Dabbling?

I walked and I prayed. These are not unusual.

I cried. This was unusual.

Yes, I’ve already confessed my penchant for tears, but I don’t usually cry when I walk my dog. Last week I did.

Have you ever felt like a failure? Like a quitter? Like you just don’t seem to do anything with your life? I have. I do. And these are the things I was talking to God about last week.

I know it probably has a lot to do with a blogging conference I’m attending next week. I feel so out of my element going to this event, like I don’t really belong there, so I was praying about that . . . wondering why God has me going far away to hang out with a bunch of women I don’t know for reasons I don’t understand.

As I was praying I got to thinking about how I don’t really have a “thing.” I mean, this blog isn’t what I’d call successful. I’ve never written that book I’ve been meaning to write. I’ve spoken a little, but I haven’t pursued this as a “career." I’ve got a master’s degree, but never pursued a Ph.D. And then it dawned on me . . .

I’m a dabbler.

So as I walked, I poured out my heart to God, expressing my frustration that I dabble in so many things, but have never had one “thing." I wondered out loud to God why that is.

Frustration came too easily that day, not peace, not reassurance. Just frustration that I have never pursued much of anything for very long, that I’ve never had what you would call a meaningful career, that my life, as I see it, is not one of accomplishments.

It’s true, I’m a dabbler.

Then, in the quiet of the morning, snow crunching under my feet and the pit-pat, pit-pat of the dog’s paws, He whispered to my heart: You’ve never dabbled in being a mom to those three girls I’ve given you.

And suddenly I know He’s right.

For almost 20 years now I have devoted my life to three little girls who have given me a Ph.D. in parenting, in commitment, in love. They have been both the hardest and the happiest years of my life.

And even though I see this phase of my life careening past me at a blistering pace, God showed me that they have been my "thing."

So I will continue to follow the One who has given me these three darlings, and I will continue to pray for opportunities to serve Him wherever and whenever He wants, and I will keep looking for that “thing” that is mine.

Even if it’s right under my nose.

How about you? Are you a dabbler? What does that look like?

* * * * *

Hey, I'm also posting over at the MODsquad blog today. I'd love it if you'd check it out!

Winter Has Taken Its Toll on Someone

My mom just sent me this link that I had to share with you all. It made me laugh so hard, and I thought maybe you could use a chuckle about now too.

And to my Atlanta friends, just "stay your behinds at home," you hear?!



Somehow I don't think she'd last in a Chicago winter.

Five Minute Writing

Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama came up with a great idea. Writing for five minutes just to see what we can come up with. This week she gave us a prompt to look through our camera and come up with a photo that we can put into words.

The old writing teacher in me really came out with this one since I used to do stuff like this all the time. Love those writing prompts! I had so much fun that I really hope Lisa-Jo does this again. I'll play!

So, here's my attempt at five minute writing along with the photos that served as my inspiration:




START:

Looking at photos from Borough Market from last summer.

Beautiful, vibrant flowers in purples and yellows and greens.

Cheese, some stinky, stacked ten rounds high. Samples are offered, and I take one from the Stilton vendor, allowing the pungent blue veins to melt and spread all over my tongue. I want more.

Baked goods, especially croissants, are huge and perfect and expertly browned. Croissants are my favorite, the way they softly pull apart and gently melt in your mouth.

I hear the voices of the vendors, “Sausages! Come try the sausages!”

And the grilled cheese vendor. The best grilled cheese I have ever eaten. Ever. Crunchy, perfectly browned, crunchy-crusted Italian bread. Pungent English cheddar with tiny bits of onion and leek. Stringy, salty, perfection.

The bustle of the crowd, the blaring music from street musicians, the cobbled streets, and the delicious grilled cheese all come together to make Borough Market one of my favorite London experiences.

STOP

O.K., I confess . . . I couldn't be inspired by just one photo of Borough Market, or even two. Here are a couple more that I just love.

Fabulous Friday Food - Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Have you ever been to the National Archives building in Washington D.C.? That's the building that houses the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and all those other important documents. It's got really thick walls and super-high pillars out front, and the doors are made of the thickest steel you can imagine.

Why the super-security? Well, because those documents are pretty valuable, not just monetarily, but also to our country's heritage. Nobody is getting near those documents (well, unless you're Nicolas Cage and you have a personal vendetta).

This is exactly how I feel about my spaghetti sauce recipe. It's a valuable piece of my family heritage, and I hardly ever give it out. Like, never.

Not that anyone's ever asked for it before. They probably haven't, which is most likely why I've never given it out, but it's nice to pretend that I'm one of those family-secret-recipe people.

I grew up watching my mom make spaghetti sauce. She'd start it in the morning and let it simmer away all day, and our entire house would smell like sauce. Yum. I learned a lot by watching my mom, but I've also tweaked the recipe some over the years. This is probably nothing like the sauce my mom used to make. It's better. (Sorry, Mom! I couldn't resist!)

Anyway, here today, I'm giving you the recipe to one of my family's all-time favorite meals: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce. I honestly think it's not that much harder than opening a jar, so you might as well take the time to make it homemade. Plus, it tastes exponentially better than that jarred stuff. With a little bit of effort, you can have a meal that your family will love too.

So here we go. Homemade spaghetti sauce.

