Pea Soup

Momma's Recipe for Split Pea Soup (as adapted by myself) Soak 1 lb. split peas overnight in enough water to cover and 2 T whey or yogurt In the afternoon of the following day, place the peas (with soaking water) in a pot with a ham bone (the one I used was very meaty, so the meat fell off as it cooked). Simmer on low for a few hours until peas are fall-apart tender. Add water as needed. In a separate pot, boil the following veggies until tender 1 onion, coarsely chopped 2 carrots, sliced 1 large potato (or a few smaller ones) When tender, blend until smooth. Add to split peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove ham bone before serving. Great with a small bit of sour cream (or a drizzle of tasty olive oil) and crusty bread.

Lady in Red!

I made a dress :)

(without a zipper!)

(or buttons)

(or too much trouble and frustration)

and it doesn't look like a bag!

But I have to say, without feeling too boastful, that this is also a dress I made from my very own pattern (I traced a pattern from another dress I liked). My mother was surely watching over me for this project, because it was the smoothest sewing project I've ever undertaken. In fact, the mending I did today was pretty easy, too. That's a good sign :)

Now, this dress, as it turned out, isn't exactly like I was envisioning, but I'm still very happy with it--it's very comfortable, very modest, and very red (which is just fun!).

I added a pocket, with a pretty patch for a splash of color, too.

And one of my very-own tags that Momma got me when I started sewing :)

This dress was, admittedly, my practice dress, because I wasn't overly attached to this material. I have other material I want to use with this same pattern (though there will undoubtedly be some modifications). Then I'll be all ready for the warm(er) summer weather, now! C'mon, sunshine... let's get going and burn up all this humidity!

Twist on Tuna

Pardon the picture of a half-eaten sandwich, but it didn't occur to me to post this recipe until I had already enjoyed some of it :)

Tuna Nicoise Salad Sandwich

(also great as a wrap)

(also great as a salad)

(makes 4 sandwiches)

4 large leaves of lettuce

2 raddishes

1/4 c Nicoise olives

1/2 of a red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 T capers

1 or 2 red potatoes, boiled and sliced

1 - 2 cans tuna, drained and flaked

Dressing:

small dollop sour cream

or:

1/2 tsp mustard

1 T red wine vinegar

about 4 T olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients but lettuce together in bowl. Put lettuce on bread and spread tuna mixture over lettuce.

So yummy :)

(Enfin) Finis!

Well, the day has come at last.

I have finished my Noah's ark.

Completely.

Down to the last ant :)

Momma would be (is) so proud of me!

So Close...

and yet, still somehow, so far away...

[because finding time in our schedules (even for a weekend trip), and (unless we could pitch a tent on the beach somewhere) finding room in our budget just makes fun trips like this a little too far out of reach. Maybe someday we'll just buy an island and construct our dream farm there :) That sound like a good plan?]

June!

June is busting out all over!

I was quite productive on Saturday. I finished the books on the shelves, cleaned up the house, and made these cards for our end-of-June festivities :) It's nice to feel productive.

(Presque) Finis!

I have finally finished painting all the pieces for my Noah's ark! Momma would be so proud of me. It only took me three years to get them all painted.. :) Now all I have to do is glue them to the board (after dusting it all off! 7 months of sitting on a shelf does lend itself to dust accumulation) and find a place to hang it up. When I do put some glass or plexi-glass over it, I'll probably just mount it right on the front side of the frame so that I don't have to un-do the backboard. We'll see, though.

What's your favorite animal? I thinkI like the road runners or the platypi best :)

Happy Father's Day!

My parents' birthdays were always (relatively) close to Mother's and Father's day, so it always seemed to me they got all their "thanks" and appreciation during one part of the year. Though I guess it's not so bad--I got all my "goodies" during the other half of the year (birthday in November, C'mas in December). Having gotten married in April it's been balanced out a bit :)

Anyway, here is another occasion this month to let my Daddy know how much I love him :) This year especially, with everything that he's gone through, he continues to amaze all his children (and children-in-law) by being a "strong father to your children," just like Momma always said.

(and to your grandchildren, Daddy)

Happy Father's Day, Daddy :) Thank you for always being such a wonderful support for us; and thank you for all your love and wisdom and courage and faith in us as we continue to grow up in the world.

May God grant you many (more) happy years in peace, health, and happiness. May you live to see your children's children's children. We love you bunches!

Finis

Laden with books--just the way shelves should be. (Here is the album of all the pictures)

I finished putting the books on our new shelves on Saturday morning :) It was a good feeling! I even had enough room on the new shelves to allow for more space on our other two shelves, which were over-flowing with books. What can I say? A philosopher's home...

The only books I haven't found a place for yet are our children's books and our Christmas books. Children's books are much more exciting than "grown-up" books, so they're all different sizes and they don't fit on our new (relatively restrictive) shelves. Maybe I'll have to build another (deeper) bookcase somewhere else :) We'll see.

