going bananas

While I am off galivanting around the Georgian countryside with my folks, here is a recipe for you to enjoy - should you want to bake this weekend. And should you have power, which a lot of people don't. Including my aunt and uncle and cousins in southern Illinois. We are praying for them. Their house is 47*. They do have water. In their basement. Running water too. Their television made an ominous popping sound before the power went off and the power strip to their computer is black.

They have been invited to come down here where we have heat, but they need to stay home and make sure pipes don't freeze. And chop down all the trees in their front yard and the big limb in their backyard that narrowly missed the kitchen.

We are praying for them. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power.

~~~~

Here is the recipe, from a good friend who was very hospitable to us when we were a young married couple. It is a nice moist easy cake to make.

Banana no liquid cake

1/2 C. shortening

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. soda

3 mashed bananas

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 C. chopped nuts

Cream shortening with sugar, add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add flour, soda and salt, beatingn well. Add bananas and nuts and you guessed it, beat well.

Bake 350* for 30 minutes in 13x9 pan.

Icing:

small package cream cheese

2 C. powdered sugar

1 T. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream cream cheese with sugar, add milk, vanilla. Mix well and spread over cooled cake.

plains speaking

I never know when it will happen. I unsuspectingly sit down at Mom and Dad's breakfast table and an idea is pitched: Do you want to go to New York? Do you want to go to Helen, Georgia?

I always want to go, loving a road trip as much as Mom and Dad do, but sometimes I am not able to go for various reasons.

A few weeks ago they asked me if I wanted to go to Georgia again. Same state, different town.

I couldn't get away the weekend they wanted to go, but we worked it out for this weekend and will leave in the morning.


We will be staying here.

And because we will be out of town on a Sunday we will go to church. And Sunday School.

This will be our Sunday School teacher:

He doesn't teach every Sunday, but the church website has a calendar of when he will be in town. They have everything very organized as you would expect a church who has a former president in attendance to be. We will have to go through a metal detector. There is enough room for 300 in the room where the class is held - any overflow will go into another large room with a video feed.

After class there is a reception line and you may greet the Carters and take a picture, but no autographs.

You may or may not agree with his politics , but it is not very often you get to see a former president up close and personal. Couldn't pass on this opportunity.

What do you say when you meet a former president? It probably would not be polite to ask his if he seriously thinks he can get Hamas to negotiate with Israel. I could thank him for his humanitarian work on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

Or I could mention the family connection we have with him. Back in the early days of our family worm book business (started in the '50's by Pat's grandpa), the president's uncle, Hugh Carter, was one of our customers. He sold our worm books, we advertised his worm farm. I would guess that Jimmy's Uncle Hugh is no longer with us, if he is, he's probably well over 100.

Should I mention this?

What would Hugh do?

help, please?

Several years ago, I ducked into a cute little antique shop - located in an old home. I think those are the best, don't you? More charming than antique malls.

True confession here: I go to antique shops not to buy anything, but to see how much money someone else thinks they can get for something I already have. Make sense? So I leave the shop with the smug feeling that they can charge $40 if they want for a little sewing basket - I have two of them already and don't need anymore.

I didn't see anything I wanted in this particular antique store either. But I had struck up a very nice conversation with the owner, there were no other customers in sight and I was starting to feel bad that I would soon be leaving her without making a purchase.

Then I saw the above unfinished dresser scarf. So, I placed my dollar (and six cents for the governor) on the counter and walked away with the scarf. It may have been the only sale she made that day. Big spender.

I bought it because I had previously seen a lady at an art fair with a vest made out of a dresser scarf. It was so cute, I stopped her and asked her if she made it. "No, I bought it at a craft fair."

Now, I have the scarf, plenty of embroidery floss and a fair amount of time to devote to the task of turning this unfinished scarf into a cute summery vest.

The problem? I can't remember exactly what the vest looked like (see yesterday's post). I can certainly do all the embroidery work, but then I'm not quite sure how to put it all together in a cute summery vest.

I've done some internet surfing, beg your pardon, research (we call it 'research' around here - that sounds more scholarly and less aimless than surfing) and have come up with nothing.

Have any of you, dear readers, ever seen a dresser scarf turned into a cute summery vest? Do you know of a pattern or better yet a tutorial on a blog? I'd be ever so grateful if you could help me!