Start with about a pound and a half of ground beef, one large (or two smallish) onion, and a good bit of minced garlic.



Brown that all together, then drain off the fat. (No picture of draining fat because . . . well . . . eeew.)

After you've drained the fat off, return the meat to the heat, but move it away to the side. (This part is the trickiest part of the whole thing. Just pay attention.) In the area in the middle of the pan, put the contents of one small can of tomato paste.

Move it around just a little until it coats the bottom of the pan. This will start to happen as the tomato paste gets warm.

Once you have some "bits" on the bottom of the pan, add a second can of tomato paste and mix everything together with the meat and onions and garlic.

Next, add a big splash of red wine (about a half cup), scraping the "bits" from the bottom of the pan.

Mix that together until nice and thick.

Now add your tomatoes: 1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes, 1 large can of crushed tomatoes, and 2 large cans (15 oz) of tomato sauce. Bring that to a nice, bubbly boil.

Now it's time for some spices. A couple of large handfuls of dried basil (use fresh if you have it), one large handful of oregano, and some salt.

Now just turn down the heat a little, put a lid on it, and let it simmer for a while. The longer it simmers, the better it is. Plus, it's a little free "Spaghetti Sauce" scented air freshener for your house!

Serve over noodles and enjoy!

Here's the great thing about the recipe I just gave you: it makes a lot. As in, you can serve this to your family for dinner, then have some leftovers, and still have enough sauce to make a lasagne for next week (it's also great for mostaccioli). Or do what I do and put the remaining sauce into a couple of Ziplok bags and throw them in the freezer. Instant dinner on one of "those" nights.

Shelly's Spaghetti Sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large (or 2 small) onions

1-2 cloves minced garlic (depending on how much you like)

2 (8 oz) cans tomato paste

1/2 Cup red wine

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons dried basil

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Salt to taste

1. Brown ground beef with onions and garlic; drain.

2. Push meat to the sides of the pan. Add 1 can tomato paste and allow to "adhere" to the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat--this will take a couple of minutes. Add second can of tomato paste and mix with meat.

3. Add red wine, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan.

4. Add rest of tomatoes and spices; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer at least one hour, preferably two or three. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Enjoy!

It's Here! It's Here!

When the doorbell rang this afternoon, I felt like the dad in "A Christmas Story." I looked at Abby who was blithely sitting at the counter eating peanut butter cookies, my eyes reeeaal wide, and said, "It's a major award!"

It wasn't really a major award, but I sure felt like it was. Because I'd been waiting all week for this.



Isn't she pretty?

I know, I'm pathetic. Such excitement over a washing machine.

People keep asking me if I got one of those fancy schmancy front-loading machines. You know, the kind like 99% of the world now has, except for me. Because I'm one of those change-averse people who really likes my top-loading machine, thankyouverymuch. And besides, I'm thinking ahead to the day (very soon, I have a feeling) when my back won't be what it used to be and I just might not be able to bend that far over without hurting something (those front loaders sit real close to the ground, have you noticed?).

So I stuck to my guns and got another top-loader.

Besides, have you seen where I actually have to go to do my laundry? This is so embarrassing, but I will show you the bowels of my home. The dregs, if you will. The ugliest place on my planet, which is probably why I hate doing laundry.

I have to go here:



I know. I'm pathetic.

Life Gets In the Way

I just loved how all the moms of college students chimed in on my weeping issue yesterday. Seems like lots of you can relate to my little “problem.”

You younger moms take note. Because someday you will probably 1) send someone off to college and 2) have hormonal weeping issues yourself. We moms of older children (note that I didn’t say “older moms”) aren’t entirely crazy.

Just semi-crazy.

I was going to write a deep post today about some things I learned at church on Sunday, but that will have to wait for another day because some things have happened that have caused me to stop thinking deeply for a couple of days and just deal with life.

First, I forgot the color of my daughter’s eyes. I am traumatized. In yesterday’s post I wrote at first about looking into her “beautiful brown eyes.” And then I got a message on Facebook that said, “I'm so offended. After 18 years you still don't know the color of my eyes. Blue, mom, very very blue...not brown!”

And you know what? She’s right! She definitely has blue eyes. Very, very blue eyes. I love those blue eyes because, well, they are hers, but also because they are such an anomaly. Between my hazel eyes and my husband’s brown eyes, we should NOT have had a blue-eyed child, but those recessive genes were on our side and we got Kate. And her blueberry eyes. But I completely spaced it out and wrote “brown” instead of “blue” on my post yesterday. (I’ve since corrected it. And she has graciously forgiven me.)

Second, I had to buy a new washing machine yesterday. I woke up on Sunday and my life was in order, but by Sunday night things were definitely going south when I found out our only-five-years-old washing machine wasn’t working right. I called a repairman who came out right away and who kind of gleefully (why would he be happy about this, I ask you?) told me that the motor wasn’t working. It would cost almost as much as a new machine to replace the motor, so I went shopping.

I hate shopping. Especially for things like washing machines. Oh, and did I mention that we had to get a new furnace last month?

The whole situation just wears me out.

