Now It's Christmas Time!

Thanksgiving was fun and is now over (pics here). What a year it has been. I've never been more thankful than I have been this year. I've thought on Psalm 66 quite a few times in the last few weeks as I have looked back on this year. The whole Psalm is perfect (I encourage you to read it), and I think on verses 10-12 most often,

"For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment."

Indeed He has. "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul." (vs. 16). And because He has, I delight in the life He's given me, in simple things such as decorating for Christmas. I put up three trees today in my apartment dressed with old and new ornaments. Some are from my childhood and some are as recent as last week's purchase at Pottery Barn (with some surprisingly reasonable prices).


Some of my favorite ornaments are (you can see me reflected in the first one):



From my parents (found in Oregon):

Lastly, an old one from when I was a little girl:

I am around and am learning

I haven't posted a new quiz this week. I am still alive! Just now, I am at the close of one of the first free and quiet evenings I have had in quite some time.

Miscellaneous bits:
1. I am well under way with Christmas shopping. I could possibly be halfway done at this point. What about you? My hope is to decorate my apartment for Christmas on Friday.
2. I made some chili tonight that I looooove. I posted the recipe in the entry below and look forward to lunches and dinners and lunches and dinners of chili in the near future.
3. I am now one of Those People who purchase dog clothing for their (family) dogs. See evidence below. Micah and Asher look quite funny. Too cute! It was a one-time purchase though! I promise. hehe.


4. I have become a fan of Michael Buble's music. Listen to one of my favorites here.
5. What a wonderful time I had last weekend meeting and having lunch with Catherine and Hannah! Catherine made a beautiful lunch for the two of us, and it was a true delight to see them (and Josh) in person after being blog friends for some time. Yes, Reader, that was the very first time we met!

On a more serious note, God pricked my heart this week to consider prayerfully how I can best use my time (evenings, weekends, etc) at this stage of my life. I have been verrry busy the last couple of months and have enjoyed many things. However, that pace can only continue for so long. God has given me direction already in the last few days to be purposeful about what I do in the evenings as I consider my calendar the next couple of months. I've been compelled to remember that while activity and fellowship is great, I personally need a slower pace than having all or nearly all of my evenings booked with something outside of my home, as wonderful as those things might be. I need to pace my self and be at home more than I have been. God lead me as I thought through specific things that I do want to give my time to and also considered what kind of regular down time I need. I have generally been good in my life at not feeling like I have to say 'yes' to everything as is the tendancy, I think, in the church, whether it's related to church or not.

To sum up, below are the items that I have considered so far to be where I primarily want my time during the week to reside:

1. Developing more prayer time (serious weakness, great desire)
2. Auditing a seminary class on the Gospels
3. Seeing my family once a week outside of church
4. Exercising
5. Two evenings a week at home

I really enjoy having people over on the weekend for dinner and prepare as much as I can ahead of time so as to not be rushed that day.

I have benefited greatly from Sabbath rest for seven years (especially while studying for the CPA Exam). It is a haven for me to slow down and enjoy rest in the Lord. However, I don't want to go into the Sabbath worn out and desparate for that rest. I will welcome it either way, but some slowness interspersed in my week would allow me to skip a nap here and there if I am, say, having someone for lunch after church and want to use the afternoon for fellowship. It is a purposeful way for me to honor the Lord on the Sabbath by preparing for the Sabbath. If I run all week and collapse in a fit of nappiness after I get home church and am then too groggy to go to evening church, I am not resting purposefully but out of necessity. Does that make sense?

Have you yet needed to pray and think through something like that before? Do you need to now?

All-American Chili

This is a blend of Cooking Light, Cook's Illustrated, Charlotte Deibert and me:

All-American Chili

2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle pepper, chopped (2 if you like it spicy)
2 tablespoons chili powder (I use Ancho chili powder)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 pound ground sirloin
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste
extra brown sugar to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions and red pepper 5 minutes. Add seasonings and cook 5 minutes. Add meats and cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves.

Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day. This is due to the chilling and reheating of the chili.

Quiz #8 Answers

The photos in Quiz #8 were pictures of:


Salt-water taffy and coal! Both were taken in Colorado. The coal photo wasn't cropped or enlarged, but the photo above is another one I took which gives context. Anonymous guessed taffy right (com'mon, just write your name. Or else I might not recognize anymore you if you win!), and no one got the coal picture.

