If you go to Julie and Julia....

I feel like a character in the if you give a mouse a cookie book. If you go to see the movie Julie and Julia you willbe inspired by all the food and you will want to cook. If you open your cookbook you will think back on the movie. If you stumble upon a Julia related cookbook you will buy it......

So, I went to the movie, it was inspirational to me, has me thinking about cooking through a cookbook. I found that in the week following I was drying my meat so that it would brown, I was giving mushrooms space so they would saute better.The gleaned hints worked! And so I began to dream about cooking my way through a cookbook.

On Sunday I stopped at our local perpetual yardsale/ flea market and stumbled upon Baking with Julia. I opened it and the breads drew me in, crusty and appealing, so for $3 I had the cookbook to begin my journey. For the next few days I have wandered through it dreaming of the breads that would come. I bought my first bag of rye flour only to realize later that I did not have caraway seeds and it may be important, so since I am trying to be true to Julia's honor I will wait so that I may stick close (exact) to the receipe as possible.

Then I found myself returning again and again to this picture. I was inspired to try my hand at this crusty crunchy Potato Bread. The receipe was easy to follow and I think it came out well. The smell is wafting through the house, drawing studying children down from afar. The first hungry soul offered to cut me a piece but I declined yet when I went out to take pictures I found I could not resist, and yes, it was worth the work. It is crusty yet tender.

Spritzing water in the oven does make a difference, ice cubes on the bottom of the oven did not destroy it. Maybe the stone that it was baked on also made for a crispy crust.

I think I am going back to my past endevours and will again be baking bread . Bread is a favorite of everyone in the house and I just have not found the wonderful artisian breads that we came to love from the bakeries in NY and Germany. I expect there is a location locally that has them yet I also aniticapate that they are beyond my pricepoint preference or common travel path. So I will be playing in the flour again!

So, thank you Hollywood for the inspiration to bake and my family thanks you as well for who knows what will happen if you go to see Julie and Julia!

Academically challenging

The phrase academically challenging has hit a whole new level of meaning for me in the past week.

I have a son in college taking classes that the name I can barely pronounce let alone begin to understand what is taught- high level math and science classes... he strives to earn the prize of an electrical engineering degree. I expect he will make it to the goal but there will be blood and sweat along the way and so the prize will be all the more sweet along with the reward of a paycheck that could make life a bit easier. He has academically challenging courses and thankfully his brain cells process most of the information well, or he wrestles with it until he is able to make some sense of it.

I have a daughter who is also in college, her recent academic challenges have come in the form of learning grace and personal responsibility even when the professors are unintelligible. It seems that both of the kids have teachers who are of foreign birth and come to their universities with heavy accents so one of the challenges is to decipher the words spoken and attempt to align them with known words, not always easy. She tells me that often the teacher is spelling out his words as the whole class is struggling to understand the spoken words. She also has the academic challenge of learning that in college the syllabus is the guide and no matter what the prof may or may not teach you are responsible for the material presented in the guide. not an easy lesson after being led by the hand in high school.

Our next son has voluntarily signed up for AP courses this year. He "whines" about the work, we smile as we know the challenge is good for him. He is finding it academically challenging to keep up with the reading and studying. He is finding that the teachers mean business and expect the students to come prepared. He is rising to the challenge and we see it as a good thing as he seems to enjoy a life full of challenge.

All three of these kids face academic challenges as I have known them, that was my past definition, tough challenging coursework, above the norm expectations, needing focus attention.

This week I had a new look at the meaning of academically challenged as I began to realize the inkling I have had that this year would be a year of challenge came to fruition. Our youngest has had growing learning struggles. Not sure that they have grown as much as I have grown to realize how invasive they are. As the years have passed with his peers gaining in academic skills I have seem him move forward at his own pace. This year it is beginning to feel like the rabbit and hare scenario... one that I knew was on the horizon but had not come to fully acknowledge.

This week I am looking at it with the rose colored glasses off. This week the reality of advocating, intervention, accommodations and their place in our life has hit home. Class work that is simple for many will not be quickly mastered by this one, yet can be mastered in its fundamentals. I have come to realize that these are challenges that are to be faced, prepped for and negotiated. There will be need for prep for classes and extra study devoted. We will have to shift through the material and choose what is truly the important and what is fluff, leaving off the fluff as there is just not time and energy for more than the basics.

This week in the midst of the revelation and personal (yes, emotional) toil of my heart to face reality I saw God. As I again and again face what is and not what I want there to be God shows up to remind me that He is aware of the struggle and allows grace in the midst of it. I received a call from one teacher who affirmed some of the struggles and the reality that copying information from the board and listening to the lecture at the same time was not realistic. We talked about options and strategies for success in the class. Another teacher and I are in the midst of reviewing material to see what is also realistic and how to test for retention and bring success in another class. Both classes will be simplified and for this child that will be academically challenging. For another it would not.

