Halloween Food for Thought 10.31.07
Craig Dunham wrote this on his blog today:
Struggling whether to “do” Halloween? Do yourself a favor and read this article from Ransom Fellowship.
Recently I've been wrestling with the way we Christians interact with the world around us, particularly on Halloween. I've been struggling with animosity towards the way many churches offer "alternative" activities on this day. While I think it's great to celebrate events on the historic church calendar, I question the motives behind the Reformation Day idea. Anthony Bradley has posted on this topic as well and, as usual, has sparked interesting conversations.
I apologize that my thoughts aren't more cohesively presented here. I'm still sorting through a whole bunch of ideas, trying to figure out literally What Jesus Would Do.
**Another link to another blog post, containing many more links if you have time to read it all.
Trick-or-Treat 10.30.07
She's been to the pumpkin patch, to Zion's Fall Fest, to daddy's office for trick-or-treating, to her school's trick-or-treating Fall Fest, and now we finally have Halloween at our doorstep. Ah, what a season. Let's just say that Livia's chocoholic parents are quite satisfied.
Fresh Pumpkin 10.29.07
Remember how I purchased a pie pumpkin awhile back with the end goal being Jeannette's Pumpkin Pie? Well, I achieved half of that goal. I cut, baked and pureed the pumpkin... and then left it sitting in my fridge for a few days while I pondered the eatability of a pumpkin pie at the Tredway household.
We aren't big pumpkin pie fans, which is actually why I wanted to use fresh pumpkin to make one, so I decided to freeze the extra puree and make a pie when it could be shared. Yesterday I made a Pumpkin Spice Cake and it was only so-so. But the bundt pan sure made it look pretty, right?
Liv has become my pint-sized Kitchen Helper. She excels at sampling batters and frostings, and at keeping her mama on her toes mentally. Her heart is in the right place, however, and she loves measuring spices and touching the Kitchen Aid mixer. (Who wouldn't love that, right?) This picture shows the way she's mastered the task of Icing Taster while I decorated the Spiderweb Cookies. Go check out Needs More Butter, by the way, to see some super cute Halloween Cupcakes by the Moreheads. And for more fun and inspiration in the kitchen, visit Foodie for Thought by one of my best girlfriends on the planet. Give her a warm welcome to Blogland.
Overheard 10.26.07
"Totoro's at iUniverse. That his work name..."
Livia, deep in imagination, talking to the bathroom mirror about her father at work.
**For the full effect, here's Livia's statement phonetically: "Totowo's at iVuniverse. Dat his work name..."
Thoughts on Trust 10.25.07
Trusting God is definitely easier said than done, in my opinion. It seems like a lot of people I know are struggling to trust God and his promises, especially when it comes to unanswered prayers regarding jobs, babies and the like. For this reason, I appreciated the closing paragraph in Andree Seu's article in WORLD Magazine entitled, "Confessions of an insomniac" [October 6, 2007]:
This is the best I can do with unanswered prayer. The possible answers seem to be "yes," "no," or "you have no idea what's going on behind the curtain of your sensate reality, so you best make up your mind once and for all--I do love you, Will you trust Me?"
The curtain of sensate reality. Isn't that the truth? During the two years we waited for, and struggled in the meantime, to become parents, we never had a clue how wonderful it would be to have Livia Raine join our family. If my plan had been followed, this specific child wouldn't be ours today. I can just imagine God saying, "Hang on. I've got this incredible baby girl. You have to wait for a few details (conception, birth, postpartum issues to name a few) to take place before she can be placed in your arms. But, boy, if you would just trust me on this one, I've got more than you asked for or imagined coming for you. Hang in there. I love you."
As long as we're alive, we stand behind that curtain and struggle with trust. But if you put your trust in God, you'll never be disappointed beyond healing. That's just how life is with an all-powerful, all-knowing God who loves you personally.
