A new Thanksgiving recipe

Ingredients:
One tired couple
Two congenial family members
One luxurious B & B
One nearly-deserted beach



Rise late. Eat sumptuous breakfast. Spend the rest of the day strolling on the beach in eighty-degree weather.
Consider repeating annually.

Too cute (For dog lovers only)

Amie is generally somewhat reserved and sedate (except when she hears the word WALK), but when she is alone in the back yard, she loves to cut loose and roll, roll, roll. She is very reticent about doing it if either of us is watching. The Scientist took these pictures through the living room window, and I just had to show you Amie in mid-roll. Fellow dogbloggers (you know who you are), consider it a Thanksgiving present.



Ahhh! That's better!

We're headed for our favorite beachtown bed and breakfast tomorrow with the Scientist's mom and sister. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Delurking Week

Don't be shy! Leave a (hug) or a (o) if you can't think of anything to say! Thanks for stopping by!

Thankful, part 2

The "Friday Five" assignment is to list five people, things, etc. for which we are thankful. Here are some random impressions:

1. All the blessings that have come to me over the years as a part of the family of God--not just the blessing of salvation, with its present implications of healing and movement toward wholeness, as well as its "by and by" implications. That would be more than enough, but when I add the blessings of friends and community that I have known within the Body of Christ over the decades, and now even across cyberspace, I don't have language for my gratitude. I can only ask God again for help in living in a way that shows God how grateful I am.

2. The Scientist. Enough said (not really, but I'll restrain myself).

3. Good health. Freedom from pain. Five functional senses. All of my physical blessings.

4. A warm house, a full pantry, and interesting employment that helps pay for both.

5. Literacy. How impoverished I would be (in every way) without the ability to read.

It's hard to stop at five, isn't it? I must make it six and include the love and companionship of all my furbabies, past and present, especially the little blue heeler lying next to my chair right now.

Today I am especially thankful for the visit of our friends C and P, who stopped by for brunch on their way from Austin to Galveston to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. C remembers playing Candy Land at my house when she was five years old. I don't remember that, but I do have a picture of her eating ice cream at my seventh birthday party. We later suffered all the slings and arrows of high school together, and although our lives have taken very different paths, we have kept our friendship through all these decades. Happy anniversary, kids!

Taco time!

Dining solo tonight, I wanted to make a couple of egg tacos before dashing off to choir practice. Now, the only thing I don't like about eating egg tacos is that the picante sauce drips out, usually onto my lap. So tonight I had the bright idea to scramble it into the eggs. It worked beautifully! Try it!

If you're looking for profundity, you'd better go to another blog. If you just want a good quick supper, tonight I'm your gal. Off to choir!

Mistaken identity

Our happy little home at "123 Blossom Court" is getting a much-needed new roof this week. We are having all the fascia, soffit and gutters replaced too. The past two days have involved the usual round of missing work, waiting around for workers who don't show, etc. Today we left before the carpenters arrived, but had been assured that they were getting supplies and would be there shortly. When I came home for lunch, I found that indeed a three-man crew had been busy all morning, up on extension ladders, pulling down gutters, tearing out the old fascia and soffit.

Around the corner.

At 123 North Blossom Drive.

Oops.

Now, that house is for sale and unoccupied. The lead carpenter explained to me later that when he realized what they had done, he called the realtor, who then called the homeowner, who agreed that as long as everything was put back in place, he would be a happy camper. All I could do was laugh, and the lead carpenter laughed too. I don't think the other guys were laughing.

When I got home this evening, two men were working away at my house. The third was at the house around the corner, painting the new fascia he had just installed. He still wasn't laughing.

Friday Five: What's red, blue, and purple all over?

1. Favorite red food
Does Erath Pinot Noir count? If not, I guess I'll say strawberries. Or cherry pie!

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person.
First let me show you.


This is Crater Lake, in Oregon. We made a wonderful trip to Oregon about four summers ago (where we sampled the aforementioned pinot), and Crater Lake was one of the highlights. I went through several pages of images on the Web before I decided that this was as close as I could get to the real thing--which is bluer than this!

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide?
Before I saw this meme, oddly enough, I was thinking about Crimson Tide this morning--the part where Denzel Washington has to make the decision to close off part of the submarine, knowing that a lot of the sailors will die, and as this is happening you hear the Navy Hymn. I don't usually enjoy this type of movie, but Crimson Tide was a good one.

4. What has you seeing red these days?
The same thing as always: animal abuse and neglect. Your local branch of the Humane Society or SPCA can always use your help. They're even happy to receive your old towels and bathmats, so don't throw those away.

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue?
My two favorite life forms: the Scientist, and little Amie, who grins when she sees me coming and wags her stubby tail as fast as she can. Cuddling with either of them makes the world look a lot better. If I'm alone and slightly mopey, I like to get a glass of red wine and play my old LP's from high school and college, singing along with Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell ("Love came to my door/With a sleeping roll/And a madman's soul..."), Dan Fogelberg, and Laura Nyro's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. After a while I go to bed. I learned when I was in college and often feeling overwhelmed, that things always look better in the morning.

