Sabbath Reflection: September 27th, 2015

I pray you hear God's invitation to you to come sit with Him a while.

The Collect for today:
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 124

 ^1-5 If God hadn’t been for us

    —all together now, Israel, sing out!—
If God hadn’t been for us
    when everyone went against us,
We would have been swallowed alive
    by their violent anger,
Swept away by the flood of rage,
    drowned in the torrent;
We would have lost our lives
    in the wild, raging water.

⁶ Oh, blessed be God!
    He didn’t go off and leave us.
He didn’t abandon us defenseless,
    helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs.

⁷ We’ve flown free from their fangs,
    free of their traps, free as a bird.
Their grip is broken;
    we’re free as a bird in flight.

⁸ God’s strong name is our help,
    the same God who made heaven and earth.

Full Stop. Period.

In case you hadn't heard, today is National Punctuation Day. What a fantastic idea! Technology has a lot to answer for when it comes to the demise, or at least the careless use of, punctuation. One of my favorite books is a rant at the increasing ignorance of proper punctuation in modern English; a reminder of the difference punctuation makes to the meaning of a word or sentence; and an exhortation to . , : ; " in all the right places. If you've never spent an hour with Lynne Truss you should!

The founders of National Punctuation Day suggest the following ways to celebrate this exacting day:

• Sleep late.
• Take a long shower or bath.
• Go out for coffee and a bagel (or two).
• Read a newspaper and circle all of the punctuation errors you find (or think you find, but aren’t sure) with a red pen.
• Take a leisurely stroll, paying close attention to store signs with incorrectly punctuated words.
• Stop in those stores to correct the owners.
• If the owners are not there, leave notes.
• Visit a bookstore and purchase a copy of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style.
• Look up all the words you circled.
• Congratulate yourself on becoming a better written communicator.
• Go home.
• Sit down.
• Write an error-free letter to a friend.
• Take a nap. It has been a long day.

Happy correcting, writing and writing correctly!

Sabbath Reflection: September 20th, 2015

I pray you hear God's invitation to you to come sit with Him a while.

The Collect for today:
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 1

1

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2

Their delight is in the law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.

3

They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.

4

It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5

Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Symphony

This 2011 post still brings a song to my heart ...

"Last Friday night I attended a concert at the Austrian Embassy with The Beloved's Mum and sister. For an hour the Mendelssohn Piano Trio took us to Spring in Vienna through an outstanding performance of Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert. It was breathtaking. Together the piano, violin and cello conjured every emotion. At times complementing, at times echoing, at times competing with each other; yet always creating beauty.

And then, the Lord spoke.

"Listen to each note. Hear how it is pure and beautiful in its own right. Now hear how it plays with the other notes - each sure of its place on the staff, not needing to be any other note, just itself. That's how I see my children."

"Now see how each note and each bar and each phrase combine. At times these bring joy and lightness, calm and peace; at times pathos and darkness, distress and unease; but always beauty. It is just like the moments and events of your life. Tonight, you don't fear the mix of those emotions, in fact you're delighting in them, experiencing their beauty. How much more beautiful is your life! Fear not daughter for your life is a symphony! "
A symphony has been defined as an 'elaborate instrumental composition in three or more movements, similar in form to a sonata but written for an orchestra and usually of far grander proportions and more varied elements' (dictionary.com). So there it is. My life with all its ups and downs, was, and is, and will be even more breathtaking than anything written by Mendelssohn, Haydn, Beethoven or Schubert.

So, come Great Composer and write your Symphony that is me ...... hold no note back!"

Fetish: Sweet light and smells.

I have many other fetishes in addition to stationery. Scented candles is another. The Beloved has a sensitive nose (!) and so soy or coconut candles are best for him. Which is a bummer because they are so expensive. Sometimes I throw caution and marital concern to the wind and buy heavily scented candles just because I want our home to smell like the season. One of my favorite stores for seasonal lights is Bath & Body Works - there is one in the mall not far from our home but I often order from them online too. The benefit of course of in-store shopping is you get the full sensory experience - it might be a while before we get to smell fragrances online!

Here are some I'll be buying this fall:

Life is short and resistance is futile

It's my birthday today so here is a marriage of two of my passions - neuroscience and chocolate!

