Reformed Grits

"I can't get no..."

I have a new past-time that entertains me on nights when my beloved is out and away, whether at school or at a friend's enjoying his favorite past-time. 

I go to a website for a familiar seminary, and go to the "jobs posted" page where there are hundreds of open ministerial positions posted.  Some are for Senior Pastors, some are for Assistant Pastors.  Some for Youth Pastors; some for Worship Leaders.  Listings for Ministerial Administrative.  And so on, and so forth.  I look over the listings and where they are... and I wonder. 

I wonder where we will be.  I wonder what we will be doing.  I wonder if we will be far from home.  I wonder if we will love it-- or hate it.  I think about what our home will be like there. 

Which leads me to the next thing I do.  I open a new window on my computer and go to a realty website and type in the zip code of a job that sounds "interesting" and I see what houses we could afford there.  It's been very... enlightening.  Some places I get really excited about, and some make me cringe and think it would never happen.  (Those will be the ones God leads us to, I'm sure.  He's funny that way with me.) 

Last night, I "found" a job in an area of Texas that was near a large city and VERY close to the Gulf (because I LOVE the beach.)  They had a classical Christian school, which was a HUGE plus.  I looked up and houses that were significantly within our price range were considerably larger than the house we are in now-- and have pools, and yards that don't need napalm, and playrooms in addition to 5 bedrooms and "Texas basements" (a storage attic, LOL). 

And I began to get ready to move. 

One problem.  We are still about 2 years out from finishing school (I say "we" like a man who says "we" about having a baby) and then another year for ordination.  Three years.  Did I mention "we" have been in school for 6 years already?  That means we are only 2/3 of the way there.  Lately my beloved has been talking more and more about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  (Our pastor would say, "And I don't think it's a train!")  I want to be expectant, but I'm having a hard time being patient.  I know that this "adventure" could take us anywhere and we could be doing anything.  My personality makes me see all this as "an adventure."  Adventures, I have learned however, aren't always what they are cracked up to be. 

At the beginning of the summer, we were wanting to get away for a long weekend.  I love to fly-- that's how I feel like I'm REALLY getting away!-- and so in planning I decided to find the cheapest flight to anywhere and that's where we'd get away to.  Turns out, that place was New Orleans.  It was exciting to look forward to it and plan.  We'd romanticize and dream about what this adventure would bring us.  We had every expectation of sipping cold drinks as we sat and leisurely and chatted at restaurants that would bring us plate after plate of everything we could stand to eat.  We'd go to movies; eat dessert; sleep in; stay out late.  And relax. 

Now I am definitely not complaining about our trip-- it was a lot of fun and we enjoyed getting away together.   But let me tell you, it was HOT.  And we walked 95% of the time everywhere we went.  And for whatever reason, I felt exhausted and wanted to fall in bed by 9 PM into a deep, dark slumber.  And I had no appetite.  And like I mentioned earlier, I never found ice cream the whole time I was there outside of an Arby's Jamocha Shake.  And the people there made me sad-- from the beggars, the homeless, the gamblers, and those that were taken advantage of.  It wasn't like I thought it was going to be.  It was hard.  And hot.  And... different. 

Going away-- whether for the night with your husband or indefinitely with your family-- in search of a respite from life through the adventure of just going, is really not satisfying.  Well, that is to say it's not satisfying if you aren't already satisfied where you are.   When will I learn that?  Years ago at a Bible study Caroline and I went to, the author of the study said that when you set something in front of you and say, "THIS will make me happy" whether it's a certain car, achieving a certain financial status, time away, food, or whatever... when you set something in front of you as that which will bring happiness or joy, you make it more important that God in your life; in actuality, you are idolizing it.  I hope that scares you as much as it scares me!  I don't want to waste worship on anything that is not worthy! 

My reaction to this is to attempt to be satisfied.  And for me, that requires patience.  The grass truly isn't greener than the grass under my feet.   As a sheep, I can be sure of this.  Because my Shepherd has led me to the greenest of pastures.  What could be more satisfying than this? 

I dare you to try this one...

Ok, I mentioned leeks yesterday and I had never had a leek before I went to Scotland last year.  I'd seen them in the stores but had never bought one. 
Now, it's a deep love in my life.  Leeks.  Yum. 
A leek tastes like a VERY mild onion.  And because you use the greens, it's a really healthy veggie!  When preparing leeks, you have to know this is no green onion.  You have to cut off the greens and separate them out because sand lodges in the leaves and they have to be washed separately.  It's a labor of love.   But before I turn you away from trying it, shall I mention... bacon? 

