Weeping Well

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs; 
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength, 
    till each appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV)

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

Psalm 84:5-7 (KJV)

Last Tuesday, I attended a Lollipops concert with my kids put on by the Grand Rapids Symphony. A Lollipops concert is a 45 minute deal that combines a fairy tale, ballet, and the symphony aimed at kids to give them a taste of the symphony. It was a wonderful experience. My kids enjoyed it, as did I.

But, that is beside the point.

The concert was held at a local church, and as the symphony was warming up, I took a few minutes to read one of my Psalms for the day.

You guessed it...Psalm 84. Now normally I am a KJV girl. I am not part of the KJV only crowd. Its just that my favorite and familiar Bible is KJV.

So while I am rather familiar with Psalm 84, the wording in the NIV was just enough different  to give me pause for thought.

I particularly liked the "whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." You don't get that thought in the KJV.

Here are a couple bullet thoughts that I hope bless your heart today.

-Baca is a Hebrew word that means weeping. Think trials, suffering, hard times. Things that break our hearts. Make us weep-literally.

-Make it a well. This reminds me of Proverbs 20:5-council in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Our hard experiences and trials are the things the well of the wisdom, empathy and comfort that we pass on to others. We can choose to become bitter or better through our trials. We can make this valley of weeping just tears, or pour it into a well of experience that others can draw from.

-Their hearts are set on pilgrimage, who passing through the valley. "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through." Everything on this earth-every experience, every trial, every joy, every sorrow-is just temporary. It may be temporary as is an hour, or a day, or a month, or a year, or even a lifetime. But it is still temporary. We are looking for eternity. We are just passing through. We are pilgrims. Our home is heaven.

The Psalms are very devotional, but they are so much more than that. They are David's heart. Asaph's heart. Moses' heart. Psalms was their blog. And I have drawn from their well so many times in my life.

I have not had intense suffering in my life. I have not lost a baby or a spouse. But when my Aunt Elsie died, my heart was broken. I cried and cried. I wondered if I would ever stop. Ever stop crying in the shower or at the drop of a hat. I wondered if I would ever stop missing her.

I do still miss her. But I don't cry over her loss anymore. I look forward to seeing her in heaven.

I do not have major physical pain or health issues. I know there are many of you who do. But, I did suffer with back pain-day in, day out, for almost a year. Somedays I couldn't get out of bed. I have been tried with post-partum and seasonal depression. Valleys. Passing through.

Emotional and spiritual buffeting. Like this spring. Feeling under attack daily. For weeks. Daily cast upon the Lord for grace, sustenance and strength. Weeping made into a well?

-Whose strength is in You...and they go from strength to strength. It isn't in us just holding out until we see the light at the end of the tunnel. It isn't in our being "I am a woman, hear me roar." It is only through relying on God. Our Rock. Our Strength. Our Fortress. He is the one in whom our strength and salvation lies. Resting on Him daily.

-Till each appear before God in Zion. That's our destination. We have to keep our eyes on the goal.

For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

A Wall of Pop

Hello, everyone! I am off in Chi-land doing a VBS with Mr. Hippie. I will be dropping in to keep tabs on you, but I also have some great guest posts lined up for your reading pleasure. 

My first guest post is by someone I have known forever. Actually, like his entire life. Nate is my bro, (he used to like to climb into bed with me in the mornings, though he has chosen to forget that), and he is doing an amazing 365 day photography blog. You can check out my favorite photo here. I am very proud of my little brother. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of his work, and take a few minutes to check out his blog.

Without further ado...

There is an old 60's style diner on historic Route 66 in Arcadia Oklahoma, called Pops. It is a very cool little place. They have over 500 different kinds of pop from all over the world. I am using the word pop here interchangeably with Soda or Coke if you are from the south. Interestingly enough though Pop's, which is definitely located in the south, does not call themselves Coke's. So there is a little something for all of you southern people to think about. Also, they do not advertise themselves as having 500 different flavors of coke. So make of that what you will.

