Sunday Morning Walk Thoughts...

Fredericksburg, Texas

As I took a pre-dawn walk through the neighborhood this morning, basking in the wonderous feel, sound and smell of glorious autumn, my mind was quickened to the thought that I am truly on a journey. A journey of continually searching for God and what that means in my daily life. I'm a 'God Chaser' as my my old friend from the teenage years, Tommy Tenney, would say. And through this journey I've come to realize it's not about rules or constraints, nor is it about unreasonable limitations but, rather, it's about freedom. It's about seeing my 'wants' become reality. It's about coming to realize that when the writer said 'I shall not want,' not only was he was speaking prophetic words, but he was speaking about me. Daily, God is supplying not only my needs, but my wants, also. I want to love with abandon. I want intense passion. I want to know that in all my relationships something exists beyond the visible. God knows my wants even better than I do and, in His perfect timing, they will be granted.
I love pondering the possibilities before my life, what could or will be, and what the necessary steps are before I see things begin to happen. I love the simple pleasures He has placed as mile markers on my journey. Pleasures such as long and straight-from-the-heart talks with my good friend Elizabeth, evening prayer walks in the summer, gathering the harvest from my awesome little garden, Saturday morning bike rides to Carlito's for a Mexican breakfast, the joy of finding the perfect gift for someone I love, spending hours in the bookstore (the new and improved libraries!), cool mornings and crunchy leaves in the fall, learning about love and life from those who seem to have found their way, the awe I feel when viewing His magnificent mountains, long aromatic & candlelit baths, being home alone with no tv or phone, just good music or a good book, and connecting with another heart. I am learning how to love, how to live, when to speak and when not to, when it's time to gather the stones, when it's time to let go. I'm learning surrender, forgiveness, discipline and, greatest of all, patience. I'm neither brilliant nor eloquent, but God has been exceedingly gracious in allowing me to cross paths with a few wise people along the way and I try to draw magnificence from all I've learned from them. And for that, I am grateful.

Old Love

Here are some things we know to be true about love---the most transforming, ennobling, life-affirming and self-transcending emotion any of us will ever feel.

Love shows itself in the long run. What we feel at first for someone we might want to marry could be love, or merely a transient passion. Only over time do we come to know that love is real. Loves requires sacrifice, patience, listening, compromise and most of all, courage--the courage to reveal yourself utterly to another human being. It takes only a moment to breathe heavily, but a long time to know if heavy breathing is born of love.

Love is not in you, but between you and the one you love. Love is not an idea, but a relationship, the force that bonds you together. In that space between you and your beloved, a brighter light shines than the one that emanates from your own soul. Because love is between people, it cannot be merely contemplated, but must be acted out and sustained so the bond never breaks.

Love is the only emotion that inoculates you against the cancer of selfishness. Love brings you out of yourself and your own obsessions into a world where you find yourself by losing yourself. The sacrifices people willingly make for those they love would never be offered for any other reason.

Love is the glue of families. Families don't exist to help us learn to love others, but because we love others. The love we learn in families is the greatest gift and most important asset we bring to our work in the world. In the best families, parents give more love than they need to receive. Children from such families grow up overflowing with with love, then slowly discover the reason they were loved so much: so they can love their own children the same way.

There's a special beauty to old love. People blessed with long marriages, and those lucky enough to see the children of their children's children, know secrets about love the rest of us can't comprehend. Old love is not just deep; it is wise, patient and knowing. The beauty of old love is the beauty a smooth face can never know. Old love is the closest thing to the way God loves us all.

Free Dirt

Besides being a gardener and a thrifter and a recycler, I am a composter. It seems, at least to me, that all of these activities just naturally go hand in hand. Whenever I'm preparing a meal you will find nearby a big red 2 pound former coffee container filled with goodies for the compost bin. Tea bags, egg shells, banana peels, onion skins, potato peels and apple cores never, ever go down the garbage disposal at my house but, rather, are tossed into the red bucket, along with any other organic, non-protein matter that will keep the compost cookin'. When the meal prep is complete, the contents of my red bucket are simply tossed into the composter. Besides kitchen scraps, leaves, spent blooms, a little newspaper (B & W only) and grass clippings make wonderful additions. A great freebie I take advantage of is the coffee grounds that Starbuck's will happily give you, if you only ask. Be careful with this one though, because the first time I requested some I was rewarded with a huge black plastic trash bag that was so heavy I could hardly lift it!

