tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27289320304647383252024-02-19T03:05:53.870-08:00Art & Soul Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-72441668289925095482015-05-26T10:35:00.000-07:002015-05-26T10:35:20.065-07:00Let's Talk About Feelings. Spoiler alert: It's about to get preeeetty sappy. <br />
<br />
Almost one year ago, I started this awkward, great little adventure of blogging. It's been a wonderful challenge, and it's become one of the things I am most proud of. So thank you all for reading and being so kind and encouraging me along this little journey. Y'all are the best. *happy sob* <br />
<br />
I have always loved journals. Pretty journals bound with leather and stamped with intricate designs, filled with unlined, rough paper. But I never wrote in them. I wanted to wait until I had thoughts that were worthy of them. And when I did finally write in them it sounded nothing like me. It probably read a lot like the preamble of the Constitution. So I have a ton of journals that have about four pages written in them and they reveal very little of what I was like at that time, except that I read a lot of Jane Austen and was generally a little moody. <br />
<br />
This blog was a step in believing that my writing was good enough for something, good enough for sharing. I've filled three really pretty leather journals over the course of these last two years, and while sometimes I'm just documenting half-developed thoughts, I like my own writing, and I'll be able to look back and remember who I was. Art and Soul has been that too, like a journal that I get to share with some of my favorite people. <br />
<br />
So, the next step now in loving my writing is giving it a prettier place to live. The vintage washing machines, man. What was I thinking? I'm so sorry to all of you for that. So, if you'll just follow me over <a href="http://life-in-the-aviary.com/new-cover-page/" target="_blank">here</a>, I think you'll like it a little better. <br />
<br />
Thanks again for reading and supporting me in this. If you like writing or making music or taking pictures, please do us all a favor and find a way to share them.<br />
<br />
xo, <br />
Cate <br />
<br />
(also if the cute little hidden link didn't work... Ta daa! <a href="http://life-in-the-aviary.com/new-cover-page/">http://life-in-the-aviary.com/new-cover-page/</a>) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-82472825036968109222015-05-01T09:17:00.002-07:002015-05-01T09:19:49.427-07:00Yoohooooo!!! Over Heeeeere <span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy Friday!!! </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pat yourself on the back, you made it through a long week. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I apologize for not posting for so long, I've been working on a surprise for y'all but I can't wait any more so I'm just going to tell you now. Ready? </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Art & Soul is moving and getting a face lift and a name change!!!</em> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Whoa, What? That's completely confusing," you say, as you think of how Hollywood that all sounds. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Mmhmm. Yep," I say. The washing machines are horrible and are making our eyes twitch and there are also approximately 569, 230,136 other websites entitled "Art and Soul" *cries at lack of originality* so you can't find this one on Google. All of it is just terribly sad for everyone. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I <em>have</em> been posting and working, but it hasn't been here. It's been elsewhere. In secret. And I'm hoping to share the link with you next week! </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the meantime, I'm over</span><a href="http://fishbowleffect.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> here</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> on my good friend and mentor Amy's blog, "The Fishbowl Effect," talking about Overcoming Fear. Amy is a dear friend and a gifted writer, and she also is incredibly wise. You know, actually just go to her site even if you don't read my guest post. You'll love it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank you guys for your patience and for being so gracious as art and soul changes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">xo, </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cate</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(also, here's the link again in case my little linky hover button didn't work: </span><br />
<a href="http://fishbowleffect.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://fishbowleffect.blogspot.com/</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-75170919996884438162015-04-09T09:59:00.003-07:002015-04-09T09:59:58.097-07:00A Taste of Virginia <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><u>PSA:</u> Before we get started, I have some big news. BIG. NEWS. Art and Soul is about to change a lot. A whole whole whooooooole lot and I can't wait and I decided NOT to change the vintage washing machine background yet, even though some of you have expressed that it makes you have seizures, because I want you to be even more excited when all the good changes happen! And now you can actually read about the trip... </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">So, sorry I’ve made y’all wait so long for this post! I’m so
excited to share about my trip to Lynchburg. First things first, thanks to the Rush
family for such a lovely trip! It was the besssst. Thanks to Ryley and Reagan for letting me follow y'all around and parrot your Canadian friend's accents and just be completely uncool in my enthusiasm. Y'all are so great ;) <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next, I
must inform y’all that I did a really awesome job in the airport, and I
actually enjoyed flying alone. The peanut butter crackers were a great suggestion (thanks, Sissy!) I met some incredibly sweet people who made
the flight so much more enjoyable- I also got a guide to the best Indian food
in Austin and sat next to one of the best storytellers I’ve met. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spoiler alert, I love flying alone. I love flying with people, but I felt super independent doing that big thing by myself. This is not to be minimized by the fact that there are eleven year olds who fly alone all the time. Or by the fact that the lady I sat next to on the flight from Austin was so worried about me getting lost that she walked me all the way to my next gate. *bless her* </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I stared out the window almost the whole flight to North Carolina. I loved the view from the topside of the clouds- the way they changed from puffy little meringues, disappeared, and came back spread thin as butter over the mountains. I don't think, no matter how often I may fly, that that will ever get old. </span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">As lovely as that was though, my favorite leg of the trip was on the flight to Lynchburg, after it had already gotten dark. We were taking a pretty small plane that still had <em>propellers </em>( I think <em>puddlejumper</em> is the word they used), so I found my seat next to an older
woman, probably 70 years of age or so and prepared to make out my will. She was small and frail and very tan,
and had on a pink down jacket. I cheerily exclaimed, “I’m your neighbor!” when
I found her, and I don’t think she said anything at all in response. She
faked sleep for a while, and then started coughing uncontrollably. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">“Don’t worry, I’m not contagious,”
she said. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">“Oh, I’m not worried. Would
you like a warm apple pie cough drop?” (What did I tell you? Always bring the
cough drops.) <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">“Well, aren’t you a dream boat?”
she exclaimed. We talked the whole flight to
Lynchburg, or Lunchbag, as she called it. She had been a pilot herself, and
worked for NASA. She even offered to come bail me out if I were to get thrown
in jail during my stay. Reasons why talking to older people is better than
talking to young people: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->They usually have much better stories and have
had more practice telling them.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->They can usually afford to bail you out of jail if that becomes an issue. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">It was 6 degrees outside when we
landed, and I was wearing a short sleeve t shirt and a plaid flannel shirt. And
fingerless gloves. As we sat on the tarmac I had the strange realization that they were not extending that nice covered gray hallway to meet us. People were just walking off the plane and across the pavement to the airport! I reevaluated my wardrobe choices and tried to see how much of my body I could fit in my scarf. <em> Gee, I’m so glad I’ve made it to Virginia, it’s really too bad
I’m going to FREEZE TO DEATH before I even see Ryley! </em><u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Ryley greeted me at the Lynchburg airport with coffee in
hand (because she knows my heart)-a lovely invention called “Christmas in a
Cup.” I think it said it had notes of hot buttered rum and cinnamon in it.
Highly addictive. <em>Joe Beans, come to Austin please.</em> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Because I am more of a Texan than I even realized, we cooked migas our first night.
And then because I am truly a breakfast person, we ate eggs of some form for
almost every meal thereafter. It snowed during my stay, so we spent a lot of time cozied up
with books and journals and coffee cups, talking about all the things we don’t
have time to talk about on the phone, venturing out to stomp through the snow
and take pictures, and then ending with hockey games. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I dislike sports. I. LOVE. Hockey. It’s fast-paced. It’s
easy to follow. The majority of the players were Canadian. And there’s none of
this faking an injury and making a scene business like in basketball. I saw a
guy get rammed up against the glass, flip over, get back up and speed down the
rink. Now that’s athleticism. I also got a gigantic salty pretzel. All the
wins. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> AND SPEAKING OF CANADA. Were we speaking of Canada? I don't know. There are these things called Nanaimo bars and they are… a revelation.
Picture a no-bake cookie base using shredded coconut instead of oats, a thick
layer of buttercream frosting, capped with a thin little sheet of chocolate,
and then multiply the deliciousness you’re picturing times like, five. Ryley’s
beau’s parents brought them from Canada and may I say, that is probably why the
French and English had so much conflict in the colonial days. The Brits wanted
the Nanaimo bars, not the territory! Come on… <em>*reader rolls eyes at lame history reference.*</em> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">So, all in all, the trip was amazing. I met up with my friend Heather randomly in
the Charlotte airport and it turned out we were on the same flight! Then I sat
by a guy who gave me the list of all the best Indian food restaurants in Austin
and showed me pictures from his family vacations to Patagonia and New Zealand.
And then he proceeded to snore the rest of the flight away while I read Mindy
Kaling’s book. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I have never been happier to see Robin in my entire life.
Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder but I never want to be absent
for that long ever again. I love my Bird too much. And he brought P.Terry’s. ;) <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">And now without further ado... <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">EGGS, Two Ways: <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><em>Veggie Egg Scramble</em> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Serves 2</span> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">3 corn tortillas, cut into 1” pieces <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">2 Tbsp olive oil <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">3 diced small bell peppers, or ½ of a large one<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">A good handful of fresh spinach leaves <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">5 eggs, beaten<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">2 Tbsp. milk <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">¼ c. picante or other salsa </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Warm oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once
oil is shimmering, add tortilla pieces in a single layer. Flip the tortilla
pieces once they have started to crisp and add the diced bell peppers. After
the tortillas have crisped on the other side and the bell peppers are softened,
push them to the perimeter and put the spinach in the center of the skillet.
