So, yesterday, I made myself a little light lunch, and while it was heating up, I employed one of my favorite quotes - "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!" I nibbled a little on one of Grandma's Delicious cookies (see below) and left half of it for later.
When I came back from doing some of my homework, I discovered the cookie half stuck in one of the burners on my stove. A little furry "friend" must have been reading my blog about Grandma's cookies and perhaps he figured that since I am a librarian, I might actually go through all the antics of the delightful book, "If you give a mouse a cookie..."
Not so lucky here! He had already nibbled on another cookie and we've been waiting for him! (Don't get between me and my cookies!) This meant war! So I drug the "Tomcat" mousetrap onto the stove, to lay in wait for his return. John added peanut butter to sweeten the lure. And we waited to hear the deadly "SNAP." (cue evil laugh here!)
Well, there was no SNAP - and no peanut butter - this morning when we awoke. Very clever, little mouse.
But later, I was again quietly going about my homework when....SNAP!!! We had him!!
Oh, wait....I had him...all alone...just me and the rattling, scrambling mouse - still alive, trapped, and the Tomcat now stuck in the same position as my poor cookie. Now what do I do?
Three panicked calls to John later, I was armed with leather gloves, two trembling hands, a bucket (with a layer of ice in the bottom), a piece of plywood, and a pounding heart. I had to pull the burner grill off the stove, swoop up the mouse and trap without pulling it off his leg, and dump him in the bucket, locking him in with the giant sheet of plywood. There he rests until my Prince Charming can come home and rescue me.
A tiny mouse has reduced me to a quivering bowl of Jell-o.
If a mouse steals a cookie at Sally's house, BEWARE!!!!!!!! She might scream you to death!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
More recipes
Some of my favorites:
Clone of a Cinnabon
Artichoke Chicken
Bacon 'n' Egg Bundles
these are too cute and fun!
Clone of a Cinnabon
Artichoke Chicken
Bacon 'n' Egg Bundles
these are too cute and fun!
Grandma's Delicious Cookies
I am going to make these today and thought I would share the secret family recipe...and the family secret that I don't know if I actually remember my grandmother ever making these cookies....
Delicious Cookies
Cream together:
1 C. margarine (we never used real butter, but I do now!)
1 C. salad oil
1 egg
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp coconut flavor (I don't use this)
Add:
3 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 C. oatmeal
1/2 - 1 C. coconut flakes
1 C. Rice Krispies cereal
1 C. butterscotch (or chocolate) chips
Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Delicious Cookies
Cream together:
1 C. margarine (we never used real butter, but I do now!)
1 C. salad oil
1 egg
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp coconut flavor (I don't use this)
Add:
3 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 C. oatmeal
1/2 - 1 C. coconut flakes
1 C. Rice Krispies cereal
1 C. butterscotch (or chocolate) chips
Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
ruling souls
Today's Daily Reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict
Chapter 2: What Kind of Person the Abbess Ought to Be
The Abbess should always remember what she is and what she is called, and should know that to whom more is committed, from her more is required (Luke 12:48). Let her understand also what a difficult and arduous task she has undertaken: ruling souls and adapting herself to a variety of characters. One she must coax, another scold, another persuade, according to each one's character and understanding. Thus she must adjust and adapt herself to all in such a way that she may not only suffer no loss in the flock committed to her care, but may even rejoice in the increase of a good flock.
Sounds like my role as a school library media specialist! (Or maybe, Jan, this is you?? Variety of characters - definitely sounds like Abbey Way! :) )
Selections above from Saint Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle OblSB, of Saint John's Abbey, (© Copyright 1948, 2001, by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN 56321). Adapted for use here with the division into sense lines of the first edition that was republished in 2001 to mark the 75th anniversary of Liturgical Press. Doyle's translation is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.
Chapter 2: What Kind of Person the Abbess Ought to Be
The Abbess should always remember what she is and what she is called, and should know that to whom more is committed, from her more is required (Luke 12:48). Let her understand also what a difficult and arduous task she has undertaken: ruling souls and adapting herself to a variety of characters. One she must coax, another scold, another persuade, according to each one's character and understanding. Thus she must adjust and adapt herself to all in such a way that she may not only suffer no loss in the flock committed to her care, but may even rejoice in the increase of a good flock.
