A day in spring...

As I write this morning, the temperatures are in the 20's!  Brrrr... looking forward to a real warm up.

Miss M. came to dinner last night.  I made macaroni and cheese early in the afternoon so most of the dishes could be washed and put away before she arrived.  All I had to do was pop the casserole dish in the oven along with smoked sausage (which baked in a separate dish) and add a couple side veggies.  Wallah!  It took me all of five minutes to do the dishes while she and Christopher drove to the gas station at the end of the county road to rent a Redbox movie.  :)

I also explored our back yard yesterday afternoon, hoping the early daffodils were in bloom even though they hadn't in the front yard.  Sure enough... there was a nice handful of blooms growing close to the house beside the deck.  I think they get a little more warmth from the morning sunshine there and reward us with earlier blossoms.  It was nice to have some pretty flowers to look at while cooking and doing dishes.

I'm also doing some spring cleaning "a little at a time".  Yesterday I gave the pine dining table a good scrubbing and then when it dried, a nice massage of wood paste.  It will receive a second massage in a few days.   Each day I will anoint one or to pieces of our good furniture with lemon oil or wood paste... an often overlooked household duty these days.  However, I'm married to a man with a graduate degree in wood science and furniture engineering so it has been drilled into me over the years to make this a regular part of my spring and fall cleaning.  I leave any gluing and repairs to him. 

The display on the buffet (above) was tweaked to make it look more spring-like.  The teapot and teacups provide a pretty indoor garden, don't they?  There is a reason I adore "tea things".  How can you not smile when you look at them?

Just one or two more days on Cipro!  Poor Stephanie... after Faith was diagnosed with strep throat, her entire family is on antibiotics.  Her doctor told her if they had a dog, he'd put it on antibiotics as a precaution.  They are all ready for this harsh New England winter to be in the rear view mirror but I noticed this morning the forecast is for snow in that part of the country (we even have a little in our forecast).  At least we know real spring weather will be here soon.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying pictures of green grass and blooms on southern blogs.  :)

More ponderings about dress and society

I was thinking last night that I don't remember writing much about dress of fashion before... well into my fifth year of blogging!  I do know I've written about the clothing (or lack thereof) of the college girls on campus.  I found it very interesting that "those in the know" about such things, who have been on campus for years and years, have come to realize the freshmen girls are the trashiest dressers!

There are a lot of theories but the two most reasonable are... they are breaking away from home for the first time and Mom/Dad aren't there to nix the outfits... and... they are very influenced by the "fashion" of the entertainment industry which they have been allowed to follow.  I remember telling Christopher (after seeing a girl standing on the street) that I remember a time when the police would assume she's among the world's oldest profession and arrested for indecent exposure!

The good news is... for the most part... the girls tend to dress more modestly to classes as they grow older.  Of course, it also helps when the wind chills turns below zero. ;)

When we were visiting Stephanie in October, I showed Elisabeth a blog by a young woman I admire.  The way she (and her sister) sews and assembles clothing has such style and shows they are beautiful inside and out... here.  In an age when little girls are influenced by a culture gone wrong, I am happy there are young women who show one can be stylish and creative and beautiful and modest.

It's okay to look good

Thank you so much for your prayers, e-mails, etc. (I am weeks and weeks behind on responding to e-mails).  So far the very strong antibiotics have kept me from further infections but they leave me worn out and nauseous all day long.  I think it was Vee that asked but... YES... Cipro always knocks me out.

I am trying to catch up on laundry, put meals on the table, and I even baked a cake this afternoon.  It was made with a yellow cake mix but after it cools, I will whip up a homemade chocolate buttercream frosting... no one will care that the cake was not made from scratch with that frosting topping it!  ;)

I enjoyed reading the post Stephanie wrote last week about what she's learned about putting together a wardrobe efficiently and frugally.  I recall a few years ago when money was very tight and she felt guilty about spending anything on her own clothing with growing children at home. 

I reminded her that (whether we like it or not), the world judges us on appearance and with her husband's career responsibilities and the leadership roles they have at church... it is essential to have at least a few good outfits for those times when mommy jeans and a pullover were not enough... although a necessary daily uniform for a homeschooling mom to five... unless you are a jean skirt kinda' lady.  In the summer, I LIVE in jean skirts and short sleeve tops.

I remembered my mother telling me stories of when she was a widow with seven children (before meeting my father), their clothes were threadbare but always clean and ironed.  I never saw Mom leave the house not looking put together even though she never had a large wardrobe (although I'm sure when she was poor and had seven kids at home... she was NOT put together).

Like so many women of her generation, she also had her "hair done" once a week when I was growing up... those were the years when a woman's hairdresser was a member of the family.  When Mom passed away, the man who owned the hair salon where she'd had her hair done since the 1970's asked to do her hair one last time... even though at eighty-five, it was fine and wispy.  :)

Do you ever watch the old movies and come away amazed at the way people dressed then compared to now?  I was recently watching the original Where the Boys Are and had to smile at how "dressed up" the college girls were in 1960!  Another favorite older movie is Three Coins In a Fountain... once again the ladies were beautifully dressed with simple dresses and suits.

