the mystery gift

Bet ya can't guess what this is! We wrapped it so it would be a surprise even though the recipient was with us when the purchase was made. Despite the two month delay, he maintains enthusiasm and so it seemed fitting to disguise the gift and bring it downstairs to further the torture of the wait!

Excitement is running high, boxes are being shaken and guessing is rampant... but nobody's talking. The pat answer to, "So, what's inside the box?" is "A Skillsaw." We adopted this reply when M was little because she tended to be a bit too honest when pumped for information. In order to have some surprises on Christmas morn, every package contained a Skillsaw until opened. It stuck and now, unless you want to hear "Skillsaw", don't even bother asking!

no need to knead

S recently brought home a book from the library titled, "No Need to Knead" and what a find it has been. I love fresh baked artisan breads (and have the bazooba to prove it!) but making them seemed time consuming and intimidating. Not any more. This method uses ONE BOWL, the dough is stirred with a spoon and the overnight refrigerator rising gives it the texture and taste of an expensive store bought loaf. Best thing is the loaf is made without fat! We have enjoyed the first experimental loaves hot out of the oven for lunch the past week and are now tweaking the recipe to incorporate more spelt, less white flour. Yummy, yummy in my tummy.

a chin hair

We made the discovery yesterday - E has his first chin hair. With a mixture of emotions for us all, we welcome this milestone and celebrate this little hair and all it stands for in our newly 14 year old's life.
You're growing up, E!

toys for tots

Yesterday, M and I tagged along with the boys to sort toys for Toys for Tots. It was such a blessing to serve alongside the seasoned volunteers. The number of donations were incredible - hundreds and hundreds of new toys piled 6 feet high generously given by the people of our county.

The gifts arrived at the warehouse in big trash bags by Uhaul truck (5 trucks full!). Our job was to open the bags and distribute the toys to their appropriate age group. It was like Christmas morning! I couldn't help but think about the recipient's beaming face upon receiving the present. Each child will get three gifts plus stocking stuffers.

I came home encouraged and my Christmas cup full. The spirit of giving is alive and well!

a Scottish Christmas

On Monday past, we attended a Scottish Christmas at the Mondavi Center. Wow, what a gorgeous place! Sitting in the nose-bleed section allowed us to take in the building as a whole. The fir used was salvaged from the bottom of lakes in Canada! Other materials included sandstone and bamboo. The unique combination turned a huge room into an elegantly warm arena.

The concert was great. Bonnie Rideout was the featured fiddler and violist. Accompanying her was a Scottish harpist whose accent reminded of us of our dear friend :), an Irish guitarist, a bag piper from Yonkers, N.Y. and a drummer from the Marine Fife and Drum Corp. They played traditional songs dating as far back as the 1500's. It was a beautiful addition to our season and we are reliving the evening with the CD.

heather hair

At our church, we've met the sweetest young lady with the most gorgeous long brown wavy hair. Coming from a family with hair as straight as uncooked spaghetti, M wanted to experience the Heather phenomenon. So last night, while we watched the new "Pirates," I covered her head with little braids. She woke up this morning, removed the rubberbands, and wahlah - instant (almost) Heather Hair!

what's new in Christmas tree design

Thanksgiving weekend all the boxes come down from the rafters and the Christmas season officially begins. First up is the tree. Below is a paragraph E wrote about this year's tree trimming:

It all started a few days after Thanksgiving Day when we were putting up our artificial Christmas tree.

“We’ll need to get a new tree soon,” Mom remarked. “Ours is starting to look rather old.”

After some dialogue on whether to get a new tree this year, S**** suggested, “Why don’t we just set up our tree differently?” I undertook the task and mixed up some of the rows of branches until the tree took on the shape of an hour glass with a pointed top. When my younger sister, M****, came into the room, she looked at the tree, sat down on a nearby chair and started crying.

“It looks hokey!” she sobbed. She retreated to a corner of the room and sulked. We reassembled the tree to its original form so Mikaela wouldn’t be upset for the rest of the season. However, we did take multiple pictures to keep the possibility open for next year.

This is J's "unobstructed view" design.

o Christmas tree

We finally made these too cute cookie trees. I bought the cookie cutter kit years ago and decided the 'perfect time' was NOW! M made them with a little friend one night and the boys constructed theirs the next.

