Money is Worth More in Dreams than Dollars

Every year for my birthday, family members send money with a birthday card. Even though it feels like it's been ages since my birthday, I still haven't spent half of it. To me, it is far more interesting to dream about what that money could buy than to actually spend it. To walk into a store and realize you have endless possibilities, but to walk out with just one thing, seems disappointing. Was that one item the thing you wanted or needed most? Is it far more special than anything else you could have bought?

Sometimes being frugal is annoying. But it reminds me that spending money and buying "stuff" is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, my hubby and I were talking just the other night about how we most enjoy gifts that allow us to spend time together in some way. My hope is that we will all spend and give wisely this Christmas season.

Lucy's Advice for the Overworked Human

This is from a card I wrote for my mother-in-law this week.

Lucy the Schnauzer's Advice for the Overworked Human

1. Solar charge yourself. Take naps in the sun.
2. Eat an extra treat.
3. Beg for a scratch behind the ears. Or for scraps from the table. Actually, just beg.
4. Make yourself comfortable on the biggest bed in the house.
5. Play with all of your toys and spread them all over the house. Toys = Happiness.
6. Bark at the neighbors. It relieves stress.
7. Be underfoot. It brings joy to others - even if they don't realize it.
8. Eat an early dinner. There's no reason you can't have dinner at 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon.
9. Chase a squirrel.
10. When all else fails, hide under the bed!

Thankful Thursdays

This week, I'm thankful for:

• my marriage
• hilarious and fun co-workers
• creative moments especially in the kitchen! (This week: beef lo-mein, pesto pizza with veggies, and baked burritos.)
• several free nights to hang out and do nothing, which is truly a rarity these days
• an endless pot of tea to soothe my scratchy throat and sniffles
  
  

Goodreads

Every now and then I like to put in a plug for goodreads.com. If you love to read, are always looking for new interesting titles, or just find it enjoyable to look back at what books you've finished, you should try it. Goodreads is part functional website with a literary focus and part social networking site. You create an account, add books as you read them, and post reviews if you like. You can search for books, read others' reviews, and even participate in free book sharing (which I've never tried).

I have a terrible memory for retaining information I've read, so I like to go back once in a while and see what I thought about certain books. It's interesting to discover which ones you remember most and decide to share with your friends!

Eat, Pray, Think

Earlier this week, I spotted the newest issue of Christianity Today on my boss's desk and took a second glance when I read the issue's title, "Eat, Pray, Think." Those who know me know I am obsessed with the way America's industrialized food system has changed the way we eat, the way we view health and medicine, and the way we view the world and the environment.

I finally got a chance to read the article, entitled "A Feast Fit for the King," by Leslie Leyland Fields. Reading through the first half, I found the author very articulate-she echoed my thoughts exactly about the largest pieces of the problem, especially as seen through a Christian lens. The second half of the article went on to discuss obsessions people sometime develop when they focus too much on food as an idol, not as a part of a larger call to environmental stewardship.

If you're looking for a short overview of the new whole food trend, read just the first half or so - it's worth your time. The article is not available online (or I would have shared it here), so the next time you're at your local library or bookstore, look it up.

Thankful Thursdays

This week, I am thankful for:

• an unexpected night off
• free tickets to hear Stravinsky's Rite of Spring at the NSO
• beautiful fall colors
• new (nice!) neighbors
• laughter at work
• an awesome youth Sunday school class
• no more CSA pickups! (I LOVE my CSA, but I also have a "homework-free" feeling when there is not an abundance of fresh veggies that need to be cooked every week.)

Stress & Cleaning

I had a really hard day on Friday. It was full of wild interruptions, and I felt so stressed with all of the things I already had to do! I was so glad for Friday afternoon to come, when I got to spend some time with Chris. After we had dinner and ran some errands, I went home to....CLEAN! This is what I do when I'm stressed. This time, I took it out on the pantry, and I am now a firm believer in an annual cleaning in your pantry or kitchen storage. I could not believe some of the things I found in there! Anyway, it is a day later and my pantry has been ridiculously cleaned and reorganized, and my spirit is revived.....for now.

Fall Musings

Every autumn for the last couple of years I find myself in a creative time warp - I'm so exhausted from doing fun things all spring and summer, cooking creatively with in-season veggies that demand to be eaten, and trying to find interesting and new things to entertain us, that I get completely worn out. Lately I haven't had the energy to do anything at home - cook, clean, exercise, be interesting....blah blah blah.

Luckily, this season offers tons of enjoyment all on its own! I'm looking toward some of my favorite things of fall:

• apple cider warming on the stove
• pumpkins
• pumpkin flavored anything
• soups
• the crunch of fallen leaves
• cool evenings
• bare tree limbs
• fall picnics
• campfires
• cool-weather hiking

Just thinking about this things recharges my batteries! I cannot wait until fall is really in full-swing!

Summer Recap, Part 2: Honduras

Our Little Roses is the first home for girls in Honduras. It was founded and is supported by the Episcopal Church nationally and throughout the world. Our church makes two trips each year. Chris and I went at the last minute as youth leaders to fill an unexpected gap. Like many mission trips, you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes, I was disappointed because I wasn't sure that my presence there made much difference. And then sometimes, I was sweating, working hard, and building relationships that hopefully will grow over time. It was a great experience overall, and I am hopefull that it was meaningful to the girls at OLR, too.