On the whole, composting is virtually effortless, as Mother Nature takes over and does the real work. It helps to gently turn it from time to time but, if you are unable (i.e. lazy) it will be just fine, though it will take a little longer to finish. So, if you want quicker compost, turn it. The key is to get the outside parts into the middle. With patience comes the reward, and within a matter of months you will have the most dense, rich, organic soil you could imagine. Your garden will thank your for it and produce prolifically in it's season.

A Simple Woman's Day Book

For Wednesday, October 14, 2008

Outside my window...
It's a little overcast, yet, pleasant and crisp. Two cardinals are feasting on sunflower seeds from my feeder...when the blue jay doesn't shoo them away. We're awaiting a cool front which is expected to come through later today. I can't wait!

I am thinking...
I'm thinking of how nice it is to be off work for the next 9 days! I'm thankful to work a very flexible schedule which generally allows me to have long stretches of off days.

I am thankful for...
Grace. Mercy. My family. My job. My home. My garden. My pets. Life is good.

From the kitchen... No big culinary plans for the day. Maybe some potato soup from a new and simple recipe I found which creates this wonderful standby from a box of augratin potatoes. Maybe some cornbread from, what else but...'scratch.'

I am wearing...
One of my favorite 'outfits'...flannel drawstring p.j. bottoms from Victoria's Secret, an oversized UT tee shirt and socks.

I am creating...
Today I will be creating a fresh, fall look on my front porch and flower beds by adding mums, fresh bark and, you guessed it, pumpkins!

I am going...
Gonna go to Home Depot. They have a great garden department!

I am reading...
The Shack by William Young. A fictional book where God invites Mack, the main character, for a weekend with Him at the 'shack', where previously a very bad thing happened to one of his children. I haven't gotten far in the book, but I understand it's quite a good one. I think I'll go to Barnes and Noble this afternoon and see what else grabs me, maybe I won't get too comfy in one of their big, overstuffed chairs and spend the afternoon perusing magazines!

I am hoping...
Short terms thoughts are that God will smile down upon us and deliver us from the potential horror of Barack Obama leading our wonderful nation. On a more pleasant note, I'm hoping that we have a real winter this year, rather than a 'Texas style winter.' I want to have a nice, cozy fire every night and a flurry or two would be especially nice, considering we only see that every 5-6 years!

I am hearing...
The background music from my blog page...Natalie Cole singing Everlasting Love.

Around the house...
Things look mighty cozy. There's a selection of nice magazines on my old postal service shipping trunk which serves as a sofa table and the pillows and throw on the sofa certainly look inviting. I need to stay focused rather than giving in to too much chillin' today!

One of my favorite things...
There are too many to count! Weekends with Savannah come to mind first. 'Just because' phone calls from my boys. Good gospel music. Laid back road trips.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Much of the week will be spent feathering the next. Cleaning, creating, cooking and rearranging, to name a few of the planned events!

Thought for the morning
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27: 13-14 "...and Lord in the midst of this election, we wait for You. We rely on our source: You, only You. Amen"

Here is a picture I thought I would share. This is my bestest buddy, Elizabeth, as created by our awesome and phenomenal art instructor, Gary Hernandez.


And a fun fall recipe...



Frito Pie...not the ball park variety...

3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano (fresh)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 pounds beef brisket, cubed
3 cups onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons oil
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 10.75-ounce can tomato purée
12 oz. beer - Mexican or Texas lager if you can
1 cup water
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Fritos
6 oz. Velveeta (diced)
green onions (for garnish)
Place a skillet over medium heat and add yellow cornmeal, chili powder, black pepper, salt, cumin, oregano leaf, and red pepper flakes. Toast for seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In separate skillet, brown lean ground beef. Drain and set aside.