Old movies remind me that when I was growing up, one always dressed up if they were going out for an evening... traveling on a plane or train... going to church or a concert or a party at the neighbors... or even meeting the ladies for lunch.  I don't mean glitz and glitter dress up such as for the symphony but a pretty dress, or skirt with blouse and matching sweater, or a pair of nice slacks with a soft pullover.  Sigh...

What am I wearing as I type?  Ummm... sweats and an oversize cable knit sweater... but I'm still spending part of my day on the sofa.  Really.  Honest.

Anyway... Stephanie really is doing a good job at putting together a wardrobe on a budget.  Like me, she also LOVES finding clothes at thrift stores!  But I think the last time she was able to shop a thrift store was when Sarah Clarkson and I were with her and could help keep an eye on the children.  ;)

Stephanie's post can be found... here. 

Sunday Afternoon Tea

 "When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread... Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast".... Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead."

John 21: 12-14

The atmosphere in our home took a significant change for the better Friday evening.  One load of clean clothes was sitting in a basket and draped across the back of a living room chair, waiting to be put away after a time of rest.  A simple one pot meal had been assembled in the ancient red LeCruset pot and now I once again was up to my elbows in hot, sudsy dishwater.  While not perfect, life had returned to some form of normal.

My thoughts were on that which was most important in life, that it so often all comes down to the preparation of meals and the provision of clothing and shelter.  I thought how I'd read stories of patients with terminal illnesses and how they would so often miss the simple things of life as they lay bedridden... how the making of a meal was now more desired than a trip around the world.  For such is the basics of life and love and family.

The last thing my father did for me before leaving this world was to make breakfast.  I remember walking in the kitchen that day after leaving the emergency room... the breakfast dishes still on the table where he'd left them before leaving the house and suffering a heart attack while I sat in a 5th grade classroom.  My favorite meal to this day is breakfast... when someone else cooks it.  :)

My thoughts and ponderings found themselves settling in that part of Scripture (above) where the Resurrected Christ is to be found on a Mediterranean beach... cooking a breakfast of fish over coals for His friends.  I must admit I had to look it up as I'd forgotten at the end of which Gospel the story was given... I should have known it would have been John who had recorded this act of friendship.

What a scene of love as the One who had said It Is Finished waited for those He called to be fishers of men to return to the shore... a loving Friend preparing fish for the fishermen... before His return to the Father... many lessons still to impart.

While teaching them much about life on this morning beach, I wonder if His friends would think back to that morning breakfast of fish and bread when the days became long and the trials overwhelmed... knowing the promise of a Banquet lay ahead.

One of the best fish meals I ever ate was in an out-of-the-way diner set off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We were on our honeymoon in North Carolina and the trout had been caught in the stream which flowed behind the restaurant.  It doesn't get much fresher than that.  That was over thirty years ago and we still compare all fish dinners to that one.

Long ago, a close friend and I were having a conversation about Heaven and letting our imaginations think of what it may be like someday.  As I was sharing with her those things which would make it all Heaven, she laughed and told me I was the only person she'd ever heard of that saw hours spent in a kitchen as heavenly.  But I always knew Jesus would understand... the One who invited his friends to a cookout on the beach.

When I think of my mother, I imagine myself sitting across from her at a favorite diner with coffee and a piece of pie or eating frozen custard on a hot summer evening at the park near her house.  I remember Stephanie's first taste of that frozen custard as Mamaw placed the cone next to infant lips and a lifelong love was born... Steph and ice cream.  :)

There is something about the preparing of food that... to me... is central to being created in the image of a creative God.  It is food which gives life and in the chopping and slicing and stirring... I am partaking in that life giving process once again. 

The breaking of bread together (or a shared piece of banana cream pie at a diner) brings with it the intimacy of fellowship... the laughter which is between mother and daughter and tiny granddaughter in memories of long ago.  Many memories... too many to count... where food was the bridge of fellowship between myself and others... new friends and old... family as well as strangers.

I wonder how many of us truly realize the importance of the simple meal in this age of celebrity chefs... the breakfast made by a father... homemade soup simmered by mother for her child with fever... cookies always in a cookie jar... the same dessert or salad or casserole served at annual family events... the aroma of ham every Easter or turkey on Thanksgiving afternoon... a breakfast of fish and bread to tired fishermen.

I'd have been tempted to whip up some Israeli couscous or a side of Jerusalem salad to serve that morning but Jesus kept it simple and delicious and let the life return to body and soul.  Somehow I can just see Him smiling as he checked the flakiness of the fish now cooked and tore apart the dark, dense bread... He understood the joy in returning to the kitchen... between the Cross and the Upper Room with Heaven yet to come.

A little more about the song

Thank you for your well wishes!  I'm feeling a little stronger each day.  The decision to immediately put me on ten days of "the big guns" (Cipro) so far has kept me from any hospital stays this year!  That is a very good thing.

I did a little research and the Carrie Newcomer song I posted yesterday can be found on her The Gathering of Spirits CD from 2002... here.  Holy As a Day is Spent is available there as an individual download, too.

This particular song made me think of One Thousand Gifts, too.

Holy as the day is spent...

Last night, I was watching a concert on TV when Carrie Newcomer sang this song.  It's beautiful!

