Scatter Sunshine

2012: Year of the Bird

2012-01-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

1. trust God to provide one day at a time
2. spread your wings
3. find a good, big tree
4. sing the song that's in your heart
5. get up early and look for worms
6. shake your tail feathers
7. go south then come home
8. flock with birds of your feather
9. keep perspective, look at things from a bird's-eye view
10. take baths
11. let go and be full of Peace

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.
~Tagore

2011-12-30T12:12:00.000-06:00

2011. It's going up in flames baby.

2011-06-09T16:41:00.001-05:00

Run ragged and wrecked.
Catching a tiger, baiting a bully.
Was this my idea? Is it a mistake?
Why did you take me here?
Am I too far from home?
Am I really all alone?

Walk, child don’t run.
Go off and have fun.
We’ll be waiting.
Just look before you cross.

Take love with the loss.
I know it’s frusrating.

Reach but don’t push it away.
Say nice words and play with intention.
Practice restraint.
Find out what matters.

I know your heart’s been broken.
But martyrs never open doors.

The world is yours.
Carry this torch and use your voice.

~ Lissie

2011-06-02T19:45:00.004-05:00

This week I've been living in a place I'm leaving. It's a hard place to be. It's a sad place to be.

But a new place awaits. So I'll go and find myself there.

2011-05-20T19:37:00.002-05:00

Happy Thoughts

Turning the page.

2011-05-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

I believe this to be true

Nothing sacred nothing new

No one tells you when its time

There are no warnings only signs

And you know that you're alone

You're not a child anymore

But you're still scared

All your mountains turn to rocks

All your oceans turn to drops

They are nothing like you thought

Can't be something you are not

Life is not a looking glass

Don't get tangled in your past

Like i am learning not to

-BCXO

2011-05-10T02:00:00.002-05:00

Don't bring me bad news, no bad news
I don't need none of your bad news today.
You can't have my fear, I've got nothing to lose, can't have my fear
I'm not getting out of here alive anyway.
And I don't need none of these things, I don't need none of these things I've been handed.
And the bird of peace is flying over, she's flying over and
Coming in for a landing.

~ Patty Griffin

2011-04-21T15:18:00.001-05:00

maybe the flood isn't a flood at all, but a current of Grace that keeps you afloat, keeps you moving

2011-04-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

Find your tribe, little girl. And stop calling yourself girl when you are woman... mostly.

2011-04-07T07:33:00.000-05:00

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Hope by Emily Dickinson
photo

2011-04-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

-- Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
photo from here

2011-04-04T20:57:00.003-05:00

I went upside down today. I wasn't sure I could do it. But two strangers encouraged me. And, all of a sudden, there I was with my heart above my head.

2011-03-31T08:10:00.007-05:00

the world expanded by one, and my heart is busting at the seams

2011-03-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

...it's the thing that sometimes happens between two people who bring each other so completely out of the mundane into this magical and other worldly place.

~Galt Niederhoffer

2011-03-22T21:38:00.000-05:00

I find myself at a place where I, again, have to be gaping open and hurt to know healing. To feel the grace.

I am despearte for Him, but don't want to be. I want it to be easy. I don't want to hurt. I want to understand and have answers. I want to be right. I want to have what I want.

Why do I return to this place? When, I know this, I've been here before, He will make it right. He will take care of me.

But it's broken. I'm broken. My heart is broken.

So I'll be desperate, and once again, He will break my fall.

2011-03-19T14:45:00.001-05:00

In the end, I hope I have a whole jar full of broken hearts. Just think of all the love it would take to collect them!

2011-03-11T14:33:00.000-06:00

she requires a steady diet of faith and fancy with a little mischief here and there for good measure
~ Leigh Standley

2011-03-09T13:14:00.000-06:00

When I die, I hope someone will say "She looked good in blue."

*please do note, this is a happy thought*

2011-03-08T09:49:00.001-06:00

And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, keep trusting, and stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

-author unknown

2011-02-19T07:27:00.004-06:00

slow down little feet...

... at least give me time to change my polish

my Sweetest niece turns five years old today.

will she ever know how she changed the world?

2011-02-16T13:43:00.000-06:00

I'm on the pursuit of happiness. And I know, everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold.
~ Lissie

2011-02-13T23:47:00.000-06:00

I expected tears. Just not so many of my own.

2011-02-07T11:27:00.001-06:00

It just takes some time
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be alright, alright
~Jimmy Eat World

2011-02-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 3:4

2011-01-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

Look! You guys, He set the world on fire for me!

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your bones. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~Isaiah 58:11

2011-01-26T22:36:00.000-06:00

2011-01-11T11:58:00.000-06:00

Use what He gives you. Not only will He supply -- He will multiply.
“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

2011-01-10T12:05:00.000-06:00

it is definitely time for some Happy Thoughts.

champagne. girls night. tiny-baby holding. christmas lights. finding yourself at great heights. severely cute new shoes. reading stories with my Precious niece. swinging with my Sweetest niece. sliding with my Charming nephew. new friends. spontaneous sleepovers. favorite music at the Paramount. favorite novels snuggled in bed. holidays at my home. virginia wedding play list. surprises and prizes. laughing at old pictures. breakfast dates. fixing things. christmas cards on the mantel. cheese. haircut day. winter dusk. quiet lunches. new calendars. quilting. letting go. unexpected invitations. cleaning sticky popsicle juice off the floor. giggling. crock pot cooking. club craniums. missing teeth. storypeople. fashion fact friday. peppermint bark. feeling the pull. afternoon coffee. saturday morning dance party. really, any dance party. waves. house shoes. being heard. being loved. becoming.

2011-01-08T12:47:00.003-06:00

Surely Eternal Optimism isn't a bad thing. Surely...

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

2011-01-06T16:46:00.000-06:00

Don't be afraid to be yourself, even if you're unsure of who that is.

2011-01-04T12:29:00.003-06:00

I've figured out that the things it takes guts to do are the things most worth doing. Or they're illegal. So we'll leave those off the list.

2011-01-03T08:44:00.000-06:00

Can't stop what's coming. Can't stop what is on its way.
~Tori

2011: Year of Fire

2011-01-01T15:58:00.002-06:00

1. sometimes you have to burn things to make way for new growth
2. warm the hands of others
3. know what you'd grab if your house was on fire
4. dance like flames
5. a slow burn can spread into wildfire, and a wildfire can calm to a slow burn
6. give off light
7. this is gonna hurt
8. cook, nourish your body and soul
9. be mesmerized, watch the sparks fly
10. some days you will need to stop, drop and roll with it
11. smoke can be seen before the flame
12. burn hottest at the center
13. call for help
14. make s'mores!
15. be brave, run into fire when there is something worth saving
16. it's okay to flicker
17. drink more water
18. sit around with people you love
19. without an explosion, the shuttle couldn't get to the moon
20. Ignite! Feel the burn! Be on fire!

