things we forget

It's funny how we can spend hours (okay, maybe it's more like minutes) of our childhood doing or playing something, but then totally forget about it as an adult.

I had another one of those "oh yeah!" moments today. Sunday we had about 1/3 of Bobby's family over for lunch, meaning all three leaves went into the dining room table. I decided to leave them in, and left the chairs around the table as well (I often put them against the wall when the table is being used as a cutting table). Of course, Bobby's spot is left open.

Today I had some visitors, who were quite excited to find the dining room had grown a "tunnel". I was quite puzzled, into I walked in and saw what they meant:
I had totally forgotten that as a child we used Mom's dining room table for all sorts of wonderful adventures until she'd make us get out. We could be spies in a submarine, Barbies in a van, or fish beneath the pier with a fisherman outside the chairs, and when Mom had a tablecloth on, stretching out on the chairs shoved up under the table was a GREAT place to hide.

So where along the line did I lose my imagination and these four-legged monstrous piece of wood simply become a table?

winning the war!

I've learned all kinds of new stuff the last few years...one of them being that pecan trees produce a bumper crop one year and a piddly one the next. Even with all the battles last year between me and the dogs for every single nut, we picked about a bucket and a half of pecans. This year I'll be pleased if we have half of a bucket. I was hoping that my fertilizing and the additional rain we've had this year would prove the old every other year adage wrong, but it didn't. Nevertheless, with exception of 10 nuts (that I know of) I've beaten the dogs to the stash.

I guess I can't say I've beaten them, as it's partly due to the chickens. (You didn't know we had fighting chickens? That's good, 'cause we don't.) Due to a certain someone's insistence that our chickens have freedom to roam the yard, the dogs get locked up every day from lunchtime 'till dusk so the chickens can roam safely. During last week's deluge the chickens had to stay in their shelter, and I found about 3 partially eaten pecans on the front ramp and another 3 or 4 in the garage. After feeding the geese I stopped to pick some up (yes, in the rain) and the dogs about went crazy. I could tell which trees had dropped their fruits simply by watching the dogs. If they thought I was heading toward their tree, they would take off to another one and I'd hear the crack of a shell and see their head tilted in a funny way.

I had a relative e-mail me that dogs were not supposed to eat fruit or nuts, that it would kill them. If that is true, my dogs may not live to see 5, for they will eat almost anything they see me pick. Now if I can only figure out how to keep the chickens out of next year's tomato garden...

monthly cooking

I've always heard about people who cook once a month, freeze everything, and then for the remainder of the month only have to heat/thaw things for meals. I've often been tempted to try it, thinking it might simplify our lives dramatically.

This past week Food Lion had several meat items on sale, as well as several markdown items, so I bought several different things for future events. When I got home from the store that night, I set the three bags of meat on top of the washing machine while I removed all the laundry from the top of the freezer (it has a dual purpose as my folding table). Somewhere between putting away laundry and life, I totally FORGOT about the 3 bags of meat on my freezer. Imagine my surprise (exclamation of horror is actually more like it) when I entered the laundry room yesterday morning to iron a pair of pants. While my husband came quickly to find out what was wrong, my heart had almost stopped.

Thankfully the meat, since it was all together, was a tad cooler than room temperature. I know you can't freeze raw meat once it's been uncooled or thawed, but you CAN freeze cooked meat. I pulled out every pan I owned, as well as both crock pots, and started washing and throwing things into pans and dishes. I turned the stove onto low as I left for the baby shower so everything would roast while I was gone. It was quite the mixture of smells when I returned. There's nothing like walking into a kitchen and smelling a meal cooking, but I don't think I quite enjoyed the smell of several different kinds of meat cooking all at once! I spent a good two hours cutting, pulling meat off the bone, and washing dishes. Bobby thoroughly enjoyed his job of taste tester, though!

I have always wanted to try once a month cooking....just not like this! I tell myself that one day I'll be organized and efficient. Perhaps that will be my ultimate sanctification - organization!

of all men most miserable

Today while reading our church's daily Bible reading, a passage struck me as odd. I've read it numerous times before, and I understand Paul's point, but it took me a little off-guard.

"...and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ...if we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."

For those of you not at CBC, this is from I Corinthians 15.

The end of my freshman year of college, I had a crisis of faith. Something happened in my life that totally rattled me to the core, and it made me re-evaluate everything I had ever been taught or believed. I came to the conclusion that night that as foolish as it might seem, as scary as the unknown was to me, I could honestly say that even if I died and found everything I believed to be a lie, that my life and this world would be a better place because of the Christian principles I adhered to. So I found the Apostle Paul's comment that if the Resurrection is untrue then our lives are worthless and to be pitied a bit shocking. I understand what he is saying and his context. Why would he or other believers put their lives at risk for something that is a lie? That would be most sad indeed. Yet in our free and prosperous country where we are never really persecuted for our faith (I'm not saying discrimination doesn't exist, but that can hardly be called persecution.), how can we be pitied for holding to our faith? Maybe I will die having never tasted alcohol or drugs, having never slept with anyone but my husband, nor had the pleasure of a 2 day weekend as church always consumes a day. But none of those things should make anyone pity me. I suppose there are people who might find the lack of my "freedom" appalling, but I find that the freedom I have in Christ make those minor things to be shackles of bondage and not freedom.

It also makes me appreciate our country all the more. We Christians are so spoiled here (not that I'm complaining...I'm glad!). To be able to live out my faith every day without fear of repercussion is such a glorious opportunity and freedom and one that keeps my life from being a "pitiful" experience.

Veteran's Day

So many fled to our northern neighbor.
Others hid in college, having not planned to go before.
You answered the call to serve, like so many before you.
You were wounded.
And still a teenager.

Thanks Uncle Dave, and your boys, and so many others who fought the fear and did your duty.
Happy Veterans Day seems like a strange thing to say.
There's nothing happy about nightmares.
There's nothing pleasant about being startled and having a flashback.
There's nothing glorious listening to liberals rant about war and its uselessness.
There's not much reward for your service.
You truly understand that freedom isn't free.

one month to live

This morning during the next to last lap of our weekly "get Bobby out the door on time" routine (otherwise known as fixing breakfast), Bobby asked me if I had one month left to live, what would I do? I think I momentarily stopped with the refrigerator door open and just stared at him. Then somewhat laughingly, I told him I would make a list of all my favorite foods and snacks and then make out a schedule accordingly. Priorities, baby.
He then proceeded to tell me about some church in the paper where the pastor is challenging the church to live the next month as if it is their last month on earth to live. Somehow I don't think my food idea is quite what he had in mind. Nor would be visiting those big trees in northern California, spending at least 2 weeks in Alabama, sitting on the beach for a WHOLE DAY, or finishing Andy and Amie's quilt. I might struggle (although very briefly) between cleaning my house top to bottom or hiring someone to come in and do it. I don't want to leave my mess for someone else to clean up and they forever rant about how messy my house is, because I fear the last thing they see might be what they forever remember. That would not be cool at all.
So if you had 31 days left to live (and yeah, I'd choose a longer month and not February!), what would you do?

and the list grows...

This is a tad bit scary, but at this rate my project list for 2010 will be full by the time the new year arrives. What is exciting is the cool projects I'm lining up for myself. We went to an estate sale this morning, where we purchased the rocking chair below. Dare I brag and say it was only $10?
The frame is in good shape; it just needs a good polishing and some new slipcovers. So on my list for 2010 is slipcovers! I already know what material I want to use (I think) and where it is. I'm so excited!!!! Now I just need to finish cleaning up the kitchen so I can head outside and work on some 2009 projects before my projected time line has expired. Onward ho!