I was making a list yesterday for the grocery. What's on sale where. What we need in the house as "staples" (milk, bread, shampoo, laundry starch). What we need for the recipes that i'm going to make for the week.
It was this last part of the list-making that got me thinking.
We, Joe and i, used to have dinner parties, about every month. Usually six people (three couples or a mix of couples and singletons), dinner and dessert at our place on a Saturday night. A mix of people from work and neighborhood and church, parents of our kids' friends, football team parents... As we don't have family here in NM, we kind of make our own "family" for holidays and other weekends.
Making the list for this week's recipes got me thinking of our next dinner party and what we should make and who we should invite. Then i started really looking at the recipes.
I have a recipe for "Sunburst Chocolate Cake" that says in the comments "make for Big Joe next time he comes....chocolate and orange-- his favorite!". I then saw the recipe for "Paul's pie crust" soon followed by "Grandma Amy's English Toffee". That was close to the recipe for "Paul's Favorite Spinach". Not to be outdone, i then had a recipe for "Wolfe Eggs", with the comment "this was developed by Larry Pathe from a comment in a Nero Wolfe book.... and was always a hit at Easter celebrations with the Pathe clan". I then saw the recipe for "Ama's Frickadelen" (a kind of cold hamburger/mini-meatloaf that is yummy for picnics or light sandwich-and-soup dinners).
A whole "dinner party" (five recipe contributors or attributors) of loved ones in our families who have passed in the past twelve years (Ama first, the week after Christian was born, then Larry, Amy, Paul).
Kinda morbid, i guess.
So, instead of having a dinner party of friends and strangers (more on the strangers part in another posting), we're going to try something different this month. No, we cannot have a dinner party of family as they are all snowed in way out in Ohio/Indiana and cannot come here.
No, we're going to have a pseudo-family dinner. And serve favorite recipes of family members all month. We're starting with the "Paul's Favorite Spinach" recipe tonight and should finish the month with the Sunburst Chocolate Cake (Big Joe, aka Pop-pops). If we cannot get the others of our families here in NM for dinner, we'll just dine on "family dishes" and pretend. We can share the family stories with our kids and help them to feel a part of a bigger family.
I'll attach the recipes when we make them. Then you can try them too.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Oh hail!
Bright sunny day.
Coolish but not too cold (ie: wearing long sleeves but not mittens or coats or even sweatshirts).
Then i hear a noise outside.
Hail!!
Still bright and sunny on our driveway.....somewhat clouded over in the valley...
Now the hail has stopped.
Yes, we get all four seasons....sometimes two or three in one day!!
Coolish but not too cold (ie: wearing long sleeves but not mittens or coats or even sweatshirts).
Then i hear a noise outside.
Hail!!
Still bright and sunny on our driveway.....somewhat clouded over in the valley...
Now the hail has stopped.
Yes, we get all four seasons....sometimes two or three in one day!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
blessed?
It all started at Albertson's. Christian and i stopped to pick up oj and grapefruit juice for Joe (he only drinks them mixed, too sweet with just oj, too tart with just grapefruit). We went through the "self-serve" line and were on our way out when we saw that the woman behind us had left the $1 change that she'd received in the dispenser at the lane across from us. As she'd already left, we could have just pocketed the $$. A celestial tip, if you will. Instead, we called over the cashier/attendant and gave him the $1. He said that he'd mark the time and date and if the woman came back, her $1 would be there.
For all i know, he pocketed the $$ and went about his day. We did "the right thing" and that was really all that we could control. We dashed home and finished making dinner. Christian told Alessandra about the $1 but i thought that that would be the end of it.
The next day (Saturday), i'm walking in a circle in our neighborhood and i see paper trash on the side of the road. I pick it up (like i often do, patrolling my walks for trash) and find that it's a $1 bill. Like the famed "pennies from Heaven", only bigger! I told Joe about it and he said that clearly God has been trying to give me a dollar, having tried twice in two days. :o) I gave the $1 to Christian in the morning and he put it in the collection plate at church.
The kids go to Sunday school but i don't. Since i have that "down time", i usually read or walk outside. I was walking (this is the next week now) just a bit as i'd finished my reading and had 10 minutes to waste. Three women were coming towards me on the sidewalk and, as i always do, i stepped off to give them free passage. In looking to the side to make sure that i didn't step on something in the grass/gravel, i saw paper again. I picked it up... and it was a $20.
Clearly God wants me to have more abundance in my life!
