There's been a lot of press coverage on the 5 year anniversary of hurricane Katrina. Probably 95% of the coverage has focused on New Orleans, which received about a foot of water and some minor wind damage from the storm's initial pass. (The neglected, insufficient, man-made, levees provided the real damaging floods.)
What most people don't realize, even today, is that Mississippi, particularly the areas between Waveland and Gulfport, were ground zero for this storm. There were storm surges over 30 feet high at the coast that stretched out for miles inland.
I remember feeling called, truly called, to go to MS to help. I had just started a new job at a large bank a couple months before, and I had one week of vacation that year. My kids at the time were 8, 5 and 3. I was thinking, Lord if you really want me to go, you're going to have to make it happen. My plan was to go for 3 weeks. To my surprise, my wife consented, and my employer gave me the additional 2 weeks vacation!
I was off to Camp Coast care with a fellow parishioner to serve in whatever capacity needed. I slept in a tent for 3 weeks, and I probably never slept better. Waves and waves of volunteers, supplies and money showed up. Old and young, with all kinds of different backgrounds and skill sets, were housed, fed and deployed from a school gym. St. Patrick's (Long Beach) church members worshipped there since their building no longer existed. Waves and waves of hurting, hungry, lost and broken people came needing help. The need was (and, I believe, continues to be) greater than the supply.
One of the many things that stick with me from those 3 weeks is, while not knowing what would happen day to day, I awoke each day filled with joy at knowing I would be serving in whatever way God needed, in His army, and for His children. This feeling of joy and fulfillment is something I have never experienced in my 20+ year career in IT, nor do I anticipate I ever will. Truly, I was blessed.
That time I spent at Camp Coast Care was such a sweet testament to the giving, caring, loving spirit God has placed in each of us. This spirit and His constant love and provision for us are too often misplaced in "normal" everyday life. But Katrina gave me/us this glimpse of God's "normal", served His purposes, and I have been changed forever.
Also visit Rev. David Knight's moving post at:
http://kanite.blogspot.com/2010/08/five-year-thoughts.html
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Creek - Now the HOUSE!
We left for Little Rock (photos to follow soon) with nothing but dirt and returned last week to nothing but dirt and pipes. But one week later, look what we have....
A house! They have nearly finished framing our house in one week (6 days). We had our first "New Home" meeting with the building manager assigned to our house. They expect our home to be finished and closed on by September 24th. There could be delays, but we actually have a chance to qualify for the tax credit! That is surely an answer to prayer.
A house! They have nearly finished framing our house in one week (6 days). We had our first "New Home" meeting with the building manager assigned to our house. They expect our home to be finished and closed on by September 24th. There could be delays, but we actually have a chance to qualify for the tax credit! That is surely an answer to prayer.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Beautiful Beach
Some photos from our vacation in May to Rosemary Beach, Florida.
Our eldest turned 14 the day before we left. We had a quick ice cream cake celebration before we left. Unfortunately, my daughter (E) misunderstood when we'd brought the cake home. She thought I said put it in the refrigerator instead of the freezer. So, his cake was a little wide at the bottom. Tasted just as good, though! Happy Birthday, S!!
The house golf cart, Seabiscuit, was a big hit, and very useful for hauling all our stuff to the beach. As you can see below. . .
Another hit was the pool. Even when Baby L had to nap, or had had enough of the beach, we could enjoy the pool.
I promised the boys a trip to the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum. They loved it! The Blue Angel atrium. Look closely, you can see the boys at the bottom right.
The boys enjoying the cockpit displays.
More beach photos.
Baby L enjoying the sand, sort of.
H trying to catch a tan.
Erik and H enjoyed burying S in the sand - they even gave him a sand-six-pack.
We went back to Pensacola to see the Blue Angels do their weekly practice show. It was loud, hot, but fun!
Got to get autographs, too!
And we had lunch at the museum restaurant, which is filled with squadron memorabilia. S especially loved this.
Then some of us crashed on the way home.
E and Baby L dancing while we make dinner.
A last day photo of Grammy and E.
It was one of the most relaxing vacations we've had!
Our eldest turned 14 the day before we left. We had a quick ice cream cake celebration before we left. Unfortunately, my daughter (E) misunderstood when we'd brought the cake home. She thought I said put it in the refrigerator instead of the freezer. So, his cake was a little wide at the bottom. Tasted just as good, though! Happy Birthday, S!!
The house golf cart, Seabiscuit, was a big hit, and very useful for hauling all our stuff to the beach. As you can see below. . .
