Small and Great

One of my favorite scriptures says, by small and simple means great things are brought to pass. You can see the truth of this all around us. The great oak tree comes from a small acorn. A constant drip of water can bore a hole through a large boulder...and the list goes on. (Even a "little" lie can ruin a reputation, leaving me to ponder that perhaps all we do is significant in some way.) At this time of year, my mind naturally goes to Jesus Christ. From a small infant, whose birth we celebrate, grew a man with amazing self-control and deep compassion who became the Saviour of the world. To honor him, we could look for small ways to serve that can make a great impact on another's life ~ extend common courtesies, respond tenderly even under stress...give a little Christmas to each other all year through. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

So Talented

My sister Patricia married a very talented artist. Every month or so Justin draws a picture on the big white board at his work for all to enjoy. Here is his latest....it's AWESOME!! And remember...it's on a white board of all things.

Ben Folds

Ben Folds is a talented musician/song writer. I like some of his old stuff when he was with the band Ben Folds Five. Army is a fun, crazy song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr_s6-Q7f00
Ben has teamed up with several other artists with spectacular results. He has a new album out with Nick Hornby. Two songs that I particularly like are "Password", about thinking you know someone because you know their details, but not really knowing them: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAIjdmqoZ4&feature=related and "Claire's Ninth" (which you should be able to access at the side panel of "Password") about a girl turning nine who has a rotten birthday because her divorced parents can't get along: Sad subjects, but so true to life and the music is beautiful and haunting at the same time, in my humble opinion.
Ben and Nick teamed up with another great duo Pomplamoose for "Things You Think" that makes you question how you spend time, pretty powerful: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G5JaicYuVU
Well, I guess I'll go play my "stupid computer game" and maybe "watch tv tonight" but at least I'll be listening to great, thought provoking music while I do it all. ;-)

A Guide to Manhood/Womanhood

In case you are unsure if you are officially a man/woman, I give you Jensen's guidelines to know for certain:
For the Men: At dinner tonight, Matthew told Jensen to stick a section of lime in his mouth because real men can do it. To which Jensen replied, "Nooo. You know if you are a normal man if you work hard and don't quit your chores."
For the Women: A few days ago Jensen asked Nadine, "Are you a lady?" She replied, "I don't know." "Have you done anything hard?" Jensen questioned. "Ya, I guess so." Jensen declared, "Then you're a lady."
So there you go folks. =) Actually, I don't think his scale is such a bad quide after all.

Showing Off

I've discovered that I like painting with watercolors. I'm just a beginner, but it's very enjoyable. Here is my latest attempt ~ my thank you card for a lovely time at the Witches' Tea.

New Favorite

Paul and I went to see RED over the weekend...so fun! But my favorite part of the movie: Mary Louise Parker ~ LOVE HER!! Haven't seen much of what she's been in, but she's fantastic in this.

For the Birds

I couldn't pin down this bird, but it's so majestic!

I've always liked birds, but thanks to my fabulous friend Angie, I've now become quite fascinated by them. During my trip to Oregon I was able to see many beautiful species and took some photos of a few.

Blue Heron and 3 Great-Tailed Grackles

My bird knowledge is not great, but from my research (mostly taken from Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife website), I think I found some of their names (though, it's highly possible I'm wrong). But no matter the names, they are intriguing and beautiful! Enjoy!

White bird is Glaucous-Winged Gull

others may be South Polar Skua

It was hard to see the details on these dark birds, but I believe they are Brandt's Cormorants

Mr. Fisherman

A few weeks ago I went to Oregon with my son Joseph to see my grandfather and aunt. It was really nice to catch up with my aunt and to be with my grandfather, probably for the last time. He's old and frail and I love him.
This was Joseph's first plane ride and he was thrilled. His enthusiasm ignited a bit of excitement in me and we had a special time together. Joseph is a fisherman. He has only had a pole since August, but it appears he's been one since birth, he just had to discover it. We did a LOT of fishing. I was mostly his assistant and quiet observer. On one day we drove to the coast; he sat with a map on his lap planning how we could get to each bit of water he saw.

First we fished in the Junction City pond. It had recently been filled with 4000 brook trout. He snagged a fish on his hook, but it got away before we could secure it. Disappointing. I had been snapping photos of Joseph and the area when this occurred. I stopped snapping to help him try to reel in the fish. After the fish got away Joseph instructed, "Next time mom, get the photo so we can prove I caught one." Unfortunately there was no next time, but I was ready with my camera.

