Lately

Alas, I didn’t take any picture from our family Thanksgiving, and I’m glad for it. It took the pressure off of getting the right lighting or capturing the true moment. I, for one, am just not there with my photography skills, and it is nice to simply hold those memories in your mind and heart. It was a lovely time shared together.

Our life has been simple lately. Wake up, do our morning routine of shower, read, breakfast, make lunch, tidy. And then bundle up and head out the door, warm up the car, drop Jordan off at work, pick up a colleague to carpool. Teach for two hours, prep for two hours, run some errands or head home to make dinner. There is time in between and sometimes not. I do Pilates and cook, got out for coffee or am at church. Somehow the days are so very full and yet very flexible because of my schedule right now.

Since I was in middle school I’ve never had a rigid schedule, busy yes, hectic, at times…but never a rigid 9-to-5-this-is-what-I-do-everyday. My sister and I were homeschooled from middle school through to our senior year, and while we did our school work in the morning, we worked as babysitters and music teachers for the better part of our teen years. College was a blissful blur. I loved it and it killed me all at the same time! And now I am working part-time doing my dream job as a college professor. I feel very blessed. I’m very glad for time to journal and pray, to serve and be available for my husband, our church, friends, and colleagues.

Only ten days until my sister and our niece and nephew come, and I am thrilled to pieces! Time to deck the halls!

No Better Time To Know My Maker

Our home, our dear, sweet nine-hundred-ish square foot apartment. We thought you were beautiful in the summer and fall when the leaves glowed bright forest greens then blazed with autumn burgundy. But how good it’s been to share, and retreat, and grow, and host inside these new walls as we are greeted by this blustery winter wind.

I normally love to sit at our kitchen table. It’s where I go once I’ve made tea and breakfast, and I read my bible or journal before starting my work day. Usually I don’t sit on the couches. To me, they are a black hole. They are once-you-sit-down-you-won’t-get-up taunters. So I usually sit at the table be it morning, lunch or afternoon. But this afternoon I’m getting sucked in. With a restaurant memoir and the prospect of a comfort food dinner…because it’s my birthday. From these cuddly couches I now watch our white wonderland unfold, and I am grateful for another year to love and serve and know my Maker. Every year my birthday draws me to spend some special alone time with Him for the purpose of reflecting, praying and thanking. He, after all, created me and I love Him so. It grounds me each year to look back in awe and forward with hope, and more importantly to think of others on a day we are “allowed” to self-center. Many things change as we age and grow, loose and love, plan and do, but one of my prayers has not changed since I was fourteen. Each year it is: “Till I only dwell in Thee”. 

3 Things I’m Loving In Our New Home

Today I Googled “what do gargoyles in front of your house represent”. Walking in our new neighborhood–our lovely, quiet, nature-surrounded neighborhood– I pass by not one, but two, homes with decorative gargoyles.

Oddly enough, I had just learned a couple of weeks ago that statues of lions in front of a home is an Italian symbol of having either paid off a mortgage or being wealthy enough to not need one. Hm.

My Google search revealed that gargoyles are not in fact the French proclamation of “Hey, everyone, we paid off our mortgage!” but rather there for the purpose of warding off evil…or acting as a water duct system to avoid damage on 21st century architecture. So, power to our gargoyling neighbors.

Naturally, we’re still settling into our new apartment. But here are three things I love so much so far…

1) All the natural light pouring in through the large windows as I cook, grade, or fold laundry.

2) Our little table, that can transform to seat 10, and that it’s by the window.

3) A laundry room

And there is art to be hung, a pantry to be arranged, and clothing to be stored, but we love it so much! Cutting our commute in half has also relieved stress and freed up time for togetherness and enjoying these summer evenings.

All are welcome, so come by and visit!

I Finally Did It! Chocolate Chip Cookies

I did it! I made full and fluffy chocolate chip cookies! This is big for me because my history with these cookies is not so good. Think paper thin, stick-to-the-pan butter puddles. Hm. And then two things happened: I followed a different recipe from this cookbook AND I used my mother-in-law’s baking sheets.

These may not look like anything special to you, but to me, it’s close to a work of art! More so… it’s that I conquered.

My sister wrote a little blurb on this cookbook and actually got it for me as a bridal shower guest book. This is the fourth recipe I have made from it among sugar and gingerbread cookies and French onion soup. 4 out of 1,000 recipes. Cool.

It’s Friday. Enjoy your family and home and tree this weekend. Christmas is almost here!