A Dollop of Sour Cream

I'm not much into spicy food. I have recently discovered that if a meal is just a tad too spicy for me, I can put sour cream on top and make it not just palatable, but wonderful. This blog is devoted to doing the same for life.

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1.31.2006

Tomatoes!

Okay, actually green shoots,

But the tomatoes I JUSt planted -- couldn't even be 2 weeks ago -- are now starting to show green above the soil. Maybe I planted them too early? I didn't expect them to grow this fast!

My sister says tomatoes get as big as hibiscus plants so when they get to 5-6-" I'll have to put them into HUGE pots and then there is no more room inside -- out to the porch they will have to go And it isn't past freezing here!

The story of Norma McCravey

Was I just saying that I wanted to see people the way Jesus saw them?

It seems propitious that God dropped this testimony in my lap, now, as a show of what kinds of changes that attitude, the one I want, can do to a life.

I will have to try and find her book _Won by Love_

Blog storm!



Get yours

Texas A&M takes Seattle Seahawks to court

Last week, when watching the Seahawks playoff game (we aren't big football fans, but for a game this historic we had to have it on), I was disturbed by all the references to the "12th man"

I did not graduate from Texas A&M University, so I can not call myself an Aggie. But I DID graduate from A&M Consolidated High School, and flunked out of said University. And my sister, brother-in-law and my dad are Aggies (and my brother-in-law was in the Corps.). Our high school football team PLAYED in Kyle Field, so I went with the band to support them. (Football is HUGE in Texas. Even though it was only as part of the band I rubbed shoulders with it.) And the 12th Man is a HUGE Texas A&M thing, completely entwined with their history. So it was very jarring to hear it in reference to the Seahawks.

And for Texas A&M it does NOT mean being so loud that the players on the field mess up because they can not hear each other (frankly, to me, that is as poor sportsmanship as throwing things on the field!) It is supporting the team, being willing to suit up and join them if needed to prevent the team having to quit for lack of players. As they mention in some of the articles -- you don't sit at Aggie football games. You stand to support the team.

I have to say as an almost-Aggie, I am glad they are pursuing this.

1.30.2006

The end of Christology

We ended the section of the class on Christology today. By next week, I need to come up with a doctrinal statement on Christology that includes: Incarnation, Virgin Birth, Life & Ministry, Death, Burial, Resurrection & Ascension, and Current Ministries (Hey! I don't have to include the peccability question at all!) including supporting with scripture and two examples, one negative and one positive, from the world of the arts.

One of the things that we discussed today was a film clip about who is Jesus to you.

And it made me start thinking -- not in all that religious language I know so well or anything. But deep down inside, who is Jesus to me? I don't know that I have an answer to that. Being in church, studying, etc. I know the right words to say so it is very hard to know if I'm repeating what I have heard or reading my own heart.

The other thing discussed today though, was all the people that have gotten it wrong. And there is very much a part of me that almost rejoices at the ones that are dead in a "They are believers now, two seconds after they die" -- and I don't like the part of me that wants to join into that. I want to mourn their deaths, because they are souls lost forever. I want to look at people and see them as souls and beyond their facades. To see them as souls that need Jesus and to be sensitive to this even beyond "winning" and "losing" political or other games.

The gospel presentation in 30 words

I always come back from my Theology class with questions and thoughts

This is a good thing right?

Today, in class, our teacher gave us an interesting exercise -- I wish it had been homework so I could have had more time to think about it (And I wouldn't feel like I was hijacking the group.)

He showed us the pictures of two people. One was a 30-something woman dying of AIDS. The other was a kid who knew he was dying, but was determined not to die on his 6th birthday because that would make his mother sad. (He died two days later)

We were to choose one of these people and we would have two minutes with them. In class, in small groups, in 15 minutes, we were to come up with the way we would present the gospel to them in 30 words or less.

1.26.2006

I want....

Madame Blueberry is particularly something I have to be careful of.