Finally, something is wrong with our cable connection. It's not snowing (I KNOW! We're like the only place in America where it's NOT snowing!). It's not raining. The sun was out all day yesterday, and yet, during the BCS National Championship game last night our cable decided to do this crazy fritzing thing. So the announcers sounded something like this: "And now . . . 's got the ball . . . unning down the line . . . down!" Was that a first down? A touch down? What kind of down was it? Do you know how exhausting it is to try to fill in all those blanks?

A night of football bliss just turned into a . . . -ight . . . foo--all . . . -liss. Exhausting, I tell you.

And so, sometimes life just doesn’t go as planned. In fact, I’m finding that rarely does my life go as planned. In fact, I should probably just stop planning.

I guess that’s what they mean when they say, “just hang on and enjoy the ride.”

"I'm a Weepah"

Call it hormones.

Call it middle age.

(On second thought, don’t you DARE call it middle age.)

Maybe it’s winter, which is always rough for me (doesn’t help that it gets dark right after lunch—geesh! It’s like we live in Alaska . . . without all the beauty.).

I don’t know what it is, but lately I’ve been especially, shall we say, weepy.

I can’t get through a church service without dabbing at my eyes. I can’t watch television commercials without tearing up (all those poor people with medical issues and tax problems!). And don’t even get me started about watching the news . . . .

Yesterday I surprised myself, though, when my college girl went back to school. I drove her all of eight blocks back to the dorm in the late afternoon, pulled into the circular drive, and looked into those beautiful blue eyes. For some reason I felt like I needed some closure. (I’m big into closure, just ask my family.) So I turned to her and said, “It was a really great break, Kate. We loved having you home.” And then I cried. Just like a little baby, I wept.

Reminds me of that scene in “The Holiday” when Jude Law tells Cameron Diaz about his crying problem and he says, “I weep. I’m a weeper.” (Only in his gorgeous British accent he says “weepah.”) Yep, that’s me. A weeper.

So there I was, mind racing, realizing that half of her freshman year was already over and before I know it she’ll be a sophomore and before I know it again she’ll be halfway done with college and speeding quickly down the highway toward real adulthood. They grow up so fast. *sniff, sniff*

It’s not like Christmas break was perfect. Those three little angels aren’t exactly angels all the time. They don’t always get along. They don’t always even acknowledge each other’s existence as human beings. But they are sisters who love each other, and it’s always fun to have them all under one roof.

Which is, I guess, why I unexpectedly started to cry as I dropped my daughter at her dorm. (Of course, it could have been the huge tuition check I handed her with strict instructions to not-lose-it-but-be-sure-you-don’t-take-it-to-student-accounts-until-Tuesday.)

I looked at my daughter, growing into a woman, and realized how quickly things are changing. Those nights of having all five of us under one roof are becoming less and less frequent and more and more precious. The playful banter and raucous laughter that seems to only happen when we’re ALL here will end for a while. The noise will die down . . . A LOT . . . and the big space that seems to be filled up when all five of us are home will have just a little less personality to it.

Kate’s gone. Sure, she’s only a few blocks away. And, sure, I may see her later today with some things she’s forgotten here at home. But things have changed again, my world has altered just a little, and I must move on.

With tears in my eyes.

Fabulous Friday Food - Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I confess, this is a repeat from last March. But I really did make this bread this week and it is oh-so-delicious and I really think you should make it too. So I'm posting it again. Consider this a kick in the butt.


To kind of go along with the book review I did yesterday [remember: last March], I thought I'd share a recipe with you for something my family loves.

I don't just mean we love it with all small letters. We L-O-V-E with all caps this recipe.

For some reason this winter I started making bread. To be honest, Jo-Lynn was my inspiration--she's the one who introduced me to Michael Pollan and is really into healthy eating. And she bakes her own bread. Imagine.

But I got to thinking that my family would probably enjoy a slice of homemade bread every now and then, plus it's so much better for them, so I bought a bag of whole wheat flour and went to town.

Not literally--I already live in town. You know what I mean.

Anyway, the recipe I'm going to share with you came from Allrecipes.com and is really not that hard. You can do it. I know you can. I've made this about five times and it has turned out perfectly every time. (And thank goodness it cooperated this time since I was taking pictures and blogging about it and all.)

First, you mix together 3 cups of warm water with 2 packages yeast, 1/3 cup honey, and 5 cups white flour (or "bread flour" whatever that is).



Let those ingredients get happy for a while, as Emeril would say. Oh, about 30 minutes, until it's ooey and gooey.



Mix in some melted butter, another 1/3 cup honey and some salt. Here's where you need some whole wheat flour--about 3 or 4 cups.



Stir it into the rest of the dough and then knead it, adding whole wheat flour as you go until it's still slightly sticky.

(The recipe says to knead it with your hands, but this is where I pull out the trusty Kitchen Aid mixer. Even though mine is a smaller model and the dough spills up over the dough hook, it's worth it.)

Let all this mess rise for about an hour or so until it's doubled. Like this.



Shape it into three loaves and let them rise in the pans for about another hour.



Bake them. When they are done, you'll have three gorgeous loaves of whole wheat bread that your family will L-O-V-E.



Now, I hear the weather around these parts is going to be on the nasty side this weekend (don't tell anyone I said this, but the weatherman said something about little white flakes falling from the sky again. I just can't bear it, can you?), so I think it would be a very good time to practice your bread making skills. Seriously. Get the pans out and have fun.