Reduce heat to medium low and let spinach wilt. Mix together the beaten eggs
with the milk and salsa. Pour over the tortilla mixture. Stir occasionally with
a wooden spoon as eggs set up. Divide between two plates, salt and pepper to
taste. Eat with mismatched forks and laugh a lot. (optional: garnish with feta)
<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><o:p><em> </em></o:p><em>Feta Eggs on Toast</em> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Serves 1<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">A small pat of butter <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">2 eggs, beaten <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">1 Tbsp. milk <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Crumbled Feta, to taste <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Salt and pepper, to taste <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Multi-grain toast <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Warm butter in the pan. No skimping. It’s snowing. Butter
will help you insulate. Mix eggs with milk and reduce heat to low. It will look
like nothing is happening. Just be patient. Stir occasionally with rubber
spatula. When the eggs have formed into lovely little eggy clouds but are still
a bit runny, fold in your feta cheese. Pepper <i>generously.</i> Add a little
salt too. Serve over lightly buttered toast with several cups of good coffee. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<u5:p></u5:p><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-82922917957588164532015-03-10T11:21:00.001-07:002015-03-10T12:37:14.661-07:00Better... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ojn2bAOija31TfYezkJrX3EuSATJMKIaVyaaKHzTXC3sNFB390MJJRvUXSHaE_bwisKkEqMUVPlUd5Jg1gLCuffRMKFf2CmggbmMqcKjO_vUL_VtTdUcplQU1Lkjx5JeFI_2RShKDbUE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ojn2bAOija31TfYezkJrX3EuSATJMKIaVyaaKHzTXC3sNFB390MJJRvUXSHaE_bwisKkEqMUVPlUd5Jg1gLCuffRMKFf2CmggbmMqcKjO_vUL_VtTdUcplQU1Lkjx5JeFI_2RShKDbUE/s1600/photo.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been going through Hebrews with the IF: Equip reading plan lately and had a few thoughts I wanted to share with you. IF is basically a collaboration of a bunch of really wise women who are asking the question "IF God is real, if His Word is true, what should my life look like?" You can read more about their mission </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/who-we-are/"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and check out</span><a href="http://www.ifequip.com/"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> IF: Equip</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> here. I'd love to know we were all doing it together :)</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is from my reading earlier this week, based out of <strong>Hebrews 7:21-8:13,</strong> and I thought I'd share because when I read it I wanted to just happy-dance around and get a kitten and go hug people. So here it is for you, gentle reader. Take a gander.... </span><br />
<span class="text Heb-7-28" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="top-05">
<span class="text Heb-7-28" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<span class="text Heb-7-28" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="top-05">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>1. Jesus is our Better Hope</b>.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><sup><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">26 </span></sup><span style="color: #444444;">Such a high priest<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30091AD" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30091AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> (Jesus) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30091AE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30091AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> exalted above the heavens.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30091AF" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30091AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><span class="text Heb-7-27" id="en-NIV-30092"><sup class="versenum"><span style="color: #444444;">27 </span></sup><span style="color: #444444;">Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30092AG" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30092AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> day after day, first for his own sins,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30092AH" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30092AH" title="See cross-reference AH">AH</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30092AI" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30092AI" title="See cross-reference AI">AI</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> when he offered himself.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30092AJ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30092AJ" title="See cross-reference AJ">AJ</a>)"></sup></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><span class="text Heb-7-28" id="en-NIV-30093"><sup class="versenum"><span style="color: #444444;">28 </span></sup><span style="color: #444444;">For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30093AK" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30093AK" title="See cross-reference AK">AK</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30093AL" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30093AL" title="See cross-reference AL">AL</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> who has been made perfect<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30093AM" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30093AM" title="See cross-reference AM">AM</a>)"></sup></span><span style="color: #444444;"> forever.</span></span></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Jesus is our better hope for intimacy with and righteousness before God the Father. Under the Law- the Old Covenant- God was behind the curtain, separated from all but the high priest who was himself still a flawed human. The priests offered shadows and copies of the real sacrifice needed to purify us. Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice once and for all and did away with all that curtain, separation business. (Can I get an amen. Mmhmm.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Jesus is the Guarantor of a Better Covenant.</span></b><br />
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"<em>but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:</em></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span class="text Heb-7-21">“The Lord has sworn</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-7-21">and will not change his mind:<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30086W" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30086W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup></span></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-7-21">‘You are a priest forever.’”</span></span></span></span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Heb-7-21"></span></span><span class="text Heb-7-22" id="en-NIV-30087"><em><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><sup class="versenum"> 22 </sup>Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30087Y" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30087Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"></sup></span></span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="text Heb-7-23" id="en-NIV-30088"><sup class="versenum"> 23 </sup>Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;</span> <span class="text Heb-7-24" id="en-NIV-30089"><sup class="versenum">24 </sup><strong>but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood</strong>.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30089Z" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30089Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)"></sup></span><span class="text Heb-7-25" id="en-NIV-30090"><sup class="versenum"> 25 </sup>Therefore <strong>he is able to save<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30090AA" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30090AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)"></sup> completely</strong><sup class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NIV-30090c" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-30090c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%207&version=NIV#fen-NIV-30090c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]</sup> those who come to God<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30090AB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30090AB" title="See cross-reference AB">AB</a>)"></sup> through him, because <strong>he always lives to intercede for them</strong>.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30090AC" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30090AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></em></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Guarantor (is a real word) and is one who gives a promise, assurance, or pledge, usually relating to quality, durability, or performance (per the freedictionary.com definition). Jesus promised that the new covenant, now written on our hearts and minds rather than on tablets of stone, is of utmost quality, is everlasting, and testifies that <em>"The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind."</em> (Psalm 110:4). Boom.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>3. This New Covenant is Built on Better Promises</b>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">10 </span></sup>This is the covenant<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30103Q" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30103Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I will establish with the people of Israel<br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-8-10">after that time, declares the Lord. </span></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span class="text Heb-8-10">I will put my laws in their minds</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-8-10">and write them on their hearts.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30103R" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30103R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup></span></span><br /><span class="text Heb-8-10">I will be their God,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-8-10">and they will be my people.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30103S" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30103S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup></span></span></strong><br /><span class="text Heb-8-11" id="en-NIV-30104"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>No longer will they teach their neighbor,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-8-11">or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’</span></span></span></span></em><em><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span class="text Heb-8-11">because they will all know me,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30104T" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30104T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Heb-8-11">from the least of them to the greatest.</span></span></strong><br /><span class="text Heb-8-12" id="en-NIV-30105"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup><strong>For I will forgive their wickedness</strong></span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"><strong> </strong></span><span class="text Heb-8-12"><strong>and will remember their sins no more.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30105U" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30105U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup>”</strong><sup class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NIV-30105c" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-30105c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]"><strong>[</strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%208&version=NIV#fen-NIV-30105c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]</sup><sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30105V" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30105V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></span></em><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I can't say it any better than the author did. He has put His laws in our minds and has written them on our hearts. We all get to know Him, from the least to the greatest, and He has looked on us with compassion, not remembering our sins anymore and forgiving all our wickedness. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Austin Stone worship has a song that I think is particularly relevant and that was stuck in my head basically the whole time I was reading over these verses. It's called "</span><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vTewCIvR7Og"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jesus is Better</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">," aptly enough. Give it a listen!</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In other news, my background is now some vintage washing machines. Which is a little random. Thanks for sticking with me while Art and Soul undergoes these necessary, weird changes. Blog puberty, y'know. Are you creeped out that I referenced - yep. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">note to self: puberty references = awkward. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #666666;">AND ALSO. I'm trying to figure out if most of you read on your cell phones or on an iPad/desktop computer. I understand the phone formatting looks a little wonky. Please feel free to leave comments about what you'd like to see more/less of, if there's anything in particular you'd like me to post about, or if there are any unforgiveably awkward features on the blog.</span> <span style="color: #666666;">Thanks!</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">xo, </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cate</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-12330842224438299712015-02-25T09:18:00.000-08:002015-02-25T09:18:09.688-08:00Surviving the Airport (and Winning Hearts and Minds.) <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I went to visit one of my dearest friends in Virginia this week
and- I’m proud to report- I got there and back without a single airport
meltdown! I met some incredibly sweet people on the plane and had a lovely
time in Lynchburg. There are so many things to share, and I’ll be back with
more details from the trip, recipes, and stories, but for now- here’s what I learned
about flying. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b>10 Tips to Help you Maintain your Sanity in Airports </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">and Win the Hearts and Minds of Fellow
Passengers)</span> </span><u5:p></u5:p></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get to
the airport about two hours early.</b> You probably don’t need that long, but
it will give you a good amount of time to call and inform all your family members
that you have survived check in and security. This also gives you plenty of time
to savor how responsible and capable you are. Buy a coffee. You’ve got
time! Try to look like Sandra Bullock from The Proposal while you drink it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People-watching encouraged.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pack
yummy cough drops.</b> Use them to barter favor with the people around you.
Mine were Warm Apple Pie flavored. Everyone just collectively coughs on
airplanes, so share the cough drops. I shared them with one woman and she
exclaimed, “Aren’t you a dream boat?!” I blushed shyly, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes, Mary. Yes I am.</i> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Admit
that you’re a beginner.</b> This is the only way for people to know that they
need to take care of you. I kept dropping the fact that I had never flown alone
and the lady I sat next to on my connecting flight literally walked me to my
next gate. I love being surprised by the kindness of strangers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Talk to
the person you’re sitting next to</b>, even if they scare you a little. If the
plane should begin to crash you will want to hold someone’s hand and there
aren’t that many options. Safe topic? Food. I have a new list of food blogs to
check out, and a trusty guide to the best Indian food in Austin. Win. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pack
motion sickness medicine in your carry-on</b>, even if you don’t get motion
sickness. Because the person next to you might, and it will be doing both of
you a favor if you have the prescription. <em>*I gotta fever, and the only prescription
is more cow bell*</em> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ignore
the people</b> who tell you that you have a better chance of getting in a car
wreck on the way to the airport than getting in a plane crash. I don’t know why
they think that would make us feel any better. <u5:p></u5:p>Is it more pleasant
to die in a car than on a plane? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sick
minds, these people…</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Identify
what makes you feel “able.”</b> I love having paperwork with me, especially all
clipped together with one of those official black butterfly clips. It kind of
says, "I mean business." I printed maps of all the airports I would be stopping
in and highlighted things. Having paperwork makes me feel professional, and I
also feel that I might get some special preference with any airport staff
because I can show them that I value their airport and want to do really well
in it. <i>Lovely architecture in here. I looked it up online before I came.
Heard wonderful things about the staff, too. Would you like a Warm Apple Pie
cough drop?</i> <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Follow
Bob Goff on Instagram</b>. He posts inspiring quotes and generally makes me
feel very brave. <u5:p></u5:p><em>#bobforpresident<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pack
funny paperbacks</b>- Funny because laughter is great, and paperback because it
will keep your shoulder from pulling out of socket. I packed hardbacks. Lesson learned.
Recommendations? <u>Is Everyone Hanging Out
Without Me (And Other Concerns)</u> by Mindy Kaling, <u>Through Painted Deserts,</u> by Donald Miller, and <u>The Crowd, The
Critic, and The Muse</u> by Michael Gungor. The only downside is you may laugh
so hard you snort, and that may make your neighbor uncomfortable. Don’t
apologize, don’t try to explain, laugh on. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Memorize
this verse</b>: “Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He left nothing outside His control.</i>”
Hebrews 2:8 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<u5:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
One picture from the airport when Robin came to pick me up.
