Sad Children

As I was checking out of the grocery store today, a woman was sitting nearby, holding a sobbing child.  A couple of people inquired if there were anything they could do to help, but the response was a gentle and caring "Thank you, but she's just having a bad day."  I assumed the little girl was having a tantrum because mom didn't buy the cookies she wanted, or it was getting to be naptime and the child was having a meltdown.  You know -- nothing to be concerned about.  Something that all parents cope with.

By the time my groceries were loaded into the car and I'd returned my cart, the sniffling preschooler and the woman were walking out to their car parked next to mine.  Turns out the child wanted her mommy!  And the woman was assuring her that she'd "see Mommy after she's done working." 

We think it's normal and acceptable for mommies to leave their children to go to work.  Yes, sometimes it's necessary.  But the child's tears should teach us something.

Valentine's Day

So, I anticipate seeing Facebook posts and blogposts about the wonderful dinners y'all ate and the fun things you did to celebrate.  Our Valentine's Day solidifies the proof that we are aging and practical fuddy-duddies.

I was planning to take Andrew* to urgent care, but was lucky to find our doctor had an opening in the morning.  This was followed by a trip to the pharmacist.  Gary had a bad day at work.  I fell asleep mid-afternoon reading schoolwork with Maggie.  Supper was beans and cornbread.  No chocolate, no cake, no cookies, no treats -- we can't being doin' sugar when we're still fighting off the germies.  (When will this end and we're no longer treading on the edge of the cliff?)

We did, however, go to our dance class.  Dancing.  For Valentine's Day.  At least that 50 minutes of the day sounds decidedly romantic.  Truth be told, it was more exercise than beautiful dancing.  But we'll go with romantic.  It sounds better that way.


* Footnote: Nasty ear infection.  It's improving, and he probably will have managed to avoid a ruptured eardrum. 

Vote Next Tuesday

Next Tuesday (February 19) is the primary for Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice. 

1) There's a clear difference in the candidates.
2) The court is currently divided 4-3, with the "4th" being the seat that's contested this spring.  This election will determine the court majority. 
3)  Pat Roggensack (the incumbent) has voted in a more conservative, "strict constructionist" direction.  Her opponents are more of the "big government" variety.

VOTE on Tuesday!
Put it on your calendar.
Or go "early vote" this week.
Vote Roggensack.



(PS: Katie, you've also got a primary for Assemblyman. We'll bring the paper's interviews with the candidates to church.  Although newspaper comparisons seldom give me the information I want.)

Update

I miss Gary.  He's been in Illinois 11 days of the last month.  His dad fell a week ago and had repair-surgery last weekend.  Today he moved into the nursing home for therapy.  Gary was there to help with the transition and to get more detail-stuff wrapped up. 

Snow, snow, snow.  As tired as we've been recently, I am SO thankful for the snow-blower.

I whipped up two Real Meals [whole foods; made from scratch] this week, things that were quick and easy, and earned two nights full of compliments from the satisfied diners.  Oh no, I'm building up their expectations again ....

I love sitting down and reading Anne with Maggie.  It's so pleasant and I wish there weren't so many responsibilities that get in the way.  Maggie has been doing much more, though, to help with chores and projects recently.

When you're regularly in a public place (uh, that would be at work) you get spoiled by the warmth.  Then 67 feels mighty cold at home. 

I'm ready for July.

Rotten Potatoes

That distinctive odor.  I can smell it in the pantry as soon as it starts.  So you grab the bag of potatoes, dump them all out, and find the one that's starting to decay. 

So does anybody know how to avoid getting a bag with a rotten potato?  I look the bags over before I choose one to put in my grocery cart.  My nose theoretically could sniff it out, but when I'm in the produce section by the potatoes, I always smell rotten ones.  How do you know which bags are clean and which have an on-their-way-to-putrid specimen?

Glorifying God

Glory.  

Big shiny powerfulness?  
Mighty awesomeness?

Pastor's always saying that God's glory is in His love, in His self-sacrifice, in His condescension for the sake of saving us.  Jesus is always talking about "His hour" to be glorified, and it turns out to be His suffering, death, and resurrection.

And there's the wrestling within me: Is His glory really about His suffering and death?  Isn't it about whoopin' the devil and triumphing in the resurrection and ascension?  Isn't His death just something to "get past" on the way to real glory? 