"And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them" Zechariah 13:9

2010: Year of the Jump
2009: Year of the Pancake

2010-12-29T12:05:00.004-06:00

For all that changes, I am infinitely grateful for that which remains the same.

2010-12-28T12:05:00.003-06:00

Give those you love room to be inconsistent.

2010-12-27T10:43:00.000-06:00

Where will all of these dreams intersect?
Which will become and which will only be part of the becoming?

2010-12-20T16:12:00.000-06:00

Start here & go until you die, he said. What's so complicated about that?

- Brian Andreas

2010-12-17T12:30:00.000-06:00

Somebody said they saw me swinging the world by the tail, bouncing over a white cloud, killing the blues.

~Rowland Salley

2010-12-16T11:58:00.000-06:00

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. - H.D. Thoreau

{Going to cheer them, don't be surprised when they cheer you.}

2010-12-09T13:49:00.000-06:00

i'm okay when everything is not okay
~ Tori Amos

2010-12-08T12:12:00.002-06:00

This place feels small and big at the same time.
Everything washing right out from under my feet, yet I stand on solid ground.
Rushing in, then playing back gently, wave upon wave, and I'm swept away.

2010-12-06T20:30:00.002-06:00

And all of this life moves around you.
For all that you claim you're standing still,
You are moving too.
~Alexi Murdoch

2010-11-24T12:09:00.001-06:00

"We were sitting on the veranda. Oh, everything was there - the wicker chairs, the table with the tea tray on it, the scent of the flowers, the scent of India, the air of certainty, of perpetuity; but, as well, the odd sense of none of it happening at all because it had begun wrong and continued wrong, and so was already ended, and was wrong even in its ending, because its ending, for me, was unreal and remote, and yet total in its envelopment, as if it had already turned itself into a beginning. Such constant hope we suffer from!"
- Ms. Daphne Manners, from The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott

2010-11-19T10:34:00.001-06:00

The simplificaton of anything is always sensational.

-G.K. Chesterson

2010-11-16T12:30:00.001-06:00

I don't know where it all begins. And I don't know where it all will end.

But we're better off for all that we let in.

~ Indigo Girls

2010-11-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

Things aren't always as scary as they seem.

2010-10-29T12:01:00.001-05:00

It's okay if you get hurt. You were designed to heal.

...I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you... 2 Kings 20:5

2010-10-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

It's as if she said to herself:

      Well, life is not just a business of standing on dry land
      and occasionally getting your feet wet.

           It is merely an illusion that some of us stand on one
           bank and some on the opposite.

               So long as we stand like that we are not living at
               all, but dreaming.

                  So jump, jump in, and let the shock wake us up.

                      Even if we drown, at least for a moment or two
                      before we die we shall be awake and alive.

from The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott

2010-10-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

To get from one place to the other you could not cross by a bridge, but had to take your courage in your hands and enter the flood and let yourself be taken with it, lead where it may.

from The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott

do you know what grasshoppers do?

2010-10-22T10:13:00.000-05:00

they jump

Spotted the grasshopper as I moved in for a closer look at the bright berries on this little plant.

a wind in the door

2010-08-25T11:51:00.001-05:00

When you open the door, be ready. When you allow possibility to drift in, be ready for it to linger and swell. Be ready for it to follow on your heels, fill space while you drive, sit beside you at dinner and whisper stories as you fall asleep. Be ready to not know how to entertain it, unsure of what to do with it. But be ready for it to tell you. Then be ready for it to stare back at you from the mirror, asking you to be brave.

When you Believe, Be ready.

rising temps

2010-08-21T18:16:00.000-05:00

today i:

dusted, cleaned and rearranged the built-in bookshelf in our living room
listed thirteen books on paperbackswap.com
cleaned windowsills and moved some house plants around
cleaned the inside of the refrigerator
washed dishes
sewed a little cushion for a small doll bed I got for the nieces to play with when they're here (I had to do this twice because I didn't get the measurements right on the first try)
rearranged a closet so I could store my sewing machine in it
got distracted and looked through photo albums also stored in that closet
decided to cut my hair short and highlight it again because I really like my hair in all the pictures circa 2007
noticed the air conditioner is not working (uh oh.)
made afternoon coffee to have with a few Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies but ended up eating the entire snack-size bag before the coffee was ready
have not changed out of my pajamas

today Aaron:

made my morning coffee
picked up around the house
helped me measure for the doll bed cushion because I'm measurably impaired
got gas for the lawn mower but decided not to mow in the middle of the day
confirmed the air conditioner is not working
confirmed he likes my hair in all the pictures circa 2007
ate a turkey sandwich
took out the trash
gave Sadie a belly rub

I love Saturdays like this. When you just leisurely do things around the house. Especially when it is so hot outside. We're thinking the AC was working overtime and froze up or something; so we're letting it rest for a while and will find out soon enough if it's truly broken. Aaron is taking me to see Inception tonight at the IMAX! We're hoping the AC will be back in working order by the time we get home!

the not so wee three

2010-08-18T17:16:00.001-05:00

This precious girl's second birthday has come and we celebrated with pink cupcakes.

This is how she chose to eat hers.

No hands!

This one, oh my. She packed her new dance outfit so she could put it on and show me. She twirled and leaped and sat and told me all about starting ballet and tap and the different shoes and colors of leotards for each. Your first ballet shoes are, after all, something to be proud of.

And this charmer, he will snuggle still in your lap for a story or a whisper, but not for long.

spoon story

2010-08-13T16:23:00.015-05:00

More Spoons For You
photo via Michelle in Ireland

One day a man said to God, “God, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”

So God showed the man two doors. Inside the first one, in the middle of the room, was a large round table with a large pot of stew. It smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water, but the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.

They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, "You have seen Hell."

Behind the second door, the room appeared exactly the same. There was the large round table with the large pot of wonderful stew that made the man's mouth water. The people had the same long-handled spoons, but they were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The man said, "I don't understand."

God smiled. “It is simple,” he said, “Love only requires one skill. These people learned to feed one another. Those who think only of themselves remain hungry. But those who see beyond the end of their own spoon are well fed."

on remembering i have faith {final part}

2010-08-07T21:07:00.001-05:00

If there isn't anything I can do
If there isn't anything I can do
If there isn't any thing I can do

Then what is there?

And so

I remember

I have Faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.

{Hebrews 11:1}

part one, two and three

on remembering i have faith {part three}

2010-08-05T20:45:00.001-05:00

I twaddle around, busying myself, distracted by my thoughts, wringing my hands.
Don't you care? Don't you see all that I'm doing?

