The contest is nearing to a close. This is the penultimate week for entering videos, and for this round of entree week I've made a Beef Stroganoff. I heart this stuff. Next week, the final week, is dessert week. I'm a lame dessert maker, so I may opt to not submit a video next week. That means that this may very well be your last chance to hear me say my cheesy closing lines of "I hope you try it. I hope you love it. Happy Cooking."
Oy. I needed a creative assistant to tell me to stop saying that! ;-)
Here we are: Enjoy! (it truly is DELICIOUS!! and dead simple)
Showing posts with label Housework. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housework. Show all posts
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wow-ful Women Wednesday
Ah, yes. Here it is: a link to the blog I wish I wrote. I know I usually post a song on a day like today, but this post is so absolutely where I'm at these days. And I believe it will ring true with all my church family and our MATEO dreams. For those of you who don't know what that means, please ask me. I'd love to tell you. In the meantime, read this post by Ann Voskamp, a mom, just like me, who has kids to teach, and words to speak and write,...and seeds to sow.
Read her gorgeous post here.
Read her gorgeous post here.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Impossiblity of it All
It is no mistake that you are a mom. And it is no surprise to hear that Motherhood is a hard job. And yes, there will be days where the task seems more daunting than you bargained.
But here’s the thing: the perfect place from which to parent is that place where you are at your lowest, crying out to the Lord, saying, “I can’t do this today. Will you be my strength and do it for me? I don’t know how to do this. Will you be my wisdom?”
His answer will be yes. And his solution will be immeasurably better than your attempt.
Don’t be ashamed to admit weakness in your parenting. There is a huge upside to being weak.
Continue reading my latest post for Heart of the Matter Online here.
But here’s the thing: the perfect place from which to parent is that place where you are at your lowest, crying out to the Lord, saying, “I can’t do this today. Will you be my strength and do it for me? I don’t know how to do this. Will you be my wisdom?”
His answer will be yes. And his solution will be immeasurably better than your attempt.
Don’t be ashamed to admit weakness in your parenting. There is a huge upside to being weak.
Continue reading my latest post for Heart of the Matter Online here.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Foodie Fridays
I'm not a cheapskate. Okay, well, maybe a little. I like to think I'm frugal, not stingy. So when I find a good deal on food that stretches the budget, but also tastes delicious and isn't radically unhealthy, I get pretty excited.
I would love to be one of those coupon ladies. You know, you lucky American readers of mine, you seem to have a 4 for 1 coupon plus a double coupon day at any store you like! (insert jealous sigh here) Unfortunately though, it does seem that most of those coupons are for Pop Tarts and marshmellow cream which don't count as food in my books and aren't really on my weekly menu. Alas, perhaps Coupon menu planning wouldn't work for me anyhow.
But I digress. Thanks to Martha Stewart's magazine cover this month, I've been drooling over the thought of roast chicken. There are myriad ways to roast a chicken and every one looks better than the last. My bright idea was to buy two roasters this week and cook them simultaneously, thus ensuring a meal plus leftovers.
Twas not to be, fair reader. It was not to be. You see, I got looking at recipes and realized that a 3 pound chicken is expected to feed only 4 people. That would never do. Now we aren't really 'big meat eaters' so I figured the two chickens I meant to cook would do us a meal with maybe enough leftovers to add to a pot of soup. Not bad. Off to the local supermarket I went in search of the plumpest, cheapest chickens I could find.
Well, the cheapest two ended up being the ONLY two left in the store and they were going to cost me nearly $20! This did not sound like a deal, but I had it in my mind that it would be worth it.
But then....OH BUT THEN I rounded the corner and found the turkey section. Dear lovely overlooked-at-Christmas Turkeys, I am so glad to have found you! I put back my chickens and selected a $22 turkey that was nearly 2 pounds more than the two chickens combined and brought it home to my happy kitchen.
Last night I roasted the turkey. I rubbed pesto butter under and on top of the skin, and placed a juiced lemon in the cavity (if you don't juice it first it makes for an overly lemony gravy. Not interested in that. So juice that baby and save the juice for something else.) For supper last night we had a typical roast turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. Yum.
Then, as I was cutting up the rest of the meat for our leftover meals I decided that I would make a turkey pot pie casserole with the leftover gravy and a few cups of cut up turkey and some frozen vegetables. I assembled it and put it directly in to the freezer for some night I don't have time to prepare a meal.
Then, I made a stunning broth out of the bones etc. and used another few cups of meat and the broth in the best turkey noodle soup of my life! (Recipe to follow!) It was enough for lunch today (with a few of the kids eating more than one bowl) with more left over for tomorrow.
Then, there are still another 3-4 cups of meat that I intend to make a pasta dish later this month.
I don't know about you, but feeding 9 people at least 5 meals out of one $22 turkey sounds like a pretty good deal! Imagine if the turkey had been on sale?! (My eyes will be watching the flyers a little more closely for them now).
Anyhow, I just needed to share with you that happiness of my grocery shopping. I know some of you will relate to my glee over the whole matter :-)
Now for the soup recipe! (Brace yourself for a whole lot of non-specifics!)
For the Broth:
Turkey bones, skin etc.
Enough water to cover
1-2 tbsp peppercorns
2-3 tsp dried dill
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 carrots scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into thirds
Bring to boil. Then simmer for 2 hours or more. (Less time works too, but the flavour won't be as concentrated. More time works better if you have the time to spare)
Strain, discarding solids. Use immediately, or freeze for another day.
For the Soup:
3-4 cups cut up cooked turkey
1 red onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
a good sized shake of Epicure pesto seasoning (or a couple spoonfuls of prepared pesto)
a good shake of celery seed (I would have used fresh celery, but I didn't have it)
2-3 cups cooked penne (or other noodle as you like)
Broth to cover ingredients in pot (add water from the cooked pasta if necesary)
Saute the carrot and onion in a splash of oil. Add turkey, seasonings and broth. Bring to a boil. Then simmer until carrots and onion are cooked. Add noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Try to restrain yourself from eating 3 bowls at one sitting. :-) (Will freeze well).
Yum! What do you do with leftover turkey?
I would love to be one of those coupon ladies. You know, you lucky American readers of mine, you seem to have a 4 for 1 coupon plus a double coupon day at any store you like! (insert jealous sigh here) Unfortunately though, it does seem that most of those coupons are for Pop Tarts and marshmellow cream which don't count as food in my books and aren't really on my weekly menu. Alas, perhaps Coupon menu planning wouldn't work for me anyhow.
But I digress. Thanks to Martha Stewart's magazine cover this month, I've been drooling over the thought of roast chicken. There are myriad ways to roast a chicken and every one looks better than the last. My bright idea was to buy two roasters this week and cook them simultaneously, thus ensuring a meal plus leftovers.
Twas not to be, fair reader. It was not to be. You see, I got looking at recipes and realized that a 3 pound chicken is expected to feed only 4 people. That would never do. Now we aren't really 'big meat eaters' so I figured the two chickens I meant to cook would do us a meal with maybe enough leftovers to add to a pot of soup. Not bad. Off to the local supermarket I went in search of the plumpest, cheapest chickens I could find.
Well, the cheapest two ended up being the ONLY two left in the store and they were going to cost me nearly $20! This did not sound like a deal, but I had it in my mind that it would be worth it.
But then....OH BUT THEN I rounded the corner and found the turkey section. Dear lovely overlooked-at-Christmas Turkeys, I am so glad to have found you! I put back my chickens and selected a $22 turkey that was nearly 2 pounds more than the two chickens combined and brought it home to my happy kitchen.
Last night I roasted the turkey. I rubbed pesto butter under and on top of the skin, and placed a juiced lemon in the cavity (if you don't juice it first it makes for an overly lemony gravy. Not interested in that. So juice that baby and save the juice for something else.) For supper last night we had a typical roast turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. Yum.
Then, as I was cutting up the rest of the meat for our leftover meals I decided that I would make a turkey pot pie casserole with the leftover gravy and a few cups of cut up turkey and some frozen vegetables. I assembled it and put it directly in to the freezer for some night I don't have time to prepare a meal.
Then, I made a stunning broth out of the bones etc. and used another few cups of meat and the broth in the best turkey noodle soup of my life! (Recipe to follow!) It was enough for lunch today (with a few of the kids eating more than one bowl) with more left over for tomorrow.
Then, there are still another 3-4 cups of meat that I intend to make a pasta dish later this month.
I don't know about you, but feeding 9 people at least 5 meals out of one $22 turkey sounds like a pretty good deal! Imagine if the turkey had been on sale?! (My eyes will be watching the flyers a little more closely for them now).
Anyhow, I just needed to share with you that happiness of my grocery shopping. I know some of you will relate to my glee over the whole matter :-)
Now for the soup recipe! (Brace yourself for a whole lot of non-specifics!)
For the Broth:
Turkey bones, skin etc.
Enough water to cover
1-2 tbsp peppercorns
2-3 tsp dried dill
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 carrots scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into thirds
Bring to boil. Then simmer for 2 hours or more. (Less time works too, but the flavour won't be as concentrated. More time works better if you have the time to spare)
Strain, discarding solids. Use immediately, or freeze for another day.
For the Soup:
3-4 cups cut up cooked turkey
1 red onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
a good sized shake of Epicure pesto seasoning (or a couple spoonfuls of prepared pesto)
a good shake of celery seed (I would have used fresh celery, but I didn't have it)
2-3 cups cooked penne (or other noodle as you like)
Broth to cover ingredients in pot (add water from the cooked pasta if necesary)
Saute the carrot and onion in a splash of oil. Add turkey, seasonings and broth. Bring to a boil. Then simmer until carrots and onion are cooked. Add noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Try to restrain yourself from eating 3 bowls at one sitting. :-) (Will freeze well).
