Domestic Newsflash

Under the meditative light of my green-hued banker’s lamp, I’m wondering a question that present itself occasionally to my mind. Where is joy for the soul?
I am a lucky inquirer, however, for I am already privy to the special answer: a grateful heart is a happy heart. And a happy heart is a healthy heart!
Our hearts have been healthy, but not so fortunate have been our bodies. Sickness swept through our house; hopefully it’s gone now.
My domestic world is busily spinning on its axis of effort and energy. Dad and the boys build, Mom teaches, Candle writes, Amity composes, Cori plans, and Reed learns.
I keep everyone fed (and consequently happy  :) .)
Yesterday, Cori and I had fourteen errands to run in town. It took us all afternoon. A few hours may have been occupied in the dressing room- I tried on six dresses to wear at Levi’s graduation. I bought one, actually, but am going to return it. Apparently, most of the ladies in this house have a stunning outfit prepared.
We had a coconut cake from scratch the other day, which is a favorite from very long ago. It was very much enjoyed over a John Wayne!
And Reed was acting electrocuted from crossing a cow fence the other day when he and I walked across the fields to the creek to wade and look at cane break.

At page 500, the Comte Count of Monte Cristo is host to Albert (the son of his arch enemy) and his friend Franz at a carnival in Rome. The carnival was held around Lent, it seems, and celebrated both life and death in a semi-catholic and pagan festival of food and masquerade for seven days. Albert has just been kidnapped by a notorious bandit, and the Count has gone to rescue him.

Plans for a part-time, half-family mission trip to Ecuador very soon are being finalized. Please keep the mission work, travel, and safety of the gospel crew in your upcoming prayers!

Domestic Newsflash 8

I hope the world is doing fine out there; though I’ve been around and through it lately, I just haven’t stopped to notice.
It’s been a long while since I’ve written. We’ve been really busy. It’s amazing how busy a family of nine individuals can get- everyone adds their own detail into the schedule of life.
When I look back over the days, a vague sense of constant cleaning haunts me. For some reason, we’ve cleaned a lot. Probably because of the firewood, or muddy snow, or expected company that didn’t arrive, or constant traffic in the kitchen. Why does winter encourage more eating?
At my uncle’s guitar concerts featuring Tommy Emmanuel, I was taught how to make rice the Jordanian way from a Jordanian Muslim. It was to lightly fry rice in butter and steam covered in a little water on low/medium heat until done. Simple and easy to remember; but peradventure American white rice is drier because I had to rescue it from burning about three times with extra water.
Serious effort has been made toward the new Dad the Hero. Candle and I have been working on a script. Just today I took notes from Dean Jones movie and tried some tricks with the first scene or two. It’s exciting.
But a little wild. We have so many plans for this spring and summer, 2011 will have to last longer so we can get it all done! Unfortunately, kaffee doesn’t cure a tension headache.      (German coffee is spelled with a k, and can be found in the foreign food aisle of walmart.)

A note of fashion on my adorable mom!

The soft, pale blue gingham scarf is sweet and adds subtle color to the white sweater. That’s a pleated wool skirt and black boots with rugged buckles. She’s all dolled up for Sunday morning meeting, and looking as pretty as you please!

The boys have been busy doing school in the mornings, helping Dad at his spec house in the afternoons, and hunting each other down with air soft guns in the evenings.
I’ve been empathizing with Edmond Dantes who spent years in a French prison. We finally got out, and are now filthy rich! The funny thing about that book is that it has been translated into countless versions, so every time I read it there is something new.  J

I will tell you something about us.
Every week (usually Monday) I go grocery shopping for general stock-up and other foods required for the week’s menu. Then, I allow myself about one new item to try, or special treat. Like a different tea, new salad dressing, spice blend, cookie surprise, unusual vegetable or such. Well, in the store with Amity, this Monday last, we were going toward detergents and passed the baby food aisle. The idea came.
When Reed was little, we bought special baby crackers and gummy fruits to take to Costa Rica for him. Sometimes, the rest of us kids could wheedle some of the treat from Mom.
It was a blast from the past. I had to have a gummy fruit! Gerber baby was calling my name. I put the box in my cart with childish glee.
And to the glee of other family members did we bring it into the kitchen. Yum! Yum!

Tomorrow morning, Candle, Amity and I are going to spend the day in Nashville with the best and sweetest of ladies who has offered to show us some singing tricks!
Somehow, I can’t believe this is only mid-February. Dates and time get all muddled together and lost.
Well, it has been nice catching up, but I must end this here.
If you have a special Valentine, think of how lucky you are!  ;)
God bless your week!