But look at what happens a few weeks later.  The disciples are out fishing and they see Jesus on the shore.  They bring the boats back to land and eat breakfast with Jesus.  Then Peter and Jesus go for that little walk and have that little chat: "Simon, do you love Me?" And the story ends with Jesus description of what would happen to Peter near the end of his life.  And then,
 

"This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God" (John 21:19).

Excuse me?
Peter's death would do what?

Glorify God?

Hmmm.  Puts a new spin on what "glory" is, huh?
 

Knots in the Neck

Those pains in the neck?  I'm too tall; our back massager cannot reach them.   As I sat reading to Maggie, I tried contorting into weird positions, slumping down, anything so that the massager could hit parts of my neck.  I kept wishing there was a way to make it work.

And the next night, I walk into Aldi for produce and, lo and behold, they had a neck massager.  Not only Aldi-priced, but clearance priced.  Less than the co-pay for one doctor/chiropractor visit.  I nabbed it.  It was a hasty decision.  I detest hasty decisions!  But boy oh boy, that little contraption sure does help.

"You Will NOT Believe the Day I Had at Work"

"Bear one another's burdens" really has a lot more to do with forgiving one another's sins than it does with psycho-social "support."  And yet, today I am befuddled as to what people do when they live alone.

It was "one of those days" at work.  Boring and slow for three hours.  And then, wham!  Bam!  Ka-phlooey!  In the midst of the frenzied onslaught rush of the final half-hour, I had two naughty customers, asking for complex and/or not-kosher transactions.

The whole drive home, I was thinking of how Gary wasn't there to TALK TO about it.  I told myself that I shouldn't regale Maggie with all the gory details.  After all, she had to listen to way more than she bargained for when I arrived home from work on Thursday.  But I couldn't help spilling it all onto Maggie.  And then Katie came over to visit, and I rehashed some of it.

Gary comes home from work and often has to spill his day too.

This seems like a normal thing.  But what happens if you go home and there's nobody there to TELL?  Does it sit and eat away at your insides?  Do you phone a friend or your mom?  Do you tell the dog? 

Non-Dairy Brownies

If you can't have butter, and if you're trying to turn cocoa powder into fudgy brownies, this worked superbly!

13x9" recipe

1.5 cups white flour
2 cups sugar
10 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut oil  or olive oil (solid, not melted)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (if you're not allergic to them)


recipe for 28-35 sq-inches
(I used a a small serving dish for veggies.
A 6" skillet would also work.)
3/8 cup flour (that is, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)
1/2 cup sugar
2.5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla


Put all ingredients into a bowl.  Mix.
Beat for another 3 minutes.
Bake a 13x9 at 350 for 30 minutes,
or the tiny pan for about 25 minutes.

Katie, even Dad liked these ... even with the coconutty taste.  The texture is just as nice as when made with butter.  They're not crumbly.  They're not dry.  Maggie told me not to eat the whole pan. I didn't -- not the whole pan.  I'm still thinking I should give this recipe a try with chilled olive oil, but that experiment hasn't happened yet.

Update from the following day:
We experimented with olive oil instead of coconut oil.  The brownies turned out even better!  I measured the olive oil, poured it into a small bowl, and then refrigerated it until it was a soft solid.   The brownies had a lovely fudgy texture, but without the coconut taste of yesterday's experiment.

Babushkas

I think those Russian women had it figured out.  They got old and wore their babushkas.  Who would see their thinning hair turning grey?  It was covered by the ever-present scarf.  They didn't have to figure out what to do with their old-lady hair.

Somehow, I suspect wearing a head scarf at work would not be part of "professional attire."


(Can you guess that I'm still trying to figure out whether to let the hair grow long again, keep it as is, or try something even shorter?!!)

The Devil's Temptation of Jesus

Pastor pointed out this morning:  
In Luke 4, the devil quotes Psalm 91 to Jesus, saying that He can jump off the roof of the temple because, after all, the angels will guard Him and keep Him safe.  But then, later in chapter 4, when the folks of Nazareth are all hacked off at Jesus for preaching gracious words and decide to throw Him off the cliff, He just walks away from them.  How?  Who knows?  But the angels did guard Him in all His ways lest He dash His foot against a stone.

Saturday

Maggie and I decided to take Gary to Discovery World before our membership runs out.  I love the aquarium there. 