Your family will L-O-V-E you!

Here's the recipe in case you couldn't follow what I was saying up there.

Simple Whole Wheat Bread (from Allrecipes.com)

3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 C honey
5 C bread flour
3 T butter, melted
1/3 C honey
1 T salt
3 1/2 C whole wheat flour
2 T butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 C honey. Add 5 C white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

2. Mix in 3 T. melted butter, 1/3 C honey, and salt. Stir in 2 C whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky--just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 C of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9x5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over bake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 T. melted butter when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely (unless you live in my house and the bread does not even make it to the cooled stage).

Oh, I have to tell you that I have discovered the joys of bread flour. It's flour. That you use to make bread. It makes the bread wonderfully soft and perfect. So find some and use it. You'll thank me for it.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Please Tell Me We're Normal

These are just some of the topics we covered at dinner last night . . .

- racism

- Sarah Palin/Kate Goselin (DID YOU SEE THAT??!!)

- Chicago mayoral elections (always interesting)

- Rod Blagojevich (question: is he stupid or not?)

- Benjamin Franklin's virtues (Maggie had to journal about this for a class. I was so proud when she told us that she has her own set of virtues and they're called The Fruit of the Spirit. Yea!)

- the new Congress (this took a while)

- "It's a Wonderful Life" (I know. We just can't seem to let it go.)

So, what did you talk about last night?

Good Reads

I know I usually post Good Reads on Saturdays, but I've got a whole stack of great posts ready for you to devour, so I thought I'd just get wacky and post them on a Wednesday. Go wild.

I've been thinking about words lately. A lot. Ann Voskamp is a word miracle worker, so it's fitting that she writes this post about the power of words. And the power of a parent's words especially.

I absolutely loved this post at Down on the Farm. She's vulnerable. She's real. And she didn't even bake a single Christmas cookie this year. I think I have a new hero.

Need help with your New Year's Resolution-making? Here are about a hundred or so links to help you out--everything from green living to finances to career goals. Lots of help at "Life . . . Your Way."

And speaking of "Life . . . Your Way" . . . This is a new-ish blog to me (I've been following it for a few months now), and I've got to say that finding this was a happy surprise. This week they are offering tons of free downloads for you. I've printed off a lot of these already, and I know they are going to be helpful.

Here's another freebie from the MODsquad blog (which, by the way, I contribute to monthly--yippee!). It's a beautiful calendar that you can print out. For FREEEEE!!

Two more. Hang with me here.

I always look forward to the list of "banished words" that Lake Superior State University publishes every year. This year's list is "epic," but not an "epic fail." I'm just sayin'.

Finally, Lysa TerKeurst is writing about food, nutrition, and craving God the most in our lives. This post was really practical, and convicting. She tends to do that. But I love her.

So tell me, have you found any good reads lately?

2010 - A Photo Review

I really think I get most of my good ideas from Jo-Lynne. That's probably why her blog rocks and mine just rolls. (Tee hee!)

Anyway, Jo-Lynne (who, by the way, copied the idea from JanMary--so I'm not the only one copying ideas! *ahem*) recapped her year in pictures. I loved this idea, so I'm stealing it. Again.

Maybe next week I'll have an original thought.

JANUARY

What can I say about January around here other than it's cold? And sometimes we get a lot of snow, like on this day when I went walking with my camera.

When life gives you lemons . . . I always say.

FEBRUARY

Oh February was fun! We grown-ups got to sneak away (shhh, don't tell our kids!) for a few days of skiing in Park City, UT. We had a great time with our friends and loved staying in a gorgeous home in one of the most beautiful settings you could imagine.

MARCH

March, I loved ya! Especially since March was when Abby and I hopped a plane and landed in England of all places!

Imagine! Me? England? Who knew?

This time Abby treated me to the delights that are Liberty of London (I had never been here before).

And, of course, no trip would be complete (for me, anyway) without a trip to Borough Market.

APRIL

Looking back through my old posts, I realize that I forgot to write about this, but my birthday was (is) in April. Last year I decided that for my birthday I wanted our girls to experience a Chicago restaurant that I loved when I was in college and have hardly been back since. We weren't sure that the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder would be as good as we remembered, but it sure was.

Thanks, fam, for indulging me in what may just become a birthday tradition. Yum!

Best. Pizza. Ever.

Best. Family. Ever.

MAY

May saw some beginnings . . . and some endings.

I wrote about the opening of our French Market in town. I call this my happy place.

And the ending of the school year brought with it post prom festivities. I had never volunteered there before, but I'm sure I'll do it again this year. Lots of fun!

JUNE

June brought with it graduation. (Congrats, Kate!)

And almost equally significant was the Blackhawks championship season. We took Maggie downtown to see the parade. Along with two million of our favorite friends.


I love these fans.




JULY

England, again. I KNOW! I'm such a princess, right? That's what I've been saying all year.

So we celebrated 25 years of marriage this year, most of them happy. Ha! That's my dad's joke.

And speaking of dear old Dad, he and mom celebrated 50 years of marriage, most of them . . . you know. And in celebration, we all went to the British Open golf tournament. Along with a few other places.

And I found my dream home. Should suit a princess, don't you think?