~~~~~

The intrepid travelers who live down the street from us have invited me to accompany them on a little excursion. It will surely involve traveling windy Georgia roads again. Details tomorrow.

where stereotypes are born

Popcorn Sutton and still

One of the local news stories getting play around here lately is the arrest of local folk hero and moonshiner Popcorn Sutton.

Mr. Sutton was arrested for making 'shine and being in possession of a fair number of firearms (presumably not properly registered). Yep, the 'revenooers' finally caught up with him. I am sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he has produced an instructional video on how to make moonshine or that he has published a book: "Me and my Likker." (Not an endorsement.)They discovered three vats capable of holding 1000 gallons of your beverage of choice each.

Now to my Northwoods friends, who are accustomed to seeing a tavern on every corner, this may not seem like a big deal. But we've got dry counties down here (not all, but some) and makin' shine is agin' the law.

You can read some more of Popcorn's story here.

My point? Popcorn looks like the stereotypical backwoods moonshiner in my opinion. And he works it to his advantage. His lawyer asked for leniency in sentencing, saying that prison could be detrimental to his health because of his advanced age ( he is a year younger than someone who lives in this house). The lawyer requested house arrest ( where he got into trouble in the first place?).

Speaking of stereotypes and lest you think I am being too hard on Mr. Sutton, I fulfilled some stereotypical expectations myself just yesterday.

First of all, I put some stuff in the car prior to my trip into town. While doing so, I accidentally leaned on the car horn. Loud and long. In my garage. Which is attached to my house. Where my husband works, talking throughout the day with various department heads in the CIA, FBI, NCIS, Secret Service and Homeland Security ( I can't tell you exactly what he does or I'd have to ....well, you know). Anyway, thankfully, he was not on the phone when I laid on the horn. So he did not have to explain my blond behavior to any government employees.

Not more than a half hour later I was wandering around the house looking for my glasses. They were not in any of the usual places. Not even here:

Instead, after several minutes, I found them in my left hand. Yeah, the whole time I was searching. Talk about a senior moment. As you can see by the silver (not gray, thank you very much) hairs mixed in with the blond, I can blame moments like this on air-headedness or my age.

Worst of all, I spent several minutes trying to get just the right shot of my glasses on my head. Bloggers have been accused of being somewhat narcissistic.

I think I just fulfilled another stereotype.

food for thought

yep. done.

It wasn't until a lady in choir asked me to help out with the food pantry that I realized our church even had one.

With headlines like this occurring more regularly, the need for food pantries continues to grow.

Our local headlines reflect the national trend. And of course, every set of layoffs trickles down and affects other businesses.

They interviewed a lady on the news last night. She was preparing to be laid off. While she still had a job she was using any discretionary income she had to buy extra food. She also had some money in savings.

Smart lady. She should probably make sure her resume is up to date as well. And buy seeds to plant a big garden.

Back to our church food pantry. One thing that amazed me is how many volunteers there are. About 100. And this in a church where the regular attendance is 500-600.

For a ministry with such a high percentage of congregational involvement , it keeps a very low profile. The food pantry is not part of the regular church budget. The church provides the facility, but as far as I can tell, none of the paid staff is involved in an administrative capacity. That means, essentially no overhead.

Last year over $17,000 worth of food was distributed. That makes for a lot of food, especially when you consider that Second Harvest only charges about $.26 a pound for food. And many people bring in canned goods, rather than donate money.

I have yet to hear a financial appeal, either from the pulpit or in the newsletter for the food pantry. It seems that they rely on God to supply their needs. And He does.

One day a man drove by the church and saw all the people lined up outside waiting for their turn to get in. He asked what was going on. He was told and promptly donated $500.

Another man bought turkeys for each family.

I am always so inspired by these stories. Stories of people who listen to God's voice. Who obey His call.

And of a God Who cares. And supplies our every need.

tip of the iceberg

I was almost able to accomplish all my weekend chores. Except for the scarf. I moved from being 2/3 done to about 9/10 done. Hope to finish it today.

The reason (I tell myself) that I did not finish the scarf was because our after church potluck and short food pantry business meeting turned into a three hour event. Wasn't expecting that - but oh, was it worth it!

The potluck itself was simple. Soup and sandwich, dessert. I had a pimento cheese sandwich on white bread. I don't think I have had one of those since I was a kid!

We sat across from a man named Lester. Lester is a soft spoken Tennessee country boy. He does not attend our church ( we soon learned that the food pantry sponsored by our church has volunteers from several other churches). His job? To sing at the once a month worship service.