This is my Americanized adaptation of THIS recipe from the ASDA website which is Walmart's UK division.  Yeah, I know, I just got a great recipe from Walmart of all places whose produce I wouldn't touch with a 10 meter pole.  But I like to think I got this recipe from dear Wilma, and when I make it I want to take the whole pan and sit in her little summer house in the back yard, eat it with a fork turned down, and listen to the absence of crickets and frogs chirping at night.  This is comfort food at it's finest and I think you will agree. 

If you dare! 

Cheesy Potato Bake

2 lbs. scrubbed, red potatoes, sliced thin
1/2 lb bacon, cut in bite sized pieces
2 leeks, thinly sliced (I used one this last time since I was cooking for the kids.  Yes they ate it.)
2 T. olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
6 oz. freshly grated romano (or the gruyere is good if you can afford it!)

Preheat oven to 350. 
Gently boil the potato slices in salted water for 10 minutes.   Drain.
Fry up the bacon and drain on paper towel.  Use a T or so of the bacon grease to wilt the leeks.
Toss the potatoes, leeks, and bacon with the olive oil and rosemary.
Put the mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.
Scatter the cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes. 
Hide from the family while eating it alone. 
Come and leave me a comment telling me that you are leaving your earthly goods to me. 
The end.

Funny stuff

Two funny things for ya...

Yesterday I'd been drinking a diet Pepsi and was in the kitchen when I felt an enormous upper gastric air pocket begging permission to escape.  So with a lclosed mouth, did a ginormous "bear growl" burp that would have been legendary if I'd pushed him out.  Poo evidently had walked up behind me during this time and said, "WHOA MOM!"  And like a very lady-like mom, I denied it.  "What?  Oh I'd NEVER!"  to which he replied, "Mom that was so huge I think the end of South America just broke off... you know, the little tip?" 

heh heh heh.  If only my children knew what I was capable...

Second thing, tonight I was running around getting the oldest 2 ready to go to youth group stuff and I was getting dinner on the table, which, by the way I have GOT to share this recipe with you-- it has LEEKS in it.  And it's delicious.  And I got it from Wilma in Scotland.  (HI WILMA!)  Anyway, in my rush I ignored the fact that the baby had stripped her diaper off and so I just put her in her seat and gave her her dinner.  Not two minutes later, Sister said, "SHE'S PEEING!!!"  We had a good laugh, and as I sopped up the mess I quipped, "Well, when I said we were having LEEKS for dinner, this was NOT what I had in mind!" 

Ba-dum-bum... 
(Get it?  Leeks?  Leaks?  har har har  I suppose it's not funny when you have to explain it....)

It's July n' stuff

Yea, I couldn't think of a title so laugh at me and let's move on. 

Sorry I haven't been "around" but I'm on day 4 of a migraine.  It's been just forever since I had one of these.  Sadly, I have fallen out of favor with neurologist by not ever going back after the joke of me shelling out all the funds for physical therapy.  Actually I think I did go back.  But after each time she just gave me a ton of prescriptions to add on and it got too expensive and I really hated taking all that medicine.  It made me feel bad and I was still getting headaches so I quit going.  Well, that and a lot of other reasons but I won't bore you with all that.  

I told you all that to say that because I'm not "in" with her, I can't get her to call anything in to stop this one so I don't know how long it will last.  It just keeps rebounding.  So I'm not feeling super creative to write.  Sorry. 

But I wanted to share something AMAZING with you that we have been noshing on all summer.  Ok, well I've been making it for about a week and a half now.  But it's good.  And it's actually good for you!  So make lots and eat it up.  It's adapted from the recipe of the same name in July 2006 Southern Living, just to suit our family.  (Sadly, there's not a picture of it on this link because it's dang gorgeous...)

Corn and Avocado Salsa

12 oz bag of frozen corn kernels
1 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. pepper
2 T olive oil
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped jalapeno
1/2 c. green onions
1/4 c. (or more if you are like us!) chopped cilantro
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (none of that concentrate stuff)
3/4 t. salt
2 diced avocados

Saute first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high head 6-8 minutes or until corn is slightly golden.  Remove from heat; let cool.
Stire together corn mixture, bell pepper and rest of ingredients.  Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, if you can wait that long.  Eat with tortilla chips (or on tacos, or enchiladas, or on top of homemade refried beans, or just with a spoon if you like...)

