Kaegan's BIG Birthday

Someone has a BIG birthday today!! (Please read that in a singsong voice....)

Happy tenth birthday, Kaegan!

Kaegan, as I told you not too long ago, was a gift to me from my friend Christi. I got him in May of 2001, so he was just a few weeks old. He has been such a good cat...kept me company during the long months of that 2001 summer when I lived alone for the first time ever and was petrified of life in general.
After starting out as just the two of us...he adjusted to life with my roommate Angela, and her cat, Igor, and then he graciously learned to live with a sister named Braeya.

These days, he spends most of his time right here, on my bed. He's about as low maintenance as a cat could be. Doesn't get into playing a lot of games...doesn't really need (or like, most of the time) to be held...

But he does love to snuggle up at night...always has tons of kisses and nuzzles when I cry or when he knows I'm having a bad day...and he is just so forgiving....

That's my boy...

Happy birthday, sweet Kaegan! I hope you love your special day! I'm very glad you have been part of Bekahland for the last decade. You have made it a very sweet place to live. Love you, my big, big boy!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Guess who gave me this recipe? Jonathan! I do believe it was a new moment in my cooking life when I walked through Meijer getting texts containing instructions on how to cook shrimp - from a male college student!

But that Jonathan is a good cook. He's the one who taught me to grill, too.

I first had this at Ronda's house when Jonathan and his brother took over the cooking one night and then they invited me to eat with them. Because my Dad doesn't like shrimp and crab, I've not eaten that much of it in my life, so I was a little nervous. But...I gave it a try and found I really liked it! Jonathan promised me it was super easy, so I tried it a few times and found it is, indeed, as easy as it is scrumptious!

It keeps fairly well for a few days, so it tastes as good as a leftover as it does the first time.

The Recipe

1 package ready to cook shrimp (peeled, deveined, etc.)
1 1/2- 2 cups of rotini pasta
1 jar of alfredo sauce
2 strips of imitation crab meat

Cook pasta in boiling water and drain. Cook shrimp in boiling water and remove to separate dish. Cut crab meat into small pieces. Combine pasta, shrimp, and crab meat in bowl and pour alfredo sauce over the combination. Stir well and serve.

This is a very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants recipe, so the measurements are very much debatable. I bought the shrimp at Meijer and only found one size of a bag, so that's what I used. And if you've never bought this kind of crab meat before - you find it near the shrimp as well. (I had no idea where to find such things.) If you don't like rotini, you could use another shape of pasta. Linguine noodles would probably work well in this recipe if you wanted something longer and more elegant looking.
The crab meat comes wrapped up in a piece of plastic, so be sure you remove that first. I just used two of the strips and saved the other two for the next round of it. If you are a huge fan of crab meat, you could definitely use all of it at once. And if you hate it, you could leave it out!

The cut up crab meat....

The shrimp still has a tail (like you see on the right), so you just pull or cut that off and throw it away, so all you have is the actual shrimp part like you see there on the left.

I normally do all the prep work of the shrimp and crab while the pasta is boiling away....

This is what the shrimp looks like before it cooks. Kind of brownish.

You put it in some boiling water and it cooks QUICKLY!! Jonathan said 2-3 minutes and I thought he was surely mistaken, but he was not! He said when it begins to turn pink, it's done. And it turns pink about as quickly as a mood ring!

After I drain the big pot containing the shrimp, I put everything back in it so I have plenty of room to stir in the sauce.

Sauce!

Completed salad! (I used the tri-color pasta mostly for color. Other than the edges of the crab meat, this would be a very bland dish in terms of color if you don't bring in color with the pasta. Definitely not bland in taste!)

Sit down with a plate and enjoy!!

A Little Work Comedy

Sometimes my life just feels like a giant humiliating sitcom. Great for laughs. Too bad they're at my own expense.

But just in case you need a chuckle to get you through the day, I have a couple for you.

The first happened last week. I was just about to leave for lunch when the phone rang. (Isn't that how it always goes?) I answered, and the caller was the father of an incoming student. He had a couple of questions for me, but one of them really needed to be directed to another office. So after I answered what I knew, I prepared to transfer his call.

And here, my dear friends, is what came flying out of my mouth before I hit the transfer button:

Hold on just a secs.

(Say that out loud if you didn't get the full effect.)

A proud moment indeed.

And that reminds me of one of my favorites from a couple of years ago.

I was meeting with a prospective student and his whole family, and normally when I meet with entire families, we meet in the office conference room, because my office is just too small to handle more than 2 visitors at once. But that day the conference room was in use, so we crammed in my office.

It was one of the very first days of spring, and I was so excited for the warmer weather that I'd worn a little knee length sundress to work.