I'll interrupt the story at this point to just say what a wonderful and inspiring meeting this was. Pat and I help bag groceries once a month with another couple (or two). We knew there were other people involved in this ministry - bagging groceries the other weeks of the month - as well as dispersing food. But we didn't realize the scope of the ministry.

Every week two senior men drive up to Knoxville to Second Harvest to get a ton or so of food (Second Harvest is a non-profit that procures food to disperse to food pantries - it is supported by good folks like our neighbors down the street.). They unload the food into various closets throughout the church.

This happens on Thursday. On Friday each and every week, three to five volunteers bag up one hundred bags of food. On Saturday morning, the recipients arrive. Someone is there to pray with them for any needs they might share, register them, give them a number, encourage them. They may attend the Bible study which is offered 3 weeks out of the month or attend the worship service which is held once a month.

Lester sings at the once a month worship service. He also sang yesterday at our potluck. Before it was his time to go up, he leaned over and whispered: "I always get so nervous before I sing. I could see his hands shake." I know the feeling and assured him I would pray while he sang.

Here is what he sang in a heartfelt country boy way:

Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me

As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along,

And they say I have nothing, but they are so wrong.

In my heart I'm rejoicing, how I wish they could see.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me.

There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep.

There's food on my table; there's shoes on my feet.

You gave me Your love, Lord and a fine family.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me.

I know I'm not wealthy, and these clothes are not new;

And I don't have much money, but, Lord, I have you.

And to me that's all that matters, though the world may not see.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me.

There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep.

There's food on my table; there's shoes on my feet.

You gave me Your love, Lord, and a fine family.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me.

it was a beautiful simple song....more to share tomorrow.....

weekend accountability

blurry sunrise

really should put my glasses on when I'm snapping pics

More often than not, I am guilty of making many more plans for a weekend than I can accomplish. I have grandiose ideas in my head of all the things I can get done - gardening, sewing, cooking, writing, knitting, cleaning, exercising. I guess I think of myself 'more highly than I ought'.

So this early Saturday morning, I am trying to be realistic. But I also feel that if I put my 'to-do' list out on this blog post I will feel accountable to get them 'to-done'.

So here goes. We are attending a food pantry potluck tomorrow after church. I was told to bring a dessert, so I will bake a dessert sometime today (I think 'cookie dough brownies if I can find the recipe).

Daniel asked me to knit a scarf for him. I am 2/3 done. If I want to get it to him before spring, I need to really focus on completing it. I think I can get it done by Sunday evening?????

I need to read through the first 8 chapters of Nehemiah for Sunday School tomorrow.

We need to put some stuff in the attic today. That won't take long, but it is so easy to put off....

There are three bills to pay.

I have four articles of clothing I want to 'refashion'. I'm not even gonna touch these until I get the scarf done. But should I get the scarf done....there are two blouses to take in (hooray!) and two skirts I want to shorten from ankle length to just below the knee length. But I must get that scarf done first (did I mention that?).

Anyway, enough about me. What are you planning to accomplish this weekend?

just for fun

http://www.faceinhole.com/show.asp?id=8e97f7d9117e2ad34b

landscape design

Pat looked at the above picture when I posted it the other day and remarked that our house looked boring. He's right. We have flowers and shrubs around the foundation, oaks, maples and apple trees around the perimeter of the lot, but the center of the front yard is bare.

This is where our septic pipes are, snaking back and forth across 2/3 of our front lawn. So we are very limited in what we can put here. Nothing with deep roots.

So, I checked some gardening/landscaping books out from the library yesterday and gave them a quick perusal. All of the gardens/landscapes featured in these books are old. That is, well established. It takes years to get the foundational trees in place and to a height where they really anchor the setting of the lot. And more years to add in the necessary layers. Shrubs, ornamental trees, perennials, ferns, annuals.

We have started with a bare slate and for just one year's worth of work(and expense - yikes), I think we have a lot accomplished. The rest will probably come more slowly now. Evolve as the trees grow and provide more shade. In our first (not quite) year we have over 25 trees and 25 shrubs. We have three garden plots. Not to mention the 170 bulbs we planted last fall. Can't wait to see those!

Now for the center of the front yard, here is what I am thinking: an herbal knot garden. Formal, yet practical; providing herbs for culinary and medicinal use. Flowers and fragrance. And a sundial in the center. Or a water feature (I'm dreaming here). Or maybe a froufy, flowery English cottage garden.