Holy As The Day Is Spent

Holy is the dish and drain
The soap and sink, the cup and plate
And the warm wool socks, and the cold white tile
Showerheads and good dry towels

And frying eggs sound like psalms
With a bit of salt measured in my palm
It’s all a part of a sacrament
As holy as a day is spent

Holy is the busy street
And cars that boom with passion’s beat
And the check out girl, Counting change
And the hands that shook my hands today

Hymns of geese fly overhead
And stretch their wings like their parents did
Blessed be the dog
That runs in her sleep
The catch that wild and elusive thing

Holy is a familiar room and the quiet moments in the afternoon
And folding sheets like folding hands
To pray as only laundry can

I’m letting go of all I fear
Like autumn leaves of earth and air
For summer came and summer went
As holy as a day is spent

Holy is the place I stand
To give whatever small good I can
The empty page, the open book
Redemption everywhere I look

Unknowingly we slow our pace
In the shade of unexpected grace
With grateful smiles and sad lament
As holy as a day is spent

And morning light sings “providence”
As holy as a day is spent

Carrie Newcomer

I really am alive

Sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth all of a sudden!

The mild illness suddenly took a turn for the worse.  I was able to get an emergency appointment with one of the nurse practitioners at the clinic (they are the unsung heroes of the medical profession).  It appears a virus hit at the same time I had a bacterial infection.

I'm on the mend but I'll be on strong antibiotics for another week to get over this infection and protect anything from "settling in the chest".  They make me loopier than usual.  :)

It has been awhile since I posted as often as usual but soon... very soon... I hope to be back to my usual ponderings.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

I almost turned the news off that night, the scenes coming out of Japan continuing to bring such heartbreak for the people there.  But after viewing the destruction, the scene changed and viewers were taken into a small but pretty apartment in Tokyo where a mother and her two young daughters were interviewed.

The two girls were both wearing pretty dresses with thick sweaters, their mother equally dressed for the interview.   The apartment was comfortable with soft furniture, pillows, pretty pictures... not a lot of space but plenty of charm.

The mother talked calmly about the situation in Tokyo and how she was concerned for the future, the girls missed playing outside in the park each day.  Instead they played board games and spent time together indoors as a family... all three calm in their sweet apartment as they faced an unknown future (Father was at work).

Already food was limited and the very air they breathed in fear of becoming contaminated.  But there was peace and courage and a gentleness wrapped in the knowledge this family would face together what was to come.

Flowers on a summer day

Now, I am well aware that a home atmosphere cannot change bad circumstances.  If there is abuse within the four walls, all the pretty flower arrangements in the world cannot take away that hurt.   But for most of us in our day-to-day activities, Beauty in the home has the same affect on us as the pretty little apartment gave a sense of order to the Japanese family.

I was reading through some Victoria magazines this past week... old and new... thinking on this theme of Beauty in the everyday.   Man was born in a garden and has an inherent need for Beauty.  There is something about a bouquet of daisies in a canning jar that strengthens the soul of one who has been suffering.  The scent of an apple pie brings with it the anticipation of good food and fellowship... in the midst of trials and tribulations.

Life is never "all or nothing", we need to continue (to what extent possible) in creating a safe harbor in the storm for those whom we know and love.  It doesn't take a lot of money but it does require someone putting thought into the creation... perhaps as we knead the bread or wash the teacups or set out milk & sugar in their pretty containers... we are also teaching the next generation to show grace in the midst of an uncertain future.

While serving tea or hot chocolate with simple cinnamon toast may not seem like much for now but when a child must economize as an adult, isn't it good that they have fond memories of inexpensive treats?  If they spent early years learning to appreciate simple food on a daily basis with the occasional Feast Day... instead of expecting fancy food each evening... they bring with them into their adult years a proper expectation of the everyday as well as the Feast.

What brings Beauty and Peace and Grace is often unique to each family.  I have been in homes in which music played together brought unity.  Another homeschooling family we know play video games together!  When Christopher was younger and his Dad traveled a great deal, I watched his favorite cartoons with him... which is why the Transformers can bring a warm and cozy feeling within... not what one would expect at my age! ;)

In our home these days, bookshelves filled with books yet to be read as well as old friends awaiting another visit brings contentment.  Pages in various cookbooks have been tagged with index cards where recipes waiting to be tried soon are located.  The sight of Victoria Kitty with her nose pushed up to the glass can always bring with it a smile... or seeing her curled up at Christopher's feet when he's not feeling well.

The porcelain garden of floral plates, platters, teapots, and teacups in the china cabinet provide flowers inside as the snow falls on the backyard.  The decision to turn off the electric lamps and light candles (and perhaps oil lamps) brings with it an old fashioned calm to the room.

Preparing the onions and carrots for soup in my kitchen filled with yellow and red accessories can bring a duo joy... that which comes from my surroundings and the feeling I experience as I am cutting and chopping vegetables as mothers for millennium have done before me.

Rarely does a perfect day reach this family.  There is always... something... which can remove the Grace and Peace... always health and financial concerns, dealing with the one who is not thinking clearly at times, extended family trials and tribulations... and much coming in from the outside world adding to uncertainty of the future.

Having prepared a place of Beauty and Grace has not taken away the challenges of life... but it certainly has provided a safe harbor in the Storms.  It reminds me of a quote I heard about the French and their appreciation of "the good life"... that only the French could transform a food they had to eat in poverty (that being snails)... and make it a gourmet treat.

