Food and Family

Kraft Foods has a great website where you can type in a few ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipe suggestions. It has been a real help for dinner a number of nights. It also has a ton of great free recipes, how to videos and even coupons for their products. Best of all, you can sign up on their mailing list and you will get a weekly email with recipes, kitchen tips, and more coupons. You can also sign up to get a quarterly magazine sent to your home that has even more wonderful, easy recipes and photos of each of them. It actually is one of my favorite cooking magazines, and I subscribe to a number of the most popular ones.

Tonight we made molten chocolate surprises. In my case the surprise was that they were not molten... but they were good nonetheless.

Go to their site and sign up- you'll thank me for it.

Great New Music from David Wilcox...

One of our all time favorite musicians is the American folkster David Wilcox. (I have to specify the American DW because there is a Canadian DW who is vastly different and defintely NOT among our favorites.)

We were introduced to David's music back in Mobile by our very talented friends John Wallace and Andy Cloninger . That was over 11 years ago, and David's music has just gotten better with age. He has a velvet voice, and an insane laugh. The two don't even fit together, but whatever he has going works! Most of his songs are slower and mellow, but he has a few that are quite upbeat and a lot of fun.

David's earlier albums had some "questionable" songs (from a Christian perspective), though he has always claimed to be a beleiver. In recent years his music and things he says live have really matured and you can easily see his faith in his writings and songs. He has also started doing more shows with other artists who are Christians, even performing in the Andrew Peterson "Behold The Lamb of God" concert last year at the Ryman. He is by no means a part of the "Christian Music" movement, but the best artists are most often those that go about their lives living out their faith, not stamping it all over their album covers.

We've seen DW in concert a number of times, and each time just gets better and better. He is an incredible storyteller- very funny and strangely profound. Plus, he has written a song about the waffle house, which makes him a hit in my husband's book anyday. If I had to recommend any particular album it would be his "Live Songs and Stories" because it has the best of both worlds, but "How Did You Find Me Here" and "What You Whispered" are both really good. Heck- get them all (and listen too) here at Amazon.com. He is also available on Emusic, (some of those are the Canadian DW) and that way you can download the songs you want. List of recommended songs available upon request :)

David has a new CD out called "Airstream" and a new DVD set called "Live at the Workplay Theater". I ordered mine yesterday from his website. {By the way honey... I ordered David's new CD yesterday!} He and his family spent a year traveling the country in an airstream trailer, so these songs are born from that trip and time together. I'm really looking forward to hearing it.

Below are a few videos from YouTube.







He is coming to Nashville near my birthday in May, and if we can swing somewhere to stay that night we may make the trip there for the show.

** ADDENDUM** Got my new CD a few days ago and have been listening to it a lot. There are a couple of songs with some pretty bad (Christian) theology- if that is an issue for you in regards to your music. There is also a very anti-Bush song. Just thought I would give you a heads up in case anyone cared about knowing.

(Not Quite) Even Better Than the Real Thing... But Close!

The short of it? If you have ever been a fan of U2, GO SEE
THIS movie when it comes to your town!

Shane and I have been U2 fans for over 18 years now, and even managed to catch them live in 1993 on the Zoo TV tour when they came to Birmingham Alabama. They were touring with Public Enemy (thanks Keith- it was NOT 2LiveCrew as I posted originally) at the time, and during the opening act- Flava Flav hung, in effigy, a white sheeted/hooded KKK mannequin. In Birmingham. Alabama. Apparently the Klan are not huge U2 fans, so the evening progressed without a hitch (or additional lynch as it was) but I was a little nervous for a few minutes.

U2 has had a lot of new material in the last 15 years, and Shane and I have been eagerly anticipating the new 3Dimensional Digital concert/movie from U2 for a few months now. It is only playing in IMax locations and theaters that have a digital projector, and only for one night in each town. Tonight was our night here in Memphis, so we were glad to grab our 3D glasses at the door and take our seats at the Paradisio Theater. It has been a long time Since I have seen anything in 3D, and allow me to say- this ain't those little blue and red cellophane lenses. I new I was in for a treat from the preview alone!

