The Sweetbriar Patch

Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001-07:00

So, back to my epic about last year's health quest.

After 13 weeks working on a slow-carb diet and seeing very little in the results department, someone recommended Why We Get Fat on the forum I mentioned in an earlier post. This book was crucial in helping me understand my own body chemistry.

WWGF is an updated, shorter, and easier-to-read version of Taubes' previous Good Calories, Bad Calories. I've started GCBC, but haven't taken the time to finish it as life has gotten in the way, but it's patiently waiting in my Kindle for me.

Taubes questions the theory that eating fat makes us fat (the lipid hypothesis). He looks at other cultures and societies that shared our modern American propensity toward largeness and found some interesting elements. He also looked to the past, both past research and past wisdom. And he looks at body chemistry and lays out the role of insulin in fat storage.

As I read this in April of last year, I realized that the reason the slow-carb diet didn't work for me was that it was still too heavy in carbs. I was too insulin-resistant for that many carbs, even slowly-absorbed carbs, to work.

So, in April, I cut way back on my carbohydrates. And the scale began to go down. I also increased my intake of healthy fats - coconut oil, butter, lard, tallow, the fat on meat, palm kernel shortening, cream, eggs, etc. For about a month, I was eating about 3,000 calories per day and still losing weight easily. But that couldn't continue - the budget couldn't take it. When I cut back on how much I was eating, the weight-loss slowed and even reversed a little.

WWGF isn't a diet book. It's a book about biochemistry, history, and anthropology that explains the why (hence the title) behind most weight-gain, insulin resistance (a.k.a. metabolic syndrome). I've always found that, once I understand the philosophy behind something, the why, applying it, becomes more natural and thoughtful. I don't need someone else's plan if I understand what stands behind the ideas I'm wanting to implement (which is why even good diet books have never been very helpful for me).

By mid-May, I had lost a total of 15 lbs. Not great, but at least the scale was moving in the right direction. After reading WWGF, I read an exercise book, which seemed like the next thing to add. However, when I started doing what the book taught, all weight-loss stalled, and that includes no lost inches and no lost body fat percentage or anything else (although I was getting stronger - but soon my hands couldn't handle the weights I needed for my arms, shoulders, back, etc. - quite a predicament).

I also read another diet book and incorporated that into what I was already doing, but after two weeks, there was nothing happening, so I ditched that one (see how helpful record-keeping can be? I didn't waste that much time on something that just didn't work). That brings us to July, and a new post as I review, yet another book.

SDG!

Garden Planning

2011-12-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

After reading a few gardening books with methods that I'm convinced will save me time and work (reviews coming soon!), I'm itching to get back to gardening. I had some pretty plants going around the border of our yard a few years ago - sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, summer squashes - but when health difficulties hit, that went by the wayside. I'm getting to having more energy, so now is the time to start again. However, because it's been so long and now that we have our backyard chicken flock, we're starting from scratch (and have to build a fence or two to keep the girls out of the garden). Right now, we're simply trying to mulch the garden area, adding as much organic matter to it as we can to try to get a head start on enriching the soil.

We have a great book that details gardening in the Phoenix to Tucson corridor, but it's in storage with the rest of our books while we replace our 20-year-old carpet with wood laminate (which is back-ordered by at least a month, if not more). In the meantime, I'm looking at catalogs and websites of seed companies that are up north, where they have short growing seasons. Even though it may not have occurred to you (if you've ever spent time thinking about it), we have lots of short seasons here. We can have a week or two of frosty weather in late December, January, or early February, but then it heats up fast. We have to wait until it's warm enough to plant, but have to harvest before it gets too hot.

I've found a source of hay for deep mulch and am looking over seed company websites (and clipping all sorts of information to Evernote).

I've set up a spreadsheet in Numbers to keep track of what to plant when and what to harvest when. I'll also add notes about how things do, with plans for how to try to improve as time goes on. As with my health, I'm trying to approach gardening on an experimental basis. I don't have to know it all, but can learn over the course of years. I can experiment with different varieties and different growing methods. If something doesn't work this year, there's always next year.

To make the list, I'm going over past grocery lists and putting down all the fresh and frozen veggies we've been buying (as well as some I'd like to try). With the size of our family, I don't know that I'll have much to can or freeze, but if we can keep the garden growing most of the year, we should be okay. When more of the chicks have flown the nest, then I can think about storing our bounty (and passing it along to bless others).

I'll use graph paper to plan out the garden (note to self: add a column for plant height to the spreadsheet so tall plants don't (or do) shade short plants). I'm also going to lay out a calendar about what to plant and harvest when so I can figure out what I can plant in succession on the same piece of soil. Lots of planning to do, but that's part of the fun of it, isn't it?

SDG!

The Value of Self-Experimentation and Keeping Copious Records

2011-12-05T08:00:00.002-07:00

Almost a year ago, in late December 2010, I finally got to a weight that was my tipping point. I won't say what that weight was, but it was far too high. 2011 was the year I was going to get a hold, not just of my weight, but of my health.

I had struggled with adrenal fatigue for most of my life (not just my adult life - I had symptoms going back to high school, it was only in retrospect that I figured out what they were pointing to). During most of my pregnancies, I'd gained 50 lbs and then lost 50 lbs, but not all of them. The others saw the scale much higher at the end of the pregnancy/nursing cycle, and only one where I lost more weight than I'd gained. In addition to the adrenal fatigue, I was also trying to cope with quite a few other hormonal imbalances.

There had been many times through the years when I'd determine to lose weight. I'd either cut back on the fat, exercise a lot, or both. And each time, I'd simply maintain my weight. It was quite frustrating. As soon as I gave up, the scale started going back up again. And at the end of it, my adrenal glands were in worse shape than when I'd started.

So, back to late December 2010 - I downloaded a newly-released book onto my Kindle that promised me that I'd lose quite a bit in just a few weeks. After I read the pertinent parts of the book, I looked up the author's website. His attitude was less than encouraging, as he said that the promise in his book really didn't apply to women, who had to follow his plan for six to eight weeks before seeing results and even then would only see results for half of each month. He basically said that, if his counsel didn't produce the promised benefits, not to come crying to him.

Well, I tried it his way for six weeks, with absolutely no results. I was motivated to follow his counsel to the letter so that I could claim with all veracity that I hadn't cheated, all so that I could confidently say he was wrong. During weeks seven and eight, I did lose nine pounds. Then, I stalled for the next five weeks. I wasn't the only woman who was so frustrated, as plenty posted in the book's forums about their struggles.

While the slow-carb method of weightloss didn't work for me at all really (I gained back some of the weight I'd lost in weeks seven and eight), I did find the author's approach to self-experimentation to be quite valuable.

I began tracking many different measurements. I weigh myself daily. I measure myself in key areas weekly. I eventually bought a body fat calculator and measure that daily, too (it measures on the low side, so monthly I plug my numbers into a more accurate online body fat calculator and record those results, too). I also began to keep a closer watch on my eating habits (although the food diary didn't last through the whole year, I go back to it occasionally if I get stuck) and the supplements I take, as well as various symptoms (how I slept, headaches, wrist and hip inflammation, fatigue, adrenal soreness, etc.).

All this data helped in so many ways. I began to understand how various things affected me. Some took a few hours to show up, some days, some weeks, and some months, but I had a much better handle on learning what I needed. I learned to understand that daily fluctuations aren't that important. It's longer-term trends that I need to watch.

All this data gave me the ability to evaluate where I was and gave me the tools to figure out where I needed to go.

I haven't started tracking my blood sugar, yet, but hope to get that going soon so I can learn exactly how different foods affect me and can set up an individualized plan (even if it's just knowing what foods will mess me up and which foods might not be such a poor indulgence).

I set up spreadsheets that would take my weight and body fat measurements each day and multiply them out to show me my fat/lean weight. I also began graphing it all.

Whereas before I could find no rhyme or reason for what my weight was doing at any given time, now I could pin it on different things, whether a poor night's sleep or too many cups of sweetened tea or too much high-sugar fruit.

This principle of record-keeping and self-experimentation works for any health issue. The more data points you have, the better. I also found that approaching my health/weight issues as a science experiment was valuable in keeping my emotions out of the equation. I know I can obsess, but I haven't found that to be a problem at all this year.

In upcoming posts, I'll be reviewing several books that I found helpful, as well as sharing how the rest of the year went in my quest for better health (a quest I'm still very much in the midst of!).

SDG!

Yogurt, My Final Word

2011-09-26T10:42:00.008-07:00

I've been asked about my yogurt process lots of times since my series about what I learned in my yogurt journey. I usually send people a link to a Google search of my blog and 'yogurt'. But last night, a good friend said that she always does better if she can see the process, so here it is, all pulled together into one post and with pictures!

This makes a gallon of yogurt (unstrained). I'll include variations throughout.

We start by pouring a gallon of half-n-half or heavy cream (when it's on sale) into the crockpot, set on low.

If we've forgotten to pull our starter (in this case, a small jar from our last batch that was put into the freezer) out the night before to thaw in the fridge, we place the frozen jar next to the hot crockpot to defrost.

Once the half-n-half/cream reaches between 112˚ and 120˚ (about an hour and 20 minutes for us, but your mileage may vary), we fill empty, clean jars with hot tap water to warm up (like filling a teapot with boiling water to warm up before actually making tea with a fresh infilling of boiling water and tea). While the jars warm up...

...ladle some of the hot cream/half-n-half into a measuring cup or a deep bowl.

Pour in the thawed starter.

If the starter is still very cold, the cream can be on the higher side of the temperature range. If using Yogourmet starter (one envelope works great for a gallon of yogurt; I've seen recipes that call for four envelopes for a half-gallon of yogurt -- what a waste!), store-bought, plain yogurt, or we did remember to thaw our frozen started the night before, we aim for the lower side of the temperature range.

I'd like to try a cup of plain, store-bought Greek yogurt as a starter, as I've heard it has more kinds of cultures.

Once the starter thaws, it gets thin and runny, but never fear. The cultures are fine and the yogurt should thicken without a problem. If it doesn't, it's not because of the frozen and thawed cultures. Freezing it keeps it fresher longer and you'll be able to get more batches out of each starter before it goes sour, saving money.

Whip it up until there are no lumps.

Pour back into the crockpot.

If you want to add flavoring, it can go in now. I keep ours plain so we can each flavor it individually or I can use it in Silky Buttery Chicken to marinate the meat (see the link below!).

Fill the warmed and dried jars with the cream/half-n-half and cultures mixture and put the lids on. Don't forget to wash, warm, and re-fill your starter jar!

You could probably add different flavors to each jar.

Put them under a thick bath towel or two on the counter to culture.

I used to use four quart jars plus the small jar, but we've been using our quart jars for so many other things lately that I'm running out. Once we replenish our supply, I'll go back to the four quart jars. They fit into our fridge better and my husband takes one to work for snacks there. They also hold the heat better, but the yogurt still comes out thick, even in plastic containers.

After four or five hours, it's nice and thick. Into the fridge it goes to chill.

If it hasn't thickened up after that amount of time, I'll put a heating pad under the jars under the towel and turn it on low or medium for 20 minutes to a half hour. That always seems to do the trick.

This is a good time to strain it for thicker, more Greek-like yogurt. I'm out of cheese cloth now, but want to try this in the near future. I'll try to strain it overnight in the fridge to get out all the whey.

Here it is! Nice and thick and creamy, topped with fresh blueberries.

Since I'm not baking anymore, I've been throwing the whey away, but now that I'm trying some low-carb baking, I may save it and experiment with the new recipes.

Butter Chicken in a Silky Sauce

SDG!

Food Frustrations

2011-09-24T10:42:00.003-07:00

One of the big changes that's taken place since I was posting more regularly is that we've gone low-carb. I've eliminated grains, and cut way down on starches and sugar. (A couple of book reviews coming up! And, no, this won't become a low-carb blog.)

I'm feeling so much better than I have in a long, long time. The volcanic acid reflux that was waking me up three or four nights each week disappeared with the grains. My wrist soreness is gone (I had a couple of weird lumps on the insides of my wrists that doctors had no ideas about and was experiencing severe pain when I typed - not so good when one has a deadline and lots of computer work to do to meet said deadline!), and my digestion is greatly improved. I have more energy and it's much easier to stop eating when I'm full (something that was nearly impossible when I was eating grains, wheat to be specific). I haven't had any incidents of hypoglycemia at all. If it's 'time to eat' and there's nothing appropriate around, it's no problem to simply wait until a more opportune moment. I've also found that my previously-thought-untameable sweet tooth has learned to heel - no more cravings for sweets. Even dark chocolates haven't been as appealing as of late.

For the most part, we're eating meat, a good amount of healthy fats, eggs (our newest batch of chickens is beginning to lay!), lots of veggies and salads with feta and olive oil and balsamic vinegar as dressing. Snacks consist of fruit (mostly berries, so far) and almonds (yum!). I'm drinking raw milk, just a little at a time a few times each week, some tea and cold-brewed coffee with a little turbinado and heavy cream, and lots of water. I also splurge every once in awhile with hard cranberry lemonade, hard cider (there's a wonderful, light, hard cider served at our local Irish Pub), or a glass of wine. I'm working to keep fresh bone broth (chicken or beef) on hand, especially when the weather cools down and I'd like something that isn't sweet to warm me up. I wish we could afford more pasture-raised meats, but with the size family we have, that's just not in the cards right now. So we focus on pastured butter

I've started trying to experiment with coconut and almond flours, but I'm not doing too well with them! I've come to the conclusion that it's better not to try to eat low-carb versions of high-carb foods for a couple of reasons. First, low-carb versions of high-carb foods that are processed foods include lots of starches to work toward the same textures. The starches, however, raise blood sugar levels too high for me with my weight-loss goals. Second, the low-carb varieties never taste as good as the real thing and they remind me how much I miss the real thing. This sets up psychological cravings, mostly for bread. (I love bread, but it doesn't love me back!)

But, my family (also doing better with no grains) does appreciate my efforts at the variety, so I'll keep trying. The problem is that I know how wheat flour behaves and how to make it do what I want. I need to find a way to learn how coconut flour and almond meal (and other nut flours and meals) work so I can not only follow others' recipes, but play around with them myself.

I'm Back!