I gave the $20 to Alessandra as she was needing to buy new gym shoes and $20 will go a ways towards getting the Chuck Taylors of her dreams (at least, this week's dreams...).
Then i cut through the arroyo to get to the church and found a CD. Thinking that Christian could use it for archery practice, i picked it up. It was Rascal Flatts...and played excellently in my CD player in the car. Fun!!
Then, yesterday, i'm at the post office mailing bills (ick). I come out of the post office and find two bright, shiny quarters sparkling in the sun next to my car. Coincidence? Three times in two weeks?
I just don't know what to make of it. But i do know that i'm going out for a walk this morning while Alessandra is in her jazz band competition. Maybe i'll be rich!
For all i know, he pocketed the $$ and went about his day. We did "the right thing" and that was really all that we could control. We dashed home and finished making dinner. Christian told Alessandra about the $1 but i thought that that would be the end of it.
The next day (Saturday), i'm walking in a circle in our neighborhood and i see paper trash on the side of the road. I pick it up (like i often do, patrolling my walks for trash) and find that it's a $1 bill. Like the famed "pennies from Heaven", only bigger! I told Joe about it and he said that clearly God has been trying to give me a dollar, having tried twice in two days. :o) I gave the $1 to Christian in the morning and he put it in the collection plate at church.
The kids go to Sunday school but i don't. Since i have that "down time", i usually read or walk outside. I was walking (this is the next week now) just a bit as i'd finished my reading and had 10 minutes to waste. Three women were coming towards me on the sidewalk and, as i always do, i stepped off to give them free passage. In looking to the side to make sure that i didn't step on something in the grass/gravel, i saw paper again. I picked it up... and it was a $20.
Clearly God wants me to have more abundance in my life!
I gave the $20 to Alessandra as she was needing to buy new gym shoes and $20 will go a ways towards getting the Chuck Taylors of her dreams (at least, this week's dreams...).
Then i cut through the arroyo to get to the church and found a CD. Thinking that Christian could use it for archery practice, i picked it up. It was Rascal Flatts...and played excellently in my CD player in the car. Fun!!
Then, yesterday, i'm at the post office mailing bills (ick). I come out of the post office and find two bright, shiny quarters sparkling in the sun next to my car. Coincidence? Three times in two weeks?
I just don't know what to make of it. But i do know that i'm going out for a walk this morning while Alessandra is in her jazz band competition. Maybe i'll be rich!
Monday, February 15, 2010
rain, rain, go away!!
Ok, i admit it. This is a "cheat post". I received this in my inbox and just loved it so much that i wanted to share. Go pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy!
Rainy-Day Ideas
Uplifting Showers
Rain is often seen as an annoyance, next time it rains visualize it cleansing both you and the earth.
The simple miracle of water falling from the sky has been interpreted in many ways by many cultures. In various areas of the world, rain was viewed as a nourishing gift, given by well-pleased deities. Rain also served as a symbol of emotional cleansing and represented the unending union between earth and sky. Today, rain is often seen as an annoyance—something to be borne doggedly while attending to one’s usual duties. But the arrival of one or more rainy days can also be interpreted as a signal to slow down and contemplate life. When Mother Nature darkens the sky and causes drizzle to fall, freshly opened buds close and many animals settle into their nests for a period of repose. We can honor rainy days by following the example put forth by the flora and fauna around us. Even if we must venture out into a shower, we can still slow down and appreciate our connection to nature.
A rainy day spent indoors can be wonderfully uplifting. As the rain pours down, fill your home with light, sound, and comfort so that you can fully appreciate the loveliness of being snug and dry during a downpour. Storms literally change the energy in the air, and you may feel driven to follow suit by burning incense or sage, ringing bells or chimes, lighting candles, or singing. You may even feel compelled to talk to each room in your home in order to express your gratitude for the protection they give you. If, however, you feel claustrophobic rather than calm because you cannot venture outdoors, you can clear away negative energy by getting rid of clutter, sweeping away dust, and freshening your up spaces. The happier you are in your home, the more beautiful and wondrous a simple rain shower will seem.
A sheltered spot like a covered porch, sunroom, or bay window can provide you with a wonderful vantage point from which to meditatively observe raindrops as they make their descent to earth. And the pitter-patter of rain on a rooftop or car window can even be a therapeutic and soothing sound—one that reminds us that while the unforeseen will always be a part of our lives, we should never forget that nearly every cloud that comes into our lives will have a silver lining.
Rainy-Day Ideas
Uplifting Showers
Rain is often seen as an annoyance, next time it rains visualize it cleansing both you and the earth.
