Mary Kay Miracles

Remember how I let you off the hook last week by not presuming to be fashionable enough to share fashion tips for Kelly's blog post idea? Well I should probably follow the same path for this week, but it's already after midnight and I'm pooped...so I'm plunging ahead.

This week her post topic is beauty tips. I'm a Mary Kay girl all the way...so pretty much anything in their catalog makes me happy. But here are a few of my faves.

I started using Mary Kay right after college. I had to ease my way into it because I couldn't afford it. One of the first things I started using was their Velocity skin care line. It's for teenagers. But my face (which was a connect-the-dots adventure in my teen years) still struggled to exit puberty, so I used it. And I'll tell you what - cleared me right up. I have, within the last couple of years, graduated to big girl skin care, but I still swear by this stuff!

I live in constant fear that my hands aren't soft...so I'm a big fan of Satin Hands, too. If you've never used it before - it's wonderful! It has a scrub, an extra thick cream, and a regular cream. Really really really gives you soft hands! Love it!

And if you have the need for soft lips - Satin lips can take care of that!! :) It has a lip mask and a really wonderful lip balm. Worth the money!

I also like their perfumes. Currently I'm addicted to Exotic Passionfruit. I have the perfume, the lotion, the gel, the sugar scrub....LOVE IT!

They have an eye makeup remover that is very mild and is excellent at removing waterproof mascara. Oh come on. Like you didn't think I wore waterproof. HELLO!! Queen of crying!

And finally - one of the best inventions - the travel roll up bag. It has four zippered bags inside and rolls up for easy storage and travel. AND it has a hook on the top so when opened, it can hang on the back of a door or over a shower ring.

So that's what I do in the world of beauty!! :)

Blue Dots and Buffet Shirts

Remember yesterday? Practicing for my Colts manicure?

That's the left hand. You're not going to be seeing the right one. It looks like a preschool art project.

I elected to quit while I was ahead and just make dots on the rest of my nails.

Valuable lesson learned by this project: TOP COAT REQUIRED. Our student worker came in my office today and said, "You have a blue dot on your forehead. It almost looks like it's from your nails."

Sure enough! One had come off and was resting happily on my forehead. I lost three more throughout the day. WOOPS. So I've now added the topcoat and am hoping for the best.

Today I also purchased my Super Bowl shirt. I have to say I was really disappointed in the selection available. I remember the last time the Colts went to the Super Bowl, Wal-Mart cleared its main aisle to put up racks and racks of shirts - all sizes, all designs, all prices. This time, after looking through both Meijer and Wal-Mart (which didn't take long since they each had about 2 small racks of shirts), I came away with a "Go Blue" shirt that is a medium.

Men's medium, that is.

We can wear them to work tomorrow, they said, as long as we don't wear jeans.

I asked my boss if I could just add a belt and wear it for a dress. After all - that doesn't break the jeans rule. :)

So I've simply dubbed the shirt, "the buffet shirt." I will not have to suck in after the party on Sunday! Room to grow!

Tiny Blue Horseshoes

I must preface this post with the disclaimer that I am not a good sports fan. I didn't grow up on sports. I struggle to understand basic concepts.

But I love a party.

So I've been working this whole football season to try to understand the game. You know, the home runs and free throws and such. :) Okay so I know it a little better than that. I've learned a few of the Colts players' names. I've learned when to scream with joy and when to boo. (On a two second delay after the crowd of course.)

All of this has been preparation for the Super Bowl!!

Tomorrow I will be purchasing my official Super Bowl shirt, which if I'm lucky (and rumor has it, I might be!) I'll get to wear at work on Friday - a rare treat. And sometime within the next few hours, I'll be doing the official Super Bowl manicure.

Can I just say....

tiny blue horseshoes are very hard to draw...

...especially left handed.

Chicken Puffs

I wanted to post this recipe a couple of weeks ago, but I decided to wait until Super Bowl time, because this really is a great snack for a party!

