BOOKS I FINISHED - JANUARY 2014

Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children, written by Arthur Bowie Chrisman and illustrated by Else Hassleriis

Newbery, 1926. I've slacked off in working at the goal I set last spring of reading all the Newbery and Caldecott books, so I got back to work on that this month. This book would have fit in really well with the Core 5 books that the big boys and I read last year. Some of the stories were boring, which I expect in any collection, but I enjoyed many of them.

One Thing: Top Tip (From a Mom of 6), written by Jess Connell

My friend Jess gives all sorts of sound advice on her blog, but the one piece she gives in this book is critical for those in the trenches of parenting. A quick read, a simple concept, and an imperative decision.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, written by Ann Voskamp

This book was a gift from Shawna and it was good. Voskamp is a more poetic, for lack of a better word, writer than I'm used to reading, but I love her focus on thanking God for the blessings all around us, even when it's not the natural or easy thing to do. It's a choice, a habit that has to be formed.

I frequently post blessings on Facebook, things both big and small that I'm thankful for, but I have a little confession to make. Two years ago, on New Year's Day, I started a new blog. It was a place where I listed three good things about the day before I went to bed each night. They were neither newsworthy nor were they necessarily the best parts of the day, but they were all good things. I didn't tell anyone about it for a while and the first time I did was just to mention that I'd started a list, but I didn't say it was in a blog. Eventually the blog came up in some conversation, but it wasn't a blog that was particularly interesting for other people to read. It was more for me than anything else. 

Well, I kept that blog for almost five months, from January 1st through Memorial Day weekend of 2012. Then I found out that Tim was not going to have a job once the school year ended two weeks later. I was angry. I was stressed. I was not thankful for anything. And so I quit the blog, deleting it completely after a year or so of not posting. 

It's been twenty months since I found out that job was ending, twenty very hard months, but reading this book encouraged me to start my other blog again. Thankfully, the name was still available, and earlier this month, almost exactly two years after my first attempt at finding things to be thankful for, I started listing three good things each night. Choosing My Focus. That's what I'm trying to do. 

p. 106, I am beset by chronic soul amnesia.

p. 124, Straw comes in all shapes and the back of a camel can be weak and it's toast and surely there's something behind it that I should seek out but I don't even care. It's my own face that obscures the face of God. How can I help this son of mine see when I can't see? The parent must always self-parent first, self-preach before child-teach, because who can bring peace unless they've held their own peace.

p. 128, Why do I have spiritual Alzheimer's, always forgetting?

p. 176, I know it well after a day smattered with rowdiness and worn a bit ragged with bickering, that I may feel disappointment and the despair may flood high, but to give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions. While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving.

p. 177, Anger is the lid that suffocates joy until she lies limp and lifeless.  <snip>  Pride, mine - that beast that pulls on the mask of anger - this is what snaps this hand shut, crushes joy. 

p. 184, I am blessed. I can bless. A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ. 


I also finished two other books, but I'm leaving them off the list out of respect for someone's privacy. 

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1/30/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that we don't have anything on the calendar this Saturday and can just get caught up on some stuff at home and relax.

What is something that you're thankful for?

LIFE. SOMETIMES IT STINKS.

Sad?  There's a part of my life that's making me feel that way.

Weary and hopeless?  There's something else making me feel like that.

Fearful and stressed?  Another situation has those emotions covered.

I'm spent.  Mentally and emotionally exhausted.  I've shared a few details of one thing with a couple people, but otherwise I've kept everything to myself.  I've always been a pretty open book about life, but sometimes ... well, I guess that sometimes I'm not.

I don't want to be a chronic complainer who constantly laments to the masses about the struggles in their life, so I don't share every emotion or update every detail surrounding some issues.  Everyone has things in their life that are hard.  Everyone.  Now, you know I'm a big fan of being real and have openly shared a variety of hard things over the years, but I'm not going to go out of  my way to say "still hard" ... "yep, still hard" ... "no improvement yet" ... "woe is me" all the time.

I also live with five other people, so their lives are often and naturally tangled up in my struggles (and vice versa).  I won't publicly share things that are also private parts of their lives without their permission and with people who haven't heard their side of the story (though there isn't always a story to be told), just like I wouldn't want them to do that to me.  That means anything that pertains to marriage, parenting, or other family issues will never be available for public consumption.

