Miscellaneous, etc.

Are Other Families Like This?

2012-01-23T08:38:00.000-06:00

For your edification, I've compiled parts of a couple conversations between my Dad and my eighteen-year-old brother as they sat on the couch this morning.

Dad (picking up a short piece of straw stuck to my brother's pants): "Hey, is this one of those Indonesian throwing spears? Were you on a mission in Jakarta last night?"

T rolls his eyes and sips his coffee.

Dad (fiddling with straw): "I've never understood how they get any accuracy with these things."

T: "Well, it's just a shard."

Dad (inspecting the knee of T's pants) "Have you checked for penetration? Looks okay to me. I guess your defensive knee shield worked."

A few minutes later...

Dad: "If you were a penguin, what kind of penguin would you be?"

T: "A Siamese Vulture Penguin."

Dad laughs.

T: "Where's Siam? Somewhere in Africa?"

Dad: "I believe it's the old name for Thailand. It would be unusual to see flocks of penguins in Thailand."

T: "Especially Vulture Penguins."

These are examples of a pretty typical conversation between the two of them, and they can keep going like this for hours! Some of their other favorite activities include epic Nerf battles around the house and pushing, pulling and chasing each other around on walks in the woods. It's always entertaining to see what they'll come up with next!

I hope everyone is having an amazing Monday!!!

His Royal Fuzziness

2012-01-12T14:48:00.000-06:00

Well, it's quite a winter wonderland out there today...a good day for getting back in the groove of blogging! Today I'd like to introduce you to a member of my family who I'm not sure I've mentioned before: Shamgar the cat. Hi, Shamgar!

I'm still not sure why he received this name, as Shamgar was a judge of Israel who killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (Judges 3:31), but that doesn't matter much as we rarely call him by his given name. In fact, I polled my siblings a couple days ago and we came up with six separate titles for Shamgar, not including variations!

He came to us as a very cute little Fuzz from the animal shelter. He was growing up into a nice young kitty, but alas, some visiting young children terrorized him and now he tends to be rather...uh, moody at times. In a slightly Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde sort of way. But in general, he's still very cute. See the cuteness? :)

So anyway, his titles...

1. "Hey, You!" (or "Hey, Cat!") This is mostly applied by my dad when the cat is doing something he shouldn't, as in, "Hey, You - get off the table!"

2. "The Jungle Kitty." A designation for when our housecat transforms into a wild, feral beast determined to kill the string (or fingers) that ventures too near. "Look out - the Jungle Kitty is lurking behind the chair!"

3. "Goofball" or "Silly Kitty." As in, "Silly Kitty, do you belong on the windowsill?" And here I must interject an anecdote: We hadn't had little Shamgar for very long when he decided to see if kitties can fly - or climb ceilings, anyway. We have an indoor, second-story window overlooking the kitchen (see picture below) and our Silly Kitty leapt out, clinging to one of the overhead beams. Sadly, he did not stick to it for very long and fell two stories to the kitchen floor - and did NOT land on his feet. Thankfully his only woes were a bloody nose and some bruises, but we've never trusted him around the windowsill since then.

4. "Kitty." A general designation, which can be spoken in any number of tones, from a friendly, "Hi, Kitty" to a stern warning, "Kitty..."

5. "His Royal Highness/Fuzziness." For example, when meowing is heard outside our door, one of us girls might say, "His Royal Highness would like to come in."

6. Finally, "Fuzz," as in, "You have a Fuzz on your bed!" or "Hi, Fuzz! How's it going?" or "The Fuzz thinks it's his supper time." This designation has settled in as our top choice, perhaps because it allows for a multiplicity of applications. For example, below we have a "Draped Fuzz."

This is an example of a "Fuzz Pretending to be a Gift."

We also regularly encounter a "Hungry Fuzz," a "Sleepy Fuzz," a "Silly Fuzz," a "Grouchy Fuzz" and a "Wild Fuzz." Perhaps most memorable is the "Lonely Fuzz." This Fuzz yowls down in the far corner of the kitchen until someone sticks their head out the window and calls to him. Then he charges through the kitchen and living room and up the stairs to the girls' room in about 2.2 seconds.

In conclusion, he's a Slightly Weird Fuzz, but we like him. :)

Life is Full of Surprises!

2011-09-26T20:28:00.000-05:00

For example, it was just a bit of a surprise to find my brother's duct-tape armor lurking in the shower when I got home from work tonight...

Um, pleasure to meet you, Darth Raspin...

The Sky This Morning...

2011-09-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I now get up at 6 in the morning...well, this is one of the perks of getting up early:

Have a terrific Tuesday! :)

Deliciousness...

2011-09-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Well...a busy summer has shifted into a crazy autumn so far. Does this fall seem especially busy to everyone else too? The weather has been gorgeous lately, though I haven't had a ton of time to get out and enjoy it. In addition to getting between 24-40 hours a week at my regular job, I am now driving a friend's kids to school Monday-Friday. This means getting up at 6, arriving at their home by 7, helping the kids get ready and dropping them off at school/preschool, then getting back home a few minutes after 9. It's tiring, but the kids are good and I'm glad to help out...AND - I get a car!! :) Meet my new buddy:

It's a 2004 Mazda3, and I'm having a blast driving my own car around! My friends bought this for me so I could transport their kids; I'm paying it off by keeping track of the time I watch the kids each week. By the end of the school year, it'll be entirely mine! This was definitely the Lord working, as I didn't see any way I'd be able to afford a car for at least another year or two!

Another big part of my life for the last several weeks has been embarking on a low-carb diet with my sister. It's been about 9 weeks now, and I've lost around 21 pounds - which is SO amazing! Anyway, this diet allows nuts, so natural peanut butter has become a life-saver for both of us. Would you believe that on this diet we can have treats like this?

All you need are brownies (we had ones made with soy flour), whipped cream and peanut butter cookies. A sliced-up banana is yummy too. Here's our simple peanut butter cookie recipe:

“One” Peanut-butter Cookies

1 C sugar (or 1/2 to 3/4 cup Splenda)

1 egg

1 C peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and place by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

This is a super fast, easy and tasty recipe! It made about 20 cookies with a very small scoop. The cookies are a little crumbly, which makes them perfect for crumbling over the brownies. I'm sure they'd be great on ice cream too. Random question...why is it necessary to criss-cross peanut butter cookies with a fork? Why don't we do this with other kinds of cookies? I wondered this the two or three times I made these but decided not to balk at the tradition. Any theories?

To finish up with the recipe, gently heat your brownie in the microwave (or better yet, make fresh ones and get a warm one out of the pan!) and squirt/dollop/glop a generous portion of whipped cream on top. Then crumble 1-2 peanut butter cookies over the top and enjoy!

There are, of course, plenty of variations you could try with this...like I said, some banana slices are amazing, and we sometimes slap a little more peanut butter on top of the brownie before adding the whipped cream. For additional decadence, you could drizzle the entire creation with some hot fudge sauce...but we might be getting a little carried away now. ;)

I hope everyone has a fun, peanut-buttery week!

Progress! And Archaeology!!

2011-09-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

In a recent post I shared the long, sad story of the pond pit. Here it lies in its early days, pretending to be a tiger pit or a landfill or something of the like.

Then after a year or two or four I enlisted my brothers, the Talented Tunnelers, and with their outstanding digging skills, we soon had...a bigger pit. Complete with honeycomb caverns in the sides! As I recall, we found some mysterious metal object and were trying to trace it to its source. We never did reach the end of the thing...maybe there's even a car buried under the hill! You never know in our yard - we've found bottles, pottery shards, bricks, metal pieces, broken china, pens...you name it, it's probably buried somewhere in our yard. Evidently occupants of some previous decade or century didn't believe in going to the dump. In fact, that plastic bag in the foreground was full of glass and china shards.

Anyway...the work progressed after another year or two and we finally had something that was starting to look like, well, something. Don't you think so?

No? Well, how about now? Yesterday I had a day completely off - which doesn't happen often! Usually when I have a day off from my normal job, I go clean a friend's house or help another friend with heavy-duty yardwork, etc. But this day I had all to myself. So what did I do? Landscaping! I managed to cross off most of my to-do list, which is one of the most spectacular feelings ever, especially cuz that doesn't happen often in my world. :) A couple days before, Dad and my younger brother and I moved this giant rock - with the help of our trusty van, some rope and lots of levers and wedges - from where it had been sitting in the middle of the yard for several years. It is now a bench. Then we went to our handy-dandy rock pile (every home should have one!) and collected a bunch of slabs of granite, hauling them back to the pond pit. Yesterday I utilized the rocks to finish the stone wall around the pit; now I just need to fill in behind it with dirt and add some flowers. I also moved these two Dwarf Alberta Spruces from other parts of the yard and excavated the stone steps headed down the hill on the right (you can see in previous pictures that they had been reclaimed by the grass).

I also pruned all the plants along the front of our house, raked up the debris, moved a tiny evergreen to a new place in the yard, moved a daylily to the front border, swept another stone path clean and re-piled our remaining rocks. All in all, it was a spectacular day off...and I slept very well that night! :)

An Opportunity: Budding archaeologists, alert! Would you like a site to rent? Come check out our place and find a treasure trove of goodies to dig up, catalog and preserve for posterity! Set up your dig almost anywhere in the yard and you're sure to strike gold (so to speak)! Hone your skills before setting off for your field of choice. Rental fees are very reasonable.

Well, just kidding about coming to dig in our yard (Mom and Dad would not be happy with me!), but as I mentioned earlier, it's true about finding stuff almost anywhere. Below are pictures of two of my finds just from digging holes for those small Spruces!

Well, that's it for today... join us next time for: A Decadent Dessert...Despite a Diet!

There will be peanut butter...

2011-09-01T19:11:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some of my older pictures and was amazed at the power of the water in these waves! I wondered if there were any Bible verses that talked about crashing waves; here's a neat passage:

Psalm 93

The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their pounding waves. More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty. Your testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore.

I wonder if the psalmist was standing on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea when he wrote this?

I've made more progress on the stone wall around the pond pit (see previous post), but - alas! alackaday! horror of horrors!!! - I forgot my camera in the back of my sister's car! We shall soon be reunited, but I noticed that as soon as I realized the camera was gone, I had a desperate need to take a bunch of pictures. Anyway, that explains why I had to scrounge through old photos in order to put a picture in this post.

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable beginning of September! :)

Summer!

2011-08-21T20:40:00.008-05:00

Hooray - I got my Mums planted! Here is the before picture - the barrels looked nice earlier in the summer, but the pink spiky things didn't bloom for long and the marigolds had kind of thinned out. I moved the bigger plants to a different part of the garden, regrouped the marigolds and planted a couple Mums.

Here's the "after" picture. Don't you just love the autumn colors? :) I was even good and mulched the barrels...now maybe they won't dry out so fast. I really don't know why I've never done that before...

I also spent a little time recently working on the pond hole. Now, this takes a little explanation - you see, my Dad really wants to have a small pond and waterfall in our backyard. So, probably about 5-6 years ago, we started digging a hole for a pond. Well, we didn't finish the hole or get the necessary equipment, so for a few years, we simply had a random hole in our backyard. It was a convenient spot to dump weeds, brush and whatever else we didn't want to lug a few yards further back to the treeline. It was also a convenient spot to break the legs of unsuspecting people wandering through our yard. See below for said pond hole:

Last summer I wrangled my brother into helping me do some more work on it. (Both of my brothers are excellent diggers - sometime I'll have to describe the Tunnel Incident!) We made some progress, but...well, this is about how it stayed for another year - with the minor cosmetic addition of a thriving colony of crabgrass.