And then,

this one is easy,

yet so easily forgotten

that I need not rage through days

that it's not mine to do.

Words find me, call me by name, invite me to sit, rest, listen

and be loved.

There is need of only one thing.

parts one and two

bananswers

2010-07-29T14:28:00.001-05:00

Dole has launched a marketing campaign for things you can do with bananas after the sun goes down. I know because there was a sticker on my banana that says Go bananas after dark!

I love going bananas! anytime of day, so I checked out their website. They offer P.M. recipes that include ways to incorporate nanners into your backyard bbq, salads, desserts and s'mores!

See that picture? Dole.com calls these Grilled Bacon Maple Banana Bites.

Dudes, whatever. Those are straight up Bacon Wrapped Bananas!

Genius.

on remembering I have faith {part two}

2010-07-22T17:19:00.001-05:00

This is what I do. I obey the commandments and I seek to do Your will and I try my best to love others the way You do.

I read books about how to do it better, and I ask for You to show me how, and I try to form new habits and think in new ways and I strive for understanding and come up with ideas to do it more and offer suggestions for how to achieve it.

I write lists and read books and listen to wise counsel, start projects and make notes and if I can just be better and stronger, learn more, try harder, I can repair, restore, renew, help, heal, understand, change.

But I am weary, and things never change. I never change.

And then,

Is this what I own?

Knowledge that goads me into believing I can think my way through it
Diligence that wraps me in false security, for if I Just. Keep. Trying.
Independence disguised as obedience

And I wince at the familiar sting - I’ve been doing things my own way, the way that I own. Thinking it will be me, all my lists and ideas and efforts, well-intentioned as they may be, that will cause and effect; sweet victory will be mine because I studied and sacrificed and never gave up.

But if I cling to my things, my ways....

...nay, my most prized possessions...

...am I missing the greatest splendors?

Don't I trust enough to walk without relying on myself, on what I own?
Words find me; whispered among the stockpile and rations of books and lists and ideas.

Give up what you own. Then come, loved one, follow me. All things are possible with God.

part one

land of enchantment

2010-07-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Aaron and I drove to New Mexico in late June. I mentioned the giant grass-hopper sighting we had on the way there. What I neglected to tell you about was all the other wildlife we encountered.

Somewhere between Ozona and Fort Stockton, we came upon Paisano Pete, the Roadrunner. He was just about the biggest roadrunner I've ever seen. He seemed friendly enough, at first. But when it was time for us to be on our way, he became a bit pesky...

... meep meep...

After Aaron snapped this picture of Paisano Pete trying to make off with his wife, he dropped the camera and rescued me from what surely would have been a tragic ending.

Whew! That was close!

Later that afternoon, we visited Carlsbad Caverns and loitered around a cave entrance in hopes of seeing hundreds of thousands of Mexican Free-tail bats fly out for their nightly feeding. The park rangers call it "The Bat Flight." Doesn't that sound so thrilling?

Come witness the spectacular Bat Flight!

I was particularly excited because I've tried unsuccessfully several times to witness this same bat phenomenon right here in my own town. Unfortunately for us, nature did not cooperate and the New Mexico bats didn't exit en mass that evening. Foiled again!

But we did see this giant fly.

(The bat is for scale. It's not a real bat.)

But wait, look! A big bat head is biting Aaron!

{thinks to self Why is all the wildlife on this trip unusually large?}

The next day, we visited the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. While we did expect to see wildlife there (duh), I did not expect to see any creatures outside of their faux natural habitats.

But then there was this.

I wouldn't have been so surprised if this was a normal moth.

But, obviously, it is the elusive Enormous New Mexico Desert Wall Moth.

The highlight of our trip to New Mexico was attending my cousin's wedding. The ceremony was held way up in the mountains of Pecos National Forest, in a grassy field surrounded by magical Aspen trees.

It was beautiful.

Summer sun tinkling down through the Aspen leaves

cool mountain air

electricity of impending late-afternoon mountain storm

Love and Kissing and Mariachis

and then this butterfly landed on my sweet Aaron

wild and free to land anywhere it pleases in all of this glorious creation

and it chose Aaron.

{even fellow-wedding-goer-dude was impressed}

I think, for just a moment, it was contemplating slipping into that pocket.

But it fluttered away.

Then I thought of this quote from Charles Dickens

I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free.

Mankind will surely not deny me what it so willingly concedes to the butterflies.

I painted that quote on a coffee table I had in college. I loved that table. My Dad and I made it together before I moved to Austin, especially for my college apartment.

I wish I had a picture of it. I should look for one.

Back to oversized wildlife spottings.

Now this last thing is actually the first thing we stopped at on the trip. And it's not exactly wildlife.

But it used to be wildlife. And it was big.

Although it is officially the The Deer Horn Tree, Aaron advised that it is not exclusively deer horns. There are antlers and skulls from other horned wildlife.

Isn't it kind of weird? And also interesting?

and slightly scary?

The end.

on remembering i have faith {part one}

2010-07-19T12:11:00.002-05:00

Life squalls, threatening to capsize me if I don’t figure it out and

work
work
work

But then,

what if I am the storm?

flesh feverish with a thousand thoughts slicing wild-hot
bones crashing loud with earnest effort
heart raging with determination
soul gusting fierce to opposition

Words find me, breathe calm to my tempest.

Peace! Be Still!

if you feed a longhorn lavender

2010-07-13T07:24:00.008-05:00

When Aaron asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday, I'm pretty sure he was not expecting to find himself frolicking in lavender fields.

I think he was looking for an answer more along the lines of

a) purchase a new mattress
b) chores that are long overdue
c) hat/cap shopping at Academy, because a man can never have too many hats (...?)

Really, we didn't frolic. Aaron did take me to a lavender farm, though.

It's somewhere between Wimberley and Blanco, which makes for a lovely drive.

At the farm you can cut, snip, pick and smell your own lavender.

After all that hard work to harvest your basket of lavender love, it's nice to sit on the double-seater swing under a big oak tree with your soul-mate while enjoying your lavender ice cream and gazing out across the rolling hill country. Just then, a gentle longhorn may wander over. And if you hold your ice cream out, he might come close enough to sniff it then snort into it deciding he's not in the mood for ice cream. Suddenly, you may lose your appetite as well.

But you will be simply satisfied with the fruits of your five-minutes of labor.

who did see that

2010-07-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

We've had another impossible-to-see grasshopper sighting. Aaron spotted this katydid hidden in a lavender plant. Can you even find it in the picture? It's like one of those hidden pictures in the back of a Highlights magazine.

It's always so funny to me how this happens. We're walking along, and Aaron doesn't even stop or look down, he just keeps walking and says see that katydid? And I'm like what? where? in the sky 10 feet in front of you?