In this August's edition of the journal Neuron we learn that:
"Acute Stress Impairs Self-Control in Goal-Directed Choice by Altering Multiple Functional Connections within the Brain’s Decision Circuits" 

Or as Galmour Health put it:
"Resistance Is Futile: Science Explains Why Cookies Are Irresistible When You're Stressed"

Yep if you can't help but eat when you're stressed blame your brain. So let me help you find some relief for your stressed brain:

Double Fudge Banana Muffins 

(From Yammie's Noshery) 

1 egg

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

1 cup oat flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark, but regular cocoa powder would also work)

Chocolate chips (never optional!)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease muffin tin (the recipe makes 10 regular sized muffins or 5 in a big muffin tin). Whisk together the egg, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and bananas. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the wet. Mix just until combined. Add some chocolate chips if you want. Bake for about 20-25 minutes for regular muffins or 25-30 minutes for big muffins (Cook them until a toothpick came out just a little sticky so they come out "brownie-ish"). Drizzle with melted chocolate if 100 calories isn't enough!

Fetish: Stationery

A couple of years ago I made a public confession of my love for stationery. In the interests of honesty that's not my only fetish. Over the next few weeks I'll share more as confession is good for the soul!
Here's an extract from the original post from January 5th, 2013:

"In the spirit of new year intentions, a confession. I have a fetish for .... stationery. Yep, there is it, I've said it. Pencils and pens, paper and cards, clips and pins. Put me in a stationery store and I'm in heaven. It doesn't matter that I'm no longer a classroom teacher and so I really do not need 12 colours of bicycle shaped paperclips, they will still find their way into my basket and my overstuffed 'office supply' box. And as for pens, be still my beating heart. All colours, patterns, lengths, nibs are welcome in my pot. The more the merrier.

There is no better feeling that opening a fresh notebook, taking a new set of pens and writing. It's all so crisp and new, the possibilities are endless and perfection beckons.

Then you make a mistake. The pages get wringley and the words get smudged. Bummer.

I can't decide whether this inevitable outcome reinforces or produces another one of my fetishes ... being stationary. Grinding to a halt after a glossy start; coming up short when one hits a bump; starting strong then giving up when the going gets tough. You get the picture.

It's amazing that by changing one letter I can either be in a place of potential or a place of stoppage.

Grammarist.com notes that "Though stationary and stationery are spelled almost alike, they have different origins. Stationary comes from the Latin stationarius, meaning belonging to a military station, while stationery comes from the Middle English noun staciouner, meaning bookseller."

Now this much I do know, I'd rather be in a book shop than in a military station. I'd rather live surrounded by dreams, adventures, astounding maps and tales of journeys, legends of art and makers of history; than be hemmed in by rules, regulations and relationships determined by chains of command. I want to live in E not in A.

Each new year starts like the fresh, unblemished notepad - just waiting for me to leave my indelible mark. Not long into January I'll make mistakes and smudges and the wrinkles lap at my dreams. But this year I want to grab a fabulous pen and delightful notepad and keep moving, I'm going to write with effervescence the enlightened and endless exploits of the "E" shaped 2013. "

Sabbath Reflection: September 13th, 2015

I pray you hear God's invitation to you to come sit with Him a while.

The Collect for today:
O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 116:1-8 

1

I love the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *
because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.

2

The cords of death entangled me;
the grip of the grave took hold of me; *
I came to grief and sorrow.

3

Then I called upon the Name of the LORD: *
"O LORD, I pray you, save my life."

4

Gracious is the LORD and righteous; *
our God is full of compassion.

5

The LORD watches over the innocent; *
I was brought very low, and he helped me.

6

Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for the LORD has treated you well.

7

For you have rescued my life from death, *
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.

8

I will walk in the presence of the LORD *
in the land of the living.

Saturday Digest: One–pot Vietnamese Beef Stew

Spotted by a dear friend this Fall loving stew looks amazing! Happy homemaking friends!

One–pot Vietnamese Beef Stew

(from Supergolden Bakes)

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

900g (2lb) beef shin, cut into cubes

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1 tsp ground pepper

2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)

4 banana shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

4 large tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 kaffir lime leaves

625ml | 2 1/2 cups hot beef stock

450g | 1lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

Basil leaves, chopped to garnish

Method:

1. Combine the beef, flour, spice, pepper, lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Leave to marinate for an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) and have all your vegetables prepared.
3. Put the oil in the casserole and heat over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, lower the temperature to medium-low and brown the beef cubes.
4. Add the shallots and chillies and fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, cinnamon stick, star anise, kaffir lime leaves and stock and bring slowly to a rolling simmer.
6. Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook for an hour then add the butternut squash (be careful the pot will be very hot) and give the stew a stir.
7. Return to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour until meat is very tender.
8. Add some chopped basil leaves, check the seasoning and serve with crusty bread.

Notes: You can make this in any lidded casserole (Dutch oven) and it can be left to slowly simmer on the stove for 2 hours.

Friday DIY: Roman Blinds

The kitchen in our new home has lots of light - beautiful evening sun floods through two large windows, two skylights and a half-glass door. It's truly lovely! We repainted the walls when we moved in using Benjamin Moore's China White and it shows off the black trimmed windows and checkered floor really well.