Sugar and Christmas go together at our house (followed by a month of detox in January). The kids make...and eat...their gingerbread houses and cookie trees. Other seasonal treats include See's candy, 3 way tins of popcorn, blintzee with syrup, and of course, Christmas cookie favorites. We sing with gusto, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

fire and slush

11-28-06
The first fire in the fireplace celebrated with toasted marshmellows.
Our fireplace serves as a catalyst for evenings together because it's the only warm place in the house unless you want to go to bed! Who can make the biggest fire, keep it burning the hottest, or start it the fastest are part of the season long Fireplace Olympics.












On the other end of the thermometer we have milk slush. In order to keep up with the high demand of cow juice, we buy bulk and freeze. The freezer is milked at night so the gallon of milk will defrost by breakfast. As you see, that doesn't always happen...especially when the nights are 32 degrees!

past happenings

Every October, my mom would make cupcakes with pumpkins on them for girls club. In keeping with tradition, M made these for homegroup.






In honor of his service to Scouts and his church, John was awarded the God and Service award at the troop's Court of Honor.










Potatoes in the washing machine? Yep. I volunteered to make 90 pounds of mashed red potatoes for our church's Sunday bistro. (What was I thinking?) After spending an hour scrubbing one 10# bag and looking at the 8 remaining bags to be processed, I thought surely there is a better way. I called a friend to brainstorm. We decided the washing machine was a good option. And it was. Put the washer through a couple soapless rinses and then wipe out with a damp cloth, just to be sure. Drop 2-3 bags into the tub, set on gentle and put through a short swishing cycle followed by a rinse and spin. Before boiling, scan the potatoes and cut away any unsitely areas. Glad I discovered this method but don't think I'll be volunteering to make spuds for 200 any time in the near future. (no wonder I don't feel good!)

Our favorite time of year is Operation Shoebox time. Dollar Tree, Walmart, 99cent Store are places to find goodies to fill the boxes. We do alot of shopping during the year as well especially at back-to-school sales when supplies are available for a deal.





Celebration! Last Saturday, S baked this yummy Martha Stewart Apple Pie cake to celebrate the following:

S: two personal victories
E: being loved!
M: found a beloved lost pencil after a few hours of searching
J: raised M's bed to create not only the Princess and the Pea effect, but also more storage in her tiny room.
We needed to fill our joy cups and a celebration seemed to do
the trick!
M's new Princess bed. With our long legs, there are not many opportunities to dangle our feet. Everybody had to give it try.

not vertigo???

I think I've been misdiagnosed. The dizziness and nausea, thankfully, come and go. So what is it then? Hmmm, that remains to be answered. Meanwhile, I'm trying to exercise, deep breathe, avoid chocolate and caffeine, and think happy thoughts (sometimes hard to do when one is avoiding choc/caffeine).

One happy thought is the prospect of next week off of school. Yeeehaaaa! Truly we haven't earned it but oh! do we need it. We'll enjoy a day of Christmas shopping, have a quiet thanksgiving dinner, see Santa Clause 3 and do our traditional weekend-after-Thanksgiving decorating blitz. M has been counting down the days (see picture) and I'm looking forward to pulling out the nativities and spending time in quiet contemplation over the season's meaning.

Another happy thought is my nephew and his wife are having a boy! I truly believe he'll be the most beautiful baby boy ever and look forward to the smells and sounds of an infant in our family again.

vertigo

Nope. Not a word picture this time. Last night I thought I dreamt of spinning carnival rides but it was real. Everytime I'd move my head, whhhheeeeeee, the room spun around like a top. Later today, after waiting an hour to see the nurse practitioner, it was confirmed I am a dizzy blonde. The cause? Crystals in my inner ear. How long will it last? 4-6 weeks. Any available treatment? Nope. I came home with a prescription for Valium "just in case it gets really bad," a recommendation for over the counter Dramamine for the nausea, and advice not to move my head quickly. I've had this before and hope it will be of short duration. Meanwhile, I'm buckling in for the ride!

bungee jumper

We are frantically pulling together early action college applications. Like most experiences this year, it's a mixed bag of emotions. My babe is growing up. I think he's feeling my growing pains as much as I his. Each of us working toward independence in such opposing ways: I letting go from protecting, he letting go from being protected.