This is from an article I wrote for the church about the trip:

One special moment from my recent trip to Our Little Roses was an afternoon with Heidy, a fair-skinned, bright-eyed young girl. She speaks no English, and I speak very little Spanish,but her big smile lets you know she doesn’t mind. One afternoon about halfway through our trip, Heidy came up to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me over to another part of the courtyard.

“Come on,” she told me in her young voice. “Where?” I asked. “School,” she said. She was pretending to take me to her favorite places! So she picked up my bag and pulled me over to where her “school” was. We packed and unpacked my bag for school, traveled to the pool, went back to school, and even took a nap! Our pretend day took us all over the courtyard and to even bigger places in Heidy’s imagination. Other than a few words from my early high school Spanish vocabulary, we didn’t communicate verbally. Our friendship and love was created in laughter and hand-holding, pretending and imaginary games.

Children all over the world share the same desire for love and attention, and any person can make a difference. I am blessed to have been able to share that afternoon of pretending with one special girl.

Heidy is the girl with crazy-curly hair.

Maryuri was paired up with Chris during the trip. She was awesome and outgoing once we really got to see her personality.

This barrio (neighborhood) is on the river. Most of the people who live here don't work or have any income, get no public support from the government, and pretty much spend their whole lives in this slum. The water they drink from is also used by animals, so it's fraught with disease, and of course they don't have access to good medical care. Many of the OLR girls come from places like this.

Summer Recap, Part I: Alaska

This summer we were lucky enough to take a trip to Alaska. We had perfect weather (truly!) and had a really interesting time. It's the kind of place that would be interesting to live in for a year or two. Of course, the inviting notion of 4 regular seasons would win me back over, eventually!

Near the Chilkoot Pass.

A gorgeous day in teeny town of Skagway (year-round population of about 900).

Sea kayaking in Ketchikan.

We saw tons of bald eagles and got to spend the morning out in the quiet of nature.

Yes, you've been hiking, but have you hiked on a glacier? We spent an amazing 50 degree day climbing and hiking on Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.

One of many wildlife sightings in Glacier Bay National Park. I heard many people say they saw more wildlife that day than they had on other trips combined! We saw humpback whales, a moose (swimming!), puffins, otters, and seals.

Before the cruise, we had to be a little touristy in Vancouver and check out the Olympic torch.

The flowers in Vancouver and Alaska were huge and beautiful. They often used lettuces and herbs in flower beds through the cities - especially in Vancouver and Anchorage. Foliage really goes crazy during the short summer because the days are so long that far north.

The other thing you may not know is that Vancouver intentionally helps the bee population by installing bee hives on skyscrapers throughout the city. Our hotel even keeps a full-time bee keeper on staff!

New Discovery - JJ Sneed

I'm working on a small project for a local art show, and as usual, I googled the artist to see what he was all about. I'm really enjoying some of his pieces, especially this one, called, "Together." (We won't talk about the fact that I am past my deadline - yikes!)

My favorite, which I could not show here, is called "Reunion." Check it out on his website at www.jjsneed.com. I love discovering the work of artists who are currently creating new pieces all the time!

Thankful Thursdays

This week, I'm thankful for:

• an exciting opportunity to work with a different group of youth at church.

• rain that doesn't make the power go out at work.

• helpful customer support people.

• "marriage therapy" chats with my awesome hubby.

• an unusual amount of oboe gigs.

• kind compliments from church members.

• a puppy who brings me smiles and stress relief.

• hiking and playing outside in the cooler weather.

The wheels are turning in the meat industry

Thank you, NYT for this article, "U.S. Meat Farmers Brace for Limits on Antibiotics." 'nuff said. Read up, people.

It's time for healthier and safer practices in the American food industry.

Seeking Rest

I am a doer by nature. I am not satisfied with myself or my day unless I can somehow see the fruits of my labor. This often leads me to be exhausted, overworked, and irritable at the end of the day. Over the past few weeks, I have tried to intentionally allow myself to rest more - and to enjoy it!

Two summers ago, I had the privilege of hearing Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath, speak at my church. Her great articulation on the traditional Jewish concept of rest has stuck with me since that day. The extreme application of this is that some Jews avoid working or creating anything on the Sabbath. In other words, there would be no scribbling down a phone number on a post-it because that note didn't exist before. There would be no lighting candles or turning on a lamp if that light was not already glowing.

It is hard for me to learn the discipline of sitting still, but I often think of the day I first learned to think about rest this way. Resting is not simply the lack of productive work. Rest in itself can be productive - it is a time for our minds to rejuvenate, a time to meditate and pray, and a time that reinforces the value of doing important work when the time comes.

Going Organic?

I enjoyed and learned a lot from this Whole Living article. If you eat organic foods, do you really know what that means? Ever wondered what some of the government-stipulated mandates are for organic foods?

Did you know that the "Organic" label means that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic? "Made with organic foods" label can be only 70% organic! And what does that really mean?

Where do the extra costs come from?

Is local better than organic? It depends! The argument is not an apples to apples discussion.

This is one of the most informative articles I have read on organic foods, however this is only the tip of the iceberg! This doesn't address the colorings, additives, and preservatives that are allowed to be included in "organic" label foods.