I first found this recipe the last time the Colts were in the Super Bowl. I'd been invited to a party at the home of some church friends, and I really wanted to take something everyone hadn't eaten before. So I tried this, and it was a hit!

The way the recipe is designed, each puff is very tiny. I've also made this as a main dish for myself...without cutting the rolls in half...and it's good that way, too! These do warm over pretty well - if you have any leftovers, that is.

I made these for a New Year's Eve party this past year, and now I've been asked to bring them to the Super Bowl party on Sunday, so I'm all geared up to make them again! So I'm sharing them with you....enjoy! And go Colts!

The Recipe

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and garlic powder until smooth. Stir in chicken. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise, forming two triangles. Place 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of each. Fold each short side over filling, press sides to seal, and roll up.

Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Baked at 375 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 32 appetizers.


It just so happens that when I make this on Sunday, I'll have an actual boiled shredded chicken breast to use, because I just made a whole package of chicken for another FABULOUS soon-to-be posted recipe. But most of the time I opt to use a can of of chicken, because it's much easier. I do use the low fat cream cheese and it works just fine.

I soften the cream cheese in the microwave (usually that's the final softening after I've had it sitting out for a while) and dump in the garlic powder.

I add the shredded up chicken and mix it together. Yes that's a knife. I'm weird.

I spread out the rolls one tube at a time on my cutting board (it's only big enough to accommodate one tube at a time) and cut them lengthwise down the middle. You end up with very skinny triangles.

After much experimenting, I've decided it's best to place the meat mixture right in the middle of the fattest part of the dough.

Then I fold the dough over it like this (try to tuck in all the meat so you don't lose any to the baking pan!) and roll it up.

And all rolled up, it looks like this:

As you can see, I wasn't very neat on this batch. But my rows are lined up nicely!

Golden brown delights. :)

Enjoy!! :)

Disorganized Beginnings

I'm sure it's my OCD tendencies, but I do so love very organized beginnings to new months. In fact, last year I took a day off work either the last day or first day of each month to sort of get everything in its place.

So I was NOT amused today to go flying out of the house without pouring the coffee I'd made (no time), not opening the curtains (no time), and skidding into work at LITERALLY the last possible minute.

Tonight I had a meeting I don't normally have on Mondays, so my evening routine was out of whack...you get the idea.

Having said this, I would like to pause amid the disorganization for a moment to remember...

...my kiddo.

Not mine by flesh and blood, but such a part of my heart. Little Miss Carol, the first baby whose birth I ever witnessed, left this earth to be in Heaven with Jesus. No warning. No time to plan or prepare, although how does a person ever prepare to say goodbye to such a sweet and tiny life?

I remember the phone call at work. I remember paging my ex-boyfriend over and over, not caring that we were exes...only knowing I needed him right then. I remember going into my neighboring counselor's office and crying on her shoulder. I remember being sent home but not being able to go home. I remember going to another friend's office and sitting in her cubicle until her staff meeting finished.

I remember wanting so much to go be with Carol's family but not feeling right about it since I wasn't family. I remember her mom calling me and asking me to come because she needed me. I remember sitting helplessly in their living room, feeling like I should know what to say because I'd walked that road before...years earlier...and yet not knowing what to say.

Funny what you remember.

Funny what you will yourself to remember, knowing there can never be new memories made.

I miss Carol. Nine years doesn't make that go away.

Bits for Sunday, January 31

This week marked a big event in Bekahland: ten years in one job. In some ways, that doesn’t come as a great shock to me. I am not one for change, and I am one for loyalty. And yet when I think back to some of the stuff I’ve survived in that ten year span, I’m surprised I made it.
In true Bekah-fashion, I threw a party at work, complete with the essential C’s: candy, confetti, cupcakes, and chocolate milk.

And for good measure, I threw in pictures of the top ten hair disasters for the decade – ranging from the “Angry Amish Boy” to “Neon Orange” to “David Phelps’ Twin.” Good times.
I also pilfered through the chronicles of my life to find some priceless moments, and today I’ll share a selection of them with you.