Bird landing

This picture sequence is fascinating! Take a look; it's from a photography forum I visit. Once you get there, click 'New Window' at the beginning of each photo to view full images.

---

I'll be posting the answer to Quiz #8 tomorrow; get your guesses in while you can!

Politics

I fairly vocal about politics in person, but not really on here. I am, however, sorely disappointed that Rick Santorum lost the seat for PA and that things are shifting toward the Democrats for the Senate. I know I can't fully grasp the consequences of this change in power.

I often read Heart Aflame, which are daily readings from Calvin on the Psalms. A reading from last week was encouraging to me, and it applies to this time with elections:

On Psalm 118:22, "The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."

David proceeds to repeat, at some length, that it is erroneous to estimate the kingdom of Christ by the sentiments and opinions of men, because, in spite of the opposition of the world, it is erected in an astonishing manner by the invisible power of God. In the meantime, we ought to remember, that all that was accomplished in the person of Christ extends to the gradual development of His kingdom, even until the end of the world. When Christ dwelt on the earth, He was despised by the chief priests; and now, those who call themselves the successors of Peter and Paul, but who are truly Ananiases and Caiaphases, giant-like wage war against the Gospel and the Holy Ghost. Not that this furious rebellion ought to give us any uneasiness: let us rather humbly adore that wonderful power of God which reverses the perverse decisions of the world. If our limited understandings could comprehend the course which God follows for the protection and preservation of His Church, there would be no mention made of a miracle. From this we conclude, that His mode of working is incomprehensible, baffling the understandings of men. But if we call to mind this prophecy, our faith will not fail, but will be more and more confirmed; because, from these things it will the better appear that the kingdom of Christ does not depend upon the favor of men, and that it does not derive its strength from earthly supports, even as He has not attained it by the suffrages of men. If, however, the master-builders build well, the perverseness of those who will not permit themselves to be appropriated to the sacred edifice will be so much the less excusable. Moreover, as often as we shall, by this species of temptation, be put to the trial, let us not forget that it is unreasonable to expect that the Church must be governed according to our understanding of matters, but that we are ignorant of the government of it, inasmuch as that which is miraculous surpasses our comprehension.

God is building His kingdom in ways seen and unseen by us. We are not left without responsibility to honor and proclaim His name, and while we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can rest knowing that it is God who builds His church and is not twarted by legislation or earthly judgments. I'm so thankful that, as Calvin said, the kingdom of Christ does not depend on the favor of men!

"But the Lord will scorn them all; He will laugh who sits on high." (Psalm 2)

Circus

The circus was great fun! Pictures can be found here. Have you ever gone to a circus?

Photo Quiz #8

What are they?

Playing around and other ramblings

I bought and arranged some flowers tonight and took out my tripod, remote shutter release and of course my camera and "wasted" about an hour whilst I could have been doing some other productive things. See? You get to benefit from it! For those who have a mild interest in photography, the first picture was exposed for 15 seconds and second picture for 3.2 seconds. And for the VERY few who have an interest in accounting, that is indeed an old book called Accounting Concepts at the bottom of the stack which I have not read and do not plan to read. The first is Frankenstein, one of my favorite novels, and the middle is Mrs. Mike, which I greatly enjoyed as did my mom. Now I know you wanted to know those particulars! Look, this turned into a book recommendation post.


On a more exciting note, I just got back from a trip to Colorado the other night. I had a great time seeing the many beauties of the state (including sunshine. Yay for being back in dreary PA!) and eating several meals of marinated chicken, rice, salsa, sour cream, black beans, and guacamole. I was quite content. Pictures are in my albums link to the left.

One last recommendation is a fun board game called "Loaded Questions". I have played it with several different groups recently (5-6 people each) and have received rave reviews of how much the game was enjoyed. It was most recently played at our Reformation Day Pizza & Game night at church yesterday evening.

Oh! One more thing. The random comments have yet to end. I am going to the Ringling Brothers circus tomorrow with my family! I am really excited, particularly since I thought they might have moved by now to Oregon and we would never get to go again together. I grew up going to the circus and only missed a couple of years. Our tradition has been to get Chinese food before the show, so we're doing that too. Yay!

