Just a normal Sunday

Today was the last Sunday before I start my new work schedule. Next Sunday I will be at work during the day. I don't relish the idea, but I have a house to buy, a son to put through driver's ed and a car to buy for him once he has his license. 

Today was a great day though. We were up at the crack of dawn to put a brisket on the smoker. I bought my husband a new grill this spring (has both a charcoal and a propane side, along with an offset fire box to smoke meats) and I pretty much won Wife of the Year thanks to that one purchase. Anyway, brisket takes forever to smoke so by 6:30, we were up and had the grill going. 

I did some errands, oversaw a chicken coop clean out, made breakfast and lunch, baked some cookies, swapped some recipes with friends and did a little gardening. 

We also had a little impromptu church service in our living room. With the brisket going, we were pretty much house bound but the girls really wanted to have church. So they gathered up all their Bibles and books about God, some of their favorite stuffed animals, and had their youth pastor Daddy pull up some songs on YouTube to have a worship service. 

I adored it. The girls were answering questions about God, who He is, and what He means to them. They sang "Deep and Wide" with gusto and then sang "Awesome God" and "How He Loves" with huge smiles on their faces. At the end, they chose SonicFlood's version of "Open the Eye of My Heart" (they call it "Holy, Holy, Holy") and dance around to the music. 

When dinner came they gobbled up the food and thanked me for making it. They told me I was the best baker for the cookies made for dessert.

It's days like this I will think of to get me through days I'm away from them for work. Simple, ordinary days where, to an outsider, nothing special happened, but to me, everything perfect happened. 

These are the days I will cherish. My girls singing praise to God, good food and great one-liner jokes from my teen boy.

School starts in a few days. There won't be many more of these simple days left this summer. I'm so happy I got this one. 

I hope you all have the opportunity to have a day like this every now and then. I think it's perfect food for the soul! 

Macklemore and an epic quote

So Macklemore (you know, the rapper? "I'm gonna pop some tags...") has this song, and it makes my heart hurt and sing and hope all at the same time. It's called "Same Love" and it is pure poetry. Which in my case just means it speaks to me. 

First let me say, I consider myself a Christian. I'm also what most would call an Independent. I vote for the person who will do the best job for my family, and not a party affiliation. I support causes from both "sides of the aisle." As a Christian woman, I am also finding it difficult to ignore those using religion as a basis to deny legal rights to same sex couples. I have this need to ask, "Does it make you less heterosexual? Is your own marriage any less legal because someone else's can be recognized as legal as well?" Of course the answer to both questions is a resounding NO! 

This country, founded by wealthy white men on the basis of freedom from religious persecution, quite frankly, persecuted a lot of people on basis of gender and race for a long time. This summer's Supreme Court ruling took us as a country away from denying civil rights to same sex spouses, as it should be. The legal definition of marriage is a state issue. It is up to voters.

The morality of same sex relationships is up to no one on this Earth. Let me say it again: it is up to no one on this Earth. The Bible absolutely frowns on homosexuality but it also tells me it is not up to me to cast stones, and that I am not God. 

Morality and legality is not the same thing and the Bible, while relied on by men who founded this country to help guide them to a more fair system, is not the legal document that holds this country together. That's the Constitution and it demands a separation between Church and State.

And that's why I love Macklemore's song. Here's my favorite part:

When I was at church they taught me something else

If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed

That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned

It literally breaks my heart when I hear this line, because so many Christians do this.  We preach against that which is different than us, and say it is God's word. It is not. God's word is love. His teachings point us to love one another, "the least of these", to lift Him up in praise. And to let Him decide who goes to Heaven and who is damned to Hell. And furthermore, those words aren't just about marriage equality. It's about everyday life. If we are holding someone down because of who they are, what they look like, who or what they worship, how they dress, their race, their financial status or who they love, we are not living God's word. 

So can we stop now? Can we move forward? You don't have to accept or condone marriage equality to see that everyone has the right to love. And if you find someone who loves you, is kind and patient and generous with their time, and wants to make a life with you, who am I to deny you the same benefits I have, just because I have a spouse who is of opposite gender? I'm just a 30's something mom in area code 513. I'm just someone who loves the truth in a song about love. 

(And in case you've never heard of Macklemore or his song "Same Love", here's a link to a recent performance on the Ellen show - which I also love, by the way! http://bit.ly/Stw0tO )

Yummy Zucchini Bread

Even before I liked eating zucchini as a veggie side on my dinner plate, I loved zucchini bread. A few years ago I found a fantastic recipe on Tasty Kitchen that has been a favorite around here - even my picky teenage son eats it! I got a hankering for some today, and thought I'd share the recipe with you!

Here's what you'll need:

3 Eggs (my chickens happily provide these!) 

2 cups sugar (I use raw sugar)

1 cup Wesson Oil

1 tablespoon vanilla (I do just a few drops more than a tablespoon; I should try this with actual vanilla beans sometime!)