For me, the conclusion is that locally grown, organically raised, whole foods are best!

I'm still here!

Well, it's been an extremely busy and jam-packed summer. I kind of fell off the blogging wagon, but I don't really care - it was nice to just enjoy the time doing other things.

However, I have been up to more craftiness lately and wanted to share! These are some of my latest projects:

No - Close Pillowcase

Last week, Chris and I decided it was finally time to buy some decent curtains for our living room. We picked out a fun-looking design, got home, and hung them up. Lo, and behold - we had an extra tie-back! I wanted to use it in a fun way, so I found an old pillow and created a new pillowcase for it out to the tieback and two new cloth napkins. The secret is that instead of sewing the pillow into the case, I decided to make it fold into the case just like a pillow sham for the bed:

This second picture shows the opening:

Homemade Peach Jam

Last week at the CSA pick-up, I was easily talked into buying a basket of fresh peaches. (It was not hard for them to convince me!) There was great debate in our house over what yummy method we should use to preserve them. Jam was the final option, and we really got a great system going. Now, we have 18 delicious jars of homemade peach jam! It was so good, I just started eating it with a spoon.

The Art of Story-Telling

Thoroughly enjoyed another date night last night with Chris! We ate leftovers for dinner = No Cooking. We went to McKay used book store to swap out more old things for new-to-us things = No Paying. Spontaneously stopped by Publix on the way home to stock up on unnecessary snacks and provisions = No Caring. Went home to watch a good movie! All together a fun and relaxing night!

We watched Troy, which is a pretty good telling of the story of the war between Troy and Sparta over the beautiful Helen, who was rumored to be as beautiful as some of the gods. This struck up an interesting little conversation as we realized that nobody has told stories the way the ancient Greeks told stories. Namely, The Odyssey, The Iliad, and others like it have been the epic tales by which all other tales are measured. But we know everything about the world, now! There are few mysteries on our planet that foster the kind of creative dreaming that the ancient Greeks were accustomed to. Sea monsters, sirens, cyclops, and vengeful gods are so far from our minds that we just forget to dream them up. I find that a little sad.

Maybe this is why the Harry Potter series has become so popular with people of all ages - JK Rowling does manage to dream up ideas, monsters, lifestyles, and adversaries so far beyond our everyday lives that reading her stories is captivating. I absolutely recommend them to anyone who likes a good story!

Thankful Thursdays

This week I'm most thankful for:

• Making new friends
• Newly arriving summer veggies
• Dates with my hubby
• Looking forward to exciting experiences this summer
• NPR's "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" podcasts

All's Quiet...

I've been pretty quiet on the blog-front lately because I've been busy living life! Not a bad thing. Chris and I are preparing to lead some youth from our church on an international mission trip. I'm so excited to be doing this with him - he and I have never had a real opportunity to do this kind of work together. I'm excited for us to be challenged and grow together!

I'm also addicted to a TV show I found on Netflix called "30 Days." It was created by the man who was inspired by the likes of Fast Food Nation to go on a fast-food only diet for 30 days. The resulting documentary called Super Size Me is a fascinating trip down the fast lane toward an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. "30 Days" is a show that puts people of opposing mindsets in each other's company for 30 days. They learn about the opposing viewpoint, and the whole experience usually opens discussions in an amazingly interesting way. Some of the topics have been about religious differences, illegal immigration, outsourcing jobs to other countries, clinical anti-aging methods, etc. I certainly have some strong opinions on things, but what I love even more is when people can get together and swap stories and beliefs in a healthy environment and LEARN from each other! Very cool.

My life in pictures

Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks that celebrate all things spring!

Lucy with a fresh haircut!

Homemade strawberry tart with strawberry-orange jam. Delicious!

CSA box from a couple weeks ago.

Yummy strawberry-lime popsicles, made from fresh, local strawberries!

Thankful Thursdays

This week I am thankful for:

• homemade strawberry-lime popsicles in the freezer
• watching old school movies like Jurassic Park!
• getting excited about the mission trip to Honduras this summer
• late night walks with Lucy
• dinner with new friends
• homemade pizza!

Thankful Thursdays

Well, last week I missed this. Due to the major flooding in Nashville, the church I work and worship at was completely wet on the entire first floor. We missed 4 days of work in the office, but luckily many of us were able to work from home, helping to communicate the damage to church members by email and the website. So when I wasn't up all night checking my email and being stressed out, I was trying to sleep. I was not feeling very thankful, and I certainly didn't have the time to dig in and force myself!

