Time to Say Goodbye!

It has been an unforgettable summer & now my school recess has come to an abrupt stop.  I never imagined I would enjoy blogging this much! I had a very long checklist of things I wanted to do after my Physical therapy internship ended & I believe I completed about 80% of them...I can live with that.  

Leaving this stage is bittersweet because I realize next summer I will have a longer clinical rotation & a position paper to work on.  I would say I used my time to the best of my abilities & now it is time to move on.   I am grateful for the extra time I had to spend with my husband, church body, & friends. Thanks to those who took the time to read my blog posts! I appreciated the comments as well.

I will miss free time, but resolve to be content as I begin my first day of classes as a 2nd year P.T. student. (tomorrow).  Thank you God for the blessing of having these past two months to enjoy You, nature, people & pastimes!Summer, it's been real. I doubt I will have much time to blog this Fall so until then blogger world!

Mastering the Kenmore

I sure have a lot to learn about sewing. Lisa came over to make something for her baby & I would have been lost without her help to get the thread where it needed to be! The next project I started with the help of Nicole  (on her sewing machine), but I cannot yet reveal what it is!

Unfortunately, I did not start or finish much of what I desired to this summer.  Let's say, I still find the whole process intimidating...but I won't give up just yet & hopefully I can find time on a holiday here or there to resume my work.

Meet Vito

One of my goals this summer was to get my guitar fixed (which was actually my brother's first guitar which he so generously gave me after getting a new one). T.J. helped me with that process & it only costed $7.00!

We pulled off a sticker on the front which took off some of the finish, so I drew something & Mod Podged it over the defect (no better band-aid than an Italian mustache). I have renamed the guitar Vito after the Godfather. Although I did not get far in learning more chords, I have added a few to my practice: Em, D, F#, G, C, Am. Thank you Aunt Judi for my awesome Guitar Bible!

I hope to perfect them enough to play this new favorite song of mine:

Succulents, the only plants that survive the heat

Thank you Northridge Oasis Project for contributing to our new window adornment (Where the heat is most intense...not for the weary (plants)). With a touch of Jeff's hydroponic solution, one flower bud has already bloomed!

Reality T.V.

I am a little sheepish about having been addicted to two shows this summer: Expedition Impossible & So You Think You Can Dance. The reason being...I don't ever want something to be a master over me (besides Christ of course). Watching T.V. can be all-consuming, but when seen in moderation it can galvanize one's thoughts, ideas or aspirations. So, I didn't like the "reality" aspect of either, but loved the adventure, culture, and art in both. All that to say I am happy I saw them & that they ended well. Do you ever wonder what will happen to the winners?
 

I think of how fame might affect them, their families, and their social orbit. Based on interviews, it seems like Melanie Moore  has a strong conviction to stay humble and not let fame control her.  The team Modern Gypsies, on the other hand, are taking advantage of their place in the spotlight by promoting charity opportunities.  How much control will they really have though? How would someone like them keep the attention/accomplishment from going to their heads & how much privacy will they lose? The famous will always keep me musing.
   

Thyme-Scented White Bean Cassoulet

I believe this French crock pot recipe is a keeper. The downside is that it takes a lot of preparation, but once it is in the cooker, excellent taste is guaranteed. Don't forget a side of french bread!  And what was my favorite part in the process? Steaming the parsnip! It smelled delicious. If I was an inventor I would immediately create parsnip scented candles.

Recipe:

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, 1 1/2 cups (1/2 inch thick) slices diagonally cut carrot, 1 cup slices of diagonally cut parsnip, 2 garlic cloves minced, 3 cups cooked Great northern beans, 3/4 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1(28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup (1oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used Kraft), 2 tbs butter, melted, 2 links frozen meatless(I used pork) Italian sausage (such as Boca) thawed & chopped , 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley.

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, parsnip, and garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes.

2. Place parsnip mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add beans and next 6 ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

3. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and butter in a small bowl, toss with a fork until moist. Stir breadcrumb mixture and sausage into bean mixture (I put the raw sausage in at the beginning), sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 cups)

1 Corinthians 1: A Chapter Full of Gems

I forgot what was in 1 Corinthians & my how love for Christ Jesus has grown after reading it again! I often think God's design for life is peculiar. If man made the world & patterned history, it would look very different--it would be catastrophic! The thought & purpose that God has put into each thing He has created astounds me.

