had the binding partially on with literally hours to go before we left for our family reunion. I just couldn't wait to give it to my brother and sister-in-law, so I wrapped it up, binding only half-sewn on, and tied a bow on it. Thankfully, they let me take it to the lake to finish it up, and it is now in the possession of my new nephew, Isaac Lawrence, born on August 24th.

Front (love my model, he's so handsome!):

The quilting shows up really well—good or bad as that may be—on the back:

And a couple more, just for fun:

All Photos © Me

The lake is my happy place!

Peace,

The Aloe That Wouldn't Quit

2010-09-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

When we planted the garden over Memorial Day weekend, I decided to replant my aloe. I've had it forever, and no matter how many times I've almost killed it (trust me, that's hard to do), it just keeps coming back. Take this last time, for example.

I realized that it was probably too big for it's pot—given that succulents like to spread their roots wide, not deep—and it looked pretty sad. As I lifted it out of the pot, it's entire root system fell off. Oops! Meh, I potted it anyway.

This is what it looked like that weekend:

Pathetic, no?

BUT when we returned from vacation about a month ago, he looked more like this:

Not only is it reviving, it's reproducing. This guy is nuts!

So now I have all these little guys:

All Photos © Me

I'm not sure what I'll do with all of them. Christmas gifts, maybe? ;)

Peace,

Aw, nuts...

2010-09-06T12:00:00.073-06:00

Wanna hear a funny story?

The other day I was watering my garden, and then I went to pick some basil for dinner. As I was getting ready to take my harvest back inside to start cooking, I noticed something funny hidden under all those leaves.

That sure doesn't look like basil. I figured it was a weed, so I pulled it out. But, ohmygosh...

That's a PEANUT!! What in the world?!?

Yup. A peanut. With a root. And leaves. Like, growing. In my basil.

Well, I did what any sane person would do.

I planted it. I figured it was apparently growing well where it was, let's just see what happens. ;)

My theory at this point was that we have tons of very active little birdies and squirrels that frequent our backyard. One of them must have dropped it from the tree over our deck or maybe even tucked it away for safe keeping.

The next morning...

It's GONE! Where did my li'l peanut go?! All I have is a big old sad hole. :(

Sigh.

As I turned around, head hanging in sorrow over my lost peanut plant adventure, something in the corner caught my eye.

All Photos © Me

My peanut! But there's no peanut. Apparently whoever left their treasure for safe keeping decided to come back and collect. Or maybe it was some other slacker trying to reap somebody else's hard work. Either way, no peanut for me.

Although I still have hope. I've found other peanuts scattered around our yard. Maybe one of them will sprout. ;)

This is definitely the strangest thing to happen in my garden to date.

Peace,

Finished Product

2010-09-02T16:51:00.000-06:00

So, I finally got pictures of this dress. I've worn it to two weddings. I feel so frugal. ; )

Here's the front:

Grease spot? What grease spot?

And here's the back. I added a few extra "patches" so the ones on the front would look less like "I spilled something on this dress, and now I'm trying to mask it..."

All Photos © Me

Pretty good, no? Works for me!

Peace,

My New Old Dress

2010-06-16T12:00:00.071-06:00

We have about a bajillion weddings this summer (and by "bajillion" I mean 4), which always begs the question, "What to wear?" To make matters worse, as I've mentioned before, we're on a pretty tight budget (no fun for the wardrobe, but hey, we paid the last car payment a few weeks ago!). So what's a girl to do? Going back through my closet, I found the little white dress that I wore for our wedding rehearsal last year. It was so cute, and it was a steal at Nordstrom's Rack. I knew when I bought it that I would probably never have another opportunity to wear a white dress, but I got it anyway thinking I could just have it dyed. Well, it was time to revisit that idea.

I didn't think to get a Before picture before I got it wet, but at least I thought to get one then. It's not that translucent when it's dry.

One small problem here. I think I got a little too close to the chicken wings at our second reception (which we had for our friends in Colorado who couldn't come celebrate with us in Cincinnati), and there's a bit of a grease stain down toward the bottom.

See it there? I figured that I'm dyeing it dark, it'll cover it up. Problem solved.

So. I got my biggest pot and filled it with water and lots of salt, according to the directions on the dye.

And I got my dye. Rit actually has a great color selection, and a color mixer on their website. They give offer different formulas for getting colors other than the basics they offer! But I decided to go with just straight up teal.

I wanted as dark a teal as I could get, so I dumped the whole thing in.

That, my friends, is scary dark.

Get the fabric (dress, in my case) soaking wet. There was still soap left in it from the last washing—I could tell, because it bubbled out as I wrung it dry—so I had to soak, wring, soak, wring, soak, wring, several times.

In it goes!

3...

...2...

...1

What was I thinking?!? Welp, too late to go back now.

P.S. Those oh-so-fashionable gloves are left over from my textiles class in college. Nice, huh?

