Friday Five: Moving

Mother Laura says:

We are right in the middle of a move--only twenty minutes away, but we're still a mix of busy, excited, nervous and surprisingly full of grief about what we're leaving, for me at least. So this week's Friday Five asks about your experience of the marvels and madness of moving...


1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?
I lived in the same house from birth to age sixteen. Then my parents, who were nearly sixty, decided to move to an apartment. In our small town there weren't many of those, and while waiting for some new ones to be completed we moved three times (in the same town) during my senior year of high school, and even lived in our church's manse briefly. After college, let's see...two apartments in San Antonio, five in Houston, two in California, a duplex back in Houston, then in 1991 we moved into the house where we live now. I realized the other day that in a few more months I will have lived in this house longer than I lived in my childhood home. The Scientist and I hope we can stay in this house for many more years, until we are ready to, as we say, "go to The Home". (i.e. the old folks' home--that's what my dad called it)

2. What do you love and hate about moving?
I can't think of anything I love about it, although the excitement of the new is a good thing. I loathe packing and hauling, and most of all I hate leaving old friends behind.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?
We hired movers for our cross-country moves between California and Texas, but otherwise we have always moved ourselves with the help of friends. Alas, I don't think all of our stuff will fit into a few hatchbacks anymore.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?
Eat regularly, and not just junk. Drink lots of water. Mark a couple of boxes with crucial stuff to be opened as soon as you arrive. In fact, take those boxes with you in the car.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?
Yes, I am trying to figure out my next move! Is this the year I follow through with my application to the three-year training program for spiritual directors? After my service on the PNC is over, what else is there at church, at Presbytery, at work, that I should say yes to, or that I need to leave behind?

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you.
In our travels, the Scientist and I have identified a number of places where we are sure we could build a satisfying life if we ever had to move (Austin and Little Rock come to mind). We had seven good years in Southern California, a place where neither of us had ever thought about living. I believe we could build a good life anywhere, as long as we are together. So the old Billy Joel song, "You're My Home" is most applicable. Long as I have you by my side/There's a roof above and good walls all around...I need you in my house, 'cause you're my home.

Guest blogger: Amie

This morning my mama and daddy met some of their friends for something called a CROP walk. I stayed home because they didn't think I would enjoy walking that far. But while they were there, they made a new friend. This is Ruby.

Ruby's mom says that when they met her, she was skinny and very, very hungry, and so sick that she had no fur on her backside. Now she is one of the sleekest, shiniest, happiest dogs you could ever meet. Ruby loves her people, and they love her.

I think Ruby has been blessed, like Sister and me. I bet she is thankful, too.

(Now Mama has two beautiful friends named Ruby. But the other Ruby only has two legs.)

Seeking new dreams

During our first group session at the BE, our lovely facilitator Mary Marcotte passed around a stack of cards, each of which contained a single word. She invited us each to take one, spending time throughout the weekend sitting (or walking) with that word and allowing the Spirit to reveal its significance to us.

My word was "dream", and indeed I've had many dreams throughout the years. One of my biggest dreams, having children, was not fulfilled. But everything else I dreamed of at fifteen, eighteen, twenty-five, thirty--loving husband, education, professional achievements, nice house, travel--has happened. What do you do after your dreams have come true?

In recent months the Scientist and I have spent some time talking about our retirement--where we might live, what we'd like to do. But I'm only fifty-two! I don't believe God wants me to sit complacently on my behind for the next ten or fifteen years, thinking, "Gosh, I sure have a nice life." It seems that I have reached a plateau from which, theoretically, my life could putt along much as it is now, but surely that would be a waste of many productive years. I'm busy with home, work, and church, but something needs to change if I am to keep growing. Right now I have no idea what that would be. It's time for some new dreams, especially some that aren't all about me!

God, show me your dream, and help me to make it mine too. I fear that, whatever it is, it will require more exertion than I want to expend at this time of my life. So I pray for inspiration, and for your holy energy to fill me and set my feet on a new path. So may it be.

Until I have time to write:

Our ship, the Fantasy, docked behind her sister ship, the Ecstasy, at Cozumel.



Two views from Lido Deck, starboard aft:


Every night the cabin stewards left towel animals on our beds. Mid-Life Rookie and Dogblogger enjoyed this cute puppy.

What's a sailor without a tattoo?

Carnival Fantasy: Home of the Ecumenical Disco. (Vegas rules apply.)

RevHRod: Lutheran down to her toes!

Berry Delicious

That's the name of the nail polish I bought for my pedi. The one I'm getting tomorrow...to go with the sandals I bought today...because I'm about to get on a BIG BOAT...and I wish ALL of y'all were coming!

I look forward to reading the comments from the cyberparty that surely will be held this weekend (with teh Clooney in attendance).

Oh, no, I forgot--that would be Captain Clooney. Those on shore will have to settle for teh Rickman.

A boy and his dog

Spring

Christ is risen!

Sing hymns to him, O earth-born; praise the one
who suffered
And died for you, and when in a short time
You behold him living, receive him in your hearts;
For Christ is going to be resurrected from the tomb
and he will make you new...
Make ready for him a pure heart
In order that your King will dwell in it,
making a heaven.
Only a short time now, and he will come to fill with joy
those who are afflicted,
In order that Adam might exult.

--Romanos (sixth century)

Five for Good Friday

Thanks to RevHRod for this thoughtful Good Friday five.

Our prayer concerns are as varied as we are this day. For whom would you like us to pray?
Please pray for light and peace for all who are struggling and aching in their marriages, and also for Paula, Jill, Ron, and others who are battling cancer. And I would appreciate prayers for Amie, who continues to have seriously elevated liver enzymes, with no firm diagnosis despite numerous tests.

Are there things you have done or will do today to help the young ones understand this important day in our lives?
I hope that children and teens will listen and take to heart the story of Jesus' suffering and death for us, as it is presented in our Tenebrae service tonight.

Music plays an important part in sharing the story of this day. Is there a hymn or piece of music that you have found particularly meaningful to your celebrations of Good Friday?
Regarding hymns, "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" have both been deeply meaningful to me. On Tuesday night we were privileged to attend a beautiful and moving performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, music that gives much glory to God and has enriched this Holy Week for me.

As you hear the Passion narrative, is there a character that you particularly resonate with?
Peter, who professed endless devotion to Jesus then denied Jesus when he felt threatened--the same Peter whom Jesus lovingly restored to Himself and even entrusted with ministry.

Where have you seen the gracious God of love at work lately?
I have a cousin who has struggled with cocaine addiction for many years. During her most recent stay in rehab, she met and fell in love with a young man who was a fellow patient--much to both families' dismay. Despite relapses and setbacks, they have stayed together and are now clean and sober together, recently married in her home church, and have a beautiful, healthy baby girl, Anna Leigh. Here she is!

Mystery!