Another hit was the pool. Even when Baby L had to nap, or had had enough of the beach, we could enjoy the pool.
I promised the boys a trip to the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum. They loved it! The Blue Angel atrium. Look closely, you can see the boys at the bottom right.
The boys enjoying the cockpit displays.
More beach photos.
Baby L enjoying the sand, sort of.
H trying to catch a tan.
Erik and H enjoyed burying S in the sand - they even gave him a sand-six-pack.
We went back to Pensacola to see the Blue Angels do their weekly practice show. It was loud, hot, but fun!
Got to get autographs, too!
And we had lunch at the museum restaurant, which is filled with squadron memorabilia. S especially loved this.
Then some of us crashed on the way home.
E and Baby L dancing while we make dinner.
A last day photo of Grammy and E.
It was one of the most relaxing vacations we've had!
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Master Recipe for 5 Minute A Day Artisan Bread
This recipe was featured in Mother Earth News - where you can find the full story, info and recipe alterations.
Master Recipe (Artisan Free-Form Loaf)
Makes 4 1-pound loaves
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel
Mixing and Storing the Dough
1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight — use container with gasket or lift a corner). Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.
3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top of the measuring cup with a knife; don’t pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor with dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook, until uniformly moist. If hand-mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. Don’t knead! This step is done in a matter of minutes, and yields a wet dough loose enough to conform to the container.
4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw-topped jars, which could explode from trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approximately two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to about five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than room-temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping a loaf. And relax! You don’t need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in traditional recipes.
Refrigerate unused dough in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next two weeks: You’ll find that even one day’s storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the two-week period. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.
Baking Day
1, Prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven.
Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four “sides,” rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn’t need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.
2. Place the ball on the pizza peel. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough’s age, you may see little rise during this period; more rising will occur during baking.
3. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on another shelf.
4. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing, serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1⁄4-inch-deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread expand during baking.)
5. With a forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there’s little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or “sing,” when initially exposed to room temperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack, for best flavor, texture and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.
Master Recipe (Artisan Free-Form Loaf)
Makes 4 1-pound loaves
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel
Mixing and Storing the Dough
1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight — use container with gasket or lift a corner). Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.
3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top of the measuring cup with a knife; don’t pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor with dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook, until uniformly moist. If hand-mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. Don’t knead! This step is done in a matter of minutes, and yields a wet dough loose enough to conform to the container.
4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw-topped jars, which could explode from trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approximately two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to about five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than room-temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping a loaf. And relax! You don’t need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in traditional recipes.
Refrigerate unused dough in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next two weeks: You’ll find that even one day’s storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the two-week period. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.
Baking Day
1, Prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven.
Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four “sides,” rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn’t need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.
2. Place the ball on the pizza peel. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough’s age, you may see little rise during this period; more rising will occur during baking.
3. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on another shelf.
4. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing, serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1⁄4-inch-deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread expand during baking.)
5. With a forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there’s little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or “sing,” when initially exposed to room temperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack, for best flavor, texture and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.
Classic Ratatouille
Adapted from by Julia Child’s Ratatouille
1 lb eggplant
1 lb zucchini
1 tsp salt
Slice zucchini into half-moons about ½ inch thick. Peel and slice eggplant to similar size. Place in mixing bowl and toss with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel and set on plate.
3-4 T olive oil, as needed
1 yellow or Vidalia onion, thinkly sliced
2 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 bay leaf
1 T fresh rosemary (2 tsp dry)
1tsp fresh marjoram (1/2 tsp dry)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet. In one layer at a time, briefly saut̩ the eggplant and zucchini (about a minute on each side Рslightly browning). Remove to side dish. In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers slowly in the olive oil for about 10 min.s, or until tender, but not brown.
1 lb firm, ripe tomatoes: peeled & seeded
Salt and Pepper
(To peel tomatoes: dip tomatoes into boiling water – 10 seconds, max.; then peel. Seed by cutting horizontally and either gently squeezing or scooping out the seeds into a bowl.) Slice peeled & sliced tomatoes into pieces the same size as the zucchini and eggplant. Lay these over the onions and peppers. Salt with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cool over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise the heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost evaporated.
Scoop half the tomato/onion mixture out or to side of skillet. Spread the remaining half over the bottom of the skillet. Lay half the eggplant and zucchini on the tomatoes and onions. Return the other half of the tomato/onion mixture to the skillet. Put the rest of the eggplant and zucchini on top.
Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip skillet and baste with rendered juices. Correct seasonings, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavorful olive oil. Don’t let vegetables scorch in bottom of skillet!
*Can be made entirely the day before and becomes more flavorful when reheated. Serves 6 (as main) – 12 (as side)
1 lb eggplant
1 lb zucchini
1 tsp salt
Slice zucchini into half-moons about ½ inch thick. Peel and slice eggplant to similar size. Place in mixing bowl and toss with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel and set on plate.
3-4 T olive oil, as needed
1 yellow or Vidalia onion, thinkly sliced
2 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 bay leaf
1 T fresh rosemary (2 tsp dry)
1tsp fresh marjoram (1/2 tsp dry)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet. In one layer at a time, briefly saut̩ the eggplant and zucchini (about a minute on each side Рslightly browning). Remove to side dish. In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers slowly in the olive oil for about 10 min.s, or until tender, but not brown.
1 lb firm, ripe tomatoes: peeled & seeded
Salt and Pepper
(To peel tomatoes: dip tomatoes into boiling water – 10 seconds, max.; then peel. Seed by cutting horizontally and either gently squeezing or scooping out the seeds into a bowl.) Slice peeled & sliced tomatoes into pieces the same size as the zucchini and eggplant. Lay these over the onions and peppers. Salt with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cool over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise the heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost evaporated.
Scoop half the tomato/onion mixture out or to side of skillet. Spread the remaining half over the bottom of the skillet. Lay half the eggplant and zucchini on the tomatoes and onions. Return the other half of the tomato/onion mixture to the skillet. Put the rest of the eggplant and zucchini on top.
Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip skillet and baste with rendered juices. Correct seasonings, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavorful olive oil. Don’t let vegetables scorch in bottom of skillet!
*Can be made entirely the day before and becomes more flavorful when reheated. Serves 6 (as main) – 12 (as side)
Daybook - Monday, June 14th
St. Basil the Great
outside my window . . . the sun is just past its zenith, I believe, and hot and white.
in the kitchen . . . zucchini bread is in the oven, bread dough is rising on the stove, veggies are washed and waiting to be transformed into ratatouille.
around the house . . . still slowly working on painting rooms here and there. We stalled on little E's room before our vacation and haven't quite gotten back there. Hubby says today is the day.
thinking about . . . a new camera, maybe
listening to. . . the clatter of dishes being put away
thankful for. . . a hubby happy to be the dish-putter-awayer
pondering the words . . . "war-torn Afghanistan could become the 'Saudi Arabia' of lithium"
creating . . . temporarily lost my crochet mojo and had to restart Baby L's summer blanket 3 or 4 times. I might have it finished before the leaves start turning colors.
one of my favorite things . . . new purple bath mats (all cotton - no rubber backing) I picked up for $5 at Marshalls
milestones in the past week . . . we are finally moving on the property! After a ridiculous of red-tape from one lender (one my hubby works for - not mentioning any names), we've switched to another lender and everything is going much more smoothly. We went by the property (to see what other lots had been sold) and saw that we have a drive way and home site cleared!
a few plans for the upcoming week . . . quick meeting with our new lender to sign some papers tomorrow, taking Little E to one of the free summer movies Wednesday, working Friday, and H comes home Saturday (from nearly 3 weeks in Sweden with his grandmother).
outside my window . . . the sun is just past its zenith, I believe, and hot and white.
in the kitchen . . . zucchini bread is in the oven, bread dough is rising on the stove, veggies are washed and waiting to be transformed into ratatouille.
around the house . . . still slowly working on painting rooms here and there. We stalled on little E's room before our vacation and haven't quite gotten back there. Hubby says today is the day.
thinking about . . . a new camera, maybe
listening to. . . the clatter of dishes being put away
thankful for. . . a hubby happy to be the dish-putter-awayer
pondering the words . . . "war-torn Afghanistan could become the 'Saudi Arabia' of lithium"
creating . . . temporarily lost my crochet mojo and had to restart Baby L's summer blanket 3 or 4 times. I might have it finished before the leaves start turning colors.
one of my favorite things . . . new purple bath mats (all cotton - no rubber backing) I picked up for $5 at Marshalls
milestones in the past week . . . we are finally moving on the property! After a ridiculous of red-tape from one lender (one my hubby works for - not mentioning any names), we've switched to another lender and everything is going much more smoothly. We went by the property (to see what other lots had been sold) and saw that we have a drive way and home site cleared!
a few plans for the upcoming week . . . quick meeting with our new lender to sign some papers tomorrow, taking Little E to one of the free summer movies Wednesday, working Friday, and H comes home Saturday (from nearly 3 weeks in Sweden with his grandmother).