Hmmm.... Academically challenging... when the child is challenged by the academics, to learn and get his brain to retain the material. hmmm, same definition but coming from the other side, I guess it is not a black and white definition. I guess I can no longer think that only higher level stuff is academically challenging. sometimes, for some people the simple stuff is academically challenging.

And so grace walks in... to accept each person where they are at, and allow for what is easy for me and you to be a challenge for a peer. To meet a child where they are at, accepting , encouraging and cheering them on as they wrestle with their own academic challenges.

And the Gracious One continues to shape me and mold me in his loving way. Again I find myself feeling like I am on the potters wheel, pressed upon and hugged as he lovingly makes adjustments and shapes and forms me. How different this parenting thing is when it does not fit the mold of the past children, when there are new situations to learn through. When your expectations don't meet with reality and there is nothing you can do but be patient and wait and live a dependent life fully trusting that God knows what he is doing. Ahhh, its that S word again, surrender. laying down and allowing Him to reign, letting go of control. So, I too am being challenged by academics, learning to let go and not place them on the altar of life as an idol but acknowledge that they truly are just a part of life and a stepping stone on the path of the journey.

Reflections of summer past

Summer is officially over, it is Labor Day, and so even kids in the north will be starting school tomorrow, if they haven't already, we've been hitting the books for over 3 weeks. As I stopped into the blog,I realized tonight that it really has been a long time since I have posted. My dear one is hanging around the saved swampland of the south (Florida) for a few days so tonight seemed a good time to stop and post.

The summer has passed with many busy days and a few down days. It felt like a different kind of summer as the dynamics of the family change with the shifting of children moving into new season. My son is busy burning braincells over Physics 3 and deciphering the accent of a prof along with working 20+ hours a week. Our daughter is settling into another local university to the east of our home. Our middle son spent the summer enjoying life, rescuing deer and waiting for school to begin again. Our youngest spent time working his way through metronome therapy, going to summer camp and enjoying a slower pace as well as some camping with Dad.

Now here we are in September, and schooling has begun again. The therapy that we worked hard on for 6 weeks has paid off. A child who NEVER noticed a joke is now telling us "you are teasing me", he is more interactive, aware and his reading speed has picked up. The 20 second attention span has moved up to 9 minutes. All this has delighted me as a mom and his teacher. We continue to work on learning struggles and life lessons that need to be taught.

The summer was active with canning... chicken, salsa, peaches, salsa, g.beans, salsa, potatoes, salsa, jam and salsa. Yes, we had tomatoes and peppers in moderate abundance, but not enought to can them alone so salsa was my default for a bucket of tomatoes and peppers. we are now blessed with a few shelves of canning jars, lined up and waiting for our appetites. It has been a blessing to also have a jar or two of homemade jam to share with those we love.

This was a summer of wedding travel. Our children are getting of the age where their peers are starting to wed. We traveled to Tennessee to see a childhood friend unite with her beloved amidst a volley of approval. (the outdoor wedding field backed to a skeet shooting range that just happened to be holding a shooting contest as the nupticals were spoken- perfect for a 'country wedding"). The simple wedding was beautiful and rustic, one that reminded me of our own wedding of 26 years ago. It was a sweet time as we visited with old friends and enjoyed the passage of seasons for our friend and her new spouse.

August brought us to the wedding of our "red headed stepson"- a favorite friend of our son and one we shared life with in NC. He and his bride had a beautiful wedding in a chapel and it was fun to watch the family rejoice and enjoy a day of beauty and joy as the couple sealed their commitment with a ring.

The trip to NC was one anticipated on many fronts- visit with friends, time spent sharing life with a girlfriend and the wedding. Life was what happened when I made other plans. My girlfriend had to leave town unexpectedly, yet I was able to spend time with a friend that was unplanned but was of encouragement to both of us. I also stopped by the place of fellowship one evening and had a conversation that left both parties encouraged to press on in life and loving others.

While in NC I began to see God in the midst of my travels in some very real ways. I was driving across town to visit my old neighbors when I noticed that traffic ahead was slowing, soon flashing lights appeared on the horizon. My cell phone rang and as I answered it, I found that it was my girlfriend, at whose house I was staying. She began telling me of her son having had a car accident. As we spoke I realized their accident was ahead of me. She was with her mother in another state and her husband was also traveling out of state. God was caring for their boys amidst a life event, and I was who He was putting there. I was soon on the scene of the accident and in comunication with the boys and caring for them in her stead. We are and were amazed at God's provision in the midst of the mess of the accident to have help so close by.