And he says No, right there, buried deep in the foliage of that plant we passed 6 paces ago.

And he'll stop and reverse to the spot and show me.

And I'm not kidding, I had to get on my knees and part the Red Sea to see this katydid. I just stuck the camera into the jungle and hoped I was getting a picture of it. Then I spent the rest of the day saying katydid.

Aaron: Did you throw that trash away?
Angela: No, but katydid.

Aaron: What movie did you rent?
Angela: I don't know, but katydid.

Which inevitably turned into Sadiedid because, well, duh.

Aaron: Do you want some lemonade?
Angela: No, but Sadiedid!

please tell me you just spent 10 minutes over at the Highlights website doing one of those Hidden Pictures... because idid!

gathering

2010-07-05T09:38:00.001-05:00

My three-year-old neighbor brought these flowers to me yesterday.

He picked them from his butterfly garden. He said he wanted to brighten my day.

It worked.

peeled like a banana

2010-07-02T09:22:00.002-05:00

This is a grasshopper.

Let me tell you a story about this grasshopper.

Picture if you will: It’s mid-morning, the sun is bright, the clouds are fluffy and the New Mexico state line is only a few hours away. Aaron and I are zooming along, nary another motorist on the open road, I’m jabbering about something very important, like how I think I’m past the awkward stage of growing out my hair and I’m actually starting to like it again and it looks pretty normal in a pony-tail and I think I can even do a French braid without all the too-short neck strands sticking out, but is a French braid okay for a 31-year old or is that only for tennis players and small people, when all of a sudden...

EEERRRRRRT just like that we have screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

At first I thought Aaron was going to turn to the back seat and exclaim to the duffel bags and snack cooler “If you kids don’t stop fighting I’m going to turn this van around and nobody gets to meet Mickey Mouse!”

But then I realized we were quickly reversing along the shoulder of I-10.

I don’t know exactly how far we reversed, but I’d say from previous word problem experience, that given the time it takes to alarmingly decelerate from 75 mph and reverse back to the point you began to decelerate, it was about, oh, maybe, I don’t know, like a quarter mile? A hundred yards? I really have no idea.

I do know it was long enough for me to say something along the lines of whatarewedoing whathappened what’sgoingon iseverythingokay ohmygosh isthereadeadbodyrolledincarpetonthesideoftheroad what’shappening didsomethingflyoffthecar didweforgetsomething?!

Please note that up to this point Aaron had not said A. Single. Word.

Luckily, just before my bulging panicky eyes pop out of my head and my neck breaks from whipping my head around to see out of the car in every possible direction to find out what has caused this sudden backwards driving down the Interstate, the car comes to a stop and Aaron undramatically says "see that grasshopper?"

WHAA?

So yes. Aaron spotted a grasshopper while driving 75 mph. A grasshopper which God wonderfully and strategically created to blend in to its environment. Are you surprised? Because I wasn't. And then Aaron was able to reverse to the exact spot and see it again! I know objects in mirror are closer than they appear, but really Aaron just has Eagle eyes. Regarding this talent, he says "just look for something that doesn't belong."

After the grasshopper inspection and photoshoot we were back on our way and I decided to play the spot-things-on-the-road-that-don't-belong game. Only my version consists of enthusiastically hollering out what I see. Things like PIECE OF TIRE! SONIC BAG LITTER! STRAY TRAFFIC CONE!

I kept asking Aaron if he had spotted each item before I ~~yelled~~ pointed it out. But he was busy concentrating on not running over all the helpless little ants crossing the road.

not the pits

2010-06-22T11:55:00.000-05:00

We've been having cherry cobbler à la mode for dessert the past few evenings.

And possibly for breakfast.

I made a cherry cobbler for Aaron because it is one of his favorites, and blueberry pie is not one of his favorites.

It was truly a labor of love, pitting all those cherries.

But he's pretty much worth it.

the sea is a wetter version of the sky

2010-06-17T15:28:00.001-05:00

I treated myself to a little bit of sunshine today.

I spotted this ring, a for-real seashell with a hole cut just for my finer, and it spoke to me.

She said, "I know how much you love the ocean, and since you can't spend every day on the beach, you can at least where a little piece of it."

So she came away with me.

hiking the narrows

2010-06-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

My friend was recently describing a hike her husband is hoping to go on in Zion National Park, Utah. It's called The Narrows, and is a 16-mile long slot canyon through which runs the Virgin River. At places, the walls of the canyon are 2000 feet tall and only 20-30 feet wide.

But you can always look up and see out of the canyon.

I read this post today on (in)courage, written by a young woman who has an autoimmune disease which there is no cure for and has left her homebound.

It was a nice encouragement to me, because it’s easy to wander into the wondering land of “What’s the point of this? Why me?” even when you’ve decided to stop asking those questions. And the truth is, even in my blessings, I sometimes wonder "Why me? What have I done to deserve this? What am I supposed to do with this blessing?" And the answer I return to is: trust He knows what He's doing, obey, and let Him do it.

I’ve excerpted part of her post below.

...when she was talking about the story of Abraham and Isaac, which prompted her to look up the meaning for the word “trial.” This is what her book said:

TRIAL (Old Testament) noun: from the Hebrew word sara which comes from the root srh, which means, “to bind, tie up, restrict." Thus, the noun comes to denote a narrow place in life where one is bound or restricted…

I read it, and then read it again. And as I tried to digest it, I kept muttering to myself, “God, what are you trying to say here?!?!”

My name, Sara, means to be in a narrow place in life where one is bound or restricted. Me. Sara. Who is homebound. Restricted by my location. Restricted by my very body that could barely move from the pain. Restricted by my lungs that don’t allow a deep breath anymore. Restricted from life beyond my four walls.

I got it. Not subtle. But what’s the point you’re trying to make here, God??? What’s the point?

Funny, that’s a question I usually try to avoid. What’s the point of all of this? What’s the point of my illness… my pain… my limitations… my forfeiting of all the dreams I had for my life. What’s the point?

I avoid the question because I’m fully aware I may never know the answer. I may never know how He is choosing to use my life or why not healing me fits into His plan. And I decided a long time ago that it’s ok if I never know, because I trust Him. He knows, and that’s all that matters.

But as I sat there and wondered, “What’s the point?” it occurred to me that as my physical life has been made narrow, as I have been bound and restricted and faced this trial, He has saved me from living a narrow life.

If I had not become physically restricted in this trial, I would not be here talking with all of you. Because of this trial, my world – my life – has been opened up to a community who has stepped forward to share my life, my story, my faith. I have been stretched and pulled and reshaped in my beliefs. My life has been fuller and deeper and wider, maybe not despite of my homebound status, but because of it.