A Girl and Her Camera 10.23.07
For the sake of a self-portrait I pretended to shoot a picture with the little viewfinder, but the truth is, I use my LCD screen for almost all photos. I love my Canon Powershot S1 IS. It's a great camera for many reasons. The image stabilization is perfect for me because apparently I can't hold absolutely still for more than a millisecond. The 10x zoom allows for some sweet close-ups, while the 3.2 megapixels gives me more than enough, uh, megapixelage for printing large photos. The camera has a fast-shot option (can you tell I don't speak camera lingo at all? I'm sure there's a better term for this feature) which is the only way I can capture my always-in-motion three year old. The biggest drawback, in my opinion, to this Canon model shows up when shooting in low light. I cannot take low light pictures to my satisfaction at all. I've wrestled with the flash, and overall, I choose not to use it. You'll notice that most, if not all, of my photos use natural light for good reason.
A few years ago Jeremy kidnapped me from work and drove off down Highway 2 for an anniversary getaway in Nebraska City. Over dinner at the Lied Lodge that night I unwrapped a fabulous gift: this Canon camera. Props for any technology, cameras included, in the Tredway household go to Jeremy. So it is my dear husband I have to thank for encouraging me in this amazing hobby.
Monday on the Wild Side 10.22.07
Jeremy, the Ibex-ho-gib-bird
Liv, the Flam-lion-monarch butterfly (whose pigtails are under her mane)
Becca, the Rein-fen-monarch butterfly
Had to do it because of Renae.
Weekend Points 10.20.07
* Today was a perfect fall day, warm and windy with gorgeous blue skies. I could feel Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in after all the rainy days we had last week. Today was the perfect sunny pickup for my soul.
* Speaking of pickups for the soul... if I may use my neighbor and friend as an illustration... Kind deeds do not go unnoticed, they are definitely blessings. Renae recently posted about a gift received in the mail from Charity & Andy, a gift I'm sure she wasn't expecting by any means. And then I happened to be in her kitchen when she noticed that someone (kitchen elves perhaps?) had scrubbed the place clean. Isn't that so great? Serving someone besides yourself is always good.
* Today I decided that it's okay that I'm not a great housekeeper because I would totally find way too much pride in my cleanliness if I was. When I clean/reorganize an area, I survey it from many angles and point out my handiwork repeatedly to my husband. See how the dirt and disorganization keeps me humble? Heh.
* Three year olds, who choose not to nap even when they really really need the nap, go to bed very early. And almost thirty year olds, who desire naps when they really really are tired and yet don't get them, still stay up late.
* Friday Night Lights, the television program, is a perfectly decent reason to stay up late.
My Little Chocoholic 10.17.07
The Cookie Formerly Known as Chocolate Chip sits in crumbled chunks on Livia's plate. Surprised she didn't eat it, I ask what happened.
"I got all the chocolate chips out," she says.
"Well, are you going to eat the rest of the cookie?"
"No. Just the chocolate chips."
O-kay. There's some serious chocolate-lovin' going on in my house.
The other day when I picked Liv up from preschool she bemoaned the lack of chocolate pudding. I pressed her for more information and discovered they only served VANILLA pudding during snacktime that day.
Oh the horrors. Vanilla.
Coming Home 10.16.07
Like a kid in a candy store, my eyes light up at the New Book section of the library. While I view old books as treasures, I can't help but delight in the shiny covers full of bright pictures and crisp fonts in the New Books section. Before I know it, I've got four books tucked under my arm, only 50% of which I will actually crack open. But it's all about choice for me... IF I want to learn more about Taiwanese cooking, then what do you know? I've got just the book for it!
Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr was one of the lucky picks. Not only did I crack it open, but I read the entire thing and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The book's title and subtitle ("On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World) grabbed my attention and didn't let go of it until I had read the entire book and then perused Doerr's website. The author has convinced me that when I get around to traveling the globe, Italy will be high on my list of Places to See.
Working my way towards that 50% quota, I then flipped open Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time. This book is the choice for the One Book, One Lincoln campaign of '07 and frankly I was surprised to find an extra copy at the library. After spending some time among all the boungiorno's and ancient structures and pigeons and graffitti of Rome, I found myself feeling relieved upon opening Egan's book and reading Willa Cather's words:
"Between the earth and that sky I felt erased, blotted out."
I had come home. The travels were great, as they always are, but the never-ending prairies and skies, the quickly changing weather and common sense mentality of the midwest is home to me. Even when it is only found on dry white pages between a shiny new cover.
Football in Nebraska 10.15.07
I'll be the first to admit I don't understand the politics behind Husker football. At any rate, it didn't take a football genius to know that changes were in store for the University's program after the big loss on Saturday.