I don't have the freedom to be real or the energy to be fake.  So I've withdrawn.  I've opted out of attending some things because I don't want to play charades.  I've watched instead of participated.  I've stayed out of conversations because I have nothing but blunt snark to contribute.  I've freaked out.  I've made some extreme statements.  I've cried almost every day.  I've avoided interactions that won't stay at a chatty, superficial level.

I know withdrawing and freaking out aren't healthy, though I certainly believe there are times when it's good to step back to take a deep breath and reevaluate things or pull yourself together, but I feel like I'm in survival mode and I'm doing what I have to.

A few things have helped me the last few days, though.  I dumped some details on a friend the other day and she responded with some words of encouragement.  Jess wrote a fantastic post about what it means to take our thoughts captive, rather than being the captive.  Beep and I are between Bible studies for our weekly Skype date, so I've been reading I Peter, thanks to a reading from an old copy of Streams in the Desert a few days ago, and the following passage is one I've read repeatedly.

I Peter 1:3-9  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him;  and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Mercy.  New.  Birth.  Living.  Hope.  Resurrection.  Jesus.  Inheritance.  Never perish, spoil, or fade.  Heaven.  Faith.  Shielded.  Power.  Salvation.  Rejoice.  Faith.  Worth.  Genuine.  Praise.  Glory.  Honor.  Love.  Believe.  Joy.

Good stuff.

I don't know how all the current struggles in my little corner of the world will play out.  So ... I'll keep trying to put the happy-cheerful cycle into action because it always helps.  I'll keep sharing the things that are good because there are plenty of them.  I'll keep reading my Bible and spending time in prayer because I need and want to.  I'll keep trying to focus less on my circumstances and more on Jesus because it keeps things in perspective.  I'll put one of my friend's suggestions into practice and work on being mindful about the thoughts I focus on because they are good things to do.  I'll keep failing (and I'll probably keep crying), but I'll keep trying.  There really is no other option.

LINKS I LIKE #11

Swagbucks - I've mentioned this program periodically over the years and figured it was time to give it another plug. In case you're unfamiliar with it, Swagbucks is a search engine that allows you to earn fake money (swagbucks) that can be cashed in for real prizes.  There are a gazillion ways to spend them, but I always and only get Amazon gift cards.  I've used those gift cards for so many things over the years - gifts for other people, things we've needed, and items that were just for fun.  I installed and use the Swagbucks toolbar, which makes the program very handy to use.  In addition to searching from the site or toolbar, you can also earn through their referral program (you get matching reward for a while for each person you refer), doing your online shopping through the Swagbucks site, taking surveys, watching videos, and more.  The only area where I think Swagbucks isn't nearly as good as Google is image searches, but I rarely need an image and will just head to Google if I can't find what I need through Swagbucks.  So, if you haven't tried it before, then give Swagbucks a try!

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Jess Connell: Grow On Purpose - I have two friends who write such great things that I want to link almost every single thing they write both here and on Facebook.  Wise women!  One of them is Jess, who some of you may remember from links I've shared to her old site, Making Home.  You really should just read her site on a regular basis, but here are some recent posts I really like.

* Content With Little, Content With Much
* Releasing Our Dreams, Finding God's Adventure
* The Sovereignty of God in the Waiting Room of Life
* Beyond Goals: What Will Change My Heart in 2014?

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To Sow A Seed - Heather is the other friend who consistently writes wonderful things.  Like Jess, her blog is one that you would benefit from reading regularly, but I'm going to link you to a few of my favorite posts.

* On Full Quivers
* Raising Kids With a Global Perspective (the first of a three part series and links to the other two parts, one of which is written by one of her kids) 
* Being There
* Why Nepal?

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Time Traveling Photographer - These are some really fun pictures from a woman who digitally inserted herself into old photos.  The end result is pictures taken around the world of her at two different ages, generally about 25-30 years apart.  

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God Hates Divorce - My friend Shari's post about loving people whose actions we don't like or approve of and about truth being well-received in the context of a relationship that is already filled with love, is excellent.  I love the following quote.