Now we're getting somewhere! We have random piles of granite around our yard - we're in the Granite State, after all - and I spent a recent afternoon picking away at the infamous pond hole! Mind you, this isn't going to be the actual pond; this is simply the backdrop for it. Maybe eventually we'll actually dig a hole in the middle of this area and fill it with water - so that we have a pond to go in our pond hole! :D But at least it's finally starting to look like something...right?

Random question: can anyone tell me what kind of artwork this is? Does this style of painting have a specific name? I might try my hand at this style if I can find more examples to study.

Finally, be sure to check out my Dad's online woodworking shop - even if you've been on it before, make sure you check back because I've been adding new things periodically! Here's one of the pens I just listed a couple weeks ago; I'll be putting up a bunch more treenware soon.

Have a spectacular week!!! :D

What's Going On...

2011-07-28T19:18:00.016-05:00

Well, life has been busy since my last post! The long-awaited graduation has occurred, as evidenced by this photo as I shake hands with the president of Northland Baptist Bible College:

I got to keep the cap, tassel and honor cords, but the robe and hood were just rentals. Good riddance, in my opinion! They were terribly hot and complicated!

My family made the trip all the way from NH to WI to see me graduate - well, part of my family. Two of my siblings were already at college with me as a freshman and sophomore. So, shortly after the big event, all 7 (eventually 8, as we picked up a friend in WV!) of us packed into this rented RV, where we would remain for the next 10 days or so.

Quarters were plenty tight, but it was a fun and very different experience for us! We turned the trip into a (rare) family vacation and stopped at the Mall of America, a Medieval Times Restaurant and the Creation Museum. We all really enjoyed the Creation Museum - it's definitely worth a stop if you're ever anywhere in the area! I have plenty of pictures from the trip, but I love this one of a peacock at the Museum petting zoo. I had never thought that I would get pictures of a real peacock, but this one was very cooperative! :)

The day after we got home from our trip, Dad and I went to return the RV and took a roundabout route home so that I could take pictures of the rocky Maine coast. The purpose - a cover for his book!! Check it out - The Winds of Nnim is a Kindle ebook on Amazon.com! It only costs a few dollars to download, and even if you don't have a Kindle, you can get a free download of Kindle for PC (there's a link on the side of the Amazon page). This is really a fantastic read! He even put up the sequel, The Forest Kingdom, just a few days ago, so you won't have to wonder "What happens next??" for very long! :) (And let me tell you, you will be wondering what happens next!)

We took our friend from WV out on a moose-spotting expedition, and we were not disappointed! Here is a bull moose; you can just see the start of some antlers. Maybe I'll go looking for him again this fall when he's got a full rack!

I have completed a few projects around the house and yard, some of them more random than others. For example, we girls repainted our bedroom tan last year, and I made my corner of the room kind of rustic, with lots of antique wood decorations. This white-plastic edged corkboard didn't exactly fit...so I fixed it!! This is before...

And after!! :) I edged it with strips of thin wood held on by mounting tape. I'm very easily pleased! :)

Oh, and here's an important life lesson that I learned! This is just to the right of the corkboard and is above my bed, so I see it every day. The lesson: when you repaint, make sure you scrape rough spots and spackle them if necessary before putting on your new paint. In other words, don't take lazy shortcuts like me!! :P

Here's another project I helped (does taking pictures count as helping?) with. Our light fixtures on the porch...um...needed help, to put it lightly. There are supposed to be metal and glass pieces surrounding this light bulb; it looks like there are only a couple left by this point. Plus, the metal was pretty worn and we wanted to switch to black appliances anyway, so...

Yay! And it wasn't even that hard! Especially because I mostly just watched and helped put in a couple of the little screws at the end. :D

I also listed some of my Dad's spectacular woodwork online. You can view a sampling of his stuff here. This below is an example of his treenware, very cool little things that come in all shapes, sizes and colors!

I visited friends for the day a couple weeks ago and got to spend a while in a kayak, which is always enjoyable. The most exciting part, though, was getting to see a whole family of loons! This may even have been the babies' first time away from the nest, as we had been watching the parents earlier in the day and they didn't have the babies with them then. In any case, this was definitely the highlight of the day!

Yesterday morning there were some stormclouds in the west, up over the Moat Mountains, and after a little while a rainbow showed up. I like where it ends! :) Gold at the end of the rainbow indeed! That is our church steeple you can see, and it's actually copper, but hey, whatever.

And I will close with a toad. What better way to end a blog post? My siblings and I went on a walk in good old Whitaker Woods yesterday, which doesn't happen very often anymore with our assorted and sundry work schedules. It was very fun to be out again!

Well, until next time! I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer so far!!!

Time for a Change!!

2011-05-08T14:40:00.010-05:00

Well, six years after graduating from high school, the big day is finally drawing near! It's been a long journey, but this coming Saturday, I will be graduating from Northland Baptist Bible College. :) I graduated from home school at age 17, stayed home and worked for a year, then went to Clearwater Christian College, where I majored in General Studies [General as in "broad, undefined," not as in the military rank ;) ]. Then I stayed home another year and worked some more. I didn't feel like I was done with college, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. One day I randomly looked into NBBC and realized they had an English major. Since I enjoy writing, I thought I'd give that a try...well, that lasted a year, and then I switched to Biblical Languages. No one can ever accuse me of being overly logical! :D So I've stumbled through two years of Greek and Hebrew and am now looking forward to heading home, where I plan to work, help out in my church and just enjoy being home! I don't know where God will lead me in the next couple years, but I'm sure it'll be an adventure! :)

Here's how my final semester ended:

These are the winter room decorations my sister and I put up. If you see any large, chunky, square-ish snowflakes, those are the ones I made. If they are delicate and meticulously patterned, my sister did them. :) If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the years, it is that I am NOT meticulous.

The snowflake below caused us some alarm. My sister was staring over at it one day and suddenly asked me, "Are those 'H's around the outside?" I looked and agreed...and said, "Are those 'O's?" We looked a little harder and finally figured it out - "HO, HO HO!" We're assuming that this one is from a pattern that she found online; if not, this is one freaky snowflake!

A few weeks ago, we were naturally getting a little tired of anything to do with snow, so we put together a nice little spring display. This is the first part of it:

Also, our darling Mother sent us a bunch of super cute paper flowers, so we made this little "garden" on our bare cinderblock walls; it really livens the room up! We also made a few construction paper flowers, but alas!, life caught up to us and we never hung most of them up. Oh well - perhaps my sister can use them next year.

Oh, yeah...I almost forgot about this little guy. His name is Jack...but I have yet to decide what he is. You tell me - dog or bunny? Whatever he is, he's sure cute!! :D

As for life in the great outdoors of Wisconsin, I've enjoyed getting out more as the weather has gradually become more favorable to existence. Recently I went on a short walk and took 40+ pictures of...um...grass, pebbles and tree bark. I probably look like a lunatic when I do things like this, but hey...cool textures!!! :)

We've seen more deer lately - I think they appreciate the warmer weather too! This was taken on a walk a little ways behind campus, but I also have some pictures of deer right behind the girls' dorm in the middle of the afternoon! I'm sure they're enjoying the fresh green grass that's growing in.

Finally, this was taken yesterday...can you see the change from just the week before? :) I think spring is my second favorite season, right after fall. It's so refreshing to watch things gradually turn green as they awaken after the long winter - especially out here, where winters are cold, snowy and windy!

God has been good to me these three years at Northland...and I'm looking forward to His continuing goodness as I return home to continue striving to serve Him! You may now look forward to more posts on gardening, baking, writing and further randomness from my life! :)

A Semester in Random Pictures...

2011-03-15T17:48:00.012-05:00

This semester has flown by so far! I don't know why, but Spring Semester always seems to go way faster than the Fall. I'm glad of it, though - I enjoy school, but I'm looking forward to graduating in May and getting to spend time at home! I'll actually be home for a full garden season - YAY!!! :D

I've put together an assortment of photos I've taken over the semester...I haven't gotten out nearly as often as I'd have liked, but I guess college is supposed to be busy. :)

We've actually had a pretty mild winter for Wisconsin - really very little snow at all. There have been some cold times, but we've also had days when it's warm enough to go on a walk in the woods. My sister and I went out a few weeks ago, venturing through the trees to keep out of the wind. We came across these dried flowers:

I love the symmetry and intricate detail in Creation! I really don't see how anyone could believe that this happened by chance:

I've always been fascinated by the clouds out here - they're quite different from New Hampshire clouds. I'm theorizing that it may be because it's so much flatter here; we live in a valley at home.

Cirrus clouds such as these have rightly earned the nickname "Mare's Tails." I learned this by listening to my sister practice her informative speech on clouds many times! ;)

We also spent some time scooting around on big frozen puddles - well, at least, mostly frozen. I scooched out onto this one and stopped very suddenly when I heard an alarming crackling sound! It couldn't have been very deep - maybe a few inches - but that's still a sound that will fire up your adrenaline!! We spent quite a while admiring the air bubbles trapped in the ice; these ones had an interesting 3-D quality.

A while later I went on a walk alone and spent quite a bit of time acquainting myself with this old truck that was sitting out in a field. I have no idea how old it is or if it still works, but it had definitely seen better days.

Just this past weekend my sister and I had one of the highlights of the semester - we got to go on a trip to the big city! This was connected with our Christian and the Arts class; we left campus Friday afternoon, went to the performance of the Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz at the Milwauke Symphony, and then stayed in a hotel for the night. The next morning we left for Chicago and spent several hours at the Art Institute of Chicago. Finally, before heading back to school, we stopped at a pizza place and had authentic Chicago-style pizza! :) It was a really fun time and very interesting; I've included a few pictures below.

Here's the Chicago skyline right outside the Art Institute. My sister and I were very impressed, being small-town girls. :) We were also impressed with the bus driver's ability to maneuver down the tight roads; a couple times we were concerned that the bus would get stuck!

At the Art Institute, they have art of every medium and time period that you could wish to see. My sister and I didn't especially care for the modern stuff, but enjoyed perusing the ancient artifacts, arms and armor, etc. The Institute has a large Monet collection, which we found quite interesting as well. We found that we liked the paintings better if we stood a ways back - the texture is too much if you're close. :)

Hands down, though, our favorite section was the Thorne Miniature Rooms. These 68 rooms were assembled by a woman and her team some years ago, and they are incredibly detailed. As people who have done a tiny bit of miniature work, my sister and I were totally enthralled. They cover many European and American styles of decorating, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, but with a few more modern designs. There are also a couple Oriental rooms. I included just a couple pictures on this post; I apologize for their poor quality - the lighting wasn't the best and I kept getting my reflection on the glass.

I love this bedroom! I want a bed like that! :) I also really like the stairs coming down into the bedroom... All of these models are in 1:12 scale - 1 inch equals 1 foot.

Why don't they make homes with high ceilings like this any more?

Looking at the pictures, it's almost hard to believe that these are really miniature - they're done so well!