The visual for this one is the bungee jumper - first the free fall (yes! I've let go!) then boing, jerked back to holding on for dear life (God, protect my baby), followed by another free fall.
No wonder my neck hurts!

a new look

Yeeeehaaaa! S has been diligently working on the new look for the bag blog. I was one picky customer and he patiently waded through a miriad of style changes before I finally settled on this one. In the process, he also taught me enough html to tweak it myself in the future.
THANK YOU S!!!!!!! Ya made your mama one happy gal!

You may express your oooo's and ahhhhh's to him here.

lunch with grace

Before the whirl of weekend activities, J and I went out for lunch today . We were rescued from our things-to-discuss list by an elderly couple from our new church. They were headed into the same restaurant and we joined together for mutual heartburn. We learned they have been married for 59 years, grew up together from nursery age in the same church in Fresno, married the same age as J and I, and have been members of this church for 26 years.

I've talked often with my sister and sisters-in-the-Lord of wanting to maintain a vibrant walk with Jesus to our last breath. My new grandma friend does just that. During our mealtime conversation, her soft aged face (which was "easy to look at") became serious and she pointedly asked if I was attending the Beth Moore Bible Study at church. Thankfully, I was able to say yes 'cause I sensed there might have been a lecture if I said no. In reflecting on our remaining discussion though, that was the only thing she asked if I was involved in. Her concern was over my spiritual growth not my spiritual busyness. Because of her age, I'll have to do some serious mining of nuggets from her years of following Jesus, but I am thankful for this grace who will, by example, teach me how to breathe Him to my last breath.

He makes all things new

Our old church has assimilated with another local congregation (including our Pastor who will serve as interim). The details were worked out over the past 7-8 weeks but last week we learned God has been preparing Pastor's heart for the last 6 months. Yesterday, we arrived with open arms and hearts for the official first service as one body and were greeted with the same. Collectively, we share a feeling of being plunked in the center of God's work and an eagerness to join together to be used for His glory.

I am in awe at the desires of my heart that are being answered through this assimilation. For example, I have been praying for a big black (not used disrespectfully) woman to pass through my life who loves Jesus with all that's in her, sings a wicked gospel song and prays like there will be no tomorrow . Welllllll, this week, the women's ministry is having a half-day prayer seminar . I debated on going but when I heard who the guest speaker was, I knew it was a date with destiny. Yep, it's her! God's grace rains down once again as He fills the desires of my heart!

pretty cushy

In a burst of creative energy, last week I brought closure to a lingering decorating project - our dining room chair cushion recovers. They turned out great and were done just in time for Saturday's surprise visit with longtime friends from L.A.

As we go thru this season, I'm forcing myself to feed my creative side regularly and not only am I benefiting, but the fam is also. Catching the excitement, our creative endeavors are popping up in every room: music recording, movie making, Sculpy sculpting, Lego engineering, drawing, and yes, felt doodading! I'm learning that my need to create is a vital part of who our family is and despite time (and energy) constraints, it's a grace we can't live without.

pumpkins

While the boys were at Scouts, M and I had a craft therapy session. I came across this pattern and couldn't resist giving it a whirl. Wanting a rounder pumpkin than pictured in the samples, I tweaked the shape a little as well as the sewing method. Looks like we may have to try again.....and follow the instructions! :) It was a great time with M though. She arrived dressed in her Josefina outfit and we talked of life on the rancho while stiching the evening away. She had been feeling lonely and the time spent was a satisfying deposit in her love tank.

powerful paragraphs

This semester, E and M are participating in a "Powerful Paragraphs" class taught by a dear friend. Since they woke up this morning, both have been twittering around like little birds who stumbled upon a fisherman's can of worms. Their enthusiasm comes from a teacher who is frank yet inspiring and their desire to please her motivates them to finish their homework the day BEFORE class. It's good to have the outside accountability and we are already seeing improvements in their writing. The class has also put wind in our sails to attack other subjects with vigor and consistency. I definately count this as another of God's graces for this season.

girls club

Three little girls who aren't so little any more! Wow! What did summer do to them? Gone are the chubby cheeks and is-it-time-to-play-yet attitudes. Instead, in our family room, sat three young ladies-in-the-making practicing good posture and listening attentively to the devotion - all eager for a new year of girls club. I am thankful for not only their friendship, but their mama's too!

grace

Lately I've felt like a live bird in a cat's mouth. Sensing the sharp teeth which grasp me (but not tight enough to do me in), I wonder when the white fangs will make their fatal plunge. Then, by some miracle, I am dropped! Heart pounding, I muster the strength to fly to safety shaken, but unharmed.