You know the old, "love the sinner, hate the sin" thing?

I feel like that comes out looking a lot like straight up hating both, just in a tidy package that somehow seems more acceptable.

It isn't though- it's worse.

It's like that relative that says mean things in a nice tone of voice. It insults and degrades you without giving you the opportunity to respond, because it's posed as niceness.

I'm not sure I have the desire to pick and choose the parts of God's word I want to skewer other people with. Mostly because I'm quite certain that there are equally parts of God's word that I (ignore, fail to follow, struggle with, ignore, well.... you get the point).

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Unclaimed Property in Oregon - I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this site before, but I regularly find the names of people I know on it. Some have had relatively small amounts of money waiting for them, but at least one person had thousands of dollars waiting. If you have ever lived in Oregon, then hit the "search" button and see if there's anything that belongs to you.  If you've never lived in Oregon, then try searching "unclaimed property" and the name of your state or see if this link can connect you with your state's site.

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Our Daughter's Senior Internships Start Today! - Mindy is a friend whose homeschooled daughter has spent this month interning away from home and has two more internship trips coming up.   This post explains why they are arranging the internships and how they are set up.  Their family's perspective has shifted from one of believing that girls/women should always and only live in their parents' home until marriage to believing that's only one of several good options, so these internships are all with women who are committed to their families and have careers of some sort.  I love that their desire is for their daughter to see that there is a spectrum of healthy ways for marriages, parenting, and careers to play out!  I think this internship idea is fantastic, love the way the went about it, and would like to do something similar when our kids are that age, regardless of whether or not we're homeschooling at that point.  

COLORED HAIR

Devon gave Naomi some hair dye for Christmas.  It was a totally random gift, something she'd never mentioned, but she was excited to use it.  Of course, being a W who loves funky hair, Devon didn't choose just any old color.  No, he chose bright pink and turquoise.  None of us have ever colored our hair, so Naomi was going to be the first W to have something other than their natural hair color.

The day finally came for us to dye her hair.  She explained to me that she wanted her hair in stripes - pink on top, blonde in the middle, and turquoise on the bottom.  So we hunkered down and started dividing her hair into thirds.

Then we headed to the kitchen.  I donned produce bags and rubber bands to use as gloves, then started combing dye through her hair.

I'm a complete rookie, so it took about an hour of me combing and her watching Tom & Jerry on Youtube, but we finally got it all done just the way she wanted it.

We struck a pose together while we waited for the dye to do its thing.

Unfortunately, neither Devon nor I read the dye bottles when he bought them, so we didn't realize until the day we wanted to color Naomi's hair that we needed to pre-treat it.  We had neither the treatment nor the money to buy any, so we just did what we could and waited to see how it turned out.

The lesson we learned is that if it says you need to pre-treat it, then you really need to pre-treat it.  When the time came to rinse Naomi's hair, we watched almost all of the dye go down the drain.

So disappointing!

She ended up with very faint color, enough that someone can see it if they're paying attention, but not nearly the bold look she was hoping.  Here's what it looks like pulled back a couple different ways.

 
We'll do it again someday ... correctly, with pre-treating and real gloves.  Meanwhile, she got over her initial disappointment and is enjoying the little bit of color she has.  More importantly, at least to me, the two of us had a really fun evening together as we experienced our inaugural hair dyeing event.  I have a feeling color may be the way this little W likes to funkify her hair!

DEVON IS A TOP STUDENT

We got a phone call from Devon's principal on Saturday letting us know that he was the 4th grade boy student of the quarter and inviting us to a celebratory dinner at Los Cabos, which was being given by the school for the families of all the students who won awards.  The dinner was on Wednesday night and Devon's teacher, Kevin Walker, presented him with his certificate, sharing some of the things he values in Devon.  It was great to see his achievements, both academic and non-academic, publicly acknowledged.  Here he is with his certificate and teacher.

Devon has really enjoyed his first venture out of homeschooling and we're thankful it's been such a positive experience for him.  We're proud of his hard work!

1/23/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for earplugs.

What's something that you're thankful for?