So much of our journey in this life is out of our hands but that which we can control... our decisions, our attitude when things go wrong, making the decision to trust God rather than letting the seeds of bitterness take root, serving hearty soup in a pretty bowl with homemade bread on the side... instead of complaining there is no money for steak, searching for Beauty while Trifting, choosing to be thankful for what we have... all coming together to provide the safe and cozy harbor in the crazy world in which we live.

Miss Victoria's spring fever

I don't think my living room sheers are going to survive Victoria's spring hunting instincts.  Not only have we had the return of various birds but at least one chipmunk has been seen on the deck.

Perhaps the funniest exchange between the feline and an outdoor creature was when a squirrel set on its' haunches and stared at her through the window of the deck doors... either a very brave squirrel or it had a knowledge that the whiskered one was hindered by glass.

March Madness

Another reason I've been a little out-of-pocket online is the season in which we find ourselves.  I'm not talking Spring necessarily (although it is in the 60's today!).  No... the season of March Madness.

Having grown up in a state where little boys were given their first basketball in the nursery... and now little girls, too... basketball is a big deal in our house.  I hope to not sound sacrilegious if I call it nearly a religion in itself.

This afternoon, I was taking a little nap when I woke up to shouting coming from the vicinity of the family room.  It turned out there were numerous upsets going on throughout the various tournaments and the guys were watching three games at once... all coming down to the wire.

There is something about David beating Goliath on the basketball floor that brings out the best (or worst?) in all of us.  It gives individuals hope that within this crazy world, there are times when the little guy wins.

Of course, if your team is a Goliath then you don't want any such occurrence.  So far, we're still good (crossing fingers, and toes, and anything else I can think of... even if I don't believe in luck).  ;)

Just checking in... again!

We're in the midst of Spring Break here.  Christopher was quite ill for a few days but now he's beginning to feel "human" again.  I've been encouraging plenty of rest and Miss M. has been here a couple of times since her college is also on Spring Break.  He was able to work a few hours today at his part-time job and go on campus to study.  That's a very good sign he's recovering.

Thank you for all the comments about the last Sunday Afternoon Tea.  I forgot to mention that the year we lived by the pond was one of two different years we had no income at all!  God's provision was and is always remarkable.

I am still behind on e-mails and I found a lot of "good" e-mails buried in the Spam folder this week!  I always look through it before emptying the folder and I recognized a couple of the e-mail addresses.  Which caused me to look closely at all of them and there were four or five legit e-mails which I will answer.  I don't know how long they have been there.

As for the e-mails telling me I've one millions or you're stuck in some foreign country and need help... Sorry, Charlie.

Photo: Taken by my friend BB in Corpus Christi, TX

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

I would sit by the pond for hours... Bible open to that section in which I lived for months upon months... the Psalms.  The year of living by the pond was one in the midst of great trial and heartache, when I had to remind myself to breath as the emotional and spiritual pain was so intense I questioned my physical survival.  The emotional pain so deep I did not think I could live one more day.

The three humans and two kitties were pretty much isolated, not knowing anyone in the area and totally in the dark regarding where we would settle permanently.  It was the year I decided not to "do math" and our homeschooling was mostly reading books, walking the shore of Lake Michigan, and visits to museums and the nearest library. 

Somehow God had led us to rent this place in the midst of a forest by the pond.  At the time I didn't understand this was a Gift from Above. The move there had been a nightmare and the eventual move "back home" would require stepping out in blind faith.

But the year by the pond changed my life... it changed me.  Contentment... peace... joy... all feelings I embrace wholeheartedly and all birthed that year of intense personal pain... my very soul in the furnace of affliction... all that which didn't matter being melted away. 

I remember hot summer nights as my head lay on the pillow with the open window immediately to my side.  The sounds of the forest and those coming from the pond in combination... providing a lullaby for the brokenhearted.

I recall often the thoughts which would run through my mind each night to enable me to sleep... "there is nothing you can do right now to change circumstances"... "close your eyes and rest in Him"... "sleep, listen to the sounds of crickets and night birds and frogs in the pond"... "trust God in all things"... "He has not forgotten you".

There continued a battle for my mind and soul as I found myself drawn to water... the pond... Lake Michigan... one a small home for even tinier life... the other as big as an ocean when viewed sitting by the shore... yet also life giving.  I had to let go of fear, bitterness, unforgiveness to make room for Grace and Peace.  I had to give up my way for His.

I always think of the lessons learned that year as I watch catastrophe on the TV news.  So much in the world is out of our control.  Life can be thrown into turmoil in seconds as the wind blows, the flood waters rise, the earth beneath our feet trembles.  I think of it when I hear children have been killed in a fire or a family wiped out as a drunk driver took the wrong turn.  Life is uncertain at best.

But I cling to the Gift of that year... forged in the fire led up to by years of adversity and feeling much like Frodo at the edge of Mount Doom.  I had known Him as Savior and Father since my teen years.  I walked the Christian walk and talked the Christian talk... but... I met Him as Comforter and Friend by the pond.

Eventually some of my circumstances improved, moving "back home" and a few years later purchasing our house at the edge of the woods.  There are those trials which have never ceased, those He gives the Grace to meet each day... trusting His journey instead of youthful hopes and dreams and desires which had fallen apart.