He said there were guys around him with little signs, waiting for their girls
to get to baggage claim, but Robin had something better. Something he knew
would speak directly to my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
</u5:p><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARNUui7ZvYLCDTy-b0KEB5qWSkV0cXkV5xAEjSZdTKqxrzJqJYx1tH4KqjznrU1tsXbZHBOjM0GULZtWjmAAYeYddkMzEdupVgoWDLZxDg1PN40k4oXiIh7a-9ND_IZPcdvxX40wt_LTz/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARNUui7ZvYLCDTy-b0KEB5qWSkV0cXkV5xAEjSZdTKqxrzJqJYx1tH4KqjznrU1tsXbZHBOjM0GULZtWjmAAYeYddkMzEdupVgoWDLZxDg1PN40k4oXiIh7a-9ND_IZPcdvxX40wt_LTz/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And that's why I married him. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">xo, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Cate </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-17485096530281450962015-02-13T08:47:00.000-08:002015-02-13T08:47:42.066-08:00I Believe I Can Flyyyy...
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">The scene begins with
Caitlyn wearing a black ski vest and a black directors cap. She enters a dimly
lit room where Orlando Bloom sits, getting his Legolas hair braided. She is
slapping her hand against the back of her official directors clip board and
commanding the attention of the room. Extensive use of hand gestures
throughout. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Caitlyn: “BIG NEWS! BIG NEWS PEOPLE!” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*slap slap slap*</i> “I NEED EVERYONE’S ATTENTION.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The famous people in
Makeup direct their attention to her. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Caitlyn: Thank you. *she feigns a New Zealander accent* <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to let you all know, that I will be
going to Lynchburg, Virginia to see one of my dearest friends next week, so I’m
expecting you all to be at your personal best in my absence. Legolas, big
battle scene this week, are you ready? I hate to miss it but as an important
person, I have traveling stuff to attend to. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Orlando: How did she get in here? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Security enters.
Lights fall. End scene. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">All that to say, I’m going to Virginia next week and I need
your help!! </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I’ve never flown alone so any
advice you can offer about navigating the airport, keeping my cool, or being a good neighbor to
the people on the plane with me is SO
welcome. *please make this advice <em>actually helpful</em>, not a thinly veiled horror story.* </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">More importantly though, I’m
treating myself to two new books for the flights and I’d love to hear any
recommendations you have. I’m thinking books that are whimsical, but not so
absorbing that I won’t be able to pull myself from my reading trance and hear
them announce my flight. Light-hearted, preferably no disasters. You see what I’m
saying here? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Please leave traveling advice and book
recommendations in the comment bar below, and if you know me and can’t get that
to work, emails or text messages are welcome. ;) </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I’ll be back soon with thoughts, a
plethora of pictures, and certainly some funny stories from the trip. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">xo, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Cate <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-82491224423345089882015-02-05T13:53:00.001-08:002015-02-06T08:03:08.726-08:00All the Hobby Lobby Plaques.... <br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="color: #232323; white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">First things first.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shauna has a new post up on the Storyline blog. You can go ahead and <a href="http://storylineblog.com/2015/02/05/youre-never-going-to-be-fully-ready/">read hers now</a>, I can wait. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> Okay.</span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THAT SHE TECHNICALLY SAID MY NAME AND SPELLED IT RIGHT?!</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> Look!!!!!!! </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWvawyGyi-yhFAOWh23OuUZL5SfMOvz3EsyBnWBtiP8KVWqf2wgT1W4DqJoHNobrgPOtYTj6EPdgPNSCufqbQdnTfxQ09AQ8ocwajHkYtsrIpTWxDBopPdVuhoI4hH4VZqVONKc-SSQOR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-05+at+3.37.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWvawyGyi-yhFAOWh23OuUZL5SfMOvz3EsyBnWBtiP8KVWqf2wgT1W4DqJoHNobrgPOtYTj6EPdgPNSCufqbQdnTfxQ09AQ8ocwajHkYtsrIpTWxDBopPdVuhoI4hH4VZqVONKc-SSQOR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-05+at+3.37.18+PM.png" height="157" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Guys. We are basically on the cusp of becoming best friends. The heart palpitations. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The story she talked about wasn’t <i>teeeechnically </i>about me, but no one else spells Caitlyn the same way as I do! Never mind that she said, “Kate? Kathy?” afterwards. The degrees of separation are shrinking, my friends. Know this. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>NOW, on to the actual post. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Phillipians 4:6,7 is one of those verses that I like to think doesn’t apply to me. If it’s been put on a plaque at Hobby Lobby, I’m just done with it. This is unfortunately what I do with many overused Bible verses… I assume I have now ‘placed out’ of them applying to my life. Give the plaques to the baby Christians. Give me the really ancient, overlooked stuff. Give me this one: </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">“For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace;</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">The mountains and hills before you shall break forth into singing,</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; text-indent: 48px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">Isaiah 55:12</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It’s beautiful, right? This is actually one of my favorite verses. As I was just typing it though, I realized that I don’t really live like I believe this. I live more like it reads this way: </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“For you shall go out reluctantly, and be led forth into a pack of hungry hyenas;</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The mountains & hills before you will fall into spontaneous landslides and avalanches,</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And all the trees of the field shall burst into flames.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Robin calls this paranoid.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></i>I call it <i>Maternal Instincts.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whatever we call it though, it doesn’t change the fact that <b>living life crippled by anxiety is not healthy.</b> And would you like to know, gentle reader, what the remedy for that way of thinking is? </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Do not be anxious about anything, but in all things, through prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That’s right. Freakin' Phillipians 4:6-7. All the Hobby Lobby plaques. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>God, to insure that I was picking up what He was laying down, sent me that verse, through several different people and mediums, 5 times yesterday. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>5 TIMES IN MY FAAAACE. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Transition- change- makes me panicky. So when we are in times of transition, I usually get some anxiety. The kind that responsible people get, but the kind that makes you feel like you’re walking out into a landslide/ forest fire. But each time I feel that little panic knot forming in my throat, this verse comes up, and it cuts panic off. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As my mom always says, <b>"It's a command and a promise. You have to choose not to be anxious before you get the peace."</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> And I've been getting the peace, the peace that doesn’t really make sense. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Isn’t that what’s so good about God’s economy? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-We come with deficit and leave with excess. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-We come guilty and leave innocent. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-We come with anxiety and leave with peace. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>-We come with thanksgiving and leave with more reasons to praise. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- We come needy and leave brave. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What are those verses you think you’ve placed out of? Go back and take a look at them. Chances are, they still apply to you, and they may be especially relevant to your life right now. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Buy the plaque. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/normal Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-13119713445079280192015-01-28T11:01:00.001-08:002015-01-28T11:03:21.149-08:00In Honor of my People... <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">It feels good to be back, offering
unsolicited advice on the internet. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> How ‘bout you, girl in the front
row? Yeaaaah, you glad to be here? <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I feel like a bad comedian
when I try to think of an opening line for each post. It’s so hard. Maybe we
could have a contest where y’all submit potential opening lines and I have to
make a post out of them. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> No? Okay. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> “Airplane food! What’s up with
that?” <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Today’s post is actually going to
be serious. We'll talk about transparency, the importance of authentic friendships, and (inadvertently) chips.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Don't focus on the chips too much, though. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I’ve said before that I’m an
introvert, but really just a little bit. I love people. I love hearing all the
different laughs melding together, bumping each other’s knuckles in the chip
bowl, and revisiting all the embarrassing stories of the past- the ones that
made us friends. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I recharge by spending time alone, yes,
but there are few things I love more than a night with my people. I love the
feeling of connection, the laughter, the way I can’t stop smiling afterwards. Some
dear friends came back to town for the holidays, and I got really spoiled at
being able to say, “See you next week,” or “Let’s get coffee Thursday,” or “Wow,
it felt so good to say that. I haven’t been able to be my most horrible, honest
self in a long time.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">And that’s a rule my people and I
have. There’s an understanding that we can call each other at our most
horrible, needy moments, and it be okay. Because there will be a time when we'll have to return that favor. We give each other the freedom to not have to have our acts together. It's free therapy. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Note:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u5:p></u5:p>I get to be horrible and
honest with Robin, but sometimes I just need to unleash that stuff on some
people with estrogen. Bless him. </span></span></i></div>
<u5:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll
keep today’s post short, but I want to challenge you to think of who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your people</i> are. Who are the people you
call when you can’t stop crying? Who are the people whose phone call you answer
in the middle of the night? Who are those people who you haven’t seen in a
while, but when you’re together again it feels like not a single day has
passed? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
</u5:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Those are Your People. Call ‘em up,
and maybe start that pact that you will be honest, you will be horrible, you
will always answer, and you will never judge. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">You can’t do this with too many,
2-3 gals has always been my limit and if you go too much higher you might be
making yourself too available to too many and need legitimate therapy. Be uber intentional with those few,
be loving and be honest.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">To close, I’ve been reading a
prayer from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933495103/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=3485249991&ref=pd_sl_258qnlwmqx_e">Seven Sacred Pauses</a> each morning this week and it has been so
good. Here’s one for you, my little blogging tribe. ;) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Prayer of the Hour (Dawn) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">O Light of God…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Anointed by your morning light I
lift my spirit to receive the gift of this new day. Open my eyes to the beauty
that surrounds me that I may walk through this day with the kind of awareness
that calls forth grateful living. In all of creation let me see the brightness
of your face. Shine in my heart and on my life, filling me with joy,
creativity, hope, and laughter. Draw me into the radiant glory of your presence
and into the small lights of those with whom I live and work. Inspire me to
take time for those who are discouraged. May I live with the kind of presence
that makes others to feel at home. Great Dawn of God, hear my prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Macrina Wiederkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses</span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">xo, </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><o:p>Cate</o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-53501739562198686072015-01-15T08:54:00.003-08:002015-01-15T08:54:57.803-08:00Food for Thought <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Surprise! I have actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> fallen off the face of the earth, although blog activity on
here might show otherwise. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I’d love to say that I haven’t
posted lately because I’ve been running marathons and doing extensive community
service and other resolution-oriented things, but that’s unfortunately untrue.