How to say this semi-tastefully...um...well, until the family came in, I'd been sitting (of course) with my legs hidden under my desk. As a result, I'd not noticed that I apparently had not done the most thorough leg shaving of my leg shaving career. This unfortunate discovery was made only when sitting with my back to the desk and my legs right out there in full view of the family packed into my office.

I was doing my very best to yank that dress down as far as I could...discreetly of course...as I explained the ins and outs of the aid process.

Right about the time I got to the section of my talk that centered around loans, here's what I heard the Dad blurt out: Great legs.

Excuse me????

He repeated "Great Lakes."

The loan company, yes!!! Too bad I didn't figure that out before all the color drained from my face!!

Don't you people wish you worked with me??

A Couple of Things I Love...

I really don't get into too many blogs that are all about promoting stuff. I'd rather read about people than read a bunch of ads. But by the same token, there are a few blogs whose writers I really trust when it comes to product/site referrals.

And I've had some different people ask me lately to tell them more about some sites I've used. So today I thought I'd pass on to you my three most favorite new finds.

1. Picaboo. As you know, I'm hard core about the scrapping. I've scrapped for over a decade and have been a rubber stamp scrapper for all those years. And then I learned about Picaboo. It is an online, digital scrapping company. You download their software (which is free) to your computer and then you can upload your pictures into the software. You can create albums of all different caliber (softcover with pages that are about the weight of a magazine cover) to really fancy thick cardboard pages (like for a wedding album). You can also make calendars on the site...it's where I made the David calendar.

I could talk about the merits of Picaboo for hours, so here are some bullet points of my favorite things about the site:

* I can still get the feel of scrapping (backgrounds, borders around the pictures) with the convenience of the digital route.
* I can scrap anywhere without carting a carload of stuff. Last fall I scrapped at Ronda's during a football game - completely on a whim. I had my computer in my bag and that's all I needed.
* I can put a bunch of tiny pictures on a page or devote one entire page to one picture. So versatile!
* I can journal a ton (even make a whole page of just journaling if I want) or not at all (if I want the picture to speak for itself). They have lots of fonts and colors for the journaling.
* If I need multiple copies of the same project, I can just order multiples without redoing all the work.
* It takes up much less space than my traditional albums.
* They run specials often, so I can wait for a deal and place the order when I have money.
* Each page takes about half the time of manual scrapping.

If you have been thinking about making the switch to digital scrapping - or if scrapping has always overwhelmed you, just go here to get started. You just might love it!!

2. Nations Photo Lab. I've mentioned this site a couple of times...it's my most recent find. Normally if I need prints of pictures, I just send them over to Meijer and pick them up when I'm out and about. But ordering enlargements always gets on my nerves because it's so expensive!

Then Rachel told me about this site. You can order regular prints - but also enlargements, canvas prints, and other fun stuff. In February they ran a special where the bigger enlargements were 50% off. And orders over $50 qualified for free shipping. I ordered twice and absolutely loved the quality of the work. My pictures were crisp, they were delivered quickly and they were not rolled up in a tube.

It works a lot like Picaboo. You download the free software, and then upload and order your pictures.

I'll probably continue to use Meijer for little prints I need quickly, but all my other picture orders will go through this site now. I've been very impressed!

3. Shindigz. I read about this site while reading The Mom Creative blog. She blogged about it because they were running a special where you could order a certain size banner for one penny plus shipping. I have an event coming up that I thought would be banner-worthy, so I took a stab at it.

I was THRILLED with the way the banner turned out. It's great quality vinyl material, and it looks very very classy. (Can't show you yet...it's a surprise for later.) They make banners of all sizes and I would say they're worth the price (ranging from $15.00 to $150.00 depending on size) for what you get.

The site sells all sorts of other party stuff too, but I can only speak for the banner.

So that's that! Some stuff I love!

Orange Hair Tragedies

Back when I did the 100 days of random facts, I had a request to tell more about the orange hair tragedy.

Here's how it happened.

A couple of weeks before my 10 year high school class reunion, I decided to dye my hair. My grays were beginning to show, and I didn't want to arrive looking old. I decided to do the color job a couple of weeks ahead of time so it wouldn't be so hello! the night of the reunion. (Ohhhhhh the irony.)

For several months leading up to this event, I'd been wearing a color called Molten Lava, but I decided to go for some Spiced Ginger instead, just to feel like a new woman. My friend Marie came over on a Saturday night and we hunkered down in the dining room with the box of hair color. She applied it with great care and we set the timer for 25 minutes. Twenty minutes in, she said, "I don't know, Bek...it's BRIGHT." I decided to go ahead and rinse it out five minutes early....
Trollopy orange.