He knew what would befall humanity in this fallen world as He promised us peace such as the world cannot give.  It was not a false promise or given to only a few but for all who would draw close to the Person... the Prince of Peace... even as the earth trembles and the waves roar around us.

Trusting God in chaos

I sat at the McDonald's by the Engineering Building yesterday afternoon, watching images flashing on the TV screen.  Such tragedy in Japan!  (I thought of Senkyoushi-- a long time blogger and missionary to Japan-- and went to her blog today... here.)

As I waited for Christopher to meet me there after his doctor's appointment at the University's health clinic (he has two different ear infections and a sinus infection) a man sitting near me struck up a conversation about Mother Earth and how she is angry at what has been done to her.  I told him I agreed that the earth is in upheaval although from a Christian viewpoint.

I have often wondered how one can walk the journey on this fallen planet without trusting there is Someone who has it all together... that we are not here by chance... that the world will not end in nuclear winter because the Word tells us God is in control... albeit the last book of the Bible has some rather scary scenarios!

The man at McDonald's has his belief in a distant but angry Mother Earth.  I have a Father... a Savior... a Comforter-Friend.  That makes all the difference.

That doesn't mean I never fear or feel apprehension.  Especially during a tornado warning!  But I still know He is there when I'm afraid.

There is a very good article regarding recent events by Anne Graham Lotz... here. It is called Five Things a Storm Can't Destroy.

Photo: Reuters/Kyodo

Happy Anniversary New England Contingent

My son-in-law with his Dad and Faith

 Wow, it has been eleven years since you were married in that quaint chapel in my hometown.

Trust Stephanie to find a shabby chic place to be married.  :)

God blessed us with a wonderful son-in-law.  Although we tease him about coming to the Midwest to take home a PhD and our daughter... the truth is he was a blessing from God and a wonderful husband and father.

Their home is such a joy to visit even if it is rather crazy at times with the five beautiful perfect children (hehehe).

Just checking in...

Silk daisies... they make me think Spring thoughts.

We have had more snow but at least it is melting quickly!  Outside the world is still in winter mode but there is the hope of grass and flowers:)

Isn't this robin cute?  A sweet friend made it and sent it to me when I was longing for a sign of Spring.  I originally had it sitting on the hutch in the Living Room but a certain Miss Victoria thinks it is a real bird.  I caught her batting the poor robin around the floor.  It is now safely on a top shelf in the family room where my Beanie Baby robin sits... the robin being the official bird of the family.

Thank you to my friend!!!  You blessed me very much.

I'm feeling much better and I'm using the opportunity to catch up on laundry and housework.  I'm keeping crackers in my purse now when I'm on the go to help with nausea.  Reminds me of when I was young and pregnant, hehehe.  Except some of the men in my family (especially a couple of my nephews) get the same symptoms during huge changes in weather and we never "wondered" about them.  ;)

I'm going to try the eucalyptus oil treatment since I have some on hand.  I also always keep tea tree oil.  Many thanks also to those who commented about saving money on K-cups... including my daughter who had to throw in her opinion of Folgers. 

Keurig and stuff

Keurig Mini-Plus

Just popping in amidst sinus issues making life... interesting.  Doctors through the years have asked if I had any major illnesses before developing Juvenile Diabetes and I have always answered... problem pregnancies and problem sinuses.  March, with its' extreme temperatures in one day, has always been a challenge.  I can handle the sinus pressure but it is the nausea that just knocks me out.  But I'll take it as it means we are going from winter to spring.

I'm planning a few posts about homeschooling and education, which I will write as soon as I'm not in a Benedryl induced coma.  My apologies to those I've promised for YEARS that I will write about the subject.  I want to have it all ready to go before I start posting.  So... if I'm out of pocket here I'm probably writing the homeschooling posts.

Regarding the Keurig... I heart my Keurig.  It sits on the counter very near my Precious mixer.  I fell in love with the Keurig after using Stephanie's when we were there in October.  She and her hubby have the Big Kahuna Keurig.  It is not only convenient but it makes an exceptional cup of coffee.

I knew ahead of time she was getting us one for Christmas as she had to ask what kind I wanted.  She'd planned on buying one like hers but when she saw the new Mini-Plus in... red... she had an idea I'd prefer it.  It's bigger and better than the little desktop model and takes less counter space than the biggy (which is important in my small kitchen) and it is... red.

It's advertised as a good "second coffee maker" and that's how I use it.  Most mornings I brew coffee in the bigger coffeemaker as that is much cheaper.  However, I have used the K-cups in the morning when I needed coffee quickly and did not prepare the bigger coffeemaker the night before.  But I always feel guilty when I do that. ;)

The real benefit of the Keurig is in the afternoon and evening when one of us only wants one cup of coffee.  It's also great for the nights Christopher comes home late and has to study for a couple of hours.  Used to he'd make a pot of coffee and it would be bitter by the time we were up the following morning.  It works well for Stephanie and her husband since one drinks regular coffee and the other decaf.

I'd say if you are going to use it for your main coffee maker, you'd want the bigger Keurig.  Neither the small nor the midsized we use store water in a canister and neither can use the big mugs (although ours can use a bigger cup than the desktop model).