The thing is that while everyone else makes resolutions and buys running shoes
and protein bars in January, I eat the truffles that I got for Christmas and
pitter around in my pajamas. I read all the novels I received and watch classic
movies. I eat a lot of soup. It works for me. By mid-February I usually get my
gumption back and make some resolutions.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Or rather, I run out
of truffles and I panic a bit about putting on shorts. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> So this is mostly just a post to let you know that I have not,
in fact, forgotten about you. Take heart, gentle reader. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> To show you my love, here are some things to keep you
entertained while I eat my truffles. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Ladies, and Gentlemen, <strong>Food for Thought: <o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The creator of Wall E, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo talks about <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story">the clues to a great story.</a> </span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Joy the Baker put out <a href="http://joythebaker.com/2014/12/winter-reading-list/">her winter reading list</a> so I added basically all of them to my winter reading list. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Don’t stay on her site too long though, or you’ll never come back here again, Imjustsayin. </span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0310344972/?ref=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_eZJyub10V6WD0">The latest from Shauna</a> is on its' way! I say that like we're on a first name basis. Like friends kinda. Y'know? Nope? Okay. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Resolve to write more this year? <a href="http://journal52.com/">Journal52</a> can help you! Each week they post a journaling prompt, all 52 weeks of the year. </span><!--[endif]--><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> Alsooooo, The Hundred Foot Journey is at Redbox. Please watch it
and cry happy tears like I did. Then make your husband or best friend watch it with you and happy cry some more. Vow to buy it and start a French-Indian fusion restaurant with me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong> Literal food for your face:</strong> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Truffles for me, <a href="http://www.callmepmc.com/2014/12/best-dark-chocolate-truffles-recipe/">Truffles for you</a> (then let me know how these are! I'll make them when I run out of Lindt truffles, hehehe.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">But if you're still on the resolution wagon, make <a href="https://angelfoodgarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/inas-cauliflower-snowflakes/">Ina Garten's Roasted Cauliflower Snowflakes.</a> It's the only food I'm loving more than truffles. So. Good. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-67955253951738460562014-12-31T15:47:00.002-08:002014-12-31T15:54:05.950-08:00Happy New Year!! <span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Thanks to all of you dear people who read this blog this year and so diligently boosted my self esteem about it. You have been encouraging and kind, and made me feel a bit less like I was sending thoughts out into the void. Thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The idea of a glistening, shiny new year perched on the horizon has inspired some goals for the blog this year, some of which I'll be sharing with you as they become more than just ideas and one of them I'll share with you right now! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* bum ba da dummmm* </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Some of our friends and mentors homeschool their kids, and central to all their teaching is the notion of raising their kids to be well spoken and well read (she blogs <a href="http://fishbowleffect.blogspot.com/">here</a> and is very smart... Add her to your reading list!) I thought that was an incredibly wise thing to say, so I kind of stole it. This is the first in a feature I'm going to call "Food for Thought," until I find something more original to call it. These posts will just have a few links to some articles, videos, and books that will help you build your own wealth of information, form and share your own opinions, and sound smart/funny/interesting... (Or possibly like you have too much time on your hands.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Sooooo, another year, another reading list! These are books I've read, am reading, or want to read. If you've read any of them and have feedback, leave it in the comments section! I also love getting book recommendations so please share what's on your list!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On my list:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Every Bitter Thing is Sweet - Sara Hagerty</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Delancey- Molly Wizenberg</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steal like an Artist- Austin Kleon </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Flight Behavior- Barbara Kingsolver </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Better Made at Home- Esterelle Payany</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Winter Hours- Mary Oliver </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scary Close- Donald Miller</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How we Learn (the surprising truth about when, where, and why it happens) - Benedict Carey</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Garlic and Sapphires- Ruth Reichl</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Daring Greatly - Brenè Brown</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Writing Life- Annie Dillard </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some tips for making your own reading list for this year: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Read:</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a classic </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book you loved in childhood </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a biography (or autobiography) </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a mystery novel </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- have a favorite author? Do some research and find out who their inspiration was, then read about them!</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book with a blue cover </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book with a number in the title </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book that has been translated into English </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book on your passion (the creative process, sports, photography, neuroscience, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book on something you don't know much about (see above...) </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a favorite book of someone in your family </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book on spirituality </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book you had to read in high school English. Try it! You'll probably appreciate it much more now. (I'm looking at you, Scarlet Letter.) </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book that teaches a new skill </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book with a ton of pictures </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book with no pictures </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book of folklore, mythologies, or fairy tales </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- a book by a local author (do a little research and see what writers live near you, you might even be able to find a reading!) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happiest of New Years from us to you, may all your worthwhile resolutions stick ;) </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-35769162049061640522014-12-19T07:45:00.000-08:002014-12-19T07:45:08.489-08:00God Honors our Imperfection
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Part 2 of Relevant Christmas Quotes series.... Part 1 is right </span><a href="http://ourartandsoul.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-christmas-tiiime-is-heeeere.html"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> if you'd like to check it out also.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> We live in a quaint little house in a beautiful neighborhood
with lots of history and big trees. Our house is ‘charming,’ and is probably
small enough to be considered a bungalow. So when I say that we live in a
charming bungalow, what I mean is that our washer and dryer are where the
dining room table would have been before the invention of that technology and
there’s really no hiding it. There is also no dishwasher which means that I
don’t think our band guys have ever seen my sink without something in it. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> It is inevitable that when my home is in its very worst
state- when I am thankful that we don’t have children because if CPS were to
come they would take them away, when all I want is to go sit somewhere that
does not need me to clean it- someone will have to come over for a very
important reason. Like. I want to kill myself, can I come to your house? <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> And while I obviously don’t hesitate to say yes, I hesitate
because where can I hide the dirty dishes. I usually have two options in that
moment. The first is to say yes, frantically try to restore the house to some
semblance of order, flagellate myself for being a horrible wife, and then
present my frazzled, crazed self to this person. The second is to say yes, tidy
up a little, put some coffee on, light some candles, and hide everything else
so I can be in my right mind when they come over. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> In my better moments, I opt for the second one. In my worse
moments, I consider going next door and asking the neighbors if I can bring my
dishes over to put in their dishwasher. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> So they come over, and we talk and offer snacks and drinks
and they probably don’t notice that our dirty laundry is winking at them from
behind the piano. And usually, something really beautiful happens in those
times where we are vulnerable enough to say “Well, we are messy, but we want
you in our life,” because usually they are vulnerable and share their messy
life too. It’s a fair trade. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> What I’m noticing is that when I’m in that Perfection
Mode, when I’m like butter over too much bread, I feel self-sufficient, alone,
and a little neurotic. But when I embrace the imperfect, rather than fighting
it, I feel whimsical and a little gutsy. I don’t feel like a
disappointment. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> It seems to me that the Spirit is most comfortable when we
are squirmy, untethered, and huddled in the furthest corner from perfect. He
waits for our veneers of perfection and order to fall off, and then he comes.
He overshadows. We see this in the Incarnation, when Jesus first came to earth.
Virgin, unwedded mother. Stable. Feeding trough cradle. Stinky, drooly animals.
And then in the midst of all that imperfection- an angel choir, a star, a baby.
<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> He waits for me to quit doing my head-patting, tummy-rubbing
tap dance on stilts before He comes, before the symphony. <u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I have never been told, “Wow! Your house is so clean!”
Never. But I have been told many times, “Your house is so homey.” And that’s
all I want our house to be. Because in houses where perfection is prized over
people, I usually feel like I can’t sit down anywhere so I’m stressed the whole
time. But in homes where it’s clear that the house is just a container for some
people who really love you and want you there, I could stay for hours.<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> This extends to worship, as Rob says, when we worship we get
to host the presence of God. What kind of hosts are we going to be?<u5:p></u5:p><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> What are those areas where you need to honor the imperfection? Is it in your family? In your holiday preparations? In yourself? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Merriest of Christmases to you all! </span></div>
<u5:p></u5:p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-75758076146019259222014-12-08T10:59:00.000-08:002014-12-08T10:59:55.513-08:00Christmas, Christmas Tiiime is Heeeere... <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">There are two themes that keep coming up for Robin and I these days. They don’t casually come up either. They come up kind of like in cartoons when the bad guy steps on the end of the rake and the other end comes up and smacks him right between the eyes.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> I’m only going to talk about one of them today, because sufficient for the day is its’ own tangent. Robin thought of this one, and I have once again stolen one of his catchy sound bites and tried to <i>sort of</i> take credit for it. It is “The Joy of Christmas is found not in what we can do, but in what Christ has done.”-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
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I feel like I should have that printed onto something. Beyond it just sounding catchy though, this is really relevant for Robin and I because we are BIG Christmas people.<u></u><u></u></div>
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For example, *hazy 80’s flashback vignette* When I found out that we would not be opening our presents or having my traditional cranberry French toast on Christmas morning because we would be leaving so early to go to my in-laws, I may have burst into tears and said that our kids would never believe in Santa Claus because he would only come on Christmas day <i>every other</i> year.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Because I’m adult like that.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Tradition is my thing. It makes me feel grounded and connected. It also makes me inflexible and emotional when that’s thrown off course. Tradition is usually centered around What We Do, and not so much about what He has done unless we’re reading the Christmas story before opening presents. And I think we kind of know where the focus is then anyway.<u></u><u></u></div>
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This year we’re paying attention to the idea of Advent a lot more. Not the Advent where each day I open a little door and get a piece of chocolate, but the kind of Advent that requires some stuff. Stuff like showing solidarity with the suffering and creating room in myself for Jesus to come.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We’ve been reading through Richard Rohr’s <u>Preparing for Christmas, Daily Meditations for Advent</u>. While reading it this morning, it talked about how we get stuck in thinking Christmas is only about the coming of Jesus as a baby, when it’s also about Him coming into our lives right now. Not sweet, peach fuzzed, lotion-scented baby Jesus who doesn’t ask anything of us, but the Jesus who asks for surrender and awareness. Jesus who asks for a lot of stuff I really don’t even want to think about because it’s Christmas and Mariah Carey is singing and I just want to drink my cocoa and be happy.<u></u><u></u></div>
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That doesn’t mean that Christmas isn’t supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, for us it just needed to be tempered with the spirit of Advent. That spirit of waiting and expectation and the desperate hope that something really good is coming if you can just hold on a bit longer.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We’re still keeping plenty of our traditions because LET’S NOT GET OUT OF HAND HERE- but I’m being more flexible with them. I’m trying to hold them with open hands where if it happens, super, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. So here are some of the traditions we’ve already observed this season, and some that we hope are still to come.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Decorating oranges with cloves- it smells so lovely and is one of the most peaceful things in the whole world. Peace, in my mind, smells like oranges and cloves<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Christmas Party-ing with our band, some of the most selfless and amazing musicians probably on earth. <u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and drinking iced eggnog with freshly grated nutmeg at my parents’ house<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Baking Espresso Dark Chocolate shortbread cookies. I make these once a year (except for <i>verrrry</i> special occasions) because I would be morbidly obese if they were readily available at any other time.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Cutting down our tree at the Christmas tree farm<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church, followed by a Tex Mex feast befitting El Presidente<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u><span>-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><u></u>Opening one present on Christmas Eve<u></u><u></u></div>