We had a beautiful Palm Sunday service, but now I have a mystery to solve. First hymn: "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna". The kids come down the aisle, waving their palm branches, deposit them under the communion table, and exit off to the side. I blink rapidly (can't help it, that scene gets me every year), keep singing, we sit, the service continues. About halfway through the service, I look down...and there are no palm branches under the table. Where did they go? What did I miss? I still don't know. Did I really see the kids set them down? The sun and tears were in my eyes, after all. Friends could shed no light; when I mentioned the mystery to the baritone behind me, he said, "Did that happen? When did the kids come in?" LOL.

The preaching text was Matthew's account of the triumphal entry, with a twist I had never heard before: why two donkeys? A naturalistic explanation would be that it's almost impossible to separate a mother donkey from her foal! But the application our pastor drew was that the second donkey is for each of us to ride, to go with Jesus straight into and through the crises of our lives. As we know, to get to Easter, we do have to go through Good Friday.

We are all going to be crazy busy this week. My prayer is that we will each make time for reflection, and intentionally and consciously walk through this week with Jesus.

Friday Five: Time for Palms

Mother Laura says:

Can you believe Daylight Savings Time is here already? It's hard to get used to the new, earlier onset. My family has been getting up and out a little late and a little sleepy in the mornings. (Yeah...us too.)

And can you believe that in two days it will be Palm Sunday for Western Christians? Our Lent is almost over, while our Orthodox sisters and brothers, whose liturgical year follows the older Julian calendar, are just starting theirs. Nicholas did a recent book report on George Washington, and we were surprised to find out that our first President's birthday was originally Feb. 11, since he was born just before the change to the Gregorian calendar. Apparently the change almost caused rioting, as some indignant people were sure that they were being cheated out of eleven days of their lives!

To help you adjust--and enjoy the process--here's a Friday Five about time and transitions....

1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?

As an almost-was English major, I waver between two choices: Elizabethan England, and high Victorian London. Between the two, I guess I'd go with the nineteenth century because the improvements in sanitation and health care since Elizabeth's day would make it an easier place to visit! Victorian London was a modern society in many ways, and I would enjoy seeing how everyday people lived.

2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?

Wouldn't it be convenient if Scotty could just beam you up whenever you were running late?

3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?

I am fond of remembering the past, because so many of my dreams have already come true. But that makes planning and working toward the new dreams a pleasure too.

4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?

I am sorry to say it has gone by in a blur.

5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?

This will be an extremely busy week at work, as (1) it is Spring Break all over our six-county region, so tout le monde made their children's eligibility evaluation appointments for this week, and (2) we are preparing for our state audit the first week of April, and I have to get all of my files in order before I get on a certain big boat on March 27. So the part I am looking forward to the most is Good Friday, when I am most definitely not working, and plan to spend the whole day at home. We are singing Dale Wood's "A Service of Darkness" that night. It has been a while since I participated in a Tenebrae service, so I'm looking forward to that.

I'm also looking forward to Easter morning, of course, and celebrating with two wonderful anthems, C. V. Stanford's "Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem" and Ralph Vaughn Williams' arrangement of "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name". Then we'll come home and grill a leg of lamb! Marinate the butterflied leg of lamb in olive oil, lemon juice, and chopped fresh rosemary or oregano. Drain the marinade, then rub the lamb with more herbs and grill it to medium/medium rare. It's a fabulous Easter dinner. If you have a vegetable grilling basket you could cook some asparagus alongside. I think I'll make a lemony rice pilaf too...and maybe some strawberry shortcake!

Wowie Zowie! He Saved My Soul

He's the Rock that doesn't roll!

I am way behind the curve on commenting on the death of Larry Norman, who left us on February 24. If not for the often-maligned Larry Norman, there would be no "contemporary Christian music", good or bad--none of the artists I loved back in the day (and still do), like Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, Steve Taylor, all the way to current bands that you or I may never have heard of, but whom the kids in our youth groups know very well. In these times when every church has a praise band, it's hard to remember the horror with which the combination of Jesus and rock and roll was greeted in the late '60s and early '70s. My friends and I weren't horrified, we were thrilled!

This is the best video I could find of my favorite LN song, The Rock That Doesn't Roll. The video and sound quality aren't so great, but when you watch it, try to imagine how exciting this music was to young "Jesus people", so long ago.



Go dig out your old vinyl copy of Only Visiting This Planet or--even better--In Another Land. They still rock! Better than that, they still praise and glorify Jesus.

Rest in peace, brother Larry, and rock on.

Re: crossover voters

There's a lot I could say--particularly about some people's visceral, irrational fear and hatred of That Woman...but I'll just say: Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't you be mortified to admit that you had gone out and done something, anything, because Rush Limbaugh told you to?

Calendar flip

Time continues to march on, and I am another year older. We celebrated yesterday with an afternoon of museum meandering, including the members' preview of the new Pompeii exhibit at the MFAH. I was a bit disappointed, but I don't know exactly why, or just what I expected the exhibit to include. It mainly included multiple cases of jewelry and small household items recovered from the site, along with several of the poignant and unsettling plaster casts made of the people--and even a dog, poor creature--who were unable to escape the volcano's eruption. At Pompeii there are so many of these casts that one can see them tucked away in storage areas next to random bits of pottery. Their pathos provides reminders that these were mothers, fathers, children, people not so different from us. A more amusing example of our common humanity was a mosaic from the wall of a tavern, with patrons yelling to the barmaid, "Here," "No, it's mine," and the weary barmaid's rejoinder, "Whoever wants it should come get it!"

Later we walked down the street to the crafts museum and enjoyed a traveling exhibit with everything from glass (our favorite) to handcrafted chairs to mid-twentieth-century silver teapots. We topped off the afternoon with an early dinner at a fabulous restaurant where locally-produced foods are emphasized. Barack Obama's local headquarters is across the street from the restaurant, and as we relaxed on the patio before dinner, we watched young staffers standing on the corner nearby, waving placards and cheering for their candidate as many passing motorists honked in appreciation (or so it appeared).

Two more days until the primary! I'm looking forward to seeing the results, and I will be so glad when the political phone calls stop!

Friday Five: The Water and the Word

RevHRod says:

In this Sunday's gospel Nicodemus asks Jesus, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Poor old Nicodemus! He was so confused about the whole "water and Spirit" business of baptism.

For today's five, tell us about your baptismal experiences.

1. When and where were you baptized? Do you remember it? Know any interesting tidbits?
I was baptized in my home church, First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, Mississippi, when I was about seven months old. The dear pastor who baptized me, Dr. T. Russell Nunan, died last year at the age of ninety-nine. He was a wonderful man of God whose ministry meant a lot to my parents and to me. Mama used to tell me that I squeaked a little when he put the water on my head, but I didn't cry.

After I made a profession of faith (outside my church) at sixteen, I decided that I needed to be baptized again, and was immersed at a friend's church by her father--I think he was a lay preacher. That seemed like the right thing to do then, and was meaningful to me at the time, but later I came to believe that it was unnecessary--my "real" baptism had taken place years before.