My name is the origin of the word trial. I am bound and restricted. But He saved me from living a narrow life. He took my trial and redeemed it. I thought, in my story as Isaac, I was not spared because I am not healed.

But in truth, He healed my spirit.

And set me free.

by Sara Frankl, Gitzen Girl

original photo here

amarillo two ways

2010-06-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

Every time I wear these shoes I think about doing this.

I finally did.

Does the arrow seem HUGE to anyone else?

weird.

neighborhoodlems

2010-06-08T19:59:00.004-05:00

This is the Butterfly garden our next door neighbors planted in early spring. Aren't those Zinnias amazing?!

You can't see them in this picture, but there are tall sunflowers that follow the sun around the sky.

It's very funny to visit them at different hours and see that they've kept their faces toward the sun. And then as night falls, they kind of slump over and go to sleep, I guess. They sort of look sad, but I think they know the sun will be back, so they're just resting.

I'll try to take some pictures of them this week - although rain is forecast. I wonder what they do in the rain?

There are tons of fun butterflies around now. HUGE ones that you might mistake for bats if you weren't married to a nature encyclopedia. And superfast ones that dive-bomb your head. And tiny yellow ones which you can only suppose are on an ice cream outing.

Dave and Aaron are having some serious discussion about the camel poop we're using as fertilizer in our neighborly veggie garden. There's a camel farm nearby that composts their poo. Our other neighbors, the ones with a pet pig named Jubba, have the hook-up so we can get free camel poo compost. We have it on good authority that camel poop is good for a garden (Jubba's garden is ginormous), so we're expecting some big Zucchini.

I made a blueberry pie on Sunday, but forgot to take a photo because I was too busy eating it. And sharing it. But mostly eating it. It is gone. It was good.

I heart blueberries.

(They are one-hump camels, if you were wondering.)

spring {summer} cleaning

2010-06-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

it's still me, In Bussey World... just doing some refreshing over here... new stuff to come

scatter sunshine

2010-06-04T10:38:00.004-05:00

In a world where sorrow
Ever will be known,
Where are found the needy,
And the sad and lone;
How much joy and comfort
You can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine
Everywhere you go.

Slightest actions often
Meet the sorest needs,
For the world wants daily
Little kindly deeds;
Oh, what care and sorrow
You may help remove,
With your songs and courage,
Sympathy and love.

When the days are gloomy,
Sing some happy song;
Meet the world's repining
With a courage strong;
Go with faith undaunted
Thro' the ills of life;
Scatter smiles and sunshine
O'er its toil and strife.

Scatter sunshine all along your way;
Cheer and bless and brighten
Every passing day;
Scatter sunshine all along your way;
Cheer and bless and brighten
Every passing day!

~old hymn

harmonious combination of elements

2010-04-16T16:20:00.002-05:00

fish list

2010-04-15T14:18:00.007-05:00

oy vey! long time. no post. Let's start with a list, shall we? Lists make me feel productive.

Lists I currently have going:

1. grocery list

2. things to get done soon (e.g. car inspection, order contacts)

3. things to get done sometime (e.g. organize recipes, make blueberry pie)

4. crafts to make

5. books to read

6. songs to download

7. to do list for Austin Creative Reuse board meetings

8. some monthly payment tracking information for my budget

9. pilates class times at the gym

10. stuff to do for Gillian's baby shower

11. lists I currently have going

12. work tasks (with about 15 sub-lists)

13. things to do before this weekend (e.g. mop, g-store)

Do you like lists? Would you list on a fish?

not to be confused with cereal

2010-03-05T13:02:00.005-06:00

I love this photo.
It's a self-take of Bryan and Andrea on their
honeymoon in Paris
roughly 4 years + 362 days ago.

It is surreal.

sur·re·al: marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream;
unbelievable, fantastic

peeks

2010-03-04T16:25:00.004-06:00

It snowed here a few weeks ago. These red berry bushes live in what I call "The Grove" in our backyard. I love it when they bloom berries, and I especially loved them against the backdrop of the snowy ground.

"Can I go play in the snow?"

When I went outside this morning, these three little hats were sitting directly in the center of the roof of my car. I couldn't resist taking their picture.

Then I turned around and couldn't resist taking a picture of Sadie doing her morning stretches.

happy thoughts

2010-02-18T16:50:00.002-06:00

oatmeal. playing on Granny’s porch in the summer. Olympic emotions. love songs. spending the day with my precious niece. snowy landscape making a familiar drive dreamy and new. cousins giggling. sister as hairdresser. paper hearts. new adventures. stretching. long drives together. polka dot jammies. the hiding game. sharing clothes. bread baking. a new cookbook. love stories. finding courage. Temple Grandin. chocolate cake. Mario Kart. naps. toddlers’ talking. quiet time. the perfect cup of coffee. dance party. giving something up. funny text messages. sunrise. cards in the mail. sewing. un-conforming. planning a garden. paper heart crafts. old photos. reminiscing. reconnecting. remembering...

note to self

2010-02-16T12:27:00.000-06:00

Oh self, how this world tempts me to control!
To curl finger tips to palm and dig in with self-centeredness, pride, foolish wisdom;
clench fists tightly around darkness.

Oh self, give it up!

When my hands are closed, so it is with my heart.

He laid open his palms for the greatest sacrifice, the ultimate act of love;
then reached out, offering scars so others would believe.

Oh self, give it up!

Father, I have sinned.
Held fast to this need for control;
Lived blindly with the illusion that I could control what is yours;
Given myself freely to it, and bound up with the enemy;
These hands, this heart, closed, unable to truly receive you,
How many opportunities have I missed to wash feet?

Yet, I come now, under merciful grace,
press palms together,
now lay open wide,
offer myself freely to you, a living sacrifice.

Oh self, give it up, this prison of worldly control,
uncurl fingers to find the key,
hold light in your hands,
and live in the freedom of open.

tweet tweet

2010-01-22T17:35:00.003-06:00

I read this today and thought it was just so lovely I had to share.

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.
~Tagore

WE HAVE BLUE EYES

2010-01-07T08:13:00.000-06:00

Have I ever told you, dear Internet, about the day this sweet girl was born?

My brother called me around 1 a.m. to tell me they were at the hospital. I was five hours away, and it was sleeting… so it was decided I ought not leave and drive five hours in the middle of the night on icy roads. So I waited as patiently as I could, pacing with excitement, taking a shower and packing my bag, calling my Mom for updates… Finally, 6 a.m. rolled around, the hour I would leave. About five minutes before I was to walk out the door, my Mom called… she was standing outside the delivery room… the baby was close, so close… then she said, It's here! We can hear it crying, it's here, it's here!