Let it simmer for over an hour (directions were on the dye bottle, thank goodness). I let it go even a little bit longer, since I wanted a darker color. (Plus I was doing laundry at the same time and was downstairs when the timer went off. Oops!)

Then rinse.

And rinse.

And rinse. You have to get all that extra dye out of there, or else it'll wear off on your skin when you wear it, or it'll dye all your other clothes the next time you wash it.

Then dry! It can be tumbled in the dryer or drip-dried on a line.

Apparently, grease doesn't take color the way un-greased cotton does, so there's still a hint of the stain. I've found an embellishment in a slightly darker teal that I'm going to sew over it, but haven't gotten around to that yet.

But anyway, that's what I did to make my old dress new!

All Photos © Me

Peace,

Work-In-Progress #2: Cowboy Quilt

2010-06-14T12:00:00.065-06:00

Here's the beginning of my other WIP.

My brother and sister-in-law are having their second baby in August. They also happen to be having the first grandson! I had seen some amazing retro little kid cowboy fabric by Alexander Henry a few months ago and bookmarked it for some future project.

When they told us they were expecting, I sent an email saying, "If you have a boy, this is the quilt you're getting." So, when they found out that he's a he, I went to plannin'.

I ordered both the red and the white version of the cowboys and cowgirls.

How cute is that?! There are even these little groundhogs that I hadn't seen until it came in the mail.

Oh, it kills me! I love it.

Anyhow, I was browsing some other kiddo fabric and found these horseshoes by Michael Miller. So I ordered it too, and wouldn't you know, the colors match perfectly! (Phew, thank goodness...)

All three together.

My mom & I made a date of fabric shopping (we were pretty busy for those four days!). We were looking for the rest of the fabric to make this quilt. I'm going to base the design off this quilt by Amy at ACommonPlaceLife. I knew I wanted a blue with white stars, something green, and something yellow.

Perfect, no? We kind of went back & forth on the green one, because it's floral and maybe not super-masculine. But then we thought Rob would probably jump at a chance to wear a shirt made from that fabric, and he's very manly. So we went for it. Hope the baby doesn't mind... ; )

What do you think?

The final touch is this red & white stripe for the border. I'm hoping to find a great gingham or bandana print for the binding, but I'm not there yet, so I'm not going to worry.

All Photos © Me

We got a little bit nauseous as the lady cut the stripe for us. It was pretty intense coming off the bolt. But it'll be perfect in small doses.

Peace,

Garden Update

2010-06-11T12:00:00.060-06:00

When my parents came to visit a few weeks ago, my mom helped me plant some vegetables, loosely interpreted as a vegetable garden. I watered faithfully each day, but they didn't seem to be taking to the Colorado heat & dryness. Then I thought "maybe I should water them in the morning before I go to work, rather than in the evening when I get home..." So I made the switch & all of a sudden my plants went from looking all wilty

...to perking up, just as Mom had promised! These are my Roma tomatoes.

And these are my Big Boy, or Better Boy, or something, tomatoes.

Then over in my (slightly) raised bed, what is that I see?

Why, that's a green pepper! My salsa pepper plant had a pepper on it when I bought it, but the green pepper didn't. This is so exciting! Let's take a closer look.

I mean, I might be a little biased, but he's obviously the smartest kid in the class... And there are more blooms coming in, which means more peppers in our future.

Right next to my peppers I found this little guy.

There's a big ol' fat red-breasted robin that's been singing in the tree over our deck, so this must belong to him (her?). Or rather, one of his/her children.

What plant does this little twirly thing belong to?

That's my spaghetti squash! Rob & I discovered the delight that is Spaghetti Squash over the winter, and I can't wait to eat some from our own garden. Here's a bloom from this morning.

Tasty AND pretty.

And my salsa peppers? Well, there are FOUR little mini baby peppers on that sucker.

Can you find them? Here's another view.

And last, but not least, there's this little guy.

All Photos © Me

He's not really part of my garden—he's kind of off to the side. And I didn't really plant him. He just showed up. That's one mushroom I don't think even Rob would eat...

Peace,

New Look

2010-06-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since I let Rob cut my hair short. I think the last time was right before we got engaged. Which was over 2 years ago. He's been dropping (not-so-subtle) hints recently, and I was ready for a change. So...

Tada! Not too drastic, and I love it!

Peace,

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

2010-06-07T12:00:00.007-06:00

Rob has been craving chicken parmesan for some time now, and it's totally doable on a lo-glycemic diet! The best way to do it is to grill the chicken instead of bread it. So I did a quick Google search, and this is what I found:

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

• 1 pounds thin cut chicken breast, cutlets
• Salt and pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 small yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, such as Muir Glenn brand*
• 1/2 cup, 10 leaves, fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 pound sliced mozzarella
• 1 box Quinoa linguine **

Directions

Heat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to keep it from sticking to the grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side and transfer to a foil covered platter to hold. If you are using a grill pan, cook the chicken in 2 batches if necessary. While chicken cooks, make sauce.