Well, Spring Break starts on Friday; everyone on campus can hardly wait! :) My sister and I don't get to go home, but we're looking forward to a quiet, relaxing 10 days. Hopefully we'll get to do some baking. We've only made 2 recipes so far this semester - pumpkin muffins and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! :) I didn't get pictures, but if you click on the titles, you can follow the links to the recipes. They were both very yummy! :D We want to do one of our family's all-time favorites soon: Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you're looking for a spectacular cookie recipe, give this a try! Just keep in mind that my Mom (who makes the best cookies EVER!) doesn't actually follow the amounts recommended...she just globs in a bunch of peanut butter and oats, and they always turn out amazing. So feel free to play around with the amounts of ingredients. :)

I hope everyone has a great remainder of the week...thanks, as always, for reading my ramblings!!! :D

-Sarah

Unique and Yummy: Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-11T08:37:00.018-06:00

This unique and yummy cookie recipe is credited to my great-Aunt; it's been a family favorite for decades. It takes slightly different supplies than a lot of cookie recipes, so make sure you have everything you need before beginning! It's definitely worth a few extra things on the grocery list, though.

Here's the lineup: Oranges (you just need the grated skin), shortening, cream cheese, flour, vanilla, eggs, chocolate chips (we use mini for this recipe), sugar and salt.

First, you'll want to grate your orange peel. You need 2 Tbsp. for each batch. Make sure you wash your orange first!!!

Next, a cup of shortening (I have more because I tripled the recipe - we have a big family!).

Add a cup of sugar.

Half a package of cream cheese (again, I tripled the recipe). I softened the cream cheese slightly in the microwave.

2 eggs for each batch.

And your little heap of orange zest!

Cream together and stir in 2 tsp. vanilla.

Mix 2 cups flour and a teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl and add to wet mixture.

Switch to a bigger bowl because you underestimated how much room the batter would take...and stir it all together. :)

And then...the moment all chocolate lovers wait for - add your chocolate chips! :D Like I said, we traditionally use the mini ones for this recipe. I have no idea why, but it would be just wrong to make them with regular chocolate chips. If you must divert from tradition, just don't tell me about it. :) The recipe calls for 6 oz. per batch, but I used a 12 oz. bag for this tripled recipe and it was plenty.

Stir the chocolate chips in. The batter's pretty thick, so it takes a little arm muscle. Unless, of course, you have a stand mixer, in which case, sit back and relax!

Admire the cool swirly patterns in the batter. :)

Scoop/drop onto a greased cookie sheet. I used a small scoop to make them go further, since this is a little more expensive than some cookie recipes. Bake at 35o F for 12 minutes.

Here they are, done! Pale little fellows, huh? That's something extremely important to remember about this recipe - these do not turn brown! And they hardly rise or spread at all. If you wait for them to turn brown, you will have very crunchy little cookies!

The pale hordes....

They only brown a little around the edges and on the bottom (see below), but they are done. Don't fry the poor little things to death!

These are a little different, but definitely worth it. They're excellent warm, but are even better the next day as the subtle orange flavor settles into the cookie. Keep them stored in an airtight container and they should keep well for a few days. If you're in the mood for chocolate chip cookies but want to break a little with tradition, give these a try! :D

Here's the complete recipe in more compact form:

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C Crisco

1 C sugar

1/2 package cream cheese

2 eggs

2 T grated orange peel

2 tsp. vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp. salt

1 (6oz.) pkg. chocolate chips—we traditionally use the mini ones for this recipe.

Cream shortening, sugar, cream cheese, eggs and orange peel. Stir in vanilla.

In separate bowl mix flour and salt. Add to wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. (They don’t seem to brown much).

Enjoy!!!

Christmas Break

2011-01-08T14:22:00.011-06:00

Christmas break is one of my favorite times of the year. The college I go to gives us nearly 5 weeks off, so we've had plenty of time to spend with family and get some work done too. This is my last Christmas break - I graduate in May. Hooray!!! :) I'm ready to be done with school and at home hopefully long enough to finish a garden season, see the fall foliage, etc. In the meantime, my sister and I are enjoying the break before classes start up again. I've compiled a random assortment of activities from this break that will give you a small snapshot of our family's life.

1. Here's what I did as a Christmas present this year. I did a watercolor painting of our house and gave a print to each family member, framed. It was a nice gift that was fun to do and mostly only cost time rather than money.

2. We all love to visit the woods near our house. On Christmas day, most of us went for a long walk. We don't have snow to speak of, but there were a few good-sized patches of ice here and there. We spent most of our time sliding around, breaking holes in the ice and even sledding on it! Thankfully no one was hurt, though there were a couple spectacular wipeouts.

3. I attempted to capture "bokeh," which I understand is basically a pleasantly blurred background in a photo. This can be especially attractive with Christmas lights...obviously I need to keep working on this technique. :)

4. I annoyed the cat by taking flash photos - which is how you get the laser-eye effect. Try it - it's really fun! Have the person or animal stand some distance away in a fairly dark place. Then make sure they're looking at you while you snap the picture. This can lead to some hilariously spooky effects! :)

5. I made some ultra-spectacular Peanut Butter cake. You can get the recipe by looking at my previous post. (Try to ignore how many of my favorite recipes involve peanut butter!!!)

6. I ran the Nerf target-shooting booth at our church's New Year's Eve Fellowship. The targets were Haman, Pharoah, Jezebel and two others that I can't remember. We have some surprisingly good sharpshooters in our congregation! It was a time of great fun and fellowship! That's me with the wavy hair in the foreground, awaiting the next customer. The best game was "Speed Quest," which involved riding our chair lift. :)

7. Back to the ice! Some of us went on another walk and discovered that the little swamp in the woods was frozen over - complete with frozen tracks! We think they may be raccoon tracks, criss-crossed by dog pawprints. We skidded around on the ice for a while, and I stuck my foot through along the edge - twice! (Accidentally, I promise; that water is cold!) We've definitely proven many times over that you can have plenty of fun even when it's not snowy.

8. Finally, another peanut butter thing...this was part of my breakfast the other day. It's really easy - plop some peanut butter in a bowl, slice an apple, and dig in! Very yummy and (hopefully) more or less healthy. Another choice breakfast is a good old pb & j! :) We also made our favorite cookies yesterday, Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies - which, of course, rely heavily on peanut butter. We go through a lot of peanut butter in our house!

So overall it's been a pretty spectacular break. Of course, I've barely scratched the surface of describing everything we've done. I've played piano for church, cleaned houses, babysat, read some fiction (yay!!!) books, and helped haul firewood up to the porch. We squeezed reading a 200+ page story into the brief time my brother was home (he's visiting friends for the rest of break) and sat around with all the lights off throwing glow sticks at each other. You can't capture everything from break on film or in writing, but we've built some great memories. I love being home and am excited about another year to learn, grow and love God and my family more!

A Yummy One: Peanut Butter Cake

2010-12-31T08:23:00.004-06:00

Here's a recipe that's worth checking out if you're a peanut butter fan! I got this from a Gooseberry Patch book and modified it very slightly. It's called the Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake. Here's the recipe (check your fridge for margarine/butter before starting this - the frosting calls for butter too!)

2 c all-purpose flour

2 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 c butter (I used margarine)

1 c water

1/4 creamy peanut butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c buttermilk (or make your own - a scant 1/2 c milk with 1 1/2 tsp vinegar, let sit 5 minutes)

Combine flour, sugar, salt and b. soda in a large bowl, set aside. Combine butter, water and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Add to flour mixture and mix well, set aside. Combine eggs, vanilla and buttermilk; add to peanut butter mixture. Spread into a greased 15"x 10" jelly-roll pan. (And sprinkle on a few chocolate chips if your little heart so desires!!!) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until it springs back when gently touched. Spread Peanut Butter Icing over warm cake. Makes 15-20 servings.

Peanut Butter Icing:

1/2 c butter

1/4 c creamy peanut butter

1/3 c plus 1 T milk

16 oz. pkg. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine butter, peanut butter and milk in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in powdered sugar and vanilla to spreading consistency. (I ran out of powdered sugar and simply added more peanut butter to thicken it up - my Mom's idea. It worked!)

This recipe may take a little more work than some, but it definitely worthwhile - it's moist and rich and peanut-buttery. Enjoy!!!

2010-11-24T12:34:00.004-06:00

I love this flower! It's late November (almost Thanksgiving!) in Wisconsin, and I only took this picture a few days ago. It's only just starting to wilt a little from the cold, even though we've been getting increasingly wintry weather for a couple weeks now. It comes up every year and always keeps blooming well into the fall. Look at those healthy green leaves!

I think the reason for its longevity is because it is so well sheltered. It's tucked right up against a building and has some other plants around it, so it's protected from the wind. The sun probably warms the bricks behind it.

This reminds me of the way God is a refuge for us. If we try to stand on our own, far from Him, we'll wilt in the cold and wind. But if we draw near to Him and seek refuge in Him, trusting Him to take care of us, we'll be sheltered from whatever life throws at us. We'll not just survive in our Christian walk, but thrive if we learn to take advantage of the unshakeable security that God offers His children!

"Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth." Ps. 57:1-3

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Recent Goings On...

2010-10-30T19:04:00.007-05:00

So my sister and I randomly decided to decorate our room for autumn last night. It was fun! We gathered leaves, pine cones and branches on our way back from supper, and then scrounged around in the room for other decorations. Here's what we came up with! :)

A huge improvement over the bare white walls!

The leaves are supposed to be drifting down...

One of my favorite parts is probably the turkey up the corner. My Mom sent him last year. :)

All in all, it was a very pleasant Friday evening! :D

Squirrel Story Part III

2010-10-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

For those who have been following these posts, here is the conclusion! If you're just reading this now, though, you may want to go back to this post for the beginning of the story. Enjoy! :)

EXIT EARTH PART III

They visited many more houses. Erin found herself growing more and more depressed with each one – they were all empty, with no signs of life. Squirilious obligingly stood next to each house and let her poke her head in a window. The chambers were fascinating…but felt dead and cold.

Evening was beginning to fall; chilly shadows crept across the forest. The temperature was dropping, and Erin was glad for the warmth of the squirrel beneath her.

She looked at her watch again. “It’s time,” she said softly to Squirilious. “We should just make it to Jewlie’s Rock.”

“All right, then, hang on tight!” Squirilious called back over his shoulder. “I’ll give you a ride to remember!”

He fulfilled his promise. He climbed higher than ever before in the trees and leapt impossible distances between branches, soaring. Erin felt almost as though she were flying each time, looking down at the ground so far below, hanging in the air for a long moment before grasping the twigs of the next tree. She wished it would never end.

She would do it – she would go with Squirilious and all the others to the new world. How could she not? How could she go through the rest of her life wondering, “What if?”

They had reached Powerline Trail. Jewlie’s Rock was on the far side of the trail. Squirilious had to leave the trees for a moment and scurry through the underbrush to get to the rock. Even the smallest of trees was monumental, though, and Erin soaked it all in.

In a moment they were across the trail and standing before the rock. Erin gasped – hundreds, no, thousands of little people and their animal friends stood waiting, bundles of belongings attached to the saddles. She glanced at her watch one more time and was relieved to see that she was right on time. It would’ve been very embarrassing to keep so many people waiting.