Sunday, June 13, 2010
How to Quit Planning Meals!
Are you looking for a way to provide economical, home-cooked meals for your family? Are you tired of the constant nagging question in the back of your mind, "What's for dinner tonight?" I've got a radical idea to pass along to you: QUIT PLANNING!
Well, at least, quit planning so frequently.
Mary at Evlogia has totally inspired me to make my meal planning and preparation easier by having one meal plan for a whole season instead of a new meal plan each week. (She also has an amazing series of Household Notebooks for each season of the Church year.)
Mary is Eastern Orthodox, so her meal plans accommodate her family's needs to maintain the fasting schedule of the Orthodox church. At first I was skeptical about the lack of variety week-to-week, but then I reminded myself that we tend to eat pizza EVERY Friday night; Indian food on Saturday night, and nachos on Sunday night and we don't get tired of it! Mary also mentioned one time that most people tend to stick to a handful (or two handfuls) of the same recipes anyway. And really, Mary's idea might encourage me to have more variety on an annual basis.
I've started with our Summer Menu, and will continue to add seasonal menus during the year (as long as it is still working for us!). Future Menu plans will probably include: Fall, Advent (fast), Christmas (feast), Winter, Lent (fast), Easter (feast), and Spring.
Here is my planned Summer Menu (click on the table for a larger view)
I've posted this on my fridge - so everyone knows what is for dinner (and breakfast and lunch) and in my Home Binder. Right behind it, I have the grocery list (how easy - I don't have to make a new grocery list every week...just look over the one I've already got prepared). I've typed up the recipes and filed those, too. No more flipping through cookbooks trying to find recipes in the middle of preparing dinner!
And, Mary, thank you for sharing your meal plan...and inspiring me to keep it simple!
I'll start posting the recipes later this week.
Well, at least, quit planning so frequently.
Mary at Evlogia has totally inspired me to make my meal planning and preparation easier by having one meal plan for a whole season instead of a new meal plan each week. (She also has an amazing series of Household Notebooks for each season of the Church year.)
Mary is Eastern Orthodox, so her meal plans accommodate her family's needs to maintain the fasting schedule of the Orthodox church. At first I was skeptical about the lack of variety week-to-week, but then I reminded myself that we tend to eat pizza EVERY Friday night; Indian food on Saturday night, and nachos on Sunday night and we don't get tired of it! Mary also mentioned one time that most people tend to stick to a handful (or two handfuls) of the same recipes anyway. And really, Mary's idea might encourage me to have more variety on an annual basis.
I've started with our Summer Menu, and will continue to add seasonal menus during the year (as long as it is still working for us!). Future Menu plans will probably include: Fall, Advent (fast), Christmas (feast), Winter, Lent (fast), Easter (feast), and Spring.
Here is my planned Summer Menu (click on the table for a larger view)
I've posted this on my fridge - so everyone knows what is for dinner (and breakfast and lunch) and in my Home Binder. Right behind it, I have the grocery list (how easy - I don't have to make a new grocery list every week...just look over the one I've already got prepared). I've typed up the recipes and filed those, too. No more flipping through cookbooks trying to find recipes in the middle of preparing dinner!
And, Mary, thank you for sharing your meal plan...and inspiring me to keep it simple!
I'll start posting the recipes later this week.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Contemplating Liberty on Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend I've seen many political cartoons and emails about the price of liberty - lest we forget on this Memorial Day weekend. All important things to remember...memorial and all that. But these have brought to mind the question...what is the price of lost liberty? Are we willing to pay that price to gain certain "perks" in our daily lives?
When we buy and buy and buy and max out our credit cards, we've lost liberty...and we pay a price. When we fill our days with busy-ness leaving no time for relaxation and true rejeuvenation, we've lost liberty and we will pay a price. When we rely on the government to do what the Church should be doing (taking care of the poor, for example), we've lost liberty and we will pay a price.
Just some thoughts running through my head this Memorial Day weekend. Another thought is how much I'd love to be attending this year's CiRCE conference: A Contemplation of Liberty. Many people said last year's (Contemplation of Nature) was one of the best, but I suspect this year's just might top that one. Are you attending? I'll just have to settle for some conference CDs this year - but the good thing is I can listen to them over and over!