2011-09-22T15:17:00.005-07:00

Yes, I know it's been forever since I've posted, but I've finally gotten through a few projects and my health is improving, which means I have more energy and more brain cells to devote to writing. I'm eager to begin again.

King's Meadow's American Culture should be shipping soon! I'll be working on Antiquity, but should be able to spread the work out over a longer period, which is good for the whole family's sanity.

I've got several books to review, results of a few kitchen experiments to report on, and some other thoughts to work through in the next few months.

Today's post is short because I'm working on posting some of the kids' first composition assignments and have a house to declutter!

SDG!

Date Night

2010-10-31T18:43:00.002-07:00

No, not ours, the movie.

I had hopes for this one. Dan in Real Life, also starring Steve Carrell, is one of my favorites and not just for the scenery (Pt. Judith Lighthouse, a beloved backdrop to my childhood, makes a cameo). The story is sweet, the characters are quirky and lovable. A real feel-good movie about love, set in the context of family.

Date Night? Not so much.

The basic premise had potential. A marriage not quite in trouble, but maybe headed there because the exhaustion of raising two (obnoxious) kids and both husband and wife working leaves them no time or energy for each other. So they go on an impromptu fancy date night to try to rekindle that romance and things go a bit haywire as they're mistaken for another couple who didn't show up for their restaurant reservation (our heroes took it in their name).

However, the execution was execrable. It was crass, crude, and coarse. And it really wasn't funny at all. I didn't really care about the characters, which were flat and unbelievable. The situation and the resolution were just absurd. If you haven't seen it, don't waste your time.

One more thing that was distasteful. The closing credits ran over outtakes from the film. I usually love these - they can be funnier than the film. But this time, I lost all respect for the actors involved, the sewage coming from their mouths was so over the top.

I'm glad we didn't see it in the theater, but we should have checked some online film review sites before renting it. Maybe we'll learn our lesson!

SDG!

Progress Report

2010-10-28T21:08:00.003-07:00

So, since I've posted last, life here has been busy.

1) School is going great guns! For more details, check my school blog. I'll be posting soon about French and a new (to me!) organizational approach that has been working very well.

2) Work on the second semester of Christendom is progressing.

3) Still getting the house together, but it's been going well.

4) Cooking German food for the first time to prepare to celebrate Reformation Day on Sunday.

So, where should I start? Hmmm …

The house!

Our King's Meadow discussion group meets here three times each month. Usually, we start the year out with the house looking pretty good, and then it gradually goes downhill all year. What's a little more clutter among friends?

This year, I decided that I'd rather work in the opposite direction. So, we did our best to get the house presentable for the first meeting in October, and my goal is that each time we meet, the house is a little more put together, even if it's not something obvious—like straightened and reorganized cupboards. So far, the kitchen has stayed clean and the peninusla has been cleared of all the clutter that's been sitting there for who knows how long. The sideboard/hutch is fairly straightened out. I've been slowly working on clearing off the kitchen desk. Things will look a little out of place tomorrow, but that's because paint is drying on the wall below the peninsula (after years of being half-finished). And grout is drying on the facia tiles that had popped off the island in the kitchen.

Even if I only work for about ten minutes each day, I'm headed in the right direction. Line upon line, again!

I'll post about those other things as I have time.

How I Spent My Summer

2010-09-26T14:31:00.004-07:00

Yes, it's been forever since I've posted anything ... I know ... but really, I have an excellent excuse, uh, reason.

If you look at the new King's Meadow Humanities Curriculum, you'll see how I spent the summer ... the whole summer.

This used to be called Gileskirk, but after the end of that company, and a two-year hiatus, it's back and (I think) it's better than ever. Modernity was released after only six or seven weeks' work, complete with detailed Instructor's Guide, three versions of the student syllabus, and lots of extras. The first semester of Christendom was released after about three weeks' work (non-stop, 12-16 hours in front of the computer, six days each week, and many Sunday afternoons). The full Christendom course will be released in December. American Culture will follow in June and the following year, Antiquity will be released.

So, now that I'm no longer tied to the computer, I hope to be posting more consistently. I've got lots to post about after a three month vacation from all things cooking and housewifery. My 17 yodd and I are working to replenish the stores that were depleted when I was doing no grocery shopping, the house is in serious need of organizing and deep cleaning, and school is only partially planned. One day at a time, grace upon grace, line upon line, we'll get it done. I care more about our attitudes toward one another as we get caught up than that it all happens now.

I also took some time off in July to take the train to Dallas and go to the CiRCE Conference. Wow! As always! I was privileged to be able to present a workshop at this one and I don't think I've ever been so nervous speaking publickly (I normally get enough butterflies to use, but not enough to overwhelm - this time was different). I didn't get to that many workshops this time, but the CD's arrived last week and I'll post as I listen.

We've also got some new stuff going on in school, which I'll post about on our school blog.

So, I hope this is hello, again, and I'll be seeing you!

Steve Ricks' Office Adventure

2010-05-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

And, for good measure, here's the short the boys entered in the Phoenix Student Film Festival a couple of years ago.

Play Music

2010-05-18T19:07:00.003-07:00

My no. 3 son reminded me tonight that he wants me to post his most recent film here on the blog to make it easier for his friends to find. So, without any further ado, I present to you, Play Music.

And, part 2:

Homemade Shake 'n' Bake

2010-05-18T18:59:00.004-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately (if anyone is still reading). Been pushing to finish school and graduate student no. 3, while working on The Abigail Adams Project and a secret project that will be released in July.

Anyway, tonight for dinner, the kids pulled out 30 chicken drumsticks and I had to figure out what to do with them. I improvised!

In a gallon-sized zipper bag, I put some bread crumbs, some Spice House Northern Style Barbeque seasoning, and a couple pinches of salt (sorry, I didn't measure any of it and had to do three batches, which probably will all taste different). Then I rinsed each drumstick and placed a couple in the bag, shook them up and now they're all in the oven. It's great grilling weather, so we may finish them on the barbie before we eat, just to give them that certain je ne sais quoi.

The kids will sauté up some potatoes (we were given a 50 lb box straight from the farm and, boy, are they wonderful!) and some veggies to go along with the chicken. Yum!

Education

2010-03-23T22:15:00.002-07:00

Education is our path to true humanity and wisdom. By this I do not mean simply what goes on in school and university--which all too often turns out to be a path in another direction entirely away from both humanity and reason. I mean the broader process that engages us all through life. To be alive is to be a learner. Much of the learning we do takes place at home, in the family, or after we leave both home and college and begin the struggle to survive in the wider world. Increasingly, in a society shaped by technology that is continually changing, we need to learn a new skill: how to keep learning. We must be flexible and adaptable enough to survive in any circumstances. Even more important than flexibility is a virtuous character and set of guiding principles that will enable us to keep track of goodness amid the moral and social chaos that surrounds us.

~Stratford Caldecott, Beauty for Truth's Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education

Menu Plan & Shopping Update

2010-01-16T19:42:00.003-07:00

First the plan itself:

Sunday: roast beef, potatoes, carrots, swede, onions

Monday: baked potatoes with the works

Tuesday: stew w/bread (made from Sunday's leftovers)

Wednesday: French onion soup

Thursday: beef pitas (made from the rest of Sunday's roast beef, along with bell peppers, onions, & mushrooms (all purchased on sale) and spiced according to the Greek lists in Culinary Artistry)

Friday: chowder & clamcakes

Saturday: lasagne w/veggie & baguettes

As Judith and I sat down to try to get all this (plus breakfasts, snacks, and lunches) figured out, we were a bit stumped. I've gotten out of the habit of looking at the sale papers and I was finding it difficult to get back into the groove. My other kids were waiting to start a movie until Judith and I were done, so we were both feeling some pressure. Then I had a brilliant idea - at least, I think it was brilliant!. I pulled the other kids in and handed them each a sale paper from a different store. Then, when I needed to check the price on something, they each looked to see if it was on their particular ad. It became a bit of a contest among the boys to see who could find the best price. Once the other kids started working with us, it went much, much faster. Judith entered items into the price book and I ran the calculator and organized our shopping list. I think we'll have all the kids help in the future.

Then, today, Judith and I spent the day shopping - mostly loss-leaders at five grocery stores. It was tiring, but, by the end of the day, we still had over $100 dollars of the budget left to get us through the next couple of weeks (milk and produce and anything we may have forgotten). That should be a pretty easy couple of weeks. Last time we went shopping, at this point, we had only $35 left (and we made it with $2 to spare).

Today, I began to explain to Judith how they lay out grocery stores, with an odd number of aisles and the main things (produce, meats, dairy, bakery) around the outside perimeter to encourage as much impulse buying as possible. Next time we go, I'll start to show her how the shelves are arranged, with the higher-priced goods at eye level. (We did a lot of bending, today.)

What sorts of things are you teaching your children about marketing to help them when they grow up?

SDG!

New Meal Plan

2010-01-09T12:08:00.002-07:00

Sunday: maple-glazed pork roast, potatoes au gratin, salad

Monday: chicken noodle soup (made with chicken wings), homemade bread

Tuesday: no peek pork and rice, salad (made with leftover pork)

Wednesday: French onion soup w/slices of homemade baguette with cheese melted on them, carrot sticks, broccoli & dip

Thursday: hotdogs & beans (hotdogs were on special for half price)

Friday: beef stew & homemade bread (made with meat that's already in the freezer and leftover veggies)

Saturday: baked potatoes with lots of different toppings

SDG!

Decluttering Help

2010-01-07T11:47:00.003-07:00

My friend, Renée, is posting one decluttering tip per day. I'm not sure how long she's planning on doing this, but I've been finding her tips quite helpful! Check out her blog: Add More Chocolate!

SDG!

Groceries

2010-01-05T09:21:00.002-07:00

My 17 yodd is apprenticing with me in meal planning and grocery shopping this year. Because of some health issues, for the past year or so, I haven't been putting in the time and thought that I should be.

Our first step was a 2-week menu plan. I recreated a spreadsheet that I've used before. One column for the day of the week, another for the date (set up so that I only have to change the first date and all the rest re-set by themselves), another for our plans that day, and one each for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.

In our efforts to save money and submit ourselves to the discipline of the church calendar (including efforts to make Sunday a bit more special than the rest of the week), we've eliminated sweet snacks Monday through Saturday (fruit is as sweet as we'll get during the week). Sunday dinner will be the nicest meal of the week (including a nice dessert), with leftovers used throughout the week. This week's dinner plan looks like this:

Sunday: maple-baked ham; spaghetti squash; cranberry, almond, feta salad; cannolis

Monday: Tuscany peasant soup (beef and tomato base with sweet Italian sausage, onions, tomatoes, summer squash, and zucchini - leftovers for lunch Tuesday with grilled cheese)

Tuesday: three quiches - one with leftover ham, asparagus, and cheese; one with leftover Italian sausage and veggies from the soup; one with breakfast sausage (leftover from biscuits and gravy in honor of our son who is heading back to college next week) and fresh tomatoes from the basket of produce we bought through Bountiful Baskets. We're also planning a King Cake in honor of Epiphany, which we'll eat while we watch Twelfth Night (and thus ends our holiday season).

Wednesday: turkey sauce (pronounced the French way: soce), which is simply leftover turkey in a blond roux served over potatoes, and a veggie

Thursday: ham and cabbage soup (leftover ham, half a head of cabbage), with homemade bread

Friday: noodle bowls with leftover ham and the other half of the head of cabbage

Saturday: spaghetti and meat sauce with veggie and homemade bread

If there's any ham left after all that, I'll make ham salad for lunches next week.

SDG!