Photo Quiz #7 Answers

1. Wadded up packing tape














2. The silver bolt on a paring knife














Winners: Josh and Stacey on #2. Many were close on #1 with guessing cellophane/plastic wrap.

I'm going to Denver today! I can't wait to see the mountians. If only I had an extra memory card for my camera...

Daylight savings time ends this weekend....so change your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night! We gain an hour, yay!
 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I made three loaves tonight (here are two). I used a mini tripod and my new remote shutter release. For those of you who have any interest in photography, the shutter speed on this shot was one second (very much requiring a tripod). I was able to take this picture without touching the camera (thus no camera shake).

Photo Quiz #7

After much delay....

What are these photos?

 

It's like Timmy and Lassie

Kind of.

Below is the text of an actual "instant message" conversation I had with a friend yesterday online. It was super funny to me because I was there. Since you were not, think of it in light of those situations on TV (only on TV, yes, and not real life) where a dog is barking madly, and the boy says "What is it Lassie? Is something wrong?" Bark barkbarkBARK!bark!! "A boy fell into the lake and is drowning?" Barkbark!!bark. "Ok, lets go help!" barkbarkwoof.

Friend: hey
Friend: C643d y64 he3- 0e
Alicia: not really haha
Friend: 6h 0an!
Friend: th5n2 there 5s a 36c2 6f s60e b4tt6n 5 need t6 -ress
Alicia: your buttons don't work?
Friend: they w6r2 s6rt 6f
Friend: 14st n40bers s60eth5ng
Alicia: are you on a laptop?
Friend: yes
Friend: n5ght0are!
Alicia: you probably have a key locked in for a secondary function
Friend: any 5deas/
Alicia: i think it's your numlock
Friend: 5 -ressed 5t b4t n6 change/
Alicia: you should have a colored key that has an abbreviation of "function"
Alicia: then on another part of the key board, in the same color, will be a numlock key
Alicia: hold down both at the same time, and it should take numlock off
Friend: jaldkjfaoijtriajtliajgl
Friend: thank you you are the girl!!!
Alicia: hahah!!!!!
Alicia: so funny, you got it
Friend: got it
Friend: thanks soooo much!

New Pictures

I went to an Apple Festival on Saturday, and here is the fruit of my camera. I also stopped by a local orchard for more pictures after getting back with my friends. The weather was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. - sunny and cool. What a wonderful fall day it was!

Oh Boy These Look So Good

I skimmed the recent Martha Stewart Living magazine at the library today and found a recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes. I am craving them! I want to try! But not until a Saturday that affords me a good long workout afterwards. Photo from marthastewart.com.

Keeping with the pumpkin theme, I am excited to make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread again this fall or around Thanksgiving (this is my dessert link to the left). It has been a hit at various functions in the past, and a bit of cream cheese spread on a slice makes for a decadent blend of flavors.

Winning Weekend

My dad and Micah have continued to compete in rally trials, and this past weekend, they secured their Advanced Title (2nd of 3 levels of competition for Rally) with a qualifying score and they won 2nd place. On Saturday, they went on to get the first of three legs of the Excellent level, taking first place for the day. Yay for Dad and Micah! Two more legs to go with Excellent and the Rally competing will be complete. My mom has started to show Asher in confirmation and he will be eligible for agility once he is a year old (December).



And just for fun, here is an old picture of Micah practicing agility in the backyard. His two back feet just seem to be floating along with the rest of him.


And best of all, I have a new nephew :-). I enjoyed Jared's post (pics here) about his new son, Elias, and I'm excited for this new life.

Photo Quiz #6 Answers

The answers for Quiz #6 are:

1. Tassel from my college graduation
2. Wooden spoons

No one got the second one exactly right, but Mr. TW Anonymous was fairly close. Mom was the most right on #1 and was pretty funny too.

