So....

The guys are cleaning up around the patio and installing flower beds. I should have pictures soon!

Prayer List

If you haven't heard, a high school friend of mine (who also grew up around the corner), is having a really rough time. Upon coming home to visit her mom and dad, Nicole's son ran out to see his grandpa who was outside mowing. He slipped on the grass and fell under the lawn mower. Doctors had to amputate his leg, but he will survive. You can read about Bryson's accident and recovery progress here.
Saturday night, Mom and I ran into Chuck, the grandfather. I can't imagine the guilt that he has had to deal with -- even if this was just a horrible accident. But Chuck didn't seem to be wrestling with guilt. Instead he spoke of the miracles that God was performing through Bryson. He talked about the number of people who had reached out, shown love and compassion and lifted the family up through prayer.
Often, I am asked to pray for something specific. Some requests are big and some are small. Sometimes I'm asked by people who have been walking with Lord longer than I and sometimes I'm asked by people who are just trying to cover their bases. And sometimes, people don't even know I'm praying for them!
I've started a prayer list on my blog. It occured to me that I look at it, read it, and pray for these people every day. I don't however, share it. Now I would never betray a confidence, but the people to the right could certainly benefit from a few more voices from the faithful. So if you have the time, please say a prayer for them. After all, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (and I love how simplistic The Message is!):

Always be joyful. Never stop praying.

Grilling

So last night, I fired up the grill -- literally. It's the old-fashioned charcoal kind. Of course, it was so hot, I probably could have thrown things on my patio and grilled them. I figured since I was going to a lot of effort, I might as well try something different.
So, I rubbed some chicken breasts with brown sugar, espresso powder and black pepper. Good start...we're covering sweet and spicy and bitter. What other taste sensations do I need? Sour! So I split some peaches and threw them on. What else? Smoky? I considered throwing the lettuce on (I've actually had grilled lettuce before...it's surprisingly good), but decided there was too much on my tiny grill as it was.
So, I chopped up the lettuce, added some sweet vidalia onions, fresh cukes out of dad's garden and topped the whole thing off with some shredded swiss cheese. Diced chicken and warmed sliced peaches completed my meal...along with some drizzled poppy seed dressing.
Wow. The peaches were warm and syrupy...but not too sweet. They were all blistered and blackened on the grilled side, and warmed all the way through. I bet grilled peaches would be good with ice cream!
The chicken had a lot of depth and flavor. The espresso powder makes SUCH a difference, and the brown sugar carmelized into a crunchy bite.
If only I had thought to toast up some nuts, it would have been a bit better. Oh well...maybe next time.

Nutritional Book Reviews

Knowing that I'm not the only one trying to mind what I eat, instead of eating whatever comes to mind, I thought I'd share some thoughts on some "nutritional" books I have read lately.
One book is called Eating Mindfully by Dr. Susan Albers. It was recommended to me by a nutritionist. Honestly, if you like reading stereo instructions, you will LOVE this book. Dr. Albers takes Buddah's discourse on the four stages of mindfulness and applies them to food. When we eat we should be mindful of our mind (isn't THAT redundant), mindful of our thoughts, mindful of our body and mindful of our emotions. Basically, it's striving to be aware of when and why you are eating. Are you eating without thinking? Eating only when scared? Judging your eating habits and or others? On and on it goes...with self-help exercises to go along with it.
If you didn't have an eating disorder before reading this book, there's a good chance you might after reading it. Phew. I felt totally incompetent and unprepared to do anything when I finished. I also found myself arguing against the logic that it's all on me. I know that I'm not perfect. If I put that much emphasis on myself, I know I would be doomed to fail.
Another book that says basically the same thing, but with a positive spin is French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. Mireille suggests that we fall in love with our food and only accept the best quality. She also suggests that you slow down and enjoy your food. Don't read or watch TV while eating...make every bite like it may be your last. She also recommends lots of water and walking for exercise. Of course, she also suggests eating nothing but leek soup one week-end a month, but what can I say, she's French.
My friend Monica was telling me about a time that she and her husband were in a car accident in Europe. They were taken to a hospital in Paris where everyone spoke English. Monica spent about 10 days recovering in the hospital, during which time she ate only hospital food. Now this hospital had a gourmet restaurant in it...so good that people off the street would come in and eat. Monica was having wine with meals, rich food, and the good stuff -- butter. She complained to her doctor that they were going to have to roll her out of the hospital. No, no no -- he said. When you prepare your food with natural ingredients, you will be fine. It's when you start adding in all of the pre-packaged foodstuff that things don't go so well. A nurse went on to explain that because of a chain of events, most French families now had both parents working. Because there isn't as much time to prepare food, the French are turning to pre-packaged meals and take-out. Result? Their obesity level is rising. Hmmmm...
I can't help thinking back to Daniel and what a role-model he is. No, not in the lion's den, but clear back in chapter one:

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

Daniel 1:8-16

Who Am I Casting Crowns

WOW! I love when the same message can be presented in a new way. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Challenge

A few weeks ago, our sermon was examining 1 Peter 3: 1-7 (wives, submit to your husband...) I became really frustrated. It is becoming an increasingly frequent occurence for me to leave church feeling this way. I am tired of always having to figure out how these lessons might apply to my life. More often than not, I end up concluding that yes, I agree with the message and I hope it applies to me directly sometime in the future. Until then, I guess I just encourage the women I know to be godly wives. **sigh**
After I found out that ALL the other girls in my women's group felt the same way, I decided to take our viewpoint to the pastoral staff at church. Pastor Jeff, brilliant man that he is, has issued a challange to our group: develop a sermon series on singleness that might be useable for the entire church. Tonight, I am meeting with my new friend Erica to start the process.
While I am fairly confident in my point of view, I would love to hear what YOU think. I will keep you posted on how things work out.

America's Got Talent?

Hmmm...actually, there is a REALLY good ventriloquist. Check him out here.

Mark Your Calendar!

On Sunday, September 9th, Delaware County will be hosting the all-horse parade. This is my favorite parade out of the entire year. You won't find puttering antique tractors, wailing police sirens or Shriner's running over your toes with their little cars at this parade. You will find over 550 horses representing over 25 different breeds. Draft horses, miniature horses, 4-H kids with their pet ponies, 8 horse hitches, sleighs, funeral wagons and marching bands will be on display. It's also a great place to pick up some free fertilizer for your garden!
The parade starts at 3 PM. More information is available here.

Sweet Mary

       

I got another kitten. I thought she would keep Lily company. Linus has fallen in love and Lily wants nothing to do with either of them. They both like to taunt her while she is in the crate though. Mary on the other hand is less than thrilled to be living with a Golden. They'll all get along someday...right?

A patio and a garden!

So, when the guys are installing the patio, they are going to cut some new flower beds for me. I'm so excited to be able to plant sun-loving plants that I just can't stand it. I would love to have a cutting garden. Top 10 plants I'm looking forward to planting:
1) Shasta Daisies
2) Russian Sage
3) Lavender
4) Poppies
5) Iris
6) Black-eyed Susans
7) Allium
8) Lily
9) Hollyhocks
10) Rosemary

What's your favorite sun-loving flower?

The Ticket

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.
Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."
Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car"
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.
Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?
Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?
Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again.
A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."
"Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Help Me Support a Great Cause

Most of you know my good friend Toby. His brother-in-law, Joe, is battling cancer. He has had tumors throughout his body on and off his whole life. It is my understanding that Joe's cancer stumps his doctors, who will a treat a tumor, watch it disappear all too quickly, and then reappear just as fast.
Currently Joe is fighting a tumor on his brain stem and two separate tumors in his brain. The current treatment involves drilling holes through his skull and injecting chemotherapy directly into the tumors.
As you can imagine, this treatment is very expensive. But YOU can help. Go out to eat at The Warehouse. I know, it sounds to good to be true. Today, tomorrow and Thursday, a portion of all the proceeds will go to Joe, in order to help defray his treatment costs.
So, get out there, grab a friend, and order appetizers AND dessert! It's for a good cause!