I'm open to suggestions. Any thoughts?
~~~~~~~
For the anonymous commenter who requested more horsie pics, here is another. We went to visit the horsies yesterday with apples in our pockets. They wouldn't give us the time of day. Since we had been there on Wednesday afternoon, someone had come and burned away several feet of brush along the fencerow. That may have put them off.

Have you read this book? I finished it in less than two days. Great read. Let me know what you think of it. It will definitely give you food for thought.

met some new neigh burrs

I always appreciate the views and the scenery around here. As you come around a corner approaching our subdivision there is a spot where you get a very clear view of the distant mountains.

Yesterday afternoon with the sun dipping into the west, the view was even more spectacular than usual. The recent snows reflected the light of the setting sun. Pictures don't do it justice:

Because there are no shoulders on the road around here (Suzi will attest to this), I couldn't pull of and take a picture. So Pat and I tromped to the eastern side of our subdivision to zoom in on the mountains.

We were at the fence dividing the adjacent farm and suddenly a visitor appeared:

I didn't even know there were horses over there. The one above was joined by her friend, the old gray mare. Who ain't what she used to be. Not sure who owns these horses (there were a few more in the field that didn't bother to come greet us), but judging by the burrs in their manes, they don't get a lot of attention. We had a nice visit with them and told them we'd be back someday - with treats.

~~~~~~~~

Hey kjh and anyone else who is interested in reclaiming yarn from an old sweater -here is a tutorial explaining how to do it.

~~~~~~

School was cancelled for two days here because of the little bit of snow that we got. Choir was cancelled last night as well. I think this old northwoods gal is gonna get soft living down here.

post inaugural thoughts

one more look at Monday's sunrise

What a day yesterday was. Whether you voted for President Obama or not, whether you agree with his policies or not, it was undeniably an historical day. I had the television on for the better part of the day (not my usual practice), so throughout the day I caught bits and pieces of the festivities. Here are some of my random thoughts:

There is no way I would have wanted to attend any inaugural festivities. One poor woman had taken a 13 hour bus ride, stood in line for 4 hours and ultimately was not able to get in. And she had a ticket! Two million people in one place!

I appreciate the job the secret service and all our law enforcement does. Pat works with these guys all the time and the pressure of their job is enormous. Did you see any of them smile?

I loved Aretha's hat. Wish I could get away with wearing something like that.

Loved listening to the historical commentary by Michael Beschloss and Doris Kearns Goodwin on NBC. Such interesting tidbits of inaugurations and presidencies past.

Loved the exchange between Luke Russert and the man from Connecticut who carried a banner that read: WHAT A COUNTRY - something Luke's later father Tim (moderator of Meet the Press) often said.

I can't quite get my mind around the 170 million dollar (estimated) cost of the inauguration.

The pageantry and ceremony of the inauguration remind us of the seriousness of the task ahead. People have such high expectations of what President Obama will be able to do that it is hard to imagine that he will be able to live up to them.

There were several reminders that even those who have worked in the halls of the most powerful government in the world are not exempt from the frailties of all men. A former president limping in with a cane, a now former vice president in a wheel chair, a senator suffering from a seizure.

But all through the day, the the thought kept recurring - we ain't seen nothin' yet. Though the gowns and the glitz and the glamour (and Aretha's hat) were stunning, the bands were well coordinated, the advance planning and the timing of the events were accomplished without too many hitches -that we know of...

We ain't seen nothin' yet. The inauguration pales in comparison to THE DAY when Christ returns:

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever." I Thess. 4:16-17

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-4

more like winter

If you weren't up early enough in the morning around here you missed this:

What a spectacular sunrise! I love watching the sun make its way up over the mountains. Could there possibly be a better way to start the day? A refreshing brisk walk/run, a glorious sunrise, a visit with the folks and then time in the Word - a time to worship the One who flung the stars into space and has 'given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place' (Job 38:12).

But then later in the day there was this:

The first few flakes of snow we have seen accumulate since last April in the Northwoods.
I know it doesn't look like much ( we got a bit more last night) but you hardy Northwoods friends will be amused to know that the inch or so of accumulation has resulted in school cancellations across the area.

Course school was cancelled last week too when the temperatures plummeted to 5. Above.

It is different here.

But lovely. Gorgeous sunrises. Beautiful mountains. And it only takes a teeny bit of snow to slow things down.