Things I noticed:
~ I hate how tired I get at museums these days.  The kids and I used to enjoy spending a whole long luxurious day at a museum.  Now, two hours and I'm done.
~ When we walked past the heat sensor, my nose was blue.  Seriously?  Maggie's and Gary's noses were, y'know, alive and warm.  My nose showed as blue (thus, COLD) as my glasses.   Gary put his hand on my nose and said, "Oh, wow, your nose IS cold!"  Also, my finger with nerve damage and poor circulation showed bluer than the rest of my fingers.
~ We went in "the Hive" (which shows 3-D images-in-motion of different things) to see the Roman Colosseum.  The narrator explained how, with these computer models, it's better than being there in real life.  The reasoning that a) we can replicate what it was like originally instead of what it is now, and b) we're not adding wear-&-tear to the ruins that remain.  Okay, I see the point.  But c'mon, "better than being there in real life"???
~ I spent more time noticing women's hair styles than I spent investigating science.
~ Children at the museum seem more well-behaved on Saturdays (with their parents) than on weekdays (with their school classes).


While downtown, we used a gift certificate to eat at Buca di Beppo.  Phenomenal food!  What surprised us was the decorating.  So many pictures of Italian guys, singers and ball-players and actors and the pope.  But also photos of women that we were embarrassed to see: boobs, boobs, cleavage, and boobs.  Yikes!  The grievous part of the dining experience was that we left our doggie-bags on the table.  Argh!  That food was so awesome, and we didn't bring the leftovers home.  Woe!


I fell asleep on the couch by 8:00.  When I crawled into bed, I set the alarm for 7:15 "just in case."  I knew I'd be up early.  I wasn't; the alarm woke me.  We had to skip first service and go to late.  Maggie caught the stomach-ick that has been going around; she was up sick through the night and stayed home from church.

As nice as our day together was, I'm thinking that it was more than our bodies were ready to take.

That's pitiful.
 

Recent Doings

Three days in a row at home.

Oh, it's a beautiful thing!

After two and a half months of working extra days every week, we made a trip to Illinois to visit parents.  The next week was Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, and napping to ward off the impending illness.  The next week was Christmas and all the fun of visitors and extra Services.  The next week was the exhaustion of defeating the ice dams.  The next week I expected to be driving to Illinois again and arranged all plans around that.  But the trip was delayed by a day, so Gary traveled by himself.

While there, his mom passed away.  He was blessed to have had the opportunity to talk to her, reminding her of her baptism and the forgiveness that Jesus bestows on her, and to thank her for all she did for him, especially bringing him to the Lord.  He helped his dad with arrangements for a couple of days, came home for two days, and then we all turned around and traveled back for the funeral.  I was very thankful that my brother drove over with my mom.  (It gave my mom a chance to meet Mandy.  That girl gets enthusiastic thumbs-up from everybody in the family!  We thinks she's dandy!)

Paul started his new job in MinnesOta.  I haven't heard yet how it's going.  It's nice hours: full-time days, Monday through Friday.

Maggie and I have cleaned nearly the whole house this week.  It's about time, given the neglect it's endured.  We also finished (!) the laundry.  Well, "finished" for a couple of hours.

I cooked a Real Meal four nights in a row.  I was beginning to suspect I was no longer capable of real cooking.  But oh, the deliciousness was delicious.  Mmmm hhhmmmm.

I made two batches of soap this week.  Of course, with curing time they won't be ready for use until end of summer.  But hey, I've been putting off this task for over a year, so I'm pleased that I finally have some bars sitting and drying.

We still haven't succumbed to the germies floating about the city and the family.  Between sick tummies and terrible colds, it's nasty out there.  We're not exactly well, but we're still functioning.  It probably helped that I slept in several days this week, skipping chapel.

Maggie has exercised every day for the last week.  This is fantastic!

Andrew started his new semester this week.  He's half-time at school and working as many hours as he can get.

It's amazing how little effort, time, and money it took to fix the shower-head that was spritzing water all over the bathroom walls and ceiling.  Really?  Why did it take me so long to make a repair that was so simple?

Next up: more proofreading for CCA, shampooing carpets, a visit to the Social Security office for Maggie, and seeing if the "Christmas cards" can make it in time to be valentines.  

Fish Recipes

Thawed tilapia.  What to do with it for dinner?  Yowza -- I hit the jackpot with an online recipe.  I used 2# of fish and cooked it in two 10" skillets.  It's quick, easy, healthy, and so delicious that I'm wishing I could make it again tomorrow!

