Jim heated up peas this evening, as part of our supper. But Kajsa requested her peas to remain frozen and not be heated up. So Jim obliged. He set hers aside, and she ate most of her peas frozen.
She tossed a few peas into her soup, just for the novelty of it, I think.. but the biggest novelty was her new creation: frozen peas on a cracker. Strange, but true.
And, in other news… he’s back!! Mr. Peacock, that is. As I write this, he is roosting in one of our backyard trees. 
We’ve heard his cawing noises off and on for the past couple of weeks. But today we heard him a lot. The cawing got louder and louder and we realized he was in our backyard again. So how does one respond to Mr. Peacock visiting again? Grab your camera, naturally.
Happy roosting, Mr. Peacock…just don’t wake us up in the early morning with your cawing!
This photo was supposed to be of our blueberry bush. I thought of it a little late. Dusk-ish, to be exact. So as I was trying to focus on the blueberry bush branches close to my lens, I accidentally snapped this photo of the cherry tree branches instead. I don’t know if we have even tried any of these cherries. I don’t know if they’re edible or not. I’m assuming they are, but I’d best not assume until I confirm. But the funny thing is, even though I love cherries, we haven’t focused our efforts on these trees. I’m not sure why–maybe because cherries have pits? Maybe because the birds pretty much hang out in the trees from spring through late summer? Maybe because we haven’t confirmed whether or not these are edible cherries? I don’t know. 
The blueberry bush, however, we’ve spent a lot of time on–especially this past summer. Trying to outsmart the squirrels and birds, Jim and Kajsa created a pretty clever net/cover. But the blueberries, too, we learned, require more work than we always have time or energy for. Still tasty, we still love them… and I’m already researching how to outsmart the critters for this summer.
Most of the time, I’m guessing, fruitfulness–bearing good fruit–requires work. Certainly in the parable of the fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) from last Sunday, the gardener would have work to do, in order to save the tree. The vineyard owner was ready to cut it down, but the gardener was more patient… or saw more potential… or was simply more gracious of a person.
Blueberry bushes and cherry trees aside, I hope to take the second/third/fourth/etc. chances that God has given to me… and produce good fruit, in my life. It might require more work than I often feel like doing–but hopefully, if it’s something I feel God calling me to do, or to join, or to reflect on… hopefully, I will be faithful, and bear good fruit.
Sorry about the blank post last night. I thought it hadn’t posted, but, apparently it had. So now here’s the post and pic.
Yesterday (Sunday) my body didn’t work so well. Migraine. Bad one. So bad that a few minutes before worship began, I finally realized that I had to go home and couldn’t stay for church. And that’s when THE Body, the body of Christ, stepped in. Well, before then, too.. Donna was ready to go find my keys so I could get in my house. Jim brought the keys to me. Carla accompanied me home, making sure I was home safely. Mecan read scripture. Jen, who is on vacation this week while visiting us, pinch hit for me by serving communion. Jim covered the other areas I was supposed to lead. Jen and Rob brought Kajsa home with them when church was over.
the body (knock on the door)
I fell asleep pretty quickly, for a good hour or so. Migraine was slightly improved. Later on, Jen & Rob were out exploring the area and Jim & Kajsa were at Chinese class. I was back in bed, then realized that I was super hungry. Improvement, as earlier I couldn’t eat squat. I was walking around the kitchen opening cupboards, fridge, etc.. wondering what I could eat…. it had to be something that wouldn’t make me nauseous.. something that would stay down, with a migraine… something that tasted good AND was healthy. I was thinking that I had to make my almond cluster snack, which would mean baking. Ugh.
And, there was a knock on the door–a very slight, quiet knock. Uh oh. If this was a pastoral emergency, I was in no shape to be very helpful. But, I went to the door anyhow. And there was Tom. “I wasn’t supposed to wake you up!” he said. I was awake… I said. And he handed me a container of hot homemade chicken noodle soup, and some bread.
I almost started to cry. I asked if he made it.. Chris did, he said.
“Go back to bed!” he added. No, I said.. I want to tell you...
“Get back to bed.. ” Wait! I said.. let me tell you.. I was JUST trying to figure out what I was going to eat. This is perfect. Thank you!
So, body of Christ… let me tell you: thank you. Thanks to all who have prayed, pinch hit, cooked, emailed, asked, accompanied, and overall been the body for me. Thank you.
I took today’s photo before 11 am.
I wrote my post a couple hours ago. (about 8:30 pm)
Saved the post draft.
Did other things for the next hour and a half or so.
Returned to blogging.
Tried to upload the photo to my blog’s media folder.
Tried to upload the photo to my blog’s media folder.
Tried to upload the photo to my blog’s media folder.
Hmmm.
I walked away to give the computer time to catch up.
I put my laundry in the dryer.
I returned to the computer. Tried to upload the photo to my blog’s media folder.
I washed my face.
Tried to upload the photo to my blog’s media folder.
Sighed.
Figured I’d write a nice post without a photo. No biggie, even for a blogger trying to post a photo-a-day during Lent.
Edited previously written draft of post. Saved Draft.
Tried to preview. (I always do this.)
Tried to preview.
Tried to preview.
Was asked for my username and password.