Being captured many times has tuned my senses to the look, smell and sound of my predator and enabled me to flee to safety before being caught again. Once in the safe place, I feel engulfed by grace that flows over my frantic heart and chaffed spirit and prepares me to give what I am receiving.

Because this safe place is new to me, I find myself blown away by all it contains. With grace, in equal measure comes:
love
and forgiveness
and joy
and strength
and peace
and comfort
and hope
- whatever the need of the moment requires.
I am in awe over the power with which it compells me to go out and give what I have been given.

Even though the cat is serving a purpose, I still hope it will go away soon. And when it finally does, I will wave and thank it for driving me to grace.

do-it-yourself in-grown toenail removal

I'm prone to in-grown toenails. Being a do-it-yourself kinda gal, I've learned how to surgically remove them. It's painful, but has to be done, and is so much better when all behind me.

An in-grown nail is interesting. It willfully and purposefully lives a life seperate from that of its owner (namely me!). It pushes slowly but steadily into the soft flesh of the unsuspecting toe until one day a bump on that toe reveals its unwelcomed existance. At that moment, I am faced with a choice: 1. Extract and suffer the painful consequences yet eventual healing OR 2. Let it alone and suffer the painful consequences and eventual infection. I've tried both and now willingly opt for #1.

Currently I am finding in-grown somethings (don't know what to call them - issues maybe?) in my heart. I know they're there because comments have bumped up against them and I recognize the pain of something that needs to be removed, that doesn't belong. I don't think I can pull these out on my own though. Pictures of Much-Afraid's actions (Hinds Feet on High Places) play in my mind. Take the hand of Suffering and Sorrow...jump...lay down on the alter.

I know what I have to do. Extraction is inevitable and the Surgeon Shepherd is gently calling. I'll probably just push on those areas for a bit to see if they are really that tender, or can they possibly wait. That's an awful big alter, you know.

from a week of scout camp

The Bag boys returned from camp today! Yeeehaaaa!
Gosh it's been a long week and it felt soooo goooood to hold J's hand again.
The first thing both he and E said after getting in the car to start for home was, "Can we have real food tonight?"

E had a great time and we've heard non-stop play by play action of the staff's daily skits and escapades. He finished four merit badges (Go E!) and two partials. Most memorable event was the overnight campout in the handmade shelter for the Wilderness Survival badge. He discovered he is claustrophobic but persevered through the night.

Although camp is not vacation time for J, he enjoys the extended fellowship with the dads. Male bonding. It will take a few days to hear all the tidbits but so far he's revealed the cool Camp Winton t-shirt he snagged for a buck!

From my end of their return home:
It was difficult not to use in one shot the balance of my 2.5 million words I'd reserved for J's return. I'll try to ration them out but I fear the poor guy has his work cut out for him this week!

It was good to hug E! He grew up...again. Deeper voice, taller and looking out for the younger scouts coming behind him. Makes this mama proud.

What I learned this week while J was gone:

In this season of parenting - we NEED to make time for ourselves both as individuals and as a couple. Whew, didn't realize how close to the edge I was this week until my feet slipped from under me. God's grace cleaned up the scrapes but there is a better way.

No more masks. I've said/thought this before but again, while falling over the edge, the point was driven home. Life is between God and me. When others see me, I pray they will see a face tilted upward toward Jesus not a temporary covering up of circumstances.

And lastly, I am going to decorate our bedroom. Currently it looks like the furniture section of Office Depot. So not the oasis we need. Gotta save a little but will start developing the vision.

hume lake

30 minutes into the trip.
wiggle, wiggle, sway, sway.
van pulls over to the side of the road.
"what happened?"
"trailer's got a flat."

So there, on the shoulder of the 99 Fwy, we thankfully ate the delicious lunch Mom packed while waiting for the tire rescue unit. And, oddly, it turned out to be pretty fun. E entertained us with various impersonations and S showed us a new dance he learned the night before. Before long, we were on our way with a new Hume memory to add to the scrapbook!