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- Christmas baking with my mom </div>
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-Watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas and drinking hot cocoa with Rob while decorating the tree.<u></u><u></u></div>
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-Having a dinner/cookie/coffee/recipe exchange with some of my very dearest friends who have moved far, far away and are coming home for Christmas.<u></u><u></u></div>
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-Advent meditation</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-68448194669438607902014-11-14T10:38:00.000-08:002014-12-02T14:25:57.872-08:00soap bubbles <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The work of writing is much like the work of hand washing dishes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is much easier to do your dishes in a dishwasher because you can go watch television or paint your fingernails while your dishes are magically sterilized, just like it is much easier to watch television or paint your fingernails than to sit down and write. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But when you distance yourself from the process of hand washing dishes there are two things you miss. The first is, you miss those magnificently smelly soft Dawn hands that they publicize in magazines and on commercials. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The second thing you miss is the magic of soap bubbles. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I don’t mean one soap bubble, or even the suds on your hands that sometimes pass for soap bubbles. I mean dozens of tiny little irridescent orbs floating and flirting above your head when you are really going after a dish. A dish that has something stubborn like scrambled eggs or melted cheddar caked onto it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And then you look up and see them dancing overhead- all pinks and blues and yellows- soft and floating and glorious. There are no soap bubbles from dishwashers because they have concentrated gel packs and do all the dirty work where it is tucked away and invisible to you. Convenient. Sterile. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is like writing. When you are toiling away in the crusty tedium of the hard work of writing, every now and again you get to look up and see that something beautiful and ethereal has happened while you were toiling and that you, inadvertently, were responsible for it. That is why I hand wash dishes and that is why I write. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I also hand wash dishes because we don’t have a dishwasher. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Right, not the point. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This applies to everything that requires consistent, intentional work- song writing, painting, raising a family, woodworking, dental hygiene. There is an incredible pay off for all of these things if you immerse yourself in them, giving your best creative efforts to whatever you’re doing. If you don’t let someone else raise your kids for you, if you don’t succumb to using rhyme.com when the lyrics don’t come, if you hand sand that pesky board, even if you floss your own teeth routinely- gotta celebrate the small things too, y'all- you may find that all that time you have been building yourself a lovable, purposeful life. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And remember, when it gets hard, to keep your head up for the soap bubbles. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">That said, and in honor of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) (Which I am ironically not participating in)(oops) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Write. Maybe start here. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> 1. What was one of the happiest moments of this year? One of the hardest? How do you see that they've strengthened your character? Are they related at all? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> 2. Take a few minutes to make a list of the things you're most thankful for. After you've made your list, pull one or two and write about them in more detail. What time of year was it at this experience, what were the smells around you, who was there, why was it special? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> 3. There is an old man, a woman with a baby, a blind teenager, a businesswoman and a barista at a coffee shop in the afternoon. And there's a tornado coming. What happens? What's the dialogue? (cred. goes to my creative writing teacher, Charlotte on this one.) </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-61525435423732068042014-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:002014-11-07T10:44:29.109-08:00Reflections on a Year (and Six Tips for Newlyweds!) <br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Last week, Robin and I celebrated our 1-year wedding anniversary. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> I know, I can’t believe it either. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> To celebrate, we went to the bed and breakfast we stayed at right after our wedding, sat in the same love seat we sat in exactly one year ago- still in our wedding clothes, still shell shocked, at the time- and watched the video of the ceremony. One whole year ago we said our vows, worshipped with some of our very favorite people, washed each others feet, fed each other my grandma’s carrot cake. It felt like time travel being there again, we’ve changed so much over the course of a year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> I felt like I could give so much advice to the girl who stayed at that bed and breakfast with her brand spanky new husband one year ago. Then I realized that that’s really only an epic thing to say if you’re like, “I could say so much to that young bride fifty years ago,” but patience is not my strong suit so I’m telling her things now. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> We talked about some “reflections on a year” at my favorite restaurant over cheesy, cheesy pasta and asparagus salad, and here were some of our findings:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Introvert? or Extravert? </b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> This actually mattered a lot for us. Robin is an extravert to a T. He is energized by being around people, even crowds of people, and he’s really at ease talking to people he doesn’t know. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> I am an introvert, or a “functional extravert.” I like being around smaller groups of people, one-on-one over coffee is actually my preference. (Which explains why I skipped prom for Shady Grove’s hippie sandwich and a tie dye party with my best friend in my parents’ garage.) I like people a lot, I am just more energized by a quiet afternoon of cooking and reading. Our wedding, for instance. I was ready to leave at 9:00, because talking to a lot of people makes me tired. I think Robin could have stayed a lot longer, as I kept nudging him, “Now?” “No, not yet.” “Now??” </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> Once we knew how each other functioned, we were able to honor that better. If I knew he was stressed, I’d suggest that he have some friends over or maybe that we go out for dinner. If he knew I’d had a long day at the office, he’d clear our schedule so I could stay home and read. It communicates a lot of love when we honor each other in this way. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Discuss your Roles in the Home. </b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This doesn’t have to be the traditional gender roles of “woman stays home and cleans, man is the breadwinner,” but it is important to be clear what you <i>are</i> expecting. Before we got married Robin and I actually sat down and made a list of some basic expectations. We share a lot of the responsibilities, like dishes and laundry, but he specifically mows the grass and I specifically water the garden. If we didn’t vocally establish who does what, our front yard would look like one of those hay fields in horror movies and our herbs would be stone dead. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Call it a Draw </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Compromise seems like an obvious, simple thing, but it’s so not. In our home, it looks like, ideally, trying to get half my way and half his way, and that’s basically how we approach it. How can I give you as much of your way as possible, but still get some of my way too? It may seem like a more admirable thing to do to just concede and sacrifice every time, but that really doesn’t work- it builds resentment if the same person is sacrificing every time. So call it a draw sometimes, try to get half your way and half your partners way, but if that doesn’t work, both of you will need to be willing to sacrifice every now and then. </span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Talk about Feelings </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I know, I know. Cheesy. But one of our most-used slogans is “Let’s talk about feelings.” Seriously. Because with men you have to be really explicit. It took some prying initially, but now if I ask if Robin has any feelings he needs to talk about, he will usually give me some insight into what he is feeling, that way I don’t keep trying to help him in the wrong way. Sometimes I’ll think he’s mad at me or frustrated and it turns out he’s just tired. If I didn’t know that I’d keep asking “what’s wrong” and he’d get tired telling me and then actually get mad. See? Talk about feelings. </span>
</span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Seek Wise Counsel. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We’ve been fortunate to have a few really wise married couples in our lives, some just a little further along in the journey, and some several years into it. It helps to have those people to talk to and ask, ‘what did you do when you first had to discuss how to spend the holidays?’ or ‘she’s not really doing much around the house, what do I do?’ Because odds are, they’ve encountered that before, and you can spare yourself a lot of conflict and embarrassment *speaking from experience* if you’re humble enough to ask. </span>
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b> (And MOST importantly) Pray Together </b></span></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Praying together and making sure you’re aligned with Jesus is one of the best ways to make sure you’re aligned with your partner. For years my parents always told me that they prayed for like-mindedness and God gave it. And now we absolutely pray the same thing. When making decisions, we pray that God will confirm it in <i>both of our hearts</i> if it is the right thing to do. </span>
</span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">*optional: I prepped for marriage the same way I prep for anything, I read about it. Here are a few books that really helped prepare us for marriage- </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Sacred Marriage” by Gary Thomas</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married” by Gary Chapman</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Love and Respect” by Emerson Eggerichs. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-57022799958672377062014-10-22T10:39:00.001-07:002014-10-22T10:42:41.909-07:00On Feasting, Faking (a little), and Letting Go <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I love holidays. Especially holidays that merit a feast. I
think we need more of those days. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">So, it might not surprise you that we celebrated Rosh
Hashanah for the first time this year. This wasn’t a pre-meditated thing at
all. I found out it was Rosh Hashanah on the day of while I was in the office
and threw together some funny mish mosh of a feast. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">It had been a long, trying week and we needed something.
Something to encourage us to practice the discipline of celebration, of
thankfulness. Conveniently, it was the start of the Jewish New Year Festivities
that night. So that was our something! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I googled where to find the best challah bread in town and
planned our Rosh Hashanah menu. I bought honeycrisp apples and a pomegranate,
butternut squash and Israeli couscous. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Then I went to Upper Crust Bakery to buy challah bread. I
hesitated in the parking lot, unsure that they would have any challah left,
that I might have to present some sort of ID confirming that I was actually
Jewish and could partake, that I’d pronounce it incorrectly and be exposed.
Ultimately, the smell from the dumpster pushed me to act, so onward I went,
nodding to a couple on their way to the car, cradling their lumpy loaf. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I stood in the line, mentally reciting my pronunciation,
looking to see where they might be storing the bread. Many were set on shelves
and boxes with nametags on them. Apparently most people call ahead and reserve
their challah. There were only two loaves left unclaimed, sitting on the glass
display case. They looked so modest and beautiful, all braided and softly
shining like Rachel herself must have been.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard a man a few
people in front of me teaching the girl the correct pronunciation of challah.
She was saying it ‘holla’ which made me feel a little more confident that I
wouldn’t totally butcher it, and he was practically hocking a loogy on her: “HHHHallAH!”
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">In the midst of all this, I realized that I was engaging in
something ancient. I was surrounded by Jews- by a people who had endured, a
people of tradition and intentionality. I wondered how the people around me had
been affected by the Holocaust, I wondered what stories their families share at
the table? Who is missing from around it? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">This is why God told Israel to feast. He knew that feasts
bring us together even when we are scattered. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Feasting reminds us what we have to celebrate, what unites
us. I didn’t know anyone in the Bakery, but I knew that I and all of these
people had some beliefs in common as we purchased our matching loaves of
challah bread. I knew that they would all take it home to their families and
friends, dip apples in honey, and listen to the blowing of the Shofar. They
would share Bible stories and toast “Next year in Jerusalem, Next year in the
Holy City.” <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">My parents were kind enough to join us for our last minute
celebration, and we all talked about tradition, about the Jewish faith, about
the God of Israel, and about the recipes. As we all tried our first bites of
Challah bread, we pulled off a tenth, our tithe to the Lord. For Yom Kippur,
the Day of Atonement, Jews are supposed to take breadcrumbs (or empty their
pockets) into running water. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Israel,
this was to symbolize releasing their sins of the previous year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">We had decided our tithe would be symbolic too, a letting-go
of all the parts of us that had gone stale over this past year, of dropping
those burdens that we don’t want to carry anymore. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I was saving our challah
tithe in the refrigerator because, as you may know, it’s a little difficult to
find running water in central Texas. Until I realized that I, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">in my characteristic fashion, was literally holding
onto the thing I was supposed to be letting go of. I was refrigerating the
stale parts of me so they would keep <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">longer</i>!