To start, grab a pint of canned tomatoes and drain the juice off for some other use; or chop a few tomatoes.  Chop a couple of onions too.  Then sprinkle a spice mix on both sides of the fillets.  (I used Emeril's Essence.  Next time I'll reserve Maggie's fillets to be seasoned with salt and pepper only.)  Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in each skillet.  Cook fillets in the hot oil for about 45-60 seconds per side. Gently lift fillets and toss the onions and tomatoes underneath.  Lower heat to low-medium, cover skillets, and cook for about 3 minutes.  Pour in enough coconut milk to make a nice sauce (about 1 cup per skillet), heat through until fish flakes and sauce is somewhat thickened and, well, saucy.  Serve over a small amount of rice.





Our other fave fish recipe is for salmon.  Meghan turned us onto this.  For each 4-oz salmon fillet, you'll combine about 1/2 Tbsp each of butter and mustard with 1 tsp of honey.  In another bowl you'll combine 1.5 Tbsp each of bread crumbs and finely chopped pecans with 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley.  Salt & pepper the fillet; brush with honey-mustard; sprinkle with bread crumbs & pecans.  Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes or until fish tests done by flaking it with a fork. 

I also want to try another of Meghan's recipes.  My only problem with this one is thinking ahead far enough to do the marinating. 

Moses and Elijah

Moses and Elijah both struggled with doubts.  "I don't want to be doing this, Lord."  "I've had enough of this; these people don't want to listen to me; how about I quit now?"  Or "How about You just kill me now?"  Okay, sure, they both had the problem of "hearers" who refused to listen to them.  But even more, they suffered with their own unbelief, hating it, and yet incapable of freeing themselves.  And what help is there for that?

Oh.  Yeah.  Talking to Jesus about His suffering and death that was approaching.

Holier Holiness

Cleaning my room today, I found a note 

from an Advent sermon.  I don't know

 if it's a quote from somebody famous, or 

just a distillation of what Pastor was saying 

that day.  Either way, it's sweet to think on.

The holier real holiness is,
the closer it draws near to sinners.

Violence

This two-minute video has been spreading around Facebook.  I finally watched it.  Maggie caught me crying over it.



To direct and defend our president and all in authority;
To watch over and help all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;
To grant all women with child, and all mothers with infant children, increasing happiness in their blessings;
To strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children:
We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.

Quote

We rarely get enough of what we don't need to make us happy.   

(From p. 15

of  A Little Book on Joy 

by Matt Harrison.)

Little boys and their Legos.
Little girls and their Barbies.
Grown-ups and their money.
Women and their shoes.
Men and their tools.
Hangin'-out-with-friends time.
Sometimes even a Christian's "level of sanctification."


"We rarely get enough of what we don't need to make us happy."
Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus
can my heartfelt longing still. ...

What to me may seem a treasure
but displeasing is to Thee,
oh, remove such harmful pleasure;
give instead what profits me.
Let my heart by Thee be filled. 
Make me Thine, Lord, as Thou wilt.  (TLH 348)

Haircut

Same ol' long hair pulled back in a ponytail/bun.

I like the back!

I think the bangs are too short. 

 (And boy, it's weird how my profile makes me look so much like my mom but also like a cousin on my dad's side.)

The front of the new haircut. 

I haven't cried yet.  That's a good sign, right?  Considering what I was anticipating?  Yup.

The War Against the Ice-Dams

On those days before Christmas when it was raining, how often did I thankfully say, "At least we don't have to shovel it"?

Well, maybe that didn't turn out as well as I'd thought at the time.

So it turns out that the pre-Christmas rain, snow, slush, goo, froze into several inches of packed snow and ice on the roof and in the gutters. A week later when it snowed, I could roof-rake the new snow down. But not those inches of ice. Underneath the snow-ice were, in places, several inches of solid ice, just threatening to be ice-dams with the first thaw, diverting thawed snow into the attic instead of having it drip into the gutters or off the roof.

So it had to go.

Except on days I had to be at "work" [ha ha ha ... the place where I go to rest up] I spent hours daily on the ladder, with a hoe, hacking off small slices of snowpack, trying desperately to be gentle enough to Not Touch The Shingles while being vicious enough to crack the ice that needed to come down.

I'm trying to think of a part of my body that didn't ache from the work.  Not figurin' it out...


BUT you can see the results over the front door: several feet of roof that had been cleared and then sat in the sun for a couple of days.  Woo hoo!!!


And yesterday, with the warm weather, no ice dams!  No icicles!  (Now we just hope that the clean-up efforts didn't cause a different set of roof problems.)