BABY SHOWER GIFTS FOR FAMILIES WHO DON'T NEED ANYTHING

Before we get started, let me clarify something.  There is not a 7th W on the way.  This is just a conversation that I think can be helpful for people.

Ok, moving on.

I don't use baby monitors, diaper warmers, changing tables, or some of the other things many families consider essentials.  I also have four kids, which means there's not much I needed by the time babies 2, 3, and 4 came along.  Additionally, I fall into the "less is more" category and don't want to accumulate a bunch of stuff I don't have a use for and don't want people spending money on things that won't get used.

However, people still like to bless new or expectant mothers (whether pregnant, adopting, or fostering) with gifts.  So, what are some gifts that you can give a family with a new baby, but without a need for more baby clothes or toys? After all, gifts that are neither wanted nor needed are not a blessing ... which sorta defeats the purpose.

While we have certainly appreciated and used all the cute clothes, both new and hand-me-down, that we've been given and have put the practical things, like some new crib sheets, to use, we've also had some non-traditional gifts that were great and some practical ones that were consumable time and money savers.

* Four passes to Sky High and a gift card to Baskin Robbins.  The intention was for Tim to take the three bigs out for a few hours to burn some energy jumping on trampolines while I rested with the baby in a quiet house, then to go out for ice cream and bring some home for me.  This gift was great a few weeks after Teebs was born, giving me a day to relax and for everyone else to have some rowdy fun.

* Handmade blankets.  I confess that we have a ridiculous amount of blankets.  However, there are few things I love more than wrapping up the little Ws in something that someone took a lot of time to create. Tangible love that our kids use for years and years, first to sleep in, then to snuggle under for a movie, then to build forts with.

* Meals.  Some people deliver meals through our church's meals ministry, others do it on their own.  Some drop off meals and leave, others bring food over and stay to eat with us, then spend time holding the baby and cleaning up the kitchen.  We've had people give us home-cooked meals, had us order take-out and brought it over, bought food from the grocery story deli, or given us a giant fruit platter and a gift certificate to and menu for our favorite pizza place with the delivery number circled.  It doesn't matter how fancy or simple, whether it was homemade or not ... a meal that we didn't have to plan, shop for, prepare, or clean up after is a huge blessing!  They are magic meals.

* Groceries.  Some people have come by for various reasons and brought some groceries with them.  Sometimes they've chosen items on their own, other times they've asked what we needed, but both ways it was nice to have a few staples, such as milk and produce, that we didn't have to go out for.    Once we were given a pounding during a pregnancy.  Although it had more to do with our employment situation at the time than with being pregnant, it was a huge blessing and could definitely be a way to keep the fridge and cupboards full for a family with a new baby, saving them a trip to the grocery store for a while.

* Childcare.  Taking the non-baby kids for a few hours or overnight not only gives the mom and baby a chance to rest, but it gives the other kids a chance to do something fun.  Whether you take the kids over to your house for a low-key time of movies and snacks or take them out for some big adventure, the kids will enjoy the change of scenery and the mom will appreciate having her load lightened for a while.

* Diapers and/or wipes.  I know this isn't a unique idea, but all babies pee and poop, so any way you can help take care of that will help the family out.  If the family is using disposable diapers, then giving diapers in a variety of sizes (babies will soon grow into the bigger sizes and you don't want the family to have too many of the first size) is a huge money saver.  Same with wipes.  If the family is using cloth diapers, then you could give them money or a gift card to buy the brand and designs they like or pay for a diaper cleaning service, if that's something that would appeal to them.

* A nap.  A friend once scheduled a time to come over to my house and let me take a nap.  She came during a feeding time, then sent me to bed as soon as I was done nursing.  She took care of diaper changes and rocked the little W to sleep while I rested.

* A Groupon to Finnegan's, a local toy store.  The intention was to get things for the bigs to play with after the baby was born.  We took the kids shopping a week or two before my due date and gave them the option of splitting the money to each get their own things or spending it on something larger they could all use together.  They opted for individual items and had fun looking around as they chose what they wanted.  We took the bag of toys and put it up in a closet at the time, then pulled it down on a day when the little Ws were getting antsy and I was getting irritable.  We pulled the bag down and the rest of the day was awesome.