2. What's the most unexpected thing you've ever witnessed at a baptism?
You can never predict how a baby will react to the whole thing, so in a sense every baptism includes something unexpected. Some squeak, some laugh, a few shriek! Our former pastor always wore a large cross, and many babies teethed on it as he carried them up the aisle.

3. Does your congregation have any special traditions surrounding baptisms?
Oh, me. We have to sing this godawful song, "The Borning Cry". If you love it, I apologize, but I can't stand it. Both the poetry and the theology make me wince. I think now that we are looking for a new pastor, it would be a great time to leave this tradition behind, but unfortunately I'm in the minority. A much better tradition in our congregation comes from our quilting group, the Ministers of the Cloth; they make a beautiful quilt for each child who is baptized. (They also make wonderful quilts for wounded soldiers who have come back to the States to recuperate, but that's another story.)

4. Are you a godparent or baptismal sponsor? Have a story to tell?
No, but when some close friends had their baby baptized some years ago, I was the elder who presented him and asked the questions directed to the congregation. I loved doing that.

5. Do you have a favorite baptismal song or hymn?
I've always thought that "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" would be a good baptismal hymn.

To the snowbound: take heart!

Amie says: Spring is in the air!


Our new camellias are in bloom!

Another book meme!

This one comes from the Psalmist. This is one that--depending on circumstances--could be either edifying, bewildering, or just plain silly.


Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)

I was trying to mark the hem of the Scientist's new slacks, but I haven't sewn in years and wasn't sure of what I was doing. The book I consulted is still here at hand: Singer Sewing Essentials (1984, and it still looks new).

Find Page 123.

Find the first 5 sentences.
(As we join our story in progress, we find our nameless heroine attempting to insert a zipper, using a glue stick. They didn't teach me that in eighth grade home ec.)

Post the next 3 sentences.
"Let glue dry for a few minutes. 10) Pull both threads at bottom to wrong side. Tie all four threads, using pin to pull knot close to zipper (page 59)."

Tag 5 people.
I can't remember who has already done this; if you have, please disregard the tag! But I'm sure you can come up with something more edifying than this! I'll tag Mindy, Jan, Diane, Kievas, and PG!

Book Meme

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Anything by Cormac McCarthy. Many people have told me what a fine writer he is, and his novel The Road received a thoughtful critique in Books & Culture several months ago. However, his books are extremely violent, and I'm sort of a wuss about violence in books or films. We are exposed to so many terrible and shocking events every day without seeking them out, that I choose to refrain from deliberately putting more horrible images into my mind.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Ruby from Cold Mountain, May Dodd from One Thousand White Women, and Eowyn of Rohan (Lord of the Rings) would be great companions for an afternoon hike. I hope I could keep up with them!

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

OK. True confessions. Don't scream. I have never been able to make it through anything by Jane Austen. Don't hate me.

Come on, we've all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

Barth's Church Dogmatics. I managed to get all the way though seminary without it. OK, so I wasn't in an M.Div. track, but still, it seemed that everyone else had to read it.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

I don't think so! I can't come up with one.

You've been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why? (if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)

It would depend on what sort of literature the VIP was interested in reading. If s/he wanted to know what all the fuss was about poetry, Camille Paglia's opinionated anthology, Break, Blow, Burn would be a good place to start. For fantasy, s/he couldn't go wrong with Lord of the Rings (although that could be a daunting prospect for someone who's not a big reader), or one of the most original and well-written books I read last year, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. If s/he just wanted an overview of Western literature, my sophomore lit texts would do fine--if I could supplement them with the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women!

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

In college I could read just enough French to begin appreciating nuances that would not translate into English. Of course, I lost that ability long ago. I remember particularly enjoying short stories by Alphonse Daudet. If I were fluent in French I could read Daudet again, but a lot of other French writers can be pretty depressing. Maybe I would go with Russian instead, so I could enjoy Chekov's stories in their original form.

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

It would do me good to reread Mere Christianity every year. If I could choose fiction, probably I would choose The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen, or a well-written epic fantasy like Watership Down.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I know there have been several books and authors I've met through blogging. The only thing I can think of right now is the Lily Conner mystery series by Michelle Blake. Lily is an Episcopal priest who winds up in the middle of mysterious and dangerous situations. The mysteries are well-written, and Lily is a very likable (and believable) character. And she's from Texas!

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

My aunt L. actually has my dream library already. A devoted book lover for many decades, she has a marvelous collection of first edition hardcovers, many of them autographed, from such writers as Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Walker Percy, and Shelby Foote (a high school buddy!). She also has many beautiful limited editions of various classic books, produced in the 1930's and 1940's by the Limited Editions Club, which I am not sure still exists. Imagine Jack London's The Call of the Wild bound in green and black plaid flannel like an Alaskan outdoorsman's shirt, or Aristophanes' Lysistrata illustrated by Picasso (who signed it, too!). The Scientist and I can bury ourselves in her library for days. In my dreams, I could not come up with a library like the one she actually owns.

This is a tough meme, isn't it? If you are a true bibliophile, feel free to give it a try!

The Name Game

QG tagged me for a thoughtful book meme. As I was beginning to ponder my responses, I got sidetracked by this...it's making the rounds...I first saw it at Mary Beth's place, so we'll blame her....Some of these work--some don't!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Fritzie Saturn (...and the Satellites! Can't you just see her, with her pink boots and Joan Jett sneer?)
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Pralines & Cream Amalfi
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Heeler (Ha!)
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Morrow Greenville
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name): Schne
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Rose la Croix (No, that's a soap opera name.)
7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Harvey Willis (I cheated--those are their middle names)
8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Chanel Hershey
9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Whittington Wichita
10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Spring Bluebonnet (same as Mary Beth)
11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Cherry Sweatshirt
12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Granola Pecan

If you thought this was fun, feel free to play!

What did I miss??

Your Language Arts Grade: 98%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

It's a winter Friday Five

From way up in the snow belt, Singing Owl wants to know:

1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?
I think it was in the low forties this morning, and never got past 42. Hey, to us, that's pretty chilly!

2. Snow—love it or hate it?
Love to look at it, don't mind playing in it if I'm dressed appropriately, HATE to drive in it!

3. What is winter like where you are?
Winter in Houston is a series of three- to four-day cold snaps, followed by a return to temperatures in the 60's or 70's. It's been drizzly and chilly all week, but tomorrow's forecast is for temperatures back up into the 60s. We usually have at least one or two nights below freezing every year, when people scurry about covering tender plants before bedtime, but some years we have no freezes at all.

But there is always an exception to the rule: the great White Christmas of 2004! Snow began falling in big fat flakes as we were on our way to church that Christmas Eve. I still remember the extra excitement and joy in the air that night. We only got a light dusting here, but oddly, Victoria and Corpus Christi, which are much farther south, were covered in snow!

Here are a couple of scenes from my yard, that Christmas morning:


Go ahead and laugh, Snow Belters! But we thought it was great.