~~~~~~

I found out yesterday that my friend Lora has surreptitiously returned to blogging. Give her a shout of welcome!

~~

the tradition continues

our airborn firstborn

photo by Troy Z.

For the past few years, Nathan, our oldest, has brought a group of guys up to our Northwoods home. It was not simply a social visit. The goal was to go snowboarding - at a place less than an hour from our home.

I believe I have mentioned here before that the folks that bought our house (college friend of Pat's) sometimes rent it out. Nate and his buddies stayed in the old home.

Apparently they had a great time and there were no visits to the emergency room. Course there was not home cookin' either - but I'm glad no one was hurt - even if they were not well fed. By me. Naturally it was a bitter cold weekend, but these guys seem to be able to handle it.

If they can't, they are more than welcome to come visit us in Tennessee. No snowboarding to speak of, but no bitter cold weather either. And plenty of home cookin'.

a fashion post

Those of you who know me well, know that I am 'not a slave to fashion' in the words of the Car Talk guys.



So you will be surprised to learn that I am a lurker at a fashion blog. It all started innocently enough. In my never ending quest to save money and the environment and all that good stuff I came across this intriguing blog. Readers are encouraged to not buy new clothes but to repurpose old clothes to bring them back to life (you know, like turning collars).



Some examples include - a husband's old ratty shirt cut down to size to make a cute blouse for the wife - or an old pullover sweater transformed into a cute cardigan. Admittedly, some of the things are rather ugly (in my opinion), but nothing ventured, nothing gained. As more and more retail businesses call it quits and more and more people lose their jobs, we may be very glad to learn the skills required to give our clothes new life.



In the course of reading the wardrobe refashion blog, I came across a link to this blog.



I love the subtitle: proof from the wizened and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age.

As far as I can tell in reading through some of the archives, this is not a tongue in cheek blog, but there is a genuine appreciation for the classy and classic styles exhibited. Okay, some are a little wacky. But all are very cool.



I would like to submit a photo of a very stylish couple I came across. Aren't they cute/handsome? Color coordinated in browns. I've got a lot to learn from these people.

dog gone

week in review

another quilt from Helen, Georgia

Well, its been quite a week in southeast Tennessee (apologies to Garrison Keillor).

Our neighbor had quadruple bypass. On Sunday I learned that Alice had died, a few hours later I found out that a friend of mine from choir had just discovered that she had cancer. Two ladies told me they suffer from depression. Another friend was hospitalized with an as yet undiagnosed ailment, still another is teetering on the brink of hospitalization.

We got a bill for Daniel's surgery for $6900. Silly us, we thought, since we had already paid several of the bills, that everything was covered. I told Daniel next time he had a polyp, I would remove it myself (I'm not sure he appreciates all my frugal tendencies).

Still another friend had a death in the family and was at the time facing a very difficult (unrelated) situation.

"In the world, you will have tribulation," Jesus tells us. "But I have overcome the world."

I am so thankful. Sometimes the problems that come our way seem overwhelming. We will have tribulation. Guaranteed. But it needn't overwhelm or overcome us. Christ is there and He has overcome all the things that threaten to sink us.

It is a privilege and duty to pray for those who are hurting. It is a comfort to go to the Throne of Grace and pour out our own needs and troubles at His feet. It is an adventure to watch and see how God answers.

I've seen so many answers to prayer over the course of my life. One more yesterday: the insurance company made a mistake and is re-processing Daniel's claim. Thank you, LORD!

a phone call from an old friend....

...pre-empted blogging time.

Catch you tomorrow!

revisiting resolutions

another cute Joshua picture -

like there is any other kind....

I received a card in the mail yesterday from the organization that sponsors free aerobics classes in our community. It contained a suggested list of New Year's Resolutions. Here they are:

1. I will walk or exercise 30 minutes every day.
2. I will eat at least 3 fruits and 5 veggies every day.
3. I will eat less sugar and fat every day.
4. I will add fiber to my diet.
5. I will learn new ways to make healthy foods for me and my family.
6. I will find exercise buddies to share my exercise moments.
7. I will take a 10 minute 'me' break once or twice a day.
8. I will decrease the number of sweet dringd I consume daily.
9. Me, smoking...are you crazy? I will kick the habit this year.
10. I will explore a new hobby or interest that I have been wanting to learn about.
11. I will call an old friend and catch up.
12. I need to befriend a new person in my community or workplace.

