Merry Christmas

I’m still slowly working on all of my handmade gifts for Christmas–just three more things to make.  To be clear, I really DO care if people like things that I give them and I put a lot of thought into gifts–purchased or made by my own hands.  In fact, sometimes I’m so concerned that I usually end up not giving.  I almost have to trick myself into thinking that I do not care so I don’t put so much pressure on myself, and so I don’t take it personally if the gift is not liked.  But I really do care.

Anyway, my family and I get to visit my side of the family this Christmas and we hope the weather plays nice on the drive down. I also hope our immune systems play nice.  Noah has not been feeling well today, but we suspect that he had a little too much party-ing yesterday.

I’ll be back in the future with pictures of the handmade goods and stories of our adventures in the South. Have a peaceful Christmas.

Andrea

oh, i thought you said…

At supper last night, Noah was telling us about his school day. Here’s how it went:

N: Today at school we made blue snow and they fight-ed over the blue…

Me: They fought over the…

N interrupts: Nooo! I said fight-ed

Me: Fighted. You don’t say fight-ed. You say fought.

N giggling: I didn’t say fart! I said fight-ed. Did you say fart?!

Me: No. Who was fighting?

N: Me, Jack, Sam, and Travis.

thoughts on Christmas

Today, my mother-in-law sent the following “letter” to me and a few others via an email forward.  I suppose this conveys my thoughts on the holiday a lot better than my misguided rambling.  It is presented as a letter from Jesus.  Perhaps whoever wrote this started off feeling a little frustrated by both sides of the Christmas coin.  Then preceded in prayer for the Lord to show them where to stand on Christmas and prayed for a balanced and Godly view on the holiday. I will let you know that as I wrote that rant I was in the process. This helped me to put my thoughts into perspective and to refocus.

——————————

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up… It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I love you, Jesus

handmade christmas, why commercials suck, bah humbug and all that good stuff

This year I decided that we are doing a handmade Christmas.  I suppose I shouldn’t have imposed that on everyone in the family, but I think I did.  I haven’t started making anything, but I have a list (this is where Moriah and I differ) and ebay’s Christmas ad this year is a bit harsh toward those who make handmade goods.  Pooey on them for discouraging my efforts.  Target is also among the ads that makes fun of handmade gifts. Suck it, Target!  I’m making gifts this year and if no one likes them, they also can suck it!

In all seriousness devoid of vulgarity, I’m just not feeling it this year.  None of it. I usually love Christmas lights, putting up the tree, giving gifts, but this year is the worst as far as cynicism goes.  Commercialized Christmas has made many things benign and I’m even growing tired of the Christian attempt to “keep Christ in Christmas” as we stress about giving gifts or who we’ll offend if we don’t send them a card.  Really?  Are we really focusing on the birth of Jesus? The moment Salvation came to the world?

BAH!

Andrea

our family’s banana bread recipe

This is Nathan’s favorite banana bread recipe.  Nine years ago a girl who had a crush on Nat delivered the recipe to his house at his request. She came in hopes that his heart would be won, but found out he wanted the recipe so I could make it for him.  I made the bread, and it was good–but it wasn’t (and still isn’t) perfect. After our wedding and after I had already made the bread, I found out that story (be warned, the previous telling is my recount) and that he and the girl probably would have started dating if I hadn’t come on the scene.  I didn’t want to make another woman’s banana bread.  I didn’t want him thinking of her every time he ate it.  So I set out on a mission to find a different recipe and make mine the best.  To my demise, they all paled in comparison to her recipe.  And here it is:

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup or 3-4 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp salt

mix dry ingredients separately. Then mix wet ingredients. They mix both together. Bake at 350 in a greased and floured loaf pan for one and a half hours!  Makes one healthy loaf.

I have tried many, many banana bread recipes and many pieces of banana bread. This is the best–except for Jan’s.  Excuse the use of shortening.  I’ve tried many substitutes (Spectrum shortening, butter, oil, butter & shortening) and none of them work as well as good, ol Crisco.  Taste trumps health in this case.  However, using 5 bananas and 1/2 cup of shortening might work. This bread does have a tendency to get dark before it’s done in the middle. I’ve never taken the time to learn the science of cooking to figure out why that happens and how to fix it.  But  it is really good (doesn’t last a day in our house), and at least I know that I got the man. 

stalling

I’m stalling.  I’m supposed to be getting ready for our trip to Fargo.  We’re leaving today and will be back Sunday. I’m sure it’s really cold there.  BUT we’ll get to visit a little newborn on our way home.  A very special babe born into the family of very special friends.