I completely broke down. I could hear my Dad laughing with joy… a few moments later my brother poked his head out to announce, "We got ourselves a little girl." I will never forget that moment. In one instant I was overwhelmed with total joy, and completely devastated that I wasn't there.

I was a mess. I thought for sure I was going to feel a huge weight of regret for the rest of my life that I was not standing in that waiting room the moment my first niece was born. I wanted to BE there, I wanted to see my brother's face as he became a father…

Five hours later I was holding the sweetest little baby I had ever known. I was an aunt. The feelings of regret I was so sure I would carry forevah seemed silly… here she was, just hours old, and I was getting to hold her, and hug my brother, and sit by Andrea with complete gratefulness for what she'd made me a part of.

I think about that early morning now and laugh at how emotional and dramatic I was. Can you hear me? ForEVER, I'm going to regret it foreeeevvveeeer.

Oh, my sweetest niece, I'm glad we both like polka dot jammies. You make me smile foreeeeevveeer.

PRIDENESS

2010-01-06T09:23:00.002-06:00

This little girl makes me proud to be an American, and so proud to be her Aunt.

{Thanks for the video, Andrea.}

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP

2010-01-05T10:27:00.010-06:00

photo via

Does anyone else get teary eyed over Folgers commercials?

You know, the classic where Peter comes home from college at Christmas. Or the 2009 version where the brother comes home from West Africa and his sister says "you're my present this year." Which, actually, is a little bit creepy. That one doesn't really make me teary.

But the one with the dancers makes me want to get up and stretch gracefully then clog around with extreme purpose... dundada dundada DUN!

I saw one I haven't seen before, where a young girl tells her dad she's engaged, and he says her fiance is a lucky man. They sip their coffee, then he glances at her with that sideways "Dads always know" look, and adds "I told him the same thing when we talked last week."

Oh Folgers, you really are the best part of waking up.

2010: Year of the Jump

2010-01-01T14:03:00.005-06:00

1. Jump for joy
2. Jump in with both feet
3. There's always more after the Jump
4. If you don't like where you land, Bounce
5. Rely on your safety net
6. Hold hands and skip
7. Expect the bungee effect now and then
8. Careful not to jump around too much
9. Hold the rope sometimes so others can jump
10. Become good at jumping hurdles
11. Higher! Higher!

Life is like a trampoline, you gotta jump on it.
~Angela

DELIVERANCE

2009-12-31T10:52:00.020-06:00

Do you know how long it takes giant Chinese bamboo to grow as tall as a building? Some might answer it takes six weeks for bamboo to grow 90 feet, which is true. But they would be forgetting something.

Bamboo spends four years as a tiny plant, being watered and fertilized as its enormous root system is developing under the ground. Then in the fifth year, it shoots up to the sky, growing 90 feet in just six weeks. The plant must survive four years before it can grow at that rate.

On the other hand, do you know how long it takes an alfalfa seed to sprout and grow into one of the few known complete foods? About four days.

I can't really tie those two illustrations together except to say, I think I've been bamboo, but now I want to be a sprout.

The last two years for me have largely been about surviving. Not the cut-off-my-own-arm-with-a-pocket-knife kind of survival, but the survival of my spirit, the survival of my self, the survival of my soul. It hasn't been easy. Sometimes I felt like cutting off my own arm would have been easier, but I think we're finally coming to the other side of it, new and stronger and hopefully brighter.

{But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9}

Funny thing, though, in all the surviving, there was a lot of dying. So many things I had to come to terms with and let die, many things I had to completely surrender, many sacrifices (luckily, no appendages).

{Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18}

When you're in survival mode, you learn a lot about who you are and who you want to be, what you're made of, what you believe in and what is important to you. There's a stripping down of things to bare bones, to the very core, to the vulnerability of nakedness.

I've also witnessed miracles in a new way, both great and small, most all of them beyond my comprehension.

I experienced grace and mercy and heartache and joy, all in waves that brought me to my knees.

For all of this, I am thankful for my time of surviving.

{“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17}

I don't think I fully realized that I've been just surviving until recently. But I hope that seeing things from this perspective means I have, in fact, survived. I feel like I have. And so have decided the new year will be one of thriving.

{For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6}

Things may not go my way. I may not get what I want. I'm certain I will continue to struggle and face trials, learn and grow. And that's all okay.

I believe my life will have seasons of quiet ripening and seasons of surviving. But this January we are entering a season of thriving!

Will I look back on this post in a year, six months, even two weeks and think "good grief, that was that day I drank four cups of hot chocolate and got kind of crazy"? Ehn, maybe.

But for now, today, I'm going to be a little crazy and know God is faithful beyond my wildest imagination. I'm going to be brave, believe big and expect great things!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD... Jeremiah 29:11

Happy New Year, dear friends. Believe big. Be well.

THE CRAFTERMATH

2009-12-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

Only four days until THE actual for-real Christmas Day!

Here's how I've been decking the halls.

first, gather supplies:

next, get a snack:

then, get warmed up by making this Jolly pillow:

after that, test your sewing skillz and patience by making this poinsettia pillow:

take a step back and think that poinsettia pillow turned out not half-bad

move on to making THESE:

THESE may be my favorite thing. They are so merry and bright. I couldn't stop making them (just ask Aaron) so I gave some to a few friends at work too. So fun to spread the Christmas Cheer!

Then move on to growing this little Christmas Tree forest for Santa:

I love that this little Santa statue is feeding an apple to a deer:

finally, ask ATB to hang the JOY plates Momma made for me:

Ummm, I might leave things looking like this until July.

IT'S GETTING BRIGHT IN HERE

2009-12-21T15:24:00.006-06:00

Happy Winter Solstice!

On this shortest day of the year, the sun is at its lowest and weakest, a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter.

Following the time of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days is a time to rejoice.

Silent night, holy night. All was calm, all was bright around the virgin mother and her child, the Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleeping in Heavenly Peace.

Shepherds quaked at the sight of glories streaming from heaven above as Heavenly hosts sung Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour is born!

For He was the Son of God, and love's pure light shone radiant beams from His holy face, as the sun rose on the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

So I cried in the car on Saturday as Aaron and I were headed to Houston. I was serenading Aaron with Christmas songs... Jingle Bells was great, Joy the World was inspiring (I put my own little twist on it, if you can imagine) but I choked when I got to Drummer Boy... then totally lost it when I tried Silent Night.

It's said to be the most famous Christmas song. Isn't it beautiful?

I can picture that night... imagine, the entire world quiet, not even the hours-old infant is crying. Mary holding her child close, pondering His sweet face. Do the animals know they share their stable with a King?

And somewhere in a field, Shepherds are tending their flock, heavily cloaked against the cold, staff in hand quietly moving among their sheep, their breath showing warm in the night air. Maybe they've been wondering at the stillness of this particular night. Maybe even commented to one another that it seemed peculiar.