At one time, most of the available K-cups were in dark roast (which my husband doesn't like at all) but I've been able to find lighter roasts at the grocery store these past few months.  Now that the Keurig has become so popular, our regular grocery store coffee is available in a K-cup.  I personally buy what is on sale (and I can usually find one brand on sale at the various stores) but when I have my druthers, the Green Mountain Breakfast Blend is one all three of us like.  It's the Goldilocks of the K-cup world...

When you buy a Keurig, it usually comes with a variety of Green Mountain K-cups to try and most are dark roast.  I believe it does come with a sample Breakfast Blend, though... at least it did in ours.  I'd already tried a variety at Stephanie's house so I knew what to expect.

I use the Keurig to quickly heat water for tea, too.  Just don't insert a K-cup in it when you run the water through.  If you can afford it, there are all kinds of really neat K-cups on Amazon... tea, hot chocolate, and "apple cider" just to name a few.  I haven't tried any of them, yet.  Although I did have a few cups of Celestial Seasonings tea on Stephanie's dime and they were all delicious.  :)

If you currently spend a lot of money to purchase coffee at coffee shops instead of brewing it at home, you will end up saving money with the Keurig.  If you drink only one cup a day or you have different needs for caffeine and decaf, it is still worth being your main coffeemaker. 

Since my Keurig was a gift, I didn't have that original cost of the machine.  Since I purchase K-cups when they are on sale and I do not use them (most of the time) for morning when we have two cups of coffee... they are affordable luxuries... but they are a luxury item as they cost about 50 cents to 60 cents each... much more than when making coffee with purchased beans or ground coffee... much less than if you purchase your prepared coffee away from home... lots and lots less.

Stephanie bought me the Keurig insert that makes it possible to use your own coffee instead of the K-cups but I still haven't figured it out, yet.  I will overcome... it is not rocket science and I will figure it out.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

I mentioned in another post that I spent part of a day running errands earlier this week.  I had to make a quick trip to the town next to me to pick up my thyroid medicine.  However, it ended up being a day I was feeling quite well, so on a whim... I went treasure hunting at the Goodwill near my pharmacy, drove to Barnes & Noble to enjoy British decorating magazines and new cookbooks, perused the shelves of the Goodwill store in my town, and ended up meeting Christopher for lunch at the University.

While for some people, such a day would be normal and long ago in my own journey it would have been just another day... for me in this body and in this part of the journey... such a day is a rare jewel.  Just the evening before my husband had asked if I wanted to run errands together the next morning and I declined as I wasn't feeling well.

I don't talk very much about my illness as that is not the central theme of these writings... and anyone with a chronic illness knows you do your best to retain your own identity and not wear a flashing neon sign which flickers off and on... BROKEN.

Don't get me wrong, there have been hours and days and entire years when I've stomped my feet and cried and pouted and acted like a two year old whose daddy is withholding candy because of circumstances in my life.

I don't know why God allowed chronic illness to attack or any other bad thing to enter the path He has set before me.  But I have learned this... when we allow suffering to have its perfect will in our life... when we know the One who was born to suffer for us... we learn that to suffer can bring its' own reward.

No, we don't learn it the first year or the second or even the sixth or seventh... but one comes to realize it is in the suffering that we cling to Him.  It is in the brokenness that we are made whole. It is the pain that keeps us on the path toward that Day when we meet Him face to face.  If we love Him only if He heals us... we do not truly love Him.

We in the western world do not like to hear such things.  Instead we turn to teachers that tell us God makes us healthy and wealthy and if bad things happen to good people it is because they just aren't believing hard enough.  Much like the little child who reminds Santa that it has to be the red bike or nothing on Christmas morning, we shake our fist at Him and say pain was not in the original agreement.

But He only has to send us back to the Owner's Manual to read the words not filtered through man's preferred theology.  We live out our days on a fallen planet where there are storms and wars and famine and enemies of all kinds.  There is illness and unemployment and lack and fear.  We only have to look at Libya this week... Australia within the past few months... Haiti not only in the past year but for decades... or to visit the pediatric ward at the local hospital... it isn't Heaven, yet.

I was curled up on my sofa late Friday night waiting for Christopher to return home from a date with Miss M.  My husband was already sound asleep.  Candles were lit in the living room... one of them perfuming the air around me, lamps on the chandelier had been lowered with the dimmer switch... reflecting just a little light on the china in the corner cabinet.

I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for my cozy little house, the bookshelves heavy with favorite books, inherited antiques with memories of the homes they originally occupied, favorite artwork, photos of loved ones... and a Maine Coon kitty curled up snoozing nearby.  A feeling of amazement at how He has taken that which is broken and made a home and a life.  Far from the original plans... but good.

No... this is not our permanent Home.  I have always felt when each of us who love Him enter Eternity, we will instantly feel that we've come home... that this is what we were longing for all along.  Just as a mother forgets the pain as she holds the newborn child in her arms, I believe we will no longer think of all the pain we felt in this life.  Instead... we will know the destination was worth it all.

That is what faith and hope are all about.

Listening...

Frodo reading...

I'm basically a stay at home Hobbit-type person.  Especially when I have a stack of unread books to enjoy, a new box of my favorite Green Mountain Breakfast Blend K-cups, Splenda in the sugar bowl, and real cream in the frig.