Sounds like my role as a school library media specialist! (Or maybe, Jan, this is you?? Variety of characters - definitely sounds like Abbey Way! :) )
Selections above from Saint Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle OblSB, of Saint John's Abbey, (© Copyright 1948, 2001, by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN 56321). Adapted for use here with the division into sense lines of the first edition that was republished in 2001 to mark the 75th anniversary of Liturgical Press. Doyle's translation is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.
it's a home-cooked life
tap tap tap tap tap (metal spoon on the edge of a sauce pan)
"Mom, what is that?"
"What do you mean?"
"That sound usually means something good...."
I am so excited that my daughter loves cooking and that she is learning how to cook and create. And that she is learning to appreciate (having spent "hours" today slicing potatoes) the food that is placed (not so magically anymore) before her. I love that my mother taught me how to cook and that my family appreciates the time I take away (far away!) from my studies to make what I would call (stealing a phrase from Food Network) "semi-homemade cooking." Today it is scalloped potatoes and ham (a favorite of Dariya's since she was three years old she announced to me today). Oh, and breakfast pizza for breakfast (thanks again, Food Network!). And Grandma DeJong's "Delicious Cookies" tomorrow (all this studying makes a girl hungry - and in need of a study break!).
"Mom, what is that?"
"What do you mean?"
"That sound usually means something good...."
I am so excited that my daughter loves cooking and that she is learning how to cook and create. And that she is learning to appreciate (having spent "hours" today slicing potatoes) the food that is placed (not so magically anymore) before her. I love that my mother taught me how to cook and that my family appreciates the time I take away (far away!) from my studies to make what I would call (stealing a phrase from Food Network) "semi-homemade cooking." Today it is scalloped potatoes and ham (a favorite of Dariya's since she was three years old she announced to me today). Oh, and breakfast pizza for breakfast (thanks again, Food Network!). And Grandma DeJong's "Delicious Cookies" tomorrow (all this studying makes a girl hungry - and in need of a study break!).
Monday, January 8, 2007
Time
John thinks that if you can count down the days until a thing is over that you are enduring, it will help you get through it more easily. Well, thanks to the Internet, I now know how many days (and so much more!) until the end of my life as a graduate student. Here you go:
227 days
According to the website, TimeandDate.com
227 days can be converted to one of these units:
19,612,800 seconds
326,880 minutes
5448 hours
32 weeks (rounded down)
I think a couple hundred of those seconds will have ticked past by the time I get this posted! Whew! I feel so much better!
Dariya wants to know how much time until school is over for her...
Duration calculation results
From and including: Monday, January 8, 2007 To and including: Friday, June 8, 2007
It is 152 days from the start date to the end date, end date included
Or 5 months, 1 day including the end date
Alternative time units152 days can be converted to one of these units:
13,132,800 seconds
218,880 minutes
3648 hours
21 weeks (rounded down)
227 days
According to the website, TimeandDate.com
227 days can be converted to one of these units:
19,612,800 seconds
326,880 minutes
5448 hours
32 weeks (rounded down)
I think a couple hundred of those seconds will have ticked past by the time I get this posted! Whew! I feel so much better!
Dariya wants to know how much time until school is over for her...
Duration calculation results
From and including: Monday, January 8, 2007 To and including: Friday, June 8, 2007
It is 152 days from the start date to the end date, end date included
Or 5 months, 1 day including the end date
Alternative time units152 days can be converted to one of these units:
13,132,800 seconds
218,880 minutes
3648 hours
21 weeks (rounded down)
Friday, January 5, 2007
Gettin' Real
I spent tonight with six other amazing spiritual beings who chose to get really real with each other. This is a community I want to share my life with! They desire to put aside all pretense and be their God created selves - sucesses, failures, experiments...all of it thrown into the stew as seasoning.
It reminds me of an Open Door sermon by Stefan VanVoorst. He had a secret that he shared that day (I can't divulge it, because I promised not to - go to www.thedoor.org and order his sermon tape to find out more). I also promised not to laugh at Stefan for the content of his secret. That is what this little community desires - a space that offers the freedom and the safety of knowing we can try anything in the world, share any secret longing - and these people will not laugh at each other because we want to try, because we might fail, because we just might be crazy enough to make it work...
I think the bus might be slowing down....looks like it might be about to turn off onto this gravel trail just off to the left....not sure where we'll end up, but I sure hope my new friends don't get off at the next rest stop.