4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?
I like to watch all of the winter Olympics. No stories; I'm a miserable skier, and would rather be in the lodge with some hot chocolate!

5. What is your favorite season, and why?
Spring and fall are beautiful here, and I enjoy the change. I especially appreciate our brief autumn, when temperatures finally drop into the 70s after five months of summer!

Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.
Dreary, drizzly winter days are a pleasure when I don't have to go anywhere and can hang around the house making soup. Here's a recipe we've enjoyed this year, that makes good use of the lovely kale we've been getting from the co-op:

1/2 lb. smoked sausage (kielbasa or similar), sliced thin
2 to 4 cloves garlic (all 4 if you dare)
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup lentils, picked over and washed
3 cups water
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bunch kale, stems and center ribs discarded, leaves chopped
2 T. balsamic or red wine vinegar

In a 6-qt. stockpot brown sausage in a little oil over medium heat, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Cook garlic and onion in the oil (add a little if necessary) until onion is softened. Add lentils, water, stock, and sausage and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add kale and simmer, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Makes about six cups.
We think this would be a good basic lentil soup without the kale, but we haven't tried it that way yet.

Have a relaxing weekend, and stay warm!

Guest blogger: Amie

Hi, everybody! I want to thank all of my human and animal friends for your prayers. I appreciate that a lot. Mama and Daddy are still concerned, because the vet told them that he doesn't know what I have--he says I don't have cushions after all. I don't understand that, because I have lots of cushions. It's a good thing, too, because lately I've been more tired than usual. I have some new medicine to take, and some really yummy stuff on my food called VAL Syrup. (Grendel, it's like gravy!) Mama says I have to go back to the vet in a month for more blood tests. I'm not going to worry about that now.

Well, enough about that. The important thing to blog today is that my friend Scout tagged me for a meme! Here are the rules:

- Link to the person that tagged you.
- Post the rules on your blog.
- Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
- Tag six people and at the end of your post, link to their blogs.
- Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

It says person, but obviously we're including animals. So here are my six things:

1. I can wag my tail really, really fast when I'm glad to see someone.
2. When my belly was shaved recently, Mama discovered it was covered with freckles. (She's been calling me Frecklebelly ever since. I wish she would stop.)
3. My favorite foods are cheese, eggs, pumpkin, and yogurt! And something Mama thinks is really gross, and she says we don't need to discuss that.
4. I used to sleep in Mama and Daddy's room, but when they went away for a long, long time I got into the habit of sleeping by the front door. Even though they're back now, I still sleep by the front door.
5. I am a three-year survivor of mammary cancer. Mama thinks that's important, but I don't...it was a long time ago, after all.
6. I only have one canine tooth now, and no incisors on top. It doesn't matter, though. I can eat anything I like. I can still chew up a bone!

A lot of my friends have already done this. I'll tag Beatrice, Elizabeth, Newman, Whistle (or anyone else at his house who would prefer to play), Josie and Boudreaux, and Tiria! If you don't have time to play, it won't hurt my feelings. But if you'd like to play, have fun!

Friday Five: Read any good books lately?

RevHrod asks:

1. What book have you read in the last six months that has really stayed with you? Why? Like a number of people, I would have to say Barbara Kinsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Her account of her family's attempt to eat locally was so enjoyable (and sometimes hilarious), and while I don't have the acreage to grow all of our vegetables like she did, I've made a strong effort to eat more locally this year. The organizer of our co-op has provided us with local yard eggs, and we are finding more local sources of fruit and vegetables (because it's nice that the butternut squash is organic, but it traveled here from Chile, out of season...what's wrong with this picture...), and now we even have a nearby source of grass-fed beef. I can't help but think that makes a difference--if not so much in reducing our carbon footprint, at least I know it is making a difference to a few local farmers. And we're eating well, too.
   
2. What is one of your favorite childhood books?
   

Oh, I didn't know where to start...the Little House books, of course...lots of horse books, like Misty of Chincoteague...the Sue Barton series...then I thought of something special. Our public library had an encyclopedia of seashells, with magnificent color plates. I had never seen a beach when I started reading this book, but I checked it out again and again, learning about bivalves, univalves, lion's paws, alphabet cones...such wonderful pictures, and in later years when I did have a chance to find shells on the beach I remembered what I had learned. Now whenever I see the beautiful shells on permanent exhibit at our natural science museum, I remember how I first came to love them, long ago.

3. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? Do tell!
   
I've always been partial to the Gospel of John and its witness to Christ--the seven signs, all the "I am" statements, the mysticism of its approach--all of this has been meaningful for me.

4. What is one book you could read again and again?
   
Just one? Impossible. Let's see, I've read the Chronicles of Narnia over and over..Lord of the Rings...Wise Blood...my favorite Elizabeth Bowen book, The Death of the Heart...Irvin Yalom's tales of therapy, Love's Executioner...many more...

5. Is there a book you would suggest for Lenten reading? What is it and why?
   
I'm not familiar with any Lenten-specific devotional books, although I'm sure there are many. I will have to see what other people recommend.

6. And because we all love bonus questions, if you were going to publish a book what would it be? Who would you want to write the jacket cover blurb expounding on your talent?

I wish I could write a good book about Zorra and Amie that dog lovers would understand and enjoy. I'd like Jon Katz, who wrote movingly about his life with his rescued border collie in A Dog Year, to write the blurb.

(Sorry about the wierd formatting and font. Blogger and I fought it out and Blogger won.)

Good news

The specialist found no tumor and said her organs all looked normal. Like our regular vet, he suspects Cushing's disease, which is fairly common in old dogs and can be treated with medication. She'll need some more blood work to confirm that diagnosis, and I hope we can get that done by the end of the week. Thank you all so much for your prayers. I appreciate that more than you know.

Amie doesn't want me to show you, but I will tell you that she is now sporting a stylish new "do" just like Cub's!

Prayers requested

Amie had some routine blood work on Saturday when I took her in for her annual shots. Today the results were back, and we learned that two of her liver enzymes are very seriously elevated. We are seeing a specialist for an ultrasound tomorrow at 2:00.

Those of you who pray for animals, please remember my dear girl. Thanks.

Totally theoretical question:

OK, all you RGBP Presbies:

Let's say you are looking for a new call. Let's say you circulate your PIF and it comes to the attention of a certain PNC. Let's say one of the members of that PNC is, in fact, moi, and let's say that as I read your PIF I begin to suspect that you might be, well, you.

If that unlikely event should occur, how would you like me to handle it? Out myself to you, and recuse myself from the committee's discussion of your PIF? Say nothing at all? Other options?

And the seasons, they go round and round

We can't return, we can only look behind from where we came
And go round and round and round in the circle game.
(--Joni Mitchell, as those of a certain age know well)

Well, the tree has been hauled off to the park for recycling, the ornaments and garlands are all packed away, the wreath is off the front door, and the furniture has been put back in its customary location. Will we be able to keep Christmas in our hearts as the days go by?