Place a medium pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and chopped onions. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes and heat through, 2 minutes. Wilt in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Layer the chicken with fire roasted sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with Parmigiano and mozzarella. Brown the casserole under the broiler 3 minutes

* I stood in the canned veggie aisle for a good 4 minutes with the $.88 Kroger-brand diced tomatoes in one hand and the $2.19 fire roasted diced tomatoes in the other, weighing my options. At more than twice the price, the organic Muir Glenn seemed a bit extravagant. I mean, I'm on a budget, people. I finally decided to splurge, and boy was it worth it! I love chicken parmesan, no matter how it comes, but that extra fire-roasted flavor, combined with just a bit of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes, really sets this recipe apart.

** Quinoa is a whole grain that is native to South America. The Incas ate Quinoa! It's full of protein, and is gluten-free. It's great for those trying to eat lo-glycemic, and comes as a grain, pasta, flour, and flake, depending on what varieties your store carries. It cooks like wheat pasta (just don't over-cook), and it tastes like wheat pasta. It's a winner! Just watch your portion sizes, since it's still a grain.

We both loved this meal, and it's definitely going into our regular rotation!

Peace,

New Work-In-Progress

2010-06-04T12:00:00.007-06:00

It's been a while since I started a new quilt project. Here is the very beginning of one of my newest works-in-progress (WIP):

I am making a wedding guest book/signature quilt for one my friends who's getting married in July. It'll be a cozy toss blanket, not for a bed, so she wanted it to be something she loved and could have out, no matter how she decorates her house. I'm a firm believer that blues and greens can go with anything. We looked at a bunch of fabrics that could be both color-neutral and gender-neutral, and this is the print we settled on:

It's from the Free Spirit's Dolce collection. Those flowers are huge and gorgeous! I plan to fussy-cut this print to take advantage of them. I'm so excited about building a quilt around this print!

I also ordered this floral to go with it (from the same Dolce line).

Once the fabric came in, my mom and I went to Joann's to find coordinating solids.

The green perfectly matches the leaves in the first floral (though the picture doesn't show that). And the yellow adds a nice non-matchy-matchy touch. We also decided to add a white-on-white print for some variation.

The guests will be writing their wedding wishes to the bride and groom on the solids and white fabrics. I wanted them to be light and not really patterned so the signatures will really stand out. I mean, that's the whole point of this quilt, right?

To add a little depth to the whole thing, we picked out this great starburst print, and the green and white dot will be the binding:

And I nearly forgot, this stripe will border the whole quilt top.

All Photos © Me

My wonderful mother took some time on her visit to cut the stripe very precisely so it'll match up all the way around. She really is the best!

My job this weekend is to begin cutting squares. And rectangles. It'll be loosely based on this quilt pattern.The nice thing is that all I have to do before the wedding is cut the pieces. I'll sew them together afterward, since the pieces will be easier for the guests to sign than a huge quilt top. (Did I mention the groom is well over 6 feet? I want it to big enough to cover him for a nap on the couch.)

Peace,

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

My parents came for a visit over the long weekend, and as always, it was a bit of a "working vacation." (They may or may not have likened it to a mission trip, but it sooo wasn't our fault. They asked for it!) We packed those four days so full of housework, and we even squeezed in some fun.

We started by cleaning out our two basement rooms. They started out scary, and ended less-than-scary (but still not my favorite rooms in the house...). No photos, as I was avoiding the dead bugs & moths & dust with everything that I had. I mean, I even started going through some of the boxes that have moved houses at least three times without being unpacked.

Then we moved to the yard. We cleaned debris, mowed, planted, and now we have a nice little oasis.

Somehow my dad always finds a way to break the chainsaw out.
We now have stacks of kindling to get us through the winter.

My mom admiring my newly planted vegetable garden.
5 kinds of pepper and spaghetti squash.

My baby tomato plants in their Earthbox home.

The flowers waiting to be planted.

And on their last day, we got over to Red Rock Canyon for a three mile hike. My parents have to hike when they visit, or else they don't feel like they've actually been to Colorado.

Boys will be boys, even when scrambling is prohibited...

View of Garden of the Gods, from Red Rock Canyon.

All Photos © Me

Peace,

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2010-06-02T12:00:00.061-06:00

Here's another easy, delicious, non-salad lunch option:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Adapted from Kelly at TastyKitchen.com

Ingredients

2 cups Chicken Broth
12 oz Frozen Chopped Broccoli
2 Tbsps Butter
1/3 cups Onion, diced
2 Tbsps All-purpose Flour
2/3 cups skim Milk
1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/3 pinches Ground White Pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a simmer (a few small bubbles reaching the surface). Add the broccoli to the broth and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. To achieve a less ‘chunky’ soup, use a potato masher to smash the broccoli into smaller pieces and thicken the broth.