* Cleaning.  Having a friend come over to run the vacuum and give the bathroom a quick cleaning is wonderful!  Whether for a sleep-deprived mom who only has littles that aren't able to help with housework, who is recovering from a hard labor, or has limits on what she can do because of a c-section, doing a little bit of cleaning will allow the mom to relax in a home that isn't filthy and free up her husband to help in other areas when he gets home from work.

Those are just some of the things that have been done for us, but I'm sure there are other great ideas out there.  Traditional gifts are awesome and sometimes we need things that are typically registered for at a store, so don't bail on those entirely, but the goal is to give a gift that will be a blessing, not a burden.  So consider things that are consumable or that are something to do, not something to have.  Consider things that don't require a tired mom to go out and register for things she doesn't need or want, but that would still be helpful.  Remember that what you do for the rest of her family can often be an indirect, but equally meaningful, gift for her.

What are some gifts that were a huge blessing to you, but that weren't something you'd register for, especially when you had multiple children and didn't need more stuff in your house?  Please leave a comment and share what people have done for you or that you've done for other people and you know was appreciated.  If you answer on Facebook, then I'll copy your answer over here for people to easily access later.

MENU - SECOND HALF OF JANUARY 2014

We've tried and liked several new recipes over the last couple of weeks.  Here they are!

chicken spinach pasta - Zesty chicken is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken and this pasta dish is just another way we've come up with for eating it.

sour cream pancakes - A friend gave me The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl as a Christmas gift and this was the first recipe we tried from it.  These pancakes have very little flour, so the texture is different than most pancakes, but all the Ws thought they tasted great.

rosemary parmesan brussels sprouts - These were our first attempt at roasting brussels sprouts. Actually, it was the first time everyone except me had ever had brussels sprouts at all.  They were good, though I liked them better as leftovers.

roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar - Second attempt at brussels sprouts and everyone liked this version a lot more than the other.

egg & shrimp scramble -  I was looking for new ways to serve some salad shrimp I got a deal on and all but one shrimp hater liked this dish.  In fact, one shrimp hater loved it.

oriental shrimp salad - This is a rice-based salad that's super filling.

With that out of the way, here are the things we'll be eating for the rest of the month.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x5
     - with yogurt and fruit smoothies x2
* egg & potato scramble (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, often some chopped tomatoes, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese) x5
* almond coconut granola with milk as cold cereal or over yogurt/kiwi smoothies
* brunch egg bake/applesauce

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES  
* meat & cheese sandwich

     - on bagels/apples/red bell peppers

     - on regular bread/apples/pea pods

* crackers/cheddar/cukes/olives x2

* peanut butter & jelly sandwich/carrots/pea pods/hummus x2

* cherry oatmeal muffins/string cheese/pistachios/pea pods

* trail mix/dried apricots/cheddar squares/pea pods

* crackers/tuna/red bell peppers/pea pods

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos (meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) x2
* potato soup (from the freezer)/grilled chicken caesar salad
* Thai chicken and coconut rice/spicy Asian zucchini slaw
* turkey sandwiches (turkey, lettuce, cream cheese, cranberry sauce)/fruit salad (banana, kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit, grapes)
* salmon chowder (Tim's catch, from the freezer)/no-knead bread
* rice, kale, & eggs
* turkey pot pie/apple & cranberry green salad
* burgers/potato wedges/pears
* cracked wheat & rice pilaf/veggie stir fry
* Italian sausage with rice/roasted brussels sprouts
* orange lentil soup/peppery cheese bread
* steak salad (but we'll use pork chops)

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* hummus for veggies

* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds

* popcorn

* root beer floats

* Nantucket cranberry pie

1/16/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that our needs have always been met.  The methods and timing haven't always been what I wanted or expected, but we've never been without food, shelter, and clothing.

What is something that you're thankful for?

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

I was out Monday night and didn't get home until long after the kids were in bed.  Tuesday morning I noticed one of our Ws had fallen off a shelf, but when I lifted my eyes up to put it back I discovered that every W that could be flipped over had been flipped over.  I also noticed that one of the the human Ws was smirking. Evidently Devon had been up to a little mischief while I was out the night before.  Goofball.