Our hymns and sermon this morning were all very Epiphany-oriented, but we managed to squeeze out just a little more Christmas with our anthem, "Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light/And usher in the morning...". I'm grateful for the opportunity to sing Bach, and to give thanks again for God-with-us.

Such a hectic Christmas this was, with my MIL's surgery. She is slowly improving, but will need several months to heal from this drastic operation. She will begin physical therapy this week. My sister-in-law left this morning, after a week--we were sorry to see her go, for many reasons. Along with all of the week's caregiving activity, the three of us found time to watch several movies (300, Marie Antoinette, and Pan's Labyrinth--how's that for diversity?), accompanied by good homecooked food and fine Italian wines. Yesterday we took a break and went downtown to see Lucy. The exhibit includes magnificent icons and other artifacts from the Ethiopian church, and those were as interesting to me as the anthropological aspects of the exhibit, including Ms. Lucy herself.

And now another busy and trying week begins. Neither major surgery nor major caregiving is for sissies. I would appreciate your prayers this week for the fruit of the Spirit--for all of us.

An "Auld Lang Syne" Friday Five

Singing Owl says:

It is hard to believe, but 2007 is about to be history, and this is our last Friday Five of the year.

With that in mind, share five memorable moments of 2007. These can be happy or sad, profound or silly, good or bad but things that you will remember.

Bonus points for telling us of a "God sighting"-- a moment when the light came through the darkness, a word was spoken, a song sung, laughter rang out, a sermon spoke to you in a new way--whatever you choose, but a moment in 2007 when you sensed Emmanuel, God with us. Or more particularly, you.

1. I could fill this whole meme with memorable moments from our spring trip to Italy. I'll just list a few right here:
--Standing in an olive grove outside Sorrento as the young woman whose family has produced olive oil there for five generations told us about the olive harvest, then showed us her great-grandfather's millstone before contrasting that with their modern production facility.
--Wandering down a side street in Rome, gelato in hand, turning a corner--and there was the Pantheon.
--Walking into St. Peter's, turning right--and there was the Pieta. It is only slightly larger than lifesize, which makes it more powerful than it would be if it were larger.
--A three-course meal at a Tuscan winery, gazing out at the green hills and vineyards as the exquisite food and wine just kept coming.
--Standing on the Accademia bridge in Venice, looking down the Grand Canal toward the domes of Santa Maria della Salute.
I could go on....

2. Celebrating the Scientist's 50th birthday on April 16--our celebration overshadowed by the tragedy that took place at Virginia Tech that day.

3. Celebrating 25 years of marriage in July. Considering how blessed we are, not just in having each other, but in having all of the friends who came to celebrate with us.

4. This year I have enjoyed conducting psychological evaluations of potential candidates for the priesthood, by arrangement with our local Roman Catholic archdiocese. After we had discussed the results of his evaluation, an African seminarian prayed with and for me, asking God to place a "wall of fire" around me and my work.

5. Opening Christmas presents in my mother-in-law's hospital room. She has just had her third spinal surgery. Please pray that this fusion will help to relieve her pain. The Scientist and I have spent a lot of time on the phone since she was abruptly released on Wednesday with no aftercare plans in place--but that's another story. (The home health nurse did come today.)

I can't think of any earthshaking revelations or epiphanies that have been distinct from the daily events I recall. God has been present to me in all of these events, in quiet worship with my friends on Wednesday night and in corporate praise and worship on Sunday; in our everyday life together; in the fact that we can get up on an ordinary day and go to work--and that we have work to go to; in quiet assurance that God still has a plan for my life and is still working within me. I look forward to this New Year and hope that 2008 will be a blessing to all who read these words.

Amie wishes you a joyful Christmastide

"Christmas calls a community back to its origins by remembering Jesus' own beginnings as a human child, a prophet of God's reign, a judgment on the world and its projects. What the parish celebrates during this season is not primarily a birthday, but the beginning of a decisive new phase in the tempestuous history of God's hunger for human companions. The social concerns of the season are thus rooted in Jesus' proclamation of God's reign: the renunciation of patterns that oppress others (holding, climbing, commanding) and the formation of a new human community that voluntarily embraces those renunciations. It is an adult Christ that the community encounters during the Advent and Christmas cycles of Sundays and feasts: a Risen Lord who invites sinful people to become church. Christmas does not ask us to pretend we were back in Bethlehem, kneeling before a crib; it asks us to recognize that the wood of the crib became the wood of the cross."

Nathan Mitchell
from Liturgy, vol 1. no. 2, 1980.

A blessed and happy Christmas to all!

It's almost Christmas, Friday Five!

From Revhrod:


1. What was one of your favorite childhood gifts that you gave?
I must have been ten or eleven years old when I found a small quail figurine I was sure my mother would love. I was right, and it graced our coffee table for many years.

2.What is one of your favorite Christmas recipes? Bonus points if you share the recipe with us.
Here's the recipe for my mother's fruitcake cookies, much loved in our family. Even people who claim not to like fruitcake seem to enjoy these. The Scientist and I first made them for what turned out to be my mother's last Christmas; all of the ingredients were in the house, but she was too ill to make the cookies. We have made them ever since, in her memory.

Drop Fruit Cakes
1 lb. fruitcake mix
1 c. raisins
14 oz. dates (Note: I can't find 14-oz. packages of dates here. I use two 6-oz. packages and add an extra 2 oz. raisins.)
1 1/2 lb. pecans, chopped
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
4 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in a little warm water
3 T. milk
Flour fruitcake mix, fruits and nuts with some of the flour. Make batter with the remaining ingredients and add to the floured fruit and nuts. (This requires a very large container--we have always used my mother's old Dutch oven--and the only way to mix this is with your hands, so have fun!) Drop from a spoon (or pinch off little pieces and roll into balls) onto greased cookie sheets. They don't spread as much as most cookies do. Bake at 250 degrees (yes, 250) for an hour; cool completely on racks before packing into tins. If desired, you may sprinkle them with 3 T. whiskey. (Since we don't like whiskey, ours are the teetotaling variety.) Makes 6 or 7 dozen, depending on how small they are.

3. What is a tradition that your family can't do without? (And by family, I mean family of origin, family of adulthood, or that bunch of cool people that just feel like family.)
The first one I thought of is actually rather recent. Two years ago, this delicious recipe for banana pancakes with caramel-banana syrup appeared in Bon Appetit. It became our standard Christmas morning breakfast! I'm hoping to start another tradition this year: tamales on Christmas Eve. That's very traditional in south Texas, and we love tamales but have never had them for Christmas Eve supper.

4. Pastors and other church folk often have very strange traditions dictated by the "work" of the holidays. What happens at your place?
We love the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. Since I am always singing and the Scientist is nearly always an usher for that service, we have to wrap up our Christmas Eve festivities at home in time to get to church early! The Scientist's family always opens all of their gifts on Christmas Eve (after 25 years I'm still not used to that, but oh well), and because of our schedule we have to eat dinner fairly early to have plenty of time for "Christmas tree".