When you walk into this dinner the front and the back walls are made entirely of glass. A bit of a gamble in central Oklahoma with all the tornadoes and such, but it seems to work for them. From floor to ceiling in front of the two glass walls are shelves containing glass bottles of pop. This gives some really cool colors inside as the sunlight filters through them. My first thought after thinking how cool it is was to think about the thousands of dollars in product that they have used to line these walls. The bottles are glued to the shelves so they are not going anywhere.

I took this particular shot a couple of weeks ago while we were waiting for our table. The food is adequate, not great but not horrible either. Mostly I think people go for the ambiance. Just in this little section of wall there are over thirty different kinds of pop. It is a flat pricing model. $2.00 per bottle regardless of the type. That makes it easier to mix and match a six pack if you want to.

I took several shots of the outside of Pops as well. You can check them out on my blog at www.natetphoto.blogspot.com. Right now I am doing a 365 photo blog project. I try to find something cool and interesting to photograph everyday and then I post it with a short explanation about the techniques that I used to capture the image. Sometimes I use all natural ambient light, like I did with this one, and sometimes I light with strobes. Sometimes I even mix the two of them together. My blog is a learning tool for myself as well as an opportunity to share some of my work with the outside world. As a result not every image that I post is an award winning image, but almost every one has involved me learning and growing my photography skill set.
Enjoy!

NATE

I Even Add it to The Food

I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

I love this quote, don't you?

It reminds me of my weekend cooking. And truthfully, only my weekend cooking.

new sugar scrub-coffee, brown and white sugar, vanilla, oil

See, weekend cooking, in my opinion, should be fun. When I cook on Saturdays (in leu of going out to eat) I crank up Motown or the Beach Boys on Pandora, and I pour myself a glass of wine, and I have fun!

Day to day cooking is more utilitarian. We have to eat. We eat delicious, healthy food. But, the focus in my cooking is getting it on the table. Between the  busy days and busy nights.

Weekends are a different pace, and I cook for the fun of it. I cook because I enjoy it. I cook for love and ascetics.

Whether on weekdays or weekends, I cook with wine. (in the food) If my wine rack is holding several bottles of wine, it is because I am cooking with it-not guzzling it.

shallots-a pain to peel, but much milder flavor than white onion

Growing up, we never cooked with wine. If a recipe called for wine, we substituted water. (not the most tasteful plan. But I do honor the thought behind it.) I learned eventually that if you have an issue with cooking with wine, chicken or beef stock is a better replacement than water.

But, let me tell you, you can't beat wine (or beer) in a recipe for flavor. It is more tangy, and robust than stock. The function of wine in cooking is to intensify, enhance, and accent the flavor and aroma of food - not to mask the flavor of what you are cooking but rather to fortify it.  

Barefoot Hippie Girl garden fresh tarragon

A rule of thumb is to never use any wine that you would not drink. If you do not like the taste of a wine, you will not like the dish you choose to use it in. 

Most of the alcohol in the wine evaporates while the food is cooking, leaving only the flavor. Meaning that you don't need to worry about getting tipsy while eating food prepared with alcohol. Boiling down wine concentrates the flavor, including acidity and sweetness. 

the ingredients

Last night we went out to visit Mr. Hippie's bro and his wife and fam. They recently had a new baby and we wanted our offspring to meet their new cousin. So we descended upon them, bringing dinner. 

I brought a favorite of ours, Champagne Chicken. It is a very simple recipe. Not many ingredients or flavors thus combining for what I like to call a clean recipe.

final step simmer

This recipe is one my bff found, and cooked for one of our Tuesday dinners. We both LOVED it. She gave me the recipe, and I made it for my family. Who also loved it. It has been a family staple ever since.

I used tarragon (this is one of the 2 recipes I make that actually calls for tarragon) from my garden, and supplemented the meal with a lettuce salad, and fresh rolls.

Oh, and I break my own wine rule on this recipe-because I can't stand champagne. I buy the driest white I can find for this recipe, and I would never drink it. But it is perfect for this recipe.

Champagne Chicken

2 T olive oil

1-1/2 pounds chicken cutlets (or breasts cut into 2-3 smaller pieces)

1-1/2 cups champagne

3 shallots, sliced

1/2 c whipping cream

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 c tarragon-chopped

16 ounces linguine

-Cook linguine according to package directions.

