"Made Up" Pasta Bake

Recently Jeff and I started a little weekly supper club with two dear friends, E&E. We alternate which couple hosts and cooks. The "visitors" bring the wine. We eat, talk, laugh, and have a wonderful time. This week we were hosting and I decided to make pasta. I figured it would be pretty good, but I didn't expect everyone to absolutely devour it! Mr. E was so impressed that there was no recipe, I just made it up as I went along. I'll do my best to describe it, but I'm sorry if I leave something out!

First, I cooked a package of ground turkey in a skillet. I seasoned it with a little bit of dried onion and some tuscan sea salt with herbs I got as a Christmas gift but save for "special" foods. I figured this was special enough! I drained the meat and wiped off the pan.

Next, I added one package of frozen spinach that I had defrosted and drained to the warm pan. I added a little bit more onion along with about 2 Tbsp of light garlic and herb cheese spread and a jar of light alfredo sauce along with a little bit of nutmeg (trust me, nutmeg with spinach or white sauce is awesome!) I didn't add garlic because the garlic & herb cheese was pretty strong, but if you just have garlic and cream cheese it would probably be pretty similar. I also stirred the meat back in with everything else.

Next, I cooked 1 lb of farfalle pasta and mixed it with all of the sauce. I dumped everything into a big casserole dish and topped it with a little bit of shredded 2% milk mozzarella and baked it until the cheese was melty. Basically I just stuck it in the oven and let it hang out while the oven pre-heated and I baked the rolls (for about 10 minutes). Everything was already cooked so it was just a good way to keep it warm until everyone got there. That, and I'm a sucker for melty cheese. It would still be super-tasty (and probably save a few calories) if you leave the cheese off the top.

The whole thing came together in probably 40 minutes. It probably could have been quicker but I wasn't in a rush (and I may or may not have been singing into my spoonula at points) I have a sneaking suspicion this would be an easy one to throw together the night before and then head up in the oven before serving. It might even freeze well, although I am not sure.

This should make about 8 servings and, according to the My Fitness Pal recipe builder, has 405 calories per serving. Not bad for a very tasty and filling meal. It's the perfect thing for spring time as it starts to warm up because it's still filling but not super heavy. Next time I might add some roasted red pepper. The spinach and turkey would probably also make a great filling for stuffed shells or lasagna rolls, too.

Do you have any "make it up as you go along" favorites? If so, please share. If you give this one a try, let me know, especially if you have any improvements!

100 Wishes Quilt

Several years ago I learned of a tradition from China of making a quilt to welcome a new child into the community. Each member of the community contributes a piece of fabric and with that a wish for the child's life. A scrap of each piece of fabric along with all of the wishes are made into a book to go with the quilt so that the wishes and fabrics can be matched up and the child has an heirloom that can literally wrap them in the love of their community. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and I knew it was something that I wanted to someday do for my child or children, no matter how they joined our family!

Now that we have just about completed our home study, we are ready to really start working on this for our child or children that we want to adopt. If you would like to contribute to our quilt, please choose a fabric that is 100% cotton. It does not need to be new, but if you choose something that is "pre-loved" please wash it before you send it to us. Because we do not know the age, sex, or personality of the child or children, please choose something that is meaningful to you! Also, because we may be adopting a sibling group, please make sure that the piece is at least the size of a fat quarter so that we have enough for multiple quilts. Joann Fabrics has a great selection of fat quarters in all kinds of colors and patterns for 99 cents each, so it doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive! We will be using a log cabin pattern and the fabric will be cut into strips, so smaller patterns are probably best.

Also make sure you write a note to go with your fabric that we can include in the book. It can be a wish, prayer, poem, song lyrics, scripture, blessing, or anything else you would like it to be. If there is something particularly special or meaningful about the fabric you chose, please include that information in your note. You can hand write it, e-mail it, or send it via facebook message. Please make sure you include the name of who the fabric is from and a description of the fabric so we can make sure everything is matched up correctly! Also whenever you get me the fabric (either by mailing it or handing it to me) please attach a note with your name on the physical piece of fabric. Please also send a picture of yourself and everyone who is contributing the fabric. Digital is preferred. If you get me an actual photo I will do my best to get it back to you, but can't make any promises! If every individual in your family would like to contribute their own piece of fabric, feel free! Please just make sure you have a separate note from each individual, and if you can send individual photos that would be ideal (although I understand if you can't!)

If you would like to contribute a piece of fabric, please let me know. You can leave a comment on this post or let me know some other way. If you need my address to mail the fabric, just let me know. Also, if you know someone who would like to contribute to this, feel free to tell them about this, send them to this post, or let me know. I also have a letter about this that I can send to them (or you, if you'd like to have it!) Even though this is called a "100 wishes quilt" that is just our starting point! The more the merrier!

Once the quilt (or quilts) are done, I will post pictures and details about the whole process, so stay tuned!

Alabaster Fire Department CPR Class

In all of the adoption preparations, we learned that we would also have to take a water safety class along with CPR and First Aid because we have a hot tub. While the water safety still needs to be done, we were able to take CPR on Saturday.

Our local fire department offers CPR classes pretty regularly (I think at least once a month) and it's super cheap - only $5 to cover the cost of getting your certification card. If you need the schedule or more information you can get it here.

