It's the little things that count!

I've been taking joy in the little things these past two weeks. It has been my goal to take note of and enjoy all of the small things that life has to give, the things that are normally forgotten in the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Here is a list of the little things that I've noticed and taken joy in over the past several weeks:

1. The irises whose foliage is just beginning to peak above the ground. (I love to garden and have sorely missed it the past two months, it was a breath of fresh air to see the signs of spring.)
2. The pansies which the care taker of Residence Inn placed about the grounds. (These flowers, being my favorite, were the first thing that I noticed when we came here a month ago.)
3. The rain showers that have been combined with the sun shining its rays through the clouds. (Mama and I had mutually decided that we liked the rain, but it was best enjoyed when the sun was allowed to peak through at us every so often.)
4. Cuddling up with my little sisters during the family bible time.
5. Singing during the Church service on Sunday mornings. (I love to worship with song, it is rejuvinating to stand in a congregation and lift up our voices together.)
6. Baking cookies and bread. (Normally baking is more of a routine part of my life, I always enjoy doing it but it doesn't bring exceptional pleasure. Now that baking doesn't happen so often, it has become and out of the ordinary pleasure that brings me much joy. And it makes the hotel smell like a real home!)

When placed with all that life offers us, good and bad, the little things seem rather insigificant and unnoteworthy. But they really can bring some of the greatest joy, and help to lighten an otherwise wearisome day.

IF--

I'm memorizing this poem as part of my school studies and thought I'd share it with you all. It has been a source of inspiration, and something to strive towards. I especially like the lines, " Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;" Though these lines don't apply to me personally, I'd want to be the sort of person that could do that. I'd want to be able to loose everything I had and not let it be a set back to me, but keep moving forward and build up what I'd lost with what was left to me.

I was struck by the beauty of this poem as well as the truth that the words of it held, I love to read it aloud over and over, just to hear how the words sound when read aloud. There is so much of value to be gleaned from the four stanzas of this poem.

If--
Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Pretend Friends

Mama was heading over to Daddy's place of work to bring him supplies which he was in need of. Daddy's team was implementing some sort of new program and they were going to be up all night doing it and he had asked if any of us would like to come and hang out with him for a short while to meet a few of his emplyees and co-workers.

Though we turned down his offer to hang out with him at his office, some of us children rode along with Mama, fully prepared to go in for a while and meet a few people. When we got to Daddy's place of work however, Daddy was outside waiting for us, and no one ended up going in.

My second youngest sister, being a rather outgoing young lady, was eagerly awaiting meeting people and was getting out of the car whan Mama called her to get back into the van, becuase we weren't going inside after all.

My sister plopped down on her seat a pout on her face. At this point the oldest brother said, "You look like you were excited to meet people."

The younger sister replied, "What, I'm tired of pretending, aren't you?"

The oldest brother gave her a quisical look and and then the younger sister went on, "I'm tired of pretending I have friends. I want some real friends."

Apparently while the rest of the family has been complaining about feeling just a little bit far removed from our friends, this young lady has been busy creating friends to fill up her time. I'm going to have to try this.;- )

He Will Carry Me

Outside my window are the trees, the limp and dead leaves of which still clung to the branches. There is such a deadness about this land, a barenness which is brought on by the harshness of winter. As I looked out my window thinking how the secenery matched my mood, through the clouds burst the sun. The sun's rays warmed my face and for a moment joy swept over me. And on the radio played a song which had blessed me so many times over the past year. Once again it was being played at the right time to bring me hope where the future only seconds before had looked bleak. The words to the song read as follows:

Mark Schultz - He Will Carry Me
From the album Stories & Songs

I call, You hear me
I've lost it all
And it's more than I can bear
I feel so empty.
You're strong
I'm weary
I'm holding on
But I feel like giving in.
But still You're with me.

Chorus:
And even though I'm walking through
The valley of the shadow,
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me.
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle,
He is all the strength that I will ever need.
He will carry me.

I know I'm broken,
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine.
You're always with me.

Chorus:
And even though I'm walking through
The valley of the shadow,
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me.
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle,
He is all the strength that I will ever need.
He will carry me.

And even though I feel so lonely,
Like I've never been before,
You never said it would be easy.
But You said you'd see me through
The storm.

Chorus:
And even though I'm walking through
The valley of the shadow,
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me.
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle,
He is all the strength that I will ever need.
He will carry me.