I could NOT go out that way (clearly), so Marie got in her car and drove to Wal Mart for another box of color. I told her to get anything that would get rid of what you see above. She brought back a box that promised to make my hair a lovely shade of brown with a hint of blonde.

You be the judge:

Can we say Ronald McDonald Red???? I looked like his love child!

I was afraid to dye it a third time in one night. Better to go to my reunion as Little Miss McDonald than to go without hair, right?

I went to church the next day and WOW! I got some stares! (Actually, the men loved it and the women looked at me with great disdain.)

During church, one person even called me a stoplight! I cried the rest of the way through the service.

A few days later, I went to my hair lady for a fresh cut before the reunion, and she felt so bad for me, she mixed up a professional hair color and gave it to me to apply. (She would have done it herself but didn't have time in her schedule. So she put it in a bottle and told me to just bring the bottle back the next time.)

A lady from my church (who was also a hairstylist) put it on for me - for free! I went to the reunion looking normal...and ended up winning the "most changed since high school" award!

So you know...anytime you need someone to dye your hair for me...you just let me know! I'm happy to serve!

It's the Weekly Recap!

* Last Sunday, as you already saw...I hosted February's Pancakes with the Princess, featuring the Holland family. They were such gracious guests...and I loved having them! After they left, I crashed straight onto the couch for a three hour nap. I'd completely worn myself out with my weekend of rushing around. I was SO out of it that when Mom called in the middle of the nap, I couldn't even wake up enough to talk to her!

* Is it sad that the highlight of Monday was getting my ears candled? LOL! I am pathetic! I don't know whether or not you've ever had ear candling done but it's grossly fascinating. I have really bad ears and I can't ever have them rinsed or flushed because it makes me super dizzy. So candling is my only hope. I'm all set for a while now. And I can actually hear again! Who knew?

* Tuesday was the first day of the month, so I turned over a new calendar page...and lookie here!! Mr. March! That was the upside of going to work. The downside of going to work was the temperature when we arrived:
That's seventy nine degrees in case you can't read. INSIDE. And this was in Greg's office. He and I agreed it was hotter in my office. It scares my co-workers when we show up and it's this warm, because I always threaten to go home and get my swimsuit. (Fortunately this time I did have a heads-up from Judy, who comes to work an hour before I do...and I had time to alter the clothing plan for the day.)

* Wednesday I was so excited to come home and find my new picture order on my porch! After the lion picture turned out so great for Kari, a couple other people wanted to order their own prints, and I wanted to order one of each of the pictures I'd done. Nations Photo Lab did a fantastic job with them...so very pleased! This one bears personal significance for me and I can't wait to see it hanging on my wall!

I wish I had a better picture of this deliciousness on a plate, but I used my phone instead of my camera and that just didn't go well. Wednesday night, my mentor - Lara - and I went out to Payne's Frozen Custard, and this was my treat. Cinnamon roll with custard and caramel drizzle. It was so rich, I could only eat half, but it was completely amazing. Amazing also describes the time I had with Lara and the work God did in my heart. That's a whole other blog post.


* Thursday night was hide the grays night. It had been a little over two months and already I was starting to look like Paula Deen. I love Paula Deen but I don't aspire to match her hair color yet. (Her cooking skills, YES.) Anyway. I ended up a little darker this time - but I'm just so happy it's NOT GRAY.

Funny part was when I got in the chair and she explained to me that she was going to begin by doing all the roots and then she'd go back to pick up the rest. Her opening line was "You have a LOT of gray." I said, "I KNOW! Thanks for bringing it up!" We got a good laugh out of that.

(Wow...I must be either growing up or wearing out. I never post profile pictures!!! God bless the nose...a.k.a. Bekah learns to embrace her least favorite feature.)

* Friday was the official beginning of crazy busy season at work. Reports, reports, reports!! The FAFSA deadline is next week, so the phone started ringing extra and the paperwork is pouring in...life as we knew it has ended. But that's okay. Busy season has its merits.

My favorite part of Friday, though, was this picture Kari sent me...she bought one of my lion pictures and had it matted and framed. She picked it up Friday and texted me the final product. I think it looks beautiful!
She said in her email, So let's see, I now have a book you wrote, several craft projects you've made for me, and a piece of your photography art!! What will you do next? Put out a cd? ;) Ha ha ha!!!!!

* Saturday I got out of town for a little bit...what a beautiful thing after being snowed/iced in for so long! I visited my friend Kristin, and we went to Heaven on earth (Barnes and Noble). Life is good when it includes a visit to a bookstore. LOVE to breathe in some book air!

Books I'm Reading: Not a lot of time to read again this week - but I kept up with Sparkling Gems from the Greek for my devos. I also sneaked in a tiny bit of reading in Twice Toward Justice.

Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week: I'm not ready yet to spill the details of the moment because it was so dear to me that I can't even commit it to the blog, but Thursday at lunch, the Lord urged me to meet Him in prayer and in the very final moments of that prayer time, He unleashed one of the biggest blessings/revelations I've had in a long while. I just sat on my bedroom floor and cried with the abundance of it all. Definitely a treasured moment.

Update on Last Week's Goals: I hate to admit it out loud, but the whole process of taking the fancy pants orange water bottle to work and drinking water during the day did help me not only MEET my daily water goals but also exceed them. So I guess this becomes a habit now, huh?

Goals for the Coming Week: I want to finish one book and try to get some extra rest in evenings, if possible. I've been trying REALLY hard not to get sick the last couple of weeks, but I can tell I'm still in the danger zone. If I could slow down for five minutes, I have a feeling it would help.

Spring Fever!

Do you have it too?

Spring fever??

My snowmen decorations have been down for a while, the Valentine's stuff came down earlier this week, and the few glimpses of sunshine and warm-er-ish weather have me so ready to cash in the sweaters and boots (cute though they are) for capris and sundresses.

So...

this has me thinking ahead to the official start of spring...which in turn has me thinking of:

* Cadbury eggs. Of course I would have to start the list with food. I adore Cadbury eggs. My favorites are the original ones, but I like the newer ones too - with caramel and other stuff.

* Easter dress. Dress shopping has historically been dramatic for me because nothing ever fits right and I so often have trouble finding a fabric pattern I like, but from the glimpses I've seen this year, I think I might actually be in luck!

* Opening the front door. Kaegan and Braeya LOVE looking out the front door, so whenever the weather gets warm enough, I love to open it and let them look out. I also love all the extra light it lets in. I think all three of us are ready for those days to come back!

* Opening the windows! I actually am not a huge fan of open windows all over the house, but I have a couple that I like to open (again, mostly for Kaegan and Braeya) when the weather perks up, and I'm ready to see those curtains blowing in the breeze again!

* Flip flops. They're taunting me from the box in the closet. I'm not really a flip flop addict, but I would so dearly love the option.

* A coatless commute. To be able to walk out the door without stopping by the coat rack...what would that be like??

* Tulips and lilacs. The first signs on the property that spring really is here!!!! My sister said she has some spring flowers poking through at her house. Maybe I should go live there. Think she'll notice?

* Washing windows. I think it's pretty pathetic that I'm so ready to bring on some spring that I would even put a chore on this list. But yes, I would be willing to wash a window if it meant spring would be here.

I'm sure there's more...help me! What are you looking forward to this spring??

30 Days of You and Me: Day Sixteen

Today's topic is...a song that makes me cry (or nearly cry).

Okay so that would be every song.

This is both easy and difficult for me to write about. Easy because I love songs! Difficult because I write about them all the time and probably already shared with you the ones I love the most!

The one I'm choosing to share with you today is one that just came out last year by (of course) the Gaither Vocal Band. It's on their Greatly Blessed project. I first fell in love with this song because it has uh-mazing vocals toward the end. A little five part harmony with an "are you KIDDING me???" note by David.

But as the year went on, the words sank into my heart more than the notes, and the message of this song became so personal to me. I need Your grace to make it through...all I have is You...I'm at Your mercy.

Michael English has the solo on this song and I think knowing his story and the mercy and grace the Lord has showered on him in allowing him a second chance at life and ministry makes this song all the more powerful for me. Because of that, I chose a live version of the song to share, but if you want to hear that stunner note from the studio version, go here.




And what about you? Got a song that makes you cry? I'm always looking for a good cry! :)

Spring Game Night

If you've been hanging out here very long, you know that a couple of times each year, I get together with some friends from high school for game night. I can't even remember now how many years we've been doing this. Five, maybe?

If you know me very well, you're probably also saying "But Bekah, don't you hate games?" Yes, yes I do.

Sort of.

I'm just not very good at games, so I rarely (I do mean RARELY) win. I've become okay with that...and I just play to have fun. In fact, my successes are counted more in things like this:

I won a round of Scattergories. Not the whole game...but just one measly little roll-of-the-letter-dice section of it. But I made them take my picture because you just don't know when that sort of luck might roll around again!
My game buddies are blog anonymous, so I can't post pictures, but we did have a great evening. We started out with dinner...I made crock pot pizza and they all pitched in yummy treats on the side. Oh! And I made orange julius too. (Orange juliuses? Orange juli-i? Not sure how you're supposed to make that plural...)