2 cups loosely packed, grated zucchini, unpeeled (I use zucchini from my garden and grate very fine)

2 cups flour 

1 tablespoon cinnamon (I usually do about 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, then just a smidge of nutmeg)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (although I've been known to use pecans too)

First, beat the eggs well. Add in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Beat until thick and frothy. Stir in the zucchini and mix well. Once that's all nice and combined, sift and add in your other ingredients. 

Pour the batter into two floured loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. The toothpick test will tell you when it's really done. Cool in the pan about 10-15 mins then turn out to a cooling rack until its completely cool. 

I've also been known to eat it still a bit warm, with some French vanilla ice cream. I'm known for a sweet tooth, is what I'm saying!

Here's some shots of this afternoon's yummy bread! Now go make some of your own and enjoy!!

Role models...part 1

Our children are wiser than we, because they don't have the weight of supposed obligations or perceived loyalty to bear. 

Everything we do, teaches our children a lesson. We either teach a positive or a negative. 

Sometimes, as adults, we hold onto friendships that aren't really mutually beneficial any more, because we don't want to lose a longtime friend or because we feel we owe that person somehow.

I'm here to say that our kids see that. They see that one person sets the terms from the friendship and the other person either allows it or suffers for it, because their needs aren't being fulfilled. 

They see that other person, and ourselves, through a different set of lenses. 

What are your kids seeing when they look at you? 

Made it through Week 1!

You may have heard me mention I went back to work full-time outside the home. This past week was my first week at the new job. I'm exhausted. The weekend won't be enough time to get me rested and ready to go back for the second week.

The girls, especially my youngest, has had a hard time with Mommy being gone. She was only 9 months old when I left my previous position to focus on photography full time. To her, I've always been there. Every day. She cried when she gave hugs and kisses the night before my first day. I held her tight and cried too. Hard. She cried when I called to check on her the next day. I choked back the tears, but man, was it hard. That little girl broke my heart. 

Through the week I gradually cut back to texting my teenager to make sure all was well. And it was. My house was pretty clean and no one starved (thank you freezer meals!). And they've all learned to adjust. I still get weepy though. Kids are more resilient than adults. 

My body is worn out though. I have four more weeks of training. Lots of time making sure log in and passwords work, lots of time doing bland compliance courses (I work in the banking industry), lots of time hearing someone talk and not learning anything hands-on. I'm a learn as I go kind of girl, so training will be informative, but not as exciting as actually getting to do the job will be. 

Top it all off with me not feeling well the last few days, and here I am: in my bed for the third time today. Just one more day to get myself pulled together and get ready for Monday. I would seriously lobby to make Fridays part of the weekend. Two weekend days just isn't enough...

On the flip side, I rescued some perennials from the clearance shelves at Lowe's today. I'm pretty proud that a large amount of my flowers came from death's door and at deeply discounted prices. If you know what you're looking for, and are okay with buying plants that likely are done with blooming this year but that need a little TLC, then it is a great way to add to your gardens! Getting $120 worth of plants for $35 is pretty awesome in my book. The hubby will be on vacation next week while our son is at band camp, so he will get the plant in the ground and then I shall work my magic. Next year, we will reap the benefits! Gardening is patience. 

That's all I got for now. Next week I plan on sharing a recipe for bread and butter pickles. I've used it for all the pickling cucumbers I'm getting from our garden and everyone who tries them, loves it! 

Have a blessed weekend y'all! 

Friendships and Bygones

Google "why can't women get along" and you'll find 215,000,000 results. Imagine if you disallowed 3/4 of that number for duplicate info. The left over number still means a staggering amount of information on the topic.

I'm sure you've either said, or knows someone who has said, "I have more male friends than female friends." I know I've said it, mostly because at those times in my life, it was true. But I never really thought about why it was true.

I grew up in a trailer park. It was a lot of drama. But I had two friends that I loved dearly and through divine intervention still have contact with. In high school, I had several close friends, but it wasn't until I joined the Marine Corps that I realized I just got along better with guys. I'm loud and opinionated and I found that guys just didn't hold grudges when I bared my feelings and they hit close to home for someone. Guys are really good at saying, "Bygones." Remember "Ally McBeal" and Fish? It worked for me.

But then I found myself expecting my son. And I met the two women who are as good at bygones as I needed them to be. We loved each other immediately. It was a take-a-grenade kind of friendship from go - not because we were Marines and that's what we were trained to do, but because we literally can't imagine a world where the other two aren't in it. When we get to spend time together, it's like our hearts refill and our energy is renewed. But we've had times where even we didn't get along. We got over it pretty easily, but then, we are good at bygones. 

Some people say women can't get along because of jealousy. I can agree in many instances. This was the case when I worked in a doctor's office. Everyone wanted to one up each other, to be the favorite and shine the brightest. 