This week I am thankful for:

• being confirmed at my church on Sunday
• a wonderful relationship with my hubby
• friendships with the youth at my church (you guys need to visit me at work this summer!)
• lower levels of stress
• beautiful sunsets
• crossing things off my to-do list
• fun co-workers
• the swearing in of new US citizens tomorrow!
• my puppy's beautiful haircut (by yours truly)

The Celebrity of Memoirs

I have just breezed through 3 books and am now onto the 4th in two weeks. After opening this most recent one, I realized how they're all connected: the "me" ideology. I'm quite certain I'm not the first to notice this, but seriously, but the biggest book deals, box-office sellers, and blog followings are all linked by the idea that someone ("me") thinks some part of their life is compelling for other people in the world. (And yes, I realize that by having a blog, I am in that category of people.) Just to give a few examples, these are the titles that immediately come to mind:

• Julia & Julia: Girl meets cookbook. Girl thinks cooking every recipe in a cookbook and blogging about it will be exciting and helpful to others.
• The $64 Tomato: Man v. garden. Not a new story, but he writes about it anyway.
• Plenty: Couple embarks on an epicurean journey to eat foods grown within $100 miles, and other people are right to be fascinated by their struggles.
• The Unlikely Disciple: College liberal acts as a mole in one of the most fundamentalist and conservative universities in the nation and lives to tell the tale.
• Girl Meets God: A light examination of a young Jewish woman's story of conversion to the Christian faith.
• Under the Tuscan Sun: A woman buys property in a foreign country and writes about her cultural immersion.
• The Year of Living Biblically: One not-so-Jewish man decides to follow the Bible's rules and teachings as literally as possible, partially for the learning process and partially so he can write a book about it!

Clearly, I am fascinated by these "me-ideology" memoirs. By definition, memoirs are a class of autobiography that center on a small piece of a person's life or views, rather than a lifespan, like typical autobiographies. But still, it seems to me like the current trend is first decide to write a book and then decide what to write about. The cultural value lies in having written the memoir, not the context or subject matter of the writing, almost as if there is some celebrity that comes with being published. There may be less forethought than historically speaking, but I am still sucked into it anyway.

Now, back to my book...

Spring Reading

Spring is the time I decide to be re-obsessed with food, farming, CSAs, etc. It seems like the perfect time really! The last two weeks, I have sped through two books about food and local eating that were enjoying and easy to read.

Plenty is about a couple living in Vancouver (and in the middle of nowhere) who decide that it would be awesome to eat foods only within 100 miles of their home. And why, yes, they ARE crazy! It was extremely difficult and funny to read about - but it is also inspiring for those interested in the concept of local food.

The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden, by William Alexander, is a hilarious, speed-read about a man and the ridiculous struggles he has in the battle of man v. garden. He dreams of the perfect, existential kitchen garden that will make him feel that he's "getting back to nature," and "connecting with the earth," etc. It really is hysterical, and I read it in about 3 days.

The Tell-All Generation

The beauty of my smartphone is that I can now do something useful when I have 5 or 10 minutes to wait! Today, while waiting for a new Honduras trip (more on that later) buddy, I was browsing the New York Times Most Emailed articles - and yes, there's an app for that! I stumbled upon this article, The Tell-All Generation Learns to Keep Things Offline. I was quite interested by the stats of my generation, the 20-somethings, and younger generations, who seem to use social networking sites constantly, but who also seem to be wary of privacy restrictions and ever-changing website policies (ehem...Facebook).

Thought I would share!!

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for:

• time spent with my Mom, who didn't realize she would be travelling here in the worst rainstorm in Nashville's history.
• living on the second story, which was worry-free during the monsoon and flood
• the outpouring of volunteers that have shown up at my church, which suffered badly from the flood
• not being a homeowner in the middle of the flood! (are you catching the theme here)
• not losing power or water (yet?)
• our first CSA delivery, which came at the height of the flooding
• our CSA farmers, who were largely unharmed by the flood
• an unexpected week of sleeping late

CSA Ups and Downs

It seems timely to say something about the risks people take when they join a CSA. (Photo: young apples, www.avalon-acres.com)

A CSA, or Community Shared Agriculture, is a kind of local co-op that provides locally grown produce, meat, and eggs to people in the community. This is the third year we have joined our CSA, and I love it! We go to a nearby church once a week and pick up a box of whatever has been freshly harvested. It's always a surprise to open the box each week! Our CSA also provides fresh fruit, meat, eggs, canned goods, baked goods, and pasta that you can buy in addition to what you get in your box.

The perks of participating in this kind of program are innumerable:

• Knowing where your food comes from
• Helping the local economy
• Being exposed to foods you never would have tried before
• Consuming more veggies in a week than you thought possible. (If you have 3 heads of lettuce, you'll try hard to eat them before they go bad, but who would ever buy 3 heads of lettuce all at once from the store?)
• Supporting small business owners
• Developing a relationship with the people and growers who bring you food each week
• Lowering your carbon footprint by eating foods that come from close by, not 5,000 miles away
• Voting with your dollar for foods that are raised with natural methods, not industrial grade pesticides and genetically modified varieties.
• Etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunately, the downside of all of this home-grown, back to the earth kind of eating is just that: it's about the earth. So in Nashville, where we have just experienced the worst flood in over 100 years, it's impossible to say yet how the local crops will be affected. I've been keeping up with the blog on avalon-acres.com, my CSA, where they have posted pictures and video updates about the flood damage they're experiencing.

I'm sad at the damage they've sustained and the hard work they have ahead of them. I'm also sad (on a MUCH smaller scale) for me and for my possible loss of investment. But that's the way it goes. And hopefully, most of their spring crops have survived, and we'll be even more thankful for them in the end.

Dear God...

Dear God,

It's a bit rainy down here. Where's Noah and his little boat when you need him? I can't drive anywhere right now - all the roads are blocked off with water, and people's home are flooded all over the city. I hear that the church is a complete disaster: I hope you'll help us recover what we can and work through it with grateful hearts. Most of my area of town is completely under water - families are being rescued in boats.