We played word games all night, and you'd think I'd do really well with that, but I tend to freeze up and get certain words stuck in my head, leaving me unable to think of others. Maddening, really.
Actually, Phats won almost every round of everything. We started off with a game called Smart Mouth and he won both rounds we played. (Imagine THAT.) We moved from that to The Last Word. Phats won the first round and then Heather beat him on the second round. I believe that was when he suggested Scattergories.

We always play Dutch Blitz, but we didn't get to it this time, which means...

I still have my coupon for a five minute head start on a game. Yes. I'm that bad. So bad, in fact, that I will use this and still lose (significantly).


But I did have fun.

Pancakes with the Princess: February

Yes, I know it's March. But this is what happens when you don't have Pancakes with the Princess until the last of the month! I had so much fun with round two and can't wait to share it with you today!

You might remember that in January, I invited a couple from my church. For my second round of pancakes...I invited a family of six! I was a little nervous that they might go away hungry, but they did not!

For the healthy portion of our meal: grapes and oranges. And as you can see, my table did NOT work for this round. It only seats four, and the one downside of my favorite favorite table is that since it's tall, I can't add onto it with a spare table.
So...Mom and Dad to the rescue! They have a huge six foot (HEAVY!!!!) table that they brought over for me to use. I was so grateful, because plan B meant having the kids sit on the floor around my round coffee table.

ANYWAY - on to the guests! I invited the Holland family! Brian and Jaye are the youth pastors at Chapel Pike, and I've been intending to have them over forever. Literally forever.

You might remember Jaye from some of my crafting adventures. She's a fellow scrapper. And this is their daughter Jessica, who shares my love of all things photo. I'm hoping to see more of her next year at school! And their youngest, Joseph, who called lunch "amazingly good" - and ate a lot of it to back up that claim!

The other side of the table! Pastor Brian, who taught me to teach junior high Sunday School and has just been an all around great supporter of me, (Jaye again! She's everywhere!) and their son Wesley, who was in the first junior high Sunday School class I taught. I hear now he's learning to drive...and he promised me a warning when the actual license time rolls around...

And I didn't want to miss Anna, who was just a baby when I first met the family - and now is a lovely young lady! Of all the Hollands, I hear she is my fellow lover of coffee. Good job, Anna!!!

In addition to the health food, we had pancakes, Amish breakfast casserole, sausage patties, and a round of orange julius (with whipped cream).

OOH! Jaye told me, as she watched me pour pancake batter, that sometimes she puts her batter in one of those plastic picnic ketchup bottles, snips off a bigger tip, and makes perfectly shaped pancakes that way. I might have to try that!!

After lunch, we hung out in the living room and talked for a while - while they took turns soaking up heat from the fireplace. I really enjoy watching them interact with each other. I'm always fascinated by sibling activity since I did not grow up with my sisters, and never got to truly know what that was like!

Thanks, Hollands, for taking time to come over and eat with me. You were so much fun!!

SSMT: Verse 5

Whew! I feel like I just learned verse four! And now...time for a new SSMT verse! I actually just rediscovered this one during church on Sunday. Our pastor used some verses from James as part of his sermon text, and I noticed this one highlighted yellow on the page near the verses he read. Looks like I originally read them last November...right before a God-ordained pivotal turning point in my life. I remember how I felt then...and how I grasped desperately to these words because I needed to make myself believe there was hope for my future.

Reading the words now, I still don't have any idea how God plans to accomplish some of this in my life, but I have a very peaceful assurance He will.

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:11

I know in comparison to what many people have faced, and what many others are facing right now, my trials at any point in my life seem like nothing. But in the last year I felt a lot like Job.

Once, I remember asking about the location of the nearest ash heap, because I felt like sitting down on it! Since I couldn't find one, I paced around and quoted Job's words instead...like Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him, and When He has tested me I will come forth as gold.

When I did a word study on this verse from James, I learned that the two references to perseverance actually have slightly different meanings.

The first one means to bear up under miseries, adversities, or provocations with faith. The second means those with hope...refers to quality of character that does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.

Perseverance, when you are in the middle of it, feels like just making it to the next minute. Sheer grit. But it's so much more than that! It is survival, for sure, but survival with faith. Survival with hope.

For me...the end of this verse has yet to be revealed in my life. I have no idea what the Lord is going to finally bring about in my world and in my life. He is being so faithful day by day. He IS indeed full of compassion and mercy. He is loving and brings me such delight and joy. And I know He is redeeming my life. I know He is fulfilling a work and a promise. How? I haven't yet discovered. What will it be? I have no clue.

But I believe He will bless my perseverance and my faith, and for that, I'm so thankful.

February: Done

February, despite its cantankerous presence in terms of weather, was a good month. Much learning. Much growing. Many milestones and victories.