Our class only had four people in it which really was wonderful. I got CPR certified almost 10 years ago but thankfully have never had to use it. I also know that the standards change and I was a little nervous about remembering everything and being able to do it right, but the small class size made sure we all got a lot of one-on-one help and supervision.

Our instructor (I didn't get his permission so I won't use his name) was absolutely wonderful. He not only made sure that we got all the information that we needed, but he gave it to us in a way that we could remember it. He also answered all of our questions and made sure we were engaged with all of it. Everything was very conversational and incredibly enjoyable. I know I'm a dork who enjoys learning new things, but classes like this are not normally my "thing." However, this one was really fabulous. You can bet that I'll be doing it again to make sure that my certification stays current from now on. As easy and enjoyable as the whole thing was, I'd be foolish not to keep it up!

It seems silly but the most helpful/applicable (and also most intimidating part) for me was "playing" with the EpiPens. We ALWAYS have campers who have them and I've never personally had to see one used or help use one (or even know of a camper at one of my weeks who needed it while they were at camp). We always get a description of how to use them, but we actually practiced using them on ourselves with the teaching devices (which didn't have needles or medicine.) Even knowing that there was no needle in it, I didn't want to even act like I was stabbing it into my leg and it took a little extra encouragement for me to try it. I'm glad that I finally did because I now feel that, if I do ever need to, I could use one on a camper (or anyone else for that matter!) I probably could have done it before if I had to, but it would have taken me a few seconds to talk myself into it and/or read the instructions and I would have gladly given over the responsibility to someone else! Now I think I could do it without too much trouble, although I would still prefer to do what I do best, which is holding hands and offering words of comfort and encouragement!

I believe the whole crew from one of the stations was there during the start (until they had to go to a call). I think the plan was for them to help out with demonstrations and with the actual practicing with the dummies but they were gone when we got to that part. In spite of that, I was so incredibly overwhelmed by the kindness of all of them and their appreciation of us for taking the class. There really are not words for how much I appreciate them and their interactions with us, however brief they might have been. Maybe I'm just overly sentimental these days, but thinking about them and my experience with them makes me tear up a little! They truly are ministers in their own right with an incredible calling and I am grateful for all that they do!

If you need CPR certification or it's something you are thinking about taking/doing, let them help you out! It's a fabulous experience and I promise you will walk away a better person!

My First Trip to Ikea

I will admit, I never quite understood what all the fuss was about surrounding Ikea. I mean, I know it's supposed to be good inexpensive furniture and it's a big store. I have a friend who, when her son was three, he would rather spend a day there than the park or the zoo. I have looked at the website and while some of the stuff looks neat, most of it simply wasn't to my taste. Still, we have been on a home renovation kick lately and decided that since we'd be in the neighborhood it might be worth a little field trip.

I will admit that it probably wasn't the brightest decision to make our inaugural visit on a Saturday morning (along with everyone else in the world!) but it was what worked into our schedule. It was a bit overwhelming, especially since we weren't in search of something specific. I completely understand how people can spend all day there! I also understand why you would go when you don't need anything at all and how that can be insanely dangerous! Even though neither of us are really into "modern" design, we found tons of stuff we liked.

Once Jeff figured out "how it worked" he was in hog-heaven. He's all about DIY, speed, and efficiency when shopping, especially making larger purchases. It really did seem to be the best combination of lots of worlds to make both of us happy. Furniture (something we both enjoy), hardware and saving money(his things), with accessories and organization (my things) in one fabulously huge place with snacks. We will have to come back with a list, funding, and the big vehicle for sure! It was a serious blessing that we had none of those things this trip!

In spite of all that, we couldn't get out empty handed. I found a fabulous set of candle-holders I had seen at an altar design workshop and just had to have. I may need another set of them just to have more options. We also got two neat, low profile LED lights to be mounted on the top of our bookshelves in the den downstairs. Those were Jeff's "must have" and I agree they were perfect. I can't wait to get them installed. I found a mirror I really liked and a picture of Paris that both would have looked perfect in our guest room that we are in the process of renovating, but since we aren't to the "accessory" stage of the decorating I'll just have to wait a while longer and then make my case for going back!

The Flower Garden

Before we ever bought this house, we talked about the idea of putting in a flower garden in this little back corner of the yard just off the patio.  However, our first summer here Jeff decided that the space would be better utilized as the home of an above-ground pool, so that's what we put in. We enjoyed the pool for two summers, but when we took it down last fall we decided that maybe it was time to consider other options.  After we got our basement room renovation completed, we got serious about doing things for the patio since we were now seeing and using it more. In the process of getting things situated in the garage, Jeff decided that he needed a small garden shed for all his yard equipment and tools and that nice, level corner of the yard was the perfect place to put it. However, that forever eliminated the option of putting back the pool and left us with a decent sized piece of yard that looked quite pitiful. It was flower garden time!

We had some lattice work on the side of the patio acting as a screen between the patio where our table and chairs were sitting and that lovely little corner of yard. When the pool was there it was fine, but since we wanted to put in something pretty we wanted to be able to see it, so Jeff cut three arches in the lattice to serve as window. One of the pieces we cut out was then mounted on the garden shed to add some detail and serve as a sort of background for our fountain. Jeff had bought this long before he ever met me, but never moved it from his mother's house because we never had another place to put it until now.