TEN ON TUESDAY - 1/14/1

Blender - Our blender died a while back.   Although it's not an essential part of life, we used it several days a week.  Thanks to some gift cards we received for Christmas, we were able to replace our blender and I'm loving our new one.  Lots of friends love their Vitamix or Blendtec blender and I know they're great, but I had neither the ability nor the desire to spend hundreds of dollars on a blender.  We ended up getting an Oster BVCB07-Z and I love it!  We use our blender primarily for smoothies and the reversing blade makes fabulous smoothies without me having to scrape down the sides.  Thankful for generous friends who made my time in the kitchen so much easier!

Boogie Board - I grew up in Brookings, which means I consider boogie boards to be something used for playing in the ocean.  Devon, however, came home from school last week with a prize that he'd been awarded for good behavior.  It was called a Boogie Board, but it was nothing like the ones I'm familiar with.  It's an LCD writing tablet and he's had a lot of fun with it!

Candle - I love lemon-scented candles and Devon gave me two of them for Christmas.  I've been burning the Better Homes and Gardens Sugared Lemon Bar canister candle and it smells so good!

History Lesson - I've been reading to Naomi when we soak her newly pierced ears  A few days ago I read Berenstain Bears and the Slumber Party and had to explain two foreign concepts to her - cassette tapes and not knowing who was calling when the phone rang.  Yes, I'm old enough for the things in my childhood to be a little piece of history.

Kindness - I was looking for a book a friend was talking about and stumbled upon another book that intrigued me, so I checked it out from the library.  It's called How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids and it's written by Tom Rath.  Quick read, good reminder to be think past yourself, and a handy word picture for using in your own home.

People - As opposed as I am to people living in a church bubble, our life somehow ended up that way.  It wasn't deliberate, but it had happened nonetheless.  Over the last year we've connected with so many people outside of church and I love it.  I'm thankful for opportunities to meet new people and make new friends!

Reading - I love it when our bigs read to our littles!

Tea - I've been drinking a lot of Celestial Seasoning's Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea lately.  I love it!

W - I bought this mug with a gift card from friends.  Cute, huh?

Words - Things Teebs is saying.

* Hoe-dee me:  This is how he says "hold me" and is what he says when he wants wake-up snuggles or is otherwise needing a little lovin'.

* Hallelujah:  He walks around singing this word, which is kinda funny when it's preceded or followed by his R-rated pronunciation of another word that he sings all the time.

* Lunch?/Lunch!:  Evidently there were enough times that I told him he couldn't eat something because it was almost lunch time, we were having the item for lunch, or something, because now he responds with "lunch" in question or exclamation form every. single. time. I tell him he can't eat something.

* Yetz:  His version of "yes".

EGGPLANT EXPERIMENT

If you've known me for any length of time, then you probably know that I detest eggplant.  I'm not a picky eater, but purple rubber just doesn't appeal to me.  I've had it made by great cooks, but I still think it's repulsive.  The texture is just nasty.

Well, Silas recently chose to pick up an eggplant at the store, but my condition was that he had to prepare it himself and we all had to sample it.  I hate it, but I also want my kids to see that I'm willing to practice what I preach when it comes to eating foods I don't like.

Several days ago he hopped online and watched a few videos, then headed for the kitchen.

He peeled.

"Gross.  This smells like pumpkin."

He sliced.

"This looks like a bad cucumber."

He dried.

He dredged.

He fried.

He put it on a plate.

He added cheese.

He gave some to me.

(You may want to sit down before looking at the next picture.)

Yes, that's me.

Yes, I'm giving a thumbs up.

I gave it a 3-4 on the scale of 1-5 that we use for ranking new recipes.

"Yes!"

"I can't believe it!"

"This is like the peak of my culinary career!"

Now, I won't ever be asking for eggplant and the main reason I didn't barf was because he sliced it thinly enough that I didn't get big chunks of slime in my mouth, but ... it really wasn't bad.

As for the rest of the Ws, some liked it and some thought it was nasty, which was exactly what I expected.

1/9/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for places to sit in my home, couches and chairs in various rooms, some with pillows and blankets handy for making oneself as comfy as possible.

What is one thing that you're thankful for?