The Bill of Fare

Menu for Saturday's Tea Party:

• Cucumber Sandwhiches

• Rasberry Mirangue Squares

• Apple Scones

• 'Angeled' Eggs

The Recipies:


Cucumber Sandwhiches:
white bread: 2 slices per person
1 Cucumber
8 oz Cream Cheese
Dill Weed

Grate cucumber or slice in rounds (it is easier to cut the sandwhiches into shapes if the cucumber is grated). Spread each slice of bread with desired amount of cream cheese and add cucumber. Sprinkle with dill weed and form into sandwhiches. If desired cut sandwhiches into shapes using cookie cutters.

*Rasberry Mirangue Squares:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter at room temperature
2 egg yolks
3/4 c. raspberry jam
4 egg whites
1 1/2 c. blanched almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan.

In a large bowl, stir the flour 1 1/2 c. of the sugar, the butter, and egg yolks together until well blended. Press the dough into the prepared pan, prick al over with a fork, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, but leave the oven on.

Spread the raspberry jam over the baked layer. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually beat in the rremaining 1/2c. sugar and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in the almonds. Spread the meringue over the jam. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Makes thirty-five 2-inch squares

*Apple Scones:
3 1/4c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3c. sugar
2 tbl. baking powder
1/3 c. unsalted butter at room teperature
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and grated
Egg wash ( recipe follows)
Apple juice glaze (recipe follows)
Sift the flour, sugar, and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the butter and beat until thoroughly blended. Pour in the milk and cream and stir quickly to make a soft dough. Stir in the apples until blended.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 3/8-inch (1-cm) thickness. Using a 2-inch-diameter (5-cm) cutter, cut out the scones and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and let sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. (200 c). Bake the scones in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. When cool spread Apple juice glaze over top and serve.

Makes about 20 scones

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 Tbl. water

use fork to mix water and egg to form a watery paste

Apple Juice Glaze:
2-3 Tlb. Apple juice
1c. powdered sugar

Stir together apple juice and powdered sugar until smooth, more juice or powdered sugar may be required to make a smooth paste.

'Angeled' Eggs:
Desired amount of eggs
1/4 c. -1/3 c.Mayonaise
3-4 Tbl. Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika

Place eggs in sauce pan filled about halfway with water. Place on stove over medium heat. When water comes to a boil, turn off burner and leave eggs to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes run cold water over eggs to cool, and remove shells. Cut eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks. Place yolks in small bowl and add enough mayonaise and Mustard to make soft mixture that will hold it's shape. Mix in Salt and Pepper. Spoon mixture into the halved eggs and sprinkle the tops with paprika.

*Recipes for Apple Scones and Raspberry Mirangue Squares are compliments of Afternoon Tea Serenade by Sharon O'connor

A Little Girls Delight

A week ago I gave my two younger sisters invitatioins to a tea party which would be held on Saturday the 14th of January at 3:00 P.m. The little girls were thrilled to be invited to such an event and waited with bated breath for the afore said day to arrive.

My youngest sister could hardly keep still and all of Saturday she kept asking me what time it was and then how long it would be till is was time for the tea party to begin. She stood on a chair next to me, watching over my shoulder as I prepared our tea party goodies.

When 3 O'clock arrived, the little girls were dressed in fancy dresses and had dolls in hand. The table was still not set, and the tea had yet to be made. The girls helpd me to set the table and put the plates of goodies out on the table, they took great care in removing the plastic wrap from each plate.

Then commenced 45 minutes of drinking tea and polite words addressed to each sister, aswell as conversations betwixt the little girls' dollies. What fun we had together.

Towards the end of our tea party, my youngest sister left off with all cerimony and climbed up onto my lap. She clasped her hands about my neck and leaned forward so that our foreheads touched and we stayed just like that for several moments, each of us taking turns giggling at how our faces distorted with sucha a close up view.

Then, the party was over. The little girls wandered over to the other hotel suite and I commenced to clear the table and wash up dishes.

A Late Night Walk

The stars following their course across the darkened sky shone their light upon four figures as they walked by the road side. The cars which whizzed past took no notice of the group, but then, why should the group have been noticed by a world they were not noticing. The four walked, unaware of the cars passing them, they were absorbed in a world of Lewis Structures, and Plato, Robots, and the Venerable Bede.

If you had been watching the group you would have noticed that instead of four youths, there was one father, two daughters, and a son. You would have heard one of the daughters speak, her voice ringing with an excitement that lends itself to those who enjoy what they are speaking of.