AUGUST

Back to school.

Some stayed home. . . .

. . . one went far, far away. Like, eight blocks.

SEPTEMBER

I think September was a time of quiet in preparation for what would be the insanity that was the rest of our fall. So I spent a little time decorating. . . .



. . . and crafting. (And if you think that was for real, you don't know me very well at all.)



OCTOBER

Twenty-five years after graduating from Wheaton College, my roommates came back to celebrate our class reunion. This is pretty much all we did all weekend--laughed.

And posed for pictures. There may have been a little food involved, too.

I miss these girls.

B and I were invited to Pebble Beach in October. And, you know, when you're invited to go to Pebble Beach you pretty much go. Because Pebble Beach is wonderful and amazing and so, so posh.

They even have birds waiting for you to take their pictures.

Not to be outdone by their parents, our girls made us take them to the second-coolest place on earth: Springfield, IL. Oh, I kid.

We DID go to the birthplace of Lincoln. And we DID have a great time. But most of the weekend was spent by all of us saying, "I miss Kate. I wish Kate were with us." Boo hoo.

NOVEMBER

I think I was busy every single weekend in October, and November was hardly any different. But the best weekend, for sure, was my trip to Florida with my girlfriends. (Did I mention that we went on a private jet?) (And that my friend, Kim's house is amazing?) (This is the view from her pool.)

I got to spend some very precious time with my Grandma Nell while I was there too.

Another highlight from November was speaking at a Women's Retreat, but I don't have a photo of that. Just imagine me standing behind a podium. Great shot, huh?


DECEMBER

The season of joy. And crazy-busyness when you throw in two Christmas teas and hosting about five different events at your house.

I don't know why I'm throwing this picture in here, but those brussels sprouts from Trader Joe's just cracked me up. And they were yummy!

We ended the year and rang in the new at my sister's house in Dallas, TX. (She's the second from the right. Holla, Jenn!) And while I'm at it, I'll just shout out to my other sister, Jodi (farthest on the left), and Mom (the beautiful woman on the right).

A few years back all five of our girls came to us parents and said, "We just want you to know that even when we are grown up and have husbands we want to have cousins Christmas." This year was a bit of a challenge, but we pulled it off.

Wow, this looking back has really been fun. Time-consuming (just ask my family who watched me pull this post together in about six hours on Sunday afternoon), but lots and lots of fun. It's made me realize a few things, too.

First, I've covered some ground in 2010. Racked up a few frequent flier miles too.

Second, our lives are probably at the height of busy-ness right now. Between B's job and responsibilities at church, the kids' activities, and my writing and speaking, things can get a little out of hand at times. But that's O.K. It wouldn't be life if it weren't a little out of control at times.

Let's just say that life is indeed full at our house. Full of fun. Full of teenagers. Full of college friends. Full of surprises. Full of love.

I'm so grateful for 2010 and can't wait to see what 2011 holds.

One Word

It’s hard to choose just one word to launch myself into 2011, but being an intentional person (or at least hoping I am), I think I should try. I’ve noticed lots of bloggers doing this—choosing one word for the year. Looking ahead with intentionality. Filling their hearts and minds with who they would like to be.

I think it’s a good idea, this intentionality. Kind of like being prepared for something you don’t know you will need yet. Or focusing on an attribute you just might need a little more of in your life.

Which is why I’ve been mulling this over for a while. What do I need more of in my life? What do I need to give to the people around me? What do I lack?

And so I’ve come upon a word that humbles me, not because I deserve any of it, but because I lack it so much, especially with the people who are closest to me.

Grace.

It’s my youngest daughter’s middle name, and sometimes I think I haven’t taken the time to really think about what grace really means. I have been showered grace upon grace in my life, and I am so thankful for it, but as I’ve been thinking about choosing just one word for 2011, I have realized how short I fall in showering grace on others.

All 5 feet 9 inches of me falls so very short.

With this word in mind, I want to make 2011 a year in which I give just a little more grace to those around me every day. How? I’ll try to make 2011 a year in which I stop and take notice of those around me. A year in which I don’t rush to judgment. A year in which I choose gentler words over harsh ones. A year in which I try to see through another person’s eyes.

A year in which I hopefully learn just a little bit more about what it means to be a person filled with grace.

I’ve been given so much of it, grace, but do I freely give it myself? And the more I’ve been given, the more I should give it away.

Lots to learn in 2011, that’s for sure.

* * * * *

Gratitude Journal

I’m still going to try to list 1,000 things for which I’m thankful as Ann Voskamp suggests. With that in mind, I’ll be adding them to each Monday’s post.

Numbers 21-32

- my parents
- Christmas with the fams (both of them!)
- Ina Garten’s Pan Fried Onion Dip (oh, it’s SO good!)
- How our dog does her happy dance when we get home from a trip.
- Rob, who takes care of our dog while we’re gone.
- Good driving weather
- Making great memories in the car
- Reflecting on old memories in the car
- Farkle
- Bowling
- Great times just being together
- Cousins Christmas

2010 Recap

He y'all (I'm a Southerner now since I'm posting this from the heart of the South)! I know I said I wouldn't be posting this week, but I couldn't stay away. Especially since my friend, Jo-Lynne, is hosting a 2010 Recap blog party.