Yum! What do you do with leftover turkey?
Friday, December 3, 2010
Foodie Fridays
Dear Amy,
My apologies for making you wait so long for this post! 4 weeks ago you asked me if I had a good recipe with any secret ingredients for Minestrone Soup, and I have left you high and dry until now. How have you survived?
I do, indeed, have a favourite Minestrone recipe. It began with a recipe from my already stated favourite cook book "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. (Have you all bought this yet? You must!) Her Lentil Minestrone was my beginning platform, and I've tweaked it to make it one of my favourite soups.
Now before I give you the recipe, let me tell you a story about minestrone soup. (Bet you didn't know I had a story about minestrone soup. I have a story for almost anything!)
Way back in 1997 when Chris and I lived in Northern California for 6 months, we met a friend who took us to Il Fornaio restaurant in Sacremento. If that wasn't good enough, he actually took us there TWICE! Oh, Bliss! This was an Italian heaven, let me tell you. Now on to the soup part of the story. The first time we went it was November. We went out for my birthday. So nice. I ordered "Seasonal, Vegan Minestrone Soup" as my starter. It was light and tomatoey and full of perfectly diced veggies. Oh.dear.me. with a shaving of parmasean cheese on top....yes.
Then we went again in December just as we were on our way back home. I thought "I must have that perfect soup again before I die" and so I ordered it again. There was not a tomato in sight! It was thicker, heartier, and definitely with potatoes in it. Oh dear me, even better! Who knew? I asked the waiter and he graciously pointed me back to the menu where it said the soup is made with "seasonal vegetables". Of course!
And so my love of minestrone, in all its variations, began with fervor.
Now I have one basic recipe that I do mostly year round, but I do alter the contents slightly during different seasons. And as always, my quantities vary with how many folks I'm serving, and what happens to be in my fridge at the time. Enough preamble: on to the recipe!
Lentil Minestrone
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley (Not that I measure it that closely)
1/4 cup chopped thyme (Or a good shake of the dried stuff)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 carrots, peeled and diced
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
4 ribs celery, diced
1 cup green lentils (or just a big handful, really)
1 cup red lentils (ditto on the handful)
2 bay leaves (optional)
9 cups water, veggie broth, or beef broth
2 cans diced tomatoes (or crushed, for a thicker, more tomato-based soup, or one of each--that's what I usually do)
Good sized Splash of soy sauce (optional, but it gives a depth of flavour, especially if you used water or veggie broth)
Something Green, chopped (you can use fresh or frozen spinach, kale, chard, collards...)
Cabbage, shredded fine (as much as you like: I like lots. My kids? Not so much. Too bad for them! Bwahahaha!)
2-3 cups of small, cooked pasta (macaroni, mini shells, orzo, alphabet noodles...)
(Parmasean shavings to garnish, if desired)
(I know, it looks like a lot of ingredients, but they are just veggies, and you can chop them up and throw them in the pot as you go)
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onions until lightly browning. Add the garlic, parsley, and cook another 2 minutes, or so. Add the lentils, bay leaves, thyme, and liquid. Bring to a boil. (while I'm waiting for the pot to boil, I start peeling and chopping, and tossing veggies in the pot as they are chopped.) Once it is boiling, turn it down to a simmer and add all the veggies (including cabbage and greens, especially if they are fresh, not frozen.) At this point you may say "wow Barbara, that was not enough liquid. My soup is way too thick!" You can add more broth, you can add another can of tomatoes, or you can add the water you cook the noodles in (see below). Sometimes the lentils seem to soak up more liquid than other times.
Let simmer until the lentils and veggies are cooked (say 30 minutes). Taste and add salt and pepper and soy sauce to taste. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the pasta, with some or all of the cooking water if the soup is too thick still.
That's all! Now, it can keep simmering indefinitely. And I have made this in the crock pot, omitting the olive oil step at the beginning. Just toss it all in the crock pot overnight on low. Then add the pasta just before serving.
If you want to make it a Winter Minestrone, cut back on the canned tomatoes and increase the broth, and add 3 cups peeled, diced potatoes with the other veggies.
And secret tip: Soup always tastes better on day two, so if you want to make it ahead and reheat the next day that's a good plan. Or just really enjoy the leftovers! Also secret tip number 2: If the soup tastes a little bland right away or the next day, but you don't think salt will help, try squeezing the juice of a lemon into the pot. It won't taste really lemony in the soup, but it will make the flavours POP!Enjoy!
My apologies for making you wait so long for this post! 4 weeks ago you asked me if I had a good recipe with any secret ingredients for Minestrone Soup, and I have left you high and dry until now. How have you survived?
I do, indeed, have a favourite Minestrone recipe. It began with a recipe from my already stated favourite cook book "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. (Have you all bought this yet? You must!) Her Lentil Minestrone was my beginning platform, and I've tweaked it to make it one of my favourite soups.
Now before I give you the recipe, let me tell you a story about minestrone soup. (Bet you didn't know I had a story about minestrone soup. I have a story for almost anything!)
Way back in 1997 when Chris and I lived in Northern California for 6 months, we met a friend who took us to Il Fornaio restaurant in Sacremento. If that wasn't good enough, he actually took us there TWICE! Oh, Bliss! This was an Italian heaven, let me tell you. Now on to the soup part of the story. The first time we went it was November. We went out for my birthday. So nice. I ordered "Seasonal, Vegan Minestrone Soup" as my starter. It was light and tomatoey and full of perfectly diced veggies. Oh.dear.me. with a shaving of parmasean cheese on top....yes.
Then we went again in December just as we were on our way back home. I thought "I must have that perfect soup again before I die" and so I ordered it again. There was not a tomato in sight! It was thicker, heartier, and definitely with potatoes in it. Oh dear me, even better! Who knew? I asked the waiter and he graciously pointed me back to the menu where it said the soup is made with "seasonal vegetables". Of course!
And so my love of minestrone, in all its variations, began with fervor.
Now I have one basic recipe that I do mostly year round, but I do alter the contents slightly during different seasons. And as always, my quantities vary with how many folks I'm serving, and what happens to be in my fridge at the time. Enough preamble: on to the recipe!
Lentil Minestrone
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley (Not that I measure it that closely)
1/4 cup chopped thyme (Or a good shake of the dried stuff)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 carrots, peeled and diced
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
4 ribs celery, diced
1 cup green lentils (or just a big handful, really)
1 cup red lentils (ditto on the handful)
2 bay leaves (optional)
9 cups water, veggie broth, or beef broth
2 cans diced tomatoes (or crushed, for a thicker, more tomato-based soup, or one of each--that's what I usually do)
Good sized Splash of soy sauce (optional, but it gives a depth of flavour, especially if you used water or veggie broth)
Something Green, chopped (you can use fresh or frozen spinach, kale, chard, collards...)
Cabbage, shredded fine (as much as you like: I like lots. My kids? Not so much. Too bad for them! Bwahahaha!)
2-3 cups of small, cooked pasta (macaroni, mini shells, orzo, alphabet noodles...)
(Parmasean shavings to garnish, if desired)
(I know, it looks like a lot of ingredients, but they are just veggies, and you can chop them up and throw them in the pot as you go)
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onions until lightly browning. Add the garlic, parsley, and cook another 2 minutes, or so. Add the lentils, bay leaves, thyme, and liquid. Bring to a boil. (while I'm waiting for the pot to boil, I start peeling and chopping, and tossing veggies in the pot as they are chopped.) Once it is boiling, turn it down to a simmer and add all the veggies (including cabbage and greens, especially if they are fresh, not frozen.) At this point you may say "wow Barbara, that was not enough liquid. My soup is way too thick!" You can add more broth, you can add another can of tomatoes, or you can add the water you cook the noodles in (see below). Sometimes the lentils seem to soak up more liquid than other times.
Let simmer until the lentils and veggies are cooked (say 30 minutes). Taste and add salt and pepper and soy sauce to taste. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the pasta, with some or all of the cooking water if the soup is too thick still.
That's all! Now, it can keep simmering indefinitely. And I have made this in the crock pot, omitting the olive oil step at the beginning. Just toss it all in the crock pot overnight on low. Then add the pasta just before serving.
If you want to make it a Winter Minestrone, cut back on the canned tomatoes and increase the broth, and add 3 cups peeled, diced potatoes with the other veggies.
And secret tip: Soup always tastes better on day two, so if you want to make it ahead and reheat the next day that's a good plan. Or just really enjoy the leftovers! Also secret tip number 2: If the soup tastes a little bland right away or the next day, but you don't think salt will help, try squeezing the juice of a lemon into the pot. It won't taste really lemony in the soup, but it will make the flavours POP!Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays - Christmas Edition
Welcome to a month of Wow-ful Christmas Women! Now that it is December, I feel quite free to pour upon thou some fabulous Christmas Wow-fulness.
Our first spectacle is the stunning video full of stunning vocals that caused me to flood my house last Christmas Eve. (what? You don't remember that post? Oh, go back and read it. It's a doozy.)
Enjoy! Celtic Woman -- O Holy Night.
Our first spectacle is the stunning video full of stunning vocals that caused me to flood my house last Christmas Eve. (what? You don't remember that post? Oh, go back and read it. It's a doozy.)
Enjoy! Celtic Woman -- O Holy Night.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Honing Hospitality
The tables were set up in the basement and were covered with the longest tablecloth we could find. All of us were there. All 15 of us. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. This was a big deal because it meant that my family had made the trek between two provinces to be at Grandma's house for Christmas. The food was SO good, like always. The chatter around the table was loud and continual. And we all ended the meal significantly more full than we intended. This was good. There was just nothing like my Grandma Mary's turkey, dressing, and gravy.