In large Dutch Oven or Stock put (around 6 qt in size), sauté chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until pieces start to turn transparent. Add chopped garlic, ground beef and beef cubes. Add toasted spices and canned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, the beer and the water. Simmer over low heat for at least 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Serve chili over Fritos corn chips. Top each serving with 1 oz. of Velveeta and green onions

Serves 6 to 8

Fall...Nesting Time

Short on time, because I'm nesting full force, I'm posting a re-run today of the nesting post I wrote in September 2006. It seems that when fall rolls around, with it comes a bout of the intense, incurable 'nesting urge.' Nothing cures this urge, you must simply go with the flow, which generally means feathering the nest 'til you just about drop. You have to be a true nester to fully understand what it means to be hit with a surge of this nesting urge. Our 'to do' lists become infinite. We scurry around to buy pansies and yellow mums and fresh bark for the fall gardens, which we finish off with big, fat orange pumpkins and cute little scare crow families. We pull out recipes for Baked Potato Soup and Broccoli Cheese Soup and any other steamy, creamy concoction that brings on that warm, comforting feeling. Our homes are filled with the delicious fragrance of candles called Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon-Vanilla, Harvest and Apple Spice and our crystal candy dishes hold, what else but...candy corn. We shop for yarn in warm shades of red and brown and gold and on those chilly autumn nights when we are not knitting we plan our holiday menus. We clean and fluff and feather our beloved nests and sprinkle our domain with little tokens of comfort and pleasure, anticipating heart-warming visits from those we hold dear. It may not be the latest trend or the cool thing to be these days, but, I am a nester...and I love every minute of it.


I am a nester. Nesters are those among us who feel a deep-down joy whenever we arrange flowers, or fluff a pillow, or stir the soup. We find something wonderfully fulfilling about tending our own space, something therapeutic about discussing life's challenges around our own kitchen table, something restorative about the quiet comforts of our own home. Whether we've been away from home for a month or a week or from 9:00 to 5:00, our hearts sing when we open our own front door. To identify the home of a nester, you seldom need to look farther than the entryway. As soon as spring arrives, a pot of pansies will suddenly appear on the front step, a rocking chair or wicker chair will find a place on the porch. In summer, look for window boxes overflowing with petunias or bright geraniums and Old Glory wafting in the breeze. Come fall, swags of Indian corn and crocks of chrysanthemums signal a nester-in-residence. And as winter holidays draw near, nesters will deck every window with wreaths, ribbons and candlelight. Whenever a nester doesn't know what to do with something she puts it in a basket. Our baskets hold mail, produce, toys, towels, magazines---even other baskets. Rearranging furniture comes as natural to us as changing clothes. Don't be surprised to find chairs and sofa in different positions---perhaps even different rooms---each time you visit a nester's home. This may be confusing for visitors, but it's normal for nester's. Pillows---lots of them---feather the nest. Whether faded, beaded, hand-made or tag sale finds, they serve as inviting antidotes to life's rough spots---physical or mental. Nesters believe in the power of books; their bookcases overflow with volumes they have read and reread, cherished and loved. Shelves hold childhood favorites, classics, volumes of poetry, and of course, tons of cookbooks. Coffee tables hold tomes devoted to art, home decorating, antiques and travels to Rio and Paris and Tuscany. Favorite magazines are stacked and kept for further reference because, well, you just never know when a nester may need further reference! In every room are candles. Tall, short, chunky, tapered, and usually triple scented delights are waiting to cast a warm glow. In the kitchen, a tea kettle and a coffee pot always stand ready on the stovetop. A nester takes every opportunity to invite others to relax with a cup of coffee or tea---or enjoy one in solitude. Some nesters collect things: blue and white china, copper molds, cookie jars, art or vintage linens. Finding and living with the objects they love is an indescribable joy to nesters. For the nester, decorative objects tell stories and hold memories. Children's plaster handprints from kindergarten may hang on a wall. A card from a special someone may be in a frame. Grandma's handmade quilt may adorn the guest-room bed. Each piece is significant and special. You might not recognize a nester when she's out of her preferred domain, camouflaged in a business suit or a uniform or dress attire. But it's a strange fact that on weekends, nesters often dress alike. Well worn denims and khakis are favorite pieces; they dress them down with t-shirts and dress them up with a string of pearls. There's reason to believe that nesters are born, not created. It will not be surprising if, in the amazing new mappings of our genetic codes, scientists someday note one peculiar little gene to designate the nester. It will probably be shaped like a house...

Ain't nothing like the real thang.....