Please send a nice sunny week to dry up the flooding. Help people be kind and welcoming to their neighbors who are experiencing pain and loss. And remind us how to be grateful for what good is in our lives, even in the midst of disaster.

Love, Becca

Thankful Thursdays

I'm just going to spout out some more random thoughts tonight, because that's all I can seem to muster. This has felt like an extremely long week. No one event has been bad, but small stresses at work and at home pile on top of each other until you feel completely burdened with them all. Yikes!

And during all of this, I've IMMENSELY enjoyed reading the Facebook updates of a woman at my old church who I consider part of my extended family. Every night, she is inspired by a church friend of hers who continues to see life in a positive, uplifting way, even though she is a 15 year survivor of colon cancer and now is battling another cancer. (I don't mean to suggest that being a cancer surviver is bad, but surely this woman has earned the right to gripe now and then!)

This inspiring woman has encouraged my friend (and many others!) to take the time each night to reflect on the positive things from each day, instead of dwelling on the "should-have's," "need-to's," etc. With her spirit in mind, I'm installing a new series: Thankful Thursdays! Hopefully, I'll remember to share them here. But if not, know that I'm making a stronger effort in my own life to linger longer over the joyful moments from each day.

Today I am thankful for:

• the arrival of spring & the first farm harvests coming very quickly
• my fabulous husband
• a beautiful afternoon walk with Lucy the Miniature Schnauzer
• some time alone to read and reflect
• a visit from my mom (tomorrow-yay!)

10 Things I Learned About Myself This Week

1. Angry drivers make ME angry.
2. Compassion drives me to stay on the phone for 27 minutes too long (in a 30 min. convo) even when I'm getting yelled at the whole time.
3. I LOVE visits at work from my youth kids!!!
4. When I don't turn the TV on, I don't miss it.
5. I am addicted to my ipod, which was discovered when my ears started getting sore from too much earbud time.
6. Small, happy surprises go a long way to cheering me up.
7. Dancing to music is more fun than sitting still.
8. Life is hard. Having patience is harder. Being patient with God is hardest of all.
9. Puppy kisses are the best.
10. Laughter makes every moment more magical.

No Impact Life

Have you heard of the No Impact Man? He and his family embarked on a one-year adventure to remove all aspects of negative environmental impact they have on the world. Thankfully, they didn't just go cold turkey, but they slowly transitioned out of things over time. This includes eliminating trash, finding fuel-less forms of transportation, eliminating chemical usage (cleaners, cosmetics, etc.), removing electricity in their New York apartment, etc. I read his blog occasionally, and I've just watched the documentary of his project. I appreciate that he says the whole point of the project is not to keep his family from doing things but to find ways for his family to continue their everyday lives with as little environmental impact as possible.

Chris and I do some of these small, everyday things already. We live in an apartment, which lowers the acreage required to house families in a neighborhood. We are participating in our third season of a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture), which provides local produce, meats, bakery items, pastas, and canned/preserved foods. We've changed out our lightbulbs, Chris walks to work everyday, we recycle every square inch of waste possible, and we try to nudge our thermostat a little higher each summer.

After seeing the NIM documentary, I am now thinking of other small ways I can lower my impact on the environment. I like the idea of a daily electricity fast when it's daylight - there's obviously no need for lamps when there is plenty of light coming in through the windows. I would love to switch all of our food to local meat, cheeses, etc. Unfortunately there is a big of a cost dilemma there, and I'm not sure it's possible. I could turn off my work computer when I'm not working, which seems like such a pain. I'm sure I can wait patiently for the 5 minutes it takes to really get into gear each morning.

The ultimate problem with the issue of lowering our negative environmental impact is that every so often, we reach a point where our good habits become routine. We no longer have to think about whether to recycle something instead of throw it in the trash - it's habit. Because it's a well-trained habit, we don't think about why we're doing it as much as we used to. Comfort becomes a crutch, and that's when we think we're doing everything we can. Not true.

Carpe diem. Take today, think about it, come up with one small thing you can do in addition to what great things you do already. And do it. Make it a habit, talk about it with your friends. This is a recipe for change!

Neti Pot: 3, Becca: 1

I used to make fun of my college roommate who used a Neti Pot to stave off sickness and congestion. I have a friend in Nashville who loves using one, and it's great to joke with her about the experience of using it.

As of today, I have finally given in and purchased a Neti Pot.

This was actually spurred on by my doctor's visit from yesterday. She said that in a recent ENT conference, a panel of three ENT specialists were all commenting of the severity of allergy symptoms in the Nashville area. Each of the three suggested nasal rinsing as the easiest, cheapest, most fool-proof way to maintain and ease allergy symptoms.

So, after getting my grubby little hands this one from Bed, Bath, and Beyond...

Photo: www.bedbathandbeyond.com

...I rush home to test it out, and the current score is 3:1 in favor of the NP. I have pretty severe allergies. I would hate to actually count the number of times I sneeze or blow my nose each day (and yes, this is with allergy medicine of various kinds). If I did, I would estimate 50-75 times on an average day!! It truly interrupts my life, not that I let it keep me from being outdoors.