Advent Update

2009-12-24T17:08:00.005-07:00

This year, we set out some unusual rules for the kids. No Christmas music or DVD's, no treats or sweets, no special Christmas teas or hot chocolate - at least until today. I almost felt like the Grinch. But it was so worth it. The last few weeks have been wonderful - not something I can usually say at this time of the year. December is usually harried and frazzled. Because we decided to postpone Christmas this year, December was much more calm and peaceful. I had that time I always long for to examine my heart and contemplate the Incarnation and the Lord's redemption, as well as taking time to prepare practically.

~~~~~

Today we went looking for a live, cut tree (my husband said that, if we were going to wait to put it up, he wanted a real one instead of the artificial one that lives in the attic for most of the year). We weren't sure we'd find any at this late date. We drove past a few of the tree lots that we'd scoped out, but they were gone, the proprietors probably heading home to spend the holiday with their own families. We drove past a few nurseries that had signs posted, but no inventory left. We pulled into Home Depot, just in case. I spotted three lonely Noble firs standing in a corner of the nursery. We got out and looked them over. Two were pretty nice and one of them was beautiful. They were also marked $60. Drew went to find a manager to see if he could talk him into a discount. Gary came out to answer our questions. He asked if we'd picked one out yet. We told him that we had and the kids and I held our collective breath. What would he say? How hard would Drew haggle? Gary's response: 'Merry Christmas! Load it up and take it home!' Yes, he gave it to us!

So, now, our beautiful tree is decorated; all the presents are wrapped and piled underneath. The house is cozy and Christmasy. The penguin soap dispenser sits by the sink. The Christmas dishes are out. The stockings are hung with care - not by our chimney, as we don't have one, but on a mantel with hooks that sits on top of a book shelf and is weighed down by a set of encyclopedias. Sitting on the mantel are two Lego houses that the boys built - snow-covered Victorian homes. Christmas music wafts from the holiday playlist on the iPod. Candy dishes grace all our end tables and snowman salt and pepper shakers sit on the table. Most of our family is headed to our church's Christmas Eve service (rumor has it that it'll be rockin'), but we'll all go to a more traditional ten o'clock service after a dinner of meat pie and veggies, followed by Christmas tea and hot chocolate and maybe A Charlie Brown Christmas.

And, best of all, I've had time to think about the Incarnation, the amazing, unimaginable, incredible, mind-boggling Incarnation. God himself came to earth as a helpless, vulnerable baby. He didn't come to the rich and powerful, but to a lowly carpenter and his wife, announced to a flock of shepherds, outcasts from their society.

This isn't a story man could or would have come up with on his own. All religions of the world, both past and present, set forth a list of rules that must be obeyed so that salvation can be earned. Only God himself could dream up the Incarnation. He would come to earth himself to offer grace and mercy to sinful men who cannot earn their own salvation. He would pay the debt we owe, the debt, deeper than any ocean, that only he could pay.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He didn't send him into the world to judge the world, but that through him, the world might be saved.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.

Gravy

2009-12-08T11:38:00.007-07:00

Last night's dinner was a simple pot roast, but I changed it up a little and it was better than ever. And it didn't take much extra time or effort.

Instead of adding water to my green-with-white-speckles roasting pan, I added a carton and a half of beef stock. I put the veggies (carrots, onions, potatoes) in first and then sprinkled them liberally with salt and parsley. Then I placed the roast (still frozen because of a miscommunication with the kidlets) on top of the veggies, where it sat above the level of the broth and the juices would run down onto the veggies.

After roasting for 4 hours (I told you it was frozen), we removed everything from the pot and covered it with foil to keep warm. Normally, I serve the juice alongside the roast, but yesterday was cold (for Arizona) and rainy and I felt like making some gravy.

I got out my trusty Culinary Artistry and looked up 'beef'. We strained the juice into a pot, which I then turned on to simmer after adding some chopped shallots, basil, red wine, and a bit of salt and white pepper.

On another burner, I made a blond roux in a small skillet. (I would have made a darker roux, but my family was as hungry as a pack of wolves, so I thought it best to speed up the process a little.) Once the roux was cooked sufficiently, I added a little of the broth to the skillet to begin the process of loosening up the roux to make it easier to incorporate into the broth. Then I whisked the loosened roux into the pot of broth and served. It was the first beef gravy I've ever made, and the best beef gravy I've ever eaten.

I used to make gravy with milk shaken together with flour and poured into whatever base I was using. In order to avoid lumps, I had to stand over it and whisk it constantly (and hope I'd added enough flour to thicken it, but not too much milk to dilute the flavour). In order to get rid of the floury taste, I had to simmer it for quite awhile (whisking the whole time). It was a hot and steamy business.

By using roux, the gravy comes together much more easily and I know it won't taste floury, since the flour is cooked more efficiently in the skillet than in the base. And since the butterfat coats the flour particles, they don't clump together, which gives me a smoother gravy with less effort.

SDG!

Spiritual Disciplines

2009-12-07T10:31:00.004-07:00

The subject of spiritual disciplines has been on my mind lately (got there in a round-about fashion, but more on that later).

Several years ago (a decade or more?), we celebrated the Passover. In my typical Toad-of-Toad-Hall style, I decided if we were going to do this, I would make sure it was done right. So I decided to clean out all the leaven from the house. I started with the obvious: yeast and baking powder. Then the conspicuous loaf of bread sitting there looking smugly at me - okay, tossed, along with hot dog rolls and hamburger buns. But wait. Do those cookies have baking powder? Uh-huh. Okay, so the cookies went. Oh, that cake in the freezer has leavening. Gone. What about those crackers? Yup, they have baking soda. Okay, so they're gone, too. Self-rising flour? Flung into the trash. Okay, all done.

Wait. There are lots of crumbs on the shelves of the pantry. I bet some of them have leavening in them. So, I cleaned the pantry. Done! Except that the kids have dropped bread and cracker crumbs on the dining room floor and, in the course of regular sweeping, some of them got pushed under the baseboards - time to clean the baseboards. And the kidlings sometimes would take crackers (or cookies) into their rooms (no, not with permission) and so we had to clean out the bedrooms. Oh, and we grown-ups occasionally snack in bed while reading before turning out the lights (with permission) - time to deep-clean the master bedroom, too. And crumbs stick to our feet when we walk through the house, so the bathrooms, living room, and school room also needed a deep cleaning. But crumbs tend to nestle down into the carpet and our vacuum wasn't strong enough to get them all out, so we rented a carpet cleaner. Etc., etc., etc.

It seemed that every time I cleaned the leaven from one place, I thought of another where it could be hiding, and another, and another, and another. Hmm …

Jesus continually warned his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. And I know somewhere in there, Scripture equates leaven with sin. As I worked and worked to clean the leaven from my house, I learned a lot about the insidiousness of sin. I finally understood the Jewish custom of starting Passover with a plea to God to remove whatever leaven was missed in this giant spring cleaning. I've heard that described as a lazy and frivolous cop-out, but I think it's a serious appeal to God's grace, an acknowledgement that we can't ever entirely rid ourselves of our own sin. Only his mercy and power can do that.

The physical discipline of trying to clean all leaven out of the house taught me powerful spiritual lessons that I've never forgotten. And this, I'm beginning to see, is the power of spiritual disciplines. I'd avoided them in the past because I saw them as a way to try to earn God's favor (and I wanted none of that), but it's dawning on my that they can be a source of discipline and spiritual training for my soul.

So, since we celebrated Passover so many years ago, why is it coming up now? Well, I'll tell you. A friend recently mentioned that Advent used to be considered more of a season of preparation to celebrate Christmas and not a season of celebration itself. This resonated in my soul.

Another description I've read is that it's 'a kinder and gentler version of Lent'.

And yet another blogger described it thusly: 'Perhaps the most important thing for me (a baptist girl with liturgical longings) in trying to keep Advent is making a conscious effort to postpone Christmas. I must admit that when I first began doing Advent it was more as a way to prolong Christmas. This shift from "doing" to "keeping" and from "prolonging" to "postponing" has been slow but significant.'

This makes sense, given that the twelve days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and run to January 5, with the celebration of the Epiphany on the 6th.

I've shared some of these insights with my husband and he's intrigued. We're beginning to try to think through what this change of mind will mean for us. So this will be a kind of 'transition Christmas' for us. We're thinking and researching Advent and Christmas based on a more liturgical calendar. We got a late start this year, but will do our best and continue to think about this throughout the year.

I hope to post more about some of the changes we're planning to incorporate this year and some of the spiritual lessons I'm learning.

SDG!

Constitution: Twenty-seventh Amendment

2009-11-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXVII
Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

Shakespeare?

2009-11-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

I recently finished Shakespeare by Another Name, by Mark Anderson.

I didn't even know there was any controversy regarding who wrote the Shakespeare canon until about 7 years ago. My curiosity was piqued and I had to research it when I first heard. I haven't done a lot of research about the different people who've been put forth, but I enjoyed this book, written from the Oxfordian perspective, i.e. that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford is the guilty party.

I know this isn't an earth-shaking puzzle (at least for most of us), but I do love a mystery. This also doesn't change the power and beauty of the canon, but I think it adds to my understanding of it and I'm looking forward to watching/re-watching the plays again with the new perspective gained from this look at the plays through de Vere's eyes.

SDG!

Constitution: Twenty-sixth Amendment

2009-11-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXVI
Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971.

Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Boys and Girls

2009-11-09T21:00:00.002-07:00

I recently finished Why Gender Matters and Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.

The first gathers the results of studies conducted in the last decade or so on sex differences between boys and girls, men and women. Dr. Sax outlines differences in the development of the eye, the ear, and the brain; responses to stress; perception of pain; and so much more. It was absolutely fascinating and has helped me understand my husband and sons better - it helped me understand my girls better, too.

Throughout the book, Dr. Sax discusses the effect this information should have on how we educate and raise boys and girls. There is much food for thought.

Caveat: Dr. Sax includes some explicit information in a few of his chapters. I'd also caution that he doesn't have a biblical worldview and really disagreed with his conclusions about discipline.

Boys Adrift focuses on boys, natch. He begins by asking what in the world is going on with so many boys and young men and their complete lack of motivation (no, not all boys and young men, but a goodly portion of them; anyone see Failure to Launch?). He presents five factors that he thinks can be linked causally to this situation: school structure, ritalin and its compatriots, endocrine disruptors, video games, and young men's lack of relationships with a community of older men. Again, there are many, many footnotes and much research has been done.

Both books have really gotten me thinking. Although I've never bought the fiction that the only differences between the sexes have to do with reproduction, these books bring much data and many particulars to the discussion and, I think, would be quite helpful to any mom of boys.

SDG!

Guavas!

2009-11-07T19:14:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday, we finally got our first Bountiful Basket. Everything has been wonderful!

Included in the basket were a couple paper bags of a small, yellow fruit that I'd never seen before.

In desperation, I posted these photos on Facebook and one of my friends rode to my rescue by telling me that they were mini yellow guavas. So, I then had to figure out what to do with them. They smelled heavenly!

So I looked up 'guava' in my trusty Culinary Artistry to get some ideas and picked out a few ingredients that I had on hand. We ladled the sauce over a butter cake that Judith had made earlier in the day and, well, wow! It was amazing!! Here's what I did:

In a saucepan, I simmered some sweet white wine with a split and scraped vanilla bean. Once the wine had reduced by about a half to two-thirds, I fished out the bean and whisked in the paste I got after peeling, cutting, and pushing about six of the guavas through a fine mesh strainer. I added a pinch of salt, a pinch of mace, and about a teaspoon of sugar. Then I whisked in some heavy cream. (I'm sorry, but I have no measurements for any of this - I was pouring and flicking ingredients into the pan using nary a measuring cup or spoon.) I heated up the sauce a final time, but not to a boil and we indulged. I cannot express how good this was - sweet, with enough tang to keep it from becoming cloying, and the vanilla and wine complemented one another beautifully. (mmm … I have more guavas in the fridge and am itching to make this again, soon!)

SDG!

Constitution: Twenty-fifth Amendment

2009-11-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXV
Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967.

Note: Article II, section 1, of the Constitution was affected by the 25th amendment.

Section 1.
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2.
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

Constitution: Twenty-fourth Amendment

2009-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXIV
Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.

Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax.

Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Sacrifice

2009-10-22T10:16:00.007-07:00

So, a few years ago I was challenged by a definition of sacrifice that has had me scratching my head since.

sacrifice: giving up something of great value for something of lesser value

This gives a greater understanding of Christ's sacrifice for us (the righteous for the unrighteous, God for man, the Prince of Glory for sinners), but on another level, it brings up so many questions! With this definition, is it truly possible for us to sacrifice anything for Christ? What we give up is worth so much less than what we gain, that is it truly any kind of sacrifice? Yet, we are clearly told that God delights in our sacrifices. This has been a great puzzlement.

We discussed I Peter 2:1-5 with a small group of folks from church and the confusion began to be cleared away. Drew and I discussed it more as we drove home and I think I've got a much better handle on it.

I think there's a place for the above definition on a horizontal level, and when we think of the Lord sacrificing himself for us, but it falls short when we think vertically in an upward direction.

Horizontally: we must ask ourselves if we're really sacrificing when we want to think we are. If a mother says that she sacrificed her career for her children, isn't she really saying that her career was the more important of the two? If I claim to sacrifice my time in order to educate my children, aren't I really valuing my time above my children? Am I proud of my sacrifices? Hmmm … questions to consider.

Vertically: the sacrifice the Lord demands of us isn't based on any kind of valuation of what's offered (that's because of his grace in receiving our meager, dirty-rag offerings, not because our offerings are so high and valuable). Rather it's based on the fact that, biblically, sacrifices are dedicated totally to the Lord. When we're told to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, Paul isn't implying that we're more important that what we get in return, relationship with the Lord and the opportunity to glorify him; rather that we should wholly devote ourselves to serving and glorifying the Lord. It's about whole-hearted dedication, devotion, and passion for Christ.

And, to loosely paraphrase John Piper, as we serve Christ, we also enjoy him, which brings him the most glory.

SDG!

Inspired by Julia

2009-10-19T20:36:00.004-07:00

Life is beginning to calm down after a hectic and difficult several months. Not only did I have energy and time to cook tonight, but my back is feeling well enough that I was able to putter around the kitchen tonight, with help from Drew and older kiddoes.

I went to see Julie & Julia with some girlfriends a few weeks ago. I was taken by the Julia storyline and would have relished more of her and less of the more modern story. I'm about half-way through My Life in France and I was also able to pick up Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. I'm inspired! (No, I'm not going to cook my way through her books, but I'll share what I learn!)

I was hoping to make a cheese souflé for dinner, but school took longer than I thought it would and I had a late afternoon chiropractor appointment. I wasn't sure what to do about dinner, when Drew mentioned that we had some porkchops in the freezer. We put them in to soak in a sink of hot water and they were defrosted when we returned home. I poked around in my CIA Cookbook and decided to make a Lyonnaise sauce to go with the chops (it was more a variation of a Lyonnaise sauce - I had no demi-glace, so we substituted beef stock). After sautéing the chops, we added to the pan butter, a finely chopped onion, white wine (a Pinot Gris), some late harvest Riesling vinegar (yes, it's amazing!), and some salt and white pepper. After the onions were cooked and the liquids reduced, I added some store-bought beef stock (have you ever seen pork broth on sale at the grocery store? I figured beef was close enough). This simmered for awhile and reduced even more. It was absolutely heavenly.