Nothing like it, except, for my mom's. Her Thanksgivings and Christmases were legendary. Equally long table, at least as many guests, and the flavours and textures just as satifsying as Grandma's. And delicious. And comfortably predictable. My mom would toss the bread crumbs with some of this and some of that, and one more shake of something else until it smelled just like *that*, and I knew that she had reached dressing perfection again for another year. And once, when my grandparents made the inter-provincial trek to our house, my Grandpa gave my mom the best compliment ever: "This is just as good as Mary's". My mom had a couple of tears in her eyes when she told me what Grandpa had said. And now I knew I had two women to match up to. I wanted to cook as well, and host as well, as my Mom and my Grandma. But, boy, was that bar highly raised.
Fast forward to my first year of marriage. There's our one bedroom apartment. There's my squashy little galley kitchen and squashier dining "room" in builder's beige. The table is set just so with all of our pretty wedding gifts and my Mom and Dad are bringing Grandma over to see "Barb and Chris' first home". The budget was pretty slim in those days. What can I serve to these two women who I absolutely adore, and whose opinion of me (and my domestic skills) really, really matters to me? It needs to be something simple, something economical (clearly!), something familiar for Grandma (no Thai or tofu that day), and something that looks fairly foolproof.
I pick the menu. I follow the recipe, and then tweak it so I like it. Main course; side dishes; mom will bring dessert. After ensuring it is all hot at the same time, after making sure there is plenty, after making sure Grandma is comfortable, after making sure we all eat enough, we clear the table, wash the dishes, drink our coffee and have a great visit.
And then.
My Mom and Dad drive Grandma home. As soon as she gets home, Mom calls me. "Honey. I just wanted to tell you what a lovely time we had at your place. You and Chris are doing such a nice job of setting up your home. It was really lovely. But I also want to tell you that Grandma commented on the main course you made. She says she likes how you do it better than how she does it, and could she have your recipe."
I gasp slightly. Before I recover fully, my Mom states the obvious for emphasis, "That's quite the compliment."
Here I was: a young married woman who grew up having dreams of having her own cooking show on TV (really!), and who grew up LOVING the comfy home-life, and appreciating the gift of company, and benefitting from the blessing of hospitality. For me to hear my Grandma ask for my recipe was certainly a great encouragement in the right direction.
Who knew then, mere months into my marriage, that I would be now cooking for 9 people everyday, plus the friends and family that we have the chance to have over on occassion. I thank the Lord for my home, and my family, and for the love of cooking. And for the Mom and Grandma who both set an incredible example, and encouraged me in my pursuit of the same.
It is amazing how one little comment of my Grandma's, likely off the cuff and not intended to be as pivotal as it was, could buoy up my heart and give me such confidence. Sometimes that's all it takes for one moment to direct your story.
The Compassion Blog is inviting you to share your story too. Follow this link to find out all the details. You can also read Shaun Groves' plea for your story, as well as his own story of how a well-time word can change a life. What's your story? Leave a comment below or consider blogging it. If you blog your story please leave a link in the comments here, or on the Compassion Blog, so that we can be encouraged by your tale.
Nothing like it, except, for my mom's. Her Thanksgivings and Christmases were legendary. Equally long table, at least as many guests, and the flavours and textures just as satifsying as Grandma's. And delicious. And comfortably predictable. My mom would toss the bread crumbs with some of this and some of that, and one more shake of something else until it smelled just like *that*, and I knew that she had reached dressing perfection again for another year. And once, when my grandparents made the inter-provincial trek to our house, my Grandpa gave my mom the best compliment ever: "This is just as good as Mary's". My mom had a couple of tears in her eyes when she told me what Grandpa had said. And now I knew I had two women to match up to. I wanted to cook as well, and host as well, as my Mom and my Grandma. But, boy, was that bar highly raised.
Fast forward to my first year of marriage. There's our one bedroom apartment. There's my squashy little galley kitchen and squashier dining "room" in builder's beige. The table is set just so with all of our pretty wedding gifts and my Mom and Dad are bringing Grandma over to see "Barb and Chris' first home". The budget was pretty slim in those days. What can I serve to these two women who I absolutely adore, and whose opinion of me (and my domestic skills) really, really matters to me? It needs to be something simple, something economical (clearly!), something familiar for Grandma (no Thai or tofu that day), and something that looks fairly foolproof.
I pick the menu. I follow the recipe, and then tweak it so I like it. Main course; side dishes; mom will bring dessert. After ensuring it is all hot at the same time, after making sure there is plenty, after making sure Grandma is comfortable, after making sure we all eat enough, we clear the table, wash the dishes, drink our coffee and have a great visit.
And then.
My Mom and Dad drive Grandma home. As soon as she gets home, Mom calls me. "Honey. I just wanted to tell you what a lovely time we had at your place. You and Chris are doing such a nice job of setting up your home. It was really lovely. But I also want to tell you that Grandma commented on the main course you made. She says she likes how you do it better than how she does it, and could she have your recipe."
I gasp slightly. Before I recover fully, my Mom states the obvious for emphasis, "That's quite the compliment."
Here I was: a young married woman who grew up having dreams of having her own cooking show on TV (really!), and who grew up LOVING the comfy home-life, and appreciating the gift of company, and benefitting from the blessing of hospitality. For me to hear my Grandma ask for my recipe was certainly a great encouragement in the right direction.
Who knew then, mere months into my marriage, that I would be now cooking for 9 people everyday, plus the friends and family that we have the chance to have over on occassion. I thank the Lord for my home, and my family, and for the love of cooking. And for the Mom and Grandma who both set an incredible example, and encouraged me in my pursuit of the same.
It is amazing how one little comment of my Grandma's, likely off the cuff and not intended to be as pivotal as it was, could buoy up my heart and give me such confidence. Sometimes that's all it takes for one moment to direct your story.
The Compassion Blog is inviting you to share your story too. Follow this link to find out all the details. You can also read Shaun Groves' plea for your story, as well as his own story of how a well-time word can change a life. What's your story? Leave a comment below or consider blogging it. If you blog your story please leave a link in the comments here, or on the Compassion Blog, so that we can be encouraged by your tale.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Foodie Fridays
Oh dear, happy Autumn! How I lovest thou! Thou art so cool and lovely and colourful and gratitudinal and, most importantly, suitable for my prefered wardrobe options.
I do heart the fall. I'm not gonna lie. Is there anything nicer than not having to wear shorts? Is there anything nicer than not having to worry about getting invited to a pool party? Is there anything nicer than not feeling like you are two degrees from meltdown? Sigh. Happy, happy, autumn.
I really like the fall for lots of reasons that are more significant than my silly ones above. The crunch of the leaves under my feet on a good walk; the brisk air that makes me glad I'm wearing a cozy sweater; the need for a blanket and a cup of tea during read-aloud time with the kids: there is nothing like it.
And the food. Oh the glorious food! Don't get me wrong, I really like a good salad and BBQ, but OH for a good pot of soup. Yes! to a big pot of chili bubbling away on the stove. Hurray for using the crockpot because it makes food yummy and not because it is too hot to turn on the oven.
Think about pumpkins and onions and peppers and rutabega and parsnips and carrots....sigh. And squash. Dear, humble squash. Don't you know how great you are? And how varied! Acorn, pepper, spaghetti, butternut....and there are more! But who needs more? These gourds should never be relegated to *only* decoration (although my counter top looks awfully nice right now with 5 of these bad boys artfully arranged on it).
I know, you are thinking you don't like squash. Really? really? I know for those of you who do think you like squash, you are imagining acorn squash heaped with butter and brown sugar (ain't nothin' wrong with that). But I will show you a greater way.
You know I love soup. Now you know I love squash. So guess how much I like today's recipe. Woot! And it is crazy simple. Ready?
Barbara's Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped roughly, seeds discarded (6 cups or 2 pounds-ish) (You can peel it with an actual vegetable peeler or do what I do and just slide a big knife down the length of the squash very close to the surface. Also, look for a thick neck as opposed to a full bottom. The bottom is full of seeds: the neck has the flesh)
Curry Powder to taste
1 Onion, chopped roughly
Water or Chicken Broth (enough to cover the squash in the pot)
Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Saute the onion and the squash until just starting to brown slightly. Add curry and stir a bit longer (the flavour of curry powder releases in oil better than water so be sure to add the curry first). Then add the water or broth to just cover the squash. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is well-cooked (approx. 25 minutes). Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender, or in a food processor. Salt and Pepper to taste.
That's it! This amount should serve 6-8. I like to double this or more because it is a hit around here, and it does freeze well too. To sweeten the deal for your kids (literally) throw a couple of chopped apples in to the pot too. It is super yummy this way as well! Garnish with a blob of sour cream and chives to be all fancy-fancy.
Yum!
Please try this. Squash are ridiculously cheap and fresh right now. Give it a go and let me know what you think.
I do heart the fall. I'm not gonna lie. Is there anything nicer than not having to wear shorts? Is there anything nicer than not having to worry about getting invited to a pool party? Is there anything nicer than not feeling like you are two degrees from meltdown? Sigh. Happy, happy, autumn.
I really like the fall for lots of reasons that are more significant than my silly ones above. The crunch of the leaves under my feet on a good walk; the brisk air that makes me glad I'm wearing a cozy sweater; the need for a blanket and a cup of tea during read-aloud time with the kids: there is nothing like it.
And the food. Oh the glorious food! Don't get me wrong, I really like a good salad and BBQ, but OH for a good pot of soup. Yes! to a big pot of chili bubbling away on the stove. Hurray for using the crockpot because it makes food yummy and not because it is too hot to turn on the oven.