The simple miracle of water falling from the sky has been interpreted in many ways by many cultures. In various areas of the world, rain was viewed as a nourishing gift, given by well-pleased deities. Rain also served as a symbol of emotional cleansing and represented the unending union between earth and sky. Today, rain is often seen as an annoyance—something to be borne doggedly while attending to one’s usual duties. But the arrival of one or more rainy days can also be interpreted as a signal to slow down and contemplate life. When Mother Nature darkens the sky and causes drizzle to fall, freshly opened buds close and many animals settle into their nests for a period of repose. We can honor rainy days by following the example put forth by the flora and fauna around us. Even if we must venture out into a shower, we can still slow down and appreciate our connection to nature.
A rainy day spent indoors can be wonderfully uplifting. As the rain pours down, fill your home with light, sound, and comfort so that you can fully appreciate the loveliness of being snug and dry during a downpour. Storms literally change the energy in the air, and you may feel driven to follow suit by burning incense or sage, ringing bells or chimes, lighting candles, or singing. You may even feel compelled to talk to each room in your home in order to express your gratitude for the protection they give you. If, however, you feel claustrophobic rather than calm because you cannot venture outdoors, you can clear away negative energy by getting rid of clutter, sweeping away dust, and freshening your up spaces. The happier you are in your home, the more beautiful and wondrous a simple rain shower will seem.
A sheltered spot like a covered porch, sunroom, or bay window can provide you with a wonderful vantage point from which to meditatively observe raindrops as they make their descent to earth. And the pitter-patter of rain on a rooftop or car window can even be a therapeutic and soothing sound—one that reminds us that while the unforeseen will always be a part of our lives, we should never forget that nearly every cloud that comes into our lives will have a silver lining.
Friday, February 12, 2010
yum yummy yum!!
I made this, expecting to be the only person that liked it. Imagine my surprise (and joy) when Christian declared "this is so good...save it...i want it tomorrow for breakfast...and lunch"! You gotta try it!
SW STEW
1 lg can refried beans
18oz jar medium salsa
14oz can tomatoes
green chiles (to taste)
2T Taco mix (1/2 packet?)
1T cocoa
1t cinnamon
1t garlic
dash oregano
dump all in crock pot, fill salsa jar with water, rinse around and use to rinse out other two containers too, dump in crock pot
mix all with fork/whish to smoothish
HIGH 4-5 hours
[fry/grill ~1/4# ground beef, drain, place in bowl for garnish along with :]
serve with tortillas, corn bread, sour cream (to calm the hotness), cheese, etc
yummy!!
SW STEW
1 lg can refried beans
18oz jar medium salsa
14oz can tomatoes
green chiles (to taste)
2T Taco mix (1/2 packet?)
1T cocoa
1t cinnamon
1t garlic
dash oregano
dump all in crock pot, fill salsa jar with water, rinse around and use to rinse out other two containers too, dump in crock pot
mix all with fork/whish to smoothish
HIGH 4-5 hours
[fry/grill ~1/4# ground beef, drain, place in bowl for garnish along with :]
serve with tortillas, corn bread, sour cream (to calm the hotness), cheese, etc
yummy!!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Lent!!
First is Mardi Gras then Ash Wednesday and the 40+ days of Lent.
I love the Mardi Gras part (who doesn't?!). Gumbo and baguette and bread pudding-- it's all good. Our church for the past number of years has had a Shrove Tuesday service and dinner with pancakes. This is more traditional as generally people would give up sweets and fats and indulgent foods and coffee/caffeine-- all the ingredients of pancakes, bacon and coffee dinner. One last "fling" before the 40+ days of penury.
I already don't eat meat (on Fridays or other days), don't do much sweets/indulgent foods, hardly any "fatty" foods and drink itty-bitty quantities of coffee (really just a vehicle for getting my calcium rich milk in). I was not sure what to do for Lent to make it a meaningful sacrifice. I've been told that i couldn't give up caffeine (causes the suffering of others-- mainly my husband and kids!).
Then i saw this (www.howisavemoney.net/save-money/lenten-sacrifice). Eureka! Finally someone on my wavelength!
So, if you want to join us for pancakes and bacon and coffee on Shrove Tuesday, come on by. I'll save you a Hawaiian pineapple whole-wheat pancake...or corn....or blueberry. I'll even let you have my bacon!
Then, Wednesday, we can start our Lenten practice together. What will you be doing? Or is it a secret? Just curious....