"but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong," (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Why?

"so that no man may boast before God." (vs 29)

"Let Him Who boasts, boast in the Lord" (vs 31b)   .... & this is my very prayer.

"Like Trees in November"

One of my husband's favorite books is Watership Down by Richard Adams. He suggested we read it together this summer & at first I found it boring, however, now that we are deeper into the heart of the novel, my interest grows.  It is unlike any book I have ever read due to the interacting characters being rabbits.

They are not personified rabbits either (as I am accustomed to in children's stories). The protagonists speak through animal instinct & carry themselves likewise. They even have their own language/terms for activities or their surroundings such as "silflay" which means to go above the ground to feed & "Elil" signifying man or animal that is harmful.

Their names are also endearing: Fiver, Hazel, Blackberry, Silver, Dandelion, Pipkin etc.

To give you an idea of what I am describing here is one of my favorite parts:

"I should be sorry to quarrel over it, " said Hazel firmly, "but some of us need to silflay. We're used to it, and rain doesn't bother us."

     Cowslip seemed taken aback for a moment. Then he laughed. The phenomenon of laughter is unknown to animals; though it is possible that dogs and elephants may have some inkling of it. The effect on Hazel and Blackberry was overwhelming. Hazel's first idea was that Cowslip was showing the symptom of some kind of disease..." (Page 93)

(It is no wonder, in light of their perspective of the "strange" rabbit, that Pipkin says they remind him of Trees in November. )




  

Mouth-watering Manjar

Manjar, is a milk caramel sauce commonly used in Chilean desserts. It is made from sweetened condensed milk. All you have to do is remove the label from a sweetened condensed milk can, place the can in a pot, cover it with water, & boil for two hours.

Boiling the can longer will produce a darker & thicker manjar. Both kinds are great. I discovered that my manjar (boiled 2 hours) was perfect for dipping green apples in! Try it!

Woodland Coasters

One thing Jeff & I did not think to put on our wedding registry is drink coasters. So, in an effort to preserve the kitchen table my dad refurnished, I have tried my hand at making some. It was difficult to decide how to decorate them.

I have recently become fond of forest animals due to the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox & book Watership Down.  I found online sketches, printed them out & Mod Podged them to tiles (which I purchased at Lowe's for 19 cents/tile). I added felt circles (2 dollars for a pack of 20) to the bottom of each so that they will not leave skid marks.

So, below you will see: A fox, a rabbit ( which reminds me of Fiver, a character in Watership Down), a barn owl, a bear, and a chinchilla (an animal native to Chile). I am happy with the end result & only hope they are as functional as they are attractive. We'll see...

Expedition Impossible:A Holmquist Favorite

If you like the show The Amazing Race, I am pretty sure you would go for this new ABC program. Expedition Impossible is an extreme outdoors competition that takes place in Morocco, Africa. Each team is composed of three people. Each stage of the competition has physical & mental challenges. In past episodes there has been hiking, repelling, swimming, kayaking, sailing, riding Arabian stallions & camels etc.

I like that the problem solving challenges usually incorporate Moroccan culture. It is also neat to see one of the teams compete with a blind teammate! He is pretty awesome to watch.  Our two favorite teams are No Limits & The Gypsies & we are hoping the latter wins all ($50,000 dollars & an Expedition Explorer for each!). Check it out if you can. It airs every Thursday, but for those without cable (such as me) tune in on Friday or Saturday to hulu.com

P.S. Jeff wants to get on next season's show so if you hear they are doing casting let me know!

Itunes is no longer burning a whole in my pocket!

"Ladies & Gentleman I now present my new gift card purchases: Beirut's new album The Rip Tide & select songs from Page cxvi's albums Hymns I, Hymns II, & Hymns III". I got an itunes gift card for Christmas & just now made up my mind on what to buy--Be proud!

Two favorites:

Mote Con Huesillos

This Chilean drink/dessert is a summertime favorite & a very simple recipe. It is also the first thing I have made from my Chilean cookbook. If I was ambitious, I would start a blog about trying to make each of its recipes like Julie Powell. Mote (a wheat or barley) con Huesillos (peaches) is cooked together with water, sugar & cinnamon sticks until the peaches become soft. After chilled in the fridge it is ready for a sip/bite--Ahhh!

