Cooking tip for the day:  I wouldn't recommend grating chocolate over a styrofoam plate. 

It seemed OK at first, but as soon as I reached for the plate, the grated chocolate took wings and flew all over the counter and the stovetop.  (and the floor, and the toaster, and the dog who was waiting for me to drop something. . .)

Static electricity is not your friend when grating chocolate.

I'm just saying. . .

Oh, I am so delighted! This morning, I discovered that a pair of wrens are building in our wren house, which has been totally unoccupied since moving here 5 years ago.

Why am I so excited? Well, it might be because, as you know if you read my blog, I love birds and had a great time watching a Mama Robin raise a brood of baby robins from egg to flight. Having a nesting pair of wrens in plain view of the window over my kitchen sink will be such a delight!

But it's more than that. Hearing the wren's call and seeing the Mama and Papa hopping around the house brought back a flood of wonderful memories.

When the boys were small, nearly every spring we would get a phone call from my mother-in-law, Carolyn, inviting us over for home made cookies and fresh squeezed lemonade. When we got there, she'd have lawn chairs set up in the driveway behind the house and a couple pairs of binoculars at the ready, because "the wrens are building!"

And so we sat. And listened. And watched. And enjoyed every minute of the day, treasuring up memories--for the boys, of wrens and cookies and lemonade--for me, of what it means to be a grandma.

With the birth of my own grandson three weeks ago, I have thought of those days so often, imagining what it will be like to share small joys with Elliott. How wonderful it is to me and what a delightful blessing from the Lord that, after five years of an empty wren house, a pair of wrens would choose to nest here now that I've got a grandson of my own who will someday sit in the driveway eating cookies and drinking lemonade and watching the birds.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

dapple \DAP-uhl\, noun:
1. A small contrasting spot or blotch.
2. A mottled appearance, especially of the coat of an animal (as a horse).

transitive verb:
1. To mark with patches of a color or shade; to spot.

intransitive verb:
1. To become dappled.

adjective:
1. Marked with contrasting patches or spots; dappled.

 I've always liked this word; almost as much as mote.

Finished size 81/2 x 11

also available as a bookmark

 

Finished size 8 1/2 x 11

 

Close up of lettering

 

Finished size 8 1/2 x 11

Also available as a bookmark

More to come. . .

 

Grandpa has still got the magic touch.

Last night we watched Frasier for the first time since the doorbell incident.  (We only watch our favorites and last night's was one of the best--the Crane Boys Mysteries; a classic)  Only a few minutes into the episode, Ivy hopped down and made a dive for the desk.  There wasn't even a doorbell this time; we think she must have recognized the voices.  No amount of cajoling could get her to come back out into the living room.

I don't know if tonight's episode is a good one or not, but I'm just curious enough to tune in just to see what she does.

Pictures at 11:00.

I first heard of Mashed Potato Salad when we lived in Lancaster, PA,  the heart of Amish Country.  I never had occasion to try it.  However, a week or so ago I had a bunch of leftover mashed potatoes and I remembered this odd dish and did a Google search for a recipe.   They all seemed to treat the mashed potato salad like 'regular' potato salad--adding hard boiled eggs and pickles--and I wanted something different, so I decided to see what I could come up with.

Confetti Bacon Ranch Mashed Potato Salad

Start with cold leftover mashed potatoes

Add:

Finely diced red and green peppers, celery, red onion, carrot, and bacon bits (or crumbled bacon)

Stir together and dress:

Dressing will be 1 part mayo or sour cream to 2 parts ranch dressing

Amounts of add-in ingredients will vary depending on how many mashed potatoes you start with.  If you try this, let me know how you like it.  

Monday wash day

Everybody happy?  Well, I should say!

That's a song we used to sing at church camp.  Maybe you sang it, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivy is not happy this morning.  Nobody reminded her that it was Monday before she settled into our cozy, unmade bed.  She absolutely refused to move when I started stripping the sheets from the bed. 

I reminded her that if she didn't get off, I'd roll her up in the sheets so she could visit Mr. Kenmore. 

She was not impressed.

Psalm 4
Answer me when I call,
O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds,
and be silent.
Selah

Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”

You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Oh, this Psalm takes me back about 20 years, when Jake was a preschooler.  He used to be afraid at bedtime and always needed an extra hug and a night light.  Many was the night that I would sit on the edge of his bed in the semi-darkness just sitting there with him, talking to him about this thing and that; praying with him.  Those were the days of one more drink, one more hug, one more question, one more story.

I told my sister, Kathy, about Jake's night fears and she gave us a little piece of paper  (might have been a sticker) with  a cheerful little blue bird and the words of Psalm 4:8.  This became Jake's comfort in the night.  We taped it to his headboard and it was always there, reminding him that God was always there, giving Jake relief when he was in distress.

Did David have any idea that the psalm he had penned would give comfort and peace to a little boy so many centuries later?  No, but God did.

I remember your name in the night, O Lord  Psalm 119:55

You can find more meditations on Psalm 4 at Light Came.  

I am finally buckling down and setting out to learn how to make Celtic knots the 'right' way.  It's something I've wanted needed to learn to do for some time, but it's tedious and complicated and hard not to get all tangled up.

It is proving even harder than I thought it would be.  So far, I've made two very small pieces--one made up of four triangle knots and one made up of four pretzel knots.  It has taken me all afternoon to accomplish this and my work is only so-so at best. (I worked in pencil, so some of the lines didn't show up too great when I scanned, but they're all there--I promise.  What I DON'T promise is that they're all in the right place!)