“Daddy, I’m learning the most amazing things. In Chemistry I am in the midst of combining atoms to make covalent compounds, it’s fascinating. Here, let me show you.”

The four had found their way to a diner which resided at the end of the road. They had been shown to a booth by a window, and had sat down, the daughter who had just spoken was next to her Dad, and the son was next to his sister. In front of the four were placed 2 caramel apple crisps and each had a glass of water. The daughter busied herself with scratching diagrams on the back of a receipt. She looked up after a while and addressed the other girl, her sister. “Bethany, what are they called, the little diagrams? I understand how they work but I can’t remember the name.”

The sister didn’t answer directly., her face registered the expression of one thinking very hard. Then she spoke, “I can’t think of it, all that comes to mind is the Venn Diagram, and that’s not right.” The sister sighed then fell back to musing about the possible names it could have. The title of every theory or diagram she had learned ran through her mind repeating themselves over and over again.

Quiet reigned for a few moments, each thinking their own thoughts, then it was time to leave. The caramel Apple Crisps were gone and the plates had vanished from the table. A waitress presented the father with a bill and soon they were headed home.

It was the son’s turn to speak, “I’ve been reading Isaak Asimov. The book I’m reading now, is the first book of his which doesn’t have robots in it.”

The father smiled, and made some comment. Then the daughter spoke again, “You know, some people believe that computers are higher life forms.” The son caught on to this topic and began speaking, “I think Asimov might believe that, all the robots in his books were like real people, feelings and all.”

This comment sprang up a whole conversation about what Asimov believed and what it meant to be a secular humanist. The topic continued with little pause till they had reached home.

If you had been listening you would have heard snippet of conversation and a merry laughter or a quiet chuckle come from the hallway they were walking down. Then you would have heard a door swing shut and in a instant the air would have turned still once more, and you would wonder to yourself whether there really had been anyone there, or if perhaps you were only hearing voices in your head.

The Start of a "Normal" Week

Today I have the wonderful knowledge that I have a 'normal' week of school ahead of me. I have immensely enjoyed spending time with cousins and friends over the past three weeks, but now it is time to settle into a routine atleast for this week, who knows what next week will hold. As much as I dislike pulling myself out of bed at a reasonable hour, it felt really good this morning. I went throught he 'normal' routine of exercising, spending time reading my bible, praying, and journaling, it was a really good feeling. Now I'm halfway through my school day and am looking forward to doing all my reading sitting in the arm chiar by the window, hearing the rain pound against the window, and sipping a cup of tea as I peruse the pages of Institutes of Biblical Law, Basic American Government, Lies My Teacher Told Me, The Jungle, Moby Dick, and 100 Best Loved Poems. This promises to be an enjoyable and productive afternoon.

It is a month today since 'the move'. I'm not sure whether I should be glad about this or if I should burry my face in pillows and cry. I am inclind towards the later. This month has been hard and to be quite honest, I'm worn out. When I start feeling low, I usually try to find all the things I'm thankful for and reflect on those things, but today that has been hard to do.

This past week I was blessed with some really great company, first there was the time spent with cousins, and just this past weekend we got to see our adpoted California cousins. I really treasure the time spent with great company, but somehow when I try and be thankful for this time all I can hold fast to is how hard it was to say good bye.

Goodbyes have always been really hard for me, especially when I know it will be a long time before I see those I have to bid farewell. Often times it takes me several weeks to bounce back to being myself again. I suppose the disadvantage to really enjoying being with friends and family is that it makes it all the harder to part each others company. it is a price that I am more than willing to pay though.

I can't leave this post without including something of value so I shall leave you with Psalms 16:11. it is my radio station's verse of the day.

"You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

I might not feel as though I am filled with joy, but I will endeavour to rejoice in the knowledge that my Lord is by my side and that he will carry me through even the hardest days which life sets before me.

And a New Year Arrives

Amidst the clanking of plastic cups and the movie Pirates of the Caribbean my family and our dear friends welcomed the New Year in a caboose motel. I would have to rank this New Years as one of the most memorable events in the last year, though there are a lot of special times to choose from. The year 2005 blessed my family with loads of memories that won't easily be forgotten, some of these memories are good, some of them are unpleasant to remember, but all of them are reminders of God's faithfulness to his children and for that I am truly thankful. Here's to a smashing 2006, I pray that Christ will bless you all with wonderful memories this year and that you will be reminded of how much he loves you.