Then we created the garden itself. We made four beds around the perimeter with two openings that serve as entry points - one to the yard and one to the patio. The beds were lined with pavers and filled in with dirt. The area inside the beds was filled with pea gravel and 4 larger stepping stones. Inside the beds, we chose a variety of different plants and flowers. On the lattice wall, we got a jasmine vine. As it climbs the lattice it will hopefully surround those "windows." We also got a St. Francis bird feeder. (Apparently the chipmunks are quite fond of it because I always see them running past the door when Patches is inside and while most of the bird seed is staying, the sunflower seeds are being picked out!)

In the bed by the fence is a bush that is supposed to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is supposed to be a spring-blooming plant so it was on sale. I don't expect it to make it through the summer, but right now it's nice and I'm looking forward to seeing what it draws in next year. We also put a couple of (what are now small) cypress trees in the corners. Hanging on the fence we moved an old iron hook we found in the woods where someone had tossed it with a hanging basket. Right now it has miniature pansies, but I'm sure it'll get changed out periodically.

In the bed by the fountain we put some bushes that are supposed to grow to a "medium" size and will fill in under the fountain. Like most of the beds, it also got some ground cover/filler flowers that will add some color.

The bed by the yard has some flowers in it, although one is about dead because Patches has decided he likes to water that one himself! We'll probably eventually dig it up and replace it with a small statue of a fire hydrant! We put some light fencing on the yard-side of that bed just to keep the dogs from running straight through it and give it some definition. It looks very nice.

We put a small iron bench on the gravel that is big enough for two people. It's the perfect place to sit and think. I just hate that it's so blooming hot now! Still, in the evenings it's a nice place. Obviously it's not in this picture, but you can figure out where it goes.

I love that we can see this area from the patio and the hot tub. The fountain is on a timer so it's not running all the time, but it does turn on in the afternoon/evening which is when we are generally outside anyway. And in case you are wondering about the spare piece of lattice between the fence and the shed, we used that L-shaped area around the shed to make a sort of "play pen" for Cocoa. She now has a secure area outside where I can leave her during the day so she doesn't have to be inside in her crate for hours on end.

New Beginnings

Today was officially my first day post-residency. Yesterday was our "graduation" which was a bittersweet day to say the least. I've been working toward this transition for a couple of weeks now, taking time for other things and enjoying a few days off here and there for various activities. Still, the vast expanse of available time is a new one for me. I'm not gonna lie, it's a little bit overwhelming!

Today was planned as a day of rest. I need some time to really get myself back to "normal" or as close to normal as I can get! This week will probably be spent being domestic, particularly cleaning and doing laundry. I am looking forward to having a few days away next week of doing nothing but reading for fun, sitting in a comfy chair, and probably eating too many sweets! You can hear all about it after I return. I'm pretty much keeping this one under my hat for now. I'm not good with keeping secrets or surprises, especially when it's something I'm really excited about, so I figured I'd try to give it a shot. Sorry if it bugs you like it does me!

Starting when we get home, I will be working hot and heavy on getting all my materials finished up for board of ordained ministry stuff. It's due the middle of November, but I'd love to get it done sooner! I've got a really good start on everything, so I hope I can keep my motivation going! I'll be very relieved when everything is out of my hands for a while!

Last week I did start a new ongoing project - The Pastor as Shepherd program. Yes, I'm a little bit nuts for jumping straight from one program to the next without any real recovery time. But this is only once a month for nine months and I believe is going to be invaluably helpful to me. I am excited about the people who are in the program with me and I'm really loving the way our facilitator, Bart, teaches. I think we're going to have a great year together! Next month I will be one of the case presenters. Normally I'm really nervous about having to present stuff, especially to a new group for the first time, but I'm actually looking forward to the feedback I'll get from this one. Plus, I already have three ideas for cases to present which takes off a little of the pressure. Plus the reading is interesting. It's concepts I'm generally familiar with, but in a different context which makes it really neat. Stay tuned for more on all that!

One thing that I would like to make a part of my routine, if not every day then at least three times a week, is a walk in the park. Jeff and I finally went to explore Veteran's Park the other day and it was really nice. The walking trails are neat and it'll be good for me to get out on a regular basis. The weather right now is perfect, especially if I can get up and out early in the morning. My long-term goal is to work myself up to running, but we'll start with walks in the park for now!

I am going to get back to cooking and meal planning and would like to also incorporate some sort of cleaning schedule into my life. We'll see what that looks like for real in a few weeks when my "real" routine has kicked in.

Nesting

I've heard about the idea of nesting in several different ways throughout my life. Most of the time, it refers to creating a safe, warm, comfortable space. Generally, it involves physical space. The two most common ways I've heard about nesting is setting up a house and decorating, or cleaning and preparing for the arrival of a child. But lately I've come to understand nesting in a broader sense of making preparations. I've heard the writing of birth plans and even advance directives called "a special kind of nesting" referring to creating that environment of love, care, and comfort for someone. It's about transitions in all different forms.

I have found myself doing a unique form of nesting of my own lately. I'm facing a big transition with the end of CPE. In addition to all the emotions of leaving that community and those responsibilities, I'm facing these wide open days with lots of possibilities and very little direction. I'm not a very good "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of person, so I need some structure.