I made it to my neighbors the following day, finding it to be a blessing to sit in their backyard, enjoying their company and nature. My dear friend has walked down the pink ribbon path, battling breast cancer and as of now, winning. It has shaped and changed them, and given her a desire to encourage and share life with others who will embark upon the same journey. It was a sweet time of sharing life and longing for the minutes to stretch longer as we miss the sporadic chats we once shared amidst gardening. I have reflected upon the peaceful joy I have in the company of many elderly friends, a blessing I never anticipated as a youth, but one I savor as they come into and share life with me.

Along the path home was an exit that would have led to the homes of many of my husband's cousins. My son was anxious to return home so we decided to not call and stop in for a visit, yet I mused to my Lord about the possiblitiy of Him making it possible for us to meet one of them for lunch at that exit. It was a thought, a hope but not truly thought possible,as I never called anyone, yet we did get off the exit where they lived and into Arby's parking lot we pulled. Then my son said "Don't we know that person?" sure enough God had done it, my husband's cousin was standing in the parking lot talking on a cell! I jumped out and rejoiced as his wife came out and we enjoyed a lunch together. It was a sweet time for me as we had not seen them for 3 years. Life had been happening for them and I was able to hear a bit of their story, encourage them and now pray with wisdom for them.. Again, God had intersected our life in an unexpected way.

And not to miss an opportunity to speak of how small this world is for our God I will tell you one last tale of how he can connect people in this vast world to bless those who love Him. A few weeks ago a friend asked a favor of me. I was asked to search for and buy a homeschool book for her. It was a book she needed "yesterday" and so I looked. I found it on half.com- an online posting for selling books throughout the USA. I noticed a posting from AL, as I looked closer I noticed it was our local city. I thought of how it was a shame to wait on postal service rather than connect and pickup the book. On a whim I pulled out the telephone book and looked to see if the name listed was in fact a name. It was, and it was a gal who knew my name. I had not remebered her but she is a MaryKay gal. She agreed to sell the book to us, and my girlfriend picked it up that night. It was huge- as it eased stress in her life, but moreso because it was a way that God showed that he cares about the details of our lives, amidst the mess and stress, amidst the dissappointments and struggles, He is aware. A small thing, a book, and yet a big thing... connections made that perhaps are co-incidental and yet I chose to believe that it was the loving heart of our Heavenly Father that was caring for her daughter that needed encouragement and loving upon.

And so our summer has passed with moments where we have seen the hand of God, moments of life happening when we had other plans, moments of shared struggle and growth, moments of down-time and delight. I have risked my fear, faced th e canner and now it is my friend. I have slowed down and delighted in looser structure yet now enjoy a bit more structure to guide our days.

Perhaps I am back to posting again, not sure... Blogging is like getting a letter from a friend in the mail, a delightful way to catchup, keep up, inspire and encourage as we walk this path of life. Thanks for stopping in, may the month ahead have some moments where you too see the finger of God moving through your life.

pressure canning

A few weeks ago I found a DEAL on chicken, unexpectedly and soon I found myself cooking and prepping for it for canning. I have avoided pressure canners for years. My mother in law once sent me one and it sat until I passed it along to another brave soul. Last year I thoguht I found a deal on a pressure canner, only to find out that it was an unsafe model so I sent part of it away so it would never be used as a canner.

The spring came along this year and the request that I pressure can was repeated by my husband of 25 yrs. He desired for me to givecanning a try. I determined to brave it out and give it a go. This desire to please the mister was assisted by the discovery of a tried and true canner sitting on a thrift shop shelf waiting for me and my deal sniffing nose. I snatched it up, figuring that a used on had proved itself and would be safe for me to use. I outfitted it with missing parts and looked for an opportunity to put it inuse.

I began the chicken canning morning early and soon found the jars ready for the pot. Soon I had two canners moving towards boiling. The more I read about the process the easier I found it to be- put 1.5 or 2 qts of water into bottom of canner, put in jars and cover, lock and seal. Bring to boil, once steam escapes let it steam for 10 min. Then put on weight to specified poundage. Cook for specified time as receipe indicates. When time is up, turn off heat and let cool. Once cool enough open top- pressure will have released. Let jars cool on counter and when cool wash, remove rings and store. It is a step by step process that is fairly simple to manage. There is not LOTS of water to pour and manage as it boils over like a water bath cannning method. I am hooked now, I follow the steps and wait for the steam, then the timer to go off, then the jiggler goes on and before I know it the canning is done!