Cow Appreciation Day

If you didn't know, today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chickfila!  Today only, if you dress like a cow in any shape, fashion, or form-- head to toe-- then you are entitled to a free meal!  If you just go minimally (cow nose, couple spots, or horns) then you get a free entree!  This is good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so go eat some chikin! 
We had breakfast this morning...

So get out there and get a great lunch!  (or dinner...!)

John Adams

I just wanted to mention this HB@ miniseries.  Not that I'm endorsing it, mind you, but I thought it was worthy of bringing up.  When the husband and I see a movie (or miniseries for that matter) that we enjoyed but that has some unsavory stuff in it, we always say we enjoyed it... but can't recommend it.  Such was John Adams.  Now before you get a little crazy on me about having "that stuff" in my house-- we got this series on Netflix.  I thought it would be educational and when Jojo and I saw it advertised on another channel we immediately bit on it.  I was thrilled to know I could get it on Netflix so I popped it to the top of our que and within a few days we got our first DVD. 

There are 7 parts of the series and 3 DVDs.  I originally thought it was be good to add this as it was at a time that Mr. Grits was having to do a lot of studying for school and I imagined me and my children--at least the older ones-- sitting around enjoying it on nights he was "tied up."  (It ended up that he, a history buff, watched it with us. )

Yes, well, that was until about halfway or less through the first episode when a man was "tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail."   Did you know when they did this, in real life, the person was stripped nekkid?  You know how I know this?  Because they did it in the movie as well.  Let's just say my 11 year old daughter got more educational value out of that scene than I bargained for.  Yes, I'm talking we saw the whole frontal shootin' match.  I was absolutely floored.  I suppose, what was I thinking for bringing something from HB@ into my house, but I didn't expect that.  Did I mention I was naive? 

There were a couple of instances of "four letter words" but they were often so rushed through or spoken with accents that my kids didn't get them. 

Let me back up. 

We did continue to watch the movie with only our oldest son and occasionally oldset daughter, after the nudie experience.  Although I thought it was gratuitous and unnecessary, I explained to my older children that we would be on the lookout for this in the future and be more careful but that it was not portrayed in a lascivious way, but in a way that was actually historically founded.  No, really, look it up; they did strip them  I think they could have portrayed the idea of it without actually showing it but now we were on our guard. 

So we foraged ahead.  It really was very interesting, although I'm sure it was revisionist in areas. 

I don't think this is too "spoiler"ish but in one scene when John and Abigail are re-united after a long separation overseas, there came a scene where they started tearin' in to each other but once we saw where this was going we "skipped" it on our DVD player so I don't know if anything actually happened or not.  It was private and should have stayed such.  Another scene where the men in the room held couch pillows in front of their faces and look at each other, as is the tradition in our family in such circumstances, is a medical scene where a woman who had breast cancer was "bared" for a surgery to lop it off.  I know, heinous.

And speaking of such scenes, there are two very gruesome scenes-- one involving maritime war and the other was this surgery scene which made all our stomachs turn.  Did I mention this was in a "pre-ether" era?  Horrific.  Barbarous.  But again, likely historically accurate.  (I didn't research anything regarding this, however.  The DVD version has a "pop-ups" type scenario that provides historical information as you watch the movie, if you choose this option.  ) 

So now that I have talked about all the hideousness that is John Adams let me tell you what we loved about it.  We loved the faithfulness of John to his "dearest friend" Abigail despite circumstances providing opportunities to stray (she was his wife, but he referred to her as his dearest friend.)  We ached when unforgiveness and bitterness between fathers and sons destroyed lives, yet we were grateful for these teaching opportunities with our own children.  We relished John Adams' championing of generational thinking when he told the French who asked if he studied music and art, (basically), "No, I study law so that my sons can study law and government, so that their sons may study music and art."   We adored the way John sought wisdom from his wife, and took it.  It was great to see the way they balanced each other out. And we loved seeing history unfold through the eyes of this arrogant, flawed man in history.

