28 February 2013

It's what's for supper tonight



The original recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I used chicken; the smell of it baking is incredibly enticing.  Now I really should clean up my mess.


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27 February 2013

Celebrate!

 What do I want for my birthday?  Some years that question has left me feeling bewildered and discouraged because I had no answer.  Not happening this year.  It did take me some time to hand over a list, but I had one already started well before the beginning of February.  This year the difficulty has been narrowing it down.

 Currently I am typing on one of my presents, the

ASUS TF300T-DOCK-BL Tablet Docking Station


image from: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834991741&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=6146833&SID=1xcjw3g04fsed


23 February 2013

Always on My Mind?

  3:45 a.m., lights shining from outside on my window shade, and I think, "must be the newspaper delivery..." and go back to sleep.

 6:45 a.m., lights shining from outside on my window shade again, and I think, "must be hubbie going to buy doughnuts for me..." and I go back to sleep.

21 February 2013

Pioneering

 I mentioned this feature of our kitchen/dining room in an earlier post, and it is one of my favorite things about our home -- our peninsula.  Though it is not an island because it is anchored to the wall on one end, it does function much like an island, without swallowing precious floor space in our small-ish kitchen.  Our portable dishwasher eliminates the viability of an island in our kitchen, unless of course the island could encase the dishwasher.  The Wall Street Journal article I read this morning seems to indicate that such a feature would not be out of the question.

 Back to the reality of our beloved peninsula, it serves as  a food prep and food serving station; extra or alternate seating for meals; storage for a variety of kitchen appliances, utensils and miscellaneous other kitchen wares; a hang out spot for chatting with whoever is working in the kitchen; a schoolwork station; and my desk-away-from-my desk during the school portion of our days.  It was one of my favorite features of the house when we were shopping for houses and remains a favorite for all of us.

 What I didn't realize until today is that our value for our peninsula is another indicator that we are "pioneers" of sorts.  I have a hunch that I first heard the term in the way in which I am referring from someone who was retelling something they heard or read from Arthur Burk.  I apologize up front to everyone who is associated with the forthcoming explanation because I do not remember distinctly or accurately, but rather remember what I took away from the conversation.  Pioneers hear about something and then go after it; they are not the ones discovering new things, but rather those who follow behind those who have discovered new things.  We did not discover the value of the peninsula, but we did recognize and appreciate it right away upon being introduced to the idea.

 Home Education, our faith journey, and parenting are other areas where we have sensed we are pioneers.  I am profoundly grateful for those who have gone before us, blazing the trail and then sharing discoveries with us and others.  We seek opportunities to share the benefits of what we have experienced as result of the new places we have explored and "lived in."  It gives me great joy to share my enthusiasm for trying new things/pioneer spirit with others.

 Though it will not be featured in The Wall Street Journal, our peninsula is a treasured element in our home.  It appears to have been installed by the former home owner and is on the inexpensive side, yet we value it greatly.  The opportunity it affords us to connect meaningfully with family and friends in a variety of contexts is priceless.

 In what sphere of life are you a pioneer?

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20 February 2013

***today***


 I tried to post yesterday, but I was unable to access my dashboard functions...

 I love this quote from Bethel Redding's most recent "Sermon of the Week" :


 "God is so careful with revelation…He’s so careful with lifting a veil prematurely for people to see truth they are not ready to obey.  And the Lord in His mercy taught in parables to hide truth from those who  weren’t ready to embrace it, but to reveal truth for those who were ready to go forward... [parables are] like the same story both hidden and revealed, illustrated…so the Lord in this passage says He lifts the veil when someone turns to Christ.  Why is that?  It’s in His mercy.  He does not want to increase the responsibility  of those who are not yet ready to obey…The Holy Spirit Himself speaks to the heart without giving a full plan, without giving full information and when the response comes to that voice…that call of God…and they turn to God, the veil is lifted.  And that’s when seeing begins."  Bill Johnson
  That's my Daddy; Who's your Daddy?

 A post showed up in my RSS feed about dreaming.  Lovin' the groovy dimension.

 Enjoying the process today and living in today's grace.

 Peace is available.  Taking time to receive it.

 Minding the Minutia

 Supernaturally-magically my chosen search words retrieved THE article for which I had fruitlessly searched weeks ago.  Lesson planner 2013 will export important dates to my Outlook calendar!

 Most of the items on my miscellaneous research list have been explored.

 School is plodding on, faithfully.  College kids will be on spring break in a couple of weeks.  Drama Tech Week will soon be upon us.  Then the Second Stage Play, and then graduation.  Not too many days later, our last day of the school year will arrive.  Wow!

What's on your calendar in the weeks and months ahead?

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19 February 2013

Hope & dream, receive My peace, enjoy the process

Three strikes...I am out!

 This check-up reveals that I have lost sight of and remembrance of my words for 2013 as of late.

 Well played, this quiet puddle of pondering.

 Steaming Egyptian Licorice Tea accompanies.

 Dreaming, though not nightmarish, strikes fear -- dreamlessness, actually.

 Peace slides from my choking grasp into the lukewarm slough.

 Seeking silver linings shallowly,

 then tenaciously deeper.

 You're where my help comes from.


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18 February 2013

***today***

 I haven't cried or felt like crying this often since the 11-ish years of my life in which I was either pregnant or nursing a baby.   At times when I have felt like this, I have looked ahead to some event and been encouraged.  Glancing over at the next two weeks as represented by our 'fridge calendar, I know that said tactic is NOT going to help.  Why, oh why is it bothering me so much?!

 On the up side of it, it makes me run to Jesus all the more:-).  "So fly to Jesus..."  It works for me and in me, transforming me.  Perhaps the light of understanding is glimmering.

 Cracking on...

 What's up with you today?


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17 February 2013

Whine and Cheese




Please, grab your favorite cheese and pull up a seat -- I will provide the "whine."

A New Season Ahead = Necessary Changes

Hi, friends. Thanks to all  of you who have ever visited this blog and/or followed it. I appreciate it very much! Finding myself on the ...