After 3 failed attempts to use the NP successfully this afternoon, I did a little research and discover that it just won't work if you are congested. So I'm not really sure what good this will do for me in the long run, but I'm not giving up hope yet!

Working Through a Crisis

Do you ever have a day or a week when everything seems to be spiraling downhill? I am now on the upswing of one of those weeks.

To begin with, we heard the news that my husband's VERY elderly grandfather had a fall and broke his hip, which required surgery to repair. He is 96 or so, and there were a number of complications based on his age, blood pressure, etc. Thankfully, he is doing as well as can be expected, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, because of his age and health, it's entirely possible that his days with us are numbered, so it continues to weigh heavily on us.

About 15 minutes after hearing that news, I got word at the office that two of our church families were experiencing a crisis of sorts. I work at the church, and anytime any church member is ill, dies, or experiences some kind of life-altering event, we feel it very deeply. Everyone in the office continues working, but we're all actually thinking about the news and what we might need to do next. Before working at a church, I never realized how crucial a role the church plays in many people's lives. While the hospital or a close family member is usually the first phone call during a crisis, the church is often the second. And it sometimes takes the coordination of several staff members to establish who will be able to help and in what way. The day-to-day business of the organization dictates our task list, but stopping everything to aid a church family is our purpose. I think it's pretty cool.

And of course, somewhere in the back of my mind over the course of the week are the terribly annoying mundane things which naturally cause more stress than they should: lease renewals, vacation plans, doctors appointments, kennel arrangements, etc. etc.

Strangely, I noticed that during the stress of this week, I hardly took two seconds to stop everything and pray. Instead, I felt like everything I did and said was a prayer. Sometimes God knows our prayers even when we don't stop to speak them aloud.

Need 2 bucks for free shipping?

I may have heard about this on npr, but I just can't remember. Anyway, say you've clocked over an hour wandering on amazon.com doing a little unnecessary shopping, but it's all going to be okay, since you'll get free shipping! And then, SURPRISE, you are 2 bucks short from the magical number that will allow your carefully chosen merchandise to travel the country in search of your doorstep at absolutely no cost to you.

What is one to do?! Well, there are two options:

1. keep shopping, and spend way more money than you intend to in order to meet the dollar amount needed.

2. go to http://www.filleritem.com/

Filleritem.com will let you pop in the exact amount needed and search the amazon site for an item that costs EXACTLY the amount you need. It's genius! I haven't used it yet, but I think it's worth sharing!

Random Spring Thoughts

Craving: fresh, local vegetables.

Hiding from: Pollen - it's everywhere! I imagine it coming after me in an adapted version of The Blob.

Excited about: Harvesting fresh spinach from my balcony for lunch tomorrow!

Want to eat: Coleslaw with almonds and sesame seeds.

On ipod: Harry Potter IV read by Jim Dale.

Thinking about: Summer trips to Honduras and Alaska.

Wishing I could: Go on a clothing shopping spree!

Spring is Here!

Spring has finally arrived in Nashville, so my friends and I celebrated by going to visit Cheekwood last weekend when it was free to the public (woohoo!). Lo, and behold that on the day of our visit, we encountered the annual Daffodil show. (Who knew there was such a thing.) And yes, it is like a dog show, but with daffodils. People from all over the region enter their home-grown daffodils in any of 8 categories, individually or in groups, for judgment. Only the most well-behaved daffodils will win a prestigious ribbon. But seriously, it was pretty interesting, and the flowers were beautiful!

It's also spring at my apartment! Last year, I had ambitions of starting herbs and lettuces from seed and feasting on them all summer long. This year, I have made peace with my non-green thumb, and I went to the store and bought herbs and spinach instead! If you come to my apartment, you'll find a lovely assortment of spinach, dill, mint, basil, lemon thyme, and rosemary. They all look wonderful in their first two weeks in residence! I can't wait to use them for cooking and canning this summer. Oh, and mojitos!

Etsy: Epic Fail?

I love crafts, crafting, dorky silly things, etc. etc. The list could go on forever. I was cruising around Etsy tonight and was absolutely astonished. When Etsy.com was first becoming popular, it was a cool online place for people to buy and sell their unique, handmade items. When I was browsing tonight, I learned that this is no longer the case! Popularity has ruined Etsy!

Check out this item sold by origamichristmastree: Wasabi Paper Crane.

(Photo from origamichristmastree at etsy.com)

Hand-crafted? Yes

Beautiful? Yes

Insanely overpriced? Yes

I was into origami when I was in middle school, and a paper crane made from nice origami paper is absolutely not worth $5.50 + $1.85 shipping.

FAIL.

These sweet drawer pulls from HomeDecorCrafts are remarkably similar to the Melon Knob sold by Anthropologie!

(Photo from HomeDecorCrafts at Etsy.com)

Hand-crafted? Yes

Beautiful? Yes

Overpriced? No, this is a great deal

Original? NO!

FAIL.

While this is the vintage-crafty version of the off-brand, it still saddens me that this seller on Etsy is just selling look-alike items that don't have an imaginative, creative feel to them.

Is this the bane of popularity? I wonder if it is popular to spread love for creativity and uniqueness without inherently becoming less-unique. It seems like a paradox to me.

Lent Recap: Medical Supplies

Obviously, I suck at blogging lately, but here is the latest installment of my lenten project for 2010.