In addition to the change of having time on my hands, this will be a big change because I will be at home all day by myself, which has never been the case since we have lived in this house! Jeff lost his job right after we moved, so even before CPE, he was always here with me! As much as I love spending time with him and having him help with stuff around the house, I do miss being able to do things for him like have dinner waiting when he gets home or doing the shopping and taking care of the errands so that we don't have to do the "work" stuff on the weekends!

I've had lists and plans and schedules on my mind for a while now. I guess that is my own form of nesting. Of preparing my space, both physical and mental, for a change. Whether I stick to these plans or modify them is yet to be seen, but that really isn't the point either. Making plans is like a security blanket for me. It makes me feel as though I have some control over all that's happening in my life, even when I know I really don't.

It's still a month away, but I've already got several lists/plans going. Meal plans, grocery lists, chore schedules, and I'm sure plenty of other things will surface as well. In the meantime, I'm sure I'l come up with plenty of other things to plan and prepare for! And if you need anything planned for you, let me know!

Taco Pancakes

I first discovered this recipe in the Birmingham News on May 18th. It's by Stephanie Parker, and I've just got to say that her blog Plain Chicken might be my new favorite food blog! It also helps that she's local so when she talks about great places she likes to go, I have usually at least heard of them and can actually try them! That is so cool to me!

Back to the taco pancakes...

Of course you know me and I can't leave well enough alone, so I wasn't satisfied with simply trying and then sharing Stephanie's recipe. No, I had to go and mess with it! And honestly, I'm so glad that I did! I didn't mess much, but I did make it mine and to me that just makes it better! So without further ado, here is my version of taco pancakes!

1 lb ground beef, cooked with 1/2 small onion, 1 clove garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne to taste (this translates to my "secret formula" for taco meat!) If you want to cheat a little you can use a packet of taco seasoning. If you want to cheat a lot, you can use a tub of pre-made taco meat. No judgements whatever you decide!

Now for the "pancake batter" which is kind of a cornbread base. Actually, this was inspired by Paula Deen's Hoecakes and my cornbread.

1 1/4 c. Self-Rising Flour

3/4 c. Cornmeal

1 Tbsp sugar

3/4 c. buttermilk

1/3 c. water

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Once you have your batter, mix in about half of your meat, about 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (I used pepperjack because it's what we had) and some chopped jalapeno or a little extra onion if that's your thing (it isn't mine!) You can add more meat if you want it or save it for other stuff (or double the batter recipe!)

I cooked these two different ways. Jeff preferred them just like a regular pancake. I liked them fried in a little extra vegetable oil so they were crispier, more hush puppy-ish. If you have a big griddle, this would be a super easy meal for a crowd. I just had a pan and two people, and it was still pretty darn easy.

I would recommend leaving off the maple syrup in favor of salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and any other taco toppings you like. We used my homemade salsa I had left and sour cream. I think deep in his heart Jeff would have loved some cheese dip over the top, but he seemed quite satisfied with what we had.

Give it a try, let me know what you think, and if you made any tweaks of your own I want to hear about them!

Sew Much Fun!

I bought a sewing machine my senior year in high school wanting to learn how to use it. I started making pillows and even went so far as to make some pajama pants for myself, and later for a friend in college. Unfortunately, a dorm is not generally a good place to set up craft space, especially with something like a sewing machine so my machine ended up in storage. It stayed there until last year when we cleaned everything out. I finally got all my stuff together and said I was going to pull it out and dust it off, but it just hadn't happened until recently.

During CPE, I was introduced to something called "feely hearts" that were basically small stuffed hearts given to help someone going through a hard time. We were each given a feely heart by our spiritual director and it was very sweet and meaningful. As our time with her came to an end, our group said we wanted to do something special for her, and after talking we came up with the idea of making her a pillow with a pocket on it in which we could all place some sort of note or picture. Seeing as how I am the resident craft person, the task of making it came to me. I can't say I mind, and it was my idea.

In spite of how long it had been since I made something with my machine, it really wasn't that difficult. If you've never made a pillow, I think it's the easiest first project you can make with a sewing machine because it's three and a half straight lines (you finish the fourth seam by hand after you flip it inside out and stuff it!) The hardest part of this was sewing the pocket onto the pillow because I did that by hand, but I did that on purpose because I liked the way it looked!

I'm really excited about getting back into sewing and learning to make some new stuff. One thing I really want to get is a ruffler foot to try making rosettes for various things. I also saw a simple scarf at a recent craft fair that I think I could make pretty easily so I'm excited about trying that. (so if it goes well, guess what folks may be getting for Christmas this year?!?)

On a slightly unrelated note, I think I want to try making some of the cute flower hair clips I have seen (both from silk flower petals and from fabric). A friend suggested using the cricut to cut flowers out, so I may have to give that a shot! If you have any requests, let me know!

Monday Meal Plan

It's high time I got back into the swing of things and started writing more about what's been going on in my life, and thus have a little more motivation for HAVING something go on in my life! The first something I want to work on is cooking more. I miss it. I was thinking back to those first months when we were married. I was excited about "playing house" on some level and also going a little stir crazy because I rarely got out of the condo. But the one thing I did every single day (almost) was cook dinner. I generally tried to have it ready and waiting by the time Jeff got home from work and it was a really nice way to spend my afternoon.