I Do Believe In Love :)

I first heard this song on Pandora (one of the greatest sites ever--you should sign up if you spend a lot of time on the computer and are not too easily distracted by music). And I really like it, so I thought I'd share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9boGisqTJY

Here are the lyrics (but you should really listen to the song, too (don't bother watching the "video," it's just pictures). I think the melody is what makes it so catchy for me):

"I Do Believe In Love" They say we never landed on the moon There's no wind there, they assume I guess conspiracies are nothing new, But I'm sure I've been there with you. And I don't believe that in space The only life is here on earth How could we be the only race That loves and hates 'til death from birth? But I do believe in love, Though I should never rely on love Nothing else excites me, But loving you. Is it true a politician's heart Can rust away and fall apart? I guess it must be hard, It must be hard, To know what's good and to know what's easy You might think it's strange, For all my wild ideas, But I do not believe that change, Can ever happen without tears. But I do believe in love, Though I should never rely on love Nothing else excites me, But loving you

Progress!

Well, here they are painted. I think they look alright :)

[Pardon the step-by-step updates on my shelving project. I suppose it's my way of compensating for not having children to update you on (yet)]

I'm also excited to have all the books on the shelves when Taylor comes home tomorrow evening (from an economics conference he's attending this weekend). It will also be nice to have all the tools and things put away for another long while (until I have anothe project to keep me busy... :D

'Tis the Season

That is, it's the season for strawberries! I am so excited to have a farm someday and grow my own strawberries. This dessert was a real treat for us last night--so light and refreshing, but so satisfying! Ingredients: Fresh Strawberries 1/4 c plain yogurt 2 T sugar 1 tsp vanilla Combine yogurt, sugar (you could use maple syrup or honey if you wanted), and vanilla until smooth. Place in bottom of shallow serving dish (a long skinny one would be very elegant, good for a buffet. I like my triangle one, too). Place strawberries in yogurt mixture and serve. Tasty :)

Getting Closer

I build the top portion of our bookshelf yesterday afternoon. Today I'll cut verticle supports for each shelf (I'm hoping to fit them so they can be inserted anywhere on the shelf one wants). Tomorrow's painting day! :) I'm excited to put the books on the shelves!

(I sure hope these shelves are sturdy enough for all our books)

:-/

They're HOME!

A quick update on Jack, though if you follow his blog, you know this is old (but nontheless, still VERY exciting) news:

We couldn't be happier for the three of you :)

Praise God for the gifts He has given us in your Love!

What Do You Do When...

...you have too many books lying around the house, collecting dust, hard to access, forgotten behind piles of other books (collecting dust, hard to access, etc., etc.)?

.....

You build a bookshelf, of course :)

This is the section I built yesterday after work. I'm going to build another (narrower) section on top, just to below the top of the door frame. After I finish building, I'm going to paint the boards the same color white as the trim, so it kind of blends in and seems like it's supposed to be there. Should be fun!

Friendship

Here is a quotation from an email a friend of ours sent to his best friend a few years ago. I don't think anyone could describe Christian Friendship more beautifully. This also makes me think of the way I feel about my best girl friend at this point in our lives :)

-----

...No matter what, both of us will continue that journey towards Him together, sometimes apart, sometimes in the same place, but always as the deepest of friends, because our friendship whirls about the Word Himself, He who Is, and that cannot be broken by time or distance or even death.

Clock-late [chocolate]

Can a Sunday afternoon treat get any better than this? :)

They say chocolate makes everything better. I have to admit, after years of experiementation and critical analysis, that "they're" right!

Hooray for chocolate!

What a treat for me to eat.

It makes me happy.

Sunday

111 - What's on the Menu? Originally uploaded by renidemus

Ah, what a lovely weekend! 10 hours of sleep (a night!), and organizing, writing lists, planning projects! Taylor (my sweet, wonderful, magnificent husband!) fixed the disposal, the toilet valve, and the bathroom faucets (well... almost)! We bought wood for a shelving-unit I want to build next to the front door and I had a good chat with my Daddy about various ways to build it, best structure, etc. I'm excited to go home and start cutting and drilling and screwing. Also, yesterday I planned the week's menus! The past few months life has been, shall we say, less than organized? And I've been slacking in my house-wife-ly duties. [Another reason my husband is so wonderful--he doesn't even complain when he has to pick up my slack!] But, the last week or I have made an effort (w/ Taylor's help, of course!) to get back in my groove and, mostly, it's been going well. It's good to feel organized again. Especially with a good cup of tea :) [All that's missing is a best friend to plan menus and share my tea with... *sigh*]

Noni Girl

Happy Birthday!!

You are two years old today!

May God grant you many happy years

in peace, health, and happiness :)

(this is Taylor's and my God daughter;

my brother's 5th child, 4th girl;

Daddy's 8th grandchild (6th grand daughter).

She's a cutie!)

Better Late

95 - DONE!
Originally uploaded by renidemus

than never!

Dear Vivian,

Our sweet younger (not little-er) sister (and oh-so-styling in your pretty new dress)! We are so proud of your accomplishments and all your hard work. You have now joined the ranks of edu-macated people. I'm sure Momma is proud of you, too. Her baby has her degree!