Think about pumpkins and onions and peppers and rutabega and parsnips and carrots....sigh. And squash. Dear, humble squash. Don't you know how great you are? And how varied! Acorn, pepper, spaghetti, butternut....and there are more! But who needs more? These gourds should never be relegated to *only* decoration (although my counter top looks awfully nice right now with 5 of these bad boys artfully arranged on it).
I know, you are thinking you don't like squash. Really? really? I know for those of you who do think you like squash, you are imagining acorn squash heaped with butter and brown sugar (ain't nothin' wrong with that). But I will show you a greater way.
You know I love soup. Now you know I love squash. So guess how much I like today's recipe. Woot! And it is crazy simple. Ready?
Barbara's Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped roughly, seeds discarded (6 cups or 2 pounds-ish) (You can peel it with an actual vegetable peeler or do what I do and just slide a big knife down the length of the squash very close to the surface. Also, look for a thick neck as opposed to a full bottom. The bottom is full of seeds: the neck has the flesh)
Curry Powder to taste
1 Onion, chopped roughly
Water or Chicken Broth (enough to cover the squash in the pot)
Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Saute the onion and the squash until just starting to brown slightly. Add curry and stir a bit longer (the flavour of curry powder releases in oil better than water so be sure to add the curry first). Then add the water or broth to just cover the squash. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is well-cooked (approx. 25 minutes). Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender, or in a food processor. Salt and Pepper to taste.
That's it! This amount should serve 6-8. I like to double this or more because it is a hit around here, and it does freeze well too. To sweeten the deal for your kids (literally) throw a couple of chopped apples in to the pot too. It is super yummy this way as well! Garnish with a blob of sour cream and chives to be all fancy-fancy.
Yum!
Please try this. Squash are ridiculously cheap and fresh right now. Give it a go and let me know what you think.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wow-ful Women Wednesdays
Somehow I failed to notice that yesterday was Wednesday. I mean, I know it was but the day evaporated like an apple juice spill on the table that leaves behind a sticky reminder that it had been here but wasn't taken care of very well.
Or something like that.
The point being, another Wednesday came and went with so many repetitive household chores being done. It came and went with the same routine that all Wednesdays hold. It came and went with me cleaning up one mess just so that we were able to make another.
And today will be much the same. We will clean up breakfast and the dining room table so that we can cover the table with school books and pencil shavings. Then we'll clean that up so that we can cover the table with soup spoons and bread crumbs. Then we'll clean that up so that "art" can be made and dinner served and Egyptian Temples built.
In the meantime, I will vacuum the floor so that the clean laundry I unceremoniously dump on the carpet for sorting won't pick up every stray piece of who-knows-what. But then once I clean up all the laundry there will be new lint and dryer sheets to pick up. The re-vacuuming may wait until tomorrow.
Such is life. And I wouldn't have it any other way. There is joy to be found. It sounds simple, but it is really profound. It takes a choice.
I'm choosing joy.
Or something like that.
The point being, another Wednesday came and went with so many repetitive household chores being done. It came and went with the same routine that all Wednesdays hold. It came and went with me cleaning up one mess just so that we were able to make another.
And today will be much the same. We will clean up breakfast and the dining room table so that we can cover the table with school books and pencil shavings. Then we'll clean that up so that we can cover the table with soup spoons and bread crumbs. Then we'll clean that up so that "art" can be made and dinner served and Egyptian Temples built.
In the meantime, I will vacuum the floor so that the clean laundry I unceremoniously dump on the carpet for sorting won't pick up every stray piece of who-knows-what. But then once I clean up all the laundry there will be new lint and dryer sheets to pick up. The re-vacuuming may wait until tomorrow.
Such is life. And I wouldn't have it any other way. There is joy to be found. It sounds simple, but it is really profound. It takes a choice.
I'm choosing joy.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Heard At My House: Two for One Edition
Part One:
Chatting with my 7 year old daughter, who is reading the email I'm typing over my shoulder:
E: Wow, Mom. That's a long email.
Me: Yup.
E: And you used lots of smiley faces.
Me: Yup. Guess I'm weird that way.
E: You aren't weird. You're a mom. And you're pretty.
(mental note to self: Buy that kid a pony for Christmas)
Part Two, in which I walk into a conversation between my two oldest girls as they wash the dishes:
J (10 years old): I'm definitely going to get one when I grow up.
Me: What? A husband? (insert laugh track here)
J: Nope. A dog. But I'll get a husband too. Then I won't have to afford the big expense of getting the dog. I'll just ask my husband nicely.
(mental note to self: have a little chit chat with the girls about expectations for marriage...yikes!) :-)
Chatting with my 7 year old daughter, who is reading the email I'm typing over my shoulder:
E: Wow, Mom. That's a long email.
Me: Yup.
E: And you used lots of smiley faces.
Me: Yup. Guess I'm weird that way.
E: You aren't weird. You're a mom. And you're pretty.
(mental note to self: Buy that kid a pony for Christmas)
Part Two, in which I walk into a conversation between my two oldest girls as they wash the dishes:
J (10 years old): I'm definitely going to get one when I grow up.
Me: What? A husband? (insert laugh track here)
J: Nope. A dog. But I'll get a husband too. Then I won't have to afford the big expense of getting the dog. I'll just ask my husband nicely.
(mental note to self: have a little chit chat with the girls about expectations for marriage...yikes!) :-)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hemmed In
Long weekend, eh? So nice. So good. So restful. So extended in our case, because my husband had a week of holidays prior to the Canadian long weekend and OH was it good to have him here. We were very productive and checked lots of things off our to-do list. That felt good. I also took the very wise advice of a veteran homeschool mom who told me to "take time to laugh and rest and just enjoy the family". That was a good word to have bopping around in my brain. Stopping to laugh is not something at which I excel. I'm much more likely to work and forget to have fun, or to stop working and sit on my behind with a book in front of my face ignoring the world. Either way, not much fun for the kiddos.
So we stopped and played and laughed and sight-saw and worked and loved together. It was good.
And I slept. Slept in in the morning. Napped in the afternoon. Went to bed early. That was lovely too. But really, not so helpful in the long run.
My theory with sleeping is that if only I had 3 days of solid, uninterrupted, blissful sleep that I would be thoroughly caught up on the last 12 years of motherhood-sleep (which we all know is often broken and fleeting) and would be able to conquer the world and stay caught up on my sleep with a mere 8 hours a night.
That, my friends, is a heap-load of hogwash.
Here's what I find on long weekends and summer holidays too. The longer break I get, the longer break I want. Why? Because I am L.A.Z.Y. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." (Prov.6:10-11) What kind of poverty can a stay at home mom who brings in no income bring upon her family? Ah. A post for another day. I have a LOT to say about that.
But for now, here is what I want to remind myself of, and to encourage you with.
There is a time for rest and sleep and the free-wheeling days of unstructured holidays. However, do not despise the structure and boundaries of routine. I have to tell you, I LOVE getting back to routine today. And so do my kids. Having a plan and a direction for the many hours of our day helps us all to function better together, it gives us a rhythm in which living in harmony becomes easier. And, here's just the brutal, honest truth, it keeps us all out of trouble!
Don't forget that for your "Lazy Days of Summer" mindset. Free time so often dissolves into not only unproductive time, but actual destructive time.
I will be posting something later this month about what our "school" plans will be for the summer and my rationale for planning some daily stuff.
But for now, on this GORGEOUS Tuesday after a long weekend, please don't begrudge the chance to get back into the routine of work and school and schedule. The Lord uses these things to hem us in, behind and before, to protect us and to guide us. That is a beautiful thing.
So we stopped and played and laughed and sight-saw and worked and loved together. It was good.
And I slept. Slept in in the morning. Napped in the afternoon. Went to bed early. That was lovely too. But really, not so helpful in the long run.
My theory with sleeping is that if only I had 3 days of solid, uninterrupted, blissful sleep that I would be thoroughly caught up on the last 12 years of motherhood-sleep (which we all know is often broken and fleeting) and would be able to conquer the world and stay caught up on my sleep with a mere 8 hours a night.
That, my friends, is a heap-load of hogwash.
Here's what I find on long weekends and summer holidays too. The longer break I get, the longer break I want. Why? Because I am L.A.Z.Y. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." (Prov.6:10-11) What kind of poverty can a stay at home mom who brings in no income bring upon her family? Ah. A post for another day. I have a LOT to say about that.
But for now, here is what I want to remind myself of, and to encourage you with.
There is a time for rest and sleep and the free-wheeling days of unstructured holidays. However, do not despise the structure and boundaries of routine. I have to tell you, I LOVE getting back to routine today. And so do my kids. Having a plan and a direction for the many hours of our day helps us all to function better together, it gives us a rhythm in which living in harmony becomes easier. And, here's just the brutal, honest truth, it keeps us all out of trouble!
Don't forget that for your "Lazy Days of Summer" mindset. Free time so often dissolves into not only unproductive time, but actual destructive time.
I will be posting something later this month about what our "school" plans will be for the summer and my rationale for planning some daily stuff.
But for now, on this GORGEOUS Tuesday after a long weekend, please don't begrudge the chance to get back into the routine of work and school and schedule. The Lord uses these things to hem us in, behind and before, to protect us and to guide us. That is a beautiful thing.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Foodie Fridays
I'm posting a recipe today that I have never made. Not once. And do you know why? Because my mom is a saint and she makes this for me every so often and brings it over "so you don't have to cook, dear. You're so busy with housework and homeschooling. You can have a break". Like tonight. She's coming tonight, and I can hardly wait! She's bringing a salad, bread, and this yummy casserole. This recipe is one of my favourite things. Total comfort food happiness. My grandma likes to say of it, "Well, this can't hurt you. Nothing bad in it. It's all good stuff." And you need to know, whenever I hear her say that I know she is totally wrong. This stuff will kill you over time. :-) There isn't a fresh, unrefined calorie in this dish. There are 3 fresh veggies listed in the ingredients and two of them are "optional". And I don't even care. We get to eat this so rarely, and we eat so fresh-veggie-non-refined so typically that I don't feel even the slightest pang of guilt for noshing on this every once in awhile.