• My college roommate acquired a fish, which I fish-sat for over a vacation. She ended up leaving him with me, to be the official mascot of the office. Students loved that little fish. They would come in just to see him. And then came “the day.” The day when the fish became a floatie. Except he didn’t float. I walked into the office to find his little head stuck between the rocks at the bottom of the bowl. My friend Lisa and I sneaked the fish bowl down to the ladies’ room and gave him a proper flushial.

• One day I wore my Easter dress to work. It was a little more above the knees than I remembered. I had to meet with a family about a student’s aid, and normally such meetings would take place in our conference room. Unfortunately, that day, it was occupied, so we had to have the meeting in my office. Without a table to hide under, I was dreadfully aware of the dress. I tried to listen intently, but now and then I became distracted by the hem of the skirt. During one such moment, I heard the dad say, “Great legs.” My head snapped up and a look of horror crossed my face. Only then did I realize he’d said “Great Lakes…” of student loan lending fame.

• I try so hard to return phone calls in a very timely manner, and one day I was hurrying to get them all returned before the day ended. The very last return came right at five, and in my haste, I blurted out to the answerer of the phone, “Hi Rebekah, this is Vera.”

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a form we work with on a daily (hourly?) basis. It’s called the FAFSA for short…unless you’re one of the people who have pronounced it to me in any of the following ways over the last decade: FATSMA, FATSA, FAZMA, FAZFEE, FASKA, FASHEE, FAH-SAH, The F-A-F form, FAXA, and FASHA.

• I’ll spare you the details of a few, but the fine folks of my office have also survived hearing about some of the best stalkers, creeps, and weirdos of the decade. I will share with you my favorite, however. I took my friend, Rachel, to a restaurant to introduce her to the greatness that is its food. (I’ll leave out the name to protect the innocent.) We enjoyed a lovely dinner – just the two of us in a side dining room. Toward the end of our meal, two rather questionable looking and obviously drunken men entered the room. They offered us a smoke (which we declined) and proceeded to interrogate us. Was I Rachel’s mother? (EXCUSE ME???? We’re about three years apart!) Were we students? And finally – Did we have plans for the weekend? If not, did we wanna “boogie woogie?” With that, Rachel grabbed her purse and stood to leave, causing me to follow suit. She firmly announced, “We can’t. We’re married.” As I scurried out behind her, I called to her, “Wait! To men or to each other?” Really, Bekah? This is your main concern at this point in time?

There were other things, but apparently some of them are ONLY funny to members of the office. But hopefully this gave you at least a little chuckle for today. And who knows! If I stay around the office for another ten years, I’ll have a whole new list…and I’d be okay of the boogie woogie brothers didn’t reappear…

I'm Low Maintenance, BUT...

My first date with my college boyfriend was to Taco Bell. It was a last minute decision and we didn't have much time, so it may also qualify for the fastest date in history. But you know what?

I loved it.

I don't need dates at $50 per plate restaurants. I'm perfectly happy with coffee houses or ice cream...or Taco Bell!

Having said that...I just have to say...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Since I Have No Sense of Fashion...

Kelly's Korner is normally my Friday blog post idea. Today she's exploring fashion tips.

You are welcome...I have spared you my participation in this topic which I know virtually nothing about. :)

HOWEVER.

Since it's been such a long week and I still have a residual headache from the lists...I must still steal an idea.

SO.

Over on Facebook, it's doppelganger time. I had never even heard that word until an episode of CSI. Can't even remember the crime now, but I remember doppelgangers were involved. In case you've not seen that episode and still don't know what it means...dictionary.com calls it the "ghostly double or counterpart of a living person."

I don't know how ghostly these will be, but here are the three I hear most often about myself.