Are there any other "knotters" out there? 

Resolution 48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

Jonathan Edwards

The Resolutions

Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

 

Trinity Hymnal #268

I commend to you the importance of earnestness in prayer. It is not that a person should shout, or scream, or be very loud, in order to prove that they are in earnest. But it is desirable that we should be hearty and fervent and warm, and ask as if we were really interested in what we were doing. It is the "effectual fervent" prayer that "availeth much." This is the lesson that is taught us by the expressions used in Scripture about prayer. It is called, "crying, knocking, wrestling, labouring, striving." This is the lesson taught us by scripture examples. Jacob is one. He said to the angel at Penuel, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Genesis 32:26. Daniel is another. Hear how he pleaded with God: "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine won sake, O my God." Daniel 9:19. Our Lord Jesus Christ is another. It is written of him, "In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears." Hebrews 5:7. Alas, how unlike is this to many of our supplications! How tame and lukewarm they seem by comparison. How truly might God say to many of us, "You do not really want what you pray for." Lets us try to amend this fault. Let us knock loudly at the door of grace, like Mercy in Pilgrim's Progress, as if we must perish unless heard. Let us settle it in our minds, that cold prayers are a sacrifice without fire. Let us remember the story of Demosthenes the great orator, when one came to him, and wanted to plead his cause. He heard him without attention, while he told his story without earnestness. The man saw this, and cried out with anxiety that it was all true. "Ah," said Demosthenes, "I believe you now."

J. C. Ryle,

A Call to Prayer 

Last night, after a couple of days of sitting, disassembled, on a sunny window sill, we put my phone on the charger.

The battery took a full charge but, as you can see, there is still condensation and no information shown on the front.

 

 When we powered it up, all my information is there--pictures, contacts, wallpaper.  (That's a picture of Ivy curled up on our bed)

 

 But it never connects to service.  Searching, searching, searching.  Searching for service.

So, it's not as bad as it could be.  I haven't lost all my information and I do have a credit for new phones at the Verizon store.

*Like Karen always says, "If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side." 

I just wouldn't recommend throwing the dull side in the washer.

 Tim Challies has announced the next book in his "Reading Classics Together" challenge.  This time 'round he has chosen Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards.

As soon as I read his post, an internal debate (like this) began in my brain: 

“Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens,” said Gimli.

“Maybe, but let him not vow to walk in the dark,” said Elrond, “who has not seen the nightfall.”

“Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,” said Gimli.

“Or break it,” said Elrond, “Look not too far ahead!”

 I've read Religious Affections before, so I know the worth of joining with others to read this classic work.  And yet, I also know how hard it is to keep up reading commitments that are based on someone else's reading schedule.  If I commit to reading it on a schedule, then the commitment MIGHT help me to finish, however, real life has a way of exploding the best laid plans.

Therefore, I am going to start the challenge along with everyone else and do my best to keep up. Tim says:

We will target July 17 as our start date. That gives you three full weeks to secure a copy and to read the Introduction and Preface. Then, every Thursday following, we’ll read a portion of the text and discuss it together.

There.  A noncommittal commitment.   And an opportunity to experience again a great Christian classic.

Cockaigne \kah-KAYN\, noun:
An imaginary land of ease and luxury.

I've had quite a run on new vocabulary words in the past few weeks.  Here's another one I didn't know. 

I have never really longed for a land of ease and luxury.   If anything, I would long for a land of peace and plenty. And maybe a land with more hours in the day.

What I'm longing for now is a week in the North Woods of Wisconsin.

A few years ago, Tom got me a cell phone.  I am not much of a phone talker to begin with, so I haven't used it much.  Usually, it sits on top of Tom's dresser and he recharges it for me when he notices.

But now that Beth is home alone with the baby and John is back to work, I stuck it in my pocket when I went to the basement to exercise yesterday morning just in case she needed something.  I am often out in the yard with the dogs or plugged in to my Ipod, so keeping it nearby seemed like a good thing.  This was the first day I've ever kept it in my pocket.

Yesterday was a busy day.  I did all my laundry in the morning and then ran over and helped Beth with a few things in the afternoon.  After I took my shower last night, I tossed the towels and my clothes down the laundry shoot.  I sighed, thinking to myself, "so much for having all the laundry done and put away." 

You know what's coming.  I wanted to be triumphant over that laundry!  So, I went down and threw the pile into the washer before I went to bed.  With my phone in the pocket.

Sigh. . .

 A quick Google search gives me hope that it may still work once it dries out. 

Here's a nice summery side dish, especially if you've got fresh herbs growing in your garden:

Herbed Lemon Orzo

Prepare one cup of orzo according to the package instructions, substituting chicken broth for the water.

While that's cooking, zest and juice one lemon.  Collect an assortment of fresh herbs from the garden, enough for about 2 big tablespoons. (I used curly parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, and basil.)  Wash, pat dry, and rough chop.

Drain the orzo, sprinkle with zest and herbs and give it a good squirt of extra virgin olive oil.  Add lemon juice and toss.  (I also added a sprinkle of crushed red peppers because we like things hot, but you could leave that out).

It's pretty, it's simple; the flavor reminds me of unadulterated summer.   I served it along side a pork loin roast last night with a garden salad and steamed zucchini and it was just right.

 

This vingette comes from a shady part of my yard.  The brilliant sunshine poured forth through an open spot in the thick canopy of maple leaves above and acted like a natural spotlight on the scene.  The scene was set and awaiting us when we pulled into the driveway after church this morning.

You can't plan shots like this.  (Well, I can't!)