The idea is that we're supposed to take the first line from the first post of every month and link to that post. That way you can go back and read through the year and some of the fun we've had around here. So here are my contributions. If you'd like to see more blog recaps, head over to Musings of a Housewife.

JANUARY

"I spent a lot of time this week looking back, but today I think I'll look forward."

My first post of the year looked at all the stuff I already KNEW I'd be doing in 2010--travelling quite a bit, watching one daughter graduate from high school and start college, watching the others grow up immensely. But I had no idea about some of the fun ways God would surprise me throughout the year.

Makes me excited for 2011.

FEBRUARY

"Shhhh. We snuck (is that a word?) away for the weekend."

This was a Travel Tuesday post (remember those? I used to do them fairly frequently.) about my grown-up trip to Park City, UT with my hubby and some friends. What a great weekend that was!

MARCH

Truth-be-told, I’m tired as I write this post. I’ve had a long weekend.

Oh gee, what a terrible first line! If I were grading my own paper I'd probably say something like "How does this make me want to read any further?" Ugh.

Anyway, this post was Part 5 of my "Intentional Parenting" series--probably one of the areas of my blog from 2010 of which I am most proud. You all gave me such great feedback, for which I'm so grateful. I'm working on developing these ideas further in 2011.

APRIL

“So how was your Valentine’s Day?” my sweet friend Meghan asked me this week.

O.K., I'm trying to figure out how I posted about Valentine's Day in April, but I think it was a re-post or something. I have no idea. Just goes to show you how unprofessional I am about this blogging thing.

Anyway, this is a very funny post showing you the real ins-and-outs and intricacies of our marriage. My favorite thing about this post is its title: "You'd think that after 25 years of marriage we'd be better at it."

MAY

"Every Saturday morning from mid-April through October, our town holds a French Market."

This was an I'm-getting-excited-about-summer post that highlighted one of my favorite Saturday traditions--going to the French Market in our town. Now that it's the dead of winter, it's kind of nice to look back on this and realize that winter won't last forever . . . even though it feels like it might.

JUNE

"Twenty-five years of . . ."

Our anniversary is on June 1 (every year!), and this one was special. When we got married I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to be married to B for 25 years, but looking back, it's like the blink of an eye.

JULY

"Sometimes I follow a recipe. Sometimes."

Somewhere around mid-year I decided to incorporate regular recipes into my blog, hence "Fabulous Friday Food." I love sharing recipes and even though some people might think that's a little hokey, I have heard from more than a few of you that you kind of like my recipes too. But I'd love to know, should I keep going with this?

AUGUST

"My oldest, Kate, leaves for college today."


I'm so glad this post came up because it's one of my favorites of the entire year. Sending your first child off to college is a pretty big deal. You really do wonder if they're ready for the challenge. Here's how I knew Kate was ready.

SEPTEMBER

"I'm in a funk this week."

This was a great post to read again--all about how life's curveballs can throw me into a funk and how on earth do I get out of it? Psalm 45 has a good answer.

OCTOBER

"It's pumpkin time and I couldn't be happier."

Another recipe. This one's for pumpkin squares which are, if I may say it, yummy!

NOVEMBER

"Don't you just love that Allstate commercial that's on right now? That guy who plays Mayhem and drives all over town creating a ruckus?"


Needless to say, life in 2010 has been full. And wonderful. And tons and tons of fun. Here's just a glimpse into one weekend.

DECEMBER

"So, I really haven’t told you anything about our Thanksgiving yet."

Just a little Thanksgiving recap, but this post really made me chuckle. And judging by some of your comments, it made you chuckle too.

Thanks for laughing along with me and my "wild" life in 2010. I'm so glad you have all come along for the ride (and if you'd like to invite your friends to this little party for 2011, I'd be more than honored!). Like I said earlier, I really am excited to see what God has in store for 2011. I hope you'll stick around to see what happens.

Howdy, y'all! I'm in the land of the cowboys . . . and tumbleweed . . . and restaurants. Enjoying Christmas with the fam.

Just in case you hadn't noticed, I'm taking this week off from the blog, but be sure to come back next Monday when I'm sure I'll have more fun stories to share from this Wild Life.

Have a great week, everyone!

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Merry Christmas!

Top 10 Lines from "It's a Wonderful Life"

Last Saturday our family took an excursion into the big city. I had been hearing for years about the Christmas Show at the Music Box Theater in Chicago—it’s a double feature of “White Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” which was right up our alley.



Plus, it’s interactive, which is also right up our alley. Asking our family to not talk during a movie—PARTICULARLY a movie named “It’s a Wonderful Life”—is like asking us to, oh, I don’t know, not breathe.

Which reminds me of the time when B took me to see “Sophie’s Choice” when we were in college. Never mind the fact that the movie was a complete downer, we were on something like our third date, so we had some catching up to do. What can I say? We chatted.

Until the guy behind us told us, about halfway through the movie, to pipe down in some not so friendly terms. Talk about embarrassing. On your third date.

I think it bound us together for life.

I guess that could be a life lesson: be careful about getting shushed with a guy. You just might end up marrying him.

But then again, I’ve also been shushed with a girl. My college roommate, Jennifer and I got shushed in church one time. Also embarrassing.