Do enjoy this, please. Or if you don't want to make it, give the recipe to your mom and make her cook it for you :-)
Chicken Tettrazini by Linda Sadler (from the Crumlin United Church Anniversary Cookbook)
2 c. diced cooked chicken (or turkey)
1 green pepper diced (optional)
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
2 cans of cream of celery soup
1/4 pound Velveeta Cheese
1/4 c. butter
1 onion diced
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. milk
1/2 to 1 pkg. 1/2" egg noodles
1/4 pound mild cheddar cheese
In butter, saute green pepper, garlic and onion. Add chicken, soup, mushrooms, milk, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cook noodles as directed on package. Grate cheddar and Velveeta cheese. Place a layer of chicken mixture in small roaster pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cheddar cheese. Place a layer of noodles over top of the cheese layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 the Velveeta. Repeat layers. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Serves 8-10 people.
And you need to know, my mom and I have been known to reheat this in the microwave or a frying pan (with a little more butter...*ahem*. I'm feeling the need to go for a run) and still eat a few spoonfuls cold while we are waiting. Decadent!
Enjoy! (I know I will! Hurry up, Supper Time!)
Do enjoy this, please. Or if you don't want to make it, give the recipe to your mom and make her cook it for you :-)
Chicken Tettrazini by Linda Sadler (from the Crumlin United Church Anniversary Cookbook)
2 c. diced cooked chicken (or turkey)
1 green pepper diced (optional)
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
2 cans of cream of celery soup
1/4 pound Velveeta Cheese
1/4 c. butter
1 onion diced
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. milk
1/2 to 1 pkg. 1/2" egg noodles
1/4 pound mild cheddar cheese
In butter, saute green pepper, garlic and onion. Add chicken, soup, mushrooms, milk, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cook noodles as directed on package. Grate cheddar and Velveeta cheese. Place a layer of chicken mixture in small roaster pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cheddar cheese. Place a layer of noodles over top of the cheese layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 the Velveeta. Repeat layers. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Serves 8-10 people.
And you need to know, my mom and I have been known to reheat this in the microwave or a frying pan (with a little more butter...*ahem*. I'm feeling the need to go for a run) and still eat a few spoonfuls cold while we are waiting. Decadent!
Enjoy! (I know I will! Hurry up, Supper Time!)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Foodie Fridays
I know, I know. You've all been starving as your diliquent blogging friend has delayed in posting a new Foodie Friday item. Well, today's is worth the wait. Truthfully, it is even worth the "weight"...you might need to restrain yourself from overeating some of these babies. :-)
In some respects, I am shocked it has taken me this long to post this one. However, I may be hesitating to let you in on this culinary secret because my knowledge in this area gives me the title "Best Mom in the Whole World!" and if I let you in on it then I need to share the title too....I'm not sure I'm ready for that.
Well, okay. Just because you asked :-)
What I am talking about today is something we call "Corks and Screws". All you need is a 10 pound bag of potatoes (if you are us!), a couple of cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, some good oil, and (this is the secret part!) YOUR APPLE PEELER/CORER!!!
What? Did she say "Apple Peeler/Corer"? Oh yes, yes I did.
You take your potatoes, stick them on the corer. Don't worry if they are wonky-shaped potatoes. If they don't get fully peeled it actually tastes better. Crank it up just like you would for apples except look at the delicious spiral cut fries you just made! But don't forget about the "core" of the potato. He is delicious too!
So the spiraly part is the "screw" and the core is the "cork".
Now toss the screws and corks, separately, in a wee bit of olive oil, lay them(screws and corks separately) in as single-a-layer as possible on your parchment lined sheets and bake in a 400F - 425F oven for 20-35 minutes or until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and gorgeously brown all over. (It may take longer if your oven is over-full with 10 pounds of potatoes. It takes a while for the hot air to get around all 4 of my cookie sheets!
Serve with ketchup and vinegar.
To further jazz these babies up, you can toss them with your favourite spice mix. We've done an "herbes de provence mix" which was insanely good. We've also done a chili flavour, and just a good coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper. I've never tried, but I bet you could also skip the oil and spices and toss the Corks and Screws with Italian Salad Dressing. Easy Breezy. SO GOOD!!!
Do watch that you don't use too much oil when you toss, or do use a really high-smoking point oil. I've heard that some people have smoked out their kitchens on more than one occassion. :-) *ahem*
My kids ask for this so often. Yum yum yum.
Enjoy!
In some respects, I am shocked it has taken me this long to post this one. However, I may be hesitating to let you in on this culinary secret because my knowledge in this area gives me the title "Best Mom in the Whole World!" and if I let you in on it then I need to share the title too....I'm not sure I'm ready for that.
Well, okay. Just because you asked :-)
What I am talking about today is something we call "Corks and Screws". All you need is a 10 pound bag of potatoes (if you are us!), a couple of cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, some good oil, and (this is the secret part!) YOUR APPLE PEELER/CORER!!!
What? Did she say "Apple Peeler/Corer"? Oh yes, yes I did.
You take your potatoes, stick them on the corer. Don't worry if they are wonky-shaped potatoes. If they don't get fully peeled it actually tastes better. Crank it up just like you would for apples except look at the delicious spiral cut fries you just made! But don't forget about the "core" of the potato. He is delicious too!
So the spiraly part is the "screw" and the core is the "cork".
Now toss the screws and corks, separately, in a wee bit of olive oil, lay them(screws and corks separately) in as single-a-layer as possible on your parchment lined sheets and bake in a 400F - 425F oven for 20-35 minutes or until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and gorgeously brown all over. (It may take longer if your oven is over-full with 10 pounds of potatoes. It takes a while for the hot air to get around all 4 of my cookie sheets!
Serve with ketchup and vinegar.
To further jazz these babies up, you can toss them with your favourite spice mix. We've done an "herbes de provence mix" which was insanely good. We've also done a chili flavour, and just a good coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper. I've never tried, but I bet you could also skip the oil and spices and toss the Corks and Screws with Italian Salad Dressing. Easy Breezy. SO GOOD!!!
Do watch that you don't use too much oil when you toss, or do use a really high-smoking point oil. I've heard that some people have smoked out their kitchens on more than one occassion. :-) *ahem*
My kids ask for this so often. Yum yum yum.
Enjoy!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Little Visual Reminder of a Spiritual Truth
Around here, Mondays and Thursdays are laundry days. I've said before on this blog that in any given week, I do 20 loads of laundry. That's not including sheets. Clearly, laundry could monopolize my whole life. In order to avoid that, I do laundry 2 days a week so that the other 5 I can think about anything else. It should also be said that I don't actually dislike doing laundry. The machines do most of the work, and my kids do the rest once I have their clothes sorted into piles. I don't typically even fold the older kids' clothes anymore as they can hang, fold, and otherwise manage their belongings on their own. Really, not a bad deal all around.
However, 2 weeks ago, life was different. Monday, the laundry happened as planned. Everything washed and put away. Lovely. But then Thursday, somehow, the schedule got jammed and no laundry was done at all. Neither on Friday. Nor Saturday. Clearly not Sunday....and so came Monday again. And *this* is what I faced. And conquered.
Yes, that is a full sectional covered with piles of washed, dried, sorted, folded, and alphabetized laundry. (well, not really alphabetized. I'm not *that* neurotic). That was some mountain, let me tell you! It is amazing none of us were wandering around in our birthday suits on Monday morning waiting for the first load to come through the system! Yowza. The morning was consumed with the running up and downstairs to exchange the washed and dried items from their respective places, and the afternoon was consumed with the sorting, piling and folding (which I only did for the sake of the photo, if I'm being honest.) And I took the photos to remind myself to not let that happen again. Having a couple of days off in the laundry department seemed like an okay compromise in a busy week until Monday arrived like a hurricane.
Ever feel like that in any area of your life? Just let it slide a little here or there to make the day easier, or to avoid conflict, or to avoid admitting you were wrong, and next thing you know you are facing a mountain of a problem that could have been quickly, and easily usually, solved had you tackled it when it was tiny, or at least new! A friend told me once that the hardest part of a 5 kilometer run would be the first 10 steps. It is true!
What is there in your life today that if you just started it, would be easily accomplished? What chore could you scratch off your to-do list? What relationship could you mend? What sin could you irradicate from your life once and for all?
Lord help me to be diligent in every task at hand, no matter how menial or trivial it seems. Help me to not be a procrastinator. And most of all, help this physical reminder of too much laundry remind me to keep my heart in check, to keep short accounts in my relationships, to deal with secret (or not so secret) sin quickly.
However, 2 weeks ago, life was different. Monday, the laundry happened as planned. Everything washed and put away. Lovely. But then Thursday, somehow, the schedule got jammed and no laundry was done at all. Neither on Friday. Nor Saturday. Clearly not Sunday....and so came Monday again. And *this* is what I faced. And conquered.
Yes, that is a full sectional covered with piles of washed, dried, sorted, folded, and alphabetized laundry. (well, not really alphabetized. I'm not *that* neurotic). That was some mountain, let me tell you! It is amazing none of us were wandering around in our birthday suits on Monday morning waiting for the first load to come through the system! Yowza. The morning was consumed with the running up and downstairs to exchange the washed and dried items from their respective places, and the afternoon was consumed with the sorting, piling and folding (which I only did for the sake of the photo, if I'm being honest.) And I took the photos to remind myself to not let that happen again. Having a couple of days off in the laundry department seemed like an okay compromise in a busy week until Monday arrived like a hurricane.