Interesting, huh? Does anyone eat 3 fruits and 5 veggies every day? 'Exercise moments'?

10 minute 'me' break?

Despite the fact that some of these make me laugh, there are some good ideas here and it reminded me that I should revisit my New Year's resolutions and see if I am on track. Now that we are a whole two weeks into the New Year.

But first, I suppose I should take a 'me' break.

How are you doing on your New Year's goals?

just what I needed

In the midst of a week of grief and remembrance, this picture ( and others) arrived in my inbox.

It does this granny a lot of good to look into those eyes of wonderment and awe. It helps me change my perspective.

I need to approach my world with child-like awe and wonder. I'm reminded to approach my Heavenly Father as His child - His child who needs to be comforted and guided.

And if I have a little bit of drool on my lower lip, that is okay too.

a tribute

The first time I met her, I thought she was probably someone famous. Petite, dressed in black, dark hair swept up on top of her head. She spoke in well-modulated tones and was very articulate; exhibiting the confidence of someone who was accustomed to being in front of people.



As a skinny 17 year old college freshman, I was a little intimidated, even though I was a head taller than she.



The intimidation didn't last long though. I came to love both Alice and her husband Ed as family. I never took any classes from Alice (just a few voice lessons), but had several from Ed. Pat counseled their children when he did youth work. They sang at our wedding. We discovered a mutual love for the Northwoods - they had property just a few miles from where we had property in Northern Wisconsin, though at the time we were both living in Elgin, Illinois. Pat helped in the construction of their Northwoods cabin.



Throughout the years our paths crossed often. At college events. At church in the Northwoods. Over coffee and dessert at their cabin or our home. They came to visit shortly after the birth of each of our three sons.



I was at Ed's bedside just a few days before his death. I sang in the choir at his memorial service.



An email came through this morning informing us that Alice had joined Ed in the presence of the Lord. She fought the cancer that wreaked havoc on her body with a vengeance. I don't think I have known anyone to fight so hard. She had the support of her a wonderful family and she was looking forward to the birth of her first great-grandchild, due in March.



She has left quite a legacy. A loving wife who cared for Ed when strokes and dementia robbed him of his energy and vitality. A devoted mother and grandmother. A consummate musician. A hard worker. Someone who was as much at home at the opera halls of Chicago as she was in the canvas tent that was their family's home each summer before they built their Northwoods log cabin. Most importantly she was a woman who lived to glorify God. Alice will be missed by all who knew and loved her. We were so blessed to be counted among her friends.



You can read some of her thoughts and encouragements in her blog which she kept during the final year or so of her life. She walked a hard road the last several years of her life, but with unwavering faith kept her eyes on the prize.

a sunny day in Georgia

We took a little road trip yesterday. Mom, Dad, KimmeeSue and I. Destination: mountains of North Georgia and a little town called Helen. According to mapquest it would take us 2 and 1/2 hours to traverse the 90 miles. They were right on. Because most of the roads were like this: But it was beautiful. We stopped at one scenic overlook. The view was breath-taking and this photo in no way does justice to it.Our first destination was Unicoi State Park. Georgia has fantastic state parks! At least if this one is representative of the others. Well kept grounds. Hiking trails, camping, fishing...and a huge lodge with a restaurant, craft shop and quilts on display.


We spent several minutes looking at all the quilts. The center one below - a three dimensional dogwood was one of my favorites.

We had a delicious buffet lunch at the restaurant (the ticket read - three buffs - yeah they were talking about us). And a delightful conversation with our waitress. Her name was Gudrun and her very slight German accent gave away her origin. Dad asked her when she lost her accent and she proceeded to tell us a story. She and a German friend were touring Alaska and they were speaking to each other in German. A lady near them asked them where they were from. Gudrun said, "Georgia." The lady said, "Oh, I thought so."

After lunch we did some shopping (but not spending - we are better sightseers than consumers) in the cute little 'Bavarian' town called Helen. Perhaps this is why Gudrun settled in this area.

I came across this cute, good natured couple and their little black and white dog.

After we saw the sights of Helen we proceeded on the Dahlonega. More cute shops and a lovely downtown area. More winding roads too. KimmeeSue, twice during the course of our trip decided that riding in the back seat was for the birds (or the strong of stomach) and hopped up into the front seat onto Mom's lap..