Then an Angel appears! It is good news, a child has been born, Immanuel, who would change the world.

For you see, until then, God had been in Heaven and we on Earth, separated by our inevitable sin. {Long lay the world in sin and error pining.}

But God didn't want to be separate from us.

So He sent his Son to walk among us, to live on Earth as we live, to teach us how to love, and ultimately die as we die. And for the ransom of Jesus' life, if we believe in Him, we are redeemed of our sin and no longer separated from God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

PEPPERMINT SPARK!

2009-12-20T21:11:00.003-06:00

So I was making Peppermint Bark this afternoon, and we had to call the fire department.

What?! Peppermint bark does not require fire!

I know, I know. It's the craziest thing! Let's just say it was a weed-eating mishap that caused the line on our propane tank to pop off and HISS propane into the air at an alarmingly loud decibel. Really loud. Like so loud our not-very-nearby neighbors could hear it. So loud I was pretty sure the air was going to explode or something.

And apparently, our propane company doesn't have an after-hours or emergency call number, so Aaron called 311, and they sent the fire department.

We heard the sirens headed our way... then they stopped...at the wrong house. So Aaron got in the car and backed down our driveway at approximately 50 miles per hour. If you didn't already know, Aaron really likes to drive in reverse. And our driveway is really long, so there's room to get up to top speeds. I didn't see the need to fetch the fire truck at that speed in reverse, but, whatever.

So the firemen finally arrive, check it out, show us where the shut-off valve is (good to know), and all is well. Except we can't use the oven or stove and won't have hot water or heat until tomorrow when we can get the tank repaired.

All in all it was kind of fun. Our two-year-old neighbor Ethan had a blast walking around and around and around the firetruck. Then they came over after the hub-bub and Ethan helped me finish making the peppermint bark while we played his new favorite game.

Ethan: What's this?
Angela: Candy canes
Ethan:What's this?
Angela: Spatula
Ethan:What's this?
Angela: Light bulbs

I had grand plans tonight to make a lovely dinner, bake cookies and finish some gifts. Instead we made a fire in the fireplace, ordered a pizza and snuggled down on the couch under some warm blankets.

SMELLS LIKE CHRISTMAS

2009-12-14T17:30:00.006-06:00

"Not now Arctic Puffin!" - Buddy the Elf

"If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now." - Clark Griswold

Aaron and I watched Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation last weekend. I think I could spend a whole day with my vocabulary consisting solely of lines from those movies. That would be one hilarious day!

I also watched an old Christmas movie from 1947 called It Happened on 5th Avenue. It was pretty great. One of the main characters is the actor Charles Ruggles. He played the grandfather in the original Parent Trap. It made me think of this scene.

Grandfather: My dear, what are you doing?
Susan: Making a memory.
Grandfather: Making a memory?
Susan: All my life, when I'm quite grown-up I will always remember my grandfather and how he smelled of tobacco and peppermint.
Grandfather: Smelled of tobacco and peppermint. [starts chuckling] Well, I'll tell you what. I take the peppermint for my indigestion and as for the tobacco [looks around] that's to make your grandmother mad.

{Grandfather knew from the moment he saw her that Susan wasn't Sharon.}
{Grandads always know.}

In other news...

I enjoyed lunch yesterday with two Lovelies at Magnolia and I had blueberry pancakes... You like sugar, huh? Is there sugar in syrup? Yes. Then YES!

We've been decorating the house... Lotta sap in here! Mmmm... Looks great! Little full, lotta sap.

Enjoying non-stop Christmas music... The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

A few Christmas parties...It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms.

Some Christmas shopping...And make sure you get yourself something real nice.

Some cooking... Save the neck for me, Clark.... Oh it's just a little dry, it's fine...Here's the heart. oh oh and and I have to eat! So I can take my back pill.

Hope you're enjoying the Holidays!

"I just like to smile! Smiling's my favorite." - Buddy

WHAT IF

2009-12-10T12:07:00.007-06:00

AdventConspiracy.org

The Generosity Experiment and Day 10 of The Generosity Experiment

One Family's Giving Tradition from Ann Voskamp @ a Holy Experience
"In our home, the gift-giving is solely for the Child on His birthday. And in giving to the least of these, we humbly give gifts to the Christ Child.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

HOOK 'EM!

2009-12-08T06:41:00.002-06:00

FAH WHO FOR-AZE

2009-12-07T08:56:00.010-06:00

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
Christmas came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

This Christmas I'm trying:
Less money, more time.
Less stressing, more blessing.
Less wishing, more thanking.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Timothy 1:15-17

POOF! BE SNOWFLAKE!

2009-12-02T13:57:00.012-06:00

This post has no point, other than to tell you I love Heat Miser and think he is one of the most hilarious Christmas movie characters; a close, close second to Clark Griswold. Sometimes Aaron reminds me of Heat Miser - stubborn and hot-headed, but ultimately harmless. And I mean that in the nicest way.

And also to tell you I've decided that if I could have one super-power it would be that of Snow Miser, which is the ability to cause objects to burst into snowflakes with a touch.

See them in action in their movie, The Year Without a Santa Claus. It comes on t.v. next Tuesday, Dec. 8 on ABC Family as part of their 25-Days-of-Christmas.

SOUPED UP

2009-12-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

Aaron discovered this chili while on a camping trip a few weeks ago and liked it so much he asked for the recipe. He had a pot ready for dinner when I got home one day last week, so I have no idea what all goes in it, but the main ingredients are baked beans and ground meat of your choice (Aaron used venison), and some honey. It was delicious and made me want to go outside and sit in a folding chair in the woods behind our house while I ate. The baked bean and honey flavors were so subtly sweet and smokey and yummy. And the heavy spoonfuls filled my belly good. Also, can I just say Ritz crackers are the bomb. I had forgotten how delectable their buttery flakiness is. I had a second bowl of Camp Chili just so I could eat more Ritzs.

We brought a cooler of leftovers home from Thanksgiving in Longview. Turkey...sweet potatoes...corn casserole...green beans...dressing...and this Chicken Veggie soup. My mom packed it for us in case we got burned out on feast food. It's a simple soup, just chicken, broth and lots of earth grown goodness. I had a bowl for lunch two days in a row. It's been raining and cold here the past two days, so having this soup has been nice. Plus, my Momma made it, which is really the best part because it feels like getting a hug from her with every warm spoonful.

BISCUIT LOVER AND NOE

2009-12-01T10:31:00.004-06:00

Check out my friends' (writing as Biscuit Lover and Noe) lovely blog Big Love in a Little Kitchen.

It's all about love in, around and coming out of their small kitchen.

*click*Big Love in a Little Kitchen*click*

There's a link in my sidebar too.