* I survived Snowmageddon! And the surprise ice storm later in the month! And the additional storm that came to close out the month! My friends and I agree that we've never seen a winter storm quite like the first one, though. Worst shoveling ever. Such an inconvenience...even weeks after, when my street was still clogged with cars that couldn't park close enough to the curb to let other cars through - all because the icy snow held firmly to the ground. But it came with good points too - no loss of electricity for me...and a free day off work! WOO HOO!!

* Made it through the one year mark of the Isaac journey. And not only did I make it, but God brought redemption to the days I dreaded. As I passed through Valentine's Day weekend and remembered last year and the introduction to the man I grew to love, I begged God to help me find new meaning and purpose now that life has changed so dramatically for me. And He did - in wildly beautiful ways. I am thankful for His mercy.

* Learned to love impromptu hostessing! I'm nothing if not fastidious about the appearance of my home when people come over. (Thank you, Mom, for instilling this in me.) But this month, I had two different opportunities to welcome people into my home without any warning. No time to clean. And I was so thrilled to find that both times, I was able to relax and enjoy the chance to share my home without over-apologizing for its less than pristine condition. (If you only knew me...you'd say Our little Bekah is growing up!)

* Started keeping a food and exercise journal and loved what it began to teach me about myself and my habits. It has prompted me to enjoy saying no to food as much as I've enjoyed saying yes to it...and it has encouraged me to be more conscious of my water intake, which was an area of my life that was embarrassingly lacking. Plus it allowed me to celebrate my exercise accomplishments. The personal best for me this month was 2.6 miles in 30 minutes on the track. I know some of you do much better than that without a second thought, but this was huge for me. I'm thrilled with it!

* Learned two more Bible verses and even beyond the amazing lessons I learned from what God prompted over my life, I was excited to see how God used one of them to spur someone else in her life. One of my friends was touched by Ephesians 1:17, my first SSMT verse this month, and decided to implement it as a prayer for people in her life. I loved watching God move the blessing right on to her! I'm also beginning to recognize that these verses are so very God-ordained. As I look over the four I've learned in this year, I see how God has prepared me for each piece of the journey through the verses He prompts me to learn. I love it.

* In the land of cooking I found the s'more cup recipe, which is a total winner, I tried three new fondue recipes, all of which I loved and will use again, AND found a scrumptious pumpkin quick-bread recipe that I declared a keeper.

* Learned so much from the Lord through songs...and verses...and books...and blogs...and words He whispered to my heart. He gave me goose bumps over and over with His tenderness in speaking to me. I would have to say I heard Him more this month than I have since the desert. (Maybe that has more to do with my intentional listening skills than anything else.)

* Joys and adventures filled the month, like being asked to be a bridesmaid in Olivia's wedding, taking a cupcake class, hosting a fondue palooza for Valentine's day, going to my friend Jamie's for her celebrate God's love party, meeting baby Silas, hosting my first game night (with my high school buddies) in a couple of years, and hosting Pancakes with the Princess...round two!

Stone Altar: End of February

It's the Weekly Recap!

* To gear up for my uber busy week, I enjoyed a lazy day last Sunday. After church, I put on my jammie pants and spent the day sleeping...playing online...reading...watching TV...eating...yes, I was largely unproductive. And it was heavenly.

* Monday we were caught off guard by an ice storm. Could it be that two days earlier I exercised outside with people who were wearing shorts? Sigh. I just counted my blessings that the power stayed on...my parents were not so fortunate. I will say...I was a little miffled that the weather canceled my dinner plans with my friend Rachel - again.

* Tuesday was not great during the day. I was grumpy and I'll admit it. But that was the night I got to finally visit Rachel and her sweet kiddos. And um...how can you be grumpy when you see these gorgeous little faces??

So thanks, Rach and company, for perking up this grumpy girlie!

* I'm not a germophobe, but Wednesday, I declared our office a tsunami of snot. We have so many sick people! I will be the first to say I do not believe in sick days and my motto is always "If you don't need a bathroom on short notice, get to work," but I would have gladly shipped a couple of my co-workers home that day! I did feel really sorry for them...colds are MISERABLE, and I do know that. But I also know I've been well all winter and therefore I'm due to take a turn getting sick and I don't wanna!!!!!!! So I shut my door to try to ward off sneeze spray and kept my antibacterial hand gel at the ready.

* So it should not shock you when I say that Thursday morning I awakened with only one operational nostril and very achy muscles. UNAMUSING!! I continued popping Vitamin C and Tylenol in an attempt to ward off the thing before it got out of control. I must have felt some better throughout the day because at the track, I not only matched my personal best time of 2.6 miles in 30 minutes, but I also had the first time ever experience of passing a runner!! I pass walkers all the time but I'd never passed a runner. If only I had a picture!!