The reading list for the conference has been posted! I can't wait to start reading!
And subscribe to the blog - Andrew always has some great posts. Here is a small sampling:
The Art of Freedom
Freedom and Planning
Freedom begins at Home
Freedom: Aesthetic and Ethical
Have a wonderful weekend...I'm off to shop for a new refrigerator.
When we buy and buy and buy and max out our credit cards, we've lost liberty...and we pay a price. When we fill our days with busy-ness leaving no time for relaxation and true rejeuvenation, we've lost liberty and we will pay a price. When we rely on the government to do what the Church should be doing (taking care of the poor, for example), we've lost liberty and we will pay a price.
Just some thoughts running through my head this Memorial Day weekend. Another thought is how much I'd love to be attending this year's CiRCE conference: A Contemplation of Liberty. Many people said last year's (Contemplation of Nature) was one of the best, but I suspect this year's just might top that one. Are you attending? I'll just have to settle for some conference CDs this year - but the good thing is I can listen to them over and over!
The reading list for the conference has been posted! I can't wait to start reading!
And subscribe to the blog - Andrew always has some great posts. Here is a small sampling:
The Art of Freedom
Freedom and Planning
Freedom begins at Home
Freedom: Aesthetic and Ethical
Have a wonderful weekend...I'm off to shop for a new refrigerator.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Daybook - Monday, May 10th
You know when your blogging becomes sparse and only consists of daybook posts for a few weeks that you are busy or sick or both, as I am now. Vacation is coming and with it some time to rest and be rejuvenated. I hope to be back to more regular blogging soon. Lots of things to talk about with school wrapping up and summer on its way! Thanks for sticking with me! ~Kerry
~~~ My home ~~~
outside my window . . . after a few 90+ days, we have had two wonderfully cool, breezy days.
in the kitchen . . . Angel Food cake with strawberries tonight for dessert. I'm saving up my carbs for that!
around the house . . . Dining room and Library have been finally cleaned out for our move. They both look so good with less furniture. There is definitely a lesson in that.
from our studies . . . I'm working on our summer plan. It will include a unit on house-building - appropriate, no?
listening to . . . my kids fixing their own lunch (small celebration!), the dog chasing something in her sleep, the breeze whistling in through the small crack I've left in the window.
in the garden . . . azaleas are blooming - warm, soft pink.
living the liturgy . . . Ascension Day coming up on Thursday. May is always so busy for us that this day often goes overlooked. This May is no different in terms of busyness, but I'm looking at some very simple plans to celebrate this day.
~~~ Myself ~~~
what I'm wearing . . . grey lightweight pants, rose tunic top
thankful for. . . a VERY clean van (my Mother's Day gift from my family)
reading . . . The Mysterious Benedict Society before passing it along to my kids. I'm enjoying it so far!
on my iPod . . . finally got my new earbuds! I'm trying to catch up on some of my favorite podcasts before I download new ones.
creating . . . considering crocheting a lightweight summer blanket for Baby L. I'm thinking a pale yellow cotton or maybe pink.
thinking about . . . how good it will feel not to have a head/earache.
noticing . . . that I just love the new placement of my "chair". We rearranged the library (removed almost all of our books and one of our "big comfy chairs" and moved sofa and remaining chair to new positions) and my chair is now nestled into a private corner with a view out the front window. It is very restful.
~~~ My Family ~~~
milestones in the past week . . . Baby L moved from a booster with a tray to a booster at the table! For a long time, she was too short to eat from the table in her booster. Now (with the booster raised to its highest position) she can reach the table! She seemed to really relish being up so high at dinner last night.
a few plans for the upcoming week . . .
- doctor today for a nasty sinus and ear infection (done - omnicef is my new friend)
- Wednesday my first meeting with the Daughters of the Holy Cross as an official "Daughter"!
- Ascension Day on Thursday with an "all Anglican" service. (A group of the small local Anglican churches pools resources for special services like this - always fun to see our Anglican brothers and sisters from other churches.)
- Friday my Mom arrives for a visit.