Obviously, a lot has changed in the past two years. And while most of it has been great, I do miss making the time to cook regularly. And while this whole "working" thing has played a big part in it (and also having Jeff home all the time!) I want to at least TRY to get back to cooking regularly. And so, in order to keep me properly motivated and to enable my darling house-husband to help out, I am going to get back to menu planning. I used to do it for two and three weeks at a stretch, but that gets to be a bit much, so let's work on one week at a time, shall we? Granted, this week is not the greatest example, but it's a step in the right direction!

Monday (30th) - Smoked Chicken and potato salad (Hopefully Jeff will let me share the recipe for this one since this is his doing!)

Tuesday (31st) - Pork Roast in the crock pot with pasta-roni

Wednesday (1st) - Grilled Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Thursday (2nd) - leftovers

Friday (3rd) - Burgers and Hot Dogs

Saturday (4th) - Spicy Chicken Pasta and Salad (stay tuned for a recipe if this one comes out well!)

Sunday (5th) - Roast beef with mashed potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce

Hopefully I can make this a pretty regular thing and get a little discipline back in my life! Suggestions are always welcome, and let me know if there's something you want me to share a recipe for!

Weathering the Storms

First of all, thank you so very much to everyone who has sent love and prayers to us. Jeff and I are fine. There was no damage at our home in Alabaster and we even had very little debris end up in our yard. We recognize that we were very fortunate because we know for sure one tornado literally went right over us! My family in Cullman is also safe. Catherine didn't have any damage at her house, only debris and stuff in the yard. We did have some minor damage out at the farm, but we were very fortunate.

I'm heartbroken to see the devastation all over. I will admit my own selfishness and crying a lot of tears over the damage to my home church. I know it's just a building and it can be fixed, but that place is as much my home as any house I may have lived in (more so in many ways) and a little piece of my soul was destroyed along with it! This is a picture of one of the windows in the sanctuary. I can't say for certain, but I think this is actually the window in several of my wedding photos.

Working in the hospital today was a surreal experience. I was definitely overwhelmed. I went down to the Emergency Department for a while and I really was in shock of what I was seeing and hearing. The stories are absolutely heartbreaking. I will be processing this for a long, long time.

Now that the physical storms are over, the mental/spiritual/emotional ones are just beginning, not only for me but for everyone who has been touched by this in any way (which, if you're reading this, I'm guessing also includes you!) Love and prayers to all!

Ornament Exchange 2010

Remember how I told you about OneWed and its fabulous forum community? Well, one of the things they do every year for the "regulars" is a secret santa ornament exchange. It's always tons of fun! This year, my secret santa was Keely. She did a wonderful job and got me the most precious peppermint ornament! I love love love it!

It totally suits me, my personality, and our tree! All our stuff is the glass, "old world" style, so my peppermint is perfect. I got lots of compliments on it over the holiday, so I'm thrilled to finally get around to showing it off here!

Thank you, Keely! It's perfect and I will think happy thoughts about you, Chad, and Paisley every time I see it!

My Final Week of "Freedom"

This was my final week of "freedom" for a year. I had all sorts of big intentions of doing grand things to take advantage of it, but it simply didn't happen that way. I was at least semi-productive!

Sunday after church we went to visitation at the funeral home and then had lunch with Jeff's mother and grandparents. Jeff washed the cars while Papa and I took a nap!

Monday I stayed in bed most of the day. I didn't feel good. I enjoyed being lazy.

Tuesday I pretty much finished up my Christmas shopping, picked up some things for the church from Cokesbury, and had lunch with my mother-in-law. We tried a new Mexican place that wasn't nearly as good as our old standard, but it seems our old standard has closed. It makes me sad.

Wednesday I went to a meeting at church and hauled in several boxes of "stuff" for the Fall Festival, watched Top Chef, and cooked dinner that we didn't even sit down to eat together.

Thursday I did all the laundry, picked 33 peppers from the garden, watched a marathon of Kitchen Nightmares followed by Grey's Anatomy, and cooked another dinner that only got picked at. I'm about to go on a cooking strike.

Friday I got gas, went to the bank, did the grocery shopping, got an external hard drive and cleaned off my computer, wrapped more Christmas presents, met some of Jeff's friends for dinner, went over to see some other friends and taught them to play chicken foot dominos.

Saturday I slept while Jeff went to get the oil changed and a belt replaced on my car, put my new audio book on my iPod, applied for health, vision, and dental insurance, went to Belk and got some tights to go with a cute new dress (and got extremely miffed at the lack of customer service!), went to Harbor Freight so Jeff could give me some ideas for Christmas gifts, had dinner at Golden Rule where they were out of baked potatoes (how does that happen on a Saturday night when it wasn't even 6pm yet?!?), and wrapped a few more gifts that came in the mail.

What I DIDN'T do this week - I didn't make the bed. At all. Ever. Even when I didn't spend all day in it. I figured that would be my little bit of rebellion.

I haven't gotten to the point of being so nervous I get angry. It's almost entertaining (as long as you are not the recipient of my angry letters!) I have started the pacing, so I have to be doing something I deem productive. I've been making lots of lists and playing with my calendar. Todays "to-d0" list includes packing my lunch for tomorrow and figuring out what the heck to make for dinner tomorrow night (it may be leftovers since we have two dinners we haven't eaten from this week!)

So here's to my last day before I become a Chaplain Resident!