Ever feel like that in any area of your life? Just let it slide a little here or there to make the day easier, or to avoid conflict, or to avoid admitting you were wrong, and next thing you know you are facing a mountain of a problem that could have been quickly, and easily usually, solved had you tackled it when it was tiny, or at least new! A friend told me once that the hardest part of a 5 kilometer run would be the first 10 steps. It is true!
What is there in your life today that if you just started it, would be easily accomplished? What chore could you scratch off your to-do list? What relationship could you mend? What sin could you irradicate from your life once and for all?
Lord help me to be diligent in every task at hand, no matter how menial or trivial it seems. Help me to not be a procrastinator. And most of all, help this physical reminder of too much laundry remind me to keep my heart in check, to keep short accounts in my relationships, to deal with secret (or not so secret) sin quickly.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Simple Woman's Daybook
Outside My Window... Still pretty pitch black out there.
I am Thinking... about my good weekend, and hoping to carry that optimism into the coming week.
I am Thankful For... a husband who went for a run with me yesterday (even though I *really* didn't want to) and for his pushing me to run just a little farther than I meant to so that I can now say I have run 6.3km in a row, without stopping, for the first time in my life!
From the Kitchen... coffee, but no cream in the fridge, so a spoonful (or 4!) of hot chocolate mix stirred in to get my brain functioning.
I am Wearing... a groovy, funky, soft and sleak, and fluffy poncho thing that my mom knit for me several years ago that simultaneously makes me feel sophisticated and like curling up for a nap.
I am Creating... some kids with really weird senses of humour!
I am Going... to need to hurry and finish this blog because the kids are all awake!
I am Reading... The Brothers Karamazov and can't put it down. And realizing I totally would have skipped over hundreds of pages of it if I ever had to read it in a school course.
I am Hoping... to finally get lyrics to this song I'm trying to write. Seriously about to throw it out the window! :-)
I am Hearing... a remarkable peace and quiet in a house of this many children.
Around the house... laundry day!
One of my favourite things... seeing my husband and oldest girl enjoy a cup of tea and bible study together on the couch.
A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... a lovely dinner guest, a trip to the library, and lots of laughter (hopefully!)
A Picture thought I'm Sharing...(wistfully waiting for a spring day like this!)
Monday, November 2, 2009
And Panic Ensues...
What is it about November 1st that makes me feel like I'm already late for Christmas? There is a vague sense of peace on October 31st that there is still "all of November" to be readied for Christmas, and then somehow, as the page turns on the calendar, I get ready to throw up my hands and say "Well, no chance of me squeezing everything in this year...might as well just quit now."
So here I am on November 2nd feeling the creep of panic and realizing that it might just be a smidge overdramatic of me. I don't actually have a lot to do. We don't go overboard with gifts so there isn't a bunch of shopping to do. I know that I can do all the baking I want to do in one day (which will be fun) and if I didn't do baking (like last year) we will all survive and still manage to gain 5 pounds by eating everyone else's baking.
Plus, then there is the "decorating" bit, which we are fairly meager on around here too. It is always a brilliantly fun night, come to think of it. We eat upscale munchies while the kids do all the work (and then Chris and I rearrange a few things once they are in bed). My biggest work of that night is throwing the cloth napkins in the washer and making sure the apple cider doesn't scorch in the pan. Piece of cake.
And then there are the family gatherings to pencil in, the choir practices, the play practices, and did I mention I still need to educate seven kids in there and not entirely abandon my husband for the next 2 months? Oh, ya. And something about my having registered for my first 5Km run...which might mean I should learn how to run in the next month or so. Hmmm...and possibly, just possibly, keeping up with laundry and sweeping may be helpful. Plus three family birthdays...
Tired yet?
As I'm sitting here this morning seeing only about 8 weeks left until "the big day" I have (shockingly!) blogged myself out of my panic, come to think of it. Suddenly I'm finding myself just really really eager for the fun of baking with the kids (or with a girl friend with whom I could spend a day in the kitchen), and the challenge of learning how to act (because, seriously?), and the challenge of remembering how to sing in a choir, and the routine of daily life to keep me grounded. But mostly, I'm looking forward to the fact that no matter what I do or do not accomplish in the next 8 weeks, Christmas will come.
It will come without stockings, it will come without gifts... (think Whoville!)
And with it comes the most freeing message, that peace on earth is an option! That there is a way to live without fear! That we can have a life full of goodwill towards all men. That's what I want. That is a pretty great antedote to panic, yes?
So bring it on, November! I am ready and excited for the busyness you hold, and the promises that await me!
How about you? What does your November hold?
So here I am on November 2nd feeling the creep of panic and realizing that it might just be a smidge overdramatic of me. I don't actually have a lot to do. We don't go overboard with gifts so there isn't a bunch of shopping to do. I know that I can do all the baking I want to do in one day (which will be fun) and if I didn't do baking (like last year) we will all survive and still manage to gain 5 pounds by eating everyone else's baking.
Plus, then there is the "decorating" bit, which we are fairly meager on around here too. It is always a brilliantly fun night, come to think of it. We eat upscale munchies while the kids do all the work (and then Chris and I rearrange a few things once they are in bed). My biggest work of that night is throwing the cloth napkins in the washer and making sure the apple cider doesn't scorch in the pan. Piece of cake.
And then there are the family gatherings to pencil in, the choir practices, the play practices, and did I mention I still need to educate seven kids in there and not entirely abandon my husband for the next 2 months? Oh, ya. And something about my having registered for my first 5Km run...which might mean I should learn how to run in the next month or so. Hmmm...and possibly, just possibly, keeping up with laundry and sweeping may be helpful. Plus three family birthdays...
Tired yet?
As I'm sitting here this morning seeing only about 8 weeks left until "the big day" I have (shockingly!) blogged myself out of my panic, come to think of it. Suddenly I'm finding myself just really really eager for the fun of baking with the kids (or with a girl friend with whom I could spend a day in the kitchen), and the challenge of learning how to act (because, seriously?), and the challenge of remembering how to sing in a choir, and the routine of daily life to keep me grounded. But mostly, I'm looking forward to the fact that no matter what I do or do not accomplish in the next 8 weeks, Christmas will come.
It will come without stockings, it will come without gifts... (think Whoville!)
And with it comes the most freeing message, that peace on earth is an option! That there is a way to live without fear! That we can have a life full of goodwill towards all men. That's what I want. That is a pretty great antedote to panic, yes?
So bring it on, November! I am ready and excited for the busyness you hold, and the promises that await me!
How about you? What does your November hold?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Cocooned
There is something great about having a housefull of under-the-weather but not flat-out-sick kids. You know the days: No one is quite up to snuff enough to do all their school, or to be loud and wild. But no one is quite sick enough to just lay deathly quiet on the couch all day either. Just a mellow, hanging out, reading great books out loud together while snuggling under comfy quilts, and drinking lots of fluids kind of day.
And don't forget the soup.
Mmmmmm...Homemade soup. If you know me at all, you will know that my favourite thing in the world to create in my kitchen is homemade soup. It is so simple, but is so satisfying that you feel like a genius at the end of it all. And it is so comforting, both in the preparation, the waiting, and the eating of it.
My delightful kids even said this morning, "Mom, could you only make us healthy food today?" Love that!
So, into the pot went lentils, celery, carrots, potatoes, kale, corn, green beans, and my own canned tomatoes. And into my home went the most incredible aroma. I think the water was barely simmering when one of the girls said "Oh, this smells so good." We just know that a homey, comforting, satisfying bowl is awaiting us. And it is so hard to wait.
Now the potatoes are softened, the flavours are blended, the tummys are rumbling.
Will this take away all of the coughs and sniffles in our house today? Not likely. But it sure will keep our bellies content while we read the next four chapters in our really great book this afternoon.
And somehow, we'll all feel a little better, and more able to enjoy a peaceful, restful day together.
And don't forget the soup.
Mmmmmm...Homemade soup. If you know me at all, you will know that my favourite thing in the world to create in my kitchen is homemade soup. It is so simple, but is so satisfying that you feel like a genius at the end of it all. And it is so comforting, both in the preparation, the waiting, and the eating of it.
My delightful kids even said this morning, "Mom, could you only make us healthy food today?" Love that!
So, into the pot went lentils, celery, carrots, potatoes, kale, corn, green beans, and my own canned tomatoes. And into my home went the most incredible aroma. I think the water was barely simmering when one of the girls said "Oh, this smells so good." We just know that a homey, comforting, satisfying bowl is awaiting us. And it is so hard to wait.
Now the potatoes are softened, the flavours are blended, the tummys are rumbling.
Will this take away all of the coughs and sniffles in our house today? Not likely. But it sure will keep our bellies content while we read the next four chapters in our really great book this afternoon.
And somehow, we'll all feel a little better, and more able to enjoy a peaceful, restful day together.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Odious Tasks
I don't know about you, but there are some parts of being who I am, called to do what I am doing, that are really stinkin' excellent. On the flip side, there are a couple of things that are significantly less excellent. I'd like to mention a few of those things here today. I hope this isn't 'grumbling and complaining'. Perhaps it is just enough 'realness' for you to finish your week knowing that someone else is in the trenches beside ya.
Ready?
Okay, so first, I really hate going to bed knowing my husband isn't coming home. If I know he'll be home at 3am because of work? No problem. I'm in the happy land of Snooze by 9:15pm. But he's not coming home all night? He's travelling? Sorry. I'll be up til the little birdies sing their happy morning song. Do you know why I hate this? Yes, partially because I'm a sappy, hopeless romantic, but really because I think this might just be the night that some ne'er-do-well rapscallion is going to break into my house and steal something. Nothing strikes fear into the heart so much as the phrase "home invasion". This goes beyond the hassle and severe heebie-jeebie-ness of 'break and enter'. No one wants to know that someone has broken in and rummaged through all your unmentionables, but while I'm at home? sleeping? Um. No thanks.