(Photo courtesy of Picapp.com)

I have visited a local medical clinic once with my co-workers because it is one of the many organizations supported by the church. Siloam Family Health Center is an amazing organization! They have a clinic of doctors and nurses who provide healthcare at extremely low costs to local families who would otherwise be unable to pay for any kind of medical care. Their in-office services are available in almost any language, and their website has pages in English, Arabic, Farsi, Krudish, and Spanish. To quote their website, "No one is ever turned away because they cannot afford to contribute to the ministry. " This is the true meaning of acting on Christian love.

As with so many well-planned organizations, Siloam has a wish-list online with a list of the top 20 most frequently needed items for the clinic. For the second part of my lenten project, I headed over to Costco to load up on some wish-list items. This is truly a ministry that deserves every penny, and then some!

Lent Recap: Food Bank

The food drive at church has not officially started up, but I am ready with my contribution. Amazingly, I was able to buy tons of food at a very low cost because of smart shopping: coupon doubling, sale items, etc. In fact, the overall cost was so much less than I thought it was, that I have bought more items to add to the pile each time I've been to the store since!

This reminds of how fortunate I really am to be able to afford good food in the form of fresh fruits and veggies, organic foods, and very little that is "ready-made" and lacking in real nutrition. Healthier food costs so much more than regular canned food, but I now feel a little better about people who don't have much to spend at the store: a little money really can go a long way if you know how to stretch it. Maybe this is the one thing that under-privileged families have going for them.

After the food drive at church is over, this food will make its way to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

This Week's Contribution: medicine and medical supplies

Please send me your ideas for other ways to contribute to the community!!

Lent: The Plan

The church seasons of Lent begins tomorrow, and with it, many people will be sacrificing something they love as a discipline - usually food. (I once knew a family that gave up wheat - quite a hard sacrifice if you eat the average American diet!)

This year I am inspired to do something different. Chris and I don't have a history of giving to churches financially. No specific reason - we just don't. This year, I want to make money my sacrifice. Once a week, for each week during Lent, my goal is to spend our hard-earned money (which there is not much of, by the way) to better our church or someone else.

So here goes:

Week 1: Food drive. Chris and I will fill up a grocery cart with non-perishables for the food drive at church. Pictures to follow!

I'm going to need help coming up with ideas!! I have one stored away, but I need at least 4 more meaningful ways to make a financial contribution to help someone else. Please send me your thoughts!!

Great Quote

Currently Reading: The Likeness, by Tana French

Check out this amazing quote:

"Regardless of what the advertising campaigns may tell us, we can't have it all. Sacrifice is not an option, or an anachronism; it's a fact of life. We all cut off our own limbs to burn on some altar. The crucial thing is to choose an altar that's worth it and a limb you can accept losing. To go consenting to the sacrifice."

This is amazing on so many levels, I'm not even going to touch it. Just wanted to share it with you.

P.S. - This book is excellent. I can't put it down. Well-written and well-executed suspenseful mystery.

Deep Thoughts with Becca

Today I have been thinking about what we want for ourselves verses what God wants for us. And of course, what we are meant to do. I don't believe that there is only one thing that we are meant to do or be in life, but I do think that in every stage of life, we serve a unique role to ourselves and to other people in our lives.

Today my prayer is that my desire for my life is the same as God's desire for my life. Which is good, since I can't seem to pinpoint either right now! But I am so thankful that God has guided me and taken the time to show me one of my biggest passions.

West Wing and the Census

I am a huge fan of West Wing. At home, Chris and I are working our way through the many delightful seasons, which are all available for perusal on DVD. Here is one of my favorite topics from West Wing, which is particularly relevant since 2010 is a year for US Census.

I had an appointment yesterday with a funny guy who is working on the census numbers to count the homeless. My church is listed as a shelter because we participate in the Room in the Inn program, which allows 12 men to stay here overnight during the coldest months of the year, have 3 good meals, wash their clothes, etc. We do this once every two weeks. The days between their visits with us, they spent nights at other places of worship in the city. This year, on March 29, US Census workers will travel to all of the homeless shelters that are open to count the number of people.

I am excited about this for several reasons:

• I got to participate in the US Census! (Well, kind of)
• The Census does not forget to identify the homeless.
• I got to participate in the US Census!
• The Census is also conscious enough of the homeless to realize that they are transient, so in order to get a relatively accurate head count, they must be counted when they are in one place for the night.

One of the biggest overarching problems with people in need is that fact that we so often choose not to see them. It is nice to see at least one instance where the government and others are actively seeking to know who they are.

Of course, there are still miles to go.

An Update in Pictures

We took Lucy out to play as it snowed on Friday afternoon! She adores the snow and she romped around with delight (truly)! Our 5 inches of snow and ice has been labeled the "worst snowstorm in 7 years by The Tennessean." Interpret that however you like!

Who can resist that face?

Beautiful icicles hanging from a rocky ledge on our hike at Montgomery Bell Park in January.

No, we're not crazy for wearing few clothes - it was unseasonably warm!

Our 6 mile hike was not very challenging, but it was fun to spend some much-needed time outdoors.

We got into a biscuit habit, and this is what came out: delicious, gingerbread men biscuits.