WHAT? WHERE? WHY?

Several years ago I posted a mystery photo, which I'd totally forgotten about until something happened today that I thought would make a good mystery photo post.  Feel free to guess what it is, come up with a caption for the picture, or roll your eyes at how ridiculous you think my life must be if I'm posting pictures like this in the middle of the day.

I'll give an explanation for the picture in the comment section later tonight.

OF STORMS & GROWTH

My yard looks like winter.  Bare trees and mud, twigs and branches, fallen leaves and dead grass.

My life also looks like winter.  Extended unemployment, financial stress, issues that are inevitable when six individuals share a life and roof, personal struggles for various family members, and buckets of tears.

However, my yard is also showing signs of spring, evidence of growth and an upcoming season that is prettier than the one we're in right now.

My life, too, is showing signs of a better season ahead, some things that have already changed for the better and little slivers of hope for some of the things that continue to be difficult.

Between the way my yard looks these days, what's going on in my personal life, and today being the 22nd anniversary of my mom's death, I thought this would be the perfect time to post a poem of my mom's. She wrote it in 1977 and I love it, especially the last two lines.


VIEW I

A storm came through our garden once;
     it shred and broke and tore,
Til all that lay within its path
     was shaken o'er and o'er

Then firmly called the sun for quiet;
     it shushed the wind and held the rain;
Then gently wrapped the fraught creation
     with warm and healing arms again

After days of loving comfort,
     timid shoots of green peeked through,
And gentle colors shyly opened,
     promise of a deeper hue

When seasons changed, a passerby
     beheld a two-faced view ---
Of rain-thrashed trees and battered shrubs,
     yet also growth, alive and new


VIEW II

The Husbandman has placed His servants
     within a garden, precious, rare
To labor, pray, rejoice, and weep
     o'er every branch he's planted there.

Our Father also knew before
     that violent, unrelenting rains,
Sweeping o'er his precious vineyard
     would bring wreckage, sorrow, pain

But far beyond, the Keeper knew
     the storm would more than havoc sow;
For rains that plunder stiffened branches
     cause the yielding ones to grow.

~ Barbara Perkins

I'M A DEADHEAD

I don't listen to the Grateful Dead and I couldn't tell you anything about Jerry Garcia, other than the fact that he was a member of the band.  However, I consider myself a Deadhead, a fan of the group and the man.  For if it weren't for both, then I wouldn't have enjoyed this moment a couple nights ago.

Jammies.  Slippers.  Bible.  Ice cream.

That little pint of ice cream, one of my favorite flavors ever, was a gift that I slowly savored over six different evenings.  Six!  If you know me at all, then you know I'm a compulsive eater who loves ice cream.  I don't think I've ever had a pint of ice cream last longer than one, maybe two, sittings.  This one, though, lasted for weeks, as I only had a few bites at a time.  Bites that I could slowly scrape off, leaving the top of the ice cream still in the carton smooth and flat.  Just the way I like it.

My version of being a Deadhead may not match the general description, but it works for me!

TIME IN THE KITCHEN

We've had some hits and some misses in the kitchen over the last couple months, and some upcoming adventures, and thought I'd share them with you.  Let's start off by going back to October.  I offered to make some cakes for our church's Harvest Festival cake walk.  Four cakes, to be exact.  The first was super simple and inspired by the divided house I live in, a little M&M nod to both Beaver and Duck fans.

The second was equally simple and completely random, a tic tac toe game.

Neither were particularly amazing, but I was content with how they turned out.  Actually, I kinda loved the tic tac toe one.  Next up was a repeat of a cake I made for Naomi's birthday four years earlier, an underwater scene.  Here's the one I made for Naomi, which I loved.

Here's the one I made for church.  I don't think it turned out as well, thanks in part to the fact our goldfish crackers got misplaced and I had to use a bunch of giant gummy fish, and also because the fruit roll-up seaweed kept tearing, but it was fine.

Naomi actually ended up winning the underwater cake.  Ha!

So, one cake I loved, two that I liked ... then came the cake of humility.  This was another birthday cake repeat, the one I'd made for Naomi three years earlier.  Here's the one I made for her birthday.