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So this weekend, we’re letting go. We’ll take the tithe to
the lake by our church and scatter the crumbs and watch the turtles snatch them
up, and we’ll pray, and we’ll say “Next year in Jerusalem, Next year in the Holy
City.”</span> <o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-48662392475192243282014-10-15T12:31:00.000-07:002014-10-15T12:31:40.875-07:00An Autumn List
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fall is here tra la
la la laaaaa, at least it is for this week. Which merits an Autumn List! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are some of the Autumn activities we’re looking forward
to: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">-Making pumpkin pie. From an actual pumpkin. Nothing
against Libby, but this is something I've wanted to try for a long time. I'll let you know how it goes! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->-Movies in the backyard, homemade apple cider in
hand. Yet another long-time recipe ambition. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">-Pumpkin patch trip and carving party. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-</span></span>Friendsgiving! We’ll have the band over around
Thanksgiving and have a little dinner party potluck/ thankfulness time.
Basically, it’s just an excuse to have two Thanksgivings. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cooking with the windows open. This is seriously
one of the greatest joys of fall for me- the house smells so fresh with the
fall air blowing through, and I also don’t roast myself when the oven is on. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pumpkin candles. Nuff said. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-</span></span>Wearing sweaters. Every. Single. Day. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->-So, funny story. Here I was going to put a
snarky comment like, “Visit Apple Orchard. But wait, this is Texas and that’s
not a thing.” Until I asked Mr. Google if there were any apple orchards in
Texas and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there are</i>. There are!!!! This
must happen. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I asked the Bird what I was
missing and he said, “Evening walks, sitting around the fire in the backyard,
and reading at the park by our house where the grass is cold.” <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">And then my whole face melted off
with love for him. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Your turn! What are some of your favorite fall activities?</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-10092061888657293432014-10-03T07:38:00.000-07:002015-02-24T12:44:06.601-08:00What My Mother Taught Me<br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My mom’s birthday was last week. We celebrated her with balsamic grilled chicken and ratatouille, pumpkin flavored coffees and hummingbird cake. In my family, we have the notion of ‘birthday week.’ It’s like birthday Hannukah. Because the folks in our family are so awesome it takes several days to celebrate them properly. Obviously.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A while back, I read one of Shauna’s posts called “What my Mother Taught Me”, (which you should definitely read) in celebration of her mother. I thought that was a grand idea. So, here is what my mother taught me.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My mom taught me to love coffee, the smell of pumpkin candles, herb gardens, and cleaning the house with the windows open. She pushed me to try (and love!) vegetables in the Year of the Expansion of the Palate when previously, I was satisfied exclusively with meat, cheese, fruit, and carbs.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Yes, we did actually call it the year of the expansion of the palate. Because we’re that awesome. Hence a whole week for birthdays. Anyway.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My mom taught me to love food, and more importantly, to show love to people through food. From a very young age I was tagging along with her, taking food to people who had babies or were recovering from surgery or who had lost family members, and I learned that sometimes food is seriously the only thing that can bring some comfort. She taught me how to identify a ripe fig from an unripe one, and how to turn some stray dewberries into a slam-bang dessert. She taught me how to put a fussy child to sleep (tickle their backs and read them another story) and how to take care of a sick husband.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">She taught me how to speak up for myself, how to roast a turkey, how to carry myself in intimidating situations, and how to intentionally serve people. She has taught me how to apply for jobs and how to graciously quit jobs, to put myself out there and to show restraint. She taught me that it’s okay to say “I can” confidently, when my first reaction is to say “I can’t.” She taught me that making other people feel loved and valued is the most important and honest thing we can do in this life, even when it means making ourselves feel a little less important.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Thank you for dedicating so much of your life to so diligently teaching me. Happy Birthday, Moth.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Hummingbird Cake</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 13px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Very slightly adapted from Kinfolk Cookbook</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">For the cake:</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3 ripe bananas, finely chopped</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">¾ c. shredded sweetened coconut</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. cinnamon</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3 c. flour</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 3/4c. sugar ( I haven’t tried it, but I imagine this would be very good with brown sugar too.)</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. Baking soda</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. salt </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3 large eggs, beaten </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">1 cup oil </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3/4 c. chopped pecans</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">For the frosting:</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (dont die.) </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4 c. confectioners sugar</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Remaining pecans for garnish</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Arrange oven racks so that the oven is split into thirds. Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9' round cake pans (preferably spring form) with butter. Dust with flour and then discard excess.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in chopped bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, eggs, and coconut. Mix until just combined. Pour half of the mixture into each prepared pan. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Set one pan on the top rack, one on the bottom and switch halfway through baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to racks and cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then let them cool directly on the racks for about an hour. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the cake cools, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Decrease speed to low and slowing add the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat for 3 additional minutes. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To assemble, spread the frosting between the layers, scattering some of the remaining pecans in between. Frost the top and sides, press remaining chopped pecans onto the sides and serve with all the befitting pomp and circumstance.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Eat with the people you love. (And serve with a big glass of milk.)</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Serves 8.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-31834315926372087152014-09-19T09:18:00.001-07:002014-09-26T08:50:30.403-07:00Sabbath. <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">So many good things happened this week. Fall popped in to say hello, it rained almost every day, for the span of about an hour I had a completely clean sink. I was introduced to the most phenomenal pizza ever (recipe coming soon) and adapted a really great soba noodle salad. The stars were all aligning for me. More about this later, but first, Fall. </span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Are you flashing back to all the early fall rain-dancing I’ve made you do? Well keep it up, because it’s working. Last week, we had temperatures of, get this….. 57 degrees. In Texas. In September. My heart. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVThn0flKTongp-TJ1zSruWcT-a7G2iL2vA6ll7NRWznu7leyUfiKGZFNWOaWBiX9KKMMwWwPIVEY5JvTdnLEA8Vzg1Y1i6a3XEinuHqDFeWTSShQzbXe6Fv4wqLwcSW67iVDuxT5Z87I/s1600/me+and+rob.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVThn0flKTongp-TJ1zSruWcT-a7G2iL2vA6ll7NRWznu7leyUfiKGZFNWOaWBiX9KKMMwWwPIVEY5JvTdnLEA8Vzg1Y1i6a3XEinuHqDFeWTSShQzbXe6Fv4wqLwcSW67iVDuxT5Z87I/s1600/me+and+rob.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">Robin and I fished out our sweaters and hats and sat outside, journaling, reading, drinking mochas with little hearts in the foam, and generally freaking out because <i>we weren’t hot!</i></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">If you aren’t from Texas, you can’t understand this, but there is literally a point where you have been hot for so long that you can’t remember how it feels to be cold. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">I almost burst into “A Whole New World” when we stepped outside but Robin restrained me. Kind of. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">We spent most of the day either outside or with the windows open, just staring in rapture at rain, giddy with the knowledge that it was cool outside. And nothing to do! What good fortune for all this to happen on a Saturday! <i>There is a God.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Making my mom’s potato soup was one of the best ways that I could think of to celebrate the day. It’s one of the recipes that really isn’t a recipe that the women in my family have passed down to each other, all just judging by smell and consistency and intuition. I’ve included the bones of it for you. This is the perfect soup for sick littles and cool days. This soup cooks for a while, leaving you time in between to check on the patient or sit down with some coffee. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Mom’s Potato Soup </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">(serves 4) </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #666666;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> Ingredients </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">4-5 medium sized Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and diced </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">1 c. half-and-half </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">2-3 Tbsp. of butter </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Salt and black pepper, to taste </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> Directions </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dice potatoes to a uniform size and add to a pot of room temperature salted water. Heat the pot to boiling, stirring potatoes occasionally. When the potatoes are tender but not too soft (“we’re not making mashed potatoes”, as mom always says) drain until water is just covering the potatoes. Mash some of the potatoes, you want this soup to still be pretty chunky. Add the half-and-half and the butter and cover the pot. Continue to cook on medium heat.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">If you like your soup on the creamier side- this is the time to throw it in the food processor or mix it with an immersion blender. If you want to thicken it up, mix a little bit of cornstarch into about two tablespoons of water and stir that in. I like mine thick and chunky, more like chowder.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">After you seriously cannot wait any longer, serve immediately, garnished with shredded sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, and chives. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Happy Weekend to you all. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I’ve written a lot about bitterness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure some of you remember that being an
issue for me. If not, just check out the previous post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, closely following that topic is this idea
of forgiveness. *cue sigh of relief that I’m not making y’all listen to another
tangent on bitterness. * <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">In my creative writing workshop, my teacher encouraged us to
research the things we’re interested in. Apparently it’s good to write about
things you’re interested in and also to know a little bit of legitimate
information about the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some
people, that might be World War II or Paris in the ‘20s or apartheid, you know,
something cool. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Me? I researched forgiveness. Which actually turned out to
be a good idea. Like any good scholar (or anyone with writer’s block), I
started by looking up the etymology of it, and this is what I found: <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Forgive (v.) Old English forgiefan “give, grant, allow;
forgive,” also “to give up” and “to give in marriage;” from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for- “completely” and -giefan “give.” (Definition
from etymonline.com)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Completely Give. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">It also defined our modern sense of forgiveness as ‘to give
up the desire or power to punish’ which is still a really noble, difficult,
Gospel-oriented thing. It talks of someone being forgiven a debt they can’t
pay. This was the only definition I had ever heard, and it is still a good one.
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">It also says to me that we’ve lost a lot of the essence of
forgiveness by regarding this as the only definition. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">The root of our word forgiven, ‘forgiefan’ also meant to
give in marriage. I mean hey, I can decide I don’t want to punch somebody in
the face anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I would be willing to let my child
marry into their family. I’ll usually only give <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so much</i> forgiveness, I don’t completely give it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Now, specifically in light of the Gospel, let’s look at what
that means. Here’s the story- God loved us and made us, we loved Him back for a
while, then got distracted. God kept sending messengers, trying to lead us back
to Him, and we added Him back onto our list of “Things to Worship” for a bit.