We'd stopped and picked up a couple of baguettes (I've not been baking lately because of my back) and I made a white wine and butter reduction and then sautéed some leeks in it; I also added tarragon, parsley, salt, and white pepper. After baking the baguettes for about 10 minutes in a 450˚ oven to crisp up the crust, we sliced the bread and ladled the leek and butter sauce over the top. More heaven!

I don't have measurements for any of this, but it wasn't hard. I was playing with the technique of reducing liquids before using them that Julia mentions in her books.

On tap for later this week: orange roughy filets with a beurre blanc sauce; Hungarian goulash (after I receive my sweet Hungarian paprika from The Spice House); and Julia's boeuf bourguignon; oh, and that cheese souflé, baked in phyllo dough sheets.

Constitution: Twenty-third Amendment

2009-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXIII
Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.

Section 1.
The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Constitution: Twenty-second Amendment

2009-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XXII
Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.

Section 1.
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

Constitution: Twenty-first Amendment

2009-10-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

AMENDMENT XXI
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.

Section 1.
The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2.
The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Constitution: Twentieth Amendment

2009-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XX
Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January 23, 1933.

Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In addition, a portion of the 12th amendment was superseded by section 3.

Section 1.
The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3.
If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4.
The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Section 5.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

Constitution: Nineteenth Amendment

2009-09-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XIX
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Constitution: Eighteenth Amendment

2009-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.

Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Section 2.
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Large Careers

2009-08-29T10:24:00.001-07:00

How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about [arithmetic], and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. ~G.K. Chesterton

(Thanks to the gals at ClassEd for reminding me of this gem!)

Constitution: Seventeenth Amendment

2009-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XVII
Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution was modified by the 17th amendment.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

Constitution: Sixteenth Amendment

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XVI
Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

Constitution: Fifteenth Amendment

2009-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--

Section 2.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Constitution: Fourteenth Amendment

2009-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XIV
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868.

Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment.

Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2.
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age,* and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4.
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

*Changed by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

Constitution: Thirteenth Amendment

2009-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XIII
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.

Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.

Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Constitution: Twelfth Amendment

2009-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XII
Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified June 15, 1804.

Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment.

The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; -- the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; -- The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. [And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. --]* The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

*Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment.

Constitution: Eleventh Amendment

2009-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

AMENDMENT XI
Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795.

Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 11.

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

Constitution: Tenth Amendment

2009-07-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Constitution: Ninth Amendment

2009-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Constitution: Eighth Amendment

2009-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Constitution: Seventh Amendment

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Constitution: Sixth Amendment

2009-06-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Constitution: Fifth Amendment

2009-06-05T07:00:00.003-07:00

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Constitution: Fourth Amendment

2009-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Constitution: Third Amendment

2009-05-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Constitution: Second Amendment

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Diagnoses and Cures

2009-05-12T09:22:00.002-07:00

I'm reading a novel and got to a place that has stopped me cold. I'm not going to name the novel or the author because I really don't think it's that great and don't want to recommend it, but an exchange between a couple of characters is yet another example of a trend I've been noticing the last six months or so and if I don't write about it, I won't be able to finish the book. It's an okay right-before-I-turn-the-lights-out-to-go-to-sleep read, in other words, I'm not finding it completely unpleasant, but I also don't care enough about the characters that I simply must read another chapter.

One character says to another:

'You have to make allowance. […] She's got eight kids and a husband who spends even more time in the Mucky Duck [the local pub] than Seamus Galvin. What we need is some decent kind of contraception … like this pill thingy.'

Those of you who know me know that I have a basic problem with the very idea of contraception, but that's not what I'm going to focus on {shocker!}.

Read it again. This poor mom's problem is diagnosed pretty well. Her husband isn't acting like either a husband or a father. But look at the logical hiccup when we come to the proposed cure - more contraception and fewer kids. Maybe this mom and her children would be better served if the local community took a two by four to her husband's head and insisted that he man-up and care for his family instead of running away from his responsibilities. Would she really be better off with two kids and a husband who abdicated his role as husband and father? And which kids shouldn't she have had?

I saw the same thing in Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand identified certain societal problems with laser-like accuracy, but her solutions were empty and unworkable, as substantial as a cobweb. I see the same thing going on in Washington, Phoenix, and our local city council chambers.

We must think clearly about both problems and solutions. If we don't consider deeply and follow a problem all the way to the root, our efforts to help will merely make the situation worse.

SDG!

Furniture Arranging Philosophy

2009-05-11T09:37:00.005-07:00

Since my dear daughter asked, here it is.

I'd rather that my livingroom furniture be arranged to promote conversation and intimacy than to have everything focused on the television set. I like things somewhat balanced, too. And I appreciate being able to see my baseboards occasionally (otherwise the room feels cluttered - can you hear my daughter laughing as she reads this?).

Before Christmas, I came home from our history/humanities discussion group to find the furniture had been rearranged to make room for the Christmas tree {shock!}. The chairs, couch, and settle were arranged in a way that made conversation difficult and uncomfortable. One had to strain to see others' faces and seating was pretty spread out. I felt unsettled when we'd try to have any kind of conversation, but the television and the tree were visible from every seat.

We recently rearranged things and I like it so much better. Every seat looks at another seat and faces are easy to see. We're having much better economics and logic discussions and I'm getting the urge to read another book out loud to the kidlings. We shift the settle when we watch a movie, but that means we must be more intentional about switching the television on, so that's a benefit. (Not that we watch a lot of broadcast television (hardly any actually), but we were tending to turn on the Roku box too often.)

SDG!

Constitution: First Amendment

2009-05-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

My Grocery Shopping Philosophy

2009-05-06T10:58:00.005-07:00

A philosophy for grocery shopping? Well, yeah, I think we should have a philosophy for everything - grocery shopping, furniture arranging, the way we dress - everything (whoever said caring for the home was a mindless job certainly had no idea).

So, here's my grocery shopping philosophy. [drum roll, please; cue the choir]

Purchase ingredients.

Whew! I'm glad I got that off my chest!

I'd rather have my pantry stocked with flour, oil, cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and baking soda and powder and my fridge with butter, milk, cream, eggs, and yeast than with lots of packaged mixes. With those ingredients, I can make brownies or crépes (sweet or savory) or yellow cake with chocolate frosting or sugar cookies or pancakes or tortillas or bread or crackers or biscuits or baguettes (my newest baking challenge) or pie crust or English muffins or crumpets; you get the idea and I'm getting hungry. Making sure that I'm stocked up with the basics gives me much more flexibility than purchasing mixes. I can go with the flow much more easily.

So, why is this a money saver? Well, even though I've rarely seen a coupon for a dozen eggs or a gallon of milk, ingredients still end up being cheaper than mixes. They're also healthier. And if you find a screamin' deal (let me know, okay?), most can be stored without refrigeration (storage costs need to be figured in, too). Just as it's easier to de-clutter the kitchen with multi-use tools rather than lots of space-hogging, single-use gadgets, it's easier to declutter the pantry with multi-use ingredients rather than lots of single-use packaged mixes.

Using teriyaki sauce as an example: I could purchase a bottle of teriyaki sauce. It wouldn't take up that much space. But it's teriyaki sauce and that's all it can ever be. Yes, I can use it in a meat marinade (recipe coming soon) or in stir fry, but there isn't much else I can do with it. However, if I have brown sugar, garlic (something like this), fresh minced ginger, and soy sauce on hand, well, life just got much tastier. I can use the brown sugar for granola, on yogurt, for cinnamon/raisin bread, bread pudding, pancakes, rum sauce, etc. (Is there anything brown sugar can't be used in?) I can add a bit of ginger to chicken soup, cookies, bread, pudding, tea for an upset tummy, etc. Garlic goes in just about anything and we use it all the time. Soy sauce goes well in marinades, soups, veggies, noodles, and rice. I can still have teriyaki anytime I want to make it, but I have lots of other options, too, because I bought separate ingredients.

Now, it's not like I didn't have the ingredients for teriyaki on hand before, well, except for the ginger - that's a new thing in my fridge (I've never been much of a fan of dried ginger and the jar in my pantry is at least 25 years old, but the fresh stuff is heavenly), but by not purchasing a bottle of teriyaki, I'm saving space. You could argue that I simply traded a bottle of teriyaki for a jar of ginger, but I can do so much more with ginger than I could with teriyaki, that I still think I've come out ahead. But really, how much space does a bottle of teriyaki sauce take up? Not much, but that's where having a full-blown philosophy comes in. If I do this over and over again, searching out recipes that use basic ingredients that I have on hand for bottles, jars, or boxes of things I might otherwise buy, the savings in both space and money begin to multiply.

I'm still looking for recipes for my husband's favorite bar-be-que sauce, our favorite bourbon chicken from the greasy spoon at the mall, and orange chicken. Alton Brown piqued my interest in making my own mustard. I've already conquered Drew's favorite honey-mustard salad dressing, mayonnaise, hummus, and raspberry vinaigrette (all absurdly easy). We've found fairly simple homemade ice cream and smoothie recipes. I don't know if I'll ever find a replacement for ketchup, onion soup mix, or for canned cream of chicken soup (used in several dishes that are family favorites), but those cans, bottles, and boxes can be used in more than one dish, so I'm philosophically okay with them, at least for now. (I have tried a replacement for the cream of chicken soup, but it wasn't worth the time it took to cook and it wasn't really a good substitute for the concentrated soup in the can - the texture was all wrong.)

SDG!

Constitution: Preamble to the Bill of Rights

2009-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

And the Results Are…

2009-04-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Instead of putting boiling water in the jars before pouring in the hot cultured milk, I got the tap as hot as it would go and used that. The yogurt in the jars thickened up in the same amount of time that the crockpot usually takes and the jars stayed warm under the towel.

This morning, after spending the night in the fridge, it was thick and wonderful. I think this technique is a winner.

Allison, I went through the grainy and thin yogurt stage and never really figured out why (sun spots? a butterfly fluttered its wings in Hawaii? a yogurt curse?). I've been told that making yogurt is more an art than a science. I'd let it sit a bit longer next time and see if that helps. I also found that turning the crockpot on low for about 10-20 minutes if it was taking awhile to thicken seemed to help - at least, I think it did; if I hadn't turned it on, it might have thickened up on its own anyway--no way to tell. (If I needed to do this with the jars, I'd put them either in a shallow warm water bath on the counter or set them on a heating pad set on low.)

Another tip from Elise - I poured about a cup of the half-&-half and starter mixture into a small jar and set it on the counter under the towel with the quart jars to thicken up. When the yogurt had thickened, I put the small jar into the freezer. I'll take it out and let it defrost in the fridge overnight and use that as my starter when I make it next. This tip might make the starter last longer. I was using an envelope of cultures every few batches, and using a half to a cup of yogurt itself as a starter in between. Freezing it will help it remain fresh longer and therefore I can get more batches for each envelope of starter, cutting my costs even more.

SDG!

Yogurt Revisited

2009-04-29T09:48:00.003-07:00

Yes, another post about yogurt!

Why do I keep reading others' yogurt recipes? Because I just might learn something new. Well, I think I have.

A couple weeks ago, after the yogurt was done and ready for the fridge, I discovered that I didn't have any quart jars clean. We had room in the fridge ('Wonder of wonders! Miracle of miracles!'), so I put the whole 1-gallon crock in. The next day, the yogurt was the thickest I've ever seen (yes, even thicker than store-bought with all its gelatins and guar gums). We ate it from the crock in the fridge until it was time to make more (it helped that I have two crockpots - I'm 'bi-potal' according to my friend Renee). I did the same thing with the next batch of yogurt to see if this was a fluke or a discovery - put the whole crock in the fridge, and again, it turned out super-thick. I thought I was onto something, but unless I assumed all my readers (all 10 of you) are also bi-potal, this wasn't a tip for public consumption.

'So why am I posting this publicly?' you ask. Good question. This morning, I was reading Strategic Eating: The Econovore's Essential Guide by Elise Cooke (review coming soon) and she outlined her process for making yogurt. Honestly, the crockpot is much easier as far as I'm concerned, but she included a step that put the final piece into my yogurt puzzle and that makes this a tip everyone can use.

After adding her cultures, Elise pours the liquid into jars and then she warms the jars in a hot water bath or in a slow oven. Well, being the tea connoisseur that I am, I know that no pot of tea is worth its weight in tea leaves unless it's been pre-heated by pouring boiling water into it (and then emptying it) before putting in tea leaves and more boiling water. Put these two things together and I think I've found an easier way to make my yogurt yummy and thick.

I've got half-&-half heating in the crockpot now. When it's closer to being the right temp, I'll pour boiling water into four quart-sized jars and one half-pint jar (to hold my starter for the next batch). I'll mix my starter in, then I'll pour the cultured liquid into the hot jars, wrap the jars in a beach towel, and let the bitty cultures grow. Once they're firm, I'll put the jars in the fridge.

I'll report back and let you know how my experiment goes.

SDG!

Apologies

2009-04-27T05:10:00.002-07:00

I need to apologize for my lack of posting lately. Life's been busy and I haven't really had time to sit and write.

I had originally set the Constitution posts to appear every other day, but realized that was too fast. I've slowed them down to once per week and want to take some time to go back myself and catch up on the reading and commenting. I find I'm understanding it and remembering it better little by little than I have in the past reading it all at once.

I've got a few posts in the back of my mind that I'm mulling over, and I'd like to begin posting more about some of the money-stretching strategies we've been implementing. I also need to finish my book list. (We're getting ready for a re-finance appraisal on Thursday; I've been re-organizing books, along with the whole house, and will be able to finish that book list next week.)