-Pat chicken dry, and sprinkle with additional salt

-Heat oil in pan. Add chicken. Cook until browned-5 minutes per side. Remove from pan. Place in a covered dish.

-Add 1/2 c champagne. Stir. Reduce by half-3 minutes.

-Add shallots. Cook until tender-3 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup champagne. Cook until reduced by half-5 minutes.

-Add cream, tarragon, chicken, salt and pepper. Cook 6 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

-It takes about 30 minutes hands on time. And it is very saucy. 

This weekend, why don't you have a glass, AND eat it too.

Linking up with

Fantabulous Friday
TGIF
madeinaday
Weekend Blog Walk
Serenity Now
Time Warp Wife
Mercy INK
Try a New Recipe Tuesday
bloom designs
Homemaid Simple

Summer Fridays
Weekend Wanderings

Olympic Gold PLUS a Crown

For today's "giving up the good" I am not going to focus on something I have given up, but I am going to remind you of a great example of this principle/practice.

Any athlete who succeeds is going to tell you that there were many good and bad things that fell by the wayside in the pursuit of their goal.

Based on world population and the number of athletes competing in the London 2012 Olympic Games, you have a 0.00000257142857% chance of becoming an olympic athlete. You don't just wake up on July 26, 2012, and decide that you are going to run tomorrow, July 27, 2012, in the Olympic games.

No. It takes YEARS of practice. Years of hard work. Years of pain. Years of sacrifice. Years of focusing on your goal to be one of the 18,000 competitors. Years of giving up good for the best.

If you are at all familiar with the Olympics, you will have heard of Eric Liddell. In 1981, Chariots of Fire, was released, chronicling the Olympic journeys of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams.

I love this movie. The score is amazing. The story is inspiring. The sound quality is not quality. (But I hear they just re-released a digitally remastered version. Hopefully that cleans up the sound)

But, the movie tells just a smidgen of Eric's life. And the funny thing is, while his Olympic experience is the focus of the movie, it was not the focus of Eric's life. I am betting if he could see this film, he would laugh at it's emphasis.

The reason I think this, is because, while Eric didn't get up one morning, and decide he was going to run in the Olympics the next morning, he actually had a very short running career. Being an Olympic athlete was not his end goal.

Eric was a well known rugby player for his MK London boarding school. He won honors on the rugby field all four years of high school. He also ran track and field, and tied with his brother in many events. But in sports, his first love was rugby.

After almost a year off from sports, Eric started running in college for fitness. He cleaned up all the races he entered in the summer between his first and second years. In the fall of his second year, Edinburgh University, his Alma Mater, assigned him a trainer. They figured Eric was good enough to have a shot at the Olympics.

During the Olympic trials in July of 1923, Eric won the 440 yard race-after having been pushed over during the race by the favored competitor. A reporter congratulated him, and commented, "You have achieved your greatest desire. How do you feel about competing in the Paris 1924 Olympic games?"

The fact of the matter is, Eric did not consider competing in the Olympics his greatest desire.

Eric's greatest desire was to glorify God.

Eric's goal was to return to the country of his birth to tell the Chinese about God's love, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And everything Eric did, or didn't do, lined up with those two things-glorifying God and returning to China.

Eric ran while in college and for the Olympics because he had this period of time that he had to be in college anyhow to train for China.

Eric ran because when he ran he was running for God. He was running to bring glory to God. He felt his running brought God pleasure because God had made him fast. He ran fast, and then with God's help he ran faster.

He made the decision not to run on Sunday during the Olympics because he wouldn't sacrifice his faith for the glory of winning. He was not willing to give up the best for the good.

He endured a whole lot of flak for that decision. The movie portrays him finding out about the Olympic trials being run on Sunday on the boat over to France. In reality, he knew for six months that he wasn't running. As did everyone else.

He endured six months of flak. He was called unpatriotic. He was blasted by the high and low. For six months. Giving up the good for the best. His aim was God's glory.

We all know that he won. And God was glorified. "He who honors Me, I will honor."

Eric graduated from Edinburgh University a week after the Olympics. He was Scotland's favored son. Their first gold medalist.

But his eyes were still on another prize.

He attended one year of seminary, and continued running, but in the summer of 1925 he told Edinburgh and London goodbye, and left on the proverbial slow boat to China.