I love the Mardi Gras part (who doesn't?!). Gumbo and baguette and bread pudding-- it's all good. Our church for the past number of years has had a Shrove Tuesday service and dinner with pancakes. This is more traditional as generally people would give up sweets and fats and indulgent foods and coffee/caffeine-- all the ingredients of pancakes, bacon and coffee dinner. One last "fling" before the 40+ days of penury.
I already don't eat meat (on Fridays or other days), don't do much sweets/indulgent foods, hardly any "fatty" foods and drink itty-bitty quantities of coffee (really just a vehicle for getting my calcium rich milk in). I was not sure what to do for Lent to make it a meaningful sacrifice. I've been told that i couldn't give up caffeine (causes the suffering of others-- mainly my husband and kids!).
Then i saw this (www.howisavemoney.net/save-money/lenten-sacrifice). Eureka! Finally someone on my wavelength!
So, if you want to join us for pancakes and bacon and coffee on Shrove Tuesday, come on by. I'll save you a Hawaiian pineapple whole-wheat pancake...or corn....or blueberry. I'll even let you have my bacon!
Then, Wednesday, we can start our Lenten practice together. What will you be doing? Or is it a secret? Just curious....
Monday, February 8, 2010
white rabbit day for all....
Alessandra started it. "I'mlate-i'mlate-i'mlate-i'mlate"!! Then Christian picked up the refrain. Being teens (ok, he's technically a pre-teen but work with me here), they are frequently pushing things until the very last minute. So.... at ten minutes before he has to leave for the bus, he's wearing last night's SuperBowl clothes, reading the comics, starting to eat breakfast and has yet to take a shower/make his lunch/take out the trash/pack his bookbag.
Just then, the phone rings. The hospital is short-staffed (not an unusual occurance) and wants me to work. I dash upstairs to shower, etc to get cute (or at least clean) and dress. I have to drive Christian to school (too late for him to catch the bus if he takes out the trash, etc from list above) and then get to work ASAP.
The 27 (no, really! 27!) things on my to-do list will just have to wait. I'll be off reasonably early today and can just break the list up to manageable pieces to do all week.
So, i fly into the parking lot, run into the hospital, quickly clock-in and get to my station in The Hole to find..... no one.
I've been here almost an hour with no work. Making $$, yes. Actually working for that $$, not so much. Oh well. I would just be sewing or sweeping/mopping at home, both of which can be done tonight. And i'll have the $$ to take my honey out to dinner tomorrow night.
All good.
Oops. Here comes my first little bundle of work. Gotta go earn my keep! TTFN!!
Just then, the phone rings. The hospital is short-staffed (not an unusual occurance) and wants me to work. I dash upstairs to shower, etc to get cute (or at least clean) and dress. I have to drive Christian to school (too late for him to catch the bus if he takes out the trash, etc from list above) and then get to work ASAP.
The 27 (no, really! 27!) things on my to-do list will just have to wait. I'll be off reasonably early today and can just break the list up to manageable pieces to do all week.
So, i fly into the parking lot, run into the hospital, quickly clock-in and get to my station in The Hole to find..... no one.
I've been here almost an hour with no work. Making $$, yes. Actually working for that $$, not so much. Oh well. I would just be sewing or sweeping/mopping at home, both of which can be done tonight. And i'll have the $$ to take my honey out to dinner tomorrow night.
All good.
Oops. Here comes my first little bundle of work. Gotta go earn my keep! TTFN!!
new favorite quote!!
CHILDREN ARE THE ORGASM OF LIFE! Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
Lululemon Athletica
Lululemon Athletica
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Lent
While it's cold and snowy and blowy here in ABQ (2hr delay for APS schools!), Spring is right around the corner. And that means Lent and Easter. Woohoo! Cute Spring dresses and hats on the girls, Easter eggs and RootBeer ham (for Christian), chocolate and/or Deviled eggs (depending on your preference), family get-togethers (for others, not us).
Every year for the past seven, i've given something up for Lent. Anything from the Internet to bread (did that twice) to yelling at the kids (harder to give up than bread!). I even had one year in which i did something "churchy" every day (read the Bible, sewed for the quilt ministery, attended a class or service, taught Sunday school). I'm not sure what to do this year.
The most common concessions are cigarettes, meat, fried foods, chocolate (hello Suzi!), sugary sodas, indulgent desserts and alcohol. I don't really do any of those things. While i'll have some Oreos now and then, i only drink TaB (saccharin, not sugar) and that only on the days that i work.