So, thank you for your patience with me. I hope to be back to more regular posting, soon.

Constitution: Articles 5, 6, and 7

2009-04-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

Article. V.

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Article. VI.

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Article. VII.

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

The Word, "the," being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, the Word "Thirty" being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words "is tried" being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word "the" being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.

Attest William Jackson Secretary

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,

Why I Attended a Tea Party

2009-04-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

I've been reading many responses to the Tax Day Tea Parties from folks on the left. Assumptions are being made that don't reflect the thoughts of those on the ground. So, I thought I'd post a short explanation of why I went. I certainly don't speak for everyone.

The ostensible purpose of the Tea Parties was to protest the massive amount of government spending and debt. Susan Roesgen, a CNN reporter in Chicago got it wrong when she argued with the man she was interviewing, trying to remind him that he was getting a $400 tax break. This was about the spending. Even if the government taxed the richest people in the country at 95%, there wouldn't be enough revenue to pay the bill. This means that either everyone's taxes will go sky high or the government will have to inflate the currency, taking away our purchasing power and making our money worth much less (eventually worthless). Our children and grandchildren will be paying for this spending spree one way or another.

However, as unconscionable as the spending is, the spending itself is not the problem; it's merely a symptom of a much deeper problem, namely that the federal government has grown far beyond the limits set by the Constitution and is involved in many areas and issues that aren't mentioned in our founding documents. Our Constitution states clearly that the federal government is bound regarding the areas it can legally be involved in. If the Constitution doesn't give specific authority over a specific jurisdiction to the federal level of government, then the federal government has no authority to do or legislate in that area. Instead, that authority rests with the States and the People. Until more everyday people realize this, we won't really make any progress.

One complaint I've been hearing is that, since these protests didn't happen during the Bush administration with its growth in both government and deficit spending, they're illegitimate. The assumption is that everyone at the Tea Parties supported everything that President Bush did, so now that President Obama is doing multiplied more of the same, we have no right to protest.

First of all, our right to freedom of speech is still in force, meaning that we do have the right to protest. There is no statute of limitations on freedom of speech.

Second, for a century the temperature under the ubiquitous and metaphorical frog has been increased, slowly and gradually, from quite cool to hot-tub warm. However, in the last few months, the Obama administration has turned up the fire very hot, very fast. The frog has woken up and is finally jumping out of the pot.

Third, this wasn't just a protest against the Democratic party. I've been a registered Republican since I first registered to vote. I haven't always supported everything the Republican Party stood for, but they were the closest game in town. Today, I feel like Ronald Reagan: I didn't leave the [Republican] Party, the [Republican] Party left me. This growth of government has been going on for over 100 years, under both Democratic and Republican administrations and Congresses. It doesn't matter who is pursuing big, unrestrained federal government. None of them will get my vote again. I will continue to examine the record and principles of each candidate and vote for those who reflect the ideas of small, restrained, Constitutional, federal government, no matter which party they represent. Some of my readers may remember my post regarding my thoughts about whom I would vote for in the past presidential election. I decided to cast my vote, not for the man whom I thought would make the best president, but for the lesser of two evils (of the two main choices and one for whom I've never voted before, even though I've had plenty of opportunities). I will never throw away my vote in that way again. I will no longer try to strategize, but will vote according to principle and my conscience.

I've been hearing lots of talk about the Constitution. I just finished Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto. (Well-written, not earth-shaking for me, but he did give me a few new things to think about.) I've started Judge Andrew Napolitano's The Constitution in Exile: How the Federal Government Has Seized Power by Rewriting the Supreme Law of the Land. (Not far enough into it to have a clear opinion, yet.) I hope others pick up these books, or others about the Constitution, and begin to educate themselves. As Ronald Reagan said,

'Freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we’re going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free.'

Constitution: Article 4, Sec. 1-4

2009-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Article. IV.

Section. 1.

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section. 2.

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.

Section. 3.

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

Section. 4.

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence.

Constitution: Article 3, Sec. 1-3

2009-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Article III.

Section. 1.

The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section. 2.

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;-- between a State and Citizens of another State,--between Citizens of different States,--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

Section. 3.

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Constitution: Article 2, Sec. 2-4

2009-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Section. 2.

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section. 3.

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section. 4.

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Constitution: Article 2, Sec. 1

2009-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Article. II.

Section. 1.

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Constitution: Article 1, Sec. 9-10

2009-04-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Section. 9.

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section. 10.

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Constitution: Article 1, Sec. 7-8

2009-04-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Section. 7.

All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section. 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Constitution: Article 1, Sec. 5-6

2009-04-06T07:00:00.001-07:00

Section. 5.

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Section. 6.

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Constitution: Article 1, Sec. 3-4

2009-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Section. 3.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section. 4.

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Constitution: Article 1, Sec. 1-2

2009-04-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

Article I - The Legislative Branch Note

Section. 1.

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section. 2.

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Constitution: Preamble

2009-03-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

Since it seems that most of our Congress hasn't read the Constitution, and someone has to stand up and defend it (We the People), and, even though I've read it, I don't remember it that well, I thought I'd post sections a few times each week. Right now I'm copying and pasting it into several posts and will read it along with you as it posts. I do have the Preamble memorized, thanks to Schoolhouse Rock:

We, the People of the united States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the united States of America.

I was planning on discussing it, but think I'd rather do that in the comments. It's not that difficult to understand and I'm not expert enough to teach others the finer points of it. Please join with me in discussing in the comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

SDG!

Bread!

2009-03-24T16:53:00.004-07:00

(This is for you, Cora! If you have any questions, let me know!)

I started with a basic recipe and then researched how bread works and tweaked and tweaked and tweaked (I'm still tweaking, but the foundation is solid). This is for the Bosch, but it can be cut down and made by hand (see instructions below).

Ingredients:

4 C warm water

2/3 C neutral oil (I use grapeseed or safflower)

2/3 C honey

4 eggs

3 1/2 T instant yeast

3 1/2 T dough enhancer

1/4 C wheat gluten

2 T salt

approx. 5 lbs. freshly-ground whole wheat flour (I like Prairie Gold best.)

Instructions:

Add all the liquid ingredients to the Bosch (set up with the dough hook). Turn on low. Add all the dry ingredients except the wheat. Slowly add the wheat until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the Bosch to the second speed and knead for about 10 minutes (until a small glob of dough can be stretched thin without breaking).

Divide the dough into 6 lumps (mine are about 1-1/4 lb. each). Using a rolling pin, roll out each lump on an oiled counter; roll into a loaf (similar to making cinnamon rolls) and place seam-side down in a sprayed or oiled, 1-lb loaf pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until at least doubled in size (mine get even bigger).

Preheat oven to 325˚. Place a metal pie plate or cake pan on the bottom rack. When the oven is heated, toss 3 or 4 ice cubes onto the pie plate (the extra steam helps the bread to rise higher). Bake loaves for 28 minutes. When they're done, flip them out of the pans and onto a rack to cool. When cool, place in bread bags. I freeze whatever we won't be using in the next day or so. Remember, there are no preservatives.

I sometimes brush an egg wash on the loaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds. I also sometimes add 1/4 C non-instant dried milk for extra calcium.

This dough can be used for cinnamon bread. Make the dough as instructed. Roll out enough for a loaf very thin; sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on the rolled-out dough. Roll up and bake as directed. (You don't want to put cinnamon into the dough itself as it will inhibit rising.)

I also add herbs and olive oil and sometimes substitute white bread flour for some or all of the flour. I have a baguette pan that I'm eager to try.

By Hand:

To make without a Bosch, halve the recipe (it's pretty hard to stir that much dough by hand). Place liquid ingredients into a large bowl. Place all dry ingredients into the bowl (except flour). (Even though most recipes tell you to proof the yeast in water and sugar or honey before adding the other ingredients, when I was first learning and doing it by hand, one of my recipes explained it the way I've explained it and it turned out better.)

Add the flour a cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it's too hard to stir. Dump it out onto a well-floured counter and continue to add flour until it's got enough (the amount of flour used varies, depending on your weather and the moisture content of your flour). Once you have enough flour, continue to knead by hand, adding as little additional flour as you possibly can. Kneading develops the gluten, which traps the carbon dioxide released by the yeast, which makes the bread rise. It's also a great time to pray about worry or frustrations.

Oil a large bowl; place the dough in it and then flip the dough over. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm place until the dough has at least doubled in size (an oven, heated to 150˚ and then turned off works very well). Punch it down. You can either flip it over and let it rise in the bowl again, or you can go straight to forming your loaves. An extra rise will make it more fine (less coarse). Bake as directed above.

SDG!

Pizza Crust

2009-03-14T14:29:00.007-07:00

I've been thinking about posting this recipe for awhile, but have had a fire lit under me by a friend who lives in Tucson. Thanks, Amy! I don't remember exactly where I got this recipe (somewhere back in the deep, dark days just after the birth of the internet), but it says it's a knock-off of Pizza Hut's crust recipe. I happen to think it's much, much better. I've tweaked it a bit and we divide the dough into 12ths for individual pizzas. [Edit: I miscounted - I split the dough into 16ths. Those of us with smaller appetites have one, and we have extra for those of us (teen-aged boys) who have huge appetites.) We also like them thin and crispy, so I roll them out thin with my marble rolling pin. Since we like it thin, I've cut the yeast in half and we're planning to cut it again (possibly even eliminate it) to see if it makes any difference in the final product. I'll post the recipe as written with my tweaks in italics.

2 packages dry yeast (I used 2 T instant yeast, but have recently cut back to 1 T and will try 1/2 T tonight)

2/3 C warm water

2 T and 2 tsp sugar, divided

2 C cold water

3 T corn oil (I use olive oil)

1/4 tsp garlic salt (I use fresh chopped garlic.)

1 tsp salt (I like sea salt.)
1/2 tsp oregano (We're big basil fans, so we skip the oregano and use fresh basil if we have enough, or dried basil if we don't.)
6 1/2-7 C all-purpose flour (I don't measure in the Bosch and tonight I'll be using fresh flour, finely-ground from Prairie Gold wheat)

In a large bowl, add 2 tsp sugar to the warm water, then stir yeast into the sugar solution. Let stand until bubbly (about 5 minutes). Add the rest of the liquid ingredients. Add the garlic, salt, and herbs to the liquids. Slowly add in the flour, mixing well with a wooden spoon after each addition, until you can no longer stir the dough.

Empty dough into a floured counter and begin to knead, adding more flour as necessary. Knead until the dough is elastic. Place the dough into a greased or oiled bowl, flip it over so the oil coats the top and cover with a tea towel; let it rise until about doubled in size. The bowl (if it's heat-proof) can be placed in a warm oven: heat the oven to 150˚, turn it off, then place the dough in the oven.

When dough has doubled in size, oil your fist and punch it down (from here on out, you don't want to add more flour to the dough, so use oil, but a little goes a long way). Split the dough in two and roll out on oiled counter into two 15" round crusts. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 450˚ for 20-25 minutes on oiled pizza pans or stones that have been sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

Top your pizza and bake until cheese is melted and toppings look just the way you like them.

The way I do it: place all ingredients except the flour into the bowl of the Bosch with the dough hook. Mix together and begin adding flour, until it cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead until the dough is elastic and stretches without breaking (about 10 minutes).

Divide dough into 12 pieces (some of mine are larger and some are smaller, but my kids are also larger and smaller, so it works). Roll out each piece very thin; poke holes with a fork to allow steam to escape. If the dough doesn't want to roll, let it rest for 10-20 minutes, then roll it out. Grill or bake on pizza stones at 500˚ for about 5 minutes each. Allow each person to 'decorate' his pizza and place back in the oven (at 400˚) or onto the grill until cheese is melted. Using a pizza peel, we put the pizzas directly on the oven racks for this second baking or directly on the grill.

Slice and enjoy.

This is a great dish to make when having people over. Our favorite times of hospitality have been when we've invited new friends over and we put them to work in the kitchen. It's so fun to cook together. Working together seems to break down barriers to relationship better than almost anything we know.

SDG!

Socialized Medicine: Disaster or Opportunity?

2009-02-16T18:03:00.010-07:00

The recently-passed ~~pork package~~ 'Stimulus bill' contained several provisions to start us on the road toward socialized medicine. As wrong as I think this is on a philosophical and Constitutional level, our family still has to deal with the fall-out of this decision.

Caring for the sick is a mandate from Christ to his people. Up until the 20th Century, life spans were short and hard, filled with pain and suffering.

As the church matured, caring for the sick became an important focus of ministry. According to Wikipedia:

The adoption of Christianity as the state religion of the [Roman] empire drove an expansion of the provision of care. The First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. urged the Church to provide for the poor, sick, widows, and strangers. It ordered the construction of a hospital in every cathedral town. Among the earliest were those built by the physician Saint Sampson in Constantinople and by Basil, bishop of Caesarea. The latter was attached to a monastery and provided lodgings for poor and travelers, as well as treating the sick and infirm. There was a separate section for lepers.

Health care, in the context of the Christian church, was viewed as an opportunity for ministry. Just as we will always have the poor with us, so we will always have the sick with us, simply because we live in a fallen world. This attitude, that caring for the sick is a ministry, continued on for most of history. Think about the country doctor who would deliver a baby in exchange for a couple of chickens. He lived among those he ministered to and, even if he didn't become rich, was held in high esteem by the community. His care wasn't just technical; it was ministry, based on love and compassion. (edit: A friend told me Sunday evening that he knew doctors who worked like this up to the 1980's.)

Then someone, somewhere, suggested that, if we wanted more doctors of better quality, we should pay them more and medical care became a business. This lead to people entering the medical profession for the money, not for the sake of ministry and compassion. Doctors became businessmen more than ministers. (Do I have to say it? Okay. Not all doctors are in it for the money - I know those who aren't - I'm speaking in general terms.)