Eric also gave up a fruitful ministry in Edinburgh and London. While he was a student, because of his athletic and Olympic fame, his presence drew huge crowds to gospel campaigns. He would speak forth the message of God's love to thousands of people at a time.

Many people probably encouraged him to stay in Britain. "Look at the ministry you have. God is using you here."

But he gave up the good for the best. God's glory, and God's call on him. A call to China.

Eric gave up most of his running for the last 20 years of his life. The 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam were played without him.  As were the 1932, 1936, and 1940. He did participate in the 1928 Far Eastern Games held in China. His 440 yard time tied exactly with the Olympic winner that summer.

Eric had a fruitful ministry in China at a school. He was a science teacher and he started an athletic program there. Years passed. He married Florence. He fathered three beautiful girls-the last one of whom he never met because of WWII. He gave up the good...

in China

Eric died in February of 1945 of a brain tumor in a Japanese interment camp. He died at the very young age of 43. He died in the prime of his life. He paid the ultimate price.

We could say, "what a waste! Why did God take him so young? Why did he give up his athletic career, and even the ministry opportunities that opened for him?" Was it truly giving up the good for the best?


All I can say, is that I pray my personal giving up the good for the best is as fruitful. That my giving up the good is as glorifying to God. That my giving up the good leaves a worthy legacy to the generations of believers that follow me.

Eric's choice to not run on Sunday during the Olympics in order not to dishonor God, put him in the National spotlight. Eric's win for the glory of God put him down in the annals of time. Eric's choice to serve God as a missionary in China bore fruit for eternity. Countless people have been saved because of that decision.

The music from Chariots of Fire has been the theme of the Olympic ads this year. There is a special museum exhibit in London that just opened this month to honor his life. Communist China calls Eric their first gold medalist, and they are making a museum of one of the buildings he was imprisoned in. His grave in China is a national monument. That is truly an amazing thought if you pause and consider all the implications of that.

Yes, Eric ran well. Both for the Olympics and for life. He can truly say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith...there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

He won the gold, but the Lord, the righteous judge, is going to give him a crown. He is going to hear, "well done, thou good and faithful servant."

How about you and me? What good are we giving up for the best of running our race for God's glory?


The goal is not just to give up the good, but to replace it with the best.


What best are you aiming for?

Linking up with
Tiny Twig
Naptime Diaries
CaseyLeigh
Thrive @Home Thursdays

We Have a Plan

"We need a plan. A

Does anyone remember what movie that is from? (yes, this is a purposeful typo)

Sergeant Bilko-the funniest Steve Martin movie out there. And it is clean. (If my memory is serving me right.)

Well, school is starting up in just over a month (where has the summer gone???), half of which said month, I will be out of town.

So, on Sunday, my planning brain kicked into high gear, as I was driving around with Mr. Hippie. And this is a snapshot-literally-of what I came up with.

Now, in case you aren't familiar with the Barefoot Hippie Girl homeschooling philosophy you can find it here.

There is some things that worked really well for us last year that I am going to keep the same. There is  a few things that I am going to tweak.

-I want to starting emphasizing a bit of poetry. This is not my strong suit. But, I have found a lot of poems lately that I've enjoyed. My goal is to have the boys memorize a poem every 2-3 weeks, do a poet profile, and we will tie in art with the poem.

For example: if we were to take up the Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost, we will memorize it, look into his life, and draw or paint or sculpt something that depicts what this poem is about.

This will accomplish two things-purposeful art, and poetic appreciation.

I haven't decided if we will do this on Thursday afternoons (art day last year) or link it with "fun school" on Fridays.

-For geography, we are going to keep on with our country per month plan.  That worked really well last year. We will cover Sweden, Spain, Indonesia, Great Britain, Peru, China and India.

-History will see the completion of the presidential time line from September into November. We will then visit the Henry Ford Museum again, and cover their Liberty exhibit as a precursor to our embarking on the Civil War. We will spend the rest of the year on the Civil war.

-I am going to continue literary lunches, as it has been such fun. We will give HP a rest. Instead, we are going to read Team of Rivals, that huge book on Lincoln that I just finished. It has great back ground about Lincoln, the Civil War, and the whole concept of liberty from our country's inception.