The Not So Good Very Bad Day

Well today has narrowly avoided becoming a Very Bad Day. What happened, you ask? Well, with one staff member short on Wednesdays, no receptionist, a host of parishioners coming to vote in the church leadership election, the phone ringing off the hook, and about a dozen calls for financial assistance, I hardly had two seconds to accomplish any work. Needless to say, I didn't. However, after a somewhat unproductive staff meeting and a lovely snack of scones with cream (we have an English cook on our staff!), I decided to get over it. Truly! I just decided not to care anymore. Whatever I got done is great, and I can only expect so much of myself in one day.

Everyday, there is a window of time when people can come into the office for financial help with food, rent, or utility bills. After our staff meeting, there was a crowd of people waiting outside my office to see me for help. On some days, I have little patience and the interactions are totally draining. But today, the people who came in were so nice, and they seemed to be doing all of the right things to try to help themselves and their families. They were so grateful for my help, which only made me help them more. (You would be amazed at the people who come in with foul dispositions and no manners. It does NOT make someone want to help you.) I even gave one man homework so he could try and get food stamps for his family.

Those kinds of interactions make the rest of this worth it. When I am stuck copying and folding letters all morning, my day is completely brightened when I can help someone in need. This morning I said a short prayer and asked for help being joyous today. My prayer was answered in the end.

Daydreaming

I have to admit, sometimes I want the fairy tale. It's not that I don't appreciate the people and circumstances in my life. But sometimes, I wonder what things would be like . . .

Shout Out!

I have to give a shout out to this hilarious blog that was highlighted today on Blogger. Disclaimer: This WILL make you laugh. Do not try to drink. Do not try to be quiet. You will not succeed. (And yes, I'll warn you now about the language.)

The blog is Sleep Talkin' Man. I think this couple records each evening's sleep, then plays it back to see what fabulous things are said in the dead of night.

I have not laughed this hard in a Very Long Time!

Here are some highlights to entice you to for the hilarious laughter you're about to enjoy:

"This fish has got big floppy lips. Floppy lips. Fishy kissy fishy kissy. Oop, took one on the mouth! Not nice."

"Oh, we're going to be late for the pogo ballet, stop it!"

"Don't leave the duck there. It's totally irresponsible. Put it on the swing, it'll have much more fun."

Blog Tracking

So I've signed up for some free analytics to report track on this blog, and I have to say that it's totally fascinating! For example, how does someone from Winnipeg come across my little blog about my little life? (I'm assuming it was unintentional!) Somebody lives in Merrifield, VA, which I can assure you I've never heard of even though I practically grew up in Northern Virginia (NOVA, to the locals). Not one person has checked this out from their iphone. Also, 23% prefer macs to PCs.

I now know more about you than your Significant Others - including what browser you use, whether it's via mac or pc, how much time you spend on here sucked into my ridiculous rantings, and how you got here in the first place!

No wonder the FBI can track people down through their computer usage. This is insane (and insanely cool). Just thought you'd want to know. :)

Reflecting on Christmas

Mary and Joseph are hanging out in the front office again. In Advent, families come by to take them home and use the evening to talk about how Mary and Joseph traveled for a long time before reaching Bethlehem. Someone said Mary really wanted a girl, and we all laughed about how different the world would be if Mary had a girl instead of baby Jesus. But really, if we want to think about Jesus having the most humble origins, wouldn't he have been female? I'm no expert on ancient Hebrew culture, but I can safely guess that men had privileges and rights women would have only dreamed of. So why not a woman?

Why haven't I thought of this before?

And if Jesus didn't come 2,000 years ago and decided to show up for the first time today, who would he be?

I Know I'll Make It Because . . .

I amuse myself.

Tonight I went to put on my pajamas. Couldn't find them. 'Cause I'm STILL wearing them!

This is evidence of a Saturday well-spent. And proof that I am slowly learning how to relax and not be "on" all the time.

Snow in Nashville

So Nashville has some snow. And by this I mean, it's beautiful to watch come down all day, and it doesn't accumlate other than the roads being the tiniest bit slick. This came to my work email today and it was HILARIOUS, so I had to share! It is so true in Nashville!

Warning! Warning!
A snowflake drifted through the jet stream from Iowa and attempted to land near Smyrna . Avoid the area!!!

TDOT has responded with 6 snow plows that were able to surround the flake.

They hit it with flame throwers and did melt it before it struck the ground however.

They are now working with a Shop Vac to remove moisture before it freezes.

33,000 metric tons of salt have also be applied in the general area as a precaution.

In other news….

A freak salt storm has been reported in the parking areas and sidewalks of companies all over Nashville.

Walking and driving is hazardous due to the accumulation of salt which has made walkways slippery due to its round granular shape.

Epicurious Wonderment

So I came across this link today for a seasonal foods map at Epicurious! I was super excited and checking out various states and their veggie schedule. And then, I started looking at Tennessee (this is where I live, people), and it occurs to me that this must be a commercial growing map! ARG! For example, my locally grown strawberries come in May and early June, but on the schedule they don't show up until July. July being an impossible time for local strawberries because of the heat.

How frustrating! Just when you think you've found something brilliant!

In better news, I have checked out this fabulous veggie cookbook from the library. I haven't cooked anything in it yet, but I am very encouraged!! I would recommend that you pick it up, except I don't plan on returning anytime soon...