There were very many things that brought us back night after night until the series finished last evening for us.  But most of all, the plethora of opportunities to pause the movie and talk with our kids about situational ethics, the enlightenment and its effect on the men who framed our Constitution and Declaration, thinking generationally and how and when this disappeared from modern thought, fidelity, and just so many, many other things. 

So on one hand I can say we thoroughly enjoyed this series, yet we hesitate to recommend it. 

If you decide you'd like to watch it but would like some ideas about when you might need to put a couch pillow over your face and look at someone else in the room, email me and I'll be glad to give you some tips. 

Birmingham Blawgers aka I never claimed to take good pictures

Last night I had the privilege of meeting up with some area bloggers for a little tepanyaki and chat.  I was so excited to remember my camera, until pushing the power button and seeing the little battery light blink as if to say, "Shuttin' her down right now!"  So I rapidly and unexpectedly took some shots of our little group without stopping to see how they looked. 

My apologies. 

I tried to go 'round the table, but folks moved over and shuffled about and before I knew it I'd gotten some really random shots of people not paying attention, etc.  

I'm so sorry! 

But I'm posting for the whole world to see anyhow...

Because I can. 

That, and I only know one person in the world who has blackmail shots on me and they are not in a digital format.  And I think she still likes me because she's not in these photos. 

Well, besides the fact that someone may have a shot of me looking down my decolletage when the tepanyaki chef dared to flip the shrimp at the least orally coordinated girl at the table missed my mouth with the little shrimp.  

But we must never speak of that again because it's embarrassing and highly painful, in the emotional sense.  And folks who know me know I do not like emotional pain.

So without further ado, here's the pictures:

Trista, Lora, Robyn, and Sophie

Robyn, Sophie, and Stacey

Kristi, Gayle (SO sorry, Gayle!), Becca, Rhoda, and Leslie

We had a great time and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again! 
Thanks, girls!

Picture diary of my days...

It started like this. 

Then it progressed to this:

But then came July 4th and we needed to do some of this:

And eat some of this:

Finally, I was able to do this: (I know it's dark... but I primed the room... )

The next day... FINALLY we got some paint on!  Notice the transformed light fixtures!  They look better and I had paint in the basement and didn't even have to buy it!   

AND....
Without further ado, here is the finished product, minus the towel "system" as I'm still searching for what I want, but I'll post that when I buy it and put it up. 

Drumroll please......

Bdbdbdbdbbdbdbd.........

There are still some little touch-ups around the room I need to do but overall I'm VERY pleased with the updated look.  As Jojo said to me, "Hey, it looks like a bathroom in 2008 and not one from the 80's!" 
I agree! 

Of course I turned around to the "water closet" and still saw this:

And alas, the paper mess in the "Master Bath" looks like this:

Not to mention a week in concentration on the upstairs bathroom resulted in the house looking like this:

Oh well.  Job security, eh? 

One word...

Stealing this from a friend's private blog... We like to call this blog fodder when there are no updates on the bathroom besides first coat of paint is up!

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your significant other? cooking

3. Your hair? fixed

4. Your mother? awesome

5. Your father? Heavenly

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? restless

8. Your favorite drink? calorieless :-)

9. Your dream/goal? graduation :-)

10. The room you’re in? bedroom

11. Your church? nearby

12. Your fear? pain

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? wherever

14. Where were you last night? pool

15. What you’re not? confident

16. Muffins? warm

17. One of your wish list items? clothesline, LOL

18. Where you grew up? Birmingham

19. The last thing you did? shopped

20. What are you wearing? tanktop

21. Your TV? annoying

22. Your pets? dead, lol

23. Your computer? Betty

24. Your life? awesome

25. Your mood? whatever

26. Missing someone? yes

27. Your car? paid

28. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

29. Favorite store? inexpensive

30. Your summer? better

31. Like(love) someone? absolutely

32. Your favorite color? pink

33. Last time you laughed? today

34. Last time you cried? forgot

35. Who will repost this? whoever

FIREWORKS UPDATE!!!

I've just been informed that sadly it's the end of an era.  There will be NO fireworks in our city this year.  I'm so very sad!  I know I invited everyone to meet up at the church but sadly no one will be there.  I can NOT believe this happened in an election year, of all things. 
If you read this after packing up a picnic dinner and desserts to pass around,
I AM SO SORRY!!!!!!! 
I am thinking my city council will get a letter from me...