We will do this reading time for half an hour right after lunch. Then we will have QT, and I will write my blog post for the day.


-Something I am going to tweak is our 30 minutes of reading in the morning. Right after devotions I have had BMV read to the others every day for 30 minutes. This year he is going to read on his own. Mr. Hippie and I are coming up with a list of classics for him to read-set in the Civil War period. This will include Red Badge of Courage and Huck Finn.

Freckles and LC need some bro/sis bonding time. To facilitate this, I will be having Freckles read to LC during this 30 minute period. I have old BJU texts that I am going to have him work through, as well as the Little House on the Prairie books.

-LC will be in kindergarten this year. Big change. I haven't decided on her schedule yet. She goes to a Bible Study on Thursday mornings, so we may just do her books Monday through Wednesday, and see how it goes. If we need more time, we will add more time. My emphasis with her will be getting her well on her way in reading before the end of the school year.

-We will continue to do history, geography, and science on Fridays. It just was a great finish to the week last year.

-Late September and October will be a huge art emphasis month, visiting the Art Festival/Competition downtown, and culminating in another home school art day.

-I am planning to do BJU for grammar, math and spelling, once again.

-I will continue to incorporate writing projects on a daily/weekly basis. Though BMV's projects are going to be more step by step, as I require longer and more detailed papers from him.

-I already have some science experiments to try-like dying carnations. We will continue to answer our three questions:
What did we use?
What did we do?
What did we learn form what happened?

-I am also thinking of having BMV start formal piano lessons. He has a good ear for music, but we both need the accountability of paying for lessons (me) to require practice (him).

-Nutshelled-My goal for

LC is a good grasp on reading, as well as some basic math.

Freckles-improving writing skills, and continuing on in reading and math. Emphasizing his interests in bugs and flight.

BMV-taking his writing up a notch, continuing to progress in the other fundamentals, and challenging his music/piano bent.

So, that is what my 2012-2013 school year is looking like. And I am excited! I will order books when we get back from our trip.

Our Meijer already has all the school supplies in big bins. I will be watching for 5 cent boxes of crayons and 10 cent notebooks.

How about you? Have you begun planning? Have you bought any school supplies yet? Are you getting excited? What are your goals for the year?

Don't Knock it Until You Try It

Well, I am sure you all are on the edge of your seats wondering who won my 100 Follower Barefoot Giveaway. Drumroll please...It was...

Catherine V!

Catherine, congrats! I have emailed you already. Everyone else, please check in again for another giveaway come September. What with the busyness of school starting, we'll all be in need of some foot pampering.

I'm telling you, friends, I should have been born in a different decade. I'm thinking the 1950s would have been a great time to be alive, and to be a grown woman. The style was classic. Fitted bodices and waists with flowing/pouffy skirts.

I love that look.

I love the dressed up/dinner party/clinking china/bridge culture. (though I've never played bridge) I am totally on the beautifully set table wagon.

For as long as I can remember, I loved china. My mom has a beautiful set that we never used. EVER. Okay, so I can appreciate her rationale. With eight kids hand washing the dishes, that is a lot of potential breakage and chips. But I enjoyed seeing her dishes in the cabinet. It was gorgeous.

While we may not have used the china, we did use the good flatware.

My mom has an Oneida pattern. I can't recall the pattern name, but it is pretty sleek. And mom has every piece still-even after being married 39 years. Every time we used the silverware, mom would count the pieces. Not because she thought guests were going home with a spoon in their purse, but because, having eight kids hand washing the dishes, she wanted to make sure that none ended up in the garbage.

Anyway, statically speaking, china, silver, and fancy table service is going the way of the Do-do bird. 15 years ago, 85-90% of brides would register for fine china. Now, the percentages range from 45-50%.

There are many reasons for this trend. Today's brides are looking for utilitarian and multifunctional dishes. They are looking for casual. 'I need to be able to use it every day; it needs to be microwave- and dishwasher-safe,' " says Jorge Perez, marketing director of bridal and special events for Waterford Crystal. (source)

We want unbreakable and convenient. (fun fact-if you want sturdy china, "fine, bone china" is the way to go. It is the strongest form of china. A teacup is strong enough to hold a grown man.)