~~~ My home ~~~
outside my window . . . after a few 90+ days, we have had two wonderfully cool, breezy days.
in the kitchen . . . Angel Food cake with strawberries tonight for dessert. I'm saving up my carbs for that!
around the house . . . Dining room and Library have been finally cleaned out for our move. They both look so good with less furniture. There is definitely a lesson in that.
from our studies . . . I'm working on our summer plan. It will include a unit on house-building - appropriate, no?
listening to . . . my kids fixing their own lunch (small celebration!), the dog chasing something in her sleep, the breeze whistling in through the small crack I've left in the window.
in the garden . . . azaleas are blooming - warm, soft pink.
living the liturgy . . . Ascension Day coming up on Thursday. May is always so busy for us that this day often goes overlooked. This May is no different in terms of busyness, but I'm looking at some very simple plans to celebrate this day.
~~~ Myself ~~~
what I'm wearing . . . grey lightweight pants, rose tunic top
thankful for. . . a VERY clean van (my Mother's Day gift from my family)
reading . . . The Mysterious Benedict Society before passing it along to my kids. I'm enjoying it so far!
on my iPod . . . finally got my new earbuds! I'm trying to catch up on some of my favorite podcasts before I download new ones.
creating . . . considering crocheting a lightweight summer blanket for Baby L. I'm thinking a pale yellow cotton or maybe pink.
thinking about . . . how good it will feel not to have a head/earache.
noticing . . . that I just love the new placement of my "chair". We rearranged the library (removed almost all of our books and one of our "big comfy chairs" and moved sofa and remaining chair to new positions) and my chair is now nestled into a private corner with a view out the front window. It is very restful.
~~~ My Family ~~~
milestones in the past week . . . Baby L moved from a booster with a tray to a booster at the table! For a long time, she was too short to eat from the table in her booster. Now (with the booster raised to its highest position) she can reach the table! She seemed to really relish being up so high at dinner last night.
a few plans for the upcoming week . . .
- doctor today for a nasty sinus and ear infection (done - omnicef is my new friend)
- Wednesday my first meeting with the Daughters of the Holy Cross as an official "Daughter"!
- Ascension Day on Thursday with an "all Anglican" service. (A group of the small local Anglican churches pools resources for special services like this - always fun to see our Anglican brothers and sisters from other churches.)
- Friday my Mom arrives for a visit.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Whirlwind Weekend
Erik's Mother, Farmor (which is Swedish for Father's Mother), came to visit to celebrate her birthday. Our weekend started with a visit to "Guinness for Ghana", a fundraiser for a mission group opening an orphanage for children in Ghana (Lake Volta) region. Their mission is to rescue children who have been sent off to work in the fishing industry in what amounts to slave labor.
We enjoyed getting a chance to talk with the family who operates the mission, My Father's House.
We all packed into our van - I sat in the back with the boys.
Happy Baby L:
Farmor and Baby L check out the goody table. What good grandma can pass up cookies for her grandbaby? And what grandbaby won't oblige her grandma by eating up those good cookies?
The next day we were off to visit Biltmore Estate to celebrate Farmor's birthday. It was the back seat again for me. This time I got to share it with my sweet Little E. (S didn't join us, he was on a Youth Retreat.)
H and Little E with the Biltmore Lion.
We enjoyed getting a chance to talk with the family who operates the mission, My Father's House.
We all packed into our van - I sat in the back with the boys.
Happy Baby L:
Farmor and Baby L check out the goody table. What good grandma can pass up cookies for her grandbaby? And what grandbaby won't oblige her grandma by eating up those good cookies?
The next day we were off to visit Biltmore Estate to celebrate Farmor's birthday. It was the back seat again for me. This time I got to share it with my sweet Little E. (S didn't join us, he was on a Youth Retreat.)
H and Little E with the Biltmore Lion.
The tower over the front door of America's Largest Home. We determined that our house would probably fit in the Conservatory, a garden room just off the main foyer.
Erik and his mom and the view from the back porch. At one time the Vanderbilt family owned all the land that you can see from this porch. Amazing - can you imagine being able to say, "I own everything I see."
Kids got a little tired (so did I from carrying Baby L - who has having none of the stroller or Daddy carrying her). We decided to forgo the basement portion of the tour and take a rest on the lawn. Farmor finished up the tour and met us outside. The kids enjoyed some time rolling and running around in the grass.
No visit to Biltmore would be complete without a trip to the Confectioner's Shop.
And then to walk off the sweets, a tour of the gardens. Here are the kids hiding inside an ancient Japanese Maple.
The gardens were really beautiful. The girls loved the flowers and we all enjoyed the shady stroll and the nice breezes.
The trip home was a hard - everyone was tired and ready to be OUT of the CAR. But we made it - and we have some nice memories of a lovely day.
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