In the following days we stopped at Fern Ridge Reservoir (muddy water and a death trap dock) to fish for who knows what; Woahink Lake (beautiful place with crystal clear water) to try for rainbow trout (saw them jump but no luck); Suislaw River (picture perfect meandering river) for salmon since the salmon run is on; the inlet of Suislaw River for salmon and perch; and even the Pacific Ocean, just so he could say he's fished in an ocean. For his souvenirs Joseph chose Salmon Magic - a lure for, you guessed it, salmon (we met the man who made it); and he chose a hat that has a lure and says "bite me". I thought they were perfect representations of our trip.

Joseph isn't by nature a quiet, patient guy. But he was while he fished. I enjoyed feeling the calm in him. I think we could all use a little more calm in our daily lives. He still chatted, but that was entertaining. One time he turned and declared, "Mom, I'm being really patient. I haven't caught any fish, but I keep trying and don't let it get me frustrated." I smiled and agreed. Another time, after casting, he said, "I'm really good at casting. If an expert came by and saw me he'd say, 'What?! He's a beginner? No. I think he's a medium." Cracked me up.

I love my little fisherman, and I hope I'm by his side when he catches and reels in that first fish.

Coven of Witches

Saturday was the annual Witches' Tea hosted by my dear friend Emily. She is THE best hostess and her home is full of the Halloween atmosphere. This is one of the highlights of my year and I thrill in planning what to wear and what scrumptious morsel I will create (I made a panna cotta and topped them with chocolate webs I had made ~ so lah-de-dah). Last year I was the "hot" bad witch, so this year I went as a "good" witch. (Emily got these fantastic witchy shoes for the occasion.)
After the party I stopped by JoAnn Fabrics to get some material before the sale ended that night. I could tell that everyone was looking at me while appearing not to look. Cracked me up. While I was waiting in line, a couple was at the register buying material. They had thought it was on sale and found out they had chosen the wrong style. It was going to cost much more than they planned. I stepped up and asked if they could use my 50% off coupon. They were sooo pleased and thanked me repeatedly and said, "That was SO nice of you!" I leaned closer, pointed to my shirt, and replied, "Well, I am the good witch." Everyone laughed, even the people in line. I loved it. It was like they were given permission to acknowledge the strange lady near them...and yet I had a humorous insanity so everything was going to be okay. It was such a perfect scenario. It can be fun to step out of one's comfort zone.

All in all it was a bewitching night. Thanks Emily!

Word from the Wise

Thanks to my daughter, I came was reminded of a phrase my dad would often say. It's so totally my dad, both the message and the phraseology. I thought I'd share:

"Don't be so narrow-minded that your ears rub together,

and don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out."

~Douglas Kubalek

Ya, I'm Lah-de-dah

We had our cooking class tonight. We needed to bring a jello recipe. I decided to do a Panna Cotta with a jello layer. I LOVE Panna Cotta. It's delicious and so versatile. I made my own Pomegranate Berry Jello. I found this idea to tilt the layers on a blog "Use Real Butter". I think it is a cool effect, though takes too much time for real life....but it's fun when you want to be tre's fancy.

Life in Review

As my birthday approaches, instead of feeling "old" I thought I'd write down some of the myriad experiences I've been blessed to have ~ some difficult, some miraculous ~ all making up who I am and who I hope to become. And yes, some things may come off bragging, but hey, it's my birthday and I can brag if I want to. ;-)

1. I moved 15 times by the age 17 and went to 9 schools
2. I lived several years in Germany along with Utah, Georgia, Nebraska and Washington

3. I'm the "big" sister to 7 siblings

4. Lived through several serious tornadoes

5. Lived through a volcano eruption

6. Broke my arm, broke my nose, chipped two front teeth nearly in half, had a Cesarean, had pneumonia, had croup and was seriously ill at 3, have tuberculosis, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 17, and have healed from a multitude of injuries: Isn't the human body SPECTACULAR!!!