She unstrapped her legs from the saddle and slid reluctantly off Squirilious’ back. Her knees nearly buckled, and she realized that she was probably going to be saddle sore the next day.

She looked up at Jewlie’s Rock, a boulder that normally stood a little higher than her head. Now it loomed, massive. Something looked different about it, though – it didn’t look as tall as it should. She blinked in astonishment as she realized what had happened – the entire top quarter of the rock had slid off the back! A faint light glowed from the open top of the rock, illuminating the tiny spring leaves of the birch that hung overhead.

Wellinghurst came forward to meet Erin and Squirilious. His face was solemn but peaceful. “Well, my child, you have come to help us,” he murmured. “We are all eternally grateful to you for your willingness. I hope you had a pleasant afternoon?”

Erin nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Did they really have to leave? Why couldn’t they keep living the way they had? No one had discovered them so far!

Wellinghurst turned to the people. “Mount up!” he cried. “The time is at hand. It is time to exit Earth and forge new paths!”

A great cheer arose, and there was a flurry of activity as people leapt onto the backs of sparrows, chickadees, squirrels, red squirrels, and chipmunks. There were even a couple blue jays among the animals; they had to crouch down low for the people to climb aboard. Children rode with their parents, though a few children had mice to ride – rather like ponies for human children, Erin thought.

The birds fluttered to the top of the rock and the other animals climbed; they all disappeared in a little flash of light. Last of all went Wellinghurst, astride a majestic and cocky blue jay. Pausing at the top, he turned his mount in midair and waved at Erin. “Command the door to close, and it will,” he called. “You will forever be known in our tales as a truly courageous Earth-child. Farewell!” He dove down toward the top of the rock and disappeared.

Erin suddenly realized that she was back to her normal height. She stood perfectly still for a long moment, staring at the glowing rock. This was her only chance. Never again would she have such an opportunity for adventure…

With a pain in her heart, she closed her eyes. She knew what was right. “Close,” she whispered.

The light disappeared.

Slowly she turned around. The sun was starting to set over the Moat Mountains; her parents would be worried if she wasn’t home soon.

Movement at her feet caught her eye. She looked down and saw a little red squirrel staring up at her, still wearing his harness. “Squirilious!” she gasped, dropping to her knees in front of him. “You didn’t make it through the door!”

He rubbed against her hands, soft and warm. “I meant to stay,” he said. “I wanted to be with you. May I come live in that oak by your house?”

Tears of joy burned in Erin’s eyes as she gently picked Squirilious up. “You may,” she replied, and turned toward home with her friend perched on her shoulder.

The End! :D

Squirrel Story Part II

2010-10-22T21:21:00.007-05:00

If you missed yesterday's post, this is Part 2 of a story that I'm sharing for your enjoyment. I wrote it a couple years ago in Creative Writing class and thought it turned out kind of fun. Enjoy, and be sure to tune in tomorrow night for the exciting conclusion!!! :)

EXIT EARTH PART II

Erin stared in astonishment: atop the craggy, waist-high rock stood a dozen tiny people, each no more than three inches tall! Many of them held the reins of saddled sparrows, chipmunks, or red squirrels. Their clothing blended in with the browns and grays of the early springtime forest.

One man stood nearest the front of the group. Dressed in flowing, silvery gray robes, like the bark of a beech tree, he had a long white beard and wore a tiny woven circlet on his head.

Because it seemed the right thing to do – and because she wanted a better look at the tiny people – Erin sank to her knees in front of the rock, her heart thundering in amazement and excitement.

The little man nodded, looking pleased. “My child,” he said in a voice that was tiny but surprisingly deep, “You greatly honor the people of Whitaker Woods by coming to hear our request. I commend your noble spirit, for I know it is no light matter for a giant such as yourself to respond to something so unusual as a talking squirrel! You were chosen in part because the younger of your species seem to be more willing to accept such notions.

“Allow me to explain why we have sent for you this day: For many, many years my people have occupied this vast tract of land known to you giants as Whitaker Woods; in fact, we have been here far longer than the woods have borne that name! In recent years, however, the giant people have become far too active, erecting dwelling places ever nearer our borders, crisscrossing our territories with trails, allowing the ridiculous beasts known as ‘dogs’ to rampage through our forest and harass our animal friends…you see the picture, I hope.

“The bottom line is this: we must leave this world as soon as possible. We have a door designed for just such a purpose, but we need someone to shut it behind us, for it cannot be closed from the inside. We have watched and waited for a long time for a giant sensible and kind enough to assist us, and my scouts tell me that you are the ideal candidate. So I ask you, are you willing to help us exit Earth?”

Erin stared wide-eyed at him, wondering if she was dreaming. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Words came from her mouth, though, confirming that she was not dreaming. “Uh, I would be glad to help,” she stammered, even as her mind screamed, But I just found out about you – you can’t go now!

“You are distressed,” Wellinghurst observed. “Giants’ faces are so easy to read…so large…well, my child, what is troubling you?”

Erin swallowed, not liking the idea of her emotions showing so clearly. This was her only chance, though! “Why do you have to leave now?” she blurted out. “This is so incredible – little people living in the woods! There’s so much I want to know about you!”

Wellinghurst’s solemn face softened slightly. “Well, I can’t deny that we are a fascinating people…very well. I shall grant you three hours among us, but at the end of that time, you must promise to do what we have asked you!”

Erin, almost choking on her excitement, gasped, “I promise!” Suddenly she was falling, tumbling through the air past a huge gray cliff! She opened her mouth to scream, but just then something swooped underneath her. With a breathless jar, she found herself astride a huge bird. She looked around wildly, clinging to the soft, flexible saddle on the bird’s back. They were soaring through the trees, which had become immense. The reality of the situation hit Erin with a jolt that made her gasp – she had become a tiny person and was riding a sparrow! Wellinghurst had been very literal when he had said that she could have some time among the little people.

The sparrow dove back down to the boulder and landed lightly in front of Wellinghurst. Erin noticed that one of the little people near the back of the group was fitting Squirilious with a saddle. She dismounted from the sparrow shakily but was so excited that she barely noticed her trembling. Whitaker Woods looked like a whole different world when she was only three inches tall!

Wellinghurst, now more than a head taller than Erin, beamed at her as she approached. “Squirilious has offered to be your guide for this time,” he said. “He will carry you wherever you wish to go in the forest and in the evening will bring you to Jewlie’s Rock for the departure. I hope you have a pleasant time seeing our great forest as we see it.”

“Thank you, sir,” Erin replied breathlessly.

Squirilious bounced forward, his tail twitching in excitement. He now towered over her. “Ready, ready, ready?” he demanded. “Climb on and let’s go!”

Erin, with the help of a smiling little woman, climbed onto the saddle and strapped her legs to it. She suspected that the ride was going to be a little rough.

Sure enough, as soon as Erin was settled, Squirilious took off with a fantastic leap onto the side of a nearby Hemlock tree. Erin wouldn’t have had a chance of staying on his back if she hadn’t been thoroughly strapped on.

For a time all they did was make their way through the trees, bounding from branch to branch seemingly miles above the forest floor. Squirilious scampered up and down tree trunks, chattering and laughing as he went, obviously enjoying himself immensely.

Erin simply hung on tight, thrilled beyond words. She tried to soak in every last detail, knowing that the experience was once in a lifetime. Unless… A thought strayed into her mind. What if she went with the little people through their door to another world? What adventures might she have there? What marvelous things might she see? Her thoughts spun out of control and she gasped for breath in her excitement. She would do it! Just like the characters in all the books she read, she would leave Earth and have incredible adventures of her own.

But then who would shut the door behind her? Like clouds creeping in front of the sun, darker thoughts intruded on her happy vision. What would her parents do if she disappeared? What if she missed home once she was in the new world, but couldn’t ever get back?

Her tumultuous thoughts were interrupted as Squirilious suddenly skidded to a halt on a branch high in a White Pine. She looked around, wondering why they were stopping, and let out a cry of delight – they were visiting someone’s home!

Nestled against the trunk of the tree was a carefully built log house, small to her even as a tiny person. It seemed to be held in place by a combination of dried-grass ropes and pine pitch. The little front door had a window cut into it with a curtain gently swaying in the breeze.

“My good friend Bancroft and his family lived here,” Squirilious commented. “They’ve packed up now, though, and are probably riding my cousins Rambunctious and Trillium to Jewlie’s Rock.”

“Are the animals leaving too?” Erin asked in dismay.

“Some of us are. But don’t worry – there’ll be plenty of animals left in the woods. Not many of us have learned to speak and carry passengers.”

Before they moved on, Erin glanced at her watch and saw that one hour of her time was gone. Two more hours to decide…

To be continued...

I Promised You Randomness!

2010-10-21T18:22:00.006-05:00

I've decided to do something a little different today - it's story time!!! I've always enjoyed writing. My first year here at Northland I took their Creative Writing class and had a lot of fun writing this short story. I do feel a need to insert a mild disclaimer: I am shifting away from fantasy in my writing, not because it's wrong but because I feel that it's not the best use of my time and energy. This story is just meant to be fun! I'll post the first part tonight and the rest of it in a few days. Enjoy! :D

EXIT EARTH

Erin didn’t know what made her look up from her book as she sat in the sun on the front steps. Glancing around, she spotted a red squirrel near the base of the big oak across the driveway and decided that its movement was all that had caught her attention. About to go back to her book, she paused and looked more closely at the squirrel; something wasn’t right. Instead of bouncing jauntily along, the little red squirrel was crawling as if exhausted. It came to a halt under a rosebush in the flowerbed on the far side of the driveway and lay still, eyes nearly closed, breathing labored.

Full of compassion, she set down her book and approached the animal cautiously, wondering if there was anything she could do to help it, even as her mother’s warnings about sick animals played through her mind. As she slowly drew near, the squirrel turned its head and looked at her. Shock jolted through her as it opened its mouth and spoke. “Come closer,” it squeaked. “I have a message of utmost importance for you…”

Erin stood frozen, staring at the little animal in disbelief. She looked around warily, thinking that someone must be playing a very strange trick on her, but her grasping mind could not come up with even one person who knew where she lived, much less knew her well enough to try to joke with her. Maybe she was dreaming - her mother had told her often enough that all the fantasy books she read would lead to strange dreams…

“Didn’t you hear me?” the squirrel snapped, jerking his bushy red tail impatiently. He rallied his strength and sat up in a pose more typical of squirrels. Fixing his small black eyes on Erin, he continued, “I, Squirilious the Red, have been called upon by the people of Whitaker Woods to deliver a message to you. We need your help. I am not the one to explain the intricacies of the matter, however; you are to come with me and our great and mighty Chief Warlord will make all things clear to you.”

“Warlord?” Erin repeated nervously, taking a small step backward. “Whitaker Woods has a warlord?” She’d been walking in the small wood down the street for years and had never seen anyone there except for recreational purposes. She certainly hadn’t noticed any wars!

Outraged, Squirilious the Red flashed up a nearby fencepost, a flame in the bright sunlight, and cried out in his fierce, high-pitched voice, “Of course Whitaker Woods has a warlord: our Champion, his Eminence, the Great and Mighty Wellinghurst the Third!”

Erin blinked. Wellinghurst was the name of one of the trails in Whitaker Woods.