* They predicted snow for Friday, but since it actually WAS predicted, I didn't really think it would happen. (Such has been the history of our winter.) When I went to sleep at 1 am, it was clear. When the alarm went off...we were buried in snow. Schools closed (not ours, of course) and I heard there were cars in ditches everywhere. And yet by noon:

Giant piles of plowed snow were still there, but the ground was clear, the skies were blue, and the temps were warm! Only in Indiana.
To celebrate the end of the week...a fabulous London Fog: * Saturday I auditioned for the role of Superwoman - in my own life. I had no idea I was capable of so much in one day. I'd gotten ready, had three cups of coffee, had my devos, baked a batch of cream cheese swirl brownies, browned some hamburger, and finished my weekly phone call with Olivia - all before 10:00 a.m. ON A SATURDAY!! I know! Then I visited my nail lady for the first time since mid December. My world is right again:
New color. :) Hot pop pink. Oh yeah. Then I had some grocery shopping and other errands to do...ate my lunch standing up while assembling crock pot pizza, went to work for two hours (a rare surprise Saturday workday), somehow thought I had time for (successful) clothes shopping, finished cleaning the house, dragged a VERY heavy six foot table in all by myself, assembled a hash brown casserole, and was ready and waiting when my game night guests arrived. Then I played hostess with the mostest - and you'll get to hear more about that later. Seriously....how did I do all that?
Books I'm Reading: Read!? Who has time to read? It was that kind of week. Sparkling Gems from the Greek each day...and also some more in Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. I honestly just didn't have the time to sit this week. Maybe soon.
Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week: I'm not the sort of girl who has experienced a lot of pointed financial "God moments," but Friday, I received a bill in the mail. Not an unexpected one or even a huge one, but still a bill. I happened to check a little slush fund that ideally I'd have preferred to use to pay it, although I knew there was no way it could have enough money to cover the bill. But it had exactly seven dollars over the amount of the bill. Thanks for the blessing, God! It did not go unnoticed.
Update on Last Week's Goals: I wasn't asleep by midnight every night, but I did successfully make it to bed by midnight every night - including Friday! (But only because I had to get up at a normal work day's time on Saturday.)
Goals for the Coming Week: Start drinking my big ole bottle of water at work. I was talking to my best friend, Lynnette, this week about the issue of water consumption. You know - how I hate it and now have to be really thankful I don't wet the bed since I forget to start drinking the water until 10 pm? She suggested that I drink at work. No reason why I can't. I even have a fancy pants orange water bottle that I could take to work. So that's the goal. Water at work. (Hey it even has some alliteration!)

30 Days of You and Me: Day Fifteen

Today's topic is A Poem I Wrote.

Good grief.

At the risk of making enemies or losing your respect here...I'm not really a fan of poetry. I know, I know. Song lyrics are poetry. I like song lyrics. When they're sung.

Part of the reason I don't like poetry is I don't understand it. One of my friends in college, Susanna Childress, is a fantastic poet. After we graduated (and she went on to get her PhD), she published a volume of poems and came back to our school to do a poetry reading. I went to hear her because I wanted to celebrate her success with her. Sitting in that little reading, hearing her articulate her words, I knew they were masterfully written. I just didn't understand them.

I even bought her book. Read it. Brilliantly crafted. I know this because I didn't understand it. That has become my measuring stick with poetry. The less I understand it, the more profound it must be.

I was required to take a poetry class in college, and it completely stressed me out. An entire semester of reading words I didn't understand was one thing. But to then turn around and try to create similar pieces of writing...well...passing the class was an example of God's mercy being made manifest.

When my sympathetic (or perhaps just exhausted) professor gave me my portfolio at the close of the semester, she'd written in the front, "I don't think you are first a poet-writer, but you do this well, too." Not first or last, I'd say.

So, without further ado, here is a poem I wrote in 1998 for my poetry class. It was "inspired" by the children's book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. (Children's books...I understand.)

Christmas Eve

Mary drops baby Jesus from the swaddling clothes
While Joseph waves to his mother in the third pew.
The shepherds tie their staffs into their
Trailing bathrobes' belts.

Some of the cherub choir sings "Away in A Manger,"
And others wail "Mommy!" as they pull off their halos.
The angel soloist forgets to start with "Behold"
And says, "Can I start over?"

Wise man three left his gift in the car,
So he brings a box of crayons instead.
A night of unexpected --
Like that night.

Please tell me you can do better than this! :)

The Food Journal

As I've mentioned before, I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I was a fat(ish) kid, a fat teenager, and even in adulthood, I've gone up and down (mostly up) with my weight.