I'm a nationally certified labor and delivery nurse, as well as lactation consultant, and I still get a laugh every time I run across this picture....

What To Do With A Big Box Of Apples....

My friend was given a BIG box of apples and was kind enough to share them with me!
I peeled, cored and sliced, then peeled, cored and sliced, saving all the waste for the composter....remember, waste not, want not, besides, the garden has GOT to be organic!
After rinsing the apples I placed them in a deep stock pot...
and added brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt and lemon zest..
...before pouring in the apple cider and turning on the heat.
Oops, someone's at the door! Oh, it's my best buddy Elizabeth! She brought me this sweet little honey pot. I guess she doesn't like that cute little plastic bear my honey is in. Imagine that!
The apples simmered while we visited, and the wonderful fragrance drifted throughout the house, smelling better than any candle I've had in a heck of a long time!
They slowly thickened as they simmered. S - L - O - W - L - Y is the key word here...
Gettin' there...finally, but it still needs to thicken some more. The instructions say it should 'heap' on the spoon, not level out. Better give it a little more time...
...while I wait I think I'll take Jack out of the garage and put him on the porch. Not in honor of Halloween but, rather, to celebrate the harvest and also fall, my absolute favorite time of year. Jack looks pretty happy to be out of that box!Time to bottle up the apple butter and place it in a cool place for a week to let the flavors blend and mellow. Nite-nite. I'll show the finished product in the morning....
Here it is, pure organic apple butter. I'm thinking this may make a nice little gift for someone around the holiday season. Maybe tuck a jar into a pretty raffia filled basket along with a hand crocheted dishcloth and perhaps some other hand made goodies...candy, a crocheted book mark, a nice aroma therapy candle...the ideas are infinite.

A Simple Woman's Day Book

For Monday, October 6, 2008

Outside My Window...It's a beautiful fall morning. The warm colors of fall are showing up everywhere, from the beautiful yellow crysanthamums to the indian corn on the door. A pleasant breeze is gently blowing, and there's no trace of evidence that a hurricane recently passed through.

I am thinking...That it's about time to begin planning holiday menus and start thinking about my gift list. I've waited a little too late to make many gifts, but maybe there's still enough time to create a few.

I am thankful for...The Word. True friends. My children. My home. My Source.

From the kitchen...Today I will pan sear the trout that Justin caught yesterday and gave to me. Maybe some roasted new potatoes with olive oil, rosemary and lot of garlic will be go well with it. The remainder of kitchen activity, if any, is still up in the air!

I am wearing...A pair of sky blue scrubs from the hospital, a wonderful stand by to have around for those extra busy days! I'm thinking about painting the entry hall today and this is the perfect outfit for that!

I am creating...Gardening tops my creation list this week. While in Austin I purchased spinach, brussel sprouts (yuk! but Savannah loves them!), brocolli and cabbage to plant in my earth boxes. I also want to plant carrots this year. Home grown carrots are like home grown tomatoes---they don't even compare to the grocery store variety.

I am going... Back to work tomorrow night. After years and years of working the day shift I decided to give nights a try and I absolutely love it! No more day shifts for this girl! Besides, the $1,000 monthly shift differential makes the deal just a little sweeter!

I am reading...Would you believe 'Jerry Baker's Garden Secrets'? This book is chock full of more natural and oragnic methods than you can imagine!

I am hoping...The the market will soon turn around. Reviewing the turn my financial portfolio has taken in the last week is a little unsettling. I must frequently remind myself that the market is not my source but, rather, my source is in the Lord. This morning my broker asked me to pray for him...his stress level right now is greater than any I can imagine. In Jesus name, let it be done. Amen

I am hearing... The morning show discussing, of all things, what color bra to wear under a white shirt. Duh. I thought that was a no brainer but, apparently I'm 'old school.' Somehow, I never thought of wearing a leopard print or hot pink bra under white. What a dummy I must be!

Around the house...The fragrance of 'cinnamon-vanilla' permeates the air. What a comforting, cozy fragrance this is!

One of my favorite things is...The art of creating, especially creating a cozy and inviting home. Whether it be a culinary creation or something created with paint, needle and thread, any art of creating, I love.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Many tasks fell behind during the time of 'power deprivation', but near the top of my list is taking the time to catch up on blogging and maybe spend a little time perusing the aisles of barnes and Noble, my favorite book store.