Sometimes though, it's something else. I've heard it said that it must be the fault of the feminists. We've heard for so long that "I am Woman, Hear Me Roar!" cry for so long, we think we must push and fight and debate everything in our lives. Men don't need this, and some women don't either, so they find themselves at certain times getting along better with the opposite sex more than women who can encourage, support and nurture them. Perhaps that's why we all go through the stage where we can't even get along with our mothers; we're in a constant power struggle with them, and ourselves. 

Being a woman is hard. We feel so much more on an emotional level. We struggle with self-image. We often times feel we can't say no to those wanting or demanding our time, so we're stressed and over-committed. We have demands as a daughter or sister, a mother and/or wife. Top that off with our job - whether it be at home with the kids, or in an office somewhere. We have a habit of taking care of everyone else but ourselves. No wonder we have a hard time investing more time into each other!

Sometimes we do. We invest time, help each other out, learn about each other, and years can go by; then we find out what we thought was a good friend just believes differently about things we consider fundamental to who we are. And we make the choice to walk away from that. Often times, there's no real explanation, but we will go out of our way to show caddiness, and even do or say hurtful things. And we know exactly what hateful things to hurl at that person. After all, we've spent a lot of time learning what makes them tick. And we use these emotional weapons to hurt people who perhaps just didn't deserve it. Instead of accepting a woman for who she is and celebrating the variety their beliefs bring to the friendship, we toss it away. We teach other women there's no loyalty among us. 

God created Eve to provide companionship for Adam. Eve was to be nurturing, loving, a wife, and a mother. But that doesn't mean she can't and shouldn't also be loving, nurturing, open and honest for other women. It enriches our lives and can create a lifelong support system that women do really need. 

I'm so lucky that my two best friends and I are like this, but we are separated by two states on either side (I'm in the middle). But there's other ladies I've realized are walking away from time invested in a friendship and I often find I'm the one asking "What happened?!" while they're hurling insults and hurtful words. As I said, I'm loud and opinionated and usually, so are the ladies  I find friendship with. So maybe they decide I'm too abrasive or they just don't care to hear my opinion anymore. I'm not sure.

But I'm also someone who welcomes some variety, and I have lots of friends of different backgrounds and beliefs, which makes it more interesting. Unless someone is emotionally abusive or toxic, or engaging in illegal behavior I can't condone, I rarely completely give up on a friend. We ladies need each other. Guys are okay, but only a woman really understands the complexities of being a woman. It all boils down to acceptance. Women are having a hard time getting along because they have a hard time accepting each other as they are. 

So, I'm going out on a limb today and saying I'm sorry to those I have given up on because I couldn't be more open and accepting. And I hope that if you've ever given up on me, you find yourself willing to try to be friendly again. After all, variety is the spice of life. We must be open, accepting, and gracious to one another. We don't have to agree all the time - that would be boring - but let's not hold grudges. Accept we are all different, and we can enjoy the differences or live a bland life surrounded by those who are exactly like us. And who really wants that? I know I don't. 

Shepherd's Pie

Okay, I'm about to share one of my top secret recipes, only because so many have asked me to keep sharing recipes.

Tonight we are having shepherd's pie. It's one of my husband's favorite meals. I'm going to warn you - if you are a purist about this dish, click that red x up in the top right, because this is very non-traditional! 

First, here's a list of ingredients. Again, I don't measure much so a lot of this requires tasting along the way to make sure it tastes right to you.

1lb ground beef (85/15 works well)

1ib sausage (I use Bob Evans Mild)

1 pack of Liptons Onion Soup Mix

2 cans sweet corn

2 cans peas

1 can green beans

2 sticks salted butter

Salt

Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Herbs de Provence

Mashed Potatoes

Shredded Cheese (I use Colby Jack)

Now, I make my own mashed potatoes. And people tell me they are fabulous. Here's my secret: butter. LOTS of butter. However I don't want my potatoes to be too buttery for this dish, so I cut back. So, boil your potatoes, drain and mash (I use my handy KitchenAid for this part). Add 2 sticks of butter, enough milk to make the potatoes creamy but not runny, and salt & pepper to taste. 

While your potatoes are boiling you can brown the sausage, beef and onion soup mix. Add in some salt, pepper, a little garlic powder and about a teaspoon of herbs de Provence. When all browned, drain well and spread into a 9x13 casserole dish. 

I top it with the canned veggies (all drained and mixed together so I can hide the green beans from my 5 year old). I top that with spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes and then spread them to cover all the veggies. Then, sprinkle some cheese - we use about a cup, but you could do more or less depending on your preference. Finally, pop the dish into an oven at 350 degrees, until the cheese is melted and the tips of the potatoes are just a little stiff and brown, which is about 20 minutes. 

I serve with some type of bread - either cornbread, Texas toast or dinner rolls. 

It's a pretty easy dinner and only requires two pots, so in my book, that makes life a little better!

Enjoy!