It has been a few weeks now... I have canned 13pts chicken, 3 pts chicken stock, 6 qts peaches, 5 pints of salsa and a pint of soup. today I took a #10 can of pizza sauce and divided it into 6 pint jars and canned it- cheaper than buying the small jars at the store and more convenient than the freezer, and if the door is left open , no biggie. The last batch of frozen pizza sauce became quasi italian taco soup as I emptied all the thawing freezer contents into the stock pot.

So... if any of you in reader land are fearful of the pressure canner, take the plunge and give it a go... it really is not hard. Hmmm, what shall I can tomorrow?? maybe more salsa as the tomatoes are ripening up nicely!

Weary

It has been a busy few weeks, lots of folks, activity and therapy. Amidst all that I have found time to stitch and quilt. Yesterday as I finished up a baby quilt I realized that I had hit quilt burnout- I was tired of quilting- my hands were tired of stitching. Yet as I write this in the early hours of the day, maybe it is just that I am weary from all the activity that our life has held.

We have joyfully welcomed guests, more guests and a repeat guest in the last two weeks. We have repaired a chimney, worked in the garden and continued a daily therapy routine that has promising results, some already seen. And we have lived normal life. I find myself falliing into bed each night bone weary, just too much living maybe??? Yet, except for the chimney repair afternoon I dont know that any of it would be denied given the choice.

My daughter is off on her first road adventure, and it was with joy that we waved goodbye, having enjoyed a few days with her friend sharing life with us. They will return on Saturday and we'll enjoy a few more fun filled days with Paula and her laughter and sweet spirit. More joy.

So as I finish the quilts before me, with joy at the blessing they will be to the ones we love, it is good to come to an end of some projects, good to rest for a bit and consider what is ahead. It will be good to take a few days a bit slower and then return renewed to home life and the activity to come.

off to kids camp we go

I am heading to camp today.... yet not. My son is heading to children's camp today for 3 days- should be alot of fun. Because of his medical condition sleep is a necessity, camp does not promote this with 10 pm bed time which equates to midnight quiet time. Not good. Our solution is - me! I will go, and provide a sleep space at 830 pm that will provide quiet and peace= a hotel room. Ahh, he does get the "good life", or spoiling as the siblings would call it. camp but a/c and hotel living!

As I approach this event it is with an bit of uncertainty, how do I as a Mom check in and monitor yet give him space to just be a camper. How will my days be filled?? will I be needed to "work" in some reguard or will they be days of ease, reading and vacationing for me??? Many unknowns, yet I will be in a new place, I will have my van and the freedom to travel to check out local spotlights if I wish, soI am sure it will all be fine.

A new adventure, a new approach- making adaptions to allow for a common childhood event - summer camp- but with a bit of creativity to meet the needs of our child's medical needs. Let the adventure begin....

water, an element that continues to visit us within

We had plans for some work on the house, not fun stuff, but rather needful stuff. It was to be next week... but life happens when you make other plans.

Friday as Paul and I enjoyed b'fast on the "veranda" our wise siding guy arrived. He also does roofing work, which has been a blessing to us. He came for one purpose but soon was busy with us to determine the source of the elusive roof leak.

Last week Tim came and we watered down the chimney and then the siding. It appeared that it was a siding issue as I found water in a small hole I cut in the drywall next to the chimney as he sprayed water on the siding. We did not give consideration to the reality that there had been water on the roof first.

Friday the guys began at the siding- giving it a good pounding of water, with no water coming in. By this point- 5 months since the first leak, we are well ready for the source to be found. Paul took my 1 x 2 inch hole and cut away the drywall up to the ceiling and then part of the ceiling drywall to allow access into the space above for greater visablity.

Water is then introduced above on the roof. Suddenly it is coming in. then it stops and again it is coming down. Further examination helps to narrow the leak. It is back to a roof issue, a flashing issue it appears. We contact the roofing company- they will be out to relook later this week. I am sure they are not pleased by our cutting as it also has revealed black mold and will increase the repairs that need to be done. We are just ready to stop looking up when it rains.

Water, water, water so seems the theme of this season. Friday afternoon I wanted to get the shower that did not come that morning as we tore into the roof. The hotwater heater decided, once again, to not play. After 20 hash marks on the "we can get to 1,000 marks" chart (Ebeth's lighthearted way of dealing with frustration) we decided that maybe it had given up the ghost.

I cashed in on open door offer of neighbors, returning clean and refreshed to a house with no hotwater heater on the wall again. Paul decided that today was the day to begin, not next week. That night he picked up plumbing supplies and Saturday turned into a plumbing marathon. 13 hours later he had rerouted the plumbing lines, installed a sediment and scale filter and the new hot water heater has fired up. We have cooed, prayed and cheered it on. We hope that this is the one that wil stay and serve the house well.

We so often take things for granted- hot water, dry ceilings.... they are not taken for granted so much these days. We are grateful for the provisions of the companies that have returned again and again, grateful for their ongoing striving to make it all right. Many days we are weary in the journey, yet press on knowing that it is a season and it too shall pass and one day we will look back from this time.

T-tapp update

I awoke this morning thinking of conversations i had yesterday with two friends. Both have begun to t-tapp and both are finding results. One found 2" weight loss and 1 pant size change in a weeks time. The other was not so specific with her feedback beyond how it is a workout and she is feeling better and finding her body changing.

It has been 6 weeks since I wrote about t-tapping. 7 weeks since I began. I had an unexpected week off due to technical difficulites, otherwise I have maintained my routine of t-tapping twice a week or more since then. for me that is huge as I have not routinely exercised in years beyond a few months of jogging in NC.

I still have not tracked well my measurement changes, beyond the pounds on the scale- which I tend to avoid. The reality is that I am switching from flab to toned muscle so the numbers have gone up slightly. Yet the other reality is that I feel tighter within, there is a change that is slowly going on from the inside out. I expect one day to find that the upper arms are going to be well defined where now they are just starting to be defined. Makes me wish I had taken the before pics for an objective mark of where I began. I sense changes but the pics would be proof positive.

The other change I am noticing is that my left thigh,which has always had a greatly diminished muscle on the inner top side seems to be changing. I don't know if over time it will develop fully, but just knowing that it is developing has given me further motivation.

So, I keep on the 15 min workout. Loving that I moving and continuing to feel energized, that if my body gets creaky I spend a short time moving and I am aligned and no longer in pain and creaky. That in a simple way I am achieving a goal that i never thought I could achieve as I am so exercise lazy- yet it was through a simple routine that good changes have come.

So, if you long for a do-able exercise routine and dont want to have to kill yourself to get real change give t-tapp a try. One friend had been following some kind of video and sweating away with no change. she made the switch and found there was a dramatic difference in the outcome. i dont understand the why, i just know it is different and productive.

www.t-tapp.com is where a wealth of information can be found. I am off to do some hoe downs and today I may begin to learn the walking workout, I am feeling like its time to challenge my body a bit more.

The stone is passed

Last night after months of waiting my daughter received word of a scholarship being granted her for her school of choice. This was not the typical- submit your scholarship application and receive word journey. It was a journey of faith, perseverence and a bit of nagging. All cemented together with prayer.

In October of last year she submitted her application and essay. Within a week she received word that part of it was missing, so she resubmitted her paperwork. By January she called to see if any decision had been made as she hoped to start college midyear. She was told that the commitee had not met yet. So the waiting began as she worked a full time job.

As spring approached she began to work the process of cementing her enrollment. She made several inquiries about scholarship status, all to end in no clear answer. As April began and spring was on its way she stepped up inquiries, still no clear answers. As the closing of April came I began to wonder at the lack of clear communication of any sort. I made a few inquiries and at last we found that her scholarship application had turned up MIA. She went to campus and we were grateful to find that her scholarship essay was in her file with the Oct 08 stamp receival date upon it.

More perseverence was still required as she met with, emailed and submitted more paperwork and chased trails for any scholarship posiblity as most of the funds had been granted at this point. We prayed, asked God for provision and waited. yesterday word was given that she will recieve full tuition and fees scholarship.

What does this have to do with stones?? At first glance not much, yet in our family we have stones that symblize times of faith testing or provisions of God. As I received the news of this season of waiting and the wonderful provision I knew it was an "Ebenezer stone" time. I sat down and made a stone for the scholarship and one for her job- as her first job kind of "fell from heaven". As she came home I showed them to her, acknowledging that she has begun her own walk of faith journey and this was one of the stepping stones of that journey.

Walking by faith, not easy, not fun, but the scenery is memorable, the lessons indelible. Watching her walk, seeking prayer from others and living dependent upon the Lord has been a joy to behold. It has been a week of surrender and calling out to God- sometimes to get a quick answer, sometimes to continue to wait and persevere.

Sam lost his treasured Leatherman, searching availed it not, so we talked and prayed. Then I questioned him a bit more and soon we found it- chance, perhaps, but maybe just the beginning of God allowing him to learn to seek Him in the midst of his need. For Ebeth it was perseverence and patience as well as alot of footwork. Not easy, not fun, often frustrating, but in the end there was a blessing.

What a joy to watch our children learn to live by faith!