An easy and good recipe...

Garlic Bread

Ingredients
1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


Method 1 - Toasted

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan (one that can handle high temperatures, not a cookie sheet) and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.

3 Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread if you want. Return to oven on the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese (if you are using cheese) bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling. The bread can easily go from un-toasted to burnt.

4 Remove from oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and make 1-inch thick slices. Serve immediately.

Method 2, soft

Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the butter, garlic, parsley mixture as above. Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the oven.


A picture to share...I LOVE ALL THINGS AUTUMN!

Caution: Lots of Pictures!

After two weeks without power, cable or internet, I was ready to get the heck out of southeast Texas for some serious 'dehurricanizing.' Nothing seemed more enticing than a solo trip along the backroads of Texas, with the gentle fall breeze blowing through my hair and some great music to remind me of better times...not to mention no one nearby wanting to discuss Obamo or Palin or inclement weather!
There are a lot of beautiful and serene settings along the backroads of the hill country...
First stop: Round Top, Texas, where twice yearly the farmers rent out their pastures and fields to antique dealers from all over the U.S. for the gigantic Round Top Antique Faire, a wonderful week long event. For miles and miles all you see are tents and booths and barns and lofts filled with spectacular goodies mixed with a little junque. I suppose you could compare this event to Woodstock, except it's for serious antiquers.

Lots and lots of good junk!
There were leggy ladies...
and some hot men!

Lots of stuff from yester-year...
and some pretty cool primitives.
I always spot the beautiful flowers!

A whimsical little coffee shop on wheels!
This vintage truck is now a planter!
On the road again....a beautiful Texas pasture. See the horns behind the bail of hay?
'For Sale...as is'
After passing through little communities with names such as Dime Box and Zionsville, I reached the big city...Austin, Texas. This is a birdseye view of the fabulous Driskill Hotel, where the President as well as all dignitaries stay while in the capital city.
My youngest son, Jarad, craving some Red Velvet from 'Hey, Cupcake!' This is a multi-million dollar business which operates out of an Airstream trailer. The key? Location, location, location!
Another view of the beautiful state capital.
Jarad took me to 'The Great Outdoors'--a garden center unlike any I've ever seen. There were roosters made from old recycled metal...
...and goats!
...a little peek at the skyline.
Art, Austin style. Maybe this is why the city is dotted with 'Keep Austin Wierd' bumper stickers!
On the road again. Only the sign remains...another business is on the property.
Another wonderful garden center is discovered, and this one has tons of statuary!
Maybe this guy could guard the cottage...
On second thought, this creature may be more intimidating!
It was great to get away but as always, it was great to get back home, too... energized and refreshed and ready to plan my next little road trip!

About Ike

He came in like a lion and went out like, well, a smaller lion, I guess, but thank God, Ike has come and gone and all is well. I feel as though I'm learning to blog all over again since I was without power for 2 weeks and without cable and internet until 3 days ago. I've spent a lot of time over the last couple of days reading and catching up on all my regulars, so anxious to move on and read more that I haven't stopped long enough to comment! It's true, you don't really, really miss it until it's gone. A few pictures from Ike's short visit:

...one of the medical transport planes which transferred the patients out of the area. It took lots of medical staff and lots of time to perform this huge task smoothly. .
Much of the Texas coast is now destroyed. My brother's primary residence (built in 2005) was on Crystal Beach and, unless you know a specific landmark, you can hardly find his neighborhood amongst the rubble. It may be many months before there is power, phone service, potable water or gasoline available in the beach area. The roads are washed out and most of the homes are merely 'heaps' in the sand. This pictures was taken about 18 hours before the storm made landfall in Texas. The water was already ferocious.
Scene from Bridge City, Texas, home of my late grandmother...
...then the caravans rolled in, 14,000 electricians from every state you can think of. What a welcoming sight it was!
A huge 'THANK YOU' to this crew from Pennsylvania Cable!
It was a huge effort, performed by thousands who arrived from near and far, but on this beautiful Sunday morning one would be find it difficult to believe what this area looked like 3 short weeks ago.

The scripture that gave me strength in the midst of this raging storm: 'For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.' Proverbs 23:18