Product Pickiness

Are there any products that you are very particular about, that you simply must use? For lip balm, I have been using Lush Lip Service exclusively for over six years. It wasn't referred or gifted to me originally for me to start using it. I was in the Lush shop for the first time in Glasgow, Scotland in 2000, and their lip balm was on the counter by the register. I was purchasing something else and saw their Lip Service and grabbed one. A total Spontaneous Buy. The thing stores like you to do. I became hooked. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much I liked it until I arrived home; thus, I couldn't stock up on it. The stuff stays on a really long time and isn't too neosporin-like or slippery in its consistency. My supply has typically come from my own visits to Scotland or the UK or other friends buying it for me and bringing it over. There is a US website, (linked above) but the shipping makes the product cost even more.

Had I considered the actual $US amount that the first purchase amounted to for one Little Jar of lip balm, I might have reconsidered that very first purchase. But now I gladly spend $7 per container on it.

So, call me a lip balm snob. Readers, please tell me. Is there something you are particular about? A certain store? Brand? Flavor? Do tell!

Love,
Lip Balm Snob

Photo Quiz #6

What are they?

 

Answers to Quiz #5

Answers from the most recent quiz are:
1. Pineapple top
2. Airplane wing

Many got these right, nice job! I was hoping to make these harder. I may slack on posting the next quiz, but it will come in this lifetime, unless Christ returns.

Orzo Salad & Jerk Chicken

I added a Cooking Light recipe to my 'Salads' cookbook to the left, called Orzo Salad. It has full flavor since it uses balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. I found it easy to make and delicious to eat. I will probably make for a future fellowship dinner at church as it should be made ahead.

I am currently grilling jerk chicken kebabs using the marinade from this recipe, and it smells incredible. I'll let you know how it turns out. I finally purchases some skewers yesterday!

Ladies! This post is for you.

What, for you, warrants a bowl of ice cream or other desperate, fatty indulgence? A proven equation for me is:

One developing cold + one jar of peanut butter that went MIA between my grocery basket and my house + one trip out to store to get new PB for recipe + one parchment paper roll that flips out of the box onto the floor, unrolling + one glump (is that a word?) of peanut butter which falls off rickety scale and face down on counter* = a spoonful of peanut butter for me

What about you ladies? (men, I single out the ladies because we tend to cave nutritionally in situations like this; feel free to answer) Or, what is your favorite fatty indulgence? Now, I do see a slight pattern of peanut butter being involved in this mischief. I'll look into it.

* just like my old PB open-faced sandwiches used to do, all by themselves. Yet Dad (hi Dad!) would ground me from eating them for a while.

Quiz #5

What are they?

I love my car, I hate my car. I love my car, I hate my car. I love....

All this just to be able to drive a nifty SUV for a few days? (Picture here)

And, my new best friend is How [Auto] Stuff Works.

As some of you know, my check engine light came on a couple weeks ago. This is a major event in my life (not really, well sort of. Actually, no). I hoped it was just the gas cap not being on quite tight enough. While hoping that was the case yet starting to realize it was probably something else considering I've had 17 drives after tightening the cap (and the manual says the light will clear after 3 if it's the cap), my car got my attention by Not Starting on Friday night. I arrived home from working out and was going to leave again to shoot some photos of the nice evening light. Turn key. Nothing. No [insert sound of car trying to start]. Just the radio. Turn key again. Same. An hour later, I was back home after I eventually got the car started (well, I didn't do anything special...it was all the car) and my friend Joanne (hi Joanne!) met me at Honda so I could leave my car for repair over the weekend and get back home.

Honda calls today. Not the actual Honda, mind you, but a man from Honda, and we'll just call him "Honda" (very original, I know). Honda says the check engine light went on because my catalytic converter and O2 sensor need to be replaced. Uh-huh. That means nothing to me right now. What are those things again? I have heard of that particular item before.The PRICE however, means much, much, much more to me. O.n.e.cough.t.h.o.u.s.a.n.d.cough.d.o.l.l.a.r.s. Yes, sir.

Now, I, being a 1) woman and 2) mostly uneducated in the realm of cars, immediately jump, in my mind, to paying for it. And if I should put that much money into my car or put a brick on the gas pedal at the edge of a cliff (sorry car), believing the guy (mostly) that it's a life or death repair. Of course I wouldn't go to that extreme, but you get the point. Now, men, tell me, do you first think, in reponse to Honda, "Well,what about this and that and this, and I know this and that and this, and you are a this and that and this, and I'm not going to be taken in by this and that and this and so on"? You see, this is mostly the only time I don't particularly like being a woman because I know so little about cars, I don't like sounding dumb, and I don't like being dependent on someone else's knowledge with whom I have no prior relationship, when it has to do with my money and possessions. I told him that I would wait on the repairs, thankyouverymuch. Now what? I certainly don't want to contribute to global warming with poor emissions (rolling eyes).