My coworker has a cage of dwarf hamsters on her desk. She's taking them home for her son. They are SO cute I can't help it, i've got a bit of "I want" when I look at them.

1.25.2006

Mitford cookbook

The Mitford cookbook finally became available at the library.

I'm just blown away. I wish I could cook so well. Many of the recipes look very... intense. But they sound wonderful... We'll see.

And then it talks about Puny was born to clean. You know, if I was like that maybe it wouldn't be so hard to stand up from the computer and just go get done what is needful. Maybe I need to stop making excuses and just do it-- that's pretty hard though...

1.24.2006

Frightening dream

I dreamed I had two children -- a very young girl. (who would have to be at least 10 months old right? Since I had another) And an infant boy. (Maybe a week old?) My mother and my sister were there (presumably to help me with the infant)

I had no diapers in the house, no diaper bag, no maternity bra, NOTHING for babies at all. I didn't remember ever changing a diaper on my own children, and suddenly I was getting concerned about this. We had other plans, how could i get them to "just quickly stop at the grocery store" for some diapers, and get everything I needed without my relatives knowing that I hadn't had them all this time. I was furtively trying to start breastfeed the oldest, realizing it would take time for my milk to come in -- so I fed her Slimfast! She seemed happy and healthy... but I had NEVER changed her diaper! Or anything.

I was just asking my sister, casual-like, if she had any diapers with her when I woke up so I don't know what end up happening.

But I just shuddered in bed because it felt so real, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened that I had the older child yet wasn't even ready... She looked healthy. And still...

ETA: And what was the thing I was thinking of as I drifted off to sleep to prompt such a scary dream? I was pondering peccability versus impeccability, struggling to figure out which I believed, and how to make the decision. and what I should say here about it.

1.23.2006

If I comment on your blog

I plead for grace as you read my comments. I'm really not the terrible person my comments make me out to be.

Over a print surface, somehow, I come as much more harsh than I intend.

I had a friend once tell me I am argumentative -- taking the opposite position for the case of taking it. On the one hand, I disagree. I don't LIKE conflict at all... OTOH, I see myself doing it way too often. Harshly disagreeing, feeling it VERY important to tell the other side, even coming out as if it means I'll stiff people on tips, use those (don't use the S- word!) credit cards with rewards, and go to see certain movies with sinful actors -- and ergh. I'm not sure even this is coming out correctly. But basically, I need to learn to come across not as harsh, even when discussing confrontational things. But moderate my tone as I can -- oh, and not fighting battles that aren't worth wounds!

Sigh. It's almost like I get all angry-sounding at the little things, and then miss out entirely on the really important stuff.

When is a price increase not a price increase?

Evidently, according to this, when the amount paid out of pocket doesn't change.
From Organizedhome.com:

"Just got my new checks. It was a refill order and looked too small imagine my surprise when I found this message:

Dear Customer,
In an effort to serve you better we continually evaluate our products and pricing. Our pricing has not changed within the last ten years. So that we may continue to offer our valued customers a quality product for no additional charge, we have opted to reduce our check package quantity from 200 to 150 checks. This reduction will enable us to become more efficent as well as absorb the inflation of a price increase to you.

We appreciate you continued patronage.

"Check company name" "

...
I have to wonder if the company sincerely believes they are saving their customers money this way, or trying to speak double-speak just to MAKE the customers think they have been saved money when the company knows that is not what is going on? The problem is, it's not double-speaked enough to actually given the impression they want.

which makes me worry that this written by folk who truly believe this is the way to save their customers money!

1.21.2006

One reason I may not be the greatest of mentors

Our new house has three light switches coming up and down the stairs. Two of them are half of a "pair" -- meaning there are two switches that control the same light. No big deal, right? You just use the switch that is closest to wherever you are when that light needs going out/on.

All well and good -- until the day my Boaz casually mentioned that he liked them both going the same direction. At which point I started noticing him going out of his way to do this.

And we've actually argued about this!

What is even worse is that I have found