Finally, He sent Jesus, His own Son, to lead us back, to love us, to take the
punishment we deserved. Sure, He gave up His power to punish us, but He also
gave Jesus in marriage to us. That’s why the Church is called The Bride. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Yeah. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Completely Give. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I don’t know who you need to forgive or for what. I don’t
know how they’ve wronged you or how long it’s been going on. But, odds are you
need to talk it out. Forgiveness is a two-way street. I’ve been trying to make
it a one-way street for a long time where I do all the right things, I talk
myself up to it, I act better, do better, try harder, and it hasn’t worked for
me at all. In fact, it made me even angrier. I had to apologize. I had to forgive. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It may feel too soon, your wounds may still feel raw, you
might not feel that you can keep yourself from attacking them like a rabid
weasel. Let me tell you, you can. With a lot of humility and a lot prayer, you
can. But it will require you to completely give.</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-20936729289702367642014-09-03T07:32:00.000-07:002014-09-04T08:03:38.877-07:00If you can't think of anything nice to say... <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today I am going to teach you something very important. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Perhaps you have heard the saying, “If you can’t think of something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In my experience, no one ever means that. I think it is actually something more like this: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“If you can’t think of something nice to say, <i>make something up</i>.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can talk about this because I have not had anything nice to say to some people and have, per Thumper’s wisdom, not said anything at all… for several months. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This doesn’t really work though. Because then people think you’re a jerk, even though you’re trying to hold your tongue explicitly so people don’t think you’re a jerk. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So what do you do then? What do you do when you seriously CANNOT think of anything nice to say?! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As one of my favorite authors Anne Lamott said, “If you want to change the way you feel about people, you have to change the way you treat them.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I said, Annie, dear? Leave me alone. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, what she says is true. I’m trying to change the way I feel about people, so Robin and I pray for them before we go to sleep. I pray that I will be a gracious person and no longer wish car troubles and bad hair days on those people. I pray that God will help me look more like this…. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And less like this…. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And I pray that I will learn to be more like Jesus by truly forgiving. Forgiveness is the essence of the Gospel. I’m pretty sure that’s the whole “good news” part about it- that we’re not condemned on what we do and don’t do anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Greek mythology, there is this idea of the tragic flaw. Basically, it’s the character defect that causes the downfall of the protagonist (to quote </span><a href="http://dictionary.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">dictionary.com</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">) For most people it’s like pride, or whatever. For me, it’s being hyper-empathetic. I discussed this in the bitterness post, it’s where we get so amped about defending people that we can have bitterness towards someone who hasn’t even personally wronged us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Generally, I empathize with the underdog. I shake my little paw in fury at the big dogs who make them feel bad about themselves. And this is all good and fine until I am confronted with the truth that everyone has a little underdog in them. Even the big dogs act the way they do to protect that yappy little weakness inside that they’re afraid will get out and pee on the carpet. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I’m trying to seek out people’s inner underdog, and I’m trying to empathize with that little weak, lovable part of them until the rest follows. And I'll try and find something nice- and true- to say.</span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-3582110110979327832014-08-21T10:12:00.000-07:002014-08-21T10:12:05.736-07:00On Sharing Your Work <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’m sure I have mentioned before that writing is a very frightening, paranoid process. If not, let me tell you that writing is a very frightening, paranoid process. Frightening that what we are writing is actually not any good at all, that it’s been said before, that it’s grievously unoriginal and that we are almost offensively boring. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And that’s before we even have to <u>share</u> our work! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For many years (starting in about the 2nd grade) I would write only when I felt like I had some really brilliant idea, or when I was having fantasies about my life as a famous, hugely admired writer with a fabulous sweater collection and a fan club. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then I’d come back six months later and reread what I’d written only to realize that it was about as revolutionary as raccoon poop and was ashamed of myself for at one point thinking it was quality writing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Needless to say, I didn’t share it with anyone. Mistake #1.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I tried to right this by continuing to read, to develop my own voice, to imitate the styles of other writers, to look for themes and patterns in their work. <span> </span>I wrote some very moody poetry, and I started sending work to two or three trusted friends for constructive criticism. (Rather, I sent it to them because I knew they would be mostly complimentary, out of love for me and my delicate self.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After being sufficiently encouraged, I took some writing classes and started talking with other creators about their processes and their inspiration. I started following bloggers. And most importantly… <i>I wrote.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was largely not inspired at all. I wrote out memories, stream of consciousness, and little fictional scenes. As Anne Lamott suggested, I gave myself short assignments. I set the goal of writing a minimum of 350 words a day. I gave myself grace when I wrote just… absolute mushy trash. It was fine because no one read it but me. There was still some safety in it, you know? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span> </span>I read one of Shauna Niequist’s posts that encouraged people to chase their passions and work towards goals, and all that stuff that she is qualified to say <i>because she does stuff</i>. Specifically, she encouraged fledgling writers to share their work…on a blog. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I burned everything I had written and became a homesteader in Alaska. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Actually, I texted Robin and told him I wanted him to help me set a deadline by which to have a blog started, and to help me figure out a posting schedule. I was expecting maybe 3-6 months was a reasonable range. Robin was thinking “tonight!” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So “Tonight” it was. And Our Art and Soul was born. *cue inspiring soundtrack* </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And it’s still so vulnerable and intimidating and I feel like I’m about to have a seizure every Tuesday when I realize that I’m supposed to post something Wednesday and my brain is <i>absolutely</i> out of commission. But then I push through that and write something. And I put it on the Internet. Because I need to get over myself. I’ve learned to extend grace to myself and to my work by honoring the process and just posting stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I imagine that sharing your work is like having a baby (stick with me here.) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Y'all knew an awkward analogy was coming, didn't you? That's what this blog should have been called : "Awkward Analogies and Soul.") </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have this idea inside you for a long time, and it forms and develops, and then one day, it’s born (baby, idea, painting, song, recipe, whatever.) And it’s a good thing. It might still throw up on your friends and keep you awake at night, but it’s already got everything it needs to be great, some day. I mean, imagine if no one let people hold their babies... “No! Don’t look at her! She won’t be finished for several years!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And seriously, no one would mercilessly criticize your baby. Like, “Oh, still drools, I see. And what’s this, <i>leg rolls</i>? Pathetic.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Are you enjoying all my dialogue here?) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Share your work because it’s good for your soul, and because it might be for someone else’s as well. Share it because sometimes there are very few opportunities to be brave and this is one of them. Share it because vulnerability builds something very sweet into you and reminds you that you still have a lot to learn. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This extends beyond writing, too! Share your songs, your thoughts, your inventions, your sculptures, your visions for a business, your hopes for your Church, your personal journey. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And selfishly, share all this because I am nosy and want to know what y’all are making.</span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-11108731239637777252014-08-14T07:17:00.000-07:002014-12-08T11:17:14.218-08:00Spiced Oatmeal Cookies!!<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Remember that time when I said I was going to include a tutorial for how to do your own backyard movie party?</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Well. That’s not happening this week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mostly because I’d be photographing the process in our backyard, which is currently the nesting ground for about a billion mosquitoes and Rob and I would probably get all manner of mosquito-borne diseases and would never get to do our Killer Tomatoes Eat France party!!!</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">So here’s this instead. And it’s still in the spirit of wishing that fall was here ;)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The fun thing about these is that I INVENTED THEM ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!! (So don't tell me if you don't like them.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Also fun is the fact that I combined two of the fallsiest things (namely, mulling spices and oatmeal cookies) into one delicious snack. Making these is like doing some sort of welcome-fall rain dance. Not to toot my own horn, but…. *bum ba da dummm* Spiced Oatmeal Cookies!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Spiced Oatmeal Cookies</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">These are an adaptation of Robin’s Granny’s cookies. Even though they're actually quite different. That’s okay.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 c. white sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 c. brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">½ tsp. cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">½ tsp. ground nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">½ tsp. ground cloves</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. orange zest (about 1/3rd of an orange)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1/2 tsp ground ginger</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A small dash of salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 tsp. baking soda</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 ½ c. white flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1/3 c. whole wheat flour (or just an additional 1/3 c. of white flour)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3 1/3 c. rolled oats</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350.</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Cream sugar, brown sugar and butter with a hand mixer until they are VERY fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, ginger and orange zest.</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Add in your flours and oats. The mixture should be pretty thick. I've usually ditched the electric mixer by now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Roll your dough into small balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. This keeps them from burning onto the pan and you can just throw away the paper afterwards which means one less dish to wash!</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(No offense, Environment. I’m just draining Lake Travis trying to hand wash all my friggin’ dishes.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Bake for 10-12 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This could probably also be really great if you substituted almond meal for the whole wheat flour, or used apple pie spice in place of pumpkin pie spice. You could even get crazy and incorporate a little bit of apple or pumpkin butter! </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">**Granny suggests putting a slice of white bread or apple slices in the container with the stored cookies to keep them moist and fresh.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Ideally, these should be eaten with friends and family, everyone all be-sweatered and gleeful because you’ve turned the AC in your house down to 65 for the sake of the party. Or if your friends aren’t readily available, maybe just get a book and some coffee, and spare the electric bill. Even better yet!! Wait for fall, have your backyard movie party and make these!! There. Everyone's happy.</span></div>
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You're welcome, Environment.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-47768992766586418462014-08-06T10:58:00.000-07:002014-08-12T12:34:01.819-07:00Beginner's Guide to Theme Parties <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">For those of you who know me well, you know that Theme
Parties are my life blood. Ever since I hosted my first murder mystery Italian
dinner in 10th grade and got third degree burns from making bruschetta, I’ve
realized that theme parties are my calling. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I’ve also realized
that summer in central Texas is hot and that air conditioned activities really
shouldn’t be frowned upon so much. Hence, the movie party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love making food an activity that everybody
gets to participate in, so most of these involve cooking together!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Here are some of our favorite ones. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">For you… ma best
peeps.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Watch Party (with Homemade
Pizza!)</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">First thing you need to know is that this doesn’t work with
the new TMNT. It has to be the original. Like. From the 80’s. Or else it just
won’t work. Then you need to know that it is best to use <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2009/02/homemade-pizza-in-less-than-30-minutes.html" target="_blank">this here recipe</a> for
pizza dough because it is so easy and you have no excuse not to try it. Have it
ready before your people come and have bowls of toppings already prepared. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Oh, and make sure everyone washes their hands. Because,
obviously. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Julie and Julia Date
Night <span style="font-size: x-small;">(with Chicken with Mushroom in white wine cream sauce.)</span> </strong></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Robin and I did this when we were trying to invent our own
married equivalent of spring break while all our friends were like, climbing
mountains and riding unicorns while we were working. *Not bitter.* It was
actually his very romantic idea since he knows this is one of my favorite
movies! For us, it looked like getting halfway through the movie, pausing it,
googling a Julia Child recipe that doesn’t take four hours to make, running to
the store, making dinner, then snuggling on the couch while eating this crazy
delicious meal and finishing the movie. For you it could look like that, or it
could look like planning ahead. Your choice. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Find the recipe <a href="http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2009/08/chicken-breasts-with-mushrooms-cream.html">here.</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Crepes and Mustaches… Party.</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">The theme is a little sketchy here, but basically make
crepes with your friends and wear mustaches while you do it. Then eat them and
play board games. Even though board games aren’t expressly French. Have a crepe
flipping contest and listen to Carla Bruni. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">We use the crepe listed on our <em>Recipe </em>page and usually have
bowls of sliced bananas, strawberries, and blackberries with Nutella, almond
butter, and fruit dip. You could also make our favorite savory crepes with
caramelized onions, pulled pork, and gruyere, but that is expensive and
requires planning, neither of which are generally our strong points. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">This is a recipe I’ve made but a movie I haven’t seen. So
I’m taking the plunge and really expecting it to be good. This one is next on
our list…. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Linguine Bolognese with Killer Tomatoes Eat France.</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I don’t know how a movie that involves gigantic tomato
puppets and France could <em>not</em> be good. I’ll watch it and let you know though.