Hands down, I get more comments about resembling Flo the Progressive Girl than anyone else. I think part of the resemblance is that I act like her in addition to sort of looking like her. I'm okay with it. If I have to show up in a commercial, I'd rather be Flo than the ANNOYING Wendy's girl (it's a-waaaaaaay better than fast food) or the ANNOYING Toys-R-Us girl (where kids are a big deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal) or the ANNOYING Wal Mart girl (in Wal Mart's expanded el-ec-tronics aisle). I think Flo's kinda fun and I'll happily be her double.

And we're walkin'! And we're walkin'!


If you don't know this one...we not only resemble each other, but we share a name, too! This is Rebecca Isaacs Bowman, and she sings with her family, the Isaacs. Yes, they're Gaither people. Her hair used to be a little longer and I admit we really did look a lot more alike. Though I'm not a fan of bluegrass, I do occasionally like some of their music and I don't mind being a Becky look-a-like.

Hopefully my resemblance to Katey Sagal comes in her POST "Married with Children days. :) I haven't heard this one a bunch, but I have been told I look like her.

So there's my list. How about you?

It's My Party...

PARTY DAY!!

I have been so looking forward to today! Believe it or not, ten years ago today, I became a financial aid counselor. I was still in my last semester of my senior year (full time classes), so I worked probably 30 hours a week and essentially had no life. The Monday after graduation, I went full time. But since today was the anniversary of the official beginning, I threw a party to surprise the office!

(By the way, I loved the looks on my co-workers' faces as they walked in, saw the party setup and thought "Oh shoot - did I forget a carry-in?) Hee, hee hee. I set up the party in our break room. I brought in pictures from my first day on the job, made top-ten lists, and brought in pictures of the best (which often meant the worst) hair experiments and disasters of the decade!

And of course, what party is complete without treats? I ordered Flour Child Cupcakes (link in sidebar) for my party. These are THE BEST cupcakes. If you were at my 30th birthday party, you had them then too! I ordered chocoholics with M&M's on top - because I'm the M&M girl at work!

Heaven in a paper cup. And don't you EVEN think I'm kidding.

The people at work seemed to have a good time - and despite being holed up in my office (literally) for the rest of the day working on a never-ending report - I had the greatest day! And of course, this never hurts a day....

My parents surprised me by visiting and bringing flowers! I l-o-v-e flowers, so this was the best!

Math is not my favorite thing in life and I've never tried to hide that. Because it's not my friend, my job can be a definite challenge for me at times. But I am so thankful to have a job. So thankful to be able to say I've done the same thing for ten whole years. That's not entirely common in people my age! And I'm so thankful to work with such an outstanding group of people. Sure, we all have our quirks, but after spending today celebrating with them, I realize how blessed I am to have so many fun-loving co-workers.

And I'm thankful for my students, too! In the last two days, four of them have stopped by just to say hi. They are such blessings!

Things I Love...

Today was a GOOD day.

I had the privilege of having a house guest last night. Love that! A friend of mine is finishing up school while subbing and had a job near me today, so she spent the night to give her the chance to sleep in this morning. (You see now why we're friends, don't you?) Anyway, so this morning I had extra things to think about...like actually responding to the alarm when it went off and cooking a breakfast. When you have a house guest, you shouldn't send them away hungry. But it was a joy to have her and share with her!

Work was...busy. Today was a big project day for me, and I just shut myself in and worked all day long. About 11:15, when hunger pangs began, I looked up to see one of my students standing in my doorway with this:

Ahhhh sweet frappe...love of my life. :) My students are so good to me! (She brought a drink to each of our secretaries too...how great is she???) So that got me through a good chunk of the day.

And THEN, after lunch, my door slid slowly open and my boss deposited this on my desk:

OH sister.

I work with a good, GOOD group. What would I ever do without them?

Today

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

...Deuteronomy 31:8

A Recap of my Date...

...with the sewer man.

See? And you thought I had news. Not so fast, my friend. Not so fast.

I am only blogging about this because it's a slow news day...or maybe because my other option is to blog about the Bachelor. :)

On my property resides a big, beautiful tree. It is beautiful in the spring when the buds pop out. It is beautiful in the summer when it provides shade.