In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Then, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or to desired tenderness. Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick.

Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. I used an immersion blender to make it really smooth, since that's the way I like it. A regular blender would be fine, just be sure to do it in two batches and hold the lid on tight!

Next, add the cheese, stirring until melted (the heat can be turned off at this point). Finally, add the pepper to taste. We didn't have white pepper, so I just used regular pepper and salt. I topped it with a little bit of cheese and paprika, more to make it pretty than for taste. ; )

I found out as we were eating that Rob likes his soup with bigger bits of broccoli, so next time I might save some of the broccoli that has been simmered to add before serving.

Photos © Me

Either way, the flavor was great!

Peace,

Thunderbirds!

2010-05-31T12:00:00.004-06:00

Last Wednesday was the US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, which is always concluded with a hat-toss flyover and then an air show. It's one of the most unique parts of living in Colorado Springs. And my office building is pretty much directly east of the Academy stadium, so we have prime real estate for viewing the show. Here are some shots I got this year:

All Photos © Me

Peace,

Easy Slow Cooker Chili

2010-05-28T12:00:00.005-06:00

We have been getting sick of salads recently. (Literally. I must have an aversion to slimey lettuce or something. I have had a couple of days when I made a salad for lunch and was so grossed out by it that I couldn't eat it.) So last weekend I made chili to have on-hand for easy lunches.

Chili is a fantastic high protein, high fiber, lo-glycemic meal, and is especially wonderful when cooked in large batches in a slow cooker (crock pot, whatever you want to call it...). This recipe makes a gigantic amount, so I freeze half of it. I like to use ground turkey instead of beef in my chili—all the other flavors are so great, even the heartiest beef eater won't really notice, and it cuts the fat content way down.

Simple Chili
adapted from Les DuLunch on TastyKitchen.com

Servings: 6–10
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1–4 hours

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Beef (or turkey)**
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 Green Pepper, Diced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 cans (14 Oz. Can) Beans (red, black, kidney, chili, pinto, etc. I like variety, so I mix it up)
4 cans (14 Oz. Can) Diced No-salt-added Tomatoes‚—you can always add salt later
4 Tablespoons Chili Powder, to taste
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin, to taste
Optional toppings: Tabasco, salsa, sliced jalapeños, non-fat sour cream, shredded white cheddar (white cheeses have less fat than yellow cheese, FYI)

Brown the ground meat with the onions, green peppers, and garlic together till the ground beef is no longer pink; drain (and rinse if you’re worried about fat).

Turn the slow cooker to "high" setting. Drain and rinse the beans well. (This is supposed to help diminish the flatulence factor. Apparently the juices in canned beans causes most of the problem.) Add beans and tomatoes to slow cooker. I don't drain the tomatoes, as some of the liquid cooks off in the process.

Once the meat is cooked and drained, throw it in the slow cooker. Add the chili powder and cumin, and give it a good stir. Set your timer for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. Pretty much once it's hot, it's ready to eat, but the longer it cooks, the better the flavors, in my opinion.

This chili tolerates variations well. Try adding unsweetened cocoa powder, brown sugar, star anise (remove before serving), cayenne, ground chipotles, beer, or red wine for some unique flavoring. I haven't tried any of these, but the original author of the recipe suggests them. Adding cocoa, brown sugar, beer, or wine will make this higher glycemic, so add at your own discretion.

Serve with Tabasco, salsa, sliced jalapeños, non-fat sour cream, shredded white cheddar, etc.

All Photos © Me

**For a vegetarian version, cut three or four carrots into about a half-inch dice and brown them with the onions, green peppers, and garlic. The carrots make for a sweeter chili, but give the mouth-feel of meat. Maybe try some celery too.

Peace,

Dragging My Feet

2010-05-26T11:14:00.003-06:00

I read this post over at Sarah Markley's blog.

I'm totally in the "walking slower and slower and whining" stage of life. It's good to be reminded that someday soon God's going to say "Okay, I'll carry you now."

Peace,

Fish Tacos

2010-05-25T10:03:00.001-06:00

We had some friends over for dinner on Monday, and gave some new recipes a try.

We had fish tacos with lettuce wraps instead of taco shells. So good! Check this out:

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Chill a few hours or overnight. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade.

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing (Green Sauce)
adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 pack (1oz) Ranch Dressing Mix*
1C mayonnaise (I don't like mayo to begin with, but I especially don't like low-fat. So I just use canola mayonnaise, which is more heart-healthy than veggie-oil mayo)
1/2 C milk
1 lime (about 2T)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Some green salsas are super-hot, so be sure you find one you like before mixing up a whole of this stuff.