7. I've had red hair, brown hair, blond hair, dark brown hair and grey hair (but never for long lol)

8. Been a foster parent, an adoptive parent, and a birth parent ~ all challenging, but rewarding experiences

9. Obtained my BA in Cultural Anthropology and made the Dean's list

10. Was Valedictorian, but also got an 'F' on a test (that sucked)

11. Have had MANY crushes (first was on David at age 5, I know all their names); almost fell in love, fell in love, fell in love again and got my heart broke (yes, my real heart literally was in pain), then was blessed to fall in love with the best man in the world and it's forever

12. Hurt people's feelings and had my feelings hurt ~ neither feels good

13. Asked for forgiveness and have forgave ~ both help me to heal

14. Visited 32 states plus England, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Canada, oh, and Mexico

15. Have seen the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Redwoods, Bryce Canyon, Zion's Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, and many more amazing sites in this world

16. Worked at a Butcher shop, a print shop, a grocery store, Novell, a cherry sorting company, cleaned a chemical company and a construction company but only occasionally my home (lol)

17. Served as a missionary in Chicago

18. Can almost speak Spanish, and took French and Polish classes with not much success

19. Learned to water ski on Lake Powell and got up on the first try; learned to snow ski in Spokane and fell on the first try and the second...; had a snowboard lesson from my Fabulous sister Stephanie and made it down the first slope in two hours

20. Made friends from all walks of life, countries, races and religions and have loved them all. Friends are very special to me.

21. Swam in the Pacific ocean, the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and almost drown in a swimming pool in Lincoln, NE (right under a life guard's nose and a friend had to pull me out)

22. Have eaten alligator (tastes like salty chicken), snails (tastes like the sauce they come in), shark, pheasant, cow tongue, and even our pet rabbits (we knew they were for food, but we made them our pets anyway ~ poor people gotta eat)

23. Had a severe case of depression in college and didn't want to live; Have been so joyful I couldn't find words to express my happiness

24. Have sinned more times than I can count and have repented nearly as many times (still working on more than a handful)

25. I've seen breathtaking full moons, a solar eclipse, sunrise over mountains and sunsets over canyons; I've witnessed dolphins toss fish to one another, a bald eagle soar over a beach, crocodiles sunbathe, a moose mosey through camp, and a condor fly along side our car for almost a mile ~ all emotional experiences

26. I've experienced the birth of loved ones and the death of loved ones

And the list goes on...

Rather than feeling old, I feel richly blessed. Mortality ~ what a precious, incredible gift. It's only for a short time and I want to savor it all!

Those Three Year Olds....

This story is from my sister Patricia. She has six boys and Zayden is the youngest. I got a good chuckle out of this and thought you might all enjoy it.

During a community cleanup project this morning, Zayden was not thrilled about the idea. As I asked him to come and helped me, he, being blessed with amazing lung capacity, bellowed "I can't because I'm a terrible worker!" I assured him that he was a good worker, to which he replied "No I'm not. I work like crap!"

Patricia and Zayden

Dedication + Insanity =

Off To School

My youngest is now in kindergarten! It's a bit odd to have a son that's a senior and a son that's a kindergartener.

Jensen was sober and excited the first day of school. He came home and said he didn't make any friends, that he didn't play with anyone at recess because no one knows how to play Yu-gi-oh, and that it was boring. Soooo, I could tell at once we were off to a great start.We barely make it to school on time because he eats his breakfast soooo sloooooow. Lately he has said he had a good day at school, so maybe he'll make it to first grade. We often stop at my mom's home after school because she lives across the street. My purpose is to share his day with his granny; his purpose is to get an ice cream bar, but I suppose both reasons have their advantages.

I Think I'm Morphing

Perhaps a hormone treatment would make me nicer. If not, I'll soon be an untameable monster; almost certain.

Reaching New Heights

Back in February we got the siding replaced on our house. We didn't put the drain pipes back up because I wanted to spray them a dark green to match the shutters, and I couldn't do that until I sanded and painted the eaves the same dark green. In our home a big project means waiting months to get started, so now, at the end of August, we decided to get to it.
While at Home Depot getting paint, I saw a $5 oops paint perfect for the kids' playhouse, so I threw that job into the mix. We finished the playhouse in a day (thanks to hard working children), and the eaves will be done in 7. If you need a good exercise program, try holding a sander for 2 hours while dangling over the edge of a roof...it really works the muscles. I've spent hours on this tedius project and although I never want to climb a ladder again (well, at least until it's time for Christmas lights), I like how it looks. Come visit and see for yourself.

And the Loser Is....