I guess i'll go with bread again. But i'm open to suggestion. What do you think? Internet? Bread? Sugar? Caffeine (pity Joe if i do this this one!!)?
Every year for the past seven, i've given something up for Lent. Anything from the Internet to bread (did that twice) to yelling at the kids (harder to give up than bread!). I even had one year in which i did something "churchy" every day (read the Bible, sewed for the quilt ministery, attended a class or service, taught Sunday school). I'm not sure what to do this year.
The most common concessions are cigarettes, meat, fried foods, chocolate (hello Suzi!), sugary sodas, indulgent desserts and alcohol. I don't really do any of those things. While i'll have some Oreos now and then, i only drink TaB (saccharin, not sugar) and that only on the days that i work.
I guess i'll go with bread again. But i'm open to suggestion. What do you think? Internet? Bread? Sugar? Caffeine (pity Joe if i do this this one!!)?
one word
The radio station that i listen to here in ABQ was asking people what their "one word" is. The one word that describes your life, that indicates your outlook or opinion of how things are for you.
As this is a Christian radio station, "blessed" was pretty frequent. One woman submitted "try" as her son (autistic) and her daughter (also disabled) were frequently challenged by life and thus all of their lives were punctuated by the need to "try" something new. This ranged from tying shoes to going to a grocery store without a meltdown to just maintaining a medical regimen.
Another person said that her word was "new". The past year had here starting a new life with a divorce, move across town, new schools for here kids and a new job for here. New. Not all good or bad but all different.
It got me thinking. I wasn't about to call the radio station and chat with the on-air personalities about my word. I'm not that bold (or patient enough to stay on the line waiting). But what would be my "one word".
I think "lucky".
Now, this isn't "blessed". Blessed includes all, regardless of merit, because of the grace of another. Lucky is more fragile. One is blessed every day, all day, all the time, in every way, just by grace of the blessing. Lucky is more variable.
I live a life that i don't "deserve". A life of ease, free from worries or stress. A great husband, good kids, nice house, part-time job that i like but don't have to do (mad $$,not paying the mortgage), health for me and mine. Lucky. But, i'm just waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak.
As i've done little to nothing to "merit" this fortune, i just wonder when my luck wil run out. There are so many others who are better than i, who work harder, do more, whine less-- and have harder lives. When will my luck pass to one of them and their worries/concerns/travails pass to me?
I'm really like a five year old, just playing through life. Joe takes on the majority of the worries and "real life" concerns (paying the bills, balancing the checkbook, investments, organizing home repairs/remodels, job stresses). I organize weekend ski trips and kids' activities and bake pies for dessert/sew quilts.
So........lucky. While i'm grateful for my good fortune, i wonder if/when it will end. I try not to "look the gift horse in the mouth" and ride the wave of my good fortune. Hope that it's enough!
As this is a Christian radio station, "blessed" was pretty frequent. One woman submitted "try" as her son (autistic) and her daughter (also disabled) were frequently challenged by life and thus all of their lives were punctuated by the need to "try" something new. This ranged from tying shoes to going to a grocery store without a meltdown to just maintaining a medical regimen.
Another person said that her word was "new". The past year had here starting a new life with a divorce, move across town, new schools for here kids and a new job for here. New. Not all good or bad but all different.
It got me thinking. I wasn't about to call the radio station and chat with the on-air personalities about my word. I'm not that bold (or patient enough to stay on the line waiting). But what would be my "one word".
I think "lucky".
Now, this isn't "blessed". Blessed includes all, regardless of merit, because of the grace of another. Lucky is more fragile. One is blessed every day, all day, all the time, in every way, just by grace of the blessing. Lucky is more variable.
I live a life that i don't "deserve". A life of ease, free from worries or stress. A great husband, good kids, nice house, part-time job that i like but don't have to do (mad $$,not paying the mortgage), health for me and mine. Lucky. But, i'm just waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak.
As i've done little to nothing to "merit" this fortune, i just wonder when my luck wil run out. There are so many others who are better than i, who work harder, do more, whine less-- and have harder lives. When will my luck pass to one of them and their worries/concerns/travails pass to me?
I'm really like a five year old, just playing through life. Joe takes on the majority of the worries and "real life" concerns (paying the bills, balancing the checkbook, investments, organizing home repairs/remodels, job stresses). I organize weekend ski trips and kids' activities and bake pies for dessert/sew quilts.
So........lucky. While i'm grateful for my good fortune, i wonder if/when it will end. I try not to "look the gift horse in the mouth" and ride the wave of my good fortune. Hope that it's enough!
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