To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and 1 tablespoon of mix. Blend well and serve over your favorite salad. Chill a few hours or overnight to allow thickening.

Grilled Fish Tacos
adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette above
2 fillets mild white fish (we used tilapia)
Iceberg (or other large-leaf) lettuce for wraps, in place of tortillas
Toppings: Green Sauce above, Salsa, Pico de gallo , guacamole, cabbage (cole slaw mix), cotija cheese (this is a soft, crumbly Mexican cheese, like feta, but tastes more like a mild mozzarella), lime wedges for drizzling and salt for seasoning.

Marinate fish in Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette for at least 20 minutes (ours marinated for about an hour & were delicious!), then grill. We made a packet out of foil, which we left open on top to make clean-up easier but still allow us to get some of that good grill flavor.

Serve the fish flaked or in whole pieces, and top as you wish!

****************

*For an MSG-free option (MSG = monosodium glutamate), I used this recipe for homemade ranch dressing mix:

Ingredients:

7 saltine crackers (use gluten-free, if necessary)
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
3/4 cup dry minced parsley flakes
1/4 cup dry minced onion
1 tablespoon dry dillweed
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk

Blend crackers in an electric blender on high speed until powdered. Now add the parsley, the minced onion, and the dill weed. Blend again until it is powdered. Then, pour the mixture into a bowl. Next, stir in the garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Store this dry mix in a container with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature for up to 1 year.

****************

The Verdict: Thumbs up all around! We ate ourselves silly on this one. The only thing to watch out for is the amount of Green Sauce you use, since it has the full-fat mayo. We're excited to try this again with corn tortillas once we add grains back into our diet. (The link to the vinaigrette has some tips for lightly cooking the tortillas to make them flexible enough for all the fillings.)

Definitely give it a try!

Peace,

A New Hobbie

2010-05-23T13:00:00.001-06:00

Recently R and I have embarked on a new adventure. In eating. We decided that we want to take better care of ourselves, from the inside out. So, we're transitioning into eating a (mainly) low-glycemic diet.

The premise behind the Glycemic Index (GI) is that different foods affect a person's blood sugar differently. Foods with a high GI cause blood sugar to spike, which then leads to a crash. Low GI foods cause a more gradual increase in blood sugar, which means a gradual decrease instead of a crash. The gradual increase/decrease is preferable because it causes the metabolism to rev up and continue working longer, which helps control appetite and delays hunger.

That's a very rough explanation, since we're still learning. See www.GlycemicIndex.com for more information.

Anyway, we are making this change with the aid of a program called Transitions Lifestyle. We have a coach and a few other folks who are going through it with us, and boy is it ever worth the cost of admission (which isn't something to sneeze at, but still totally worth it...). We're getting an education about what different foods do to us, and knowing is half the battle, right? Plus we have encouragement and accountability from people who are struggling with the same things we are. I don't think we would have made it through the first week without them. (Hello fruits-and-veggies-only-detox-for-seven-days.)

The point of all this is to say that we're eating differently. And it's not always easy to figure out what we can eat. Especially when all I want is a gigantic plate of pasta and ice cream for dessert. How do you eat Asian food without rice (super-hi-glycemic) or tacos without...well, without the taco? We're currently not supposed to be eating grains at all (just one more week of that!), and even when we're allowed to, we shouldn't be eating nearly as much as we were before the transition. Sounds like fun, huh?

Bottom line—I want to start keeping track of this adventure—what we eat, new recipes we try, whether we like it or not, how we feel as we change our lifestyle, etc. So, when recipes show up here randomly, that's why. We'll be able go back and see what fun new things we've discovered (or icky things we want to avoid), and maybe along the way we can inspire others to join us in believing that we don't have to eat all those complex carbohydrates and over-processed foods our American diets are full of.

Peace,

Finished Product—Happy Crawler Quilt

2010-05-22T20:26:00.001-06:00

This was finished months ago... Luckily the recipients love it!

Peace, friends.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, the New Year is upon us. Or rather, was a few days ago...

I'm not really one for making resolutions. I figure, the less things I resolve to do, the less guilt I feel when I inevitably don't get around to them. (Any other approach-avoidance-perfectionators out there??)

This year, though, I've resolved to have a focus word. One word that describes an attribute I want to attain more of or become better at throughout the year. So, my inaugural Focus Word of the Year is... Balance.

I have recently realized that I have very little joy in my life. I have so many commitments that I have to do, that I never get around to the things I want to do, and then the things I want to do become things I have to do, and then I don't enjoy any of it! And, in thinking about this dilemma, and trying to work through where this is coming from & how to fix it, I've realized that my life is out of balance. Work steals all my energy, the mess in our apartment steals my peace, the youth group steals my time, my creativity just flies right out the window on it's own accord (I do nothing to stop it...).