It is NOT beautiful in the fall when I have to rake. And rake and rake and rake. And bag. And rake and bag and rake and bag. (You get the idea.) Yet, it IS beautiful in the fall.

It is NOT beautiful in the winter when the ice storms hit and its gigantic branches weigh down so far that I worry the whole tree will crash down on power lines or the house itself. Yet it IS beautiful in the winter.

But nothing...absolutely nothing...is beautiful when those blessed roots get all tangled up in the sewer lines. It's nasty, gross, disgusting, expensive, and flat out humiliating.

Saturday morning I noticed a small amount of water sitting in the bottom of the dishwasher. And I remembered the last load of dishes hadn't entirely washed well. Bad news. I rushed to the window and looked at the cleanout for the sewer line. Yep. It was backed up. LOVELY.

So I called the 24 hour emergency service right then and there. They said, "Sure thing! We'll be there Monday morning." LOL. Well okay then!

The weekend was spent in much Little House on the Prairieness. Minimal water usage - and we'll just leave it at that.

So today I got to have a little date with the sewer men...who tried to train me in recognizing this issue before it reaches emergency status. And they were very kind as to try to concentrate their efforts on the problem area and not charge me for de-rooting areas that probably were clear anyway. Bless them.

I'm back in 2010. The dishwasher is running and I'm looking forward to a long - LONG - shower.

Bits for Sunday, January 24, 2010

This year, for my daily devotions, I’m reading the updated edition of Streams in the Desert. Six or seven years ago, I read the original version in all of its adviceth givingeth verbiage for thee. And I really loved the book. But this year I thought I’d try the 2010 version (okay, technically 1997, but it still works). And I’m loving the message of the book all over again.

I love sitting down to it each night and wondering how it’s going to be so perfect for my day, because that never fails to happen. You know God’s hand is in a book when it can do that…and it doesn’t just do it to me. It’s happening to others reading the same words from their bedrooms late at night too.

Friday night’s reading was no exception. Based on Matthew 14:13, where Jesus withdraws to pray alone, the book says, “There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life, the music is separated here and there by rests…God sends us times of forced leisure, by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent.”

Boy isn’t that the truth.

“Yet how does a musician read the rest? He counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there. God does not write the music of our lives without a plan. Our part is to learn the tune and not be discouraged during the rests.”

I’m not a good rester girl. I’m all about marking things off the list and making progress and pushing onward and forward. I’m the multi-tasker that can’t just sit and watch a movie without also scrapping or making cards while watching. I can’t sit and talk on the phone…I must cook or clean while I talk. Resting makes me nervous. I think of all the things that could be done and find myself moving to do them.

But John Ruskin, who wrote that bit of wisdom in Streams in the Desert, has a valid point. The rests count. And sometimes the rests make the parts that follow all the better.

You all know of my undying love for all (okay almost all) Gaither music. I love the power songs the best. Good workout music. (If only I had an ipod.) One of the best power songs is Let Freedom Ring. It might be one of the best because David really shines in that one. Or it might just be a great song. But toward the end, the song marches along at a great pace and then abruptly stops for not just a rest…but for a significant rest. And then the drums break through (and I’m all about good percussion) with a huge downbeat and the song pushes right ahead – made even better by that rest. I have listened to that song approximately 500 times and still get goose bumps in that very spot. Every time.

Take away the rest from Let Freedom Ring and you’ve ruined the song.

And I have a feeling the same could be said of life.

Hope

I spent most of today working on a project (more on that another day) that took me on a trip through the past ten years...via my journals.

I'm exhausted.

Who knew that reading...actually skimming...could wear on a person so!

I found myself hurrying through parts, because I really didn't want to even think about those moments again. I laughed hysterically at other parts...the parts that were "true Bekah."

But as I told someone this evening - I'm so glad I'm here, rather than there. I was pretty hopeless back then, and I couldn't even see it. I clung so tightly to my little world. Tried to force it in the direction I just knew it should go. And nothing seemed to work right.