Well, I learned more about these two parts, thanks to another mechanic, two co-workers and my new best friend (per above). I talked to Honda again, and the O2 sensor is bad and the catalytic converter is cracked. It is not clogged (worse to be clogged). It's not an urgent repair (though looming in my future....how superb). I would rather not go too long though with it like this, because according to my new best friend, "When the oxygen sensor fails, the computer can no longer sense the air/fuel ratio, so it ends up guessing. Your car performs poorly and uses more fuel than it needs to."

At least, despite the handicaps I mentioned above with regard to cars and me, I didn't believe the non-starting issue had anything to do with the emissions issues. As a result, I asked Honda to test for other problems, nothing is coming up for that...the car has to be in a state of Not Working in order for it to show up on the diagnostic test.

So, the moral of this story is a question and not a lesson: How do you handle car repairs? (and what would you do in my situation)

One last very final thing: After arriving back home on Friday night, I noticed my cute little flash card still in the card reader by my computer. I wouldn't have been able to take any pictures anyway, had I made it to my destination! I had a good chuckle at that one. The Lord is always good to His people.

and yes, a new photo quiz will be coming this week.

I Remember, Too.

Some of my friends have been posting their remembrance of September 11, 2001. I wasn't in a prominant place that day (while some were). I was just at college my senior year, and it was a sunny, chilly morning. I was near the mail room in the Student Center when someone came in and said something about a plane hitting one of the WTC towers. I went upstairs to study, thinking it was a freak accident. After a few minutes, I kept thinking about it, so I left the table where my roommate, Kim, was also studying. I went downstairs to watch the TV where many were gathered and silent, and I was completely thrown by what I saw on TV. I was due in class but couldn't leave the TV except to go back upstairs and get Kim. I stayed for about two hours (classes were cancelled) and just watched and watched and watched, in near disbelief as to what was going on. I just could not fathom that those towers were collasping I as I watched and that so many perished as I watched. I'm used to hearing about tragedy after the fact. This happened as I watched. Later, I called my mom, and we cried. My mom thought my dad, who worked for the judicial branch of the government at the time and was in Erie that day, would have to Shanksville (where Flight 93 crashed) to help out at the crash site. I was so sad that he would potentially have to witness that scene (thankfully he did not have to do that).

The rest of the day, I watched the news with my friends. I remember how quiet the skies were. While, I don't remember many particulars of the days following, I do rememeber all the footage of people praying and caring for each other. With sadness, I realized that many of the people praying were not praying because they acknowledged God for who He is or because they trusted in Him for their salvation and comfort. It was simply because they were needy, hurting, and prayed to "someone up there". I also realized that we tend to think an awful lot of ourselves as a country and many say "God Bless America". God has done and will do as He pleases with this country, and my heart doesn't really echo the sentiment of God blessing America. He blesses His people alone for His own name, whether American or not.

Grill Grill Grill Grill Grill Grill Grill Grill

My grill is functional again! This is a momentous occasion. It has been 9 months since I last used my grill. Like a new baby! Haha, not really. I bought a new propane tank and grilled some pineapple tonight (in the dark) for Grilled Pineapple Salsa to go with pork tenderloin tomorrow. The tank, not the regulator, was the problem.

One of my favorite desserts ::clapping hands::

eek!! I just discovered that one of my favorite desserts is available online from Real Simple. The recipe for Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes was originally found in the magazine about five years ago (by my mom, I think, Hi Mom!). Real Simple is connected to Cooking Light, so I've successfully added it to my desserts link to the side. I'm making this tomorrow for some friends and particularly like to serve it with Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream. Note that I use ramekins instead of muffin tins, and I serve the cakes in the ramkens placed on a plate (for spillage). Also, I've never used the caramel sauce it calls for.

I am quite excited that I can share it with you all and have it as an item in my online cookbook to the side. If you like chocolately-velvety-richness, this is the recipe for you.

What does it mean that I am so giddy about this? Doctor, please?

