the unatural order of dishwashing

I love to cook, but detest doing dishes.   Something about the processes – combining ingredients together, mixing, chopping, layering and stirring is very satisfying to me.  And the smells. . .the smells are good.   Unfortunately when it’s all over, you have a pile of dirty dishes.  And if you cook like I do, it’s not a small pile.

I’m a very methodical person and, for most experiences in life, I appreciate the natural order of first working hard and then being rewarded.  For example, clean the house, and then appreciate the calm & beautiful results of your labor.   Almost every chore, job, experience I can think of has this natural progression.  But with cooking, it’s the opposite.  I get the fun up front and then suffer the drudgery of washing dishes as my last step.  (Which in and of itself is a bad process.  It gets worse as you go.   The water gets colder and grosser and less soapy the more you wash).

I guarentee I would cook twice as often if I could do the dishes & clean up the kitchen first and then soothe my soul by throwing together a pie, a casserole, or a batch of warm cookies to wrap it all up.

Now that I think about it, I’ve actually tried to make this work – I’ve been known to cook and leave the pile of dishes to be washed as I’m preparing the next meal.  It doesn’t work so well and generally does not leave me feeling very cool, calm and refreshed.

I have no thumbs.

Is there anything more great than a friend who does something really well taking time to help you? I do not have a green thumb, remotely. Today my friend wandered the greenhouse with me and helped my indecisive mind pick out some plants and make a plan for my yard. Hooray for friends with thumbs!

This is how my yard will look soon. . .well, something like this

things to remember when it’s snowing in April

1. lemon shake-ups
2. sitting outside in the shade when it’s almost warm enough to make you sweat just sitting there; but not quite
3. how nice it is to burn candles in the middle of winter
4. how I ran into a sale on Method plug-ins for 50 cents each last week (I bought 6)
5. my legs are too white for shorts or skirts anyway
6. it could be worse – I could live in Minneapolis :)
7. you don’t have to mow when it’s snowing
8. at least it’s not January snow
9. fresh baked cookies are possibly more enjoyable in cool weather than when it’s hot
10. there are no mosquitoes

anything I’m missing?

brevity is nice

Some comments about my life lately in four words or less (in no particular order):

• brother engaged
• Minneapolis trip (minus Kate)
• long drives
• new crayons for Kate
• snow finally melted
• visits with friends
• kate, books, rocking chair
• not much cooking (sigh)
• sweet tea
• Bobe’s Caesar salad
• cozy snow day
• loose jeans (!)
• a day without coats
• friends’ new babies
• learning to crochet ??
• favorite new blog:  mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com
• rearranging furniture
• cleaning out closets
• hunting elusive toddler sleepers
• dancing to Clifford songs
• hearing Kate say “pickle”
• blowing kisses
• peaceful Fridays at work
• “family date night”
• doing dishes
• toy containment
• appreciating good music

the perfect diet

I haven’t written in a while because, frankly, nothing very interesting to say. . .

but this morning I realized that I can share the topic that nearly everyone is a little interested in – dieting.

I am not big on diets; I find that keeping track of food kills the enjoyment and I have so many other things to fill my brain cells with.  I generally attribute lack of exercise to my extra pounds and kick it up a little if I feel I’m really out of control.   The last several years I have maintained a very even weight (excluding the pregnancy) and although not thrilled with it, I’m not continually gaining, so I figure that’s relatively healthy.

But I will take this moment to announce that I have found the perfect diet and am successfully, without counting anything, losing weight.  Here are the steps:

1.  Find a small child who is always hungry.  (If the child doesn’t talk yet, it’s helpful to create some kind of indicator – a sign, for example- that the child wishes to eat.)  Also of benefit is a lack of patience in said child – see # 6.

2.  Whenever you go to eat, fill your plate as full as you like with relatively healthy foods.  Avoid caffeiene, fried foods, etc.   (You will find this benefits your relationship with the child as well).

3.  Sit down next to hungry child and proceed feeding child from your plate.  As needed, be sure to cut up food in small pieces, mush, or blow on food to cool.  Be sure to give child ample time to chew, but not so much time between bites that he/she becomes fussy.