When Mr. Hippie and I tied the knot, I decided to have my cake and eat it too. I wanted to have nice dishes that I wasn't afraid to use. I wanted to be able to set a beautiful table, but not spend all night washing dishes.

Not perfect. At Windsor Castle they use a ruler to precisely set the table.
That would be on my list of impractical and not worth it.=)

I registered for a more expensive stoneware set. It wasn't a set that you bought by the place setting. But neither was it a box of 8-12 settings for $50. It was a midrange set that has done me well. It is dishwasher and microwave safe. And, after almost 11 years, I have all the pieces. A couple chips-no breaks.

I actually have 3 sets of dishes. I have my dishes. I have a huge set of Delft blue that a sweet old lady at the nursing home gave us. (she decided that we needed her Dutch dishes, because we are Dutch. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I am not Dutch.) And I have my Granny's china.

granny's

My Granny and Grandfather were totally the "50's" stereotypical couple. They held dinner parties for all their friends with the silver and crystal and china. Women in beautiful frocks. Men in suits smoking cigars. Cards being played. And, yes, some of the pieces got broken. But they also got used.

This is fine bone china. And it is the complete deal. Dinner plates, teacups, saucers, bread and butter plates, salad plates, little and big bowls. It is delicate. And fancy. And when I set my table with it, I feel connected with my family. And with the community who used these dishes in years gone by.

When I haul out the over 20 Delft plates for our employee Christmas party, when I serve up Wedge salads on the square salad plates, I feel blessed that someone thought of me, and gave me this set. Not to sit in a cabinet, but to be used.

When I use my dishes, I remember the fun Mr. Hippie and I had picking out the pattern. How he encouraged me to go beyond plain beige in matching the linens. How we picked out brushed nickel rings to match my silverware.

The silverware that is stainless. And that my Grandma bought me for high school graduation, and my wedding, and a few other occasions in between. An Oneida pattern. Two-toned Satinique. I love my flatware.

I have "silver-silver" too, but this post is long enough.

I enjoy using my dishes. All three patterns. I enjoy a well set table. It makes meatloaf look fancy. I keep  my dishes accessible-easy to get to, and easy to put away. I have a set in our living room buffet, one in the kitchen cupboards, and one upstairs in my hope chest. (that one hasn't been used as much lately)

those cups look precarious and jumbled.
Who's idea was it to take a photo of the inside of my cupboard?

I want to say right here and now-there is nothing fundamentally wrong with using china, silverware, linens and flatware. There is nothing fundamentally right with it either. It seems in our culture of putting everything out there in the world wide web, if you do something, or don't do something, you are attacking the opposite position. There is nothing to attack or feel defensive about here. If you are one of the 50% who would rather not-no sweat off my back. A fancy table and settings is not a requirement for showing hospitality. Setting a fancy table can be a challenge with young children. Do what is comfortable and fun for you.

my set

But, on the other hand, if you are one of the 50% who love china, and stemware, and linens...more power to ya! If you have, and love it, use it! Don't worry about chips. Throw it in the dishwasher. (confession-I even put my granny's china with the silver rim in the dishwasher-and it is just fine.)

close up of the Delft

Set it for the young ones too. They feel special when allowed to use the special dishes. And they do try and be careful. I don't give them the full setting, or generally not the real linens either, but they do get nice plates and silverware. And they feel sophisticated. For more great ideas about entertaining with kids, check out Johanna's practical pointers.

To quote Mr. Perez again, "Your table is your label. It's who you are. It's telling your story. It should be treated like a little black dress; dress it up for New Year's Eve or down for Friday night."

Let your personality shine through your table. If you are a no fuss, fancy isn't worth it kind of gal, that's just fine. That is who you are.

But, underneath my streamlined Barefoot Hippie Girl persona, I am a fancy dress/fancy dishes/dinner party kind of 50's girl. And, if you have dinner, or brunch, or breakfast, or lunch at my house, you are probably going to see lots of dishes and stems.


Here's looking at you...table.