5. If you could just ditch all the traditions and do something unexpected... what would it be?
I would love to have Christmas somewhere in Europe and enjoy the holiday traditions of whatever country we were visiting. Alternately, a secluded cabin with a fireplace, a well-stocked kitchen, and lots of books sounds good--especially if we could bring Amie with us!

Hi

Up to my ears in Advent, PNC, preparing for choir concert (tomorrow night!), a party or two, the rest of Christmas planning/baking, attending to the spouse and the dog, sparring with insurance companies, testing kids, writing reports--the usual.

I've missed having time to just sit and maybe even think about a Friday Five for a few minutes. Ah well, the time will come again.

Thursday night we made time to attend the candlelight service at Big 'n' Rich Episcopal Church/School where our choir director's day job is directing the school's choral music program. Lots of candles, lots of poinsettias, many lovely carols, and the gorgeous Schubert Magnificat. We had to stand in the balcony, being jostled by restless small children who were waiting for their siblings to finish singing, but it was worth it.

Our own concert will include two fine contemporary pieces, Randol Alan Bass' Gloria and Conrad Susa's A Christmas Garland. As the Scientist says, they're "contemporary, but not unpleasantly so." These will bookend selections by the handbells and youth choir. I look forward to the Christmas concert all year.

Enjoy Advent 3. Catch you later.

Be careful what you pray for

I'm on the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Ten or twelve months from now, remind me that I really wanted to do this.

We humbly request your prayers.

For all you grouches who need to feel the love:

Friday Five: Bah Humbug

Parishioners pushing for carols before you digested your turkey?
Organist refusing to play Advent hymns because he/she already has them planned for Lessons & Carols?
Find yourself reading Luke and thinking of a variety of ways to tell Linus where to stick it? (Lights please.)
Then this quick and easy Friday Five is for you! And for those of you with a more positive attitude, have no fear. I am sure more sacred and reverent Friday Fives will follow.

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....
1) dessert/cookie/family food

Anything involving marshmallows and/or coconut. Ambrosia, ewww!

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)

Well, I've never heard of seasonal beer (What? Is it red or green? Peppermint flavored?), but that would be it. (I am very fond of eggnog, even the really sweet stuff in the carton, and especially the real eggnog that is lovingly made by a psychiatrist I know. It will knock you down if you don't watch out!)

3) tradition (church, family, other)

Caroling. I know that sounds strange, coming from someone who loves to sing. But think about it: you have to march around outside, where it's cold as kraut, and that's not good for your voice anyway--and your poor neighbors have to get up from whatever they were doing, to stand in their open doorway with fixed grins, letting the heat out, as they wait for you to finish. I say, enjoy the Christmas concert and other singing at church, sing at home and in the car if you want to, and be done with it.

4) decoration

There is a neighborhood near here that is known for its elaborate Christmas decorations (and I would hate to live where the Christmas Police monitored my decorating and reprimanded me for not attempting to win what we used to call the Houston Lighting and Power Award). Last year as we slowly drove through that neighborhood (yes, you have to, everyone does), observing the yards in which Mr. and Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, gingerbread people, dancing candy canes, and, oh yeah, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph all cavorted together, I snidely remarked, "We've seen everything tonight except for Santa Claus kneeling at the manger." Turned the corner--there it was.

5) gift (received or given)

Toiletries! If I need soap or talcum powder, I'll buy it myself! (And just what are you implying, anyway?)

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it.

The song than which there is no other...all together now...FELIZ NAVIDAD...FELIZ NAVIDAD...

Candy Cane Monday (on a Tuesday)

Mary Beth and Kim both tagged me for this one, which comes to us from PG:
Name five of your favorite all time gifts, either given or gotten:

1. Christmas 1968: The largish box wrapped with the familiar paper from our local bookstore turned out to be a boxed set of The Lord of the Rings. I had tried to read The Hobbit a few years earlier, but didn't like it. I was too young, I think. Now, at 12, I was ready for Tolkien. I plunged into the trilogy and never looked back. I still have those beat-up old paperbacks, and have read them many times.

2. Christmas 1981: The Scientist and I had been dating seriously for a couple of months. Engagement already seemed imminent (and in fact, was). On this, our first Christmas together, he gave me a place setting of my (soon to be our) everyday dishes. It came from Marshall Field (RIP) in the Galleria, and the plastic candy cane that adorned the package still hangs on our tree every year.

3. Same year: He had told me that when he was a boy, he always wished he could live in a castle. So I gave him one: a nice sand castle with a light inside, and it still sits on a table upstairs.

4. I wear more silver than gold. A few years ago the Scientist gave me a very simple and elegant silver chain, suitable for everyday wear. I have other similar chains, but that one is special to me.

5. Last year, I knew the Scientist was going to get me something from Chilly Body of Flowing Water. I had folded down strategic pages in the catalog, at his request. When I opened the box, I pulled out a gorgeous tapestry jacket that goes with nearly everything in my closet, and I was thrilled. I had never seen it in the catalog, and certainly hadn't marked it--but it was perfect. Who knows what I had intended for him to see on that page? It didn't matter! He was so glad that I loved it!

Hmmm...I'll tag Mindy, Jan, Dogblogger, and Mompriest!

To the person who found this blog by googling, "how cold do red heelers stay in [sic] until they should come in the house": For goodness' sake, bring your poor dog inside!

Post Thanksgiving Day Friday Five

1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?

We stayed at our house, accompanied by my mother-in-law, who lives down the street, and my sister-in-law, who drove in Thursday morning from the metropolis five hours north of us. The Scientist went and picked up our friend Betty Jo, who has lived alone since her good friend Millie died in May. The day was quiet and relaxing (well, I relaxed once everything was on the table) and we all enjoyed it.

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?

The only thing that was unusual about our bird is that I got it through the co-op this year, so it was supposedly free-range, all-natural, etc. I was a bit nervous about cooking a turkey without one of those pop-up things that lets you know when it's done, but it turned out fine. We couldn't really tell a difference in flavor between this and a supermarket turkey, but we felt virtuous anyway. ;) We also had ham because my SIL is not a turkey fan.

3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?

Not really. We're not big football watchers--and in any event, THE GAME (UT vs. Texas A&M) is played the day after Thanksgiving. (Breaking news: the Aggies just gigged t.u., 38-30.) We usually just spend the day cooking, eating, cleaning up, and visiting. And we always use the good china, silver, and crystal, which I love to do.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?

I never shop on the day after Thanksgiving! Early in the morning I lie in my warm bed with my eyes still closed, thinking about all of those poor souls shivering in the cold outside Best Buy or someplace, waiting for the doors to open so they can fight over the last Wii. Unh-uh.