Remembering his exhaustion, Squirilious slid back to the ground and lay still a moment, panting. In a calmer voice, he acknowledged, “Of course, it’s rather the entire point that you do not know of his existence or of his people. Forgive my redheaded temper, if you will be so kind. But we must be moving now! Onward!”

He skittered madly toward the road, and Erin, not knowing what possessed her, found herself following.

Squirilious paused at the edge of the pavement and turned toward Erin. “I fear we are about to face what may be the most perilous part of our journey,” he said gravely. “Many of my compatriots have been slaughtered by the great ferocious beasts that haunt this barren strip of land. One nearly got me on my earlier crossing. I am fortunate to have escaped with my life!”

Assuming the squirrel was referring to cars, Erin looked at the road, which was empty of traffic of any kind. Oak Street was a quiet road. “Human mothers always teach their children to look both ways before crossing,” she told Squirilious nonetheless.

His tail twitched violently. “Look both ways?” he chattered. “Why – why – what a perfectly tremendous idea! That way the blasted beasts don’t have a chance to sneak up! Fabulous!” Carefully looking in each direction, he zipped across the road, Erin hot on his heels. At the other side, he stopped again and looked up at Erin with admiration shining in his black, beady eyes. “How perfectly fantastic!” he gasped. “I can see why you were chosen! Oh, I have so much to tell my cousins…”

“Chosen for what?” Erin asked in alarm. Squirilious had already taken off again, though, and she had to run to keep him in sight. They were on a trail now, an unnamed path that led from Oak Street to Whitaker Lane, the main trail of Whitaker Woods. It was one of Erin’s favorite times of the year, after the snow was gone but before the foliage and bugs made it difficult to wander off the trails. The weather was warm enough to leave her coat behind, but not uncomfortably hot.

Squirilious took to the trees as soon as he could, leaping from branch to branch along the trail, chittering to himself as he went, apparently fully recovered from his earlier discomfort. Erin raced along after him, her blond ponytail bouncing. She wondered what passersby would think if they saw her chasing a squirrel!

After a moment they turned off Whitaker Lane onto a side trail, then swerved into the trees. Erin’s legs were starting to grow tired and she was gasping for breath, but she feared that if she stopped to rest she would lose Squirilious and would never find out what was going on! What was she chosen for, and why had she of all people been chosen? Shy and quiet, she was never picked for anything at school.

Just as she was about to call out to the squirrel to pause for a moment so she could catch her breath, he came to a halt at the base of a low granite boulder. He turned to Erin and squeaked, “Madam, the Great and Mighty Warlord of Whitaker Woods, Wellinghurst the Third!”

To be continued...

2010-10-09T20:00:00.004-05:00

I got to go on another walk today - I'm taking every chance I can to enjoy the nice weather before it gets cold! I don't think Wisconsin is much colder than New Hampshire, but the wind makes it pretty intense in the winter. My sister, roommate and I went down to Reflection Lake. Most of the brighter colors had faded, but the oaks are coming into their own with a spectacular deep red. I think we missed the peak of the foliage but (this will teach me not to complain!) I heard that during the paintball retreat last weekend two teenage girls responded to a simple Gospel message and accepted Christ as their Savior!

There are still a few yellow trees around...

Here's the lake itself. The school puts out a few canoes during the warmer months, so we took a spin around the lake. It's so peaceful being on the water!

"The grass withers, the flower fades; But the word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:8

Autumn Walk

2010-10-02T20:41:00.007-05:00

I got an unexpected blessing today - I had really wanted to go on a walk and enjoy the fall foliage. Today was pretty much the first day I've had a little bit of time off from homework in a while, but most of the trails were closed for a paintball tournament. Now that would spoil a nice walk - being shot at! :) But this afternoon it occurred to me that there's a section of smaller trails that the paintball people probably wouldn't be using, so my sister and I got to go out after all. Autumn is my favorite season!

In parting, here's a verse that's coming to mean a lot to me as I seek to grow in Christ: "I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Ps.16:8

Coffee Toffee Bars

2010-05-27T13:56:00.015-05:00

I just made these this afternoon and thought I'd share the recipe with more photos than my previous post. You can also find this in printable form on TastyKitchen.com.

Here's what you'll need to make these delicious Coffee Toffee Bars, one of my family's favorites: Margarine, brown sugar, almond extract, instant coffee granules, flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. I'll include some alternate ingredients at the end of the post!

First, melt the margarine.

Add the brown sugar.

The almond extract.

The coffee granules. You can play around with this a little if you prefer a stronger or more subtle coffee flavor.

Stir together the previous ingredients, then add flour.

Baking powder.

And salt.

Stir them all together. This will be a fairly thick batter - see how it pulls away from the sides of the bowl?

Press it into a greased pan.

Sprinkle (as liberally as you want!) with chocolate chips and lightly press them into the batter.

Place in an oven preheated to 35o degrees F.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine went about 30-35 because I doubled it). Edges should be slightly brown - but don't overbake it! I'd err on the doughier side if in doubt.

Let it cool for a few minutes, then dig in and enjoy! See the Tasty Kitchen post for a summary of the recipe and a printable version.

Alternatives:

-Try adding chopped nuts

-Add coconut

-Substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract

-Substitute Heath bar bits for the chocolate chips

Any other clever substitution suggestions?

Home Again

2010-05-19T13:09:00.003-05:00

My brother and I made it home from college this Sunday night - well, actually, Monday morning. We got home about 2am because one of our flights was cancelled and we had a couple long layovers we hadn't planned on. So Sunday was a really long day (we had gotten up at 5:30 in the morning) but we don't mind because we're finally home now. =)

I've kept busy since getting back - went on a long walk with the family, helped Spring Clean the shoe/jacket closet, helped my Dad tidy up the barn, ran a load of stuff to the thrift store, ran some other errands, rearranged my room...it all makes me feel very accomplished! ;)

Yesterday we were moving an old fridge and something fell out from underneath.

At first I thought it was just a blob of dust.

Then I noticed that it was actually a very dusty bunny.

And then the light turned on:

It's a real live dustbunny!!!

Happiness is a Big Bubble

2010-04-17T19:52:00.006-05:00

Hi, it's me again...only 2 months after my last post...sorry! College has been crazy lately - translating Hosea, for example, and working on an Ecclesiology paper, practicing extricating people from vehicles (Emergency Response class), Greek homework, working in the bakery, piano, reading a 700-page book...and blowing bubbles! That's right, I'm giving you a how-to on a sure way to brighten your day - and it won't cost you a thing, since you (hopefully) wash your hands often anyway! I re-discovered this trick recently and found it quite enthralling. Here's how to do it:

1. Soap up really well. I'm still figuring out the proportions here, but it definitely seems like more soap is better - and it'll get rid of more germs, too! Get your hands wet, but not so much that you wash all the soap off.

2. Rub your thumb against the side of your forefinger. This is where you want the highest concentration of soap to be.

3. Slowly slide your thumb down toward the tip of your finger, making sure they stay touching at all times.

4. You now have your very own bubble wand! If you've kept contact between your thumb and finger, you should have a thin film of soap in the middle of the circle. If not, repeat steps 2 and 3, adding a little more soap or water if necessary.

5. Now blow gently through the circle, carefully forming your bubble. When it gets the size you want it, close the circle, again keeping the finger and thumb together. The bubble will sit neatly in your hand!

Try it out! You can get them pretty big when conditions are right. If your other hand is still soaped, you can sometimes play with the bubble without popping it.

Make sure you try this out the next time you wash your hands! If you have kids, though, you might want to keep this a secret...I can see how this power could be very messy in the wrong hands. ;) Enjoy your Spring!!!

Recent Randomness in My Life

2010-02-18T21:44:00.005-06:00

Life at college is never boring. Well, I shouldn't say that...sometimes that Greek homework can get a little dull...but, anyway - there's almost always something going on! Believe it or not, I'm approaching the close of my fourth week here, and it's amazing how the time has sped by. I feel like the Spring semester usually seems to go by more quickly.

This is going to be an exceedingly random post, highlighting a few things that have been going on lately here in the boonies of Wisconsin.

1. Where did our winter go?

I think all the people along the East Coast must've stolen it. I remember that last year it was so cold here I wasn't sure I'd make it back to my room at times! We've had a couple rather blustery days this year, but it's been mostly up in the 20s and sometimes even the 30s. Here's what it's supposed to be like:

This is my bedroom window during one of our few cold snaps - the inside of the window. Poor little guy...of course, I've heard that you can actually freeze flies and then revive them by warming them up. Kids, don't try this at home unless you're trying to provoke your parents to much wrath and consternation...which generally isn't a good idea, I've learned.

2. Craziness in the Bakery

So one day last week I was telling my roomie, "Yeah, I think it's going to be a nice easy day in the bakery...just a few muffins to bake for supper and then cleanup." Well, when I went in to work, my supervisor was frantically mixing up more muffin batter because the first batch hadn't been enough to fill up the quota of 400 banana muffins. I'd never realized it before, but banana muffins are devious little critters...and the loaves of bread seemed to be in on the plot too. I had things in three ovens in two different rooms with three timers going at once! Those muffins...what a night! I didn't clock out till an hour and a half longer than usual. There were two good results from the hardship, however: 1) A waitress came back and revived my soul by telling me that the students had raved over the muffins. Only a couple dozen of the original 400 remained. 2) I earned a sort of kitchen badge of honor - many of the workers have this little stripe on their arms (some have lots of stripes!) and I got my first one after nearly two years of kitchen work:

My labor was not in vain. The banana muffins did not succeed in crushing my spirit! I will go on to bake another day!!!

3. Adrenaline and Boredom: An Exercise

This evening at approximately 6pm, the fire alarms went off in the girls' dorm...after I'd changed into my comfy pajama pants. But, following the rules, I didn't take time to change and joined the throng of girls running over to the basement of the building next door. And there I remained while they checked the dorm out to find the problem. This was boring because I didn't think to grab any homework. It was entertaining, at least, to see what clothing combinations some of the girls were wearing. Thankfully no one had been caught in the shower - and thankfully, I had postponed the shower I had been planning to take!

4. The Roomies Strike Again!

I walked into my room last night after I got back from church and noticed the iron on my bed. I wondered if my roomies had been ironing something on my bed, which would be really weird. Then I flicked on the light and - well, see for yourself:

Apparently my beloved roomies took advantage of one of my rare trips off campus to set up this little surprise. Nothing is intentionally related - they just grabbed random stuff from around the room. I feel loved. =)

5. A Capitulation to Peer Pressure

Okay, brace yourselves - this is a big one. I finally caved: I got a Facebook account. I've stepped up into this century at long last! And I already have 35 friends. =)

Anyway...that should fulfill your need for randomness for a good long time. Feel free to suggest ways I can reciprocate to my roommates! And look me up on Facebook if you're not already my friend. Have a great weekend!

My Family #2: The Best Mom Ever!

2010-01-30T18:16:00.021-06:00

Well, in a recent post I told you a little bit about my Dad; now it's my Mom's turn! I've also got 2 brothers and 2 sisters that I'm trying to talk into doing guest posts eventually. :)

My Mom is really something spectacular. Just watch her for a little while and you'll see what God intended wives and mothers to be like. She really loves the Lord and her family and works hard to serve with all her heart and strength. As a child and teen she was active outdoors and in church activities. At 17 she began working in a hospital as a nurse's aide and a surgical technician. A few years later she married Dad and had all five of us kids in about 7 years. That in itself should tell you what a brave woman she is!