A Midas touch

The full length mirror in our room had a black frame, but I turned it to gold! It was nothing a bit of spray paint couldn't fix, thanks to the help of my friend Brittany Grant. I feel pretty rich now that I know I can turn anything to gold.

"You say Goodbye & I say Hello"

Unfortunately the plant on our bookshelf could not be revived (R.I.P.), but say hello to the new addition: a crimson Bromeliad, specifically a Guzmania! This was a housewarming gift from the Gappers. I am comforted to read "Never direct sunlight" on the care instructions.

Looking to the Hills

Exercise is something I try to incorporate into every day. So many benefits: health, emotion, energy, sleep, metabolism, strength and stamina. It is very unmotivating, however, when you are trying to work out in the heat! Lately, swimming has become a favorite for this reason, but nothing quite compares to hiking in the great outdoors.  It is best shared with a friend or loved one & a good time to talk to God.  I love being out in His creation while raising my heart rate.  More than a distraction from physical pain or fatigue it is an opportunity to enjoy the sunshine.

Why Were We Created?

We were created to worship.

Psalm 96 makes this clear. This Psalm is full of commands: "Sing", "Proclaim", "Tell", "Ascribe", "Bring", "Worship", "Tremble", "Say", and "Let". The tone is appropriate because God is the only one worthy of this attention & praise.  Man was created with an innate desire to worship something with all his heart, skills, and time. Sadly, this place of worship meant for God alone, is often given to other people or interests. I long to give Him the glory He is due by proclaiming good tidings of His salvation from day to day (vs 2). He made man, the earth, & salvation from sin a free gift---He IS worthy!


Things we should give/do according to the Psalmist:
"a new song" (vs 1)
"bless His name" (vs 2)
"Tell of His glory among the nations" (vs 3)
"Ascribe glory & strength" (vs 8)
"Bring an offering & come into His courts" (vs 8)
"Worship in holy attire" (vs 9)
"Tremble before Him" (vs 9)
say "The Lord reigns" (vs 10)

Commands to Creation :

"Let the heavens be glad...the earth rejoice" (vs11)
"Let the sea roar" (vs 11)
"Let the field exult" (vs 12)
"all the trees of the forest will sing for joy" (vs 12)

"The Circus Sets Up"

Dance is mesmerizing.  It's not just the choreography that can take a spectator's breath or provoke goosebumps, but the costumes, makeup, lighting, music & theatrical flair that make a performance captivating. I like the feel of this particular dance for its dream-like quality & antique circus theme.

Living in the sprawl

It is amazing what kind of influence music can have. It stirs up & it calms down. What I like most is when it inspires & for some reason I find driving at night must partner with music's trance. Maybe I find it romantic, surreal or time-halting. Cities are good for this.  I especially like when Jeff drives & we listen to arcade fire (the one band who has satisfied us with every album) because we fly over the road. Lights streak, windows melt & wind frees your hair.

Favorite Sprawl II lyrics:

"...late at night the feelings swim to the surface"

"Cause on the surface the city lights shine
They're calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
That we can never get away from the sprawl"

"...someone please cut the lights"


"We rode our bikes to the nearest park
Sat under the swings and kissed in the dark"

"And like a mirror, the city lights shine "

I'll write you a letter.

The definition of a pastime is "something that amuses and serves to make time pass agreeably : diversion". One of mine this summer is writing letters. It is somewhat of a "lost art" don't you think? I was a little doubtful that I would have anything more to write than the obvious, knowing that many of my friends & connections read my Facebook & blog & I theirs...quite the opposite! So many other things...deeper things come out when penning each word about my life's happenings (or inquiring about theirs). I enjoy the use of adjectives, am more creative in describing events, weather, or circumstances...putting more skill into the format of my letter as well.


I don't know why, but I have always liked making my own cards to write upon...one person's scraps are my treasures. It is much like crafting a masterpiece for each recipient--brings me much joy. So, if you would like to know what I mean, try writing one yourself or ask me to write you:)