I can't believe it's finally happening!!!

The guys are working on my patio TODAY! Whoo-hoo!!!! I'll post pictures just as soon as I am able. I can't wait!
Last night we walked where it should go...how "sweeping" the curves should be, where the flower beds should be, etc.
I feel a need for margaritas and siestas on the patio.

Lightening

A little girl walked to and from school daily. The weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning.
The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child. Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky.
Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.
When the mother's car drew up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her, "What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping?"
The child answered, "I am trying to look pretty. God keeps taking my picture."

The Borne Ultimatum

Friday night, the 'rents and I went to see "The Borne Ultimatum." In a summer where every other movie seems to be the third in the series (Shrek 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End, Spiderman 3, Oceans 13), I have to say that this might be the best out of the bunch.
It contained enough history of 'The Borne Identity' and the 'Borne Supremacy' that you didn't need to see either of them to follow the plot. Like the first two, it was fast paced and action packed. Jason Borne is a sympathetic hero who you root for the entire way through.
Two things really stood out to me in this movie. The first was the cinematography. Many scenes are shot as if you are eavesdropping on a conversation or looking over someones shoulder, instead of having a direct viewpoint. It gave me the feeling of being part of the movie, instead of being a passive observer.
The second thing I loved were all of the different locations. It's like a whirlwind tour of Europe and New York. What is most impressive, is that they scenes are shot in public places. I watched a mini-documentary on the making of 'The Borne Ultimatum' on HBO. They don't stage these public places with extras. They just shoot the film and hope no one walks up and asks Matt Damon for his autograph. Consequently, you truly get a taste of what living there is like. Bustling crowds, kiosks full of merchandise, tickets and turn stiles are all things that I don't have to deal with on a daily basis, but it's nice to "go home" for a little while, even if it is only in a movie.
The only advice I have for this movie, is sit towards the back. There is so much action, that you might get a little motion sick if you sit to close!
'The Borne Ultimatum'? Definitely worth your money.

Marshmallow Mermaid Pie

Awhile ago, I told you about a movie I had seen that was called Waitress. In the movie, she makes a Marshmallow Mermaid Pie. I had to try it when I got home. Not only does it taste great, but it also has an amazing texture. I hope you get to try it out!

Ingredients:
9 graham crackers
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
34 Large Marshmallows
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack.

Heat marshmallows and milk in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).

In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form (I tinted my whipped cream pink!) Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie at least three hours or overnight.

If you want, decorate top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and or rainbow sprinkles.

Ella Fitzgerald, Angel Eyes

Torch Songs

Lately, I've been obsessed with torch songs. I've had to make an entire playlist for them on my iPod. By definition, a torch song is about unrequited love, usually in the style of the blues and sung by a female singer. In reality, we're talking about some of the vocal giants of the past like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Today, there are some artists who are still recording these gorgeous songs. Queen Latifah, K.D. Lang, Holly Cole and Jane Monheit have all recorded torch songs recently.
Why am I obsessed? Well, to be plain, it's just great music. Period. It's lush, dark and dramatic. But it also implies a time when people still got dressed up to go out and men still held doors open for women. People spoke to each other instead of texting and blogging. In a word, this music is intimate.
So, if you need a 4 minute vacation today, play the video above and close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a slinky black dress with a white gardenia tucked in your hair and the reddest lipstick you can find. Put yourself in a dark little club, seated at a table with a cocktail and your sweethearts arm draped across the back of your shoulders. Enjoy the legend Ella Fitgerald's rendition of "Angel Eyes."
If you would like to continue your excursion into the world torch songs, here's a list of some of my favorite songs (sung by any of the ladies listed above!).
1. Angel Eyes
2. Black Coffee
3. Lush Life
4. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
5. Blame it on My Youth
6. One for My Baby
7. I Got it Bad (and that Ain't Good)
8. The Many that Got Away
9. Crazy
10. Fever