Over the years Mom has worked outside the home and from the home in various ways (most recently she had a home business selling chocolate products) but her heart's desire is to be at home serving God, Dad and our church. Recently our family took a step of faith and ceased the chocolate business so that Mom could devote more time to helping Dad and working on church-related projects. It's extremely hard to encapsulate all of what Mom does - for example, she spends hours every week working on our monthly ladies' Bible study and helping Dad out with his projects. She's also got some really great creative talents. I've put together a small assortment of her various creative outlets and ministries. Hopefully this collection will show you just a little of her talent and creativity.

I'll start with the cards that she designs. She faithfully sends a birthday card to each member of the church on their special day, and every week she designs and mails really cute, fun or encouraging cards to a few of our shut-ins. Here are a few that I would put in the category of "Just Plain Cute!" (Or, dare I say it, "Cute as a Bug...")

Most of the cards contain a verse or encouraging thought on the inside. The one below says "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17).

Some of the cards are a little more involved than others:

The Indian in the middle is actually dangling on a string!

Some cards require intricate folding according to a pattern.

While Mom specializes in whimsical designs, she's not hard-pressed at all to turn out some really pretty things now and then:

Mom hosts an annual Ladies' Christmas Tea and an annual Spring Dinner - and she usually makes all the favors by hand (well, with a little help from the computer - but she does all the cutting, folding and touching up!). Here's a little purse that could hold candy or tea bags.

This was the invitation she sent out to all the ladies for our most recent Christmas tea. She cuts out all the irregularly shaped objects and assembles them! The bell can come off the invitation and be used as an ornament.

I apologize that this is sideways...this is a notebook that Mom decorated. These make great gifts - and the really nice thing is that no one is exactly the same.

This is from a few years ago - Mom made one of these for each of our place settings at Thanksgiving. Any wrinkles and dust are my fault - I've kept this for quite a while!

Below is an example of Mom's ingenuity - she designed an in-house mail system. Each of these bags has one of our names on it so we can drop each other a note or message now and then. The mini clothespins show you when you have something new in your bag.

Mom used to do a lot of watercolor painting, with a focus on old barns. She has a lot of really nice pieces, but I think this might be one of the only ones framed right now. If you saw my last post, the house that I painted was done with Mom's old palette and paints.

Okay, it was quite a while ago that Mom cross-stitched, but many of these pieces have been a part of our home for so long that it would be remiss to not mention them. This is the only one we have out right now, but it's a good example of the quality of Mom's work.

Finally, here's one of the more time-consuming projects she did in her continual effort to give her best in serving God - these were part of a ladies' event a few years ago. Each little piece of fabric had to be folded a certain way and a pin or two stuck through it into the styrofoam ball. She started these a long time ahead because she made a lot of them.

What makes your mom the best Mom in the world to you? I know Mother's Day is a while off, but it's never a bad time to share why we love family!

A Christmas Break Project

2010-01-22T17:11:00.004-06:00

Well, Christmas break is over...my brother and I fly back to Wisconsin tomorrow. We have to leave a few minutes before 3 in the morning to catch our flight - blech!!! Say goodbye to sleeping in for a while...

We had a very nice break, though. We really enjoyed being home with our family and church family. I kept busy with work, relaxing, watching old Emergency! (Rescue 51) episodes with my sisters, baking, snowshoeing with friends, and painting. The painting was both big scale and small scale - we worked on redecorating my Mom's computer/craft room as a Christmas present, and I did a watercolor painting for friends. I'll do some before and after shots of the computer room in a later post, but here's my watercolor:

You should be able to see the detail better if you click on it. It was fun getting out the watercolors again, but now my parents want me to do a painting of our house! Maybe over the summer. =)

Well, it's time to try to stuff all my things into the duffel...how is it that I always go back to school with about 3 times as much stuff as I came home with?! Oh well.

Have a great weekend!!!

My Family #1: The Best Dad Ever!

2010-01-15T14:34:00.013-06:00

Well, since no one else in my family is interested in starting their own blog, I thought I'd take a few posts to highlight a little bit about each of them. I'm the second of 5 kids ("kids" ranging from age 16 to 23!) and my parents and siblings all lead busy and interesting lives. =)

I'll start with Dad. First and foremost, Dad is devoted to serving God as the pastor of the First Baptist Church in North Conway, NH. You can read a little bit about our wonderful church here: www.firstbaptistnorthconway.org. Dad is an incredible pastor, and I always miss his preaching and teaching when I'm at school even though I get to hear some great speakers.

Dad is also devoted to his family. He and Mom are approaching their 26th wedding anniversary, and their relationship is an excellent example of God's perfect design for marriage. They're constantly working to put each other first!

Dad is a talented guy - as if he wasn't busy enough with these duties as a pastor, husband and father, he's also an accomplished author, an expert on Biblical Warfare, a great shot with a Nerf gun, and a superb woodworker. Woodworking is one of his favorite hobbies (other than battling my youngest brother with Nerf guns), and he has made many spectacular pieces over the years. I thought I'd show off a little on his behalf:

1. This here is a vase. A very tiny vase! Most anyone can make big, clunky stuff, but it takes skill to do detailed work like this. =) This was in my stocking this year.

2. Many of his pieces were made especially for Mom, such as this oak-framed mirror. This has been a central part of our living room for several years now. (He also carved the "Praise HIM with Harp" plaque hanging below the mirror.)

3. These ornaments were turned on his giant, antique lathe.

4. The majority of his lathe work is pens - beautiful, unique creations! Below is part of my personal collection, some of them "defects" that I kidnapped. I think that defects give them more character! The purple one on the right is a fountain pen, and the third one from the right is my new favorite - Wormy Maple. It's got some real character! =)

5. Detail on a nicely done Olive Wood pen. Olive wood has a distinct smell to it when it's being worked on; sometimes you can catch a whiff if you scratch the wood with your fingernail. I love the contrasting grain of Olive.

6. More pens. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors!

7. Another cool thing that can be done on a lathe is Treenware. These are little containers with decorative lids, and they can be really cool! The greenish wood on the left is Lignum Vitae - one of the densest and heaviest woods; it will sink in water. On the right is a type of Palm.

8. One of Dad's favorite woods is white oak. He made our dining room table out of oak, as well as the mirror in the first photo, and these little drawers follow the theme. (The "HOME" letters were done by my Mom, who I will highlight in a later post.) Oh, and I just noticed - there's another ornament hanging from one of the drawer knobs! =)

9. Interesting boxes are endlessly intriguing to everyone in my family, but Dad goes a step further than most of us - he actually makes them! He's always coming up with clever new designs and latches from various bits and pieces. The box in the middle in the picture below has a closure fashioned from scrap leather. The memory chest on the bottom, which Dad made many years ago, is even better - the latch is hidden! This was probably to keep nosy children out of his and Mom's love letters. =)

10. Concluding this whirlwind woodcrafting tour is one of my favorites of Dad's recent pieces - a nice little wall decoration, complete with another piece of Treenware:

I'm so glad to have a Dad whose love for the Lord prompts him to excellence and beauty even in his hobbies!

P.S. - The Olive wood pen and the pens arranged in a circle are at present homeless; should you desire to purchase one for a loved one (or for yourself!) feel free to drop a comment so I can provide you with much more detailed photos and information.

Pure Yumminess!!!

2010-01-03T15:50:00.007-06:00

I've been collecting recipes for months now, and it's so nice to be home where I have the time and equipment to try some of them out! My sister and I had a great time last week making these truffles. They're fun, easy and delicious! Follow the link for the simple recipe.

The recipe suggested rolling them in baking cocoa, but there's so much more you can do with these! We experimented plenty, but I'm sure we didn't exhaust all our options. Here are some of the things we tried: baking cocoa, confectioner's sugar, finely chopped nuts, mini peanut butter chips, mini M&Ms, jimmies, granulated sugar, and melted chocolate. Afterward I thought that coconut would've been nice. The truffles are pliable enough that when you're rolling them, you could probably also tuck a surprise in the middle - maybe a marshmallow! :)

Feel free to comment with more suggestions for toppings - or with more truffle recipes! :)

*Note: the recipe said that this makes 24 truffles; we ended up with about 60.

Enjoy!!!

The Weather's Here!

2009-12-12T16:40:00.004-06:00

So in October we thought winter might be coming here in Wisconsin...here's a picture of our first snow on October 12. We probably got an inch, and it was gone by the end of the day. A couple days later my brother and I went on a walk, enjoying some nice warm, sunny weather.

This was pretty much the only snow for a long time. Things were getting colder, but it was still brown outside - we were starting to wonder if we would have a white Christmas this year. Then, a few days ago - almost 2 months after the first snow - I looked out my window in the morning to see this:

Normally you can see a few buildings! I believe this was actually classified as a blizzard - my roommate was so excited. =) Here's a closer view of the trees. I think they look almost like a pencil sketch.

Anyway, now it's white outside, and very cold. Be careful what you wish for! =)

The semester's almost over...just final exams are left, so I'll be heading home on Thursday. Hopefully then I'll have time to update my blog a little more often.

Have a great weekend - enjoy the snow!!!

Something Yummy...

2009-10-23T18:44:00.004-05:00

Last week I got one of my favorite care packages ever. It contained 6 cookies and 2 coffee toffees - made my by own darling mother. That first bite of Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookie was exquisite. Northland's food is good, but it can't compare to homemade cookies! I don't have the recipe for the cookies on my computer, but my sister sent me the Coffee Toffee recipe. See the photo and recipe below.

Coffee Toffee Bars

Cream 1 C soft butter
1 C brown sugar
Blend in 1 tsp. almond extract
1-2 T instant coffee
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Add 2-2 1/2 C flour to make stiff dough.

Press into well-greased 9x13 pan, sprinkle choc. chips on top.
Bake @ 350*F for 20-25 min.

Notes: I think we usually use a jelly roll pan. Use however many chocolate chips you need to fulfill your soul's desire...probably 1-2 cups would be plenty.

This is a yummy treat - you can tell because the recipe card is so worn that you can hardly read it anymore! It's a unique alternative to chocolate chip cookies, with an interesting texture and just a hint of coffee flavoring - not strong enough to turn off non-coffee people like me. =)

Feel free to leave feedback if you give this a try!

A Surprise

2009-10-15T18:38:00.003-05:00

I have fun roommates. Last night when I got back from Wednesday evening service, I found this waiting for me over my bed:

In case you can't read it, it says "You been had. P.S. We love you. -Roomies."

Thanks, roomies! Love ya too! =)

Ah, the randomness of college...now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get more toilet paper from the supply closet.

"S"

2009-10-09T18:24:00.008-05:00

So there's a lot one can do with the simple letter "s" - especially if it's on the top of every page in a note-taking journal. Mind you, I do my best to pay attention and take good notes, but now and then you just need to doodle a little. Here's the culprit that draws my pen to itself:

Some embellishments are pretty simple:

Sometimes they build on what's already there:

Then one day things started to get a little wilder:

That started a trend. I love this little guy!

This is one of my favorite doodles of all time. I love how he looks like he just discovered that he has hands.

Always remember and never forget this one thing: if you stop by my blog, you're sure to see something totally random! Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Friday, everyone!

I Miss My Kitchen!