Friday Five - Love the One You're With

Today's Friday Five challenges us to think of five things that we like about where it is we live now. This is an exercise I hope to repeat, and perhaps expand upon, every five or so years to allow me to reflect upon where I'm living and serving at a given moment and as I live into what it means to be an itinerant minister!

1 - I love my neighbors. Everyone is friendly.There is a wide variety of ages, interests, and backgrounds represented. Homes and yards are generally well maintained. People seem to genuinely care about one another. It's nothing to ask the folks across the street to feed the dogs for us while we're gone, or ask the guy a couple of houses down to pull our garbage can in on his way home. They're happy to do it and we're happy to return the favor!

2 - I love the convenience. With the exception of work, I can get to everything I truly NEED in less than 10 minutes. Publix is a 4 minute drive, which is wonderful. I don't think I would want to be any closer to all this if I could be. It's fantastic. It's not a big deal to run to the store or pick something up on the way home. If there is a problem with anything, it can be easily fixed. And if we absolutely had to, we could even walk down to the gas station!

3 - I love having a yard. I especially love that there is fence around this yard in the back and it is filled with a nice oak tree, a deck, a pool, and a garden. The only thing missing is a swing set, and that can come with time! I like having a place for the dogs to run and getting to really experience the glory of growing something. I like being able to go out and have a place to watch the stars and feel the breeze and enjoy life without having to worry about being in anyone else's way or anyone else being in mine!

4 - I love being in the 'burbs. Don't get me wrong. I loved being in the heart of Nashville while I was there. It was great to go back and visit and I do miss it. But it's definitely not where I want to spend the rest of my life. I like that things are quiet. I like that there's generally no traffic after 8 pm. I like that I see kids riding their bikes down the street and hearing dogs bark and having a little bit of space between me and the neighbors. I like having a little distance between me and the bars and the parties and the excitement. I like my nice, quiet existence.

5 - I love my kitchen. I always dreamed of having a yellow kitchen with a round table and a big island and I have it now! It's really wonderful! I feel very at home in my kitchen and knowing that it is really mine. It's the one room of the house that I feel is best representative of the person that I am and the things that I value (and in keeping with that theme it is, and probably always will be, a work in progress!)

Now, the "bonus" is to come up with something you don't like about where you live now. The biggest thing I dislike about where I live now is the distance from the church. Not just from the practical standpoint of taking almost 45 minutes to drive one way from the house to the church (and ultimately often spending more time driving than I do actually working at the church). But I also dislike being disconnected from my people. I wish I was more aware of what was going on closer to them and knew more about the business and areas that are often discussed.

Homeschooling 2.0

Here are a few of my expanded thoughts on homeschooling in light of some of my new thoughts and discoveries. Please bear with me (or feel free to stop reading here). This is just a little sneak peek at the conversations I have been having with myself.

Where do you get your curriculum? - The joy of the internet is the amazing connections and access to resources you may not be able to find otherwise. I have a great curriculum package that I currently love marked with a big circle in my mind.

What if I don't like everything in it or the kids aren't in to it like I am? - First of all, they can get excited about just about anything. This is all brand new and can be a really great experience. My attitude will go a long way in making that so, and if I'm excited I think they will be too. As for specific resources, there's nothing that says a package deal MUST always be used. I think it's a good place to start and something that can easily be reassessed and tweaked as needed. And As for learning styles, that is something that can also be assessed later and changes can be made.

Isn't that a bit of an unfair advantage to give the child so much control over learning? - No, not unfair at all. If anything, the notion that all children must learn the same things in the same way at the same pace is very UNfair and a huge DISadvantage to everyone. Those that struggle are dragged along or left behind and those that excel are left bored and unchallenged. How is that fair to anyone but the few in the middle and the teacher? Education shouldn't be about the teacher. It should be about the student. (No offense to any teachers, I know you do the best you can with what you're given!)

What about the stuff you can't teach? - No, I'm not confident in my ability to teach math over about Algebra 1 without some help. Science I have very little desire to even try to do much more than physical science/physics. But I'm a quick learner, and I can re-learn it with my child and help him/her learn it. And if I can't teach it adequately, there are lots of groups and classes that can help. I am amazed at the things community organizations are able and willing to provide for home schoolers. It's very encouraging.

A few examples locally are science classes and labs through the McWane Center and the Birmingham Zoo, "dual enrollment" classes through community colleges and a few private schools, career exploration programs that cover everything from medicine to cosmetology and law enforcement to photography. For the little ones there are field trips and classes and play groups and all kinds of great things to explore.

Another thing I am definitely skeptical about is my ability to lead or enforce any sort of physical education on my own. Thankfully, there are lots of great things I've found like dance, gymnastics, team sports, swimming, yoga, and even kids fitness and training at local gyms. I feel like, with this, I won't have to force my child into any one thing long enough to make them terribly resentful, but just provide a few options and say "I don't care which one you pick, but you have to pick one and at least try it for a few months!"

I think the best part to me is that so much of this can start at such an early age. Not the academic side specifically, but the creation of an environment that fosters learning and exploration and can help to blur that line between "school" and "play" just enough to keep life interesting. The curriculum I really like starts with a 3K set. No lesson plans or work sheets or flash cards here. Just time spent reading and learning and making that an important part of your daily routine. Throw in some mom and me classes with the local park and rec, gym, or pool and the pre-school play group at the zoo or the McWane Center and you've got school going! When you are able to do these things with a little bit of deliberate attention, suddenly when you get the "real" school stuff for kindergarten or first grade it's not such a strange and new transition into something scary, it's just what you do every day!

