Slowing Down to Savor

Monday was two days ago and the gratitude list on my fridge is for August even though October is only a few days away. The school work spills over past 3 p.m. and I wonder where the day went (even though I know full well where it went!). And the sun sets and the moon shines and the alarm is going off again in the quiet of a new morning. I've been lax in listing the gifts around me; lax in thinking about these things long enough to write them down. If I don't think on them I can not weigh down the moment and the moments flash away. But as I pause and ponder and write. . . I savor. I savor grace and goodness and weigh down these moments with happy fullness and thankful contemplation.

Savoring:
766) The green smell of the woods
767) Butternut squash
768) Apples fresh from the orchard
769) Baby molars poking through
770) "Can someone please wIIIIIIIIIIpe me?" sung from the bathroom
771) A surprise day off for The Lawyer
772) Recipe searching with L
773) Birthday excitement
774) Perfect pecans (I never knew what they looked like whole!)
775) Children drawing lions
776) Turtles in the lake
777) M's new words: nine, ten, L. . . booK (very clearly!)
778) Girl twirling my hair at bedtime as we talk
779) Chocolate chips in the freezer
780) Ropes and knots and scraps of wood and a birdhouse. . .

Principled ProActivity

I chose two words this year to define what I'm trying to achieve: principled and joy.

In search of JOY, I read Ann's book 1000 Gifts and started listing my daily gratitudes (again!). I sought Scripture on joy to meditate on. The children and I are intentionally spending time outside looking for glory in creation, glory that draws us in thankfulness to the Creator. When I recognize Him in all things, I have joy for all things.

The word "principled" stood out to me when I read Stephen Covey's book First Things First. There are principles in place in life that I just can't override (if I don't sleep I will not be able to think clearly, et. cetera); therefore, I can choose my actions based on principles and know what the outcome will be. If I am generous, I will be blessed. If I take care of my health now I will enjoy better health in the future. This basic thought grounded me and sobered me- I have limited time and energy and wishing that things would be different won't change them and doing something that feels good now "because I want to" will have consequences somewhere down the road. This thought has also brought me great freedom and satisfaction- because I have the power to choose! And it feels so good to choose right things. Somewhere along the road I became more indulgent and less disciplined. "Disciplined" sounds hard to me right now but "principled" inspires me. Once I read, "Do something necessary but unpleasant every day" (but I can't find who said it; sorry!). I'm embracing this.

The choices we make now largely determine the choices we will have later. This is often seen with our health. Covey says:


"Most of us realize that a good percentage of the health problems we have are lifestyle-related. Without an extreme "wake-up call," such as a heart attack, many of us live in a rescue fantasy. We live the way we want to live- little or no exercise, poor nutrition, burning the candle at both ends- and when we have a problem we expect the medical profession to pick up the pieces. While we may be able to diminish the pain with prescriptions and Band-Aids, if we're really going to make a difference, we need to go to the underlying root cause of the pain. We need to attend to prevention in a profound way." Stephen R. Covey on "The Urgency Addiction" in First Things First

I love this; it is what I aim to inspire other families to do: choose to attend to prevention. In that spirit, here is a great video of Bear Grylls. If you like this, check out his other clips (I especially like the one on children's health!)

Rest

"You have made us for Yourself oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."- St. Augustine

This is playing over and over today as I rest. O and I are playing dutch blitz, there is focaccia rising, and the house is still hushed this afternoon. This is our Sabbath rest- more than sleep, more than inactivity. It is a soul's quiet confidence in the Lord.

Quick Cornmeal Corn Muffins

Perfect to accompany crockpot chili, these are more savory than sweet. I like them because they are quick and simple.
 
Quick Cornmeal Corn Muffins
1 and 1/2 cups (freshly ground) whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sweetener (I used cane sugar)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 and 1/3 cup of milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbl. oil (coconut or olive)
1 cup whole-kernel corn
Optional: ground flax seed, small can of chopped green chiles

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin pans with liners or by lightly spraying with oil.

2. Combine flour and next four ingredients (dry) in a large bowl, making a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk, oil, and eggs in a separate bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently stir in corn and chiles, if desired.

3. Spoon batter evenly into 24 muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pans and serve warm.

If the Screwdriver Fits...

T (4) saw one of our small screwdrivers the other day when I was putting something else away. He begged me to let him have it, for "it's just my size!" he said.

I find it difficult to resist him. Even though I questioned the sensibility of giving a four year old boy a screwdriver to carry around, I also thought I would notice if this started to go badly. Enamored as he was by the green screwdriver, I thought his fascination would wear off quickly and I would find the tool lying around somewhere soon.

When I questioned why he wanted it he insisted that it was his size. "I need it," he told me.

And I gave in.

Things didn't go badly that morning. The screwdriver was most often inside his pocket or he had it out so he could admire it.

That changed by mid-afternoon. I guess things were getting a little dull around our house. Apparently, I didn't notice, as I was making dinner, finishing school, cleaning up and preparing to go to a homeschooling meeting. I also forgot to convey to The Lawyer that T had a screwdriver.