*in case you were wondering, I am going to give "Take Two" Tuesdays a break until the end of August. We are going out of town, and this is just the better plan.=)

Linking up with
Wholehearted Home Wednesdays

In Real Life (IRL)

There's a term in social media known as IRL. In real life. As opposed to the world of the www. Blogs. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Where we can groom our image. Tweak it to perfection. Sometimes our web self can seem very different, or conversely, very similar, to our real self.

IRL-it is amazing to me how many of my friends read my blog, and how many don't.

blueberry jam

IRL-I love chocolate. A day is not complete until chocolate has snuck in there somehow. And cocoa in my morning coffee doesn't count.

IRL-I gave up drinking pop (soda, soft drinks) when I was 19. I was cooking at a wilderness camp for 10 weeks, and went cold turkey. And I completely lost my taste for it.

IRL-I drink water and coffee. And a very occasional glass of wine. I drink gallons of water each week.

I love the purple-blue of blueberry jam.

IRL-I limit myself to one cup of coffee each day. Except Fridays, with the BFF. Then I have another. Too much caffeine makes my moods swing, and gives me eye twitches. No joke.

IRL-I count my strokes when I am swimming. Only up to 8. I should be doing a flip turn when I hit my third "6". If I'm not, I am not swimming efficiently.

All sealed. Jeweled beauty.

IRL-I am very streamlined. I am a tosser. Not a hoarder. I have some nicknacks, but I want to keep dusting time down to a minimum, so I keep the nicknacks down to a minimum.

IRL-I love quiet. Which is why I am a morning person. The day never gets as quiet as it is at 6:00-a.m.. I don't know if this is because I am from a big family, but I relish silence.

ready to go tubing this weekend

IRL-I am intensely practical. Mr. Hippie is the dreamer in our relationship. I keep us grounded. He keeps us soaring.

IRL-I eat granola with raisins for breakfast every day. And generally milk and cookies for lunch. I know, I am such a health nut. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies throughout the day too. My big meal is at dinner. It works for me.

catching frogs. They caught at least a dozen.

IRL-I love Pride and Prejudice. The book and the new movie. I have read the book 10 times if I have read it once. And I identify most with Mr. Darcy. Not Elizabeth so much. "My good opinion once lost is lost forever." And it is just as bad a fault in me as in Mr. Darcy.

IRL-I'd much rather you tell me the truth, than tell me what you think I want to hear, or lie to me. I have a very hard time forgiving lying, and learning to trust again. I will put up with a lot. I will forgive a lot. But lying is something that I just can't stand. EVER.

thrift haul. Baby doll stroller, $3, Goodwill.

IRL-I love reading. I especially like adventure novels, and historical fiction. I hardly ever read poetry or self help/motivational books.

why use it for baby dolls, when you can push your cousin?
I love how Meres paused to look at N like, "are you okay over here?"

IRL-I love laughing at Reader's Digest jokes. My friend, Margaret, and I, will read the latest issue together, when we hang out, and bust a gut.

IRL-I hardly ever pay full price for anything. Maybe a certain grocery item needed for a recipe. But that would be about it.

Meres' turn. Hilarious twin moment.

IRL-I am the one to take the bull by the horns and speak out, but one on one, I am not very outgoing. I rely  a lot on Mr. Hippie to help me reach out of my shell and make friends.

IRL-I boldly and confidently express my opinions, but I also am a firm believer in "live and let live." What works for me does not work, or have to work, for everyone.

IRL-I have had four home births-no pain meds, no doctors. Just a very competent midwife, Mr. Hippie and my mom in attendance. And, at some point in every birth I wonder, out loud, why in the world I am going through this again, at home, without any meds?!

first handful of bush beans from garden

IRL-I get the biggest kick out of the Pinterest "use your mason jar" ideas. Because I use my mason jars. Hundreds of them. For canning. I actually still put peaches, and applesauce, and green beans, and salsa, and tomatoes in my jars. Every year.

cherry tomatoes. Going to win the Guiness Book of World Records
for biggest cherry tomatoes.

IRL-I am not very artistic. But I love beauty. And I admire, and on occasion, I mimic other's ideas. Pinterest is great for that.

IRL-Olive Garden is my all time favorite restaurant. We dine there on a very regular basis. So much so, that it would probably be cost effective to own stock in OG.

and another. Natural beauty.