4.  When possible, sneak in a bite for yourself.  This is tricky, because if you are cutting the food in appropriate small bites, the child will chew and swallow fairly quickly.

5.  Refill plate as necessary.

6.  As soon as child is full, quickly eat whatever is left.  Do not take time to reheat – you’ll find out why.  Child will likely begin clamoring for attention, to get down from chair, or even to have diaper changed.   Continue to eat as quickly as possible (remember, small bites are best) as long as you can stand the yelling/demanding noises.

7.  When you can no longer ignore the child, put the plate down and begin cleaning food residue off of child.   Your meal is finished.

8.  Snacking is permitted throughout the day, but remember that most likely retrieving a snack will remind child of hunger and the sharing process will begin again.  At any time, weigh pros and cons of such situation and proceed with caution.

Is it better to steal something good than write something bad?

So, check out our friend Dan’s site – it’s becoming a daily bible study for me.  On this post, he wrote about a book that he’s reading.  Sometimes you just need some funny.  And I didn’t have any of my own to share.

recommended book

It made me think of the poultry processing plant that we used to live near – and the picture that always pops in my head when you seen those big cylidrical trucks that say Perdue.  I won’t gross you out – but what do you think is IN those trucks?

my eternal list of things to do

Lately I have been running around trying to do seven things at once and it’s not working out for me.  Factor in a sick little girl, sleeping in 1-2 hour segments, and I have not been “productive” the last week or so.  However, I have been reminded that usually it’s my own fault when too much is going on.  I “overbooked” and then life added a few more things.  So the lesson is, clearly, don’t overbook.  Lesson number two – stop setting lofty expectations.  I am all about dreaming, etc, but there are times when I expect to get two days worth of list done in two hours.  That is a fantasy, not a dream.  For the last two weeks, I think I have been late to everything.   I hate that.  So, slowing down is going to happen.

I constantly need the reminder that whatever is important in my head is probably unimportant to the rest of the people in my life.  That was confirmed today when my husband basically told me on about three different occasions that I was ridiculous.  Not in a mean way, but in a “I can’t believe I have to have this conversation with you – I love you but you’re crazy” kind of way.  The best example of my misguided “I have to keep juggling the china” obsessiveness came this afternoon with the discovery of a website.

I can’t go into the whole story, but the summary is that my initial reaction to a bizarre event was to think that I should have working knowledge of the entire world wide web.  Not in a prideful way, but in a “if I was on top of things, I would have found this sooner” way.

I have got to get a grip :)

So here is my list for the next week:

be where I have said i’m going to be – on time

if two things look like they might overlap – change or cancel one of them ahead of time (novel idea)

do not base the success of my life on how many things I do or on completing a mental checklist that no one else cares about

I’m not going to add any more things, even though I feel compelled to – because I’m trying to be realisitc :)

Here’s to your week being about the things that really are important.

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Speaking of important – Scott caved and Kate got a haircut this week.

issues & then there’s gas

So, I was thinking I should probably answer my own question.   I am determined not to be a one-issue voter – I have too many friends that I disagree with on one issue, but respect across the board, so I guess I have to treat the politicians the same way.   Of course, I wish I could find one that agrees with me exactly.  Wouldn’t that be great?  Although possibly a little freaky.   Here are some of my top issues though:   fiscal responsibility (ok, stop laughing), abortion, education, foreign relations (who we’re fighting with and who we’re helping), and forgive my idealism – but who I think has the ability to sincerely do what they think is best for the country without being swayed by the squeakiest wheel.   And to echo one of my friends – Jed Bartlett will always be president in my heart :)

(don’t read into this – I haven’t decided yet who I’m voting for)

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On another note – yesterday I had the opportunity to see a few of my close friends, but only for a few minutes.  It made me happy for a while, but today I’m a little melancholy.  I know there is significant seriousness about the current gas situation and I don’t take that lightly.  But here is what high gas prices mean to me- I would visit my friends (far and near) more often if not for the price of gas.  For now, we are grateful for email.

i haven’t disappeared completely

I’d like to write something super creative and witty right now, but too bad for you. . .