However, yesterday took me away from home early and for hours running errands.  I was tired as I drove home but when the cell phone rang and it was Christopher, asking if I wanted to meet him for lunch... I immediately said yes!  He had finished his exam and a lunch break was just what the doctor ordered.  Thankfully, I was just on the outskirts of town where I could easily turn around and head for the heart of campus.

I must stick to a tight budget but there are days when "lunch out" to listen to a loved one... mixed with spending time which could be used elsewhere but most needed here... is the best use of resources.  Stephanie and I can practically communicate through our thoughts, we think so much alike.  Christopher, on the other hand, is much like me in that we enjoy comfortable silence as well as good conversation.

Both were observed as I enjoyed a vegetarian Pad Thai and he literally inhaled pasta.  First there was shared silence as he was mentally retaking the brutal exam and my thoughts were scattered... mainly on what needed to be accomplished at home.  Then as good food brought... as my father-in-law would often say... the life back to our bones... we were ready to talk and listen and whine (it was a terrible exam) and commiserate as we both were experiencing sinus pressure.  But mostly I listened.

My husband often bemoans the fact that when the kids (both grown up, of course) call home they usually want to talk to me.  I've tried to explain to him... usually of no avail... that it is because I listen.  They call him for advice but to talk... it's Mom. 

I learned long ago in my former life in Human Resources and Organization Development that a whole lot can be accomplished by just listening.  Most people know the answers to their problems... they just need someone to talk to.  Of course, I'm the type of mother who thinks my children are just about the smartest, most creative, amazing people on the planet... so I love to listen to them.  ;)

Listening is something we can all do, it just requires time and attention.  Even the bedridden can have a listening ministry.  Grandmothers and grandfathers can listen.  A job loss can affect us financially but a blessing in disguise is when it gives one more time to listen.

Sometimes listening is done best as two or more work together such as washing dishes or dusting furniture or sewing or gardening or any such activity which is conducive to sharing thoughts without eye contact... especially for chats where feelings can be hurt or the subject is rather uncomfortable.

There are those occasions when reading the same book or watching a movie makes for an opportunity to listen to another... after the reading and the watching have occurred.  Francis Schaeffer often talked about the importance of reading and watching what is most important in the culture right now (not that which is defiling, of course) to provide a shared basis to discuss... and to listen.

In our family, some of the best talking and listening has taken place at a restaurant or coffee shop.  Especially when the desire was one on one conversation.  Then there is the listening a mother becomes quite adept at as the older child arrives home late in the evening and a cup of tea and perhaps a snack is made ready as the events of the day are shared by lamplight.

I plan to stay home today.  Rain is beating against the window and there is laundry to be done and meals prepared and dishes washed and perhaps some baking to... all done a little at a time with limited energy... last night's book awaiting with the bookmark reminding where the reading stopped as the eyes grew weary and ready to sleep.  My inner Hobbit is home.

Postscripts

While the temperatures were on the chilly side today, it still felt like Spring... perhaps the angle of the sun or just the feel of the breeze?  Whatever the reason, it was quite welcome. There is snow in the forecast for later this week but at least once March arrives... it will melt quickly.  :)

I had to meet Christopher at the library by campus early this evening to give him workout clothes and books he ended up needing for later tonight.  On the New Nonfiction shelf was Condoleezza Rice's book Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family.  So excited it was there as I've wanted to read it for awhile.  This month (so far) looks like mostly nonfiction reading except for one novel waiting patiently.

Oh, thanks for the suggestion about listening to Jan Karon's latest book on audio!  I hadn't thought of that at all but it is an excellent idea for books with "accents".  I loved listening to the Hank the Cowdog books on CD, just to hear that West Texas drawl (I think I read... somewhere... that the author didn't read the later audio CDs, though).

I watched Ann Voskamp talk about her book on 100 Huntley Street today (a Canadian Christian TV show we can see on the NRB Channel in the States).  Part one of her interview is here... and Part two here.  It was an excellent interview.  Oh, yes... I know someone answered the question in comments but Ann's blog is A Holy Experience... here.

I also forgot to answer a previous comment question about how I handle mice in the garage since my pantry shelves are there.  They were quite active when we first moved here but keeping mouse poison on the shelves (all shelves where a kitty would find it hard to go) as well as many years of said kitties living here has brought about much less mouse activity.

Having said that... I keep my extra packages of various sugars and items which come in plastic packages in two big Rubbermaid containers on the bottom shelf.  Items which come in boxes like cereal, whole wheat pancake mix, etc. are kept on higher shelves and so far I haven't had any trouble (finding wood to knock on there...).

I store my wheat in plastic pails and my oats are in small Rubbermaid style containers.  Such food acts as magnets to varmints if they are in easy reach.  A few other items are kept in what would now be called "vintage" large Tupperware containers... but they weren't vintage when I bought them.  Sigh...

Some items come inside when it gets very hot and humid... like anything with chocolate.  Not that anything with chocolate lasts long on my shelves regardless.  ;)

I love, love, love getting your e-mails and I really do read them all when they arrive.  I just don't get back as fast to respond but if you have written... someday when you least expect it... there will be an e-mail from me and you'll try to remember... who, what, where???