The movie started and it was incredible how real everything on the screen looked. (Dare I say 3 dimensional?) The text looked like it was jumping out at you- it seemed you could reach out and move the microphone stand out of your way when it blocked your view. There were a couple of times water was thrown in the air in the crowd and you would swear it was going to land in your lap. At one point the guy next to us said he almost told someone to move out of the way, then he realized they were on the screen! Digital quality sound, excellent camera work and angles, incredible music- made for a GREAT experience. As their shows always are, there was lots of entertainment value and I would pay to see it again if I got the chance.

Here is a longer (2D) clip from YouTube from the movie, and below is the trailer (also in 2D). Neither do the experience justice. [If they are a little jerky, just hit pause when they start to load, let them load a little, then un-pause.]



{{In an unrelated note, the Rolling Stones have a documentary/concert movie coming out soon as well. I have decided that Keith Richards died 3 years ago and an animatronic skeleton is propelling him around the stage since. For a truly frightening experience, watch THIS trailer for their movie, thankfully NOT in 3D.

That's Just My Bag Baby...

Those of you that know me, know that I am not really a purse kind of gal. Try fitting a digital camera, an I-Pod, a book, wallet, cell phone, gum, sunglasses and keys in your standard cute, girly purse. Add various things needed by a preschool boy, and it was obvious I had to come up with a better plan.

Christmas 2007 I was looking for a new bag. My grandparents gave me money and said, "Here, go buy yourself something from us and put it under the tree." I ran across these AWESOME messenger bags from Timbuk2 somewhere online, and knew right off that I had to have one. They are waterproof, come in a bajillion different sizes, shapes and colors, and look so much cooler than a backpack. Plus, they are designed to be slung over one shoulder, which is how I prefer to carry things anyway.

I went to our local specialty sports and outdoors store just to get my hands on one and try them out for size. I decided on the Classic Small Messenger because it had lots of little pockets to store things like cell phones, MP3 players, sunglasses and suckers, while still having one large central pocket for books, a jacket or my digital SLR camera. I especially like the way the flap closes with the clips and the rubber lined ballistic nylon which makes the entire thing very durable and water-resistant. The little key fob is nice as is the adjustable shoulder strap- even though I usually leave it fully extended. You can also order optional accessories such as strap pads, cell phone holders and the like to clip to the strap.

I found a marvelous deal on a "build your own bag" of sorts online, and ordered the mocha/baby blue/mocha one with silver interior and baby blue logo. When it came it was really difficult to wrap it up and put it under the tree, but I did. I could not WAIT to open it. That was over a year ago, and I am still using this thing every day. I have washed it once (in the washing machine) and it still looks as good as new. When the time comes I will not hesitate to order another. I only wish I had thought to get one of these when Coleman was a little baby instead of lugging a diaper bag around all those years!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Coleman and I made these Rice Krispy Treat "Heartcicles" as Valentine's for his friends. We just tinted the marshmallow/butter mixture red or pink, patted them out extra thick on a cutting board. After they were set we cut them out with a sharp metal cookie cutter and then drizzled them with white chocolate and Coleman liberally applied sprinkles. After the chocolate set we stuck them on popcicle sticks and wrapped them with saran wrap and ribbon. They turned out pretty cute!

Hope your Valentine's Day is full of the people you love, whether they live under your roof or far away!

Pray for Union University...

All the tornadoes that tore through the midsouth last week hit the small town of Jackson TN the hardest. Union University sustained a direct hit from an F4 tornado, amazingly with no loss of life.

Our former pastor from Mobile, Ed Litton (see my first post) had just moved his youngest son, Tyler, into the dorms at Union the week prior to the tornadoes. If you have heard the story about Pastor Ed from us or other sources, you will remember he lost his dear wife Tammy in the fall. I can only imagine his fear watching the news and seeing the devastation on that small campus and worrying about his son.

I ran across this video on youtube relating to God's protection of those young men and women on campus. This particular video is safe for all ages, but I won't say the same for other videos you may find on that site if you go poking around. (if the below embedded video does not work try this link to see it on youtube.)



Also, one of our good friend's parents home was destroyed in the same tornado. It was our friend's childhood home and her parents had hoped to live there the rest of their retirement. Please pray for them as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives and memories.

Quick and Easy Ribbon Bulletin Board Craft Project...

I have had a few friends ask for directions on how to make the ribbon bulletin boards I have in the kitchen and Coleman's room. I thought I would put the instructions here in case anyone else wants to try one. Unfortunately I did not take photos as the project went along, so you will have to make do with instructions and finished product.