This new attitude brings us to our current situation. Health care is big business. But it's not really a free market. Because of tax laws that don't tax health insurance benefits, to save money and attract high-quality employees, employers began offering health insurance as an extra benefit. However, those who were covered forgot that their health benefits were part of their pay, earned just as their paychecks are earned. Because costs of health-care weren't coming directly from their own pockets, they stopped comparison shopping and considering if certain tests and procedures were truly necessary and beneficial. We haven't had a free market in health care. (There are exceptions in certain specialties that aren't covered by insurance, such as cosmetic surgery, and the free market has worked well, encouraging competition, comparison shopping, dropping prices, and higher quality. No, I'm not planning on cosmetic surgery - it's simply an interesting microcosm of what the free market could do for medicine in general, if it were given a chance, although it wouldn't solve every problem (more below).)

With the nationalization of health care, rationing will be the order of the day. The first thing done was to create a national committee to oversee health care (signed into law today in Denver). You may pay for a procedure or a medicine (either out of your own pocket or through your insurance company), but this committee can and will call your doctor and tell him not to do the procedure or to stop the medication, all in the name of cutting costs. Doctors who try to buck the system will be fined and fined heavily. They won't be able to do what you and the doctor together think is best, but will have to abide by decisions of an unelected (and thus unaccountable) bureaucrat in Washington.

Nationalized medicine is a very bad thing, but it could turn out to be a golden opportunity for the church. The church must step back in and care for the sick as a ministry. Families should be prepared to care for their own. When there is no family available, or if the family is unable to care fully for their own, then the church should step in to help. At this point, we won't be able to offer medications (there's even a drive to make medicinal herbs available by prescription only), but we can offer comfort, compassion, nourishment for body and soul, a human touch, and love. These are vital components of caring for the sick that have been largely lost in the rush to make it a business instead of a ministry, components that the family and the church can and must offer.

We will be learning how to care well for someone who is sick: how to change bedsheets while someone is in the bed, how to avoid bed sores, how to feed the sick so as to help and comfort them, possibly light massage to help ease aching muscles. I'm going to work more on my kids' ability to read aloud well, in preparation for caring for someone who needs human companionship, to hear a human voice, yet who might not be up to conversing.

And yes, I've got some selfish motivations here. As cost becomes everything, euthanasia will grow, not all of it voluntary (do a little research on euthanasia in the Netherlands for a peek at where we're headed). My kids have assured me that I won't be left to the vicissitudes of a bureaucrat's arbitrary decisions regarding whether I live or die if I ever become simply a 'worthless eater'. They plan to care for me at home out of appreciation for my work in caring for, educating, and raising them. Now that's a health care system I can believe in.

SDG!

Vocational Reading: Motherhood, Home Education

2009-02-14T12:48:00.003-07:00

Motherhood:
Edith Scheaffer's What Is a Family?
How to Raise a Healthy Child … in Spite of Your Doctor, by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn
The Five Standards for Safe Childbearing, by David Stewart
Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Ted Tripp
Age of Opportunity, by Ted Tripp
Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood, by Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
A Full Quiver, by Rick and Jan Hess
A Mom Just Like You, by Vicki Farris

Home Education:
Norms & Nobility, by David Hicks
The Trivium, by Sister Miriam Joseph (I haven't read this through, but I've been dipping in as I re-work my approach to rhetoric and composition, logic, and grammar.)
The Case for Classical Christian Education, by Douglas Wilson
The Seven Laws of Teaching, by John Milton Gregory (haven't read this one yet, but it's on my shelf.)
Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning, by Robert Littlejohn (I haven't read this one either, but it's on my list and has been highly recommended by those I trust.)

Add to the Home Education list biographies, history, science, logic, literature, math, economics, philosophy, etc.

SDG!

Vocational Reading: General & Marriage

2009-02-11T07:00:00.001-07:00

I originally set up a list of 'vocational' books that have had an influence on me through the last 20 years, but the list ended up being absolutely huge. I decided that it might be better if I divided the list out by topic. Some of these may be considered 'controversial', and you may not agree with everything written on every page, but that's okay. They've all had a rôle in shaping me. I hope to add to these lists as time goes by.

Womanhood in general:

Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

Discipline: The Glad Surrender, by Elisabeth Elliot
Feminine Appeal, by Carolyn Mahaney
Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
The Way Home: Beyond Feminism and Back to Reality, by Mary Pride
Missing From Action, by Weldon Hardenbrook (primarily for and about men, but his discussion of the industrial revolution's effects on the family and the subsequent rebellion of feminists against something that was much different than biblical womanhood is spot on and eye-opening.)

Marriage:

When Sinners Say 'I Do', by Dave Harvey
Love That Lasts, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci
On Marriage and Family Life, by Saint John Chrysostom (haven't read this yet, but it's sitting in my Amazon cart and the author comes highly recommended ;-D)

NB: if you decide to purchase any of these books, please put it in your Amazon cart directly from the link given. If you go to another page and come back to the item, it will no longer have my associate's code linked to your purchase. I've been an Amazon associate for a couple of years (meaning I receive a small percentage of every purchase of items I've linked to) and have yet to receive anything.

Coming up next: lists about Motherhood, Home Education, and Housewifery

SDG!

Fajita…in a Pita!

2009-02-09T18:57:00.002-07:00

I experimented tonight. I'm not a big fan of Mexican food (although some spiced, but not hot Mexican food has gotten the nod) - I know, what am I doing living in Arizona?

Anyway, here's what's for dinner:

flat iron steaks, cut into narrow slices

red, green, and yellow bell peppers

a large Maui onion

Roma tomatoes, with the drippy seeds and stuff removed

mushrooms

I sautéed the meat and onions in oil with garlic. Then I looked in my Culinary Artistry book* to find out what herbs and spices are used in Greek food. I ended up adding salt, cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, a pinch of ground cloves, a few dribbles of lemon juice, marjoram, mediterranean basil, and parsley, with a pinch of arrowroot to thicken up the sauce.

Then I added the other fresh veggies, cooked the whole thing for about three minutes, and served it on pitas with sour cream. Yum!

*Culinary Artistry

SDG!

Granola!

2009-02-09T07:00:00.002-07:00

This recipe originally came from Susie Castleberry, by way of Mary Pride's old HELP newsletter. I've tweaked it a bit.

8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (I've substituted rolled wheat and barley for two cups each of the oats; they add an extra bit of texture to the finished granola - have to find new sources for them, but I have a few ideas)

1 cup almonds, sliced or slivered

1 cup coconut, shredded

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250˚.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl (I use my hands - easier to break up the brown sugar and I get to play with my food). Add the vanilla to the melted butter, then add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are uniformly moistened.

Pour out onto two jelly roll pans (I use my jelly roll stone and my 9x9" square stone and my 9" round stone; before I had stones, I'd use a metal jelly roll pan (ie: cookie sheet) and a pizza pie pan). Bake at 250˚ for 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200˚ and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans. When cool, break apart and store in an air-tight container. I have no idea how long it'll be good, we usually go through it in just a few days.

Variations:

Butter-Maple: Substitute grade B maple syrup for the honey and maple sugar for half the brown sugar. Add 1 tablespoon buttery sweet dough bakery emulsion or butter flavoring (here or here) You can also add maple flavor.

Valencia Orange: Add 2 tablespoons dried Valencia orange peel (or fresh orange zest) with the dried ingredients and orange bakery emulsion or orange extract with the vanilla. I use orange blossom honey for this when possible, instead of the clover honey I buy in bulk at Costco.

Cinnamon and Spice: Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon mace, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves to the dry ingredients.

In the crockpot: Instead of baking it, I'll put a batch into the crockpot on low for about 4 hours, stirring whenever I begin to smell it. This gives a bit of a different texture as it doesn't clump up as much as when it's baked, but it's still good and I can make three batches at a time: one in the oven and one in each crockpot.

You could add different kinds of nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or whatever. I've seen recommendations for dried fruit, too (we're not much on dried fruit here, except dried bing cherries). We like ours a bit on the simple side and would rather play with flavours than textures. I used mixed grain cereal from the healthfood market, but I didn't like the taste that the sunflower seeds gave the finished granola.

I'm looking for a recipe to turn this into crunchy granola bars. I've lost the recipe that was in that original newsletter. I'll post it once I find one we like.

SDG!

Playing with Yogurt

2009-02-07T09:16:00.002-07:00

Earlier this week I made a batch of yogurt. After 4 1/2 hours, it still hadn't set, so I turned the crockpot on low for about ten minutes and then re-wrapped it and promptly forgot about it. Three hours later, it had set up as firm and thick as sour cream. It was the best I'd ever made.

I tried again yesterday, doing the same thing I'd done earlier in the week (10 minutes on low after 4 hours and then letting it go for another 2 or 3 hours). Again, it turned out just fabulous!

Now that I'm getting a better handle on yogurt, I'm beginning to research using yogurt as the basis for cream spreads, creamy salad dressings, and recipes to use it in (as a replacement for sour cream, for example). I'll keep you posted!

SDG!

Master Lunch List

2009-02-06T07:00:00.001-07:00

And here's the lunch list:

chicken tenders

spaghetti

leftovers

soup

deli sandwiches

peanut butter and jelly

tuna sandwiches (with homemade mayo)

fish sticks or fillets

bologna sandwiches (The mayo even makes these taste good!)

frozen pizzas (when they're a loss-leader)

hummus & pitas

fresh veggies and dip

burritos, tacos, quesadillas

grilled cheese

mac & cheese (from scratch)

chicken salad sandwiches (also from scratch - that mayo is amazing!)

Again, I'd love your additions to this list!

SDG!

Breakfast List, Redux

2009-02-05T07:00:00.004-07:00

Wow! What a response to yesterday's post! Cool!!

Regarding how I use the list: well, Patricia, you're more organized than I am. Right now, I never know how much energy I'll have when I get up (still tweaking meds), so I put the master list on the fridge door and then star the things we have ingredients for (almost everything). Then we decide what we'll have when we get up; often the kids decide. I have one son who loves baked oatmeal, and I've told him that, if he wants to make it the night before and put it into the fridge overnight, he's more than welcome to. He hasn't done so yet.

My kids pretty much cook their own breakfast (unless I have the energy to make pancakes or something like that). My little girls fry eggs, the older girls keep the granola in stock, the boys are good at scrounging.

And I have the hardest time with leftovers. If we have them, they usually end up as lunch, but we don't often have them. For example, I made two large crockpots of stew Tuesday evening and there was none left when we were done. When I was younger, I used to eat cold pizza for breakfast, but we never have leftovers anymore, especially when we make it ourselves.

I forgot to add to the list farina (like whole wheat cream of wheat) and crustless quiche (which, I guess could count as egg casserole). I have some corn grits, but they're pretty old and stale and tasted pretty bad the last time I tried them. The kids scramble eggs and wrap them in a tortilla.

I can't believe I forgot waffles! I think because I'm trying to cut down on purchasing pre-made food, but we have a couple of waffle irons and can make a double batch to pop into the freezer for another day.

I have a great breakfast book: Breakfasts & Brunches from the CIA (the link is below). Some of the recipes are a bit involved, but they're pretty good and offer lots of creative tweaks. I'm getting hungry sitting here looking through it!

I love the egg muffin idea, only I'm a bigger fan of bacon egg biscuit sandwiches (Drew stocked up on canned biscuits the last time they were on sale, and when they're gone, there's an easy cream biscuit recipe on Cook's Illustrated's website).

Here are the recipes I'd love to have:

breakfast tacos and egg casserole (unless it's like quiche, in which case, I'm covered) from Renee
oven pancakes and toad in the hole from Patricia
wheat berries (proportions of berries to water?) and muesli (what's the difference between muesli and granola?) from Carolyn

Link:
Breakfasts & Brunches

Master Breakfast List

2009-02-04T07:00:00.003-07:00

As promised, here's my master breakfast list:

bacon

eggs

toast

hash-browned potatoes (we purchase dried hash-browns at Costco)

oatmeal, Coach's or Irish

yogurt

granola

pancakes

French toast

coffee cake

banana bread

biscuits & gravy

fruit, canned or fresh

baked oatmeal

English muffins

non-English muffins

bagels

If you have any ideas to add to this, I'd love to hear them!

SDG!

Menu Planning

2009-02-02T18:08:00.007-07:00

My friend Peggy just started a blog. She wanted to join in on Organizing Junkie's 'Menu Plan Monday'. I told Peggy I'd wait to link to her blog until she had a bit more experience and was more confident about her writing. And no, I'm not going to commit to a weekly post about our menus, but I though it might be interesting to give a snapshot of our next couple of weeks.

We shop big every other Friday and Saturday (after payday). We go to the store every three or four days through the rest of the two weeks for fresh produce, milk, eggs, and bread. I have a master breakfast list and a master lunch list. Each two weeks, I put a star by the meals we have the ingredients for and then we can flex depending on what's going on, who is cooking, and how much time we have.

I plan our dinners more carefully, assigning at least a main dish to each evening (sometimes sides too, if I think it matters that night), trying to take into account the ebb and flow of our week. For example: we try to make Thursdays an easy meal since it's getting toward the end of the week and we're all running low on energy by then. We also take into account different activities (fortunately, none are weekly; most are bi-weekly or monthly). All this is in a Pages document that I print out and post on the fridge, with another to go into my calendar.

Sat: pizza (homemade)

Sun: we girls had our tea party and the boys were out at other parties, so we didn't plan anything

Mon: beef stew and biscuits (except that we've got the flu making the rounds, so we're making a run for the Border instead and we'll bump this to tomorrow since the meat was already defrosted (it's cooking now) - something else on this list will get bumped to next pay period.)

Tues: chili, cornbread, salad

Wed: French dip, carrot sticks (I'm going to try to make this from scratch instead of buying deli beef.)

Thurs: flat iron steak pitas (kind of a pita/fajita tweak, more Greek than Mexican)

Fri: croques monsieur (Drew and I may be out on a date night and this is pretty easy for the kids to make.)

Sat: pizza (homemade, natch!)

Sun: turkey, stuffing, asparagus (The turkey was free at Thanksgiving and tucked into the freezer; I'll use leftovers later in the week and the rest of the meat will be used as lunch or dinner next pay period for one of our favorite easy meals that my Mémère Bert used to make, chicken sauce (pronounced the French way: the au has a long o sound), and I'll boil up the carcass for more turkey broth for the freezer)

Mon: stir fry chicken (or turkey) w/veggies and homemade teriyaki sauce

Tues: acorn squash soup & blt's

Wed: turkey pot pie (made from turkey leftovers)

Thurs: omelets

Fri: spaghetti

We actually eat pretty well. Last year, I came down with Epstein-Barr, which, in combination with severe adrenal fatigue, hypothyroid, and extremely low iron reserves, pretty much knocked me out. My wonderful husband took over the meal planning and shopping, but we ate a lot of boxed mixes.

I've been under a naturopath's care and am feeling much better. Since I've got more energy, I'm up for more cooking and we're eating better (both taste-wise and health-wise). The best part is that, as I make more and more from scratch, we're saving lots of money.

I consider myself a bit of a gourmet. I'm also pretty picky about what I put into my mouth (certain ingredients and dishes are forever banned from my kitchen). We purchase the best ingredients (when it matters, butter: yes; flour: not so much), but we're spending much, much less. My goal isn't to drive our grocery budget down as low as it can go (we aren't planning on eating beans everyday for two weeks to cut the budget), but to purchase the best quality ingredients at the best price. We're also keeping our nicer meals for Sunday and eating more simply during the week (also helpful for the budget!).

Later this week, I'll post my master breakfast list and my master lunch list. They really aren't anything special, but having them written out is quite helpful.

SDG!

Norms & Nobility, I

2009-01-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm currently rereading Norms & Nobilityas part of my plan to continue to educate and challenge myself regarding the specific vocations to which the Lord has called me.

It's going slowly, but that's a good thing. I'm taking more time to contemplate what I'm reading - multum non multa, deeper instead of more. A few years ago, I found it quite helpful to blog through my notes from CiRCE and I think I'll do the same for N&N. This isn't an overtly Christian book, but much can be gleaned.

From Chapter 1: 'Virtue is the Fruit of Learning':

The purpose of education is not the assimilation of facts or the retention of information, but the habituation of the mind and body to will and to act in accordance with what one knows.