Ready to give up.
Signed back in to site.
Lost previous tweaking of aforementioned blog draft.
Jim walked in about then and said he thought I should blog about making almond butter tonight.
I made almond butter tonight in the Vita-Mix. It took me less than 2 minutes. No joke.
The almond butter is awesome.
Maybe I should make almond butter more often and try to upload photos to my media folder less often.
Then again, I still have to clean the Vita-Mix.
Marie Callender. Ugh. Jim bought this pie months ago and stuck it in the freezer. Safely tucked away so that we could see it each time we opened the freezer… but the hour it takes to bake and the couple more hours it takes to cool to its best temperature… that’s just enough time that when you open the freezer door and temptation stares back… you can forget about it. It takes too long.
The other day I was out doing errands, and when I walked in the house, it smelled incredible! Yep… Jim baked the Razzleberry Pie! Yum. It’s crazy good, if you like flaky crust, berries, and pie. I did not give up sweets for Lent. So it’s not as though Razzleberry Pie should be that bad for me. However I am supposed to be on an “Anti-Inflammatory” Diet. My doctor wants me to cut out as many processed foods as possible, increase lean proteins, high-omega 3 fats, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, etc. And almonds. Lots of almonds.
I’m an adult. I make my own food choices 99% of the time. Including this week, when I ate some pie. I cannot blame Marie Callender, and I cannot blame Jim for baking the pie. Am I allowed to treat myself at times? Sure. My doctor even says so. But a small piece (and a big piece) of the pie might contribute to increased fibromyalgia pain in the coming days… which could make me grumpy…. I’d be less patient with others…. I might end up not being as focused as I need to be…I’d then feel guilty about not doing as well as I should… then feel even more grumpy…. you get the picture.
Can all this actually happen because of a piece or two of pie, you ask? I think so. At least for me. I had my doubts back in April 2012, when I first began seeing this doctor. But experience has taught me otherwise. It also might be fine. But the point is, I made a choice this week. That choice is not the biggest deal in my life. By a long shot. But it is a small choice that could have further affects.
So it is with sin, and yielding – or not yielding – our lives to God. I wish it were as easy as pie. Even Marie Callender. It’s not always that easy. Sigh. Such is life. And, thanks to the grace of God, we carry on… one choice after another, continuing to learn as we go along.
Matthew 6:19 says, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal.” (New Living Translation)
Matthew 6:19.... things get rusty
This cast iron pan has rust on the outside–of course, we could treat it, so it wouldn’t rust, but then that wouldn’t make for a good photo opp. And yet that’s also part of the challenge, today, with possessions–we have so many ways of protecting them, of ensuring their longevity, of making them more important in our lives than they actually should be.
Not that this aebleskiver pan is that important in my life. Though I love this pan–and the aebleskivers Jim makes using it–it’s not one of my most prized possessions.
But I do wonder, where are my treasures? And would my actions actually match my answer?
(by the way, aebleskiver is pronounced like “ebble-skeever”. and they are Danish pancakes.)
It was Kajsa’s turn to be the leader at preschool again last week–which also means snack-provider. Though it was “Letter Y” week at preschool, I thought that in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I’d make “Cat in the Hat” hats.
red-hued gummy lifesavers
Step 1: as Jim heads to the store,
green gummy lifesavers
add these items to his list: gummy lifesavers, vanilla wafer cookies, and a tub of frosting.
Step 2: separate the red lifesavers from the greens, and hope that Leprachauns wear stove pipe hats).
Step 3: frost the vanilla wafers.
Carefully. (I’m sure there’s a better way to do this without getting frosting all over your fingers—I just don’t know what it is.)
Step 4: place red lifesaver on frosted vanilla wafer. Spread some frosting on lifesaver. Repeat twice. Add fourth lifesaver for top of hat.
hat #1
Step 5: Repeat with 4 lifesavers per wafer, until you have a tray of Cat in the Hat hats.
completed project
Very fun.
Until Step 6: Read the Preschool parents’ guide. I was looking up something else in the guide, fortunately, and decided to look at “Snacks”, just in case. Hmmmm. Should have looked at “Snacks” before Jim went to the store. Under “Snacks”, there is a list of what not to send. And in that list? “gummy candies”. oops.
what snacks to not send with your preschooler...
Oh well.
Step 7: Jim goes back to the grocery store and buys Yogurt snacks. “Y”.
And, the teachers were gracious enough to let us send the time-consuming hats home with kids.
(p.s. oops… I just noticed that I had put “9-steps” instead of 7… ah, well. .such is life these days.)
Hope
Hoping that Advent bring me closer to Christ and to God.
Hoping that I will be open to the Spirit’s nudging in these and other areas.
Hoping for the end of untimely deaths among those I love.
Hoping for the end of untimely deaths among the world’s population. Not just those I know I love.
Hoping for the end of violence, war, skirmishes, pettiness, etc..
Hoping for freedom from the things that keep me from growing closer to God. And hoping for this same freedom, as applied to others also.
Hoping that though I may not get the whole platter of turkey leftovers, I might at least be given a morsel.
Hoping that I will receive the gifts God gives to me everyday. Whether or not I want or think I need them.
pressed but not crushed 