This also opens doors for deliberate learning in fun and interesting ways away from "home base". You can GO and DO and SEE the places and things you're learning about. Even Disney World has classes specifically designed for school groups (including homeschool groups.) And life experience really can make stuff (especially the "boring" stuff) come to life.

The Car

For the most part, I like to keep my home at least presentable. I generally don't mind sharing most of my things. Even my closets have become areas that I'm not embarrassed to leave open. However my car is another story.

Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomena. Ever since I got my license and a car I didn't have to share, it was an extension of my home. And not in the good way of being warm and friendly and expressing my personality. It became a rolling office, library, closet, and occasionally even bedroom.

Once I started college, it just got worse. I would toss stuff in the car for work or to haul it home or back to school and it would never make it to its final destination, instead living in automotive purgatory. My many moves just perpetuated this cycle. Now, there is absolutely no reason for this to be true. But the thought of making those multiple trips to unload everything was just a daunting task so I was not motivated to get it done.

I have finally gotten to a point that my car can be considered "cleaned out." I emptied the floorboard and both of the front seats. The back seats can all accommodate rear ends and/or car seats. Then, my loving husband emptied the floor of the back. Per a previous agreement, once I got the car cleaned out, he would wash it for me. For most people, this wouldn't be a very big deal. After all, washing the car is an exterior job, right? Well, not for him. Washing the outside is just the start. It also includes vacuuming, shampooing the carpets, conditioning the leather, polishing the wood grain, even washing out the cupholders! I must admit, I wouldn't go through all that myself, but I certainly appreciate the results!

The trunk still has a lot of things in it. Mostly it's books that I can unload in the church now that I have gotten my bookshelves rearranged (which is a whole other post!). Jeff calls it my "mobile assault library". My goal is that, at least by Mother's Day, I will have the whole thing emptied and I will actually be able to put groceries in the trunk and we can take my car to the various graduation trips we will be making!

No Apologies

A person's lifestyle can be something very tricky to try and get a hold on. I'm sure at one point in history, it was relatively safe to make a few assumptions about your friends and neighbors but this is no longer the case. On the one hand I think it is great that life and society has become so diverse. On the other hand, it can make for some very awkward moments. You get invited to a baby shower and the assumption is "well, they can always use baby wash and diapers and wipes" even though these things aren't on the registry so you put together a lovely little gift basket and come to find out the parents are using cloth diapers and all-natural baby products. Oops! Or you put together a lovely chicken casserole for a family who has had an illness or death and you pack your pyrex dish full of lots of love and cheese, only to find out they are vegan! Awkward!

Even getting a handle on your own lifestyle and being able to define and describe it to others can be very difficult. In many cases, there always seems to be an implication that if you are doing something outside the perceived "norm" that you should apologize for rocking the boat or doing things in your own way. This never really bothered me much because I never was one to rock the boat. I liked what was easy and convenient and available.

Now reality has set in. I have come to the realization that I am indeed one to rock the boat. I am now very proud of this fact. I enjoy doing things my own way and making things my own. I see it now to be, in many ways, my responsibility. I look back on life and the things that I remember are the things that were different and special and unique to me or my family or my friends. Yes, I'm still peeved about the cow bell at the wedding, but over all the cow bell tradition is a fun one to share with my family.

From the time I was young, I always knew I wanted to get married and have a family. No question about it. And for the most part growing up in small-town Alabama, that was not only accepted, but expected. No problems there. Except when I started pursuing my M.Div. Maybe it was the influx of people and perspectives so different from my own. Maybe it was the fact that we were all spending buckets of money on a professional degree. I don't know what it was. But I always felt the need to apologize for the fact that I wanted to get married and have a family. And that may mean putting my husband's career above my own. Or taking some time off to raise my kids. That just seemed so "abnormal", some would even say wrong. Sure people got married all the time. Some even had kids. But it was so different when it was a guy. His wife could have a baby and he could show up two days later and take a mid-term. I wouldn't have been able to do that. And I don't know that there would have been much sympathy for me either. It's unfortunate but it is what it is.

Now I find myself in similar situations, except turned around a bit. I am very lucky to have a wonderful, loving, supportive church to serve. They have had two female ministers prior to my coming. They have had one or two who were younger than me as well. I'm not really breaking much new ground here. Except, that I am the first female to be married. And they aren't quite sure what to do with Jeff. They love him dearly, but I see how lots of people aren't quite sure what to expect of him, or of me. On the very first Sunday I sat on the front pew to lead the service because the previous minister never used the "big chairs" up front, and there really isn't much room to move around up there anyway. Jeff chose a pew in the back on the other side. Several people had a fit and asked him "well, aren't you going to sit with her?" Thank heavens he simply responded "She's a big girl, she doesn't need me to hold her hand!" And nobody said anything about it ever again.

I also don't expect Jeff to go to church with me every single week. I would love it if he did, but it's his choice. I'm not his mother, I'm his wife. And I don't expect him to join the church just because I serve it. He isn't Methodist. He doesn't claim to be. I knew that when I met him and I knew it when I married him. He knows that I am. He knows who I am and what I do and that's fine for both of us. I had a church member admit to me that she really doesn't know what to make of the two of us because, with the previous pastor, his wife was "always there, unless she was keeping the grandkids". Good for her. But I am not the previous pastor and Jeff is not the previous pastor's wife. Jeff isn't a pastor's wife at all! Yes he is a clergy spouse, but that is a title, not a definition.