Free Music! From Someone Talented!

I'd like to plug, as Josh did, Derek Webb's new album called Mockingbird, and it is available as a free download here. I haven't listened to his solo music before today, but Caedmon's Call is one of my favorite bands. I've nearly listened to the whole album and am really enjoying it. I don't have any intriguing artistic critiques or reviews on the music...I just like listening to it.

Quiz #4 Answers & The Smallest State

The answers to Quiz #4 are:
1) Toothpicks
2) Avocado pit

Congrats to Josh and Anonymous for guessing the second picture right! I don't believe anyone guessed toothpicks from those who guess via email, comments or in person. Next quiz coming soon.
___

I went to Rhode Island this weekend and had a great time with Maureen, Alastair and their bubbly baby boy. On Saturday, the sea was choppy and rough with large waves . It was spectacular to watch. On Sunday, I was blessed to visit the RP church plant in Providence and meet a great group of committed church planters. We left at 6 am Monday for the beach (very ambitious of me, I know) and the weather was clear and beautiful for the 5 hours we spent with the sand, waves and gulls. I'll post some pictures later this week.

This was my first time going to Rhode Island, and I loved the New England homes, like these (courtesy realtor.com):



The first home is listed for over $3 million. The second two were around $700k. Whatever. Who needs money, right?

Women Where?

I appreciated a recent post by Jared regarding a woman's "place". I very much agree with what he said and encourage you to take a look at it. I commented over there, so I won't add anything here.
___

A friend emailed me saddening info related to Walmart and their recent, blatant endorsement of homosexual marriage (and thus destruction of true marriage), and you can read about it here. The cycle of man seeking to serve himself goes 'round and 'round and 'round.

Rest, Riposo, Descanso, отдых, De rust

At biblestudy this week, we looked at the meaning of rest as we started Hebrews 4. There are many kinds of rest (ie earthly, eternal, physical, spiritual, etc). We were asked to define rest.

My short answer was "ceasing".

My long answer was: "Ceasing from work, effort, responsibility, burdens, activity or movement. Rest can be purposeful or physically, mentally, or emotionally necessary."

We often think of rest (in this life) as taking a breather physically. We run, then we rest. We madly clean up, then we rest. That is true, though I believe it can go much further than that. Because of some certain Circumstances in my life this year, I have learned how valuable and necessary rest is for one's heart. The Lord has also used a dear friend to teach me more about rest. I thank God that He has given my heart great rest in the last 8 weeks or so. I sense it greatly and it's so refreshing. I think of people who face sorrow and grief, and when that time of sorrow has passed, one's heart may rest again (and sometimes God gives rest in the midst of sorrow). Joy often accompanies the rest that follows sorrow. A verse that often comes to mind when taking a "heart breather" is "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:7. Rest is offered from our God not only in the time to come but also while we are on this earth.

Rest sometimes involves the lack of being burdened. If I have a particular week that feels overly hectic for me, I crave a free evening. And I purposely plan free evenings (or Saturdays) regularly in order to cease from busyness, even if it is good busyness. That is good for where I am in my life now. I know people who are fatigued have learned through their own mistakes and successes what it means to rest, to cease. If you are a naturally busy, on-the-go-person, your first reaction to the idea of rest might also include thoughts of laziness. Stopping, ceasing, taking quiet time to rest may leave you feeling guilty that you ought to be doing something. However, I also can imagine how hard it is to rest when you are a parent or have many responsibilities.

What do you think of when you think of rest? How do you rest?

---

I wanted to add that rest on the Sabbath is a given for me....and the rest I refer to above is rest that I have to be more purposeful about. Thanks to Noah for his comment which reminded me to clarify that.

A Poll I Made Up

:: Ahem ::

:: rustling of papers ::

:: blink, blink ::

Ok.