When I arrived home that night, The Lawyer told me about his evening:

When he came home from work, T proudly showed him the little green screwdriver. The Lawyer duly admired it. T kept telling The Lawyer how good he was at using the screwdriver. The Lawyer agreed time and again. Little did he know that T had a pocket full of screws to prove his prowess.

They spent half an hour putting screws back in every door knob and hinge that T could reach. Fortunately, T really was good at using the screwdriver and he did most of the work himself.

Thinking Like the Third Boy

T (4), observing his hands tonight, notices that skin is peeling off some of his fingers.

"Hmm," he says. "I wonder what O (9) did to me."

Bountiful

"Thy bounty is seen
    in the relations that train us,
    the laws that defend us,
     the homes that shelter us,
     the food that builds us,
     the raiment that comforts us,
     the continuance of our health, members, senses, understanding, memory, affection, will."
Valley of Vision, Second Day Evening- Bounty

Oh, my heart is so prone to complain and notice what I think I lack! By listing the things I am grateful for, the things I've noticed as God's gifts to me (us), I am working to retrain myself, to take thoughts captive and subject them to the truth of God's word. ALL this is given to me out of His bounty and for my good. Rather than think about what I want that I don't have, I will praise Him for all that I DO have! All of these are good:

751) Chicken off the grill
752) niece declaring that she wants to be "A Wellness Presentation!" when she grows up
753) another broken dish
754) first words ("pretty")
755) really good granola
756) surprise! new friends.
757) authentic, gospel centered community
758) bird watching
759) quiet savored moments at the end of books
760) sawdust in the garage
761) friends who made us their destination
762) strengthening words: "Thanks so much for this. Complete is an answer to prayer!"
763) JOY in serving others, sharing health with families
764) Brownies stale in the pan
765) holding a big boy's hand

Super Vacuum

One day one of my boys may design a vacuum for me. It will be able to pick up things that my current vacuum can not:

staples
lentils
popcorn kernels
pine needles
cockroaches (we're having a little issue with them here)
BBs

(I guess this is just a confession that I'm too lazy to pick all these little things up off the floor. And yet somehow it seems dangerous to just leave them.)

Basic (Cinnamon) Soaked Muffins

Here is my go-to recipe for soaked muffins. I've adapted a recipe I found online. Everyone seems to like these (especially if I don't add dates!); I'll admit that the texture is wonderfully soft and the taste is quite good. I also like the combination of wheat and oats. We had these this morning with our JuicePlus+ Complete shake. T topped them with chopped pecans, which was lovely!

Why soak the grains? To make them easier to digest. For more on soaking grains and for other recipes, please look at this site.


Basic (Cinnamon) Soaked Muffins
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup kefir (or 1 cup milk plus 1 or 2 Tbl. raw apple cider vinegar)

2 eggs
1/2 Sucanat or evaporated cane juice (or honey)
1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup virgin, unrefined coconut oil (liquid)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)
3-4 Tbl. ground flax seed
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup raisins or dates; or chopped nuts or coconut; or 1 cup shredded zucchini, apple, or carrot (may take longer to cook)

1. In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, and kefir or milk. Cover and let soak overnight, up to 24 hours.

2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In separate mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sweetener, and vanilla. Continue whisking and add coconut oil, combining until smooth.

3. Add salt, baking powder, spices and flax to wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Add wet ingredients to soaked flour mixture and blend until smooth. Add any optional ingredients desired and incorporate.

4. Fill oiled or lined muffin tins generously with batter (about 3/4 full). Top with chopped nuts, if desired.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Other notes: Sometimes I add almond milk to the grains for soaking if the kefir makes it look too thick; I want all of the grains to be moist. These are very good with shredded fruit or zucchini.

Labor Day Beach List

We spent a wonderful day at the beach- the first time we have gone with all five children and the second time we have gone in VA (2007 was the last time!). On this Labor Day I am celebrating the gift of REST! For, if we didn't have this day to celebrate (with The Lawyer not lawyering), we wouldn't have gone to Buckroe, where there was so much to notice, to enjoy, to take in. . . so many gifts!

741) Salt water spray
742) First time at the beach (T), scared of waves, "They're moving us!"
732) First time at the beach and not scared at all; M laughed and laughed
733) Blue sky and clouds far overhead
734) Texture of sponges underfoot
735) Horseshoe crab shells
736) Happy, giddy laughter (R)
737) Buried legs
738) Creamy fontina cheese and crackers
739) Children's happy swimming
740) Everyone sleeping in the van on the way home
741) The Lawyer's sunburn. . . hilarious streaks from my misapplication (so sorry!)
742) Sand between toes
743) Baby powder rubbed on legs; sand falling away
744) Smooth rocks
745) Whelks
746) Amazing wind surfer speeding over the waves; mysterious wind!
747) Brown arms and legs (well, except The Lawyer!)
748) Sand construction projects
749) T's prayer: "Thank you for the waves at the beach. But I didn't like the big ones. But the small ones were okay."
750) L running the beach, chasing waves, being chased, chasing gulls. . .

