Blessed Are You Among Women

Our story today was the Visitation.  Newly-pregnant Mary goes to visit pregnant Elizabeth. 

Question:  Who was it that Elizabeth said was "blessed"?
Kid's answer: Mary.

Yes.
True.

But ...

You know how kids are so often prone to answer "Jesus"? 

That wouldn't have been a wrong answer, now would it?  "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."  In other words, "Blessed are you, Mary, and blessed is Jesus" (Luke 1:42).

We always hear this verse used to tell us why we should indeed extol Mary.  And that's not untrue.  But I don't think I've ever heard someone point out that Elizabeth was saying "Blessed is Jesus."

Errands

Yesterday began with
chapel
Curves
pharmacy.

Home for showers and getting dressed. 
Then round two:
Goodwill (where we found a flute and a clarinet!)
Salvation Army (which was closed)
Woodman's
Fleet Farm
Walmart
a neighbor's house.

Home to bake the cinnamon rolls, wash the used stroller we were giving as a gift, and wrap presents for the child our branch adopted for Christmas-giving.  (For me , it's so much happier to give a child things he needs -- like diapers or a snowsuit or a stroller -- than it is to give frivolous mind-rotting gifts that are requested by so many, things that I refused to give my own children.)
to work to drop off gifts
bookstore
another grocery store
the home of a neighbor who sells honey

Home to make and eat supper.
Church for Advent service
and choir practice.

Today I have to pick up the messies I left all over the house yesterday.

The Unruliness!

I made cinnamon rolls yesterday. 

When I ate them, I bit them. 

I did not unroll them.  I just chomped a hunk out of the side.

I do believe there's been some sort of cosmic shift in my reality....

Favorite Insta-Supper

Gary's favorite insta-suppers are
~ Aldi bake-at-home pizza (almost as good as Tony's)
~ spaghetti with a side of green beans.

My favorite?  When there's no time to cook, and you didn't thaw hamburger, and you need real food, this is what I love:
~ boneless center-cut pork chops
(skillet-fried with a rub of basil, brown sugar, chili powder)
~ buttered, parsleyed pasta
(maybe with pesto or parmesan too)
~ a side dish or two of frozen veggies

Seriously, it's about 20-25 minutes from the time I arrive home until we sit down to eat.  And it's real food.  And it's deLIcious.  Not the cheapest, so I don't plan it as part of the meal rotation.  But my tastebuds wish I would ....

Snow Storm Wins over the Symphony

Big dump of snow today.
Loads of accidents.
Thankfully, Philip made it home from church safely, and Andrew made it safely to work.

Symphony was canceled. 
It was a wise decision.
But I'm still disappointed.
I'm trying not to think about it.

Reading Challenge

The conclusion of my reading-year.   I seriously doubt anything more books will be finished in the next three weeks.

My primary list:
Anne of Green Gables   by L. M. Montgomery  Jan 24
Anne of Avonlea   (these two with Maggie) Feb 24
Christ Have Mercy   by Matt Harrison April 7
Mara, Daughter of the Nile   June 7

Love Divine   by Alan Kornacki July 30
A Great and Mighty Wonder July 31
One Thing's Needful Aug 5

Mitford's These High, Green Hills Aug 16
Out to Canaan    by Jan Karon Aug 27
A Common Life Sept 2
A New Song   Sept 20
In This Mountain   Oct 4
Shepherds Abiding  Oct 12


The list that someone else made for me:
Lutheran Catechesis   by Bender Dec 27, 2012
Old Testament Catechesis   by Bender March 1
New Testament Catechesis    by Bender  began in October
Bible Stories for Daily Prayer    by Fabrizius   still waiting



Alternates:
Kristin Lavransdatter  by Sigrid Undset  going on 2014's list
To Kill a Mockingbird   by  Harper Lee May 8
Luther, the Reformer   by James Kittelson  unread
The Right to Be Wrong   by Seamus Hasson unread
On Being a Theologian of the Cross   by Forde unread
Luther on Vocation   by Wingren July 15


Books not on the original list:
A Long Way from Chicago by R Peck audio book April 16
A Year Down Yonder by Peck audio book April 18
And She Was a Christian: Why Do Believers Commit
Suicide by Peter Preus May 7
Heaven Is for Real June 27
How to Treat Your Own Hand & Thumb Osteoarthritis  Sept 28

Eighteen books read.
Two audio books "read."
Two proofreading projects completed.
And for the last two months I've been knitting and watching movies instead of reading.

Now it's time to figure out which books will go on my 2014 list.