I started a part time job last week – thus the long absence.  I’m doin’ my thing – organizing the visionaries and big idea people of the world.  It surprises me every time how much I like doing this – putting the pieces together.   I’d give you the website of the organization, but it needs me to work on it first :)

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On another note – I can’t help but comment on the political scene these days.  I’m fascinated by it all – had a great conversation with a friend last week  – we talked all afternoon about the various strategies, etc.   Most of you never comment, which is fine, but I am curious – do you have make-or-break issues when you vote?  Or carefully analyze the whole platform?  Or are you attached to a certain party?  You don’t have to declare which one, just tell me how you choose.

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In the meantime, Kate is learning to walk.  She’s going through a 5th or 82nd clumsy stage – trying to run when she can barely walk.  She took out the edge of a bookshelf yesterday – literally knocked the trim off with her face.  Such a delicate flower, my girl!

here’s to Madeleine!

Madeleine L’Engle is by far my favorite author and has been as long as I can remember.  She has probably shaped my faith as much as anyone other than my parents (and maybe just as much).  She died almost a year ago (Sept 6) at the age of 88.  I’m almost finished reading a book by her that I actually hadn’t read before.  It was published in 1997 and is a bit of a small summary of her faith.  It reminds us that God is bigger than the churches we attend, the people we know, and the religion we grew up with.  She lived through a rough patch when her dad died, the consequences of terrible wars, and many other things that give her faith credibility and honesty.  Thanks Madeleine for putting it all out on paper for me to learn from!

Here’s an excerpt for you to sample:

(from Bright Evening Star Mystery of the Incarnation)

(pages 95-96)

When we creatures were made  with free will, the ability to make choices and decisions, God gave up control in a way so radical we have never quite understood it as we continue to strive for power.  When God saw what a miserable mess we were making by clinging to power, Christ threw power away once again and came to us to show us that power was literally killing us.

So Christ left power and came to us as Jesus, to be our Redeemer.  Christ our Redeemer: we say the words to glibly.  What do they mean? How is Christ our Redeemer?

If I sell a family watch to a pawnbroker, it has to be “redeemed.”  I have to return the price I received for it, and more.  In the days when grocery shoppers were given green stamps they could be redeemed for some kitchen appliance, a blender, a set of mixing bowls.  Redemption is a reminder that you don’t get something for nothing.  Jesus came to redeem us by offering his human life as the price, the whole life, from conception to resurrection.  In the Beatitudes he tries to show us how we are to understand what he is doing.

Redemption has to do with Jesus’ presence in our lives.  It means that Jesus sees us as we really are, and loves us anyhow.  Not only that, Jesus sees whatever is best in us, and by seeing it, brings it forth and continues to redeem us with his life, his pain, and his joy, so that we have the possibility of becoming who we are really meant to be.

(pages 154-155)

The divine aspect of Jesus must have understood that there is no such thing as failure in God’s plan.  The human aspect must have been exhausted and saddened as his disciples understood less and less, his friends dwindled away, and people demanded constant signs and miracles.  Even his disciples put pride of place before God’s love.  If htey had heard his stories about taking the lowest seat at the banquet, or the last being first and the first being last, they appeared to have forgotten them.

How much worse was Judas’s betrayal than the disciples’ prideful pushing for power?

Judas.  How are we to understand Judas?  A friend of mine in Juneau,  Alaska, told me she had recently preached about Judas.

I asked her, “What did you say?”

She told me that when Judas scolded Jesus for allowing the woman to anoint his feet with expensive oil, spending money on the oil which could have been used for the poor, that was not the worst fault because we, like Judas, often fail to understand.  Even when Judas contracted with the Pharisees to take money for delivering Jesus to them, that was not the worst fault, because we all do terrible things for money.  Even when he betrayed Jesus by kissing him, that was still not the worst fault because one way or another we all betray our friends.  But when Judas hanged himself, that was the ultimate fault, because it put a limit to the mercy of God, and we cannot do that.

But we do.  We project our own limitations of mercy onto God and so, unwittingly, we join Judas in betrayal.

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I cannot even begin to list the ways that I limit God on a daily basis.  How often do my fears and worries say to Him that I don’t think he can get me through life?  That I don’t trust Him?  I have known God my whole life and yet I ignore his nature, the one that provides, redeems, and doles out grace by the basketful – for my own sin and when I must pour grace out over others.