This post is my chance to "look cool about knowing stuff early," says my husband. But, as he noted in an email, I've already been beat by the Journal Star article referenced above. I'm using the post to fill my blog on an otherwise boring and empty (blog-wise) Monday.
Yes, people. I don't have anything else I'd rather be doing right now. The dishwasher's a'washin' and the babe is a'sleeping.
Recipe Blogging 10.10.07
I just posted a recipe for Lindsey Friesen's Chocolate Bundt Cake on Needs More Butter. And though it made a delightful breakfast this morning, I only tagged it as "served at community dinner" and "dessert."
Too bad there's not a tag for "sweet-tooths may eat at any time of day."
Pumpkin Patch 2007 10.09.07
Livia, not certain about the dancing monsters behind mom's back
It's that time again... Time for another visit to one of the local farms with harvest festivities. This year I learned of the term "agri-tainment" (which our newspaper wrote as "agri-taintment" but surely that can't be right!) and agri-taining it certainly was. The entry prices went up, there were no more free pumpkins from the fields, and the bounce houses were a dollar extra--yet, it was all for the support of a local business so I didn't mind. Plus, the kids had SO MUCH FUN running around the farm and going on the hayrack ride. It was well-worth the few extra bucks I spent.
I should also note that I plan to attempt Jeannette's delicious from-scratch pumpkin pie again this year. Last year's pumpkin became decoration, so hopefully I'll follow through in '07. Stay tuned.
Nix That 10.05.07
I suppose I'm ready to be 30 afterall... I just Sharpied black the bare midriff on Livia's Happy Meal toy.
The Countdown to 30
I've been on the countdown to 30 since December 7, 2006, the day after I turned 29. On the sixth of every month I have this eerie sensation: Goodbye, twenties. I'm going to be 30 soon. Don't bother telling me how ridiculous I'm being because I'm fully aware of the silliness. And for the record, I have no problem with my friends, my husband!, and others turning 30+. It's fine if y'all need to go ahead and grow up, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to head into my thirties. I'm going to be thirty-something. Like the TV show. Hmm.
Here's where I want your opinion, dear friends, fellow bloggers and previously anonymous readers. What should 30 year olds not do that 29 year olds can? Is there an age where people should dress and "act their age"? What age is that? The real question I want answers to is, when should men and women stop shopping in the young and hip juniors department at Target? Bring on the widely varied responses. The more the merrier. And heck, we all have opinions on this stuff, so opine away.
My talented friend (and stylist) Carrie turned my hair a lovely deep shade of red yesterday. I felt like this was something to be done before turning 30. Why? No clue, but I like the way it turned out!
The New Guy 10.02.07
Class, this is Owen James Choi. Owen is new to town. In fact, everything about Owen is new. His skin is new, his eyes are new, his chubby little knees are new. His parents might be feeling kind of new, too. I already love Owen and I suspect you will, too. Make him feel welcome! : )
Recipe Blogging
German Apple Cake
Needs More Butter continues to grow in number of recipes and inspires me to try new dishes from the Morehead and O'Donnell households. If you have a favorite dish you highly recommend, send it in my direction! r_l_t_@_tredways._org (get rid of the underscore marks and email away)
Chillin
Me: Do you remember who gave you that toy?
Livia: Yep, Bean. [pause] Pretty cool, honh? Pretty cool, son!
Son? It's like we just got off the basketball court where she schooled me something fierce, maybe slam-dunked a ball over my head or something. Liv's hip with the lingo, yo. Son.
The Gorilla Family 10.01.07
I don't actually know that these gorillas, from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, are related, but I like to imagine they are. The adorable baby would clap his hands and beat his chest (almost like he was just pretending to be a real gorilla) and then go jump on the medium-sized gorilla for a game of "tickle-wrestle," as Jeremy and Liv call it. In fact, the whole time I watched the little one goad the bigger one into wrestling, I couldn't help but think of the way Livia loves to jump on Jeremy until he'll, well, tickle-wrestle. The funny thing was Big Mama, the gorilla I imagine as the matriarch. She never moved her hefty belly at all, but just sat and GLARED at the zoo patrons. I'm watchin' you and I don't trust you one bit. Hilarious.