It reminds me of an Open Door sermon by Stefan VanVoorst. He had a secret that he shared that day (I can't divulge it, because I promised not to - go to www.thedoor.org and order his sermon tape to find out more). I also promised not to laugh at Stefan for the content of his secret. That is what this little community desires - a space that offers the freedom and the safety of knowing we can try anything in the world, share any secret longing - and these people will not laugh at each other because we want to try, because we might fail, because we just might be crazy enough to make it work...
I think the bus might be slowing down....looks like it might be about to turn off onto this gravel trail just off to the left....not sure where we'll end up, but I sure hope my new friends don't get off at the next rest stop.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Awwwwwwwwwwww...cute couple!
Here are John and I at the Grand Canyon. What a beautiful place to rest, relax, and see God!
Unharmed
OK, Here is my first foray into blogland. I wanted to share these verses and quotes with some friends, and decided to go public. These are some verses from Divine Hours this morning that will lead me into this crazy new year. Here we go!
Give ear to my prayer, O God;
do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am troubled in my complaint.
I am distraught by the noise of the enemy,
because of the clamor of the wicked.
Psalm 55:1-3a
But I call upon God,
and the LORD will save me...
He will redeem me unharmed
from the battle that I wage...
Psalm 55:16, 18
The LORD shall give strength to his people;
the LORD shall give his people
the blessing of his peace.
Psalm 29:11
Give ear to my prayer, O God;
do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am troubled in my complaint.
I am distraught by the noise of the enemy,
because of the clamor of the wicked.
Psalm 55:1-3a
But I call upon God,
and the LORD will save me...
He will redeem me unharmed
from the battle that I wage...
Psalm 55:16, 18
The LORD shall give strength to his people;
the LORD shall give his people
the blessing of his peace.
Psalm 29:11
Untamed
Holy One,
untamed
by the names
I give you,
in the silence
name me,
that I may know
who I am,
hear the truth
you have put into me,
trust the love
you have for me,
which you call me to live out
with my sisters and brothers
in your human family.
from Guerrillas of Grace, Ted Loder
Jan read this poem to open our Abbey Way - New Year's Eve retreat of silence (which I could have easily enjoyed until midnight!!) I was struck by the word untamed. How often do I try to tame God by naming him? How often do I want to put a name, a label on something, so that I can categorized it and file it away? Often, naming has been helpful for me - I am a compassionate person whose gift is my tears, I have faced many walls and dark nights of the soul. But where does my knowledge lead me? As a librarian, I treasure knowledge - but to what end?
I pray my names, my knowledge, lead me deeper into the heart of God.
untamed
by the names
I give you,
in the silence
name me,
that I may know
who I am,
hear the truth
you have put into me,
trust the love
you have for me,
which you call me to live out
with my sisters and brothers
in your human family.
from Guerrillas of Grace, Ted Loder
Jan read this poem to open our Abbey Way - New Year's Eve retreat of silence (which I could have easily enjoyed until midnight!!) I was struck by the word untamed. How often do I try to tame God by naming him? How often do I want to put a name, a label on something, so that I can categorized it and file it away? Often, naming has been helpful for me - I am a compassionate person whose gift is my tears, I have faced many walls and dark nights of the soul. But where does my knowledge lead me? As a librarian, I treasure knowledge - but to what end?
I pray my names, my knowledge, lead me deeper into the heart of God.
True Contemplative
(Anybody know anything about copyright and posting quotes on blogs? Hope I don't get into trouble, being a librarian and all!)
(in this quote - all pronouns have been changed to the feminine)
The true contemplative is not one who prepares her mind for a particular message that she wants or expects to hear, but is one who remains empty because she knows that she can never anticipate the words that will transform her darkness into light. She does not even anticipate a special kind of transformation. She does not demand light instead of darkness. She waits on the word of God in silence, and, when she is "answered," it is not so much by a word that bursts into her silence. It is by her silence itself, suddenly, inexplicably revealing to her as a great power, full of the voice of God.
from The Climate of Monastic Prayer, Thomas Merton
(in this quote - all pronouns have been changed to the feminine)
The true contemplative is not one who prepares her mind for a particular message that she wants or expects to hear, but is one who remains empty because she knows that she can never anticipate the words that will transform her darkness into light. She does not even anticipate a special kind of transformation. She does not demand light instead of darkness. She waits on the word of God in silence, and, when she is "answered," it is not so much by a word that bursts into her silence. It is by her silence itself, suddenly, inexplicably revealing to her as a great power, full of the voice of God.
from The Climate of Monastic Prayer, Thomas Merton
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