A few of this year's highlights:










Kayaking. Thanks to generous friends, we enjoyed having two of our own kayaks to use. I don't think anything beats the peacefulness of gliding across a still lake at 7 a.m. J took me out the first time and I managed to get in and out without tipping over - I was very relieved! The second voyage was with S in the evening. He offered gentle instruction on improving my stroke and we enjoyed light conversation while taking in the sunset. It was the perfect mother and son moment...until we were paddling back to shore. All of a sudden S's strokes became frantic and I could hear his kayak fast approaching from behind. I didn't dare look back for fear of tipping. Then I heard it. Dip. Slurp. Spray. The water canon stealthly hid in his boat made its appearance and blasted me. I had to choose between revenge and possibly tipping or taking it like a mom. I chose to stay afloat and paddle as fast as I could, which wasn't fast enough!











The Game of Life: E, S and M played a marathon round of The Game of Life. It was a vintage version which turns out to be much more involved than the newer editions. For example, did you know your children (those little pink and blue sticks) can have children? And you can have more than one job at a time? The longer the game went on, the sillier they got and the more they laughed. It was music to my ears.


And we observed our traditions:




















Our last meal at Hume is in the Snack Shack featuring Hume Burgers and Root Beer Floats.











The family picture on the rock staircase.











Hours reading on the deck.











And, of course, the licorice!














We said a tearful goodbye to the cabin. It's up for sale and like so many other things in our lives, it will change. Next year S will be graduated and most likely working. My sister's family is grown and making their own memories now. So, before leaving, we scouted out a few smaller cabins for next year and began looking forward to Hume with a different view.

and don't forget the......

We've been doing this with my sister's family almost every year for the past 17 years . Hume Lake. Same destination and same cabin for the last 10 years. Its our favorite vacation for just that reason. Nothing seems to change there. We arrive at the cabin and the first thing we do is look to see if anything is new. Nope. All the same. The dishes, the 50's retro green lamp, the Formica dinette set, the gorgeous deck and view, the Naugahyde brown sofas that stick to your thighs, the handmade afghans to bundle up in when the evening chill sets in, and the beloved lumpy beds. We can breathe a sigh of relief that nothing has changed and settle in for a week of fellowship, rest and rejuvenation. This year, as always, the rhythm of Hume will be a comfort.

There are a few added comforts we bring from home that are considered essentials (favorites that have evolved into tradition). We wouldn't dare arrive without the:

1. Tub of red licorice (from Costco because it's the freshest)
2. New stack of magazines
3. Personal selection of books
4. Chips and Salsa

All are packed and ready to go! Hume Lake or bust!!!!!

he's home

Yeehaa! With a sandstone heart rock in his pocket for my collection, our firstborn returned from a 10-day mission trip. On the Navajo reservation in Shonto, AZ, he and 100+ others provided manual labor for local families in need. S's team roofed three homes including a hogan. Their hosts invited them for lunch on Friday where they enjoyed Navajo tacos.

It was his first time away from home alone for such a long span of time. In spite of some personal challenges, S mustered his courage, packed his bags and embraced the adventure God had for him. I am very proud of him!....and very glad to have him home.

yo-yo quilt

Today my mom declared the 20+ years-in-the-making yo-yo quilt officially done and gifted it to E for his hopechest. He and I looked at it and exclaimed in unison, "It's a work of art." What a blessing to have a fabric masterpiece to remember his treasured Baba by!
Thank you Mom!

P.S. Meanwhile, it's going to be very difficult not to use this on my bed.

in-the-bag

Definition:
in the bag..... assured of successful outcome

Can anything
ever
separate us from Christ's love?
Does it mean he no longer loves us
if we have
trouble or calamity,
or are persecuted,
or are hungry or cold
or in danger
or threatened with death?
(Even the Scriptures say,
"For your sake we are killed every day;
we are being slaughtered like sheep."
No,
despite all these things,
overwhelming victory is ours
through Christ,
who loved us.
And I am convinced
that nothing
can
ever
separate us from
his love.
Death can't, and life can't.
The angels can't,
and the demons can't.
Our fears for today,
our worries about tomorrow,
and even the powers of hell
can't keep God's love away.
Whether we are high above the sky
or in the deepest ocean,
nothing
in all creation
will
ever
be
able
to separate us from
the love of God
that is revealed
in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 NLT

I'd call that: "In the bag!"