Now, all of these things are good things on their own. I like my job. Maybe not everyday, but at least on the days I don't like my job, I still really like the people I work with and the company I work for. I love being married, and I really want to be a great homemaker! And I love our work with the youth group! Those kids rock my life. I don't know where I'd be without them. They keep me centered on the Lord, and they don't even know it.

But I feel like my priorities are all out of whack, and I'm not finding real life-changing joy in any of it. This is not fair to me, nor is it fair to the people I care about. So. This year is going to be about finding Balance. This means shuffling said priorities. It might mean saying No to things here & there. I really don't know what it'll end up looking like. But hopefully, come next Holiday season, I'll be able to look back at my year & be truly thankful at Thanksgiving and joyful at Christmas, and I'll be able to say that I'm one year better at having a Balanced life.

*******************

In the same vein, here are some of the things I want to do more in my effort to find and create deep-seated Joy in my life:

Sew, quilt, create more. (already have a few projects in mind... More to come.)
Take more pictures to document our life better.
Organize my stuff! Beginning with my crafting supplies so that I can find what I need when I work on the aforementioned projects.
Read the Chronological Bible daily. I've done this before, and I think I need to get back to the roots of what I believe. Begin at the beginning.

FYI, these are not Resolutions. These are plans. If I don't do each one perfectly, I'm going to work really hard not to be too down on myself. I'm looking for steps in the right direction, not necessarily completion.

Peace, friends.

Five Things

2009-10-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

1.) Happy Friday!!
2.) I'm working on... Staying focused. (and obviously failing)
3.) I wish I was... finishing this:

4.) I'm listening to... Eva Cassidy and She & Him
5.) I'm dreaming about... a lake house of my own

from...

Enjoy your weekend!

The next big thing

2009-10-13T13:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not finished with the Happy Crawler Quilt, but I'm already looking forward to what's next.

I discovered this fabric, Figgy Pudding by Moda, sometime over the summer, and just KNEW I had to use it for something. It's non-cheesy Christmas fabric! But the question was What to do with it? I think I know, now.

Obviously it'll be winter and/or Christmas related. I don't think I'll reveal it until it's ready to be used.

When I got these pieces in the mail last week, I fell completely in love. I'm super excited!

Still working...

2009-10-06T13:45:00.000-06:00

...but getting closer!

I feel like I got a lot done this weekend. Finished piecing the top.

Rob said the stripe around the outside (the border) pulls it all together. And I totally agree. It's like a frame on a photo. The cherry on top. Although Rob doesn't like cherries. Which is good for me when we split a dessert, 'cause I love me some cherries!

I digress.

I also designed, cut, and began piecing the bottom. No pics of that, though, since I stopped working after it was too dark for any semblance of quality photography.

Last night I finished piecing the bottom, and starting sandwiching. (The "sandwich" consists of the top, the batting, and the bottom. Get it?) This part stinks. Not literally.

I did get a tip from Cindy, who is a long-time quilter, to tape each layer to the floor individually before basting (or safety-pinning) the three layers together. The bottom layer is under there, I promise. I think I need to cut the batting a little closer, so I can get a better sense of whether the top & bottom are lining up properly—though I still want it bigger than the other two pieces.

All in all, it's coming along quite well. We'll just have to see if I end up throwing anything during the quilting process...

I ordered fabric yesterday for my next big project, and then I got a great idea for the one after that! Wish I could do this full time, but such is life...

Photos © Me

Progress Report

2009-10-02T11:54:00.000-06:00

The top is pieced!

Well, not completely. I still need to do the sashing, which will be the stripe fabric.

Then it's on to the back. And then the basting. And then the quilting. And then the binding. Will I make the deadline?

We'll see...!

Photos © Me

It's coming along...

2009-09-18T12:11:00.000-06:00

I'm nearly halfway done piecing the top of my quilt. Pretty good progress, if I do say so myself. This is what it currently looks like:

Sorry if the photo is blurry. Is the one below any better?

Yes? No? I don't know... Here's a close-up of the nearly finished part.

These are the strips sewn into squares sewn together in strips. After I have all the squares sewn into strips, I'll piece the strips together. I'm planning on using that stripe fabric to sash around the whole thing and also to bind it. Still working on an idea for the bottom.

Then I attempt the quilting part! Yikes.

I'm loving it though. I already have about 5 new ideas floating around my head. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need more people to get married & have babies! I need reasons to make quilts, since I'm on a budget and can't quite justify making a gazillion quilts for myself.

So get on it people!

I love my job!

2009-09-17T15:28:00.000-06:00

My job with the youth group, that is.

My job-job is great too, but today I'm just stoked about the students.

We had a teaching team meeting this morning, and besides the fact that the ladies outnumbered the men for the first time EVER (give it up for the ladies!), we had some great conversation. We're focusing on the second of Vanguard's four core values, Lover, for the month of October. In order to be a little less obtuse, and avoid the typical high schooler response to that word, we're also calling it Worshiper. We're to worship the Lord by loving Him & loving others. In order to love others well, we need to learn how to receive love from God. Most of us face a roadblock in this process, because we have believed so many lies about ourselves & the world around us.