While Mr. Hicks has just quoted Aristotle, I'm reminded of 'be ye doers of the word, not hearers only,' and 'for him who knows what to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.'

Later on, as he develops the idea of the purpose of education by comparing the life of pleasure, the practical life, and the theoretic life (or the life of the mind):

The life of pleasure eventually fades and exasperates the pleasure-seeker because it is not a life that is sufficient unto itself. Pleasure demands a never-ending list of luxurious accessories, the acquisition of which wears man down with work and worry. In the end, the pleasure seeker becomes preoccupied with what he lacks to complete his picture of happiness; gratification never catches up with his desire, and consumption consumes the consumer. By the same token, the practical life falls short of completeness. The wealth one acquires in a business is a useful thing, but as such, it exists for the sake of something else. […]

Dr. Hicks then goes on to elaborate on the theoretical life, or the life of the mind.

So we arrive at the theoretic life - not to be confused, as Professor Burnet (1976) warns, with the contemplative or passive life.

'What Aristotle calls theoria is emphatically an activity. The fact is that he includes a good many things in it which we are too apt to regard as wholly different, things of which we fail to realize as he did the fundamental identity. In the first place, scientific research is theoria, and no doubt Aristotle was thinking chiefly of that. But so too is the artist's life, so far as he is not a mere artificer, and so is all enjoyment of art and literature. So too is the life of the religious man who sees all things in God.'

Aristotle defends the theoretic life as the true end of education and the source of happiness. One does not require more than the bare necessities in life to achieve happiness in thought, nor is the active life of the mind dependent upon inherently unequal endowments of nature. One need be neither strong nor handsome, well-born nor gregarious, nay, not even brilliant to participate happily in the theoretic life. […] [T]he theoretic life is the life of virtue, so long as we mean by virtue all that the Greek arete expresses: the life that knows and reveres, speculates and acts upon the Good, that loves and reproduces the Beautiful, and that pursues excellence and moderation in all things.

I would add to that last paragraph: 'by the power of the Holy Spirit, because of gratitude for the Gospel of Christ, and to the glory of God'. His definition of virtue reminds me of biblical fruitfulness.

I must keep reminding myself that it's not about how much I can cram into my children's heads, rather that I teach them (through example and precept) to act on what they know to be true, starting with the gospel from which everything flows.

Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education

Teriyaki Sauce

2009-01-26T21:00:00.003-07:00

We had stir fry for dinner tonight, adding a honey teriyaki sauce that was sitting in the fridge. But we didn't have enough of said sauce so we looked up teriyaki sauce recipes. The ingredients were simple: soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh mashed ginger, and garlic. We added the ingredients to the frying pan with the chicken and veggies and a bit of arrowroot powder to thicken it up. I didn't really measure, just poured and flicked in ingredients; garlic and ginger were in jars in the fridge. That's how I often cook - a pinch of this … a dollop of that … taste it and see what else it needs.

The sauce was wonderful! We've decided that we don't need to purchase teriyaki sauce anymore. It tasted much fresher, not so chemically, and, of course, there were no preservatives. We might add a little honey next time, too.

Bon Appétit!

SDG!

Vigilance

2009-01-26T08:17:00.007-07:00

'The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.'
~Thomas Jefferson

While I don't often write about history, politics, economics, demographics, or current events, I am intensely interested in them. There are much better-informed and more logically and eloquently-written sources for this type information and philosophy than I could be, so I won't try to fill a niche that's already being well-filled. However, I will be writing about different policies that will affect us here at home and how we're planning to respond to them.

As we see by the signs that a storm is coming and prepare accordingly, so we must keep an eye on our world, not so that we become frightened (after all, our trust is in the Lord and his loving sovereignty), but so that we can prepare. Better to keep watch and prepare ahead of time when possible than to scramble and try to figure out what's happening when the winds blow, lightning strikes, and hail pummels you.

In light of our current president's economic views and his emulation of FDR (whose economic policies caused the depression of the 1930's to become great), our household is preparing for very hard times. We're watching not only current policies, but demographic trends. As we move through the next few decades, the Baby Boom will retire and, as is usual during that season of life, will spend less, which will lead to an almost permanent drop in the stock market as consumer markets are significantly reduced. Life for our children and grandchildren will be very different from what we've know to this point.

So, what changes are we making in the day-to-day running of our household?

We're cooking more from scratch. (This includes the yogurt recipe previously posted, and making granola instead of purchasing boxed cereal - recipe coming soon! - baking more bread, making mayonnaise, and I've gotten our sprouts grower out again.)
We're working to get the garden to produce again. (We started a compost bin this weekend - Arizona soil isn't so good and we'd rather use our own free scraps and yard waste than purchase compost.)
We're sewing more of our own clothes (with fabric purchased at low prices on sale).
I'm going to study pattern-making to give us more flexibility in clothing design and save money on expensive patterns.
We've been using fountain pens for years, but we'll be purchasing more for the whole family (a bottle of ink can last for years and costs less than other pens which don't last as long).
We're cutting back where we can in order to purchase tools that will make our family more productive and less dependent on public policy (for example: a knitting machine, a clothes line, wood-working tools).
We're learning new skills. (The girls are learning to crochet; I'm re-learning to knit; I'm teaching the girls to sew; we hope to learn to embroider and draw and even paint; as well as the above-mentioned pattern-drafting, and Drew is teaching the boys wood-working skills.)
We made many of our Christmas presents this year and will continue doing that for birthdays.
Drew and I are going out for dessert for our date night, instead of eating dinner out. We're also going to the movies less often.

We're not doing these things only for our family, but we hope that our preparation and work will put us into a position to minister to and help others. Here's one example:

The new administration is planning to put into effect an energy policy called 'Cap and Trade'. This will require local power companies to produce less electricity. Our tax dollars will then be given to the electric companies so that they don't see a loss of revenue. This will give us rolling blackouts and brownouts along with higher taxes. We are working to save for solar power for our home. When the rest of the neighborhood is sitting in the dark, we'll have light. What an opportunity to invite our neighbors in, to share what we have, building relationships with them, and possibly having an opportunity to share the gospel.

The coming times will be challenging, but we hope to rise to the challenge in a joyful and faithful manner.

SDG!

The Mother and Her Reading, II

2009-01-24T13:32:00.001-07:00

Most of CJ's focus was on spiritual growth, developing an affection for the Saviour; as we read, so we think and as we think, so we feel. In order to develop passion for the gospel, we must be reading books about it, books that will help us look at it freshly and to see new aspects of it. We must strive never to grow familiar with the gospel.

So the first category of our reading must be books that care for our souls. Scripture is a no-brainer, but also we should be reading books that challenge us spiritually to examine our hearts, books that remind us freshly of the gospel, books that help us get a firm grasp on solid theology. Not all at once, but they should be part of the plan.

This applies to every believer. Yet it applies to moms at home because it affects our children as well as ourselves. In a very real sense, we are pastoring and discipling our children as we raise them. Their souls must be a focus of our efforts. However, we cannot give them something we don't have. If Mom isn't experiencing a deepening faith and relationship with Christ, she can't pass that onto her kidlings, nor will she be quick to walk in dependence on the Lord. (Yes, Dad is the head of the family and ultimately responsible before the Lord for child-rearing efforts, but most moms spend more time with their children than dads do; we must be working along with our husbands, following their leadership, submitting to their goals; but often the time, effort, and day-to-dayness of raising children falls on our shoulders, not as a burden, but as a privilege.)

CJ also, rightly placed a specific emphasis on books about our specific callings. For those of us whose calling is to keep house and raise our children, this would include books about being a godly wife, a joyful mother, a skillful teacher.

Books to help and encourage us in our home making activities: cooking, gardening, household organization, home crafts (sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, things that make a home and a life beautiful), the theology and philosophy of keeping house (there are many voices telling us that we are wasting our lives by devoting it to drudgery - we must remind ourselves of the truth of the high calling to which we aspire so that we don't grow weary in well-doing), leadership, bargain hunting, hospitality, cleaning tips, caring for the sick and elderly. The list goes on and on.

Homeschooling moms would also benefit from reading books about educational philosophy and practice as well as literature, history, biographies, logic, science, even some math books. Part of this is to equip us to help our children learn, but this type of reading also keeps our minds sharp. We may not remember everything we read, but we'll be much better able to point our children to books that will benefit them and we'll be able to discuss them together. It is also an excellent example to our children of the joy of a lifetime of learning.

My intent isn't to overwhelm anyone by these lists of possible topics for us to read about. I point them out so that we can be intentional in our reading choices. I certainly don't read all these types of books at one time. I have certain areas in which I lack skill or motivation and I need to be reading books about those topics (my current focus in school is books about writing and teaching writing). There are also certain areas of particular gifting or topics that appeal more to me than others; those are books I want to read. These lists are more suggestions to get you thinking about your reading. It's better to start anywhere and read one at a time than to feel so overwhelmed that one never starts. I hope these lists lend themselves to a lifetime of reading.

Teddy Roosevelt said that those who read will be those who lead. We live in a post-literate society. It's not that people don't know how to read (although they may not have been taught how do it well), but that they don't see the importance of reading; they choose not to read. We may feel that we're at home, not out leading in our culture, however, cultural change happens the way yeast works in bread. 'A little leaven leavens the whole lump,' is how Christ described the church. Chesterton said that there is nothing more powerful than an average man and his average wife and their average children living their average lives to the glory of God. Reading can help us do so, and do so well.

Next time, I'll list specific books that I've found helpful and that I think are worth reading and re-reading.

SDG!

Yogurt Tweak

2009-01-22T09:12:00.003-07:00

For those of you who've tried the crockpot yogurt recipe I posted last week, I've figured out how to make it in about 5 hours instead of the 13 1/2 hours of the original recipe.

Most yogurt instructions say that you have to heat the milk or cream very hot and then let it cool to between 110^o and 115^o, as did this original recipe (heat on low for 2 1/2 hours, then cool for 3 hours). This step is included to pasteurize the milk. However, if you're using pasteurized milk, you can simply heat the milk to the target temperature and then add your cultures. In my crockpot set on low, with a half gallon of liquid starting at fridge temperature, that takes an hour to an hour and twenty minutes. After checking the temperature with a meat thermometer (making sure the thermometer doesn't touch the bottom or sides of the crock!), I add the cultures, turn off the pot, and wrap it in a big beach towel. It finishes incubating in about 4 hours, not the eight called for in the original recipe.

By doing it this way, I've cut the heating time, eliminated the cooling time, and cut the incubating time, resulting in more flexibility in my day; I can start it at noon and still be able to put it into the fridge before dinner.

Now that I know how long it takes to heat up, next time I'll be able to rely more on the clock to know when to check it. Play with your own set-up. The temp in your fridge and your individual crockpot may require more or less time than mine, but once you've figured it out, it should get easier from there. And some folks think science isn't useful in every day life!

SDG!

Usefulness?

2009-01-17T07:00:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking more about my post regarding the way I've been approaching kitchen maintenance lately. As I continued to mull it over, I began to think it helpful to look at this in terms of usefulness; I want my kitchen to be useful. But as I looked at it more, I began to see some rocks in that path. I don't want to descend into hard-hearted utilitarianism and pragmatism, which measure everything by usefulness and therefore shut out beauty, goodness, and joy. I continued to turn this over in my mind and I realized that it's not specifically about usefulness, rather it's about fruitfulness.

The world tends to look at life in economic terms, telling us that we are wasting our lives uselessly staying at home instead of making a contribution. The world focuses on usefulness. The world's schools train for usefulness. The world measures people's worth by their usefulness. The biblical response is fruitfulness. It's not about the economy, stupid. It's about so much more!

A kitchen that has every tool and lots of space to work in, but is stark in its efficiency is useful, but not so enticing. A kitchen that is painted cheerfully, with pictures on the walls, curtains in the window, pretty utensils and crockery, music playing in the background is much more cosy. The beauty nourishes the cook's heart as the cook works to nourish her family.

Besides efficiency, cleanliness, and orderliness, there are other, intangible aspects of keeping our homes that we mustn't lose sight of. If I take an hour to complete work that could take me half that time, but I'm sharing a heart-to-heart talk with my daughter as we work, then that's a good and fruitful use of that time. If my boys toil in the garden and get all kinds of work done, yet are at odds with one another when they're done, that's neither good nor fruitful.

Fruitfulness speaks to getting the work done, absolutely, but it also speaks to joyful relationships, spiritual riches, mended hearts, and encouraged souls. If we remember this, the world's criticism will fade away as we make homes for our families, our friends, and even strangers.

SDG!

Tips

2009-01-16T11:59:00.003-07:00

Just a couple of things I've learned lately.

1) If a permanent marker is used on a white board, it can be removed! I tried a couple of different techniques and they both worked great to get the littles' French vocabulary cleaned off and neither ruined the board's finish.

a) Take a dry erase marker and trace over the offending mark. The alcohol in the marker dissolves the Sharpie.

b) For larger messes, wash the board with alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Works like a dream.

2) Yogurt can be made in a crockpot. I have a yogurt maker and love it, but it makes 7 6-oz jars - not enough for us and a bit hard to fit all those little jars into the fridge.

The recipe calls for low-fat milk, but I've discovered that half-n-half makes a great yogurt. (Yogurt made with cream is called crème bulgare and is my favorite. Half cream, half milk (or bought half-n-half) is just as thick, but less expensive.) I made more than a half gallon earlier this week and we've been enjoying it immensely. This recipe is easier than using my yogurt maker as it takes less of my time, even though the recipe takes longer overall.

Non-instant dried milk can also be added for a thicker consistency (I'm not sure how much you'd need for this recipe - play with it). I make it plain and we add flavorings to our bowls. I like mine with a small sprinkling of brown sugar, but fruit or granola is also delicious.

For those of you who are local, I purchase my cultures from Sprouts. Or you can use a container of plain yogurt bought from the grocery store, as long as it contains live or active cultures.

Here's the recipe.

SDG!

The Mother and Her Reading, I

2009-01-15T23:27:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned before, I've been slowly working my way through the Sovereign Grace Leadership series of podcasts, wherein, last summer, Josh Harris interviewed Jeff Purswell and CJ Mahaney. I'm amazed at how much of it I can apply in my life as a wife and home educating mom. While I'm not claiming pastor-status for what I do here, there are many parallels, so I thought I'd go through each podcast and share the things that occurred to me and how these ideas might apply. However, I won't outline the podcast itself; better for you to listen to it in its entirety (it can be found through iTunes or on the Sovereign Grace Ministries website).

CJ's first point was about the importance of reading as a regular part of life. If we want our children to become readers, it's important for us to model reading for them. Read aloud to them; read books while they're awake and can observe you; rejoice with them as they learn to read; share your excitement when you receive the gift of a book. If you save all your reading until after they go to bed, and don't talk to them about what you're reading, they'll think it's an optional part of life. If, however, you share this part of life with them, chances are better that they'll catch your love of books.