Post-election wrap-up

This morning I heard a story about a coworker's friend who babysat her young niece after school and into the evening yesterday because of a family emergency. Late last night when the child's mother came to get her, she lamented,"With everything that went on today, I never had a chance to vote."

Her daughter piped up, "We voted! We voted! Emmitt and Cheryl!"

****

On a different note, every election season reminds me of my service as a precinct judge when we were living in California in 1986. Earlier that year, news coverage of Corazon Aquino's election to the presidency of the Philippines had shown courageous poll workers who defended the ballot boxes with their lives. And the biggest sacrifice I made to work the polls was to be there by 6:00 A.M. How grateful I always am for our election process and our right to vote. May we never take that for granted.

If the shoe fits...

Zorra -- [adjective]: Pretentiously academian 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

(sigh)

My happy girl, 1998

This is my favorite picture of Zorra, taken when she was probably about three years old. We had had her for a little over a year at this time. This picture shows her unusual markings better than the one I posted a while ago. She's taking a break from demolishing an old bathmat, one of her favorite activities.

Friday Five: Nothing But the Tooth

1. The Tooth Fairy
She only brought me ten cents per tooth, but I believe that was the going rate in my neighborhood at the time. One morning I awoke to find...my tooth still under the pillow! The Tooth Fairy had forgotten me! I wailed to my mother, and lo and behold, by the time I had finished breakfast, the Tooth Fairy had arrived. Her tardiness didn't bother me. (Now I understand how exhausted the Tooth Fairy often was by bedtime. It's a credit to her that she only forgot once, in all those years.)

2. Flossing
No, I don't do it every day. Yes, I should. Next topic.

3. Toothpaste Brands
Whatever is cheapest. Usually that's Aim or Ultra Brite. Toothpaste is toothpaste. The Scientist was always partial to Colgate until I told him it's one of the most expensive brands. Now he uses whatever I bring home.

4. Orthodontia for Adults
Why not? Maybe your parents couldn't afford braces when you were a kid. If you need it and want it, go for it.

5. Whitening Products
Thank God I don't remember this, but I was very anemic as a baby and had to take iron shots in my head! The iron caused my teeth to come in darker than the average person's teeth. Although I was always mildly self-conscious about it, I never did anything about it until my 20th high school reunion was on the horizon. I went the whole nine yards with the mouth mold and the expensive stuff from the dentist, and it was well worth it. My creepy-looking little plaster jaws broke a long time ago, but I still have the little plastic things that fit over my teeth, and use them occasionally.

Bartimaeus

Good sermon this morning about Bartimaeus's receipt of physical and spiritual sight. Years ago I heard a country gospel singer expound on Bartimaeus: "We always call this guy a blind beggar. He's not a blind beggar any more--he's a satisfied seein' man!" Amen!

Thankful

Mindy has posted one of her great lists of things she is thankful for, which got me started counting my blessings. Right now I'm thankful for everyone who has so warmly welcomed me to RevGalBlogPals--this is such fun--and especially for your kind comments about my sweet girls. That really helped.

Another thing that helped was my realization, late Tuesday night, that although October 24 acquired a sad significance for us last year, this year it also marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of my first date with the Scientist! I wonder if we are the only couple who ever met in a Southern Baptist Sunday school class and later spent their first date dancing at a rock and roll club. Probably not!

I wish everyone who reads this could meet my amazing husband. I've never met anyone else like him. I agree with him and with our friend QG that "the Scientist" is a blah pseudonym for a not-at-all-blah person, but so far I haven't come up with anything better. (He says he would prefer "Finger of the Illuminati".) He really is a scientist by profession. He's also loving, loyal, funny, kind, a lover of books and of history, an adventurous travel companion, and an excellent teacher. He despises cant and posturing, but quietly and faithfully lives out the Good News in ways that make a practical difference in people's lives.

He has supported and encouraged me in every enterprise I've undertaken. When we met, he was intrigued but thought, "This won't go anywhere; she'll be leaving for graduate school before long." A little over a year later, we were married. A year after that, we struck out for California together. And the rest is our history.

When I think of everything for which I am thankful, he is always at the top of the list.

Little blue and big red

This is my favorite picture of Amie (little blue) and Zorra (big red). They were on our back porch enjoying some quality time with the Scientist's mom. Notice Zorra's characteristic "heeler slouch."

This picture is especially precious to me now that my big girl is gone. Tomorrow will be the first anniversary of Zorra's death. If I can stand to write about it, I will, but I think you will understand if I do not.

The nights have passed

When the Scientist is away, the only really difficult part is the moment when I get into bed and turn out the light. I lie there listening to the house's creaks and pops, and pray Psalm 4:8 (RSV), "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety." And the Lord does, and I sleep. When I wake, I check off another night. Two down, zero to go. Thanks be to God.

Amie misses him as much as I do. Last night I found one of his shoes in her bed.

Almost unique

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 8 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Makes me feel kinda special.

Among the other seven are a San Francisco stage actress and a Florida accountant.
But when I googled my name (come on, don't tell me you've never done it), the majority of the hits referenced the protagonist of a rather bohemian-sounding novel! Not my life at all!