I am excited about the prospect of having children, but I know that they will come when the time is right. I know that we aren't ready for kids yet. I know that on some level you are never ready, but for right now we are willing to wait. However, when we do have children I want the best for them. I want to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl, but I don't know that it'll change much. And just because we know doesn't mean that I will tell the rest of the world. Because I don't want anything to be too super-girly or super-masculine either way. I will probably decorate the nursery in green and yellow. I don't want anyone to give us clothes unless they are plain white onesies. I want to try to use cloth diapers but won't think of myself as a failure if we end up going back to the disposables. I want to try to avoid formula if we can but if the nursing thing doesn't work it's ok. I'm not opposed to putting the child in front of a video for a while so I can start dinner or do a load of laundry or whatever. I want to take full advantage of my maternity leave but would probably want to go back to work part time at least.

Yes I am a female pastor. Yes I am 24 years old. Yes I am married. Yes I want to have children. Yes I want to nurse my child if possible. Yes I would like to try and use cloth diapers as much as possible. Yes I would like to adopt. Yes I throw away some of my cans and forget to recycle my newspapers. Yes I eat McDonalds and shop at Wal-Mart. Yes I occasionally curse. Yes I drive a car that takes premium gas. Yes I let my husband sleep in on Sunday if he so chooses. Yes I am a flawed individual doing the best I can.

No I do not make any apologies for who I am or what I do and what I do not do!

Playtime

I don't quite know what to do with myself. I think I have finally established a schedule that works for me. On the one hand I am thrilled because I really do thrive on order and schedules and plans and preparation. On the other that has just NOT been my life for over a year now. I ALWAYS had something that had to be done. I always felt like I was playing catch up.

Don't get me wrong, there is stuff that I could be doing, like unpacking the boxes in the basement. I probably will attempt a little of that before the day is over. But there is nothing that DEMANDS doing right now.

I really do get a lot more work done at the church than I do trying to work from home. I'm just not as distracted at the church. True, it's not as easy to do things online, but the essentials (like returning e-mails or looking up a phone number) CAN be done. Plus I'm not tempted to play on facebook or anything else and things get done pretty quickly.

My sermon is prepared. I have a plan for Sunday school. I have all my notes typed and printed for the VBS meeting on Saturday. I have the movie for Saturday night. The house is clean. The beds are made. The laundry is done and put away. The dishes are done and put away. I have a plan for dinner.

Now I think I'll watch a movie and do some knitting!

Alarming

During our semi-horrible visit to the home and garden show (that was incredibly disappointing, by the way) Jeff decided we needed to register for every giveaway going on. Well, I knew exactly where this would lead. One of these included information for an alarm company. Of course they called and scheduled an appointment to come give us a free estimate for an alarm system. Jeff fielded the phone calls so it wasn't a huge concern of mine.

I didn't think much about it until one Tuesday afternoon a few weeks ago. I came home from a long shift at the hospital rather tired and cranky. I immediately start dinner because I'm hungry and looking forward to relaxing that evening when the doorbell rings and sure enough the woman from the alarm company was here to do our estimate. FRICK!

She was really nice and I liked her a lot, but I really didn't think this was the time for us to be buying alarm equipment or signing a service contract. I let Jeff do the house tour because he knew all about alarms (having had alarms before and worked at an alarm company) so I just stayed in the kitchen and tended to my macaroni from a box. The next thing I know they're in the kitchen and contracts are coming out and he's holding a pen!

I knew he really wanted an alarm and I don't mind having one, so we went ahead and got it since the equipment and installation was free.

I guess it's just because I'm not used to having an alarm but it makes me really nervous! I'm afraid of setting it off, even though I can give them our password and I won't have my house swarmed by police! I know it's a good thing to have and is saving us money on our insurance and all that, but I'm still not sure whether or not I like it.

I guess the monitored smoke detectors are nice. I think that's one of my biggest fears - the house catching fire and something happening to the dogs. I'm still tempted to get one of those "pet alert" stickers to go on the door.

Who would have thought that home security equipment would make me so insecure?

Comforts of Home

I will be the first to admit that I am rather prissy. I don't like to be too terribly uncomfortable. I know what I like and generally enjoy having access to these things. I am not one to "rough it" in the true sense of the word. I have become almost infamous among my friend for my "Momma Purse", which is ready for any adventure that may be encountered. I try to be prepared for anything without going too overboard.

I also enjoy traveling. Although the actual travel part (particularly driving) often requires some serious advance planning on my part to keep me sane and comfortable, I am no longer the type to want to bring everything I own with me. I am not one to bring half my wardrobe and everything off of my bed at home. I am not terrified of hotel sheets and other people's showers. That is part of the adventure! It's only for a short period of time.

However, I am discovering that I am quite spoiled. My preparedness is slipping. Maybe this is because I no longer travel as often as I once did. Maybe I am letting my guard down and trusting other people a little bit more. I am not entirely sure. But something has changed in my perceptions of the world and my experiences. I still have to decide whether or not I like this shift.

I may just have to start taking my own pillow and an extra pair of sweatpants any time I travel!