Culture says I have to be a lazy teenager.

Culture says I have to be a crude dude.

Culture says there's no way I can remain a virgin until I'm married.

So why bother trying?

I'm lined up to teach the story of Mary & Martha to fight the lie that we have to constantly be doing-doing-doing in order to be good enough. Or that we have to be "enough" before we can be useful to the Lord & the people in our lives.

I'm percolating on an idea for an activity during stations (small group discussion time at the beginning of our Sundays). It's gonna be stellar. Very likely, it will involve cupcakes.

I love my job.

Trunk desk?

2009-09-16T08:22:00.001-06:00

Ho.ly.cow. I found this in my inbox this morning, and I want it so badly.

from Restoration Hardware

do not covet do not covet do not covet do not covet do not covet do not covet do not covet

Guess I'll just have to find a way to be content with my plank across two easels.

My latest project

2009-09-15T15:29:00.001-06:00

I finally got my worktable cleared off enough to set up my sewing machine.

Then I got the workroom/office cleaned up enough (with Rob's help, of course) to lay out a whole quilt. I'm feeling pretty good about things...

Photo © Me

I'm kind of in love with the colors & prints. I'm hoping to finish piecing in time to begin the quilting on Saturday. Will update as it comes along.

Remembrance

2009-09-11T10:11:00.000-06:00

It was the second week of classes, my first year of college. I didn't have a tv, but my friend Karly IM'ed me & said, "A plane ran in to some building in New York." I thought, "huh" and walked to M118–Finite Math. I was about halfway to class when I realized something was wrong. The vibe on campus was off. It was too quiet. Too somber. Especially for such a gorgeous day early in the semester.

So after I class I checked out the giant screen tv in the basement of my dorm. With two girls in black hajibs.

And I realized it wasn't just a plane running into "some building."

Photo © Me

Silence

2009-09-01T18:34:00.000-06:00

Oh sweet silence.

I've always said that I'm no good at silence. Meditation? What's that. Clear my mind? Make room for the Holy Spirit to speak?

No thank you.

I need something to keep me company. If I need to concentrate on something, I'll put classical on. But even that can distract me and get me pretty worked up. Especially if one of the Planets comes on.

Silence and I are not good friends.

However.

I forget what I was reading—probably Authentic Beauty—but I felt challenged to turn my music off when I'm in my car. So I decided to start small. I drove to work that morning in silence. It was uncomfortable a couple times, like when I had nothing to distract me from the nasty thoughts I had toward some of my co-commuters. But for the most part, it was pretty great. I had to prepare some thoughts for our youth ministry guide training, and I was able to organize my thoughts pretty well during that 20 minutes of solitude. My thought process moved beyond the superficial ideas we want to address in our girls' mentor groups. I started working on a few of the deeper rooted issues we need to address.

I wasn't very good about heeding the call to silence the rest of the week, but then I tried again this morning. The results were similar to last week. I was surrounded by crazy drivers (grr). But the mean, frustrated thought moved towards processing.

During our first mentor group teaching time, we will be discussing, designing, then signing covenants. I want them to go beyond "I'll come every week & won't tell anyone's secret outside this group." So I was thinking, Jesus said we're to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and body. Can we make a covenant based on these four ideas? I believe so.

Oh, and I'm definitely teaching about blood & guts & God's covenant with Abraham. Just because we're girls doesn't mean we can't appreciate a gory story or two...

If I hadn't given myself the time of silence in my car this morning, I would have had to find that time elsewhere in my schedule. Which means that I wouldn't have come up with (or heard from above?) those ideas until the day or two before I have to teach. Now I have three weeks to ponder what it is the Lord wants the girls to hear about covenants.

Perhaps silence and I can become better friends. But first I'll have to quit ignoring her.

P.S. I borrowed a video from the library called Christoga. Christian + yoga = Christoga. I'm skeptical. But I'll give it a whirl. I'll let you know if it's any good.

Photo © Me

Closet fan

2009-08-26T08:33:00.000-06:00

Is it wrong that the posts from these sites are often the highlights of my day?

icanhascheezburger.com

awkwardfamilyphotos.com

If it's wrong, I don't want to be right.

Am also a huge fan of this lady:

Rachel Zoe

I can't help it. I'm addicted to Bravo reality shows.

Quiet Mind

2009-08-17T16:52:00.000-06:00

My life has been in turmoil since those last few months of wedding planning. Okay, maybe not turmoil. It's just messy. I keep thinking it'll settle down. You know, "Once I get all moved in, I'll be able to relax." Or "I just need to get the kitchen organized." Then "I have GOT to get this office/spare bedroom put together." Just when I think I can sit down to enjoy my life, something ALWAYS comes up to get in the way. Another opportunity to support a high school student or encourage a friend or whatever other good thing comes up.