Next on my list, is making the beds. I'm not talking pulling up the sheets in the morning and arranging the pillows ever so jauntily. No, I mean, I just spent all day haulin' 62% of my body weight in sheets and comforters up and down from the laundry room, only to have to now climb all over some rectangular "funhouse" trying to pin down an elastic edged sheet that doesn't feel like co-operating. And you do realize that at present we have one bunk bed set in our house. We have 3 more sets a comin'. Nothing like whacking my head whilst doing the bottom bunk and then suffering from vertigo from the top bunk to make my night. In fact, I have, in moments of weakness, prayed, whilst up on said top bunk, for that ne'er-do-well rapscallion to come at that exact moment. And I would beseech him to have the decency to help make that top bunk before robbing me blind. Pathetic.
This next one might surprise you. At first it doesn't sound so odious, but if you are a homeschooling mom you may just relate. Sharpening pencils. OH! how I hate sharpening pencils. I really do *heart* a nice sharp HB, but when there are 6 children at the table, all wanting a pointing thing with which to colour or print, and you are trying to sharpen as quickly as possible, it becomes an odios task. Especially when just as you are nearing pencil point perfection, the stupid lead breaks off several millimetres below. It is at that point that I wish I was not such a stupid cheapskate, because the leads likely break so easily because I bought a box of 24 pencils for 10 cents at Target. Why do I think they mark them down to 10 cents? Ah yes, the greatness of the 'deal' is losing its lustre right about now.
Toilet training? Anyone? Ya. Thought so. Moving on....
Picking tomatoes. I know, I know, garden fresh and back to nature and all that. Believe me, I love tomatoes right out of the garden. Nothing tastes better. All hot from the sun and juicy and perfect and YUM! I know. And I realize that *someone* needs to be out there picking them. Just please let me pick the basil that will taste like heaven with the tomatoes. Or let me gather some green beans. Picking in and of itself is not the problem. It is tomatoes specifically. The vines are the problem. They have a smell that makes me gag. Even "on the vine tomatoes" at the grocery store creep me out. Yes they taste better, but only if I plug my nose when I pull them off the vine.
Now this one is obscure, but it trumps the rest: Getting jalepeno pepper juice in the eye. I know, how often does this happen? Not often, but only once in a life makes it the most odious of all tasks. Except possibly making the top bunk. But I digress. It is like a little "do it yourself, at home pepper spray" kit. Man alive, you have to really like guacamole to put up with that pain. It happened to me in a really horrific way once and I was so incapacitated with pain that I left my (at the time) 3 youngest children alone in the living room to fend for themselves while I stood in the shower, fully clothed, trying to pry my eyes open and rinse them out with cold water. This after I had tried to pry my eyes open to get my contacts out (which of course were nicely rubbing that capascin juice right back into my cornea). The thing is, with pepper juice, your eyes don't tear. Your nose runs like a faucet, but there ain't a drip of tear to wash this stuff out. My hubby came home an hour after it had happened and thought that I'd been crying my eyes were still so red and swollen. I told him I would rather be in labour than have my eyes pepper sprayed. Seriously.
This is a long post. Are you still here? Maybe I just gave you an odious task of note: Reading Barbara's rambling blog. Painful.
Here's to hoping that none of us have to do any of those things in the next several days. Especially the jalepeno bit. Maybe keep one on hand though in case of home invasion.
Ready?
Okay, so first, I really hate going to bed knowing my husband isn't coming home. If I know he'll be home at 3am because of work? No problem. I'm in the happy land of Snooze by 9:15pm. But he's not coming home all night? He's travelling? Sorry. I'll be up til the little birdies sing their happy morning song. Do you know why I hate this? Yes, partially because I'm a sappy, hopeless romantic, but really because I think this might just be the night that some ne'er-do-well rapscallion is going to break into my house and steal something. Nothing strikes fear into the heart so much as the phrase "home invasion". This goes beyond the hassle and severe heebie-jeebie-ness of 'break and enter'. No one wants to know that someone has broken in and rummaged through all your unmentionables, but while I'm at home? sleeping? Um. No thanks.
Next on my list, is making the beds. I'm not talking pulling up the sheets in the morning and arranging the pillows ever so jauntily. No, I mean, I just spent all day haulin' 62% of my body weight in sheets and comforters up and down from the laundry room, only to have to now climb all over some rectangular "funhouse" trying to pin down an elastic edged sheet that doesn't feel like co-operating. And you do realize that at present we have one bunk bed set in our house. We have 3 more sets a comin'. Nothing like whacking my head whilst doing the bottom bunk and then suffering from vertigo from the top bunk to make my night. In fact, I have, in moments of weakness, prayed, whilst up on said top bunk, for that ne'er-do-well rapscallion to come at that exact moment. And I would beseech him to have the decency to help make that top bunk before robbing me blind. Pathetic.
This next one might surprise you. At first it doesn't sound so odious, but if you are a homeschooling mom you may just relate. Sharpening pencils. OH! how I hate sharpening pencils. I really do *heart* a nice sharp HB, but when there are 6 children at the table, all wanting a pointing thing with which to colour or print, and you are trying to sharpen as quickly as possible, it becomes an odios task. Especially when just as you are nearing pencil point perfection, the stupid lead breaks off several millimetres below. It is at that point that I wish I was not such a stupid cheapskate, because the leads likely break so easily because I bought a box of 24 pencils for 10 cents at Target. Why do I think they mark them down to 10 cents? Ah yes, the greatness of the 'deal' is losing its lustre right about now.
Toilet training? Anyone? Ya. Thought so. Moving on....
Picking tomatoes. I know, I know, garden fresh and back to nature and all that. Believe me, I love tomatoes right out of the garden. Nothing tastes better. All hot from the sun and juicy and perfect and YUM! I know. And I realize that *someone* needs to be out there picking them. Just please let me pick the basil that will taste like heaven with the tomatoes. Or let me gather some green beans. Picking in and of itself is not the problem. It is tomatoes specifically. The vines are the problem. They have a smell that makes me gag. Even "on the vine tomatoes" at the grocery store creep me out. Yes they taste better, but only if I plug my nose when I pull them off the vine.
Now this one is obscure, but it trumps the rest: Getting jalepeno pepper juice in the eye. I know, how often does this happen? Not often, but only once in a life makes it the most odious of all tasks. Except possibly making the top bunk. But I digress. It is like a little "do it yourself, at home pepper spray" kit. Man alive, you have to really like guacamole to put up with that pain. It happened to me in a really horrific way once and I was so incapacitated with pain that I left my (at the time) 3 youngest children alone in the living room to fend for themselves while I stood in the shower, fully clothed, trying to pry my eyes open and rinse them out with cold water. This after I had tried to pry my eyes open to get my contacts out (which of course were nicely rubbing that capascin juice right back into my cornea). The thing is, with pepper juice, your eyes don't tear. Your nose runs like a faucet, but there ain't a drip of tear to wash this stuff out. My hubby came home an hour after it had happened and thought that I'd been crying my eyes were still so red and swollen. I told him I would rather be in labour than have my eyes pepper sprayed. Seriously.
This is a long post. Are you still here? Maybe I just gave you an odious task of note: Reading Barbara's rambling blog. Painful.
Here's to hoping that none of us have to do any of those things in the next several days. Especially the jalepeno bit. Maybe keep one on hand though in case of home invasion.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Remains of the Day
I have a lovely friend. Actually, I have several, but right now I am thinking of one in particular. I don't want to embarrass her by naming her here, but I do want to share something wise she once said (and it wasn't the only wise thing she said. She is rather remarkable that way). And if someone picks up on who she is by my vague and general descriptions, well, so be it.
This friend was giving a bit of her testimony at church when she said the line that has made me think for a long time. She said, "I often worried that when I was done all this that there would be nothing left of me. Maybe this is all I am."
She was referring to her being a hepthathelete and then retiring from competing.(Don't worry: I have lots of friends who have competed in the Olympics...I'm sure no one has any clue of whom I'm speaking.) She wondered if all she was, who she was, was that girl who competed. (I do hope I am not entirely twisting her meaning: it has been almost two years since she spoke to us.)
Funny that: Haven't you had the same wonder? Is this all I am? Who am I in the first place? Am I only a homeschooling mom of 7? And if so, what happens when they all move out? Do I just fade away into nothingness? Do I become that dear old, godly, praying woman that people have thought was "really old" for decades but still hasn't died?
I simply love being home with my kids. It is my first and only choice. Don't get me wrong: I am not wishing for a way out. This is a highly fulfilling position, paid or not!
These questions aren't coming out of discontent, I don't believe. I wonder if there is the ability to be fulfilled in more than one arena. I am wondering about what else there is to me, to us. How else does the Lord intend to use me through my family? Evangelism in our house can simply mean leaving the house, or going to Wal-Mart (heaven forbid) and having someone notice "something different" about us.
Plus the Lord has been gracious to allow me to serve in our church in a musical way. I am thrilled to do that as well.
I just want to know I'm not missing something. I don't want to merely survive these years and then "really serve the Lord" when my husband retires. And I also don't want my kids to think that being a mom is years and years of hard work and drudgery and then sometime when your kids are grown up and fully self-supporting you can get on to real life.
This is real life. I love this life. What I want to know is, when Christ said he wanted to give us live to the full, life abundant, what does that look like? Am I making the most of my days? Am I being a wise steward of my time and abilities?
Fuel for thought anyway, even if it does end with more questions than answers.