CJ also emphasized planning our reading. If we don't set aside time, if we don't plan which books we'll read, we won't read any or we'll meander through books and not benefit ourselves and our families as much as we could if we read more intentionally.

The plan may be to read a chapter or smaller section of several books each day, reading them slowly with time to digest the ideas. Or, if you'd rather read one book at a time, you might read a daily, greater portion of one book, until you're finished. The important thing isn't that our plans all look alike, but that we do what works for us.

Now, I do want to encourage moms of younger kidlets that grace is a necessary component of this idea. Little ones demand a lot of time and energy, and if a little one isn't sleeping through the night yet, napping while the baby naps may be a better use of your time. You may need to ease up on your reading for a season, or you may want to be more creative in carving out that time. (I often had a book at hand when I sat down to nurse a little one.) You may be able to listen to audio books while performing other tasks. (That's something I'm not that good at - I need to see the words for it to make an impression.) Please realize moms of littles, that there will come a time when you do have more time and can devote more of your time to reading. There is a time and a purpose to every season under heaven. Relax and flow with whatever season you're in now, thankful to the Lord for your little ones who grow so quickly and relying on the strength of the Lord to face these busy days.

A proper approach toward and priority of reading is a service to your family. There have been many books I've read that have challenged my attitudes and thinking in managing my home, educating my children, and relating to others that my family has benefited from. Reading, for an appropriate amount of time, is not selfish, but can help us serve more effectively. (Reading can become selfish when it becomes more important than our children, our duties, our responsibilities, but that is probably rooted in selfishness and pride, not in reading itself.)

I've been finding that I'm fighting to maintain my concentration lately. I was wondering why, and then I read an article that proposed the idea that time spent online, with its quick hyper-links and short articles, undermines our ability to concentrate (this is why I didn't include any hyper-links in my post today - I may begin adding them at the bottom rather than in the midst of the text, so they aren't such a distraction). I think there's something to this and have determined to spend time each day reading from real books, away from the computer. It is important for us to discipline our minds, loving the Lord with them, by reading real books: books that point us to Christ, helping us broaden our affection for our Saviour, as well as husband and children, inspiring us to creativity and fruitfulness.

Next time, I'll go through some of the categories of reading mentioned in the interview, along with some ideas of my own that those pastoral categories sparked.

SDG!

Cleaning the Kitchen?

2009-01-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

After Sunday dinner, you look around the kitchen at the stacks of dishes, piles of glasses, mountains of pots and pans. This room was clean a few hours ago and it'll take a long time and a lot of work to get it there, again. And it won't stay that way for long, but will need to be cleaned several times each day … today… next week… forever. We don't wonder why housework is viewed as drudgery. The striving for a clean kitchen, or clean laundry, or a fully-stocked pantry never ends.

The way we think and talk about things has a great deal to do with our attitudes about them. He who defines the terms wins the debate. We see this in things as important as the words culturally used to describe abortion and marriage; it's also true in our everyday approach to keeping our homes and caring for our families. As I read the chapters in Keeping House about feeding the hungry, I realized that my attitude toward cleaning the kitchen was causing discontent, disappointment, and discouragement. If a clean kitchen is my goal, I'll fail several times each day (after every meal and snack). How disheartening! I end up trying to cook with an eye toward a clean kitchen, which means I don't do as good a job of feeding my hungry family. As the kitchen is used and dirtied, my work to clean it is undone and ruined. It was time to redefine my terms.

A kitchen that stays clean all the time isn't fulfilling its purpose. Instead of trying to get my kitchen clean, I now approach it as preparing it for the next meal.

As I look to ready the kitchen to prepare the next meal, I acknowledge and embrace the ongoing essence of the purpose of the kitchen, or, to use one of Andrew Kern's favorite terms, the nature of the kitchen. I acknowledge that the purpose of the kitchen is to prepare food to feed hungry people. I also end up with a more realistic standard for success: not a clean kitchen, but one ready to be worked in.

Trying to keep a clean kitchen becomes a battle, with as many defeats as victories and the victories are tenuous at best, always swallowed up in defeat. There's no energy to carry you along, but instead a sense of continually pushing a rock up a hill that then tumbles down on top of you again, that this is a useless task of unrelieved monotony, as Sisyphus experienced and it was hell.

Focusing on preparing the kitchen for the next meal gives the job a momentum that makes the enterprise easier. Success may thus be defined in a more limited, less grandiose way, but that just means I have more opportunities to experience that success and that's encouraging. Success may also be defined a bit more broadly: perfect cleanliness isn't necessary to prepare a meal; good enough is, well, good enough.

God probably could have created the universe so that it didn't need his ongoing, sustaining activity, but he didn't. As he wills and works to sustain the very molecules of my pans and utensils, I am privileged to take part in the ongoing nature of that sustaining work, in my own small and dependent way. As he brings order to a disordered soul to ready it for good works which he created in the eternal past, so I can bring order to my kitchen to ready it for the good work of feeding the hungry. I get to take part in his provision for my family, nurturing them, caring for them, loving them.

I must admit that getting the kids to clean the kitchen has been a battle for years. But their attitudes are slowly changing too, as I encourage them to prepare the kitchen for our next meal instead of simply cleaning it. They're also more willing to cook or bake, knowing that that's why the kitchen is clean. It's much more inviting than when the focus was a clean kitchen.

An anecdote: Saturday, we had a tech in to give us an estimate for a new heat pump. Normally, I cringe at having tradesmen in my kitchen because it's not usually a pretty picture. However, after a week of preparing the kitchen for the next meal, it was in fairly good order. I was able to offer him a cup of tea, and could make it without having to clean out the tea-maker or wash any cups. Because we'd prepared the kitchen for the next meal, it was a simple process to provide a bit of warmth on a cool morning, a bit of hospitality to a stranger. There was a liberty in this that I don't usually experience. To most of my readers, this may not seem earth-shaking or different, but it was a big deal in our house because this has been a struggle for so long.

What terms might you need to consider and re-define? I'm thinking about this question in other areas involved in keeping my home and have more posts planned along these lines. I'd love your input!

SDG!

Blogging and Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

2009-01-10T15:54:00.008-07:00

My friend Carol blogged about why she blogs and asked her blogging readers to tackle the same question. She had some great thoughts about it and got me thinking.

1) Blogging helps me think more clearly. As I work to get my ideas into a form that others can understand, I refine them.

2) I need the practice writing.

3) I aim to be an intelligent, hopeful, joyous voice standing for biblical womanhood and all it encompasses: submission to my husband, joyfully teaching my children, working with creativity to make a comfortable home from which my family can serve the Lord and others. There are so many strident voices denouncing anything less than paid work and overreaching ambition in wives and mothers that there needs to be someone speaking the truth. I may not be a loud voice, but many small voices might have an influence.

4) Not only do I hope to speak truth in a hostile culture, but I hope to be an example to younger women and an encouragement to women my age and older. I don't read many blogs, but the few that I do read regularly encourage and sharpen me. It would be a privilege if my writing did the same for others.

5) I hope to leave a written record of my thoughts for my children, a legacy for future generations.

In light of these reasons for writing, I'd like to recommend another book.

I recently re-listened to CJ Mahaney, Jeff Purswell, and Josh Harris discussing 'A Pastor and His Reading'. While I'm not a pastor, there was much food for thought there. One realization I came to is that, as a wife, mother, and home educator by calling, I should regularly include books about these callings in my reading diet (more in later posts about some of the other observations I've drawn from this whole series of podcasts).

Then a friend recommended this gem:

Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

I nipped over to Amazon.com and was pleasantly surprised when my package arrived the next day. (Amazon's two-day shipping is great!)

As I read it, I was refreshed in my vision of making a home and all that it means. This isn't a list of practices and techniques, but a theological and philosophical defense of, well, keeping house. Margaret Kim Peterson reduces keeping house down to Christ's commands to provide food, clothing, and shelter in his name. However, while she reduces and simplifies the scope of keeping house to these three areas, she doesn't reduce their importance; she makes them larger.

She also turned to Psalm 104. As I read the excerpt through tears, I saw the Creator of the universe keeping his creation, putting it in order, providing for life and comfort -tasks that we see as drudgery and mundanity, yet the Lord himself does these things.

I came away from each chapter with a new appreciation of the work I've been called to. I've also realized that there are ways of thinking and talking about them that need to change. By the Lord's grace, I'm making these changes and I think that will be helpful in maintaining this new focus (more about that in later posts, too).

Not only was the content enlivening and inspiring, but the writing itself has an appealing, lyrical quality. It was a joy to read and re-read.

SDG!

Marley and Me

2008-12-29T23:33:00.003-07:00

Drew and I went to the theater Friday evening, the first time in several weeks as getting ready for Christmas and a bad cold on my part kept us away.

There were quite a few films that looked interesting, but the timing worked out for Marley and Me, based on John Grogan's book by the same name.

Of all the ones we were thinking about, this one had the least to attract me. I've never been a big fan of either of the leads and I don't particularly like dogs. (Before I get hate emails, I'll state in my defense that I'm very allergic and therefore I'm not around animals much at all. And, I'm sure because of the allergies, I'm a magnet whenever I am in the presence of an animal; that's made me a bit stand-offish. Okay, onto the film.)

When the movie started, I wasn't really impressed with either 'John' or 'Jenny'. She was the head of the family and he passively followed. He wasn't willing to talk to her about important issues, for example, having a baby. Instead, he bought her a dog (our eponymous hero) to quiet her biological clock for a few years because he wasn't ready for fatherhood. However, as the story spun itself out, they both grew up. By the end, I was cheering for them. This is a true love story, the story of a marriage, the good and the ugly. No glossing over the difficult parts, but no sentimental nonsense, either.

There were some interesting metaphors, but nothing that an intelligent viewer wouldn't catch. I won't say more, because I don't want to spoil it, but I do recommend it and would like to see it again in theaters (unusual for me).

SDG!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T14:06:00.003-07:00

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
 Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; 
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, 
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads, 
And I in my helmet caref’ly watched the bait, 
And settled my brain for a long winter's wait — 
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, 
Agent Moore sprang to the window to see what was the matter. 
When, what to his wondering eyes should appear, 
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer, 
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
 He knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. 
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, 
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name: 
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen,
 "On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donner and Blitzen; 
"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
"Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" 
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly, 
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; 
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, 
With the sleigh full of toys — and St. Nicholas too: 
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof 
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. 
As Moore drew in his head, and was turning around, 
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound;
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot, 
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
 A bundle of toys was flung on his back, 
And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack;
His eyes — how they twinkled!
His dimples: how merry, 
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry; 
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
 And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; 
The stump of Havana he held tight in his teeth, 
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. 
He had a broad face, and a little round belly 
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly: 
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, 
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself; 
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, 
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
 As we sprang and surrounded him, with guns and black vests
And cries of “FBI! You’re under arrest!”
We got him on house-breaking, and slave labor too,
For he forced the Elves’ work to get presents to you,
And bypassing Customs, and smuggling gifts,
And those things like LEGOs? They came from shoplifts.
He financed it all through embezzlement and fraud;
This Santa Claus fellow considered himself god!
That night we brought down his criminal empire,
I’m just glad we got him without any gunfire.
We hand-cuffed and led him out to our SWAT van,
Across the yard full of snow and with a snowman. 
But I heard him exclaim, as I read him his rights —
 “Happy Christmas to all, I’ve had one heck of a night”.

by Benjamin Spear (©2008), who is intrigued by all things FBI.

Conversation

2008-12-23T12:39:00.003-07:00

Children do not converse. They say things. They ask, they tell, and they talk, but they know nothing of one of the great joys of life, conversation. Then, along about twelve, give or take a year on either side, two young people sitting on their bicycles near a front porch on a summer evening begin to talk about others that they know, and conversation is discovered. Some confuse conversation with talking, of course, and go on for the rest of their lives, never stopping, boring others with meaningless chatter and complaints. But real conversation includes asking questions, and asking the right ones before it's too late.
~Charles Schulz

More Fun!

2008-12-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Holiday Fun!

2008-12-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

For your holiday enjoyment.

SDG!

Resources for Hand Work

2008-12-13T09:10:00.006-07:00

Life's been crazy-busy lately, mostly with making Christmas presents and keeping up with school.

The girls and I found a couple of really cool websites that I thought I'd share.

We're learning how to knit. Well, actually Judith and Rebekah are already pretty good at it, but Melody and Eliza are learning and I'm re-learning (my Mémère Bert taught me to cast on, knit, and purl, but I'd forgotten how - it's been so long). This website has been so helpful! It includes free video instruction for both English style and Continental style. My mem taught me English style, and when I first tried Continental, I made a big mess. But there was a scene in an indie movie we watched the other night (review coming soon) that included a woman knitting Continental style and it finally clicked. I tried it again the next morning and took off. It's faster than English, so I've been using it for my current, very basic, project with its Christmas deadline.

The other website is also a gem. More videos, but this time about hand embroidery. I love my embroidery machine and am using it lots, but there's something about hand embroidery that is just stunning and a lot of stitches just can't be recreated on a machine. Sometimes you just need a break from the machinery, time to sit with a needle and thread. I love technology, but there's there's room in the world for both hand and machine work. Hand work is good for the soul; it slows you down, gives you time to contemplate, and requires a greater time investment - all antidotes to a hurried modern world. I also think we must work purposely and intentionally to maintain those old skills. If we lose them, they'll be gone for good.

Last night, Drew and I were chatting with the man who runs the local Viking Sewing Center. After purchasing some machine embroidery supplies, I asked him if Joann's carried hand embroidery threads (I wasn't expecting beautiful silks, but was hoping for something besides run of the mill floss, and was pleased to find that they did carry some nicer pearl cotton and a tiny bit of very expensive silk - the silk stayed at the store, but I brought home some of the cotton). He didn't quite understand the attraction of doing it by hand, but told me that he was working on his embroidery software to make it look more like hand work. But then he shared how astonished he'd been when he was the recipient of a hand-embroidered gift. He said of the giver, 'It took her three months to embroider it. She must really care a lot.' There is something about an investment of time and effort that speaks deeply to the heart.

SDG!