We had a great time, it was a beautiful day and once again I marvel at God's amazing creativity evidenced in all the mountains, valleys, forests, streams, fields and skies.

Thanks Mom and Dad for inviting me!

day trip

Might go through here. And here.

On our way to here. And here.

roux* to you too

from allposters.com

Nathan and I were discussing recipes the other day. He and Michelle want to do more home cooking(and I applaud this idea!) and he was asking me for some recipes.

I realized as I thought about what recipes to give to him that I rarely leave a recipe alone. I tweak it. Are you a tweaker, too?

For example, I rarely use a can-of-cream-of-anything soup when called for in a recipe. Instead I make a white sauce and add the appropriate flavorings. Cream of chicken soup calls for some chicken soup base or some bouillon. For cream of mushroom soup, I generally add in a cube of beef bouillon. Or mushrooms.

I never taught the boys how to make a white sauce. Shame on me. You can do so much when you begin with a white sauce.

Here are the basic recipes for your standard white sauce:

Medium (1Cup)

2 T. Butter

2 T. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. milk

or

Thick (1 Cup)

3 T. butter

4 T. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. milk

or

Thin (1 and 1/2 Cups)

1 T. butter

1 T. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. milk

Melt butter is saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt and dash white pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook quickly, stirring constantly, till mixture thickens and bubbles.

There you have it. Add some meat to any one of these sauces, some spices or herbs and serve over pasta. Ya gotcher self a meal. And you didn't have to open a can of preservative filled creama something soup.

Here is an adapted recipe Nathan requested - Chicken Fricassee

1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 1/2 C. water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

2 1/2 - 3 pound chicken, cut up.

Cook together on medium high heat in saucepan or skillet until chicken is cooked through (45-60 minutes or so).

Remove chicken from liquid. Strain and reserve 1 and 1/2 C. liquid.

3 T. butter

1/4 C. flour

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 C. milk

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour parsley flakes and paprika. Blend in reserved liquid and milk until smooth. Cook quickly, stirring constantly until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.

*A roux, you ask?

saturated

Pat dubbed this 'Lake MooMoo'.

It extends from the cow pasture into our subdivision.

It is raining. According to the weatherunderground website, it is raining here at the rate of .34 inches per hour. According to our local tv station we have received 2.66 inches of rain in the last 24 hours.

What we initially thought were just ditches or gullies in our subdivision have turned into creeks. The dry pond up at the top of the hill now contains water. Flood warnings are in effect. Lots of 'wrecks' on the roads due to poor visibility and slippery, wet conditions.

2007 was a drought year for the state of Tennessee. Rainfall totals were twelve to fourteen inches below normal. 2008 was about five inches down until the month of December. I believe we ended up close to even.

This year we are off to a very wet start. The ground, according to the weather man, is 'saturated'.

~~~~~

These days the books I am reading and the Christian radio programs I'm listening to are also encouraging me to saturate myself in God's Word.

Won't you join me? As we fill our hearts and minds with God's Truth, it will overflow the banks of our lives and bring refreshment to those around us.

intentional

more prairie grasses

"Y'awright?" drawled the substitute postman as he handed me a package yesterday.

"Yes, you?" I responded.

"Awright enough. Y'all go to church?"

"Yes, you?" I replied.

"Yep. Just wanted to make sure y'all did."

This interesting exchange gave me a lot to think about. I have just finished reading Francis Chan's thought provoking book, Crazy Love (a Christmas gift from Nathan). And I'm in the middle of reading Horse and Buggy Mennonites by Donald Kraybill and James Hurd (a Christmas gift from Suzi written by one of the professors in her department).

These are two very different yet suprisingly similar books. In Crazy Love, Chan challenges the reader to live as though they really believed Christ's claims. Not comfortable Christianity, but radical Christ-following living. Horse and Buggy Mennonites, describes the foundational beliefs of the Wenger Mennonites and how those beliefs are reflected in their day to day living.

Chan's book tells us that what we believe should make a difference in how we live.

Kraybill and Hurd's book tells that what they believe does make a difference in how the Wenger Mennonites live.

My substitute mailman tells me that his belief that people should be connected to a church informs how he interacts with new customers.

Intentional. This is a word I have been pondering a lot lately. So much of life just happens to us and we sometimes feel like we are simply swept along with the flow. Or flood.

But we can and should be intentional in how we live. Not simply responding to circumstances, but thoughtfully and wisely pondering and planning (as much as it is possible) how we will live.

Your thoughts?

tangled trees and vines

please don't hate me because I'm warm

Sunday's weather was gorgeous. After a heavy early morning fog, the temperature climbed and climbed and climbed some more.



By the time we got home from church it was 60 ish. So we decided to go on a little excursion.



We had been here before.



But this was the first time we went on the hiking trails. After someone spent a little bit of time fishing the shoreline.

Here is some of what we saw. Enjoy the beauty of God's creation: bright green cedars

an unidentified berry

gorgeous mountain views

prairie grasses

a view of the lake

an old rock wall

a huge old oak

We had a very nice time. By the time we got back to the car, the temperature had gone up to 68 degrees. On January 4. If that doesn't entice some of our Northwoods friends to come visit us, I don't know what will!