2009-09-25T16:16:00.006-05:00

Well...three weeks of college are done. It's kind of hard to believe! It's been a good time of learning and growth, meeting new friends and settling back into the routine of things. I really enjoy it here...but I do miss cooking at home. I work in the bakery here, and that's fun, but it's definitely not the same. I try, though - I really do. You may have seen my post on Applesauce Bread; well, here's another step-by-step recipe that I highly recommend. It's delicious and very easy - and best of all, there are only three ingredients!

Here we go: grab yourself some PB, some J, and some...um...R. For "Ritz." Or you could go with "C" for crackers. Anyway...

So you take your crackers and slather one liberally with peanut butter and the other with jelly (I think mine is actually "Raspberry Preserves"). Naturally you need to spread onto the flat part of the cracker so the nicer side is on the outside for the next step. Be sure to make them pretty - this is a gourmet delight here!

Now take the crackers and press them together into a sandwich (see below). Note that the nicer side of the cracker is facing upward. This is important. If you're not going to do something right, don't do it at all! =)

Behold! A snack fit for a king...or for a stressed college student in between memorizing Greek charts and practicing piano and dashing off to class - well, you know how crazy life can be. That's why we need PB&J Cracker Sandwiches. They just help. Trust me on this.

Current and former college students, what got you through those tough times? Chocolate is a given for most of us; what little things, creative or conventional, were there for you when you needed them most? Feel free to comment so I know I'm not talking into empty cyberspace - and so I can use some of your ideas! =)

I hope everyone has a fantabulous weekend!

One Week

2009-09-12T13:38:00.002-05:00

One week of classes down, about 13 to go! It's been a busy few days, but it looks like it'll be a great semester. My classes are Greek, Fundamentalism, Women of the Bible, Hebrew, Systematic Theology I and Biblical Womanhood. I'm also taking piano lessons and working in the kitchen 9-10 hours a week.

I have three very nice roommates. We totally reorganized the room, and I got to have my bed tucked in a corner. I really like it - I don't know how long it's been since I had anything other than a stilt bed or the top bunk of a bunkbed!

Well, I've been thinking, a week at school is far different than a week at home. Here are a few of the things that have stood out to me: learning to write the Greek alphabet, transferring about 15 gallons of blueberries to freezer bags, listening to my younger brother speak with our Hebrew professor and not having a clue what they were talking about, going on walks with my brother...

What are some highlights from your past week? Did you experience something exciting, something alarming, something that really stretched your faith, or something just plain fun? Feel free to comment - it's amazing how much can happen in a week!

I'm Here!

2009-09-03T18:02:00.003-05:00

Well, my brother and I arrived on campus yesterday at Northland. He's had all kinds of freshman orientation sessions and I've been busy unpacking. We got up at 3 am yesterday to catch our flight and then I had to stay up till about 11:30 to get my bedding out of storage. It was a long day! It's good to be here, though - I'm enjoying introducing my brother to all my friends.

Here's the view out my bedroom window:

On the left you can see Northland's own water tower. The brick buildings hold offices and classroom space. The white chapel is on the right. I kind of miss being in the trailers, but it is nice being closer to the center of things. I'm sure I'll especially appreciate the shorter walk in the middle of January!

I'll try to post more pictures from my room and around campus over time. Sadly, there will be no more gardening pictures for a while, but I do have a recipe or two stored in my files that I can share over the semester.

Well, I need to get ready to go watch volleyball and basketball tournaments in a few minutes - it's a beautiful day for it!

The Woes of a Lazy Gardener - After, #4

2009-08-29T07:21:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm progressing with the garden...slowly. I only got a little work done this week; we'll see if I can finish it before I leave for college on Wednesday! Here's the "Before" picture of Vegetable Bay #3. This year I don't have any veggies in it, though - just two dwarf sweetcherry trees.

See? There they are! On the right-hand side. They're much happier now that they have some breathing room.

I did also get some work done on one of the big bays - it's about halfway cleared. If I can find a time of day when the bumblebees aren't hanging out around there (I think they have a nest under the barn) I'll finish that up and let you see the miracle! Thanks for stopping by - I'll try to get another post or two up before school! There should be more recipes in the near future as well. =)

A Delicious Diversion

2009-08-23T16:02:00.016-05:00

Well, it's a rainy Sunday afternoon, and I thought I'd give you something a little different to look at than weedy gardens. I tried a new recipe today. It was supposed to be Pumpkin Bread, but lacking pumpkin, I used applesauce instead. =) It's a nice easy quickbread with simple, readily available ingredients. Feel free to skip all the photos and go straight to the complete recipe at the end.

Left to Right: Applesauce, Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Sugar, Salt, Oil.

First, mix together all the dry ingredients.

Next, remove the peas from your measuring utensil. This is the remains of the day's pick of peas. Mom eats most of them. She says they're very good peas. =)

Now you'll use the measuring cup for your oil:

This is also the time to add the applesauce - or pumpkin. Note that I ran out of the homemade applesauce and used one of those little convenience packs to complete the 2 cups. =)

Okay, mix the wet stuff in thoroughly. The batter is medium in consistency - not too thick and not too wet. I don't know what it would be like with pumpkin, but I imagine it'd be similar. Now is probably the time to toss in a cup of chopped nuts if you're a nut person.

I am not a nut person. However, I had a lonely apple sitting on the counter, and I decided to give the poor thing some purpose in life. Here it is, awaiting surgery. Note the peas in the background - are they mocking the apple? Go ahead, apple - just say "split pea soup" and turn the table on those little guys! Okay, I'd better stop anthropomorphizing my fruits and veggies...

Anyhoo, chop up that little apple and toss it in the batter! I expect a lonely banana would also do quite well.

Divide the batter between two greased loaf pans and slide them into a preheated 350 degree oven. Set your timer for 1 hour. The recipe said 1 hour, 15 minutes, but mine were done a couple minutes early. To be safe, I would start checking them at about an hour.

Oh, wait!!! This is the most important part of all! I always sprinkle (a liberal amount of) cinnamon sugar on breads like this before I put them in the oven. It just adds that special touch.

Okay, now here's the fun part (just kidding!):

About 1 hour and ten minutes later, here they are! Notice the nice sugary top - don't worry, some will fall off when you cut slices. You won't go into diabetic shock or anything. =)

Here's the finished product! Naturally I had to test it. =) I did notice that the end crusts are pretty chewy...I'm not sure how to correct that. The inside portions, though, are moist and cinnomany. Very yummy! This would make a great breakfast or snack.

A nice crispy, sugary top. =)

Here's the complete recipe:

"Pumpkin" Bread

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 cups pumpkin (or applesauce!)

optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

optional: 1 cored, peeled and diced apple (or 1 mashed banana)

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients, mixing well. (Add nuts.) Bake in 2 loaf pans @ 350 degrees F, 1 hour and 15 minutes (check with a toothpick a few minutes early).

Enjoy!

The Woes of a Lazy Gardener - After, #3

2009-08-15T09:29:00.004-05:00

Hurray for Progress! I should post all my projects on my blog - it's great incentive for getting things done. Of course, then you readers would be bored out of your minds...

Here's vegetable bay #2 BEFORE. Shocking, isn't it? But keep scrolling for a miraculous makeover:

Ta-da! I told you there were tomatoes and peas hiding in here! Well, I found them. I gave them room to breathe, fertilized them and watered them. They're happy now, and that's all that a vegetable asks for. Vegetables lead rather simple lives.

Only three more bays to go after this! I'll try to get them done quickly so I can move on to other subjects and stop boring you with the lives of my vegetables. Thanks for viewing! =)

The Woes of a Lazy Gardener - After, #2

2009-08-14T10:47:00.003-05:00

I'm making progress! Here's vegetable bay #1 BEFORE:

And here it is after I cleaned it up this morning. I weeded, found my vegetable plants, caged the tomatoes and fertilized all the plants. I imagine they're breathing a sigh of relief right now!

Keep checking back for more on the Mystery of the Lost Gardens!

The Woes of a Lazy Gardener - After, #1

2009-08-11T08:37:00.004-05:00

Here's the moment you've been waiting for! Yesterday I showed you pictures of my dreadfully shabby gardens. I got a little work done, and I am delighted to reveal to you one spectacular "AFTER" photo. I put the "BEFORE" photo first so that you can easily compare the two. =)

Never fear - I haven't fizzled out yet. Soon I'll be able to reveal the other sections of the garden as neat and tidy as this first one.

Thanks again for viewing. Check back soon for more updates! =)

The Woes of a Lazy Gardener - Before

2009-08-10T09:45:00.008-05:00

Okay, folks, brace yourselves! If you've ever wondered what would happen if you didn't faithfully weed your garden, you're about to find out. I've taken a series of "BEFORE" photos showing a portion of my gardens in a state of serious neglect. Depending on weather, work and how long my back holds out, I will be posting some delightful "AFTER" photos over the next few days. Hopefully they will provide you (and me) with a sense of relief and achievement after the horrors you are about to see. =)

Here's the scene around our porch. We have some nice landscaping, but these dogwoods can get out of hand sometimes. Also, you see to the right our garbage area. We need to hide or otherwise dispose of three small garbage cans that have since been replaced, relocate a few buckets, and fold up the tarps. Also, it'd be kind of nice to complete that little stone/cement path at some point.

Next we find my top vegetable garden bay. Believe it or not, there are in fact a few vegetables plants in there. A couple of them are growing through the lattice, which was supposed to be a support but obviously failed in its duty.

The picture below shows three more bays. They contain peas, tomatoes, miniature cherry trees, black raspberries and a couple asparagus (would the plural of asparagus be "asparagi"??). Hopefully when I show them transformed, you will be able to discern that I am not lying. =)

This picture is taken from the bottom of the bays, focusing on the monstrous black raspberry plants. These have actually done well (perhaps a little too well - they're trying to take over!) and we collected enough berries this season for a pie or two.

Finally, a separate bay containing a cherry tree, a grape vine and red raspberry bushes. I tend to underestimate how much those little plants will grow! I plan to move the raspberries and the grape eventually.

Well, be sure to check on the site for improvements in my gardens! I'm happy to report that the shaggy dogwood has already been trimmed and the garbage area is on its way to being brought under control. I'll share pictures of that tomorrow. Thanks for viewing! Feel free to come over and help weed! =)

Squam Lake Science Center

2009-07-17T08:05:00.008-05:00

Well, I promised a few pictures of the animals at the Squam Lake Science Center. You see why I have the word "Ramblings" in the title of this site? =)

Here's one of their foxes. When I saw that he was sleeping, I didn't think I'd get a good picture, but this is actually one of my favorites - he looks so cute and fluffy! Not to mention comfortable...

Most of the enclosures had two animals; the second fox was much further away. This little guy was obligingly parked near the viewing window.

I felt bad for this bobcat - he was going a little crazy in his cage. He and his friend were staring intently outside most of the time. This one, though, spent a couple minutes dashing wildly back and forth on the rocky little "cliff" in the enclosure. As I understand it, most of the animals are at this science center because they were injured or are for some other reason unable to live in the wild.

The otters were definitely showoffs, and they kept moving so much of the time that I only got one or two decent pictures of them in the water! This one liked to swim up against the wall, push off against it, and swim on his back. They seemed to be watching the people - and enjoying being exclaimed over. The Science Center site does have a webcam for the otters.