I'm still probably on the "high strung" list, but I've mellowed. I think so many years of things not going my way have pushed me to just not insist on having such a scripted way. Make a plan. Know that in all likelihood, it will change. Allow a few moments to work through the alteration. Embrace what really happens. And write about it because it's probably funny.

I don't have one ounce more of an idea of where my life is headed than I did on January 23, 2000. But I sure do have a lot more hope.

Shopping in a Rut

Kelly's Korner is exploring the topic of shopping. Ahhhhhh. Shopping. Be still, my heart.

I shop in spurts. I am very likely to shop, shop, shop, and then not set foot in a store (other than for groceries) for a month or more...and then shop, shop, shop again.

When I do shop, I tend to be in a rut. I'm not very adventuresome. I find a store I like, and I stick with it. Creature of habit, this girl!

Groceries: Though I shop at a variety of stores for groceries, my favorite is Aldi. I don't know if this store exists everywhere, but it's one of my faves. When I was fresh out of college, I shopped there out of sheer necessity. Had to have the cheaper prices! Now I just love the food! I prefer their graham crackers, apple cinnamon cheerios, and ranch dressing (the lowfat kind) to brand names, actually. I'm also absolutely addicted to their fresh sweet onion salsa. I get almost all my staples at this store and often I can find great deals on produce, too. The downfall of the store is that you never know what they will or will not have on a given week, but usually I have great luck with most of my list! And I don't even mind the "rent a cart" policy!

House Stuff: Right now, Lowe's is the only home store in our town, but even when we had options, I preferred Lowe's. No idea why. Just did. It disturbs me somewhat that I actually enjoy perusing the weekly ad for Lowe's...I think that means I grew up to be a boring adult! I've always had great customer service there, and I love being able to go one place to get all the things I need.

Clothes: I am a HORRIBLE clothes shopper. I'm oddly proportioned, which makes shopping for clothes an absolute nightmare. I have to be in the right mood to shop, or I end up frustrated and declaring myself fat. Fashion Bug used to be my favorite place to shop, but they left town, and they're also catering much more to plus sizes, so it's getting harder for me to find things that work for me. But I still love to at least try finding things there when I'm near one. Lately, I've done most of my clothes shopping at JC Penney. I have noticed that when I shop for clothes, I'll spend a whole bunch at one time (if it's a non-fat day, buy up!) and then I won't buy clothes for months and months. Other than two emergency shirt-buying days last fall, I have not been clothes shopping since July. :)

Stamps and Scrapping: Ahh...NOW we've found where I sink the money! Of course you know of my deep affection for and addiction to Hobby Lobby. Once again - moment of silence because it left town....okay, moment over. I buy most of my seasonal decorations at Hobby Lobby (on clearance of course), plus all my scrapbooks and refill pages (50% off, of course). I also get stamps there sometimes (when they're on sale) - and other random crafting needs. The bulk of my stamps, though, I buy from Stampin' Up! and Close to My Heart. I love buying there, because I can get whole sets of stamps, rather than just one or two at a time. Stamp shopping is also usually a bulk thing for me. I'll place a big order a couple of times a year and then be done.

Books and Music: The bulk of my book and music shopping happens through Christian Book Distributors. We only have one Christian bookstore in town, and while I like it, it doesn't always have what I want, and it closes earlier than I like to shop. :) I do, however, like to frequent Gaither Family Resources, which is not only a delightful place to shop, but it has amazing food and hands down, THE BEST COFFEE I've ever had in my life. Not kidding.

The Place I'm Glad is Far Away or I'd be Bankrupt: Kirkland's! If this store ever comes to town, I'm in big trouble. The closest one I know if is in Indianapolis, and I canNOT go into this store without shopping big! I have enormous success with Christmas gifts at this store. At Kirkland's, I can actually afford things I could only look at elsewhere.

That concludes Bekahland's shopping tour! :)

Pale Grass

Is it icy, icy, icy where you are?