My first round of being skinny(ish) came my senior year of high school. I lived on a diet of 12 grams of fat a day. I ate Slim Fast bars and apples for lunch and Healthy Choice dinners. No snacks. I lost weight and was thinner than I'd ever been, but that was certainly no way to live permanently.

My second round of being skinny(ish) came my senior year of college. It was a combination of getting my first boyfriend - which promptly made me so giddy that I lost my appetite, four years of dining hall food finally taking its toll and making me sick at every meal, and the stress of the subsequent breakup with said boyfriend, finishing school, and beginning my first job.

My third round of being skinny(ish) came last year when I met Isaac. As with my first boyfriend, I was so twitterpated that I simply didn't have an appetite. It was great! And then, when he entered his wilderness and I entered my desert, I had no appetite. I ate the equivalent of about half a meal a day. I tried to eat. I just could not do it. I constantly felt like I'd just gotten up from an eight course meal.

To be truthful, I didn't mind it. I ate whatever I wanted, because I knew I had to get fat grams in wherever I could. I lived on McChickens, fries, frappes, lime chips, and single serving cups of macaroni and cheese.

And then the desert ended and over time, my appetite returned. I'd gotten rid of all my bigger clothes as soon as I bought smaller ones, so I have to keep the weight off this time. I can't afford to buy my clothes back.

One thing I did learn in the desert was that I simply ate portions that were too big, and I ate way too much dessert. So my goal now (to maintain) is to watch my portion size and to try my best to not overdo dessert.

A few weeks ago, Olivia challenged me to start keeping a food journal. I write down everything I eat and drink throughout the day, as well as what I do for exercise, and then I write my thoughts on the day.

It's interesting to me to see what I'm eating - and what I'm not eating. It was through the food journal that I learned I'm not drinking nearly enough water.

But the thing that helps the most is the part of the journal where I record when I said no. When I said no to a snack...or a second helping at a meal...or a bigger portion of dessert...I get to write it all down. That has been so empowering to me.

I don't intend to keep the journal forever. I want to get to the place where I live in freedom from the constant writing. But for now, this is something that is helping me tremendously.

S'more Cups

I've decided that this year for my birthday, I want to have a s'more themed party. I spent one of my snowy Saturdays looking online for party ideas and recipes for the big day, and I found some really fun stuff!

Among the recipes was this one from The Pampered Chef. I made it for Lynette's carry-in birthday party at work, and it was GONE in no time. I made it again for the Valentine's Day Celebration of God's Love, and those girls liked it too! So I've declared it a keeper. This is great for carry-in parties (as long as they're not outside in the middle of summer) and will hopefully make an equally yummy birthday party treat.

The Recipe
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 crackers)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
4 chocolate bars
12 regular size marshmallows

Combine cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix well. Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture into 24 cups of a mini muffin tin. Press crumbs into a tart shape with a tart shaper or spoon. Bake at 350 for 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Break 2 of the candy bars into 24 rectangles and cut the 12 marshmallows in half. Place one chocolate rectangle in each cup and cover with marshmallow half. Return to the oven for 2 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly softened. Cool for 15 minutes. Break remaining 2 chocolate bars into rectangles and melt in microwave. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn cups right side up and allow to cool and chocolate to harden.

I prefer to use pre-made graham cracker crumbs rather than crumbling my own. Call me lazy. I use regular marshmallows, but it could be a fun twist to use the vanilla ones or another flavor.

Don't tell Mrs. Lee, but I measure the graham cracker crumbs in a cup in the mixing bowl. That way if some spill over...there's no mess to clean up.

I cut the butter into littler pieces before I melt it, so it will melt faster.

I mix the butter, powdered sugar, and cracker crumbs together...

...and this is what it looks like after it's mixed up.

I spoon the crumbs into the mini muffin pan.

And I press them down with this tart shaper but if you don't have one, you could probably just shape carefully with a spoon for the same effect. This shaper presses a crust into the bottom and still leaves crust on the side.

This is what they will look like after the crusts are formed.

While those bake, I break up the chocolate bar and cut the marshmallows with a knife. (You could also use kitchen shears to cut them.)

The crusts won't look terribly different after you bake them.

Place the chocolate squares in the cups. The edges will begin to melt right away.

Then you can place the marshmallows on top.

When they come out of the oven, they won't look very different, but they'll be soft to the touch - just like if you roast them over a fire.

After they've cooled for a while, you can break up the rest of the chocolate bars to melt them.

Just dip the cups in the chocolate. You can be pretty liberal with the chocolate. There will be plenty.

I cool them on a rack and then serve them once the chocolate has hardened.

They are YUMMY!!!!! Enjoy!