This friend was giving a bit of her testimony at church when she said the line that has made me think for a long time. She said, "I often worried that when I was done all this that there would be nothing left of me. Maybe this is all I am."
She was referring to her being a hepthathelete and then retiring from competing.(Don't worry: I have lots of friends who have competed in the Olympics...I'm sure no one has any clue of whom I'm speaking.) She wondered if all she was, who she was, was that girl who competed. (I do hope I am not entirely twisting her meaning: it has been almost two years since she spoke to us.)
Funny that: Haven't you had the same wonder? Is this all I am? Who am I in the first place? Am I only a homeschooling mom of 7? And if so, what happens when they all move out? Do I just fade away into nothingness? Do I become that dear old, godly, praying woman that people have thought was "really old" for decades but still hasn't died?
I simply love being home with my kids. It is my first and only choice. Don't get me wrong: I am not wishing for a way out. This is a highly fulfilling position, paid or not!
These questions aren't coming out of discontent, I don't believe. I wonder if there is the ability to be fulfilled in more than one arena. I am wondering about what else there is to me, to us. How else does the Lord intend to use me through my family? Evangelism in our house can simply mean leaving the house, or going to Wal-Mart (heaven forbid) and having someone notice "something different" about us.
Plus the Lord has been gracious to allow me to serve in our church in a musical way. I am thrilled to do that as well.
I just want to know I'm not missing something. I don't want to merely survive these years and then "really serve the Lord" when my husband retires. And I also don't want my kids to think that being a mom is years and years of hard work and drudgery and then sometime when your kids are grown up and fully self-supporting you can get on to real life.
This is real life. I love this life. What I want to know is, when Christ said he wanted to give us live to the full, life abundant, what does that look like? Am I making the most of my days? Am I being a wise steward of my time and abilities?
Fuel for thought anyway, even if it does end with more questions than answers.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Waiting for the Bridegroom
Occasionally, my husband travels for work. Consistently, I am a procrastinator. These two truths work conspire against me.
Here is the scenario: Away goes my husband. Down I sit to write up the "to do list" to end all to do lists. My goal? To have so.much.done when he gets home that he will be over the moon impressed with me, and that he will be thrilled and honoured and absolutely able to just rest and relax upon returning home.
The last time he went for three days, my list was as follows:
Tuesday day: clean house, sand window frames
Tuesday night: prime and paint window frames
Wednesday day: paint all 10 interior doors
Wednesday night: paint all baseboard and casings
Thursday day: do all laundry and prep 'Welcome Home meal"
Friday: take kids to dentist, final "tidy up" and cook meal.
Not even kidding.
As the three day "Be the Super Hero" endeavor begins, I instantly realize my plan is flawed because 1) I still need to homeschool my children in there somewhere 2) my children are coming down with a nasty cold and 3) I have some water in my basement that monopolizes all my laundry time what with ringing out and drying towels.
Yet, I begin. The windows get sanded, they get primed. They even get a coat of paint. Then I realize that they look worse than when I started because I'm a lousy painter. School is getting done. We are keeping up with life. But the laundry is piling up, there are no gourmet ingredients in my home, and I'm not sure I've showered yet.
Suddenly it is Thursday night. I am overwhelmed with my longing for the return of my man. He should just be home. We have a super marriage, and when he is gone I just really really miss his companionship. So I lay in bed, exhausted from a long week, missing him and desperate for his return. Only a few more hours.
And yet, at the same time, I find I am sort of wishing he would stay away for one more day. If only I had more time to get ready for his coming. I have so much left to do. My list of things to do to impress him is looming before me. It will never get done in time. He will come home and find me unprepared. Part of me wishes he just would not come back for another day or two so I could try again to be the person I mean to be, with a house done the way I want it. I just need more time. The knot in my stomach grows with the guilt of wasted time over the last 3 days and with the burden of unrealistic expectations that I've set for myself. And then the lies come in that somehow this will be the time that Chris shakes his head at the state of the house and thinks I'm a waste of a mother and wife. Instead of impressing him, I'm sure to disappoint him.
Friday morning, we trundle off to the dentist leaving the house in as good a state as possible with an early morning start. My list is still sitting on the table uncomplete and I breathe a sigh hoping I get home before Chris does so I can maybe get a bit more done. As it is I know that when he comes in the door, instead of taking his coat, pouring him a tea and asking how his week was, I will be apologizing and making excuses for what is left undone.
And then the surprise: at the dentist the door opens and I see only a hand and a cuff on the door knob and I know it is my man. There he is! Surprising us with his return. Instantly the fear and hesitation in my belly goes away. Instantly my heart swells at the presence of my husband. I know that whatever was left undone at home will not matter to him. I know he wants to be with us first and foremost. We are together again and that is all that matters.
Now the tears come. Even as I sit in the waiting room, finishing the paperwork. Ready to leave. The tears come as I get a glimpse of my waiting for Christ. How I long for His return. How I long to be with Him. And yet, if He could just tarry a little longer. I'm not quite ready for Him yet. There is much I want to do before He comes. How I want to impress Him. How I want to "do" for Him. But I procrastinate. I waste my time. I'll start tomorrow. Don't come back yet, Lord. I'm not quite ready.
I know that when He does call me home that I will be so overwhelmed by the joy of being in His presence that all of this striving to please will melt away. However, I am sure that there will be a greater joy if I start today to "rest in Him" rather than to "do for Him". Yes, He calls me to serve and obey, but not according to my list of impressive tasks. I want to be ready for Christ's return, both in Spirit and in action.
Lord I pray that I would be diligent to do the work you are giving me, that I would not wait for tomorrow or be so distracted that I never finish what I start. But I also pray that you would help me to rest in the greatest 'job' you've given me: the dwelling and resting in the Vine so I am always ready and eager for your return. I want to stand before you without shame and regret and excuses. Thank you for your longsuffering mercy. Thank you for the chance to start again.
Here is the scenario: Away goes my husband. Down I sit to write up the "to do list" to end all to do lists. My goal? To have so.much.done when he gets home that he will be over the moon impressed with me, and that he will be thrilled and honoured and absolutely able to just rest and relax upon returning home.
The last time he went for three days, my list was as follows:
Tuesday day: clean house, sand window frames
Tuesday night: prime and paint window frames
Wednesday day: paint all 10 interior doors
Wednesday night: paint all baseboard and casings
Thursday day: do all laundry and prep 'Welcome Home meal"
Friday: take kids to dentist, final "tidy up" and cook meal.
Not even kidding.
As the three day "Be the Super Hero" endeavor begins, I instantly realize my plan is flawed because 1) I still need to homeschool my children in there somewhere 2) my children are coming down with a nasty cold and 3) I have some water in my basement that monopolizes all my laundry time what with ringing out and drying towels.
Yet, I begin. The windows get sanded, they get primed. They even get a coat of paint. Then I realize that they look worse than when I started because I'm a lousy painter. School is getting done. We are keeping up with life. But the laundry is piling up, there are no gourmet ingredients in my home, and I'm not sure I've showered yet.
Suddenly it is Thursday night. I am overwhelmed with my longing for the return of my man. He should just be home. We have a super marriage, and when he is gone I just really really miss his companionship. So I lay in bed, exhausted from a long week, missing him and desperate for his return. Only a few more hours.
And yet, at the same time, I find I am sort of wishing he would stay away for one more day. If only I had more time to get ready for his coming. I have so much left to do. My list of things to do to impress him is looming before me. It will never get done in time. He will come home and find me unprepared. Part of me wishes he just would not come back for another day or two so I could try again to be the person I mean to be, with a house done the way I want it. I just need more time. The knot in my stomach grows with the guilt of wasted time over the last 3 days and with the burden of unrealistic expectations that I've set for myself. And then the lies come in that somehow this will be the time that Chris shakes his head at the state of the house and thinks I'm a waste of a mother and wife. Instead of impressing him, I'm sure to disappoint him.
Friday morning, we trundle off to the dentist leaving the house in as good a state as possible with an early morning start. My list is still sitting on the table uncomplete and I breathe a sigh hoping I get home before Chris does so I can maybe get a bit more done. As it is I know that when he comes in the door, instead of taking his coat, pouring him a tea and asking how his week was, I will be apologizing and making excuses for what is left undone.
And then the surprise: at the dentist the door opens and I see only a hand and a cuff on the door knob and I know it is my man. There he is! Surprising us with his return. Instantly the fear and hesitation in my belly goes away. Instantly my heart swells at the presence of my husband. I know that whatever was left undone at home will not matter to him. I know he wants to be with us first and foremost. We are together again and that is all that matters.
Now the tears come. Even as I sit in the waiting room, finishing the paperwork. Ready to leave. The tears come as I get a glimpse of my waiting for Christ. How I long for His return. How I long to be with Him. And yet, if He could just tarry a little longer. I'm not quite ready for Him yet. There is much I want to do before He comes. How I want to impress Him. How I want to "do" for Him. But I procrastinate. I waste my time. I'll start tomorrow. Don't come back yet, Lord. I'm not quite ready.
I know that when He does call me home that I will be so overwhelmed by the joy of being in His presence that all of this striving to please will melt away. However, I am sure that there will be a greater joy if I start today to "rest in Him" rather than to "do for Him". Yes, He calls me to serve and obey, but not according to my list of impressive tasks. I want to be ready for Christ's return, both in Spirit and in action.
Lord I pray that I would be diligent to do the work you are giving me, that I would not wait for tomorrow or be so distracted that I never finish what I start. But I also pray that you would help me to rest in the greatest 'job' you've given me: the dwelling and resting in the Vine so I am always ready and eager for your return. I want to stand before you without shame and regret and excuses. Thank you for your longsuffering mercy. Thank you for the chance to start again.
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