I have hopes to add some Roman blinds for the winter as I imagine it will get pretty chilly in there with all that glass. A fellow blogger I like to read is Thrifty Decor Chick and she has a great post on No Sew Roman Shades. I'll be keeping an eye out now for the perfect fabric - she makes this DIY look super easy and her photos are very helpful. Happy Home making!

No Sew Roman Shades from Thrifty Decor Chick

Step 1: Cut your fabric to the length/width you need -- for a standard window, a yard is plenty. Hem the sides, making the top a rod pocket using your hemming tape. (I just use tension rods to hang these -- less than $2 each!)

Step 2: Put cup hooks at whatever spot on the wall you want the folds to hang from. You will only need one set of hooks. (One on each side.) I hang mine higher so the treatment doesn't hang too low into the window.

Step 3: Here's where the ribbon comes in. Cut it to the length you want, and hand sew it on at the exact same spot on both sides of the fabric. The length of the ribbon will depend on how far down you want your pleats to hang. For this project, the ribbon was about two inches for the top pleat, about three or four inches for the bottom pleat. I use a button on the front to give it something to really grab on to and it's decorative. (Even though you really can't see the button when done.)

Step 4: Add ribbons at the lengths you want -- in my bay window I wanted three folds, so three sets of buttons/ribbon. In the kitchen window I only wanted two, so there are two sets. Take the ribbon up behind the fabric and hang it on the cup hook, a fold at a time.

The Little Nook - an update

As promised here are some photos of the Little Nook. It still needs to be painted and I'd love to add a tent-like corner with cushions for reading. Until then, Miss O and her friends get to express their toddlerdome in the space! It's also great that at night we can close the door and have an adult space free from crayons, baby dolls and singing teapots.

 

Turning ... again

I LOVE autumn - a previous post from 2012 says it all:

"Autumn has arrived in Virginia. The leaves are turning heads with their golden, brassy redhead shows; urbanites have decorated their steps with a myriad of pumpkins and gourds; and the industrious squirrels are running the fences and highwires with their cheeks stuffed with acorns. There's a comfort in Autumn that extends beyond our sweaters and boots. The heady carefree days of summer holidays gives way to familiar routines and faces and we settle back into belonging. Equality arrives as we hide under oversized woolens and eat stews with Octoberfest beer and pumpkin lattes.

At this time of year the natural landscape creeps indoors and pulls up a chair. Our design and culinary palettes become infused with muted orange fillings and golden crusts with bursts of purple to remind us of His royal presence. This season is less Hallmark and more His Mark. For me, Autumn is the season when God shows off the most. Though to be fair the still-life of winter, the resurrection of spring and the glory of summer, are all pretty spectacular too, but I digress.

At the start of a new year (come on, we all know the year starts in September!) nature begins with turning, falling, harvesting and dying. The sunflowers that pointed the way to the Son now bend their heads in reverent submission. What once provided shade and shadow leaves us exposed to the elements. The land surrenders its precious crops as we shore up our storehouses for the barren months. And the chrysanthemums give us one last hoorah before disappearing into the deep blue silence of winter.

I wonder if this changing landscape can provide pointers for reflection on our inner landscape as the new year begins?
As the leaves fall .....
Like Adam and Eve in Eden, what have we kept hidden under leaves of control, pride, arrogance, striving, people-pleasing or fabulousness that we are ashamed off? What liberty would come if those leaves fell and we were metaphorically naked before God and man?

As the Harvest is gathered ....
What did we sow our time, energy and resources into earlier this year that is now ready to reap? Which relationships have borne great fruit and which yielded a poor harvest because they weren't in the right light?

As the flowers die ....
Which promises and dreams must retreat to hibernation, and which issues is it time to let fall to the ground and die? How do we still see beauty in barrenness and hope in bare twigs? Can we believe for spring?

So, when the dappled light of the low Autumn sun beckons us outside to kick the leaves and feel the cooler breeze, let's truly let the outer landscape inside."

Autumn Home: pumpkins at the door

Oh yes! Pumpkin pies, lattes, ales, decor, candles, creams ... the list goes on. Over the next few days I'll be sharing some ideas you can replicate at home so when you go to the pumpkin patch you'll already know what to do with your gourds.

Today pumpkins issue a warm welcome to your autumnal home.

Gourd Lanterns

(from Hometalk)

Bountiful Wheelbarrel

(from Folded Gingham)

Pumpkin Bear

(from Parents)

Dream Homes

Even though we've just moved house and I have no desire to repeat that hassle anytime soon, my subscription to Southern Living magazine always reminds me of our dreams of building a house. That possibility is a very long way off but I can still look ....