IRL-I have brown hair, blue eyes, a wrinkly belly, and lots of freckles. IRL-I love connecting with people. IRL-I don't wear much makeup, I love polka dots, and I am so NOT on the stripe wagon. IRL-I wear a lot of neutrals. IRL-I love jewelry. IRL-I march to the beat of a different drummer.

Embrace the camera

IRL-people often misjudged me because they can't see my heart.

In real life I am not much different than on my blog. 
How does your IRL self compare with you Web self? Do you boldly let your personality pour out in your web presence?
BTW, I am looking forward to meeting a whole lot of you IRL at Influence this fall!

Linking up with

Share Your Thrift Haul

brooke covered in grace
Thrifty Love
Mommy Moments
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Great Minds Think Alike

Happy Friday, everyone! We have successfully navigated another week, and soon it will be the weekend.

Today you can find me guest posting over at Little Homemade Housewife. I wrote about the challenge of staying fit in the heat.

Speaking of heat, we are experiencing a temporary lull in the heat wave. My windows are open, and I'm letting my house breathe. It is only supposed to get up to 83 degrees today. And down into the 50s tonight. LOVE!

Friday is special for two reasons...

#1-it is BFF hang out day! This is my bff.

We have been bff for a very long time-like 20 years. (who woulda thought I was old enough to have a bff for 20 years?!)

We started the whole bff relationship when we were 12. We were actually pen pals-who lived like 2 miles away from each other. We didn't actually start seeing much of each other until we were 16. When we could drive. Then we had a couple years of swimming in her parent's pool, hanging at at youth group, daily telephone conversations, and game nights.

When I was 18, my family moved up to the burg of Newaygo-an hour away. We started writing letters again. Then the bff moved to FL for college. We wrote more letters.

She graduated, I got married. She moved back to MI. And we started our tradition of breakfast every week.

Then, after about 2 years (I think), she moved to the other side of the state. For a while we kept up our breakfast tradition, but it got more sporadic.

Until the bff moved back, almost 6 years ago. Happy dance!!!

Since her return to these parts, we have reinstated our weekly confab. During the school year, we get together for dinner on Tuesday nights. During the summer, we picnic at the Blues on Tuesdays, plus we have breakfast on Fridays. We switch off-one week I cook, one week she cooks. And it is great. We get to have delicious food, and yack it up. 

There is always more than enough to talk about. Enough to fill hours. These days we talk about her fledgling business, and my fledgling blog. We talk about kids. We talk about life. It is an oasis in my week.

Our meals have grown to include my four kids, and her one. They eat, and then they play. And they know it is our time to visit. 

So, today is my day to cook which brings me to Friday special thing number 2...

#2-Small Kitchen Adventures. For our breakfast this morning I am making a Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. 

Baked oatmeals are a gussied up version of stovetop oatmeal. The baking tends to bring out the nuttier flavor of the oatmeal. Most baked oatmeals have eggs, sugar, milk, and oil added to the oatmeal, which makes it into a kind of dense cake. I like to serve my two favorites with cinnamon milk poured on top. 

Today I am pairing the baked oatmeal with sausage links, a honeydew and blueberry salad, and strong coffee. 

This is a very easy, quick recipe. Why not try it out this weekend?

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

3 cups quick oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 Tbsp brown sugar

sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine everything through the pumpkin. Stir until evenly mixed. Add chocolate chips. Pour into the greased pan. Top with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake 30 minutes, or until center is fully cooked. Serve warm with cinnamon milk.

Baked Oatmeal

4 eggs, beaten

2 cup milk

1 cup oil

1-3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

-Mix together.

-Stir in:

6 cups oatmeal

1 cup raisins or chopped apples (optional)

-Pour into greased 9x13 pan. 

-Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

-Serve warm with cinnamon milk.

Cinnamon Milk

1 cup milk

dash cinnamon

2 Tbsp sugar

-Heat on stove over low heat until hot but not boiling.

Oh, did I mention that the bff and I both married Brians? 'Cause we did. Great minds think alike.

Linking up with

Fantabulous Friday
TGIF
madeinaday
Weekend Blog Walk
Serenity Now
Time Warp Wife
Mercy INK
Try a New Recipe Tuesday
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Homemaid Simple

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