If the answer is no...I'm jealous. :)

When the radio blared at its horridly early hour this morning, I heard the man say they'd be announcing school closings. You know...the only thing worse than realizing the weather is bad enough to warrant school closings is realizing you don't teach school so you have to risk life and limb to get to work.

Normally I don't stress about weather since I live so close to work, but today was a little harrowing. Lots of spinning, some sliding, some fishtailing...none of it really bothered me until I got onto campus and saw a student literally flailing his way across the parking-lot-turned-skating-rink, and I thought, Oh dear...I hope I don't wipe him out on his way to class!

We managed to avoid each other, and I made it INSIDE the building still on my own two feet. A student nearby was not so fortunate.

The ice may have covered the outside of my world, but my mind churned on, and a conversation I had with a friend led me to ponder...

My friend emailed me to ask a question, and since we don't talk all that often, the question led to the exchange of pleasantries. I asked about her life...her husband, her (not even kidding you) GORGEOUS little girl, her new baby...and she said they were all doing well. She said she enjoys reading up on life in Bekahland and sometimes she envies my ability to curl up with coffee and writing...or my escapes to scrapping adventures.

I smiled when I read that because I remember when I found out this friend was getting married. I remember writing in my journal how happy I was for her and how I would love to walk in her shoes. I admired her perseverance and her approach to her relationship. I remember when she had that first baby and how I hoped if I ever had a little girl, she'd be as endearing as this one. Over and over I've hoped to someday enjoy a life like hers.

Ironic, isn't it?

The grass may be greener on the other side, but I am working to love the pale grass.

Writing Redirected...

I made a goal to write at least a half hour every day this year - and blogging doesn't count in the half hour. Being the rather strict person that I am, I find it hard to allow myself any flexibility on my goals, but I'm trying not to beat myself up over this one if I miss a day now and then, because I know there will be other days when I write for hours and hours, so it all evens out.

Since I had another goal of having my book ready for final submission by the end of the month, all my writing time has been focused on that project. It's been kind of fun, actually, because the writing block has been about editing, revising, taking polls, crafting intros...fun stuff.

But I'm at a standstill. I'm waiting on some copyright permissions, and while I wait to see if I get them (or if I'll be rewriting to exclude them), I decided to pick up another project that's been marinating over to the side of my mind.

And I think it's about to grow.

I thought the idea was just going to be a chapter of a larger work. But after I started...I have a feeling it's going to grow and take on a life of its own. Typical with me. :)

But as I write...I learn. That's one perk of writing Bible studies! And while I think this is going to stretch me, I'm excited to see what it has in store!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

...Because sometimes plain old peanut butter cookies are not enough. :)

This is one of the recipes I made at Christmas for my gift bags at work. I LOVE these things. I have a really bad habit of eating the cookie all around the kiss and then eating that last bite all at once. I love it!

This is a very easy cookie to make because it doesn't have a ton of ingredients, and it doesn't make an enormous batch. It's a good quick Sunday afternoon recipe...and would be something fun to take to parties. With the Super Bowl coming up, I thought it might be good to go ahead and post this now. Enjoy!

The Recipe
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Hershey Kisses

In a mixing bowl, cream peanut butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until blended. Drop small teaspoon size portions of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until tops are cracked. Press Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan.

This recipe makes a little over two dozen cookies, but I make sure I have plenty of kisses on hand in case I make a few extra...or in case I need a snack. As usual, I do NOT use imitation vanilla, and I do use generic peanut butter even though I know you're not supposed to.
I do use a mixer rather than just hand mixing these ingredients. My mixer isn't all that great (haven't replaced my good one that died) so I have to really hang onto it. The peanut butter clings onto the beaters pretty quickly and makes them jump around.

After you add the egg and vanilla, the dough will be very thick and sticky. Not like traditional cookie dough.

I don't bother to make them very pretty - I'm only going to smash them down in a minute.

They don't expand much during baking...they mostly just brown on top.