Here are some of my current favorites from Southern Living:

Carolina Island House   SL-481

2738Sq. Ft,3Bedroom(s),4Bath(s)

Rockwell House   SL-1277

3783Sq. Ft,4Bedroom(s),4Bath(s)

Kinsley Place   SL-1131

3510Sq. Ft,4Bedroom(s),6Bath(s)

Newberry Park   SL-978

3625Sq. Ft,4Bedroom(s),6Bath(s)

NEW Sabbath Reflection: September 6th, 2015

 I pray you hear God's invitation to you to come sit with Him a while.

The Collect for today:
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:

the LORD is the maker of them all.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of anger will fail.

Those who are generous are blessed,

for they share their bread with the poor.

 

Do not rob the poor because they are poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate;

for the LORD pleads their cause

and despoils of life those who despoil them.

Saturday Digest: Cookout Treats

It's Labor Day weekend so cookout desserts are a must - you should have one of everything. Happy end of summer friends!

 Cookout Caramel S'mores

(from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

• 8 large marshmallows
• 4 whole reduced-fat graham crackers, halved
• 2 teaspoons fat-free chocolate syrup
• 2 teaspoons fat-free caramel ice cream topping 

Using a long-handled fork, toast marshmallows 6 in. from medium heat until golden brown, turning occasionally. Place two marshmallows on each of four graham cracker halves. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and caramel topping. Top with remaining crackers.

Campfire Cones

(from Hip 2 Save) 

 

Ingredients:

• Waffle Ice Cream Cones
•  Topping Ideas: Marshmallows, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate bar pieces, Rolos, Butterscotch Chips, Chocolate Chips, Bananas, Raspberries, Strawberries

Fill a cone with desired amounts of marshmallow and toppings. Cover cone with foil. Place over the campfire for about 3-5 minutes, on a heated grill for 5-6 minutes, or in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5-8 minutes until toppings are melted. Then just enjoy the warm and gooey melted deliciousness.

Fire-roasted marshmallow covered Strawberries

(from Survival Life)

Stick a skewer through the strawberry, dip it in some marshmallow fluff, roast over the campfire, consume when cool. Easy and delicious!

Great Day Out: Windmill Hill Park

Windmill Hill Park is one of our favorite places in Old Town Alexandria; and yes it's as lovely as it sounds. Perched between South Union and South Lee Street it overlooks the Potomac River so you get a wee breeze from the water. The trees, picnic tables, playpark and basketball courts are always well kept and the wildlife is fab - that's where Miss O met her first frog! There's ample street parking and a Starbucks down the road for adult refreshment.

So grab a picnic and head to the water and squeeze some more time of this summer weather in September!

Autumn Home: Door Wreaths

It's a very American look - the door wreath declaring a seasonal welcome and evoking expectation of delights inside. We have a plain heart shaped wreath on our front door year round which I change up for the season with ribbons and other decorations.

Here are some wreath decorating ideas that I'd love to try this fall to embellish or change out our door decoration.

 Fall Hydrangea Wreath

(from twoinspireyou on Etsy)

 

A Ribbon Wreath

(from I Heart Naptime)

 

Acorn Wreath

(from Little Things Bring Smiles)

Autumn Home: smells like fall, must be fall

Smell has an incredible ability to evoke good and bad memories, so how our homes smell is as important as how they look, feel, sound and taste. How Stuff Works gives a layman's explanation:

" A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people's moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it's sometimes called the "emotional brain," smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously.

The olfactory bulb has intimate access to the amygdala, which processes emotion, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for associative learning. Despite the tight wiring, however, smells would not trigger memories if it weren't for conditioned responses. When you first smell a new scent, you link it to an event, a person, a thing or even a moment. Your brain forges a link between the smell and a memory -- associating the smell of chlorine with summers at the pool or lilies with a funeral. When you encounter the smell again, the link is already there, ready to elicit a memory or a mood. Chlorine might call up a specific pool-related memory or simply make you feel content. Lilies might agitate you without your knowing why. This is part of the reason why not everyone likes the same smells. "

Here are some stovetop concoctions which will help your home smell just like fall. In each case you can adjust the combinations to evoke your favorite autumn memories.

Autumn Home: Bringing Fall colors indoors

It's September 1st and although today we're facing a high of 93 degrees the cooler nights signal Fall is on it's way. I've already enjoyed a few pumpkin spiced beers (just for market research purposes of course) as the peaches are fast being replaced by apples in the grocery stores. It's only right that the fabulous colors gifted to us by Fall make their way indoors. Here are some of my favorite autumnal home decor ideas.

 Harvest themed centerpiece 

(from Country Living)

 

Pumpkin Caddy

(from StoneGable)

 

 Fall Message

(from trimblecrafts on Etsy)