~~~~~

Daniel is back at school. Quiet around here. But we are very grateful for the time we had with him. He was a good sport about hanging out with the old folks here.

~~~~~

Good news for Mom. She no longer needs (kneeds?) physical therapy. Yeah, Mom!

~~~~~~

And please welcome two new bloggers to my sidebar. Candy and Jenilyn. Jenilyn has been blogging for a while, but I have just now gotten around to posting a link to her thought-provoking blog. She was Daniel's supervisor this past summer.

Candy is a brand new blogger and church secretary extrodinaire and has a great ministry to young people. Daniel loved hanging out at her house.

Please leave a comment of encouragement for them on their blogs!

break's over

Please bear with me; here are a few more goals. Part of the reason I am posting them is because I need accountability.



One thing I really want to do is master more of the features of my clavinova. There are so many bells and whistles (and trumpets and guitars and woodwinds) that it will take me quite a bit of time to explore them all. I hope to set aside some time every day to practice. Now that will be fun!

One other thing I hope to do this year is more gardening. A lot more. We are somewhat settled in and understand a little more about what a southeast Tennessee summer entails.

I think I will be able to keep myself pretty busy.

It is about to get very quiet around here. Daniel heads back to college tomorrow. Sniff. It has been so great to have him here. And he has been a great sport about it . He doesn't know anyone here but his parents and grandparents. Thankfully lots of cousins arrived and kept him company. We are sure gonna miss him.

I may not blog tomorrow. His flight leaves early. And then I plan to take down all the Christmas decorations. It will be good therapy.

Cause it is gonna be very quiet around here.

Happy New Year! (how's that for an original title)

yeah

I read a blog earlier this morning that said: "I won't bore you with my New Year's resolutions..."

(too bad that is exactly what I planned to write about today...sorry folks...). If you are not in the mood to be bored, feel free to move along to another blog.

My 'resolutions' actually come from the inspiration I have received from other people in my life. I wanna be like them.

First and foremost, as a Christian, I want to be more like Christ. I plan to read through the Bible again chronologically. Also, our Bible study will be doing a Beth Moore study beginning later this month. I need to do more than simply read His Word. I want to act more Christ-like.

I want to eat healthier meals. Unless there is chocolate around. Then I want to eat chocolate.

I would like to take on a more active role in the food pantry our local church provides.

I want to read more. Maybe a book a week? Fiction, non-fiction, classics and contemporary.

I want to sew and craft more and teach myself new skills. I hope to move beyond the knitting of rectangles and squares and learn how to do hats and mittens and socks.

Speaking of socks, this might knock your socks off. I have started jogging. Yes, you read that right. This slightly-overweight-on-the-downhill-side-of -middle-age-woman has taken up jogging. It is not fast and it is not pretty, but I have been jogging for about six weeks now. I can run over a mile and a half without stopping which is pretty amazing to me because six weeks ago I thought I was going to die when I ran through our teeniest cul de sac of only 4 houses. My goal is to be able to run the full 2 and 2/3 miles up hill and down dale in our subdivision. And I am considering entering a 5K race. Maybe.

I was inspired by Nathan, who ran a half marathon this past summer. I was also inspired by this blogger and by my mommy who learned to swim when she was 50 years old. And by my hubby who still plays basketball at the age of 62.

I want to be a better wife, mom, mother-in-love, grandma, daughter, sister and friend.

So, those are a few of my New Year's resolutions. Or goals. It is good to have something to shoot for, don't you think? What are some of your goals? I promise, I won't be bored. I'd like to hear what your plans are. Share them in the comment section or on your blog! Or start a blog if you haven't already (it is addicting).

And...Happy New Year!