This project can be done pretty cheaply if you already happen to have some of the materials on hand, such as the wood, batting, staples and staple gun like I did. If you have to purchase all of it you will be looking at a more pricey little project.


What you need:

* 1/4 inch plywood or MDF in whatever size you want-I used scrap we had in the garage
*Fabric- enough to cover wood plus wrap over sides about 1-2 inches. Don't use anything really thin or stretchy. I used quilt material or drapery material. Use pinking shears (those zig-zag scissors) around the edges if you want it to not unravel.
* Quilt batting- (not fiberfill)- thick enough to smooth out the wood but we're not making a pillow here! Needs to be enough to wrap over sides as well about 1-2 inches
*Ribbon coordinating with your fabric pattern. I used about 15 yards for each of mine, but if you put your squares farther apart or your board is a different size that makes a difference too.
* Upholstery tacks- get them in the hardware section of your fabric store- they come in different designs. Get about 50-75 of them. Err on too many instead of too few because you will end up bending a ton of them.
* A light duty staple gun and tons of staples
* Scissors
* hammer
* ruler
* sawback hangers so you can hang your finished product

Instructions:

1. Cut your wood to size. Lay your fabric and quilt batting out and cut it out just about 1" too much on all sides of your board. Pay attention to be sure the pattern on you fabric is going the way you'd like.

2. Iron your fabric. Trust me, you will kick yourself if you don't.

3. Lay your fabric face down with the batting on top (closest to the wood). Lay your board on top and center it.

4. Bring your batting around the back of the plywood and staple down about 1 inch from the edge. Do all the batting, Then follow with the fabric, pulling snugly as you go. You want it to look upholstered, but not like it has had bad plastic surgery.

5. Take care at the edges to fold them so that they lay flat. Too many staples are better than too few in this project. Trim your edges so they are neat and not too bulky, but leave a little away from the staples in case the fabric pulls a little.

6. When the upholstering is done, take your ribbon and stretch it diagonally from one corner to other. Leave about 3 inches overhang on each end, snip. While you are at it go ahead and cut two of this size. Staple one end on the back and bring it over that corner and down to the opposite- then staple it on the back, You will want the ribbon to lie snug and flat to the fabric, but not pucker the edges. I always staple 3 times on each end- 2 times with the ribbon's direction and once across. This is probably overkill, but I don't want to be repairing the thing later.

7. Repeat with opposite corners.- Be sure if your ribbon has a difference in grain or sheen from front side to back you take that into consideration and use the same side or opposite if you want a pattern.

8. Now you have a giant X. Measure however many inches from your ribbon to put the next one- I do 4" but 5" or more would work too. Cut the ribbon to length, remember to cut 2 to save time. Staple the ribbon on the back at the proper distance, then pull it across and measure at the bottom before stapling the loose end. Continue with all the ribbon until it is all latticed. You may weave the ribbon as well as you go along.

9. When you have the cross hatch all done, lay your board face up on a firm surface such as a cement floor or another piece of plywood- your tacks will probably go through the back a little, so do not use a dining table, the hard wood floor or something else like that. Take a tack, put it at the intersection of each ribbon and hammer down. These little suckers tend to bend all to heck, so practice makes perfect- good luck. You may want to have needle nose pliers handy to remove wayward tacks.

10. Turn your board over and nail down any protruding spikes. Add hangers to back and hang your project on the wall.

11. Slide your memorabilia, photos, appointment cards etc. under the ribbons and enjoy!

Be sure to email me any photos if you do this yourself. I'd love to see how someone else's turn out.


This is in Coleman's Room. It's great for holding photos, all those little craft projects as well as things he picks up along the way- such as cotton, cards and more!


This hangs in our kitchen. We keep all of our appointment cards, doctor's phone numbers, neat photos, and photos of friends and people we want reminders to pray for such as our kids in Ecuador and missionary friends around the world.

Thanks Ya'll!

It was a long week at the hospital with my grandmom, but I was glad I was able to be there for her and my grandpa. She is recouperating at home now and hopefully will get stronger every passing day.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone as well as to give credit where it is due.

* Thanks be to our Great Physician for His healing and comfort when things looked their worst.

* Thanks to my grandmom's doctors and nurses- though some of you were better than others, you all did your jobs well. Thanks especially to those of you who went about your duties with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. You really were an encouragement to me when I needed it.