Boy Reading

We love books around here! Some of our greatest times together are with books in hand. Here are a few that the boys have particularly enjoyed lately:

This book is being pored over in our house. It is John Seymour's Forgotten Crafts, which we picked up at the library because of the boys' interest in building a log cabin and learning all things outdoors. The Lawyer and I have found ourselves also drawn to this book. Seymour's premise is that things made by hand (the old fashioned way) are more beautiful, more useful, support craftsmanship and are environmentally responsible (because they all decompose). We agree with so much of what he says! Plus, the photos are wonderful and the illustrations well wrought.

Owen has also been taking notes from this book on building your own log cabin (home). He is learning about types of wood and all that goes into building a home from the foundation up.

As for historical fiction (my favorite!), we have recently been reading these books called the Three Legions by Rosemary Sutcliff. Excellent! R particularly loves these; he likes anything about Romans and I think he has my love of history. He is rereading the book we just finished.

Seven Dollar Sunday Dinner

This week I realized that I was murmuring just like the Israelites in the desert. . . As I puttered around the kitchen one morning I muttered, "I'm tired of beans and rice. Beans and rice. Rice and beans. Lord, provide some variety for us!"

Oh! Gasp! That sounds an awful lot like, "We're tired of manna! Manna every day! Give us something else, God!"

So. . . I'm repenting.

And also enjoying a little triumphant moment- feeding my family for about $1/person for lunch today made me feel great. We had watermelon and a version of Hoppin' John that filled everyone right full.

Today's Hoppin' John

1 pound ground venison (free gift to us!)
1 large onion (less than $1)
several stalks of chopped celery (.50)
1 cup brown rice (less than .50)
1 pound black eyed peas (about $1)
7 cups water (gift from God!)
2 cups crushed tomatoes ($1)
creole seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika- about 1 tsp of each except a bit more salt and a 3/4 tsp cayenne)(about .50?)

1. Brown venison and saute onion and celery.
2. Put all ingredients in a large pot (or in the slow cooker) and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Pointed Sweetness

L (6) comes into the kitchen where The Lawyer is finishing the dishes.

L: "Dad, I love you. You're special."

The Lawyer: "I love you, too, L."

L: "You know what else is special? Chocolate. And I know where some is. Do you want me to show you?"

My Two Andrews

The Two Andrews, 2011

It's my cousin's birthday today. (Happy Birthday, Andrew!) Just one month and thirteen days before mine. We talked about that a lot growing up. . . and we grew up together.

Today our own M Andrew is 16 months old- not an especially significant milestone; acknowledged and yet not particularly celebrated beyond enjoying the moments of today. The kids and I talked about how fun it is that M is learning new words and can follow simple instructions ("get your shoes, please" or "throw this away" or "go get your blanket" or "sit down."). He tries to keep up with everyone else; the day he rides a bike I think he will feel he has "arrived." This boy attempts to walk on walls, jump off diving boards, and climb everything just because he's seen it done. He has a strong stubborn streak and can be both very quiet or unmistakably loud. Day by day he is wearing himself right into my heart, deeper and deeper.

That's how it was with his namesake, too. From the time we were babies, Andrew and I spent lots of time together. My aunt even watched me while my mom taught elementary school. We don't remember those early days but stories are still circulating about mischief we caused. . .

By elementary school our bond was cemented. When I was in first grade I wrote in my journal that Andrew was my best friend. To my chagrin, we were never in the same class in our small, rural school. Still, we spent as much time together as we could. Since we only lived a mile and a half apart, we would ride bikes to each other's houses (spray painted, banana seat bikes!). I have great, green memories of climbing trees, picking apples and cherries and grapes, making forts and swimming in cow tanks. Remembering our straw and hay forts in the barn, wading down at the creek, mixing mud concoctions, playing with kittens and raccoons and dogs. .  all of these memories come flooding back in a happy wash that threatens to sweep me away.

Andrew really was my best friend, even through middle school and high school when I thought he talked less (maybe just because I was talking more?!). He didn't need to say as much as I wanted to, but he was a patient listener (I think he was listening; maybe he really was just playing Nintendo?). We had different friends, different activities. . .

Then we went to different colleges. Now we live in different states.

Still, some things run deep. For all of those moments. . . for years of moments he is still my best friend. He's an amazing husband and father now. (His wife is wonderful! I remember when he first told me about her; I knew she was the one!) Watching him with his girls is incredibly precious to me; I see that boy/man that I always admired. He bakes bread and reads them books and helps to clean the house (did I mention he's an arborist too?!). He does the cooking and shares my whole food outlook.

We talk even less now (I think he talks more and I try to talk less!) with our full lives. Yet we share so much that not much needs to be said. We're woven of the same fabric, with farm in our blood and layers of happy memories in our hearts. And so it was fitting that I have my own Andrew to make childhood memories with (my life edging into middle years), a man to admire for strength of character and humility, a man to laugh with and to love. Our Andrew has a goodly heritage.