Happy Weekend!

hanging pictures

Yesterday I started a running list of things I want to get done this month.  One of the things on that list was to hang pictures on the wall. So today I finally unpacked our last box from our move this Summer.  Pictures.  I had previously decided to leave them in the box and not put anything on the walls, ’cause I think items on the wall would make me feel as if the walls are closer together.  In a narrow space, that is not a feeling I welcome.  But, I was recently at a lady’s house, and she has stuff on her walls.  It felt like a home. Like someone actually lived there and not like some sterile, boring place where people only sleep.  I was encouraged to hang some items on the walls. Don’t they look great?

Just kidding.  I’m the kind of person who puts stuff on the walls and then realizes that another placement would look better. Then another…and another.  Then, I eventually change my mind about hanging items all together and end up with walls full of holes. When I first read this tip for picture hanging, I knew it would save Nathan (who recently let me use a hammer and a power drill without supervision) and myself a lot of frustration.

Before tracing the frames on used grocery sacks I arrange the pictures on the floor closest to the wall where they will hang. This helps me visualize the final layout.  Then, I trace the frames and tape the layout to the wall.  This way I can stand back and see how the frames  would look on the wall without actually hanging the frames. I can also measure distances between frames, center the arrangement on the wall, etc. After reworking, I leave the paper in and put the nail just at the top of it. The paper and tape slide off over the nail, then I hang the picture.

I also started a photo version of a family tree in our upstairs hallway.  It really does make a difference having things on the walls, especially family pictures. Plus my walls don’t feel closer together as I thought they would.

friday was a good day

and it’s almost here again. I hope this Friday is a as good as the last.

Last Friday I found out that I will have work in a few weeks.  It’s the job I was offered this summer.  Good thing, cause the rejection notices have been coming in from all of those applications I put out last week.  However, just in case there is a glitch,  I will continue a soft job search until the official start date.  So, this post is the official end to me writing about work online.

I’ve been waiting for my kids to both be school age for a few years now.  God has been doing some really deep, difficult work in me for the last 8 years and most of the time I wasn’t quite sure how to handle parenting, marriage, other people and what was being done in me. I always wanted to escape either to run away or have God just get all of the work over with in one big chunk. It was a difficult time none the less.  Just like needing to recover from surgery, I’ve needed to recover from all that I endured by God’s hand and any hurts and issues that resulted in the last 8 years of my life. So, having kids in school is a nice treat and has been timely.

I haven’t always been productive with the things I need or want to do.  In fact, it is one area of life that I have worked really hard to become better at because in the past it was a weakness that bugged me (some weaknesses I don’t really care to improve–like my golf score), and I continue to seek improvement.  I am being quite successful, so that is encouraging. The other day someone asked me what I do with my time since my kids are gone all day. Instead of  being a machine when it comes to cleaning, other household duties and creative projects, I’ve done some “paid” work for my job, wasted time and spent time thinking, praying, and I’ve even done some fasting.  I feel that I am coming out of recovery and coming into living and being.  Because I’m done focusing on the recovery and I know that I will not have the same luxury of 6 hours of “me time” in the near future, I’ve been very productive with things I need to do and things I want to do.  I’m nesting.  I’m pretty proud of all that I’m getting done.

I’ve also had a recent revelation about myself: the only way for me to be productive and feel motivated is to simply start doing something.  It sounds like a no-brainer, I know;but it was a very helpful realization. If I just sit and think about how unmotivated I am, I’m sure to remain unmotivated and never start anything. So, I push through and do something–one thing and then there is no stopping me. I feel so much better getting things done during the day, then my kids have my full attention, most of it, once they get home. It’s a win-win. Being a working mom will be fairly new to me so it will pose lots of new challenges, but will be great fodder for blog posts. I also hope to write more about my “surgery” and recovery in the future, I feel it deserves a little more time than I’ve devoted here.

Well, here’s to work and here’s to productivity.

By the way, I’ve gotten up 30 minutes earlier than I usually do two days in a row.  That is huge progress for me and I’m pretty excited about it.

Have a great Wednesday!

Andrea

friday notes

Today is Friday. It came too quickly, but it brought with it a day full of simple pleasures.

That blur you see above is a result of the head maneuvering Noah had to do so that fork would fit in his mouth.  I should probably do the dishes (which is not why he’s eating on a paper plate.  That’s my strategy for minimizing my dishwashing).  Thankfully, he was so proud of his giant fork that he yelled up the stairs, “Moriah, my fork is bigger than yours!”

Moriah is having her first overnight away from home.  A real, live girly sleepover.  I said I wouldn’t allow it until she was about 10 or 12, but ever since Moriah wrote her book, School Starts with a Friend, and now has a best friend; I’ve been a bit of a sap when it comes to Moriah and friends.  She only likes school because of the friends, so who am I to let my lack of socializing interfere with hers? Her friend’s brother (he’s 4) is coming to our house to sleepover with Noah.  The cute thing about these two boys is they can’t remember each other’s names.  So Noah calls him “The Brother” and The Brother calls Noah “The Boy” (he didn’t even know that’s his nickname). That’s how close they are.  We’re essentially doing it so the girls can have fun without a boy around.

I thought you might enjoy a close up of that list. Hopefully, Moriah’s dear friend will not have to endure the harsh judging that my mother endured during the last “Beutey Contest”  Moriah hosted. Let’s just say that on that day my mother learned that not having a full set of eyebrows will surely disqualify someone from winning a beauty contest. I have to tell you that I love everything about this list and the fact that she is now in the habit of making some sort of list everyday.

I’m also getting a little work done on Noah’s quilt.  Unfortunately the squares are 1/4″ too small.  I hope I can work around that and still end up with a beautiful quilt for my boy.  I didn’t actually work on those today, but I wanted to share a little of what I did over Thanksgiving.

And this little treat was a surprise.  It actually taste good and is really close in flavor to its dairy cousin.  I’ll have to save some for the sweet potato pie I plan to make tonight…after I return from a women’s Christmas event at my church.  Have a happy weekend.  I’ll return on Monday to report back about our weekend.

all in a day’s work

I’ve started applying for jobs again.  This time I choose to have a better attitude, a different attitude, and a different strategy.  Just last night I applied for 18 jobs, and it is my goal to do something job hunt related everyday.  I am still waiting for this start up company to get the funding to start and bring on its executives. In the meantime, we need the income. This morning I set out on an mission to be productive with my time rather than sitting at home convincing myself to wash the dishes or some other domestic activity.

After dropping the kids off at school I planned to spend the morning in the library preparing for the job transition group Nathan’s supervisor told me about.  Unfortunately, the library doesn’t open until ten.  Only the bars and coffee shops were open. So, I went to the local coffee shop (this time last year, I think I would have opted for the bar). I couldn’t possibly sit there for an hour and mooch off their WiFi without making a purchase.  A cafe miel, with soy please and an orange-cranberry scone.  Mmm. Just right, and by the end of the day I was so glad I opted for the coffee drink instead of herbal tea.

Though I swore I would not keep track of my job application progress, I decided that I should make a spreadsheet detailing the jobs I’ve applied for–the position, the date applied, etc.  I spent my time at the coffee shop creating that, then off to the library to print off my resume for the job transition group. I went through a lot of hassle to get three copies of my resume printed on my own paper only to notice a typo right before I needed to leave.  Thankfully, I didn’t need any resumes, so those will go right in the trash.

I dreaded this job transition group.  It’s a networking group. Many of you that know me or have figured a few things out by reading this blog, know that networking and name dropping are not my thing.  I did not want to go, but considering my new attitude about searching for employment, I sucked it up and figured it could be really fun to meet new people.  This group (and I’m sure others like it) is awesome.  It meets at a church and the pastor facilitates.  He has a large binder of 23,000 people that are willing to be contacts at various companies in the area. Some people are members of his very large congregation and some are past members of the transition group. One lady was there who was referred by her father who got his job through the group 16 years ago.

Each person stands up and says if they need employment, if they are offering employment, or if they have some other service to offer (such as counseling). Those wanting employment say what company they want a contact at, then the pastor finds someone in his book that works there, gives you their work and home number (with prior consent); or another member of the group says that they know a contact at that company. It was really neat.  It was not as fun as mingling would be for the “people person,” but it is very non threatening for anyone–especially those that do not do so well with mingling.

That group was in the same ‘burb as my church, so after that I went to my church to help a little more with Christmas decorations.  They really encourage volunteering at our church and boy do they have a lot to do.  Once I was done fluffing trees, putting trees together, spraying snow on pine cones, and laying snow around trees, I left to pick up the kiddos. We came home to eat, read, write, play and now they are off to a kids church meeting.  I will do the grocery shopping and then home to bed. By the time we get home, Nathan should be back from his overnight trip.  I really enjoyed being busy…today.  I’m really tired, but it was all in a day’s work.