Picture:  Rose Bouquet teacup; allposters.com

Books read in February

Does it seem as if the days are flying by to you, too?  I just wrote about the books read in January... and December... and... well, you get the idea.  :)

This is always the time to thank you for entering Amazon through my widget (or that of another blogging friend).  It does not cost you anything but adds up for those of us who have the widgets... this month enabling me to add to my gardening-cooking books as well as sending Stephanie a surprise gift (she hasn't received it yet, just something small she had mentioned she wanted in passing).  Thank you, muchly.  :)

It was a great month for books found at the library, books as gifts, and even a much desired book sent free since I don't have much to spend. 

Nonfiction

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
I knew from Ann's blog that the writing would be lovely and I had read part of the first chapter online.  However, I was still surprised how it quickly grasped my attention.  There is no gradually finding what this book is about... you know it immediately.  Ann writes in such a way we climb inside her pain and feel not only hers but that which is within our soul.  But it's okay... she doesn't leave you in the depths.

This is a journey from tragedy to God's triumph in Ann's life... from death to His Life breathed into hers... and we all learn the importance of gratitude and forgiveness and how learning to look for God's Presence in our life will change it.  We learn about... eucharisteo. 

This book will become a classic, to be read over and over by those who need love and grace and to know Someone is there to fix the broken places in their life.  Highly recommended.

Disclosure:  This book was sent to me by DaySpring but in no way affected the review.  It is simply wonderful.

Fiction

Wren Bay: the Story of making a home 
by Clarice Fox-Hughes
This book was a gift from from a friend (thank you, very much... you know who you are).  The book starts out just a little slow (it is Clarice's first novel, after all) but becomes better with each and every page and I found myself not being able to put it down.  (I think we should always give a first novel extra grace.) 

It is about a newlywed Wren whose husband must leave for WW1 just weeks after they are married.  Each chapter is about Wren's journey in her new world of homemaking.

Anyone who loves novels about domestic endeavors... making a home... cooking and baking... gardening... becoming the woman God wants us to be... every person who loves reading such a book will absolutely love this one.  I hope a sequel is already being written...

You can purchase Wren Bay... here.

The Twelfth Imam by Joel Rosenberg
I was so happy to find this book on the New Fiction shelves at the library.  As some of you know, I'm a big fan of Joel's fiction and nonfiction books.  The Twelfth Imam is the first book in a new series he is writing.  This book opens when the American Embassy is being overthrown in Iran during the Carter Administration to provide the background for the main players.  It continues through to modern day America and Iran.

The main premise is... what would happen if the expected Twelfth Imam appears to those expecting him in Iran.  This is not a fairy tale but the very reason the current leadership of Iran is developing a nuclear bomb to take out the Little Satan (Israel) and the Big Satan (United States).

As with all Rosenberg's fiction books... this one takes me through lots of activity and leaves me breathless.  Now, it is the first novel in a series and you know how that is... laying the foundation with the history behind the relationships, the people involved, etc.  It's like taking a 101 level class at University... necessary to understand the whole story.  I was not disappointed at all!

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon
Speaking of... ummm... disappointment.  After reading a few chapters of this book, I found myself avoiding it and either not reading at all or skimming a magazine as I cast a sideways guilty glance at the book.  I finally decided to call it quits and skipped to the last few chapters to see how it ends.

The problem with it?  I could not get past the ghastly Irish accents.  The book is mostly conversation and it is choppy (probably due to incorporating the accents) and very hard to follow.  I didn't have a problem with skipping from the present to the past like some reviewers have had (probably because I had been warned about this whole journal thing already) but it certainly didn't help the flow of the book.

The concept of the book was good and the characters were interesting but I don't want to work that hard to read anything.  I'd suggest getting it from the library as I did to see if you can get past the accents and such.  If you can, there is hidden within all of it a good story.

Perusing off and on...
I'm still reading through Grow Great Grub, Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail.  I absolutely adore this gardening book, it is perfect for the new-ish gardener like me but even an experienced gardener would enjoy it.  Although written for a gardener without a lot of space to plant, I'd say it is helpful even if you have a few extra acres in the back forty.  That's Midwest talk for lots of land in case you need a translation.

Also still perusing The Amish Cook's Anniversary Book by Lovina Eicher and Kevin Williams.  Originally the newspaper columns written by Lovina's late mother and then taken over by her, they are so warm and homespun.  You come to know the family and they give you a glimpse into the everyday life of the Amish... not glossed over or touristy or anything like that... but much like regular letters from a friend.

It's written in such a way you can pick it up when you have just a small amount of time to read and perhaps sip a little tea before returning to the gotta do's of the day.  As I wrote before, this doesn't have a lot of recipes (as the previous books were basically recipe books) but there are enough I want to try.

Late to the Party
I was skimming the shelves of the Used Book Room in my library recently when I came upon Annie Dillard's book, The Writing Life, for only two dollars.  As I skimmed through the pages, I knew the book had to come home with me.

While I'm certain the most benefit from this book will be felt by those who write books... as I began to read it last night, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dillard's many insights into the journey one takes as they write.  In upcoming chapters, she shares where and how she wrote some of her bestsellers.

I just started it but it already looks like it will be fun to read for those of us who love books... and perhaps essential to those who write them.

I already have a stack of books ready for attention this month and it is time to pull more of my gardening books off the shelf.  Yes... I can feel it in the air even though it is cold outside.  Spring can't be too far away... albeit we can't plant until May!

Picture: Kim Sung; allposters.com