The bears were enjoying a nize midday snooze. I imagine the best time to see the animals active would be early in the morning or in the evening. Still, the smaller bear woke up enough for me to

get a couple decent shots - mostly of him stretching and yawning. This is one of the better pictures. I guessed that he/she was about 200 pounds. The other bear, a little further away, was even bigger - my estimate was 300 pounds. The security in this enclosure was impressive - high fences and electric wire everywhere! They had many of the trees wired, presumably so the bears can't climb up and jump over the fence or onto neighboring buildings.

Many of the trails were lined with milkweed and other wildflowers. I was surprised not to see any

butterflies, but I suppose it's just as well - I

would've spent ages trying to snap the perfect

picture of them.

There were lots of other animals, too - all kinds of small birds, birds of prey, deer, mice, turtles, etc. Their displays are very nice, with lots of information - very kid-friendly. The info tends to be evolutionistic, but that's no surprise.

Here's the link to their site: http://nhnature.org/

Check it out sometime! =)

Cute Redhead

2009-07-14T20:58:00.003-05:00

Hi! What a busy summer this has been so far! Once I finally got to start working, I hit the ground running and have been doing nearly 40 hours a week. My checkbook is breathing a sigh of relief at that! The Lord has provided miraculously with financial aid at Northland, but it'll still be a bit squeaky this fall.

What's especially fun is that three of my four siblings are working with me at Zeb's General Store this summer. It's so nice to look up from the hubbub and share a smile with someone I know well.

Today I got to visit the Squam Lake Science Center with my good friends the VanDynes. We had a great time and saw all kinds of neat exhibits and animals. I'll have to share a few pictures the next time I do a post. Some of my favorites are the curled-up fox and the stretching black bear (they were a bit sleepy). The bald eagles were also very neat. The vultures were not.

Well, today I also met this really cute redhead. In fact, I ran outside barefoot, wearing my (modest) pajamas, and snagged him right off the sidewalk! We sat on the porch and chatted for a while before he had to leave. Here's his picture:

Told you he was cute! =) He was running loose and had to go with the animal control officer. She promised to let me know what happens with him. What I find very interesting about the situation, though, is that of all the lost dogs that had to wander across my yard, it was an Irish Setter. It's my favorite breed, and I used to own one! Is God trying to tell me something??? Unlikely, but I thought that was interesting. =) I'll be quiet now and remember that I can't have dogs till I move out of my parents' house...

Well...it's bedtime! I like bedtime. And I'd better end this post before I become excessively loopy. To any and all who actually take the time to read this stuff, Thanks! Have a fantabulous night!

Snow...

2009-06-03T19:07:00.011-05:00

...on the mountain. Yep, it's true: It's June 3rd, and Mount Washington still has a little snow. If I recall my facts correctly, it can snow at the peak during any month of the year. Here's the link to a site for Mount Washington: http://www.mountwashington.org/
I always enjoy reading about our mountain - home of the world's worst weather!

Anyway, I've been keeping busy since coming home from school - wrestling with to-do lists, practicing piano, annoying my older sister (but having plenty of good times with her too!)...I love being home! I've played piano in church 3 times, made home-made ice cream twice, and I even made my very first cheesecake: Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Gingersnap cheesecake. Yummy! (That recipe can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/caramel-pumpkin-gingersnap-cheesecake-so-there/ Definitely worth it!)

I haven't actually started work yet, but that's because it doesn't get busy around here till schools are out. Never mind that my school gets out the second week of May...oh well. I'm sure I'll be wishing for these quiet days later in the summer.

Yesterday my siblings and I went over to church to do some work on Solid Rock, our little publishing ministry, and we found the coolest thing on the study window:

It's called a Cecropia moth, and its wingspan is between 5-6 inches! Apparently they're nocturnal, which might explain why this one seemed a little confused. He was very friendly and spent quite a while perched on my finger. I took 127 photos. =)

This picture shows his wingspan a little better. My favorite part was his incredibly fine little antennae. The incredible beauty of this humble little moth makes me think of Psalm 8.

1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

4 What is man that You take thought for him, And the son of man that You care for him?

5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!

6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Freedom!!!

2009-05-08T13:37:00.008-05:00

Hooray! Finals are done, "pack check" and White Glove are behind me, and I get to go home tomorrow! I don't have anything else to do today except organize a remnant of my belongings and attend Northland's Spring Concert tonight. Free time...what a novel idea!

The remainder of my semester went very well. I was able to pull my grade up significantly in Hebrew. I feel pretty good about the final; we'll see, though. It's so hard to tell sometimes! I did switch my major from English to Biblical Languages, so I'll be taking Greek next year in addition to second-year Hebrew. That should be an adventure!

I've been able to fit in lots of fun things lately too. Last Sunday after the morning service I got to go with some friends on a picnic lunch to Dave's Falls, which is not too far from campus. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful area - it actually reminded me a lot of home! The trees are different, and the rock isn't quite like New Hampshire granite, but the general look was very similar. Here's part of the falls.

I got lots of nice pictures of my friends - including some cute ones of a newly engaged couple - but probably my favorite picture of the day from an artistic standpoint is this one. The color against the tree caught my eye as I was walking past. I turned for a quick snapshot, and when I saw this on the computer I really liked it. I've always wondered what fish think of lures like this - when bugs are this color, doesn't it usually mean they're poisonous? Anyway, it makes for a nice picture. =)

Well, I need to pack my last few things...and then enjoy a quiet afternoon. Maybe I can do a bit of writing so I can actually talk about the theme of my blog!

I'll be home sometime tomorrow (Saturday) evening. I'm very excited to be home, back with my family and church family. I'm looking forward to a great summer - hopefully accomplishing many of the goals I've set for myself! =)

Here I am again...

2009-03-25T16:15:00.003-05:00

Well, here's the long-ago-promised post...

School is back in swing after a fabulous Spring Break last week. I stayed on campus, did a little homework and probably wasted a fair bit of time - but it was so nice to relax! I did get a few things checked off my to-do list, anyway.

Spring is slowly battling its way forward here in Wisconsin. Much of the snow has gone; besides the drifts, there are only patches here and there. It's entirely possible that we could get another snowstorm, though - I've heard of it snowing on Graduation day before! That would be a bummer.

Classes are going pretty well. I got my midterm grades after Spring Break, and I'm pleased with everything...except Hebrew. I've been praying a lot lately that God will help me to work harder on Hebrew and pull my grades up. Today I'm thanking Him that I got an A on a vocabulary test. If you think of it, you could pray that I would have diligence in this area.

The school recently asked for photos/artwork that could be used as a background for all the school computers; we were supposed to use the school colors (forest green and white) and either their theme "Life touching life" or their acronym "HOWS." Well, I thought about it...what could be more forest green than some nice pine needles from the forest? And when we got an inch of snow last Saturday...here's what I entered (no results have been announced yet). It's kind of hard to tell in this picture that it's pine needles. Oh well. Believe it or not, this took me the better part of an hour to assemble. I still can't decide if I like it or think it looks silly. =)

In closing, I thought I'd share with you a verse that really stuck out to me from my devotions a few days ago. This is Ezekiel 18:31. "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?"

Here God is addressing Israel in the Old Testament, but this concept of casting away the old and putting on the new is found in the New Testament as well. When I repent and return to God, my sins will be wiped away and times of refreshing will come from the Lord! (Acts 3:19)

God's forgiveness is just so amazing!

Captive Thoughts...

2009-02-12T17:33:00.004-06:00

I was reading in II Corinthians for my devotions this morning, and I came across one of my favorite verses. "...and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
II Cor. 10:5b, NASB.

This is a tall order for a daydreamer like me! God's really been convicting me in this area lately. It's so easy to let my mind wander during class, chapel, and homework. God has me here at Northland for a reason, though, and I'm guessing it's not to be learning the delicate technique of paying attention to a sermon while at the same time developing the plot of my latest story!

Anyway, I'm having a great semester so far. All my classes are great; I'll describe them in a later post. One of my favorites is American Literature. We just finished going over the Colonial writers, and I discovered that I have an interest in early American history. I'll have to try to read more on the subject sometime.

Okay, onward to homework!

P.S. - I posted a Valentine's Day photo below. =)

Characterization

2008-12-27T08:39:00.002-06:00

Well, I had a fabulous Christmas, and I hope everyone else did as well. Christmas break is going way too fast! I head back to school on Saturday, January 17th.

Today I'd like to describe some of my thoughts on how characterization works for me. I'll tell you a little bit about a couple different characters I've developed over the years, but I'll focus on Derek, as I promised in my last post.

This semester I started thinking about my characters that I've written over the years, and I realized that certain characters represent parts of me, or they represent who I would like to be.

Dani, for example, is a sweet, pretty, petite Christian girl. When I look back on her and her story (which I started when I was 14), I can see that she is just about everything I wanted to be, and has a lot of the things I wanted too. She is an example of a character who represents my ideal. This is not necessarily a good thing, because who wants to read about a "perfect" character? Dani has potential, but needs to be rewritten a little so that people can relate to her.

I have one character who I had to think very carefully about. He's been around a long time now, but I have begun to work on cutting him out of my writing life because I have come to believe that he represents a rebellious part of me. He pretty much goes off and does his own thing. Also, his story is mostly based on action and excitement, which is not generally a solid foundation.

Now, Derek...he's a bit harder to analyze. I think that, like me, Derek tends to be worried about what people think. He's quiet, thoughtful, and probably a little self-conscious. He also hates speaking in public. (Hurray - I finished speech class last semester!) Let me tell you a bit about the plot of Derek's story.

Derek and his friends live in an orphanage on Earth. Derek remembers nothing from before the age of six, when he was found wandering alone in the woods. His only clue to his past is a green pendant he was wearing when he was found. One day as he walks back to the orphanage from school, he notices a man staring intently at his necklace. Later that night the orphanage catches on fire. After getting all the children out, Derek and his friends are trapped in the fire. Just as the building is about to collapse on them, Derek's necklace begins to glow and transports the boys to another world - Derek's home world, they are soon to discover. In the magical land of Vallere, they experience many adventures...and learn that only Derek can lead the country in expelling the evil tyrant Xymen!

I'm not sure I really think about my characters' personalities ahead of time...they usually develop on their own. I'm coming to see more and more, though, how they come out of me and the people I know.

Feel free to comment and describe how characters come into being for you - and what different characters represent in you.

Allow me to introduce myself...

2008-12-18T14:47:00.002-06:00

I'm 21 years old, and I'm a sophomore at Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wisconsin - way, way out in the boonies! My major is English, but I am enjoying many excellent Bible classes as well.

I love writing, reading, photography, gardening, teacups, fountain pens, animals, and almost anything antique. This blog will primarily focus on my efforts at writing, but don't be surprised if other elements creep in with some amount of frequency.

I enjoy writing young adult fiction, and hope to work on publishing some of my stories soon. My favorite genres in this category are fantasy and modern adventures with a Christian theme. I try to develop characters who are genuine and who are working through issues that today's youth - especially Christians - are facing. (By "Christian," I mean one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior.)

In my next post, I'll tell you a little bit about my character Derek, from my fantasy story with the working title, Forgotten Heritage.

In later posts, I'll begin introducing characters from stories that will be particularly relevant to today's Christian teenagers.