It was great fun to share your graduation day with you, and we wish you all the happiness and success "life-after-college" can bring. Remember to keep close to the Lord in all things. He will be with you always (yes, even to the end of the age).

So CONGRATULATIONS! You are in our prayers always and we love you very much :)
God bless you now and always!

97 - Therapy

97 - Therapy
Originally uploaded by renidemus

Now that she's received the apron (apronS, actually. I made her two), and is happy with them, I can post the picture of my latest crafty project. Vintage material from my Grammy (pattern from her, too). Time for tea...

A Wedding

T and I went to a wedding this weekend; an exceptionally beautiful wedding. We've known the bride and groom for a scant two years (and even then, we didn't see the bride very often since she lived out of town), but we have fallen in love with them as a couple and could not be happier for them as they begin this new stage in their journey toward God.

We stayed with the groom's family (since Taylor was there the whole week for bachelor party festitivies). I can happily say that I now understand why the groom is such a fabulous young man--he comes by it naturally! We were welcomed with warm hospitality and nothing was too much trouble for this family to make their guests comfortable. We felt like part of the family immediately. Mr. C, too, is quite the romantic, which alwasy makes a wedding weekend fun and happy and joyful!

But our dear groom would not be the man he is without his bride. We never knew him without her in his life (some people have told us that is a good thing) ;) When she was around him, we could see the change in him. His whole being seemed (and seems) to shout out "Here is my soulmate! My helpmate! and the woman I give myself to wholly and freely!" You could see the light in his face.

And the bride :) What a wonderful woman with a wonderful family. The whole weekend ran smoothly and everyone felt welcomed and included and well-loved. Already we love her, and we look forward to getting to know her better as the years go by!

And what can I say about the wedding itself? This couple has been waiting for a long while to get married, and I was watching the groom when they opened the doors to let the bride in--he (and pretty much everyone else) was in tears. "It's finally here," was all I could have said to him at that moment. She's finally yours; for good; for real; forever. And you're finally hers. For better or worse, till death do you part.

Their joy in the celebration of their union truly overflowed into the many family and friends gathered to celebrate with them. So much was Love present in their gaze... shining rays of hope and the promise of the future, and the glow of the present moment. "I take you now to be my husband; to be my wife. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." [Amen.]

One can't help but be happy for this couple. May God grant you many, many years together in peace, health, and happiness. May you live to a happy old age, and may you see your children's children.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Dear Daddy,

I know you won't get your card today (hopefully it comes Saturday), but you are in my thoughts and prayers today (and always). We love you very much and may God grant you many (MORE!) happy years in peace, health, and happiness.

Enjoy your birthday :)

Lists

I like to make lists.

[You may have noticed :)]

But the funny thing about my lists is that I tend only make them when I'm really bored or if I'm super busy.

I make lists a lot at work, during the downtime between projects, about what needs to be done when I get home. Most often, the lists stay in my purse, neatly folded, never looked at until I'm going through my purse a few weeks later.

"Oh... [mentally checking off things] don't need this anymore."

I have to admit--it's rather satisfying to throw an entire list away :)

The other time I make lists, for instance, is during the holidays. I make lists of what foods to make, when to make them, what presents I need to make/buy/find/list, what needs to be cleaned before we leave or before people come over. These are probably most like "regular" lists because I cross things off and add new things here and there. They're very functional.

Otherwise when I make lists, it's just to get my thoughts on paper. I don't know how it works really, but when I write something down, I don't worry about it as much. I should try writing down a list of things I'm specifically worried about, and see if it still works.

I remember as a kid my sister and I used to make packing lists for any trip we would go on (seriously, even a half-day trip to a petting zoo). I don't remember what we'd write down, but they were usually pretty silly things ("walkman" [yeah, remember those? with the cassette tapes?!] "music tapes for walkman" "lip gloss" etc). Nevermind bringing an extra pair of socks or sunblock or a hat or a water bottle or even snacks?! Naw, Mom would worry about those things :)

I still make packing lists. Granted, now 'days they're much more practical (I almost always list things I'll actually need on my trips), and I don't need to make lists for shorter trips (unless they'll be busy). I hate to be under prepared.

I also like to add funny things to Taylor's lists (oh, the master of lists--he can't live without them!)

• Work on mission and ministry website
• email Kaplan lady about classes
• call Mum
• talk to property management guy about renting
• kiss your wifey-love
• buy an island far away and live there

[Can you guess which ones are mine?] :D

Anyway. Random post, I know, but I'm trying to get back "into" blogging, so I gotta start somewhere!

1. Just start posting anything you can think of
2. Hopefully soon, they'll make sense again
3. Add pictures

On My Mind...

Not sure why this has been running through my head lately. I did just finish reading book 2 of the Lord of the Rings, so maybe that's why. Maybe I'm in a thinking mood myself, and would like a quiet place to sit and muse of all that I have seen. Maybe I'm listening for returning feet...

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen, of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were, with morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be when winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see

For still there are so many things that I have never seen: in every wood in every spring there is different green.

I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago, and people who will see a world that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think of times there were before, I listen for retuning feet and voices at the door.

--Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings