Trick or Treat

For many years we chose to abstain from Halloween in any way. I think in some way it made us feel more spiritual, until we began to explain WHY we weren't begging for candy from willingly sharing neighbors to our very inquisitive oldest child. We saw that we would defile him more by explaining our "conviction" than just letting him go out dressed in a fun costume, not evil, and collect some candy.

4 years ago we started gathering for a meal, and pounding the streets with dear friends of ours. It has been great fun and created marvelous memories. Tonight was no different. Fun was had by all, and lots of laughs were enjoyed, not to mention the sugar!!!

I do have to say that it was refreshing to see our children dressed cute and fun, and not in evil costumes. There were very few cute costumes out tonight.

I sure do love our little crews!!!

Fall In The Kitchen

Thursday evening my children had to pay the Piper for misdeeds and go to bed at 6:30. My hubby was teaching his last class at a local community college, and I had the remote!!! I watched Food Network until he got home. It was marvelous!

I caught Rachel Ray first and she made the most unusual dish with a pumpkin sauce. It had herbs, spices, and sausage. It was served over whole wheat pasta, alongside whole grain bread, and a salad. I had all the ingredients and decided to give it a go. I fixed it tonight and my family liked it. I got responses ranging from "Yeah, it's edible" (from our pickiest), "I like it, I love the bread", to "I love it" and then The Dawg said "The pumpkin makes it pretty girly, but I love the sausage". I'll take that as a success.

I served the sauce over whole grain/whole wheat mixed spaghetti noodles, a french loaf made of an organic white whole wheat, and a caesar salad.

I'm trying to save $$ so we will be having left over noodles in lo mein tomorrow night. We are having company over Friday night and I am doing something I've never done before. It's an idea I saw in a recent Southern Living issue, and I think it'll be fun. I'll blog on the idea later, and let you know how it went. I fear that if I blog about it the guests will read, and will cancel on us. :0)

Pumpkin Sausage Sauce

1 tbsp EVOO (I didn't use...)

1 lb Italian Sausage (I used hot)

4 cloves garlic

1 med. onion finely chopped

1 bay leaf

4-6 sage leaves cut very fine

1 cu. dry white wine (didn't have any on hand)

1 cu. chicken stock

1 cu canned pumpkin (I used more like 1 1/2 cu)

1/2 cu. heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half)

1/8 tsp. gr. cinnamon (I always use more spices!)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

salt to taste

pepper

pasta

parmesean to garnish

sides : whole grain bread, and salad

Directions: Cook sausage, then I cut them up. Drain well. Chop onion and herbs well, except bay leaf. Add to sausage. Sweat onion, add stock (and wine if you like), add bay leaf, add pumpkin, stir well, add cream, press garlic and add. Add spices. Continue to stir well. I just brought it to a simmer then reduced heat to low as I got my water started for my pasta. I covered it and let it come together until the pasta was finished.

Enjoy!!

Recipes

We are making some dietary changes around here to battle the bulge. What we are doing is weeding out processed foods, white flour, sugars, and unhealthy oils. That's the short of it.

I will be altering recipes we already eat to comply with our changes. I'll post some of the yummy recipes we try and like. If you have some of your own that you would like to share, feel free to post!

Bon Appetit!

Fall Garden

I haven't blogged on my garden in some time. The drought has made it tough to do much but pray and wait.

My Greens are coming in nicely, and have grown significantly since a good soaking rain last week, and a couple this week. My Sugar Snap Peas, and Romaine are growing well also.

I look forward to enjoying these goodies in the coming weeks.

A Great Example

A few weeks ago I ran into a neighbor at a local store. Just hours before, I had attended a John Rosemond seminar at our church based on one of his best books, Teen-Proofing. The neighbor and I exchanged friendly "Hey, how are you?" greetings, then I asked how his youngest child was doing in college. It's her first yr. Of course, he opened up conversation about his other 2 children. He kept talking about one in particular and referring to all the trouble they've been in. I have heard bits and pieces, but don't really know anything about this young adult. I told him that.

My neighbor and I stood in the aisle for a good 30 min. He told me about all the trials they have been through with this particular child of theirs. Drugs, theft (related to drugs), poor peer choices, and the like. This guy made it clear he has a deep faith and that is what has kept him over the past few years. He also told me how extending grace to this child year after year was only enabling more trouble, he eventually had to get tough. He told me that while working one day, he received a phone call from the Police that they needed a large sum of money, or needed to come to his house and "collect" the son. He had to set up his son to be at his apartment at a certain time that evening so the Police could come pick him up. Nobody in the family knew of this phone call. I can't imagine how hard that must have been, especially knowing what a heartache it would be for the Mother. This is true love in action. He made it clear that none of this was done out of anger, but out of love, and how utterly difficult it was.

I stood in the aisle in absolute awe. I told him how much I respect him, and how it gives me comfort to know that should the day ever come where I have to be tough with one of my children for their greater good, the Lord will sustain me and grant me the grace to execute whatever I must.

I saw this neighbor's truck pass by my house this morning while I was dusting, and offered up a prayer of thanksgiving for the example he has set.

Thank you Lord that though we don't live in the most costly neighborhood in this town, I believe it is easily one of the richest! I am surrounded by amazing stories and lessons.

Oink Award

Today I bit the bullet and cleaned the rooms of 2 of my children. Oh my word!!! It amazes me the JUNK these children can accumulate in no time flat.

I haven't done a good "Mom clean" in a while. Trashing what they haven't taken care of in the 2 day grace/warning period, and finding places for what's left. I got a full trash bag out of each child's room.

My daughter came in, looked around, and said "Oh, it feels so good to be in my room again". I'm glad she feels that way. I hope she will maintain the order for a long time. If not, she will most likely suffer the devastation of missing goods that have been sent to junk heaven (a.k.a, the dump).

While cleaning I received a phone call from a young man that came around my neighborhood from a local investment firm a few weeks ago. He's new in town, and I was friendly toward him, though I was honest that I don't have any money to invest anywhere. Today he wanted to let me know of some good bonds that were available if we had any extra money handy. I played it cool. He then asked if we have retirement plans. I assured him we do through my husband's work (I should have made it clear that my husband does). He then asked me about mine. I almost busted out laughing, telling him that "I have mine in my room, on the floor, right by my door. It's an old apple juice jar full of change I get out of the washing machine while doing laundry". The reality is that I pray my children will take me in and care for me when I am old and feeble, heck, I hope I don't get feeble, and yet grow very old.

The Lord has funny ways of adding humor to my days. I've learned to be humored by the little things in life, and not take myself too seriously.

Retirement. Hmmm...maybe I could raise pigs!!!

Shadows

I can remember times when I was a young girl, in those last moments of my day, waiting to fall asleep, getting scared out of my mind by the shadows that were cast on my wall from the trees out in my backyard. I KNEW that they were trees, and yet they still scared me. I think the problem was that there were other things I was scared of, and the shadows tapped into those fears.

I think the same thing can happen in relationships. Something very black and white gets distorted and skewed because of misconceptions, frustrations about other things, fatigue, or other problems at hand.

I don't know that there is an exact answer as to the best way to handle each relational "shadow". I do know that as a girl, rolling over, crying, asking the Lord to HELP, and holding on to the reality that in the light of morning I could go outside, look at the trees, and know that it truly was only the tree's shadow I was seeing on my wall. JUST a tree. Whew! Then I would lift my head toward the heavens, and ask the Lord to take care of all those scary feelings. He did. All in good time, He did...

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

I got out of bed less than an hour ago. I tip toed into the kitchen, made my coffee, and settled into the living room for some quiet time before my day started. My youngest still has this keen sense of when I rise. She came in, kissed me, and gave me that look that says "can I get up yet?" I smiled and said, "Good morning! I love you. Back to bed until it's light outside."

I was able to have about 30 minutes alone to come to and drink in some truth before the sun came up enough for the children to justify rising (although you can't tell from this picture). My children congregated in my youngest child's bedroom to greet one another, and check the "light situation". They figured it was safe enough and came into the living room. In unison they were saying "MOM, it's raining outside!!" it was just like those rare mornings around here when it snows. They all gathered on the couch as they do when it snows, and my younger 2 children have done for years, looking outside, waving at people going to work, and taking advantage of their front row seats to nature's latest show, one that we haven't seen in weeks.

I love that my children are not so over stimulated by all the world offers children that they can't sit by a window and watch it rain, or snow, or the wind whip trees around, with sheer awe and delight. Some would say we have deprived our children since they don't have video games, don't spend time on the computer, and only watch a select few programs on TV. I disagree. If they need to catch up on that when they're adults, that's up to them, but for now, we want them sensitive to God's revelation of Himself through nature.

Father, thank you for the rain. Thank you for an amazing husband, and these 3 children that happen to be my favorites. Thank you so much for revealing yourself through nature. How kind!