* Thanks to the staff of the ICU waiting room. This was by far the nicest waiting room I have ever been in, and I appreciate the fact that there are strict rules to keep it that way. Thanks especially to Dorsett and Jessica who were always laughing, smiling and helping families who were wandering through days of anxiety, grief and sleep deprivation. Jessica, thanks for having the sensitivity to realize the gravity behind waking a family member up in the wee hours of the morning to tell them they are needed upstairs.

* Thanks so much for everyone that prayed, whether I know you personally or not. I felt the comfort of so many people praying for me and my grandmom, words can not describe.

* Thanks to all of you who called and offered help and just a friendly ear to listen. Whether you called from Thailand, Athens, Memphis, California or North Carolina, it was GREAT to hear your voices when I needed them most. For those of you I had not spoken to in say- 15 years- thanks for being a better friend than I have been.

* Thanks to Brandy for stopping by the hospital with goodies and a hug. It was so good to see you.

* Thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law for keeping Coleman and holding down the fort in Memphis so I could be away.

* Thanks to Amanda for watching Coleman on short notice when we needed it on Friday afternoon. I hope he was not too much trouble- please let us know when we can reciprocate. I wanna get my hands on that cute baby!

* Thanks to all of you who emailed words of encouragement. It was great to spend time reading and replying to all of you during those long hours between visiting times.

* Finally, thanks to that ex-boyfriend who either did not recognize me in WalMart today or had the kindness not to speak up after not having any contact with me for 15 years. (I suspect the latter.) I'd not had a shower this morning, conditioned my hair in days and basically looked like I'd stepped off the set of "My Name is Earl". I would have been mortified to have a conversation with someone from my past- I was just trying to get home to my hubby and son as quickly as possible.

Add "photographer to the stars" to my resume...

After they transferred my grandmom to a regular hospital room on Friday I happily ran back to my car to get my suitcase and move in to her new space. As I was coming back through the lobby of the hospital I passed a large group of people gathered around a little lady in a wheelchair. There were probably 20-30 people all trying to get into a photo and deciding amongst themselves who should take the shot. Having been in that position myself, I spoke up- "I know you guys don't know me, but if you trust me with your camera I'd be happy to take your photo for you!" They happily turned the camera over to me, smiled and I snapped a couple of shots for them. They thanked me very kindly and I went on my way.

As I was leaving the lobby, a lady grabbed my arm and asked me if I knew who that was that I just snapped the pictures for. Being clueless as usual, and a little bit sleep and shower deprived I told her no, I didn't. Turns out it was gospel SUPERSTAR Donnie McClurkin.

Funny thing is, back in the day when I sold gospel music for a living- I must have sold HUNDREDS of his debut CD, all with a big photo of him on the front.

A church on every corner....

I guess while sitting in an ICU waiting room in Alabama worrying about my grandmother while severe storms pummel Memphis causing me to worry also about my husband, child and mother in law is as good a time as any to update a blog that has been inactive a while. Don't expect rainbows and kittens.

Recently we felt that God was calling us to leave our church where we had been very happily involved for a couple of years. As a result we have been visiting churches and praying God will lead us where we need to be. I also just read a book called "Silence" that is a fictional account of Catholic missionaries in Japan in the 16th century. I am under the impression that there is an element of historical fact relating to how the Gospel was brought to Japan.

In our search for a new church home, we have visited a number of churches, and feel that God is leading us to one of 2 churches. Both are doctrinely sound, and both are places where we could put our gifts to use. The real question (other than if God has one chosen for us over the other) will come down to style. One traditional, more formal church- the other is more contemporary and relationship driven. We are planning to get involved both places and see what happens from there.

In "Silence" the Portugese priests face great peril to bring the Gospel of good news to the Japanese. The journey there is long and dangerous, the government is antagonistic and the peasants fall into 2 camps- desperate for Christ or vehemenently against a change in their way of life. Captured priests are tortured (or Christian peasants are the victims) until Christ is renounced by the Fathers.

What a discrepency between our modern faith and what the early Japanese faithful had to endure. For us, the big decision is "guitar or organ? khakis or hose? Wednesday church-wide dinner or small group Bible study in homes?" Their choices were "trod on the face of Christ or be killed." This situation is still the case in many places around the world. Certainly makes what has been a major disruption in our lives fall into perspective.

Oh how fortunate we are. And how much more mindful we should be of those brothers and sisters in the Faith that are not.