This year we are engaging in a truly heartwarming exercise in family togetherness: rebuilding my MIL's fence. I spent most of today pulling nails out of rotten slats while my husband and SIL were re-digging post holes and setting new posts in concrete. We finally took a break for the traditional post-Thanksgiving leftovers feast around 3:00. We'll put up the new slats tomorrow. Sound like fun? Oh, and the Scientist and his sister are building a new gate too. I plan to supervise and offer sage advice.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?

We usually manage to hold out until around Advent 2. But we both love Christmas, and look forward to bringing in the tree and getting the house decorated by mid-December at the latest.

Y'all, please read this. All of it.

The Lord bless and keep all of you who are called to be Ministers of Word and Sacrament (or whatever title your denomination gives you). I know you could not possibly do this work without the sustenance of the Holy Spirit. Every ordained minister who reads this today, you are in my prayers. I hope you get some rest tomorrow, and during Thanksgiving week.

And so it goes

My Christmas present to myself arrived today. I received a big box from my favorite online clothing emporium--the one reminiscent of a chilly body of flowing water. I splurged and ordered a new dress suitable for the ballet, and a beautiful Christmas dress.

The romantic deep red velvet gown with sparkly buttons? Sack of potatoes.

But the strapless deep purple number with the matching wrap? Gorgeous.

Just thought I'd let you know. Carry on.

(P.S. This is how they get you into the bricks-and-mortar store: send a coupon good for 50% off any of the new styles of pants they've been flogging mercilessly in recent catalogues. Good only in the store, that is.)

Oh, and the landscapers will start digging our patio in the morning. I didn't know that was going to happen so fast. I took "before" pictures today.

Salmagundi

It means, an assortment of stuff. Here's mine.

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Last Wednesday we spent the day attending funerals. The service in the morning was for a gentleman from our church, a retired and very distinguished professor. The service was traditional except for the granddaughter who sang "Let It Be" while the grandson accompanied her on the drums. I am sure granddad would have loved it, and would have been very proud of both of them. He was buried in a beautiful and historic old cemetery, not far from our home.

After going to the cemetery, we had a couple of hours to go home and catch our breath before the next service. This was for an old friend, a former neighbor who moved a few miles away several years ago, after living next door to us for twelve years. M was a fine neighbor, and we regretted having lost touch with him and his family after the move. He was a big, warmhearted guy with an infectious sense of humor. He had been an aspiring filmmaker who made several short films that received favorable attention, then left that behind, got married and became a dad--a wonderful dad. His son (whose handprints are in the sidewalk in front of my house) is 21 now, and at the funeral he sang a touching song called "Kindred Spirits" that he had written for his dad. M was born the day after I was born, which makes his death even more strange to me.

Several Saturdays ago, his former wife (the friend with whom I used to stand outside and watch the trick-or-treaters on Halloween) suddenly appeared on our doorstep to inform us that he was dying of cancer, and wanted to see us. We went to see him the next day. He was very weak but alert, and we were glad to see one another again. He died peacefully at home a few days later. The service was filled with remembrances, tears and laughter, and the music that he loved. I don't know that I'll ever hear Cheap Trick or Badfinger at a funeral again, but, that was M--he went out in his own way! The procession was at least a half mile long as we made our way back to the same cemetery we had visited that morning. After stopping by the house for a while (bearing my sweet potato pie), we were ready to go home and rest.

We hadn't been home long before the trick-or-treaters began arriving. Though we were so tired, they provided a pleasant diversion after a sad and exhausting day. Princesses and Spiderman seemed to be most popular this year.

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What else is going on...well, we had workmen around the house all week long, putting up new siding and trim. They should start painting tomorrow. Our next major project, over the next few months, will be to transform our desolate back yard into a place we won't be embarrassed for friends and neighbors to see. We plan to put in a flagstone patio and, in the spring, to do some major landscaping. I'll have to post before and after pictures.

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My mother-in-law is recovering from back surgery which took the pressure off of several herniated disks, and she is slowly improving day by day. My sister-in-law came down for the surgery and came back for several days after her mom got out of rehab. We will probably have a quiet Thanksgiving, as my MIL is not up for lots of company right now.

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I was slightly taken aback to find that the reading level for this blog was "elementary school". But you know what? A number of my favorite blogs have the same reading level. I have deeply held beliefs and strong theological opinions, as those who know me well can attest. But it appears I would rather write about dogs, food, and travel! I think it's because I'm often writing in the evening, when I'm tired, and usually I just feel like writing about mundane, everyday stuff--like this. I hope you enjoy that as much as I do.

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And so to bed...as another week begins.

A happy surprise

Awhile back, I was Mary Beth's 2000th commenter! Yesterday I received my prize! Isn't he cute?

Thanks, Mary Beth! Christmas is coming!

Just wondering

Last night I dreamed that we had added onto our house, and I was overwhelmed with the fact that we now had three kitchens, three living rooms, and two dens. What is that about? What vast resources are available to the Scientist and me that we aren't fully using? What do we need to do with them?

If and when I figure that part out, then I'll grapple with the next part--why the house was attached to a children's hospital...

It's a Pumpkin/Apple Friday Five

Singing Owl wants to know:

1. How did you celebrate this time of year when you were a child?
I went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with my cousin or friends from the time I was old enough to understand why, until I was about twelve. After that we enjoyed handing out the candy. One year my friend Joy and I rigged an elaborate scary scene in my house--but I felt so bad when one little kid really got scared, that I turned the lights on to show him it was just pretend!

2. Do you and/or your family “celebrate” Halloween? Why or why not? And if you do, has it changed from what you used to do?
Not really. I get a couple of big bags of candy (something I don't like, so I won't be tempted to eat it myself) and hand it out. When it's gone, it's gone, and the porch light goes out. So far nobody has egged our house (knock on wood). Back when we had more young children on our street, my next door neighbor and I used to stand outside with a glass of wine and watch the parade! But now we know very few of the kids who come by, and it's not the same.

2. Candy apples: Do you prefer red cinnamon or caramel covered? Or something else?
I like caramel apples all right. But I really would rather have a baked apple stuffed with raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar--or better yet, an apple dumpling!

3. Pumpkins: Do you make Jack O’ Lanterns? Any ideas of what else to do with them?
I haven't made a jack o' lantern in a couple of decades. The Scientist's family never made them when he was growing up, so after we were married the custom sort of fell by the wayside. On second thought, I think we did make one, the first Halloween we were in this house. As for what else to do with them, one year I cooked a pumpkin and made two fresh pumpkin pies, one for our Thanksgiving dinner and one for our church's bake sale. It was awful--so stringy. I was mortified to think that whoever had bought that nice-looking pie at the bake sale would have such a crummy Thanksgiving dessert! I've stuck with canned pumpkin ever since!

4. Do you decorate your home for fall or Halloween? If so, what do you do? Bonus points for pictures.
No, I never have. I wait and pull out the stops at Christmas!