1. What kind of physical activity did you do today? Pilates
2. Have you ever rotated a Queen mattress by yourself? Why yes, just last night, in fact. Funny you should ask.
3. Do you always cross your legs like you are doing now? Quite often, yes
4. Are you happy that the smokers in the apartment below you appear to be moving out? Very much so.
5. Have you finally done what is necessary to have your grill working again? Yes and no. I know that I need to try a new tank. It took me long enough to simply look at the back of the grill to find the model number (10 months). Anyone have a guess as to how long it'll take to take the tank to be replaced now that I know the tank is the issue (yes and even though your parents told you that several times already)?
6. How many times have you been to Starbucks in the last 2 weeks? Um, I think... :: counting :: ...four?
7. Do you think the triple shot of espresso in your drink will affect your sleep tonight? Probably not, though it could be affecting the content of this post
8. Why do you think the check engine light went on in your car again tonight? Hopefully because I didn't twist the gas cap enough yesterday. I will find out tomorrow (do you ask these questions of everyone Mr., I mean, Miss Pollster?).
9. How long did it take you to come up with this question? About a minute. You mean THIS question, right? Yes, about a minute.
10. Do you want your readers to comment and make up their own poll? Why certainly! That is a brilliant idea.
11. Last question, I had to throw this in. Did you really look up in an online thesaurus a synonym for "splendid"? And did you, in fact, decide to use the word brilliant instead? Yes, I did. I have always admired those who have a more creative vocabulary than me (Hi Catherine!).

Photo Quiz #4

Quiz #3 Answers

Answers to Quiz #3:
#1 A portion of orange-handled scissors
#2 Q-tips

Many got Q-tips right, but Auntie Chris was the only one to get scissors right with her revised answer. Nice job, everyone!

Quiz #4 will be posted this week!

Don't Play With Your Food (or, How to Make Guacamole)

I was playing with my food yesterday, being a Cooking Light photographer-food-stylist wanna-be. I would rather have had better tortilla chips to work with, but, eh, you do what you can, right?

The progress of guacamole (can you identify the ingredients in the second picture?):

I have been tagged!

This is my first time being tagged, and I was done so by Catherine (a woman I greatly like and admire and wish I could meet! She's my virtual friend!). I love talking about books and I have linked many of them to amazon in my answers.

1. One book that changed your life: Desiring God by John Piper
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (retelling of Hosea set in 1800s)
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: Well, with the hope that the desert island is not a deserted island, I would take a leisurely book along which I haven't yet read, such as The Warrior by Francine Rivers, and I would sit on the beach.
4. One book that made you laugh: I had a hard time with this one for some reason. Ummm.....my journals? Seriously, I recently read a past journal from college and laughed out loud at some of the things I said. I once felt that I could relate to Elizabeth Prentiss (she wrote Stepping Heavenward), a woman in history who suffered great physical ailments and was close to death many times. Readers, I had a COLD when I felt that I could relate to her. Not.even.close.Alicia.
5. One book that made you cry: Thorn In My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs
6. One book that you wish had been written: How to Eat Jif Peanut Butter From the Jar Everyday and Not Gain an Ounce
7. One book that you wish had never been written: The Koran
8. One book you’re currently reading: Secret Longings of the Heart by Carol Kent
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History by Thomas Woods (I am hideously weak on US History) AND (sorry M&D, I know you got this for me two Christmasas ago...I have started it, at least)
10. Now tag five people: Auntie Chris, Mom, Dad, Laura and Kristy. I'd love to hear answers from others! Those of you who were tagged who do not have a blog can post as a comment if you want.

Wipe the Dust Off Your Rhythm

My friend Meg (Hi Meg!) led me to a site recently as I was trying to figure out the name of a country song I heard this week. I can't remember much of the words, but I liked it. You all now how that goes. Naturally, I desired to find out more about it and belt my melodic voice along in perfect tune (riiiiiiight). So Meg said, try www.songtapper.com to find the title. The demo, for one thing, is hilarious. Now on to tapping songs - I had a different country song in my head and actually tapped that song and not the song I really wanted to know about, haha. Try again. Tap tap tap, etc. I could only come up with 7 taps of the mystery song, and alas, Song Tapper requires at least 10. So I gave up on finding the song and moved on to experimenting with other songs to see if Song Tapper would be right. I tried two, and both times, the song didn't come up. So here is a test for you, folks. A test of rhythm, matching finger taps on the keyboard with what is in your good-looking head, and of the program itself to tell you the song you tapped. Pick a song, any song, and off you go...tap, tap tap.

Did it work?

(and yes, this is me admitting that I like country music, if for some reason you did not know that previously.)