It's that time of year again: fair time. I decided to try my hand at the Mayor's pie contest; last year's win was a great encouragement. This year was Key Lime Pie. I have never made a Key Lime Pie. I called my sister, Patricia, a Key Lime expert, for some tips and then decided to make a version of my Cheesecake Lemon Bars, which are always a big hit. I did the cheesecake layer and then topped the pie with white chocolate curls...so lah-de-dah. You can take my word for it - it was very tasty. When I got to the judging, I found out right away that I was doomed. This year the Mayor decided to let his 3 kids and one of their friends help in the judging. There was a 14 yr old, an 11 yr old, and two 8 yr old boys. I had mixed some cashew Sandies cookies in the crust so it wouldn't be such a strong graham craker flawor. You can't taste the nuts, but I felt I should put a disclaimer in case someone was allergic. I wouldn't want someone's demise on my head just for a ribbon.

Well, before the judging began, one of the 8 yr olds boys came to his mom and said, "We forgot to tell them NO NUTS!!" Then I overheard the fair queen, also a judge, mumble something about cashews being nasty (not her words, but the gist of what she said). So out of 8 judges, 5 disliked nuts. The queen barely tasted mine and then pushed the plate aside...not a good sign.

When all was said and done, I tied for 5th out of 6 pies. The winning pie was very runny, but had thick dallups of a creamy frosting all over it. I have to admit that the pie that took second was very good.

As a consolation, the mayor did say that every pie had been voted as #1 by at least one person and that next year, to make the judging easier, there wouldn't be so many judges. He then came over to me and said he thought I had the best presentation. I felt all warm and fuzzy then. Ha. (Am I a sore loser or what?) As Nadine said, "Well at least you won last year and this year someone else gets a chance", which is true...but it's not as fun as winning every time.

Evening with English Beat

Tuesday night Paul and I went to see English Beat in concert at the Depot downtown. Good times; good memories; sore muscles after 2 1/2 hours of jumping and dancing. If you speak with me this week and I don't answer it's because I stood right at the stage in front of the guitar amp speaker. We got to speak with Mike, the lead singer, and he even waved to me...oooo! A gal behind us was celebrating her birthday and Paul got Mike to give her a guitar pick...Mike said it was the first time he had ever done that. (Yes, my hubby can be very persuasive.) We had a fabulous time reliving the "good ol' days" while hearing some awesome tunes.

Iron Chef Champ

Our family went up to Park City the beginning of this month to stay at the Westgate resort. We've gone there for years and always enjoy ourselves. Westgate plans activities for the guests' entertainment. This year they had an Iron Chef competition. You pay $5 and you get some random ingredient, go back to your room and cook something within an hour. The winner gets a prize. This is just up my alley. We cook most of our meals in our room's kitchen, so I had ingredients, but I had Paul bring back my two staples when he ran into town: Balsamic Vinegar and Red Wine...must haves for most sauces.
My ingredient turned out to be lime juice. I already had some delicious steaks in the fridge. I was trying to work out how to put lime juice into the mix, and then I remembered I had some plums. My entry was seared steak with plum lime sauce. It was DELICIOUS! I had never thought to put lime and plums together or to use plums for a meat sauce, but it worked (of course with a little help from my vinegar and cooking wine).
I took my tasty morsel down for judging. And I won!!! Okay, so it turned out I was the only entry, but hey, I still would have won. The judge had a sample anyway. This is how it went:
Me "I was told to have you taste my entry." Lady with a perplexed look on her face: "What is it?" Me "Seared steak with a plum lime reduction." (Paul says I've watched too many Top Chef episodes.) Lady: Blank stare. (Now I must tell you that although tasty beyond belief, plum lime sauce has an odd brown color, thus the stare.) Pause. Lady: "Okay." She slowly put some in her mouth and then her face changed. "This is really good!" Me: Look of relief, mixed with smugness. She ended up eating half of it. Me to myself: "Told you it was good." =)
I got a $20 gift certificate to the fancy restaurant there. Paul and I ordered an appetizer and two desserts that evening. I must say I felt very lah-de-dah. (I'll be holding a recipe signing shindig the third tuesday of September for all my fans.)

Am I Lucky or What!

After 6 weeks of waiting, we finally got our family photos back from the studio. A bit late for the father's day gift, but enjoyable nonetheless. Here we are in all our glory.