The other morning I was reading Authentic Beauty, by Leslie Ludy. It's not my usual fare, (I tend to avoid teen self-help-y books, because (A) I'm no longer a teen, dangit and (B) they're usually too sugary-sweet for me), but it's been sitting on my desk at work for ages whispering "I'd be a good resource for teaching the high school girls. They need me. Read me..." And I've discovered that I really like this book. Yes, it's all sweetness about princesses & Princes, but she's so good at clearly stating what we should expect from relationships. Especially with ...boys...

But that's a whole different post. Leslie included this quote from Amy Charmichael's book, A Quiet Mind:

"Having a quiet mind is not a question of choice—if we are to go on at all, we must have a quiet mind. All too many Christians break down, not because of their circumstances, but because of a weary, fretting spirit too rushed to dwell in peace."

Oh man! is this something I want for myself. I want organization & cleanliness & contentment. But more than all that, having a quiet mind & a peaceful heart is my dream right now.

Photo © Me

What have we been up to?

2009-08-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

Today we had brunch with a friend then went straight to My Man's sister's house for the T3's third birthday (All four of their kids' names start with T. Thus, they will henceforth be referred to as T1, T2, T3, & T4. Easy, no?) Two get-togethers. Twice we were asked what we've been up to. And twice we looked at each & said, "What HAVE we been up to?" It all comes down to: Homework (My Man), housework (me), real work, youth group. Oh, and we've been a little under the weather. Nothing exciting.

EXCEPT that we're getting really excited about some of the stuff the previous list encompasses. For example, we're getting ready to jump start the school year with the youth group, including mentor groups (aka Small Groups, but different) and getting back into teaching Sunday mornings. Along with our regular roles, we've begun the process of planning a mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico, and we're totally stoked for it. I've been to Mexico several times since my sophomore year of high school, and there's always been a part of my heart that stayed there. So I'm really looking forward to showing My Man why I talk so fondly of my time there. And I know how my life was changed by MX. I can't wait to see how our students' lives might be changed! One of the sophomore girls has already expressed an interest in serving orphans. So, who knows? I just can't wait.

Here are some photos from my last trip to Monterrey. (Forgive the poor quality. I took them on film, which was processed poorly & scanned even more poorly.) i LOVE these kids!

Tether My Heart

2009-08-10T02:50:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I was talking with some friends about blogs. A friend asked if I had one. I said No. Errr, well, I HAVE one, but I've never posted anything on it, because I always got overwhelmed by not having the perfect thing to say. The very next day, I found myself telling the same friend she should just go ahead & write whatever on her blog, because readers (and potential clients) are looking for personality, not just the right topic or style.

And then I said something like "I have all these great ideas, but I never use them myself."

Psh. So, in order to not be a hypocrite, here I am, writing Something rather than Nothing.

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The phrase "Tether My Heart" comes from a line in the song "Let All I Do Be Praise," by the worship pastor at my church. It says "Tether my heart to Your Presence Deep..." A tether is either something that fastens to a fixed point, or is the "the limit of one's strength or resources" (from Merriam-Webster).

The image that comes to mind when I think of a tether is from Little House on the Prairie. The books, not the TV series, come on people. Every night, as the Ingalls family was traveling across the country, Pa had to tether the livestock. For each animal, he'd put a stake in the ground, attached to its tether. Yes, this was to keep the animals from running away, but it was also for their safety. Who knows what kinds of wild beasts might have been waiting on the other side of the fire light? And I imagine that if Pa looked over at some point & realized there wasn't any delicious grass for the cow to eat, he's probably get & move or lengthen the tether. He was a pretty compassionate guy...

What in the world does this have to do with my heart? Well, the things that tether my heart sometimes seem to hold me back from what I want (or think I want, right?). But they keep me centered around what's important. Sometimes, when I strain against a tether, the stake gets moved, and I discover something fresh & new. Other times, I'm pulled back in, and I realize it's for my safety. And yet other times I break free, only to discover that I want to go back to where I was before.

Now, this metaphor isn't perfect. Sometimes we're called to step out into the darkness on pure faith, and sometimes we're pushed into areas we don't want to go. But you get the picture. I love the lyric, and that's that.

I am tethered by my Lord, My Man, my family (immediate & extended, Lord help me), my friends, the high school students of Vanguard Church, just to name a few. And the experiences that accompany these people often turn into crazy fun.

Back to Fike's song—the chorus says, "I'll live my life as a story, that you'd be seen in my ways. And in the light of your glory, Let all I do be praise..."

So, read on as I share my story of the people, places, and things that tether me and give me wings.

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And because every good blogger knows, a post is nothing without photos, here are a few of My Man & me gettin' hitched...