Carpenter

I have an older brother that is a Carpenter. He is growing in his faith through some crushing circumstances. It's hard to watch. Yesterday He stopped by to visit since we haven't in a while. He was talking about many things he is going through and struggling with. He talked in a very real way about how he is seeking the Lord and how real all of this, once "far off God stuff" is becoming very real and practical to him. I rejoice!!! He tickles me. He is so very sincere. Very tenderhearted, yet very ragged, and real in his approach to his relationship with the Lord. He was talking about a difficult and ethical situation with an employer. He was so frustrated at the compromises being made on the part of the employer, and confused as to how to handle it all. He told me he just threw up his hands, lifted his head, and said "Well hell!! Lord, you were a Carpenter, what would you do?".

You've gotta' love that!!!

Water Restriction

Right now the area I live in is under water restrictions. That makes gardening tough. The Media is encouraging folks to report neighbors that are watering. I have decided to use minimal water, and my garden reflects that. I went out yesterday and felt rather frustrated.

I can tell I'm generally feeling like I'm under water restrictions. I take comfort that I'm just struggling with feelings, and feelings are a poor representation of truth.

Ever feel like things are just closing in on you? Like you can't take any more bad news? Like a bear on the inside? I'm there. No, it isn't PMS. It's just the state of things on Planet Earth. It makes me want to cuss. Actually, I've been doing a lot of "silent cussing" or cussing while alone lately. I hate it when I get like this. I recently saw the blog of a brassy gal I don't know, but like a great deal. She was flipping the bird to life in general. Loved that. THAT is how I feel right now. She already did it, so I don't need to.

The good in all of this? I know that none of this stops here. There is no guarantee that circumstances will change here or now, but I know the Living Water. I know where a Spring is. There is an endless supply of everything I need for life and godliness. This is a fact. One I must rest on in faith. I think I will.

One day water restrictions will be over for good!

Invitation

Yesterday I went to the Victory Garden of a Gal I hardly know. She is receiving a radiation treatment, and her thoughtful Husband wanted all the summer vegetables cleaned out before she got home from a week away. I went early, got my instructions, and got started.

The first part was a pretty dirty job pulling out some massive plants. I felt confident I was doing just as I had been instructed. No big questions as to if I was causing harm or not. After I finished, I was to do some pruning.

When I got home, and was showering I was thinking about what a blessing it was to be invited tend to another person's garden. A real treat, for sure. As I was thinking and praying, it became clear there was a major lesson taught to me just a little earlier.

It wasn't nearly as easy when it was time to go through and prune. I was unsure of how much she would want cut back, and didn't want to get too happy with the trimmers. Isn't it like that in relationships too? It isn't usually the big, or hard stuff that does us in. It's the little things. The "biggies" may require more labor in some way, but the real agony can come in the many little things.

My time yesterday in her garden underscored for me just how important it is to use a very light hand in dealing with or judging another person's actions. I don't know what all has taken place in the garden of their soul. The changes in the landscape, the flowers, the pests, the plants, the weeds, the fruit, the growth, the set backs, what's to stay, what's to go. I simply don't know what the Master Gardener's priorities are in another person's garden.

Unless I'm INVITED to help prune, and even then, prayer, a light hand, and a tender heart is only proper.

Thank you Lord for such a rich lesson in the garden.

It's Going To Be Okay

Tonight I had another one of my "Over The Fence" talks with the older lady that lives next door to me. I often end up in such conversations on my way out to run an errand. They've come to be one of my favorite treats. Tonight, it was chit chat about a local political matter, Creation, the drought, unseasonably hot weather, and cutting up over the absurdity of not being able to get a decent neighbor on the other side of me, so we send out the Police instead of the Welcome Wagon. Her lighthearted laugh, and good natured joking were a balm to my soul. She usually ends up telling me a great story from her life's library when we talk. She did tonight. I always come away from talking to this woman feeling like my soul has been fed.

When I was driving to pick up my eldest child from a church activity, I had the most amazing feeling of well-being, much like I feel when I see clothes on a clothesline blowing gently in the wind, smell clean clothes, or a great cinnamon laced candle.

I've noticed that there is a sense of assurance that everything will be okay among the folks I know that grew up during the Depression Era. I didn't grow up knowing that, and I didn't hear that much growing up. I questioned God a lot about how things would turn out for me, and begged Him to make it good.

At times in my life, the Lord has allowed things that didn't feel okay, but the truth is, with Him I can always trust that in the end, it's going to be okay.