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">And also I’ll put the Bolgonese on the <em>Recipes</em> page, because I can’t find it
online. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
(Optional: recycle mustaches from crepe party. Or wear tomato costumes.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><em>Coming up next: How to Host your own Backyard Movie Party!</em>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">You know, in the fall, w</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">ith friends and sweaters and blankets. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">And low humidity.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">And a Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Do you sense me daydreaming? <o:p></o:p></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-42013425729791510542014-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:002014-08-01T07:28:39.815-07:00A Story and a Recipe... <div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I learned to read in the fall of my Kindergarten year.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I baked my way through my first recipe immediately thereafter. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fortunately, the words weren’t difficult to read- “Sugar”, “Flour”, “Cocoa” - and my mother was a diligent teacher, leaning slightly over the counter, watching me as I matched the fractions on the recipe to the fractions on the measuring cups, then poured them gingerly into the Pampered Chef mixing bowl. 30 minutes later, my mom pulled out a tray of brownies, beaming, and proudly repeated her mantra that first led me to believe that I could<i> </i>cook-</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="color: black;">“If you can read a recipe, you can cook anything</span></i><span style="color: black;">.”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I learned so much of my love for food and cooking by watching my parents interact over it. I loved watching my dad take the first bite of something my mom set in front of him- the routine was usually the same- he’d lean back, close his eyes and make some sound of complete adoration. Then he’d tell me that my mom made the best Whatever It Was We Were Eating. It didn’t matter what she made, hers was <i>always</i> the best. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I think I started cooking for that response. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The kitchen was always the heart of our home, with guests flowing down the arteries to the dining room, the living room, or the backyard with heavy laden plates, then returning for seconds, then dessert- everyone pulsing merrily throughout the house. I loved having a house full of people, eating and laughing and telling stories. I loved to watch my mom prepare trays of appetizers from my perch atop my step stool, and I studied her intently as she fanned the little colorful cocktail napkins out like the tails of pastel peacocks. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I always loved to be in the kitchen, it didn’t matter what I was doing there. Sometimes I moved my step stool over to the sink and stuck my hands in the suds, “helping” my mom with the dishes. Other times I’d crawl under the cabinets and wait for my dad to come in and find me, and sometimes I would just stand in front of the open pantry, surveying all the wonderful things to eat. When I was not in the kitchen cooking, I was in the garden in our backyard, eating tomatoes (ripe or not) and making up grassy salads to feed my baby dolls (and my cousin). </span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now that I have my own home with my own guests in it, I still love to be in the kitchen the most, banging around pots and pans, throwing in pinches of this or that, stirring and smelling. I love to watch for Robin's response when he takes the first bite- he opens his eyes really wide, and then reaches for my hand and puts on this sincere, 5 year old face and says how good it is<span style="color: #666666;">. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; vertical-align: middle;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666;">I love the culture that food creates. Simply the act of cooking for someone seems to say- I care for you, I am glad you are here, and I want to nourish you. We have our band over for dinner every week, and it was there, around our table and in our kitchen, that that motley crew of musicians has become our family.</span> </span>My favorite thing is when one of the guys will discreetly pop his head in the kitchen</span> for a sniff, and then when we catch him, guiltily ask, “Whatcha cookin?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To those of you who don’t think you can cook, let me assure you, “If you can read a recipe, you can cook anything.” And maybe, like I did, you should start with these brownies. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4-vnS4-w6gv1FxuQQfDZhcNNVYGvhRyk_pAnlNRcTU07SQ1IR5KyfjAvd_BJUHKVsHz3LZ6WEZA_1cDyMNfy7SV9YEG7-IXRl4XfVlUhZDaWqjhGQz9NnJPrjkkCFyft8HSfjVxp_Lgc/s1600/photoCB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4-vnS4-w6gv1FxuQQfDZhcNNVYGvhRyk_pAnlNRcTU07SQ1IR5KyfjAvd_BJUHKVsHz3LZ6WEZA_1cDyMNfy7SV9YEG7-IXRl4XfVlUhZDaWqjhGQz9NnJPrjkkCFyft8HSfjVxp_Lgc/s1600/photoCB.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Unquestionably the Best Brownies in the Universe</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Or</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My Mom’s Brownies.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the first recipe I ever memorized. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">I have taken them to parties, picnics, and parks. I have wooed boys with them and eaten them miserably after break-ups. There is NO occasion these brownies are not perfect for. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients </span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">2 c. sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">1 ½ c. flour </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">½. c. cocoa </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. vanilla extract</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">1 1/4 c. vegetable oil </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">4 eggs </span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">(optional: a little dash of cinnamon. But they honestly don’t need it.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Directions </span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter or Pam. In a large mixing bowl, combine</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">sugar, flour, cocoa and salt. Mix in vanilla extract, oil and eggs until mixture is smooth and you basically want to just eat that whole bowl raw. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Pour mixture into the prepared 9x13, reserving a spoonful for “taste testing.” Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. </span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">While they’re perfect on their own, they are also yummy topped with strawberries and blueberries, or with a dash of cinnamon, or powdered sugar, or with a bit of vanilla bean ice cream.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eat with the people you love.</span> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056610983636395523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728932030464738325.post-73632974237601712762014-07-24T10:41:00.000-07:002014-07-29T08:27:59.729-07:00On Conflict and Hopscotch <br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s been a while since I’ve told you a story, hasn’t it?</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Not long enough?</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well here’s one for ya anyway...</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once upon a time, there was a girl and a boy and they were married. They were also in conflict. Not necessarily with each other, but kind of with the world at large. So they sat on the couch and made angry faces at each other for a while, and then the boy got called away to help a friend, and the girl went on a walk. When they both got home again, all was well with the world and the girl made sweet tea for the boy and the boy hung curtains for the girl without even being asked.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The End.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love happy endings, don’t you?</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This post is inadvertently about introversion and extraversion. It’s also inadvertently about conflict resolution and selflessness and hopscotch. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But mostly, it's about marriage. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marriage is a really wonderful, fun, snuggly, hard, expensive thing. Sometimes those last two attributes fight to get the better of us, because they demand so much more than the fun snuggly parts. So when that happens, we usually talk it out as best as we can, pray together, and then either do something fun together, or take a break. </span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">{This is a pretty good system for us, and if you are a newlywed, or just have difficulty handling conflict in a healthy way, I suggest trying this approach.}</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But back to the story- last night, just as I was winding up for a breakdown, one of Robin's friends called and needed help <em>right at that minute</em>. Since I'm really quite reasonable and selfless, I sprawled out on the couch, draped my arm over my forehead, and told him that I would just proceed to die of a panic attack while he was gone, but really, go on without me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Honestly, as much as I disliked it at that moment, Robin being called away was probably the best thing that could have happened. God's funny with that whole "perfect timing" thing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Robin is an extravert <i>(understatement)</i> and needed to be with people, to get his mind off of the situation and laugh a little. I am more on the introverted side, and just needed a little time to be alone, to take a walk and be silent.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While on my walk, I stumbled across the hopscotch my neighbor’s kids had drawn on the sidewalk. It was one of those things that made me long for childhood and heaven all at the same time. It smelled like charcoal and orange peels and twilight outside, and the sun wasn’t too hot and there were lots of cats to stop and talk to. (You don’t talk to cats?) (You should.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFL1HrvBp_liqkmaDQeXjY5yHb2dlVf12DhHzbVAuuwjAXcUpKHPAtwql1yO__-opV-k0BRKswwezZoYbe06Quc5SXj3OKbAgyIRI7gUNocWK1y4gAKcDK4CrwvkmVZqK0qOK1JAdEz2m/s1600/hopscotch+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFL1HrvBp_liqkmaDQeXjY5yHb2dlVf12DhHzbVAuuwjAXcUpKHPAtwql1yO__-opV-k0BRKswwezZoYbe06Quc5SXj3OKbAgyIRI7gUNocWK1y4gAKcDK4CrwvkmVZqK0qOK1JAdEz2m/s1600/hopscotch+photo.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That was exactly what I needed. With all these crazy, "grown up" challenges, I just needed to do a little hopscotch, and to remember what being a child smelled like, felt like. I prayed some thankful prayers, and then I went home to make dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When Robin got home, we realized that we had both settled into a peace. The situation hadn’t necessarily changed, we were just both in more of a place to handle it gracefully.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He was only gone for about 45 minutes, but if we had stayed together we probably would have kept sulking and worrying the whole time. With just that little bit of distance, we had both gotten the escape we needed and now could enjoy each other for the rest of the night.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That’s not the solution every time, but it just worked last night, so naturally I had to share the victory.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maybe the next time you're in conflict, you can try declaring a truce, and take a 30 minute to 1 hour break to unwind and process. Cook, go sit in the backyard, take a walk, journal, then come back in and talk. It might give you the level-headedness you'll need to resolve the conflict.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How do you handle conflict, with your family, spouse, roommates? </span></div>
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