If you don't put the Hershey kiss in pretty quickly, it will crumble the cookie. You'll want to press it down in, but not so much that the cookie breaks when you remove it from the pan.

Eat up! Enjoy!

When I Wasn't Lost in the Fog...

Yesterday I posted about driving in fog...and how it can be a parallel to life sometimes...but the weekend wasn't all fog and freaking out! It also had a lot of fun!

Friday night I got an email from my Brown County traveling buddy, Julie, asking if I'd like to hang out sometime this weekend. Last minute. Impromptu. Spontaneous. Unbekahlike. SURE!

I love the spontaneous life!

After going to watch the Vocal Band premiere, I packed my car and headed to see Miss Julie.

Not sure why all of the sudden I look 40, but here we are right before I headed home on Sunday.

Such a fun weekend! Hours and hours of talking...I love that about her. So easy to talk to. Who needs TV? We have millions of things to say. I went to her church Sunday morning, which was very fun. I am always anxious about visiting churches that aren't my own, because I'm a home-church-only sort of girl. But everyone was warm and friendly and I loved the chance to worship with them.

One of my favorite things was getting to hang out with Miss Esther - really, for the first time since they came to visit me last May! I was worried that she might not be super excited about a stranger showing up in her house. But she was great! She invited me right in to her pile-o-toys and said a whole bunch of very important things...that I didn't understand. But she was very adamant about all of them!

Totally worth the drive in the fog! Had the greatest time with my friends. I told God I'm just so thankful for the friends He's blessed me with...those who welcome me into their lives and homes and just love me for who I am!

Bits for Sunday, January 17, 2010

In a very uncharacteristic Bekah moment, I elected to take a mini road trip…in the fog…and the dark…with interstate driving involved. Mom said that the Bekah of old never would have done such a thing. Well the Bekah of new wasn’t too sure about it, but I survived.

So did the horse and buggy I didn’t see until I was nearly upon them.

The adventure started yesterday afternoon, when I drove to and from the Gaither store. The drive home was definitely more difficult. As I sailed along, I noticed a large barn to my left and thought Hey isn’t that kind of close to a stoplight? I looked up and found the stoplight right in front of me. I was glad I at least knew the area…the landmarks helped.

But on trip number two yesterday, I found myself in the dark, on unfamiliar roads, trying to drive while reading directions, and that was a bit more challenging. At first I liked driving in the dark fog better than the daylight fog, because at least drivers all used their headlights. But the longer I drove, and the farther into the country I went, the fewer lights I saw, and the claustrophobic feeling began to descend. Fortunately, my trip to the Gaither store had yielded a new Vocal Band CD, so I cranked that up and joined as their sixth member to calm myself.

A couple of times throughout the drives, God and I had some emergency talks…and it was during one of those talks that I continued yapping and mentioned that the fog hugging my car reminded me of how I feel about life.

I’m such a planner. You know that. As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m going to rummage the day planner out of my luggage and carefully script my week. I’ll open up the planner tomorrow when I get to work and coach myself through timelines of accomplishing everything I’ve written down – and carve out some extra moments for all the last minute things I’ll add along the way.

Planner-people don’t like foggy lives. Anything less than full visibility into the steps ahead is just plain annoying. And yet there are days – like the ones this weekend – when life is full of thick, heavy, choking fog. And while I technically did have a choice about whether or not I was going to drive in it, life does not offer the same option. Life must be lived.

But just like the fog outside my car caused me to occasionally turn down the music and turn up the prayers, the foggy life drives me to my prayer journal and my open Bible. I recognize…more than ever…in those moments that I am dependent…because I can’t see. And I have no power to change that.

Eventually, fog clears. I hope. I told Mom that I don’t remember the last time I saw two full days of such thick fog. But I’m assuming that one day I’ll wake up to sunshine and miles of viewing. It may be a while before that same gift is extended to my real life, but I’m going to live in the hope that one of these day…I just might be able to see a bit into the distance!