THANKS ALOT

2009-11-26T11:08:00.004-06:00

Last night we went around the table and said what we were thankful for.

Aaron: I'm thankful for my job.

Angela: I'm thankful for warm soup.

Sadie: I'm thankful for the sandy spot next to the driveway. It is the perfect place to lay in the sun.

Scoop: I'm thankful for grass squirrels treats blankets rawhide bugs lunch naps running morning bedtime trees birds porch couch neighbors car-rides walks leash smelling frogs licking moths jumping dogs deer rabbits baths (wait, not baths) vet ear-rubs mud creek chair garage ocean vacation sun windows noises barking back-door outside inside street field rock stick toy rope ball stories music stretching wagging yawning hugs {this is where I stopped listening. she went on for another five minutes, but I was busy enjoying my soup.}

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

BREAD CRUMB TRAIL

2009-11-25T10:13:00.007-06:00

Like a teenager in tantrum, selfish, unwilling, I scream I don't want to! Why? You just don't understand!

And He answers simply, Because I know best. I can see things you can't see. Because I love you.

Yet I storm off...prideful, hurt, ignoring, certain I can make my own decisions.

So I wallow...flounder...squander.

But He comes for me and knocks, again, on my door. Child, I am always here.

Still I wallow...flounder...squander...starve.

Then I turn towards home and look again for the bread of life.

Grace, Father running to me long before I'm at his feet begging forgiveness.

Grace, Father feeding me what I have not earned.

And I rest...trusting...grateful...fed.

HAVE YOU HEARD

2009-11-20T13:48:00.007-06:00

Text messaging between Aaron and me yesterday at 7:15 a.m.

ATB: Have you heard?

AMB: No, what? (at home brushing my teeth, mind racing, oh no, what could it be? I have the news on, surely I would have seen some breaking story by now.)

ATB: About the bird bird bird. the bird is the word.

This is really funny if you've seen this episode of Family Guy and if you're Aaron Bussey.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATB!

HOW TO START AN "E" DAY

2009-11-19T09:10:00.007-06:00

photo source: Amanda SG

My Dad is in town for a meeting and took me to breakfast this morning.

I am thankful for a thousand things wrapped up in that hour.
{Not the least of which was the bacon.}

You learn to speak by speaking,
to study by studying,
to run by running,
to work by working;
and just so, you learn to love by loving.
- Saint Francis de Sales

JULIA AND ANGELA, OUI!

2009-11-17T10:32:00.012-06:00

Yes, that bowl has a nose.

This week's soup was French Onion. Oh la la and très délicieux and savoureux beaucoup!
Did you know I took French in high school and college?

In the spirit de cuisine français, I listened to Nouvelle Vague while I cooked. Except during the onion preparation, I paused the iPod and instead sang the song the French cook sings in The Little Mermaid, only I changed it to onions instead of fish - Les oignons, les oignons, Hee-hee-hee, HAW-HAW-HAW!

Englishly speaking, this has been the easiest soup to make so far.

I started out using a recipe I found online, but it called for five pounds of onions and I got tired of slicing onions after about two pounds worth. And I started to get anxious that I was losing my concentration and I DID NOT want a repeat of the onion-fainting incident. Hee-hee-hee, HAW-HAW-HAW!

So I went to my trusty Joy Of Cooking cookbook and found the recipe there that thankfully called for only two pounds of onions. Fantastique!

The recipes were very similar, so I incorporated ingredients and instructions from the online recipe into the book recipe, for instance adding a bit of brown sugar to the onions as they caramelized. I like it because my cook book now has notes written in the margin. I hope to some day have a cook book full of handwritten notes.

That's pretty much all you do for this soup. Slice onions, put in pot with butter. Watch as they magically produce sugars and colors and smells from deep within. Add a pinch of this and that, plus chicken stock. Simmer. Top with toasted bread and gruyère. Melt, et voilà!

At the last minute, Aaron suggested we invite our neighbors over to share the soup with us. I was a tad nervous because I had no idea how the soup was going to taste, so when I called to ask them to dinner I added that we might all end up eating chicken nuggets and green beans off their two-year-old's plate.

Ah, mais oui, ca c'est toujours delish!

GIVING BACK

2009-11-16T16:19:00.009-06:00

This is a little Thanksgiving banner I made for my Momma.
(isn't her kitchen pretty?)

I chose for it to make the statement "Gives Thanks" rather than the directive "Give Thanks" because my Momma has always lead by example.
She's a show-not-tell kind a gal.

And she doesn't need a special holiday or month or season to be reminded to focus on blessings.
She always gives thanks.

ON THE BOOKS

2009-11-13T10:49:00.007-06:00

My Mom invited me to go to the Texas Conference for Women with her in Houston last Thursday. It was a fun day together.

My Mom arrived in Austin Wednesday evening, and Aron took us to dinner. We lingered long over conversation, soup (imagine that!) and sandwiches. Aaron even snuck away and returned with a brownie for us all to share!

We took a shuttle bus from Austin to Houston - which was fun because we watched movies and watched the sun rise as we drove through Giddings (one of my new favorite places, by the way, since Aaron and I spent some time there on a recent roadtrip) and the rest of the foggy morning along Highway 290. Then as we got into Houston, at rush hour, we had fun peering down into commuters' cars from our perch in the big shuttle bus. It's a different perspective when you're up that high. Makes me wonder what all those people are thinking about, praying about, fretting about, and thankful for as they drive to wherever it is they're going.

The conference was pretty neat. Isabel Allende was a keynote speaker, and she held a book-signing after her talk. That was special because my Mom and I have swapped Allende's books and both enjoy her writing and stories. At the conference, Momma bought Allende's most recent book, The Sum of Our Days. It's Allende's memoir and I can't wait to read it! She's had an interesting and inspiring life overcoming great hardships and tragedy, but "by no means without humor, mirth and wisdom."

Suze Orman was also among the speakers we heard.

Seeing Suze Orman live was one of those things that's just interesting to experience. She is a smart lady and has some good advice for money management.

What I find fascinating, however, is that even though she is billed as this financial guru - what she is really good at is performing. I don't mean that in a bad way - I just mean, there are tons of other people as smart or smarter than Suze Orman, who will give you the same advice as Suze Orman. But only Suze Orman will give it to you standing on a stage in a hot-pink jacket with her polished, commanding appearance, practiced words and anecdotes, and a flurry of urgency.

To me, her success came not from her ability for money management - but from her ability to be a dynamic leader. I guess that's what makes many people successful - they are so naturally influential and motivational, they can't help but share their interest in a way that eventually makes them "famous" for it.

Anyway, I enjoyed hearing and seeing her speak. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some money I need to defer to my 401K.