I’m seeing a pattern here. I’d better shut up about it.

ANYWAY. Back to last Saturday and seeing “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Musicbox Theater. Let me just tell you that that was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in a long time. Just walking into the theater was amazing—it’s old and grand and beautiful and dark. It really brought me back to my childhood and the old theater we had in our town where my mom would drop me off every Saturday afternoon while she ran her errands.

Even before the movie started, some carolers came out on the stage and started a singalong. And then, Santa came out and sang with us. I tell you, I felt like a kid again singing those old non-religious Christmas songs. (What do you expect? It was the city. There was nothing religious about this day at all.) It was pure childlike Christmasy fun.



Not only that, but the crowd—those who had been to the Christmas Show before—all came dressed in their Santa hats and jingle bells. I had no idea what that was all about until the movie started. Every time there was a reference to Clarence everybody jingled their jingle bells. And every time Mr. Potter came on, everybody went, “Ssssssssss.”

Oh, it was fun.

And since I’ve seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” a time or twenty, I thought this might be a good time to share with you MY top 10 favorite lines from the movie and why. These may not be the most famous lines from the movie, and they may not be your favorites, but they are some of my favorites. Believe me, it’s hard to narrow all the great ones down to just ten.

Top 10 Lines from “It’s a Wonderful Life”

1. “George Bailey, I’ll love you till the day I die.” I think this might be my favorite line in the entire movie because as young Mary Hatch whispers this sweet sentiment into George's deaf ear she knows, even at age 10, that she loves this boy. I like a woman who knows her mind.

2. “This old thing? Why, I only wear this when I don’t care how I look.” Now Violet, the flirt, flips her hair and kicks up her heel while she says this line. I wish I had about one tenth of her gumption.

3. “Could I have $17.50?” I’ve heard that when the woman in the movie says this line and George leans over the counter to give her a kiss it is completely impromptu. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I like to think it is.

4. “Wish I had a million dollars! Hot dog!” Traditions like this one in Gower’s Drug Store don’t come along that often. Plus, who doesn’t wish they had a million dollars?

5. “Mr. Martini, how about some wine?” Yep, that Mary Bailey is my kind of gal.

6. “That’s what you get for praying.” George, in his moment of desperation, prays for some help and instead gets a pop on the lip. Don’t you ever feel like saying that?

7. “George, why must you torment the children?” This line is spoken quite frequently in my house, substituting B’s name for George’s, of course.

8. “Happy family? You call this a happy family? Why’d we have to have all these kids?” Another line spoken even more frequently in our house.

9. “I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world!” That’s how I felt when I left my little farm town for college, and you know what? I have.

10. This year I noticed something that I had never noticed in the movie before (which is what makes this movie so great--you catch something new every time). There’s a sign on the wall in George’s office that says “All you can take with you is that which is given away.” I think that’s a pretty great life motto, don't you?

Now tell me, what's your favorite Christmas movie (and as an FYI, "It's a Wonderful Life" is NOT my favorite one--"Holiday Inn" is my true favorite)? What's your favorite line from it?

Fabulous Friday Monday Food - Our Favorite Christmas Cookies EVER

Hi there! I'm just waiting for my in-laws to arrive and for the Christmas week festivities to begin.

I'm super-excited about tonight's dinner: Ina Garten's Tuscan Lemon Chicken, Butternut Squash Risotto, roasted asparagus, and Honey Whole Wheat Bread. Drooling, I am.

And for dessert? Probably a little ice cream and an assortment of cookies. What else is there at this time of year?

As I was daydreaming about tonight's dinner (I do that kind of thing a lot--honestly, if you ever got really inside my head . . . ) I remembered that I forgot something. (My family is shocked right now.)

I told you a while back that I would give you the recipe to our family's favorite Christmas cookie . . . EVER. I think I've made about four batches of these babies this season so far. And I'll probably make another before the week is out.

But first I have to tell you that I have no idea if these are really Christmas cookies at all. One of my college housemates, Bonnie, who was the most beautiful, blonde Swede I've ever known (still is, as a matter of fact!), used to make these when we lived in Fellowship House together our senior year. I fell in love with them then, and I still love them today.

Somewhere along the way, I took to adding some Christmas-colored sugar to the tops of these and, voila!, Christmas cookies.

Bonnie just called them Swedish Cookies, aka Brun Brot. Maybe in Sweden they eat these in the summer, I have no idea, but here at the Wild house, we eat them at Christmas. Every year it's the first and pretty much the only cookie my family demands that I make.

Everything else is just fluff. It's the Brun Brot they want.

Basically, these are an almond-flavored butter cookie. Delish, that's for sure, but I think it must be something about the shape that makes these cookies extra-appealing. They're just perfect for dunking into a cup of coffee or tea, kind of like biscotti but without the crack-your-teeth-on-it-and-have-to-run-to-the-dentist-on-Christmas-Eve kind of thing. These are soft and buttery and just a little bit chewy.

And SO easy to make. You must make these. Today. Because time is running out.

Here we go. First, assemble your ingredients: butter (lots), sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup (Bonnie's original recipe called for Dark Karo, but I never have that so I just use the light stuff. It works.), almond flavoring, flour, and baking soda. Pretty basic, right?