5. Do you like pretending to be something different? Does a costume bring out an alternate personality?
Yes, costume parties are fun. It's a great challenge to try to stay in character all evening. When my friends and I were involved in our college Renaissance Festival, we would try to stay in character all weekend!

Bonus: Share your favorite recipe for an autumn food, particularly apple or pumpkin ones.
We fell in love with apple dumplings the first time we ate them at the Texas Renaissance Festival. The recipe I use is from my mom's 1951 Joy of Cooking.

Prepare enough dough for two pie crusts and chill it.
Pare and core four medium-sized apples. Fill the hollows with this mixture:
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
(I add a little handful of raisins.)
It won't all fit inside the apples, so just spread the rest around on top of them before you wrap them in the dough.

Roll out the dough in a thin sheet; cut it into four squares and completely enclose each apple. (If you brush the dough with egg white before wrapping the apple in it, it may help keep the juices from leaking through the crust. But it probably won't. It doesn't matter.) Use a little water to make it stick together on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake about 45 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a cake tester or toothpick.
Serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream, or--our favorite--heavy cream!

Remembering my girl

Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of Zorra's death. I've been thinking about the little things I miss: how she would sing along with the train whistle; how her cold nose would touch mine if I fell asleep on the couch, startling me awake; the coziness of her lying under the dining table while we ate; the sound of her tail hitting the washer, boom boom boom, whenever we entered the house through the laundry room (hence the nickname Tympani Tail). She loved us, treats, catching Frisbees, and lying in the sun. She was terrified of fireworks, and suspicious of all other dogs, men in hats, and any other people she did not know.

I found Zorra, sick and starving, near the rural residential treatment center where I was working in 1997, and brought her home. As she settled down on an old blanket on my back porch, she gave a sigh of exhaustion and relief that broke my heart. She was about two years old, and had obviously had an unhappy life. She blossomed into a beautiful and often very sweet dog, but we never were able to conquer the demons that haunted her. Her fear and aggression could be triggered by any little thing, and we often did not know what. We took her to a behavioral veterinarian at Texas A & M, had her on Prozac for a while, did all kinds of elaborate behavioral protocols, and she improved but was still very unpredictable. We had to board her in order to have a party, or to have workmen at the house. The sound of the doorbell or the sight of a UPS truck parked on our street would make her berserk, hurling herself at the window or even pulling down the sheer curtains next to the door.

She bit both the Scientist and me on several occasions. We thought she would mellow out as she got older, but instead she grew more reactive. Shortly before she died we found out that she had a very bad hip. She could still run fast, never limped, and hid her pain from us, so I was stunned when I saw the X-ray. Surely that was why she had grown more irritable over time. Shortly after that, she turned on the Scientist as he tried to haul her away from attacking a neighbor's dog, and she bit his hands severely. On that day we finally were in agreement that we could not go on like that. The next day, our hearts aching, we had her euthanized. We held her and told her we loved her as she took her last breath.

How can I explain what a complex mixture of love and brokenness this precious dog was? We had so many good times with her, and we have such wonderful memories of how she grinned, how she ran, how she would cuddle with us (when she wanted to!), how her beautiful coat shone in the sun. About eighty-five per cent of the time she was a dear, playful, loving friend. But the other fifteen per cent was finally too much for all of us.

I know that if she had died out in that field before I found her, she would never have known what it meant to be loved and to have a real home, and I know that she did know that despite her fears. For that, and the good times, I am grateful.

Rest in peace, my sweet brown-eyed girl. I will always love you.

On the subject of Eucharistic theology (no surprise here):

Eucharistic theology created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Calvin You are John Calvin. You seek to be faithful to Scripture, and to harmonize difficult sayings. You believe that in the Lord's Supper those who have faith are united to Christ, who is present spiritually, yet in a real way. Calvin 88% Orthodox 69% Luther 63% Zwingli 56% Catholic 19% Unitarian 0%

The Friday Five: Homage to the Top Chef!

RevHRod says:

This Fall my family has been energetically watching Top Chef on the Bravo channel. My teenage daughter watches with the dream of some day being a chef. My husband watches because he loves reality shows and I mean, really loves them. Plus the whole competition thing really works for him. Me, I love cooking and good food. Every so often I get an idea from this group of talented young chefs who are competing for big money and honors galore.

The winner for this season was Hung. Not the fan favorite, but he won fair and square. In his bio, he says if he were a food "I would be spicy chili - it takes a while to get used to, but once you eat it you always come back for more!" With that in mind, here is this week’s Friday Five.

If you were a food, what would you be?
I want to say cherry pie or a Fudgesicle, but I hope I have more substance than either of those. Maybe an onion, because I have lots of layers (so it takes a while to get to know me) and a few people find me indigestible--but some consider me an essential ingredient. But I hope I don't make anyone cry. Yeah, that's too silly, I'll stop now.

What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?
For spring break during my sophomore year in college, a small group of us (gals and guys, all "just friends") drove from Memphis to Orlando and camped out at Fort Wilderness in Walt Disney World. In those ancient pre-Epcot days, WDW had two hotels, the Contemporary Resort and another I've forgotten. One night we all cleaned up (as well as we could, in the campground) and went to the Contemporary Resort to eat at the fancy-schmancy Gulf Coast Room. We were 19 or 20 years old, with little experience of "fine dining" ; the staff treated us like grownups, and we had a marvelous evening. I don't remember what I ate, but I do remember how sophisticated we felt. And I remember the tuxedoed waiter bringing butter to the table, because each pat of butter was precisely stamped with--you guessed it--mouse ears.

What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?
My dad made the best soft scrambled eggs, hamburger steak, and chocolate milk shakes in the universe. I have mastered the eggs and the milkshake, but have never quite gotten the hamburger steak right. But any of the above is an ideal comfort food.

When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?
My cheddar spinach quiche is very easy to make, and disappears quickly, as does my spinach lasagna.

What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?
I think that would be a toss-up between the baby octopus leg and the chocolate-covered grasshopper. Once was enough for those.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal?
This is specific to one particular restaurant, a cool and casual place that serves Italian food exactly like what we ate in Italy. Their signature cocktail is a blood orange prosecco; imagine a mimosa made with prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) instead of the usual champagne, and blood orange juice instead of regular orange juice. Very festive, and delicious!

Guest Blogger: Amie

Hi, everybody! I'm kind of sleepy, but I wanted to tell you about my strange day. This morning mama took me to the vet--that was bad enough, but then they put me on a table and I took a nap! When I woke up, two more teeth were gone! I don't have that many to spare, so I hope I get to keep the ones I have left.

I was so glad to see mama this afternoon. I was really thirsty and hungry when I got home. This evening I've had scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and pumpkin! Yum!

Mama told my doctor that she thought I would probably feel so much better with those bad teeth gone, it might give me another year I wouldn't have had. He told her that she had already given me several years that I otherwise wouldn't have had. I don't know what a year is, but I am happy for every day I have with mama and daddy. I think they feel the same way about me.

Going back to sleep now....