Not perfect, but not too shabby for a rookie mom who only decorates cakes when her kids have birthdays. I thought it would be a fun cake to bring to the Harvest Festival, so I attempted to make it again.

Problem #1 - The cake tore badly when being removed from the pan, which made cutting it into the shape of Hello Kitty's head fairly difficult.

Solution #1 -  I would just leave the cake whole and outline the shape of the head, then frost the background pink.

Problem #2 - Crumbs were flaking off all over the place and mixing in with the frosting.

Solution #2 - None.  Yes, I know you can do a crumb coat, but I've never needed to before and by the time I realized the crumbs were going to be a huge problem it was too late in the game to do anything about it.

Problem #3 - The outline of the head was not turning out well and Hello Kitty's face was misshapen.

Solution #3 - None.  I tried fixing things with toothpicks, but it didn't help.

Problem #4 - The whiskers were way too big and sticking out too straight.

Solution #4 - None.  By the time I realized how over-sized they were and how wrong the angles were, they were stuck on well and just pulled up more crumbs and frosting when I tried to gently remove them.

Problem #5 - The left ear was really torn up and there were tons of crumbs in the white frosting.

Solution #5 - Cover the mess with Hello Kitty's bow.

Problem #6 - The bow was on the wrong side of Hello Kitty's face.

Solution #6 - None.

Problem #7 - The frosting turned out neon pink.

Solution #7 - None.

May I present the cake of humility.

Yes, both Hello Kitty cakes were, in fact, made by the same person.  Ay yi yi!

I almost didn't take it.  I wasn't sure which was worse, not bringing as many cakes as I committed to or punishing someone by sending them home with this cake as a prize.  I ended up taking it and I feel like I owe the winner an apology.  Hopefully it tasted good.

Along came December and I made some of my favorite cookies, ones I only make between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Big, soft, ginger cookies.  Little pillows of cakey goodness that taste like molasses and ginger.  I even doubled the batch, as I thought it would be great to send some with Tim to the school he was subbing at the next morning.  But something went wrong.  Very wrong.  And I have no idea what.  What I do know is that there were no pillows of anything.

There was goo.  Flat goo.

Flat goo that spread all over the cookie sheet. One big mass of goo.

I threw the rest of the dough away and never tried another batch.  I may need therapy for the missed opportunity to eat these cookies in 2013.  Or I may need to just make them on some random day and hope they turn out well.  We'll see.

Enough of the baking hits and misses.  Let's move on to vegetables.  I actually have a success story here.

Back in November I asked on Facebook for suggestions of a veggie to bring for Thanksgiving dinner.  I ended up making broccoli and bacon salad, but a bunch of people suggested roasted brussels sprouts.  I haven't had brussels sprouts since I was a kid and I remember not being much of a fan.  However, over the last year or two we've discovered how much we love roasted veggies, even when we already liked the steamed version.  Since so many people suggested it, I figured I'd give them another chance.  We've tried two different roasting recipes in the last few weeks, neither of which I've gotten around to posting yet, and have learned that we really like roasted brussels sprouts.  I'm so glad people suggested them back in November!  Even though I didn't make them for Thanksgiving, the encouragement to try a food I'd kinda forgotten about it resulted in a new veggie to keep on our menu rotation.  Here are the ones we inhaled last night.

Last, but not least, our upcoming kitchen adventures.

I only took two kids, Silas and Devon, shopping with me the other day and each asked if they could get a specific thing to try.  I agreed, with two conditions.  First, they are each totally responsible for cooking the item they chose.  Second, we all get to (or have to, as the case may be) try a sample of their item after they cook it.  Devon chose a cactus leaf.  Silas chose eggplant.

Silas is now ranked lowest on my "favorite child" list.

Kidding.

I don't actually have a list.  But if I did ...

As much as I detest eggplant and as little as I know about cactus leaves, I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they make out of these two produce items.  It will be interesting, if not tasty

And with that, I'm going to go grab a handful of dry roasted almonds.  No decorating.  No baking.  No list of ingredients.  No purple rubber.  Just an easy, tasty, healthy snack.

1/2/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for enough space to store Christmas decorations for eleven months of the year.

What's something that you're thankful for?