Next, whip together the butter (make sure it's room temperature) and the sugars. Beat the heck out of them until they're really fluffy.



Then add everything else. Your dough will be kind of stiff, but that's how it's supposed to be.



Just throw it out on your counter and knead it a little bit, forming a big ball of dough.



Then divide it into four smaller balls.



Next, gently roll each ball of dough into a rope, a little shorter than the length of your cookie sheet.



Slightly pat down each rope and cover with colored sugar.



Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. See how they spread out?



Now, here's the important part. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes, then slice them on a diagonal, making about 1 inch pieces.






Plate them up and give some to your college kid! They will disappear faster than you can say Santa Claus.



Bonnie's Swedish Cookies (Brun Brot)

3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Karo syrup
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
3 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix together butter and sugars, beating well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well (you can do this with your hands, too). Place on cookie sheet in 4 long ropes. Barely pat down; add colored sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until the edges are barely brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then slice into 1 inch pieces.

Now tell me, what's YOUR favorite Christmas cookie?

And the Winners Are . . .

Random Number Generator chose the following numbers as winners for the I Have a Bean giveaway:

4 - Becky

3 - Jodi

6 - dmswelch3

16 - Kent Weber

21 - Beverlydru

Please contact me within 24 hours at wildmom3@sbcglobal.net with your address so we can send your coffee to you. Congrats to all the winners!

And don't forget to head over the the MODsquad blog where I'm guest posting today!

I'm Over at MODsquad today!

"One year ago I remember looking forward to 2010 and realizing that it was going to go FAST. We had already planned a couple of amazing trips for the year, plus our oldest daughter would be leaving for college in August, so we knew that with all we had going on our year would fly.

It did . . . ."

I'm posting at the MODsquad blog today. Read more about what God did with my crazy year and how I'm "paying it forward" over there.

I Have a Bean *giveaway*

What do you get when you combine one missions trip, one struggling relative, one Weber grill, and a man with a vision? You get a coffee company called “I Have a Bean.”



I Have a Bean was started in 2007 as a brain-child of Pete Leonard and a couple of business partners. I chatted with Pete last week and got the scoop (get it?!) on his passion for people, coffee, and God. It’s one of those stories that you just gotta hear.

In 2005, Pete took a missions trip to Brazil with his church. While there, Pete visited a coffee plantation where he says he tasted the best coffee he had ever had. Always the coffee-lover, Pete decided to learn to roast his own coffee when he got home using his Weber grill as the roaster.

Around the same time, Pete had a relative who had been released from prison. As Pete described him, his relative was brilliant, a mathematician, computer programmer, and captain in the Army. But he had lost his way, gone to prison, served his time.

And when he was released, Pete’s relative could not find a job. Anywhere.

Pete continued to learn the art of roasting coffee, still using his Weber grill, and got pretty good at it. So good, in fact, that his neighbors were asking him for his coffee. And paying him for it!

But Pete kept thinking about his relative, the former prisoner who could not get a job. Through a friend who is now his business partner, Pete was introduced to Koinonia House, a local ministry for ex-prisoners. These men, who have come to faith in Christ while in prison, are allowed to live at Koinonia House for 18 months, be discipled in their faith, and then need to find gainful employment. But Pete knew that gainful employment is hard to come by if you’ve got a prison record.

And this is where two worlds collide. Pete’s experience with and compassion for his relative and his love for coffee became a business that is also a ministry. I Have a Bean is a micro-roasting coffee company that employs former prisoners with the idea that they can gain some work experience and some solid references so that they can make their way back into the working world. It's a great concept, and it's working.

Pete has a dream to expand his micro-roasting operations all across the country, still employing former prisoners. He realizes that there are ex-inmates all over the country who are struggling to prove themselves, and Pete would love to give them the opportunity.

Let me tell you, this coffee is amazing. The concept is to keep the roasting plant small enough to ship coffee the same day it’s roasted. That’s some fresh coffee! Pete explained to me that once it’s roasted, coffee is considered fresh for only 21 days. Once it’s ground, it’s only fresh for about 4 hours. The great thing about I Have a Bean coffee is that it’s sold BEFORE it’s roasted, which means that once they have your order, they roast it and ship it on the same day.

Pretty cool, huh?



I could go on and on about I Have a Bean—the concept, the ministry, THE COFFEE!—but you can read more about it on their website. Which is also where you can order their coffee. Which you should do.

But first, you have GOT to enter today’s giveaway. Because I Have a Bean has offered not one, not two, but FIVE lucky winners a pound of coffee. FRESH coffee!

All you have to do is leave me a comment. Anything. Tell me what you're doing for Christmas. Tell me what you had for dinner. I don't care. Just leave a comment.

You can get additional entries by . . .

. . . announcing this giveaway on Facebook.

. . . Tweeting this giveaway to your pals.

. . . following me.

So there. Four chances to win one of five pounds of freshly roasted coffee from I Have a Bean (please make sure to leave me an email address or a way to contact you if you win). I'll leave the giveaway open until Sunday night. Winners will be announced on Monday.

Edited to add: I was writing this late last night and totally forgot to tell you something. Pete has graciously offered ALL of my readers a 10% discount on their purchase from I Have a Bean. Simply use this coupon code for your order: WS1-4724. I hope you'll give it a try.