Oh, Neighbors, Neighbors, Neighbors. Bad Neighbors.

I was quite entertained by and also sympathetic for the people in a Certain Situation I read about on a website recently. This site collects stories having to do with atrocious etiquette in a variety of siuations. The story is in the "Neighbor" category. I can't quite place my finger on what it is that makes these people tick (besides lacking Christ) in such a rude and offensive way. Read on and find your mind boggled, your head shaking and your mind trying to come up with right words for them should you have the opportunity to meet these neighborly folk yourself.

Photo Quiz #3

Here you go! You have a week.

Photo Quiz #2 Answers

The answers to this week's photo quiz are:

1. Hand juicer
2. Corn silk

Way to go to those who guessed right! The next quiz will be posted this weekend.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I added a new recipe to my "Salads" link to the left, which I made last night. Or click here to view it (and try it!). It is a good dinner or lunch main dish salad.

Something to hold you over until Season 6 of "24" starts in January.....

My favorite "Jack Bauer Facts":

• When someone asks him how his day is going, Jack replies, "Previously, on 24..."
• Passed out, surrounded by terrorists and nerve gas, and handcuffed to a table leg, Jack Bauer laughed to himself and said, "I have them right where I want them."
• Jack Bauer is the only human in the world with the ability to make Chloe O'Brien drop the personality disorder and patch him through.
• If everyone on "24" followed Jack Bauer's instructions, it would be called "12".
• Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.
• Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.
• Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.
• Don't ever ask Jack Bauer what is going on. He'll explain in the car.

Lip-Smacking Salad. Oh yes, it is.

I was very pleased with how a new salad turned out for dinner tonight, Arugula, Roasted Tomato, and Goat Cheese Salad. I had some arugula left over from a couple other recipes and searched on cookinglight.com for highest rated recipes containing arugula. This salad was one of the results, and it is now stored in the "Salads" link to the left. It has a wonderful blend of flavors, and I didn't even have time to roast the tomatoes. I will do that next time though to get the full flavor. All else was as directed.

---

Second photo quiz down below if you haven't seen it yet.

Top F I V E, I mean F O U R, er, T H R E E

In light of the incredible blessing that God gives us to enjoy simple things in life, what are your top three (or any number you choose)....
1. bands/singers
2. tools (kitchen or garage, etc)
3. vacation spots
4. books (after the Bible) (lately, or all-time)
5. things that cheer you up

---

Mine:
1. Sara Groves, U2, and Caedmon's Call (but instrumental movie soundtracks are right up there)
2. Chef's knife, camera, and a roller-ball pen for journaling (later revision: add my food processor)
3. Oregon, Grand Tetons (have yet to go), and Scotland
4. Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and Redeeming Love
5. 75-degree weather with sun and a breeze, Asher & Micah, and reading Scripture

Photo Quiz #2

I can't determine whether this will be easy or hard. I'll post the answer in a week, or sooner if enough people beg.


If you want an extra challenge, try this one:

Full Moon....Beware

Not really, but check this out! I love my camera!

My How He Grows

Asher is about 8 months old and has changed quite a bit from when he was 8 weeks. He's so fun. Readers, if you only knew!

Strange Photos

This link boasts 99 strange photos....take look. Many are indeed strange (and fascinating), particuarly #40.

Answer to Picture Quiz #1

(quiz found here)

1) A wire hand-held strainer
2) Grape Nuts!

Many of you got the answers right or were pretty close. Thanks, everyone, for playing! I'll do another quiz this week. Here is the original picture of the strainer before cropping. The Grape Nuts picture wasn't cropped.

Answer to Quiz #1

I will post the answer to quiz #1 soon, so post your answers while you can! Hurry! No time to lose! Forget everything else! Time is of the essence! Who cares if you haven't eaten for days or taken a shower! Let your children cry!

I'll do another quiz this week.
- - - - -
There is a new coffee cake recipe I tried last week for a camping trip. I was quite pleased with it (as were fellow campers), and I added it to my "Side Dishes" link on the left (or click here). Note: I baked it 10 minutes less than recipe directions.

Going Wild

Shot some more pictures tonight. See my album for more.

Photo Quiz #1!

Here are a couple photos I took tonight. Can you guess what these two pictures are? Post your guesses and I'll reveal the answer later on.