In other news, the Scientist is out of town this weekend, cheering on his sister as she spars for her third-degree black belt in karate. He reported tonight that she had done really well except for the one board that would not break. OW. I have entertained myself by shelling pecans as I watched Chocolat (a really lovely film, even if you are not fond of Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, or the great Alfred Molina, which I am), and shifting into a baking frenzy to help supply a Fall Festival that was held by our church school today. We childfree types tend to steer clear of that sort of function, but I enjoyed baking for it. Banana bread, zucchini bread, apple bread, and orange bread. I told you it was a frenzy.

That's enough rambling for one evening. Enjoy your Sunday!

Choice

On Friday night, we had the privilege and pleasure of going to hear Elaine Pagels speak on the Gospel of Judas. I have enjoyed her writing, and have learned from her insights in several Sunday school classes that I've either led or attended. If I understand her correctly, she theorizes that the author of the Gospel of Judas was writing in opposition/reaction to the intense emphasis on, or even push toward, martyrdom that was prevalent in the early church. I can imagine this author thinking, "Are these people insane? How will we spread the Gospel when we're all dead?"

We've spent some time at church this year looking at the Gnostic gospels (although Pagels no longer uses the term Gnostic to refer to them), in connection with the whole Da Vinci Code thing. That was a lot of fun, and reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading them when I was in school. When I led a session on the Gospel of Mary a few years ago, one of our friends asked, "Why are we wasting time studying about these heresies?" Uh, well, because they are fascinating (at least to me, and I'm the teacher), especially from a church history standpoint. How many different viewpoints there were in those first 200 years, among those who all called themselves followers of Jesus.

Pagels said that our word heresy is taken from the Greek word that means "choice". I'm still mulling over the implications of that, but I think that it has a lot to do with honest belief and people following what insight they have. Most people aren't deliberately contrarian in matters of faith, unless they are trying to provoke others to serious consideration of why they believe what they do--and to me that's a healthy sort of provocation. Of couse there are a few grandstanders who get a kick out of letting everyone see they are swimming against the mainstream, but that's not what I'm talking about.

As a firm believer in Providence, I believe that the way our "orthodox" beliefs about the person and work of Christ "jelled" over those early centuries was as the Holy Spirit intended. But I also believe that none of us has any right to claim that we know the whole truth about God, and once we get to heaven we will all see how wrong (heretical?) we were in many ways. Who God really is, is so much greater than any of our little concepts of God.

Friday Five: Creature Comforts

This INFP likes people, but needs lots of alone time to recharge after being with too many people for too long. These are some things that help:

1. Comfort beverage: A mug of strong coffee, Illy if possible, with a little milk and sugar. Or, a chocolate milk shake the way my dad used to make them: Pack a tall glass with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Add chocolate syrup liberally. Fill in the cracks with milk. Stir, stir, stir, and eat with a spoon. I don't comfort myself that way very often!

2. Comfort chair: I have a comfort sofa in the living room, where I can put my feet up. An afghan that my mother-in-law made is nearby in case I want to bundle up.

3. Comfort read: When I'm in on-the-sofa-with-comfort-beverage mode, I don't want to think. A magazine will be just fine. Atlantic Monthly, Books and Culture, National Geographic, Oxford American, Cook's Illustrated, and Bon Appetit are within easy reach. If any of these makes me think too much (a constant danger with the first two), I'll switch to a Coldwater Creek catalogue.

4. Comfort television/DVD/music: For TV, sitcom reruns (The Simpsons, Mad About You) are preferable, but I don't usually have the TV on. Preferred music, lately, has been Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler's All the Roadrunning.

5. Comfort companion(s): When I'm in this mode, I'm content to be by myself. But if my Amie girl chooses to come and lie next to the couch, that's icing on the cake.

Semi-slow food

I really love to cook, almost as much as I love to eat. Songbird's recent post about slow food got me remembering graduate school, when I was often home studying in the afternoons and could simmer beans, or some elaborate soup, or chicken curry, for as long as it needed to take. I still cook like that on weekends. However, what I cook during the week falls more into the semi-slow category.

We recently joined a food co-op, and one of its pleasures is coming up with new and creative ways to use up things I probably wouldn't have bought on my own, such as pears (thanks, Milton), beets, and cucumbers. Tonight I picked what was left from the bones of a chicken I braised with pears and rosemary over the weekend (that was slow, and awesome), lightly steamed some co-op squash and broccoli, then opened a jar of alfredo sauce (that's the semi-slow part) and mixed all of the above with spaghetti (yeah, fettucini would have been better, but spaghetti was what I had). The Scientist is not a broccoli fan, but I told him to think of this as Alfredo Primavera, and he was fine with that. :-)

Incidentally, here's a plug for one of my favorite websites. If you love food, check out Chowhound. When I'm not commenting on a RGBP blog, you'll probably find me commenting there. Browse your regional board, and if you like to cook, browse the Home Cooking board. You never know what you'll find.

"Part Blue Heeler, Part Gift from God"

Go by Quotidian Grace's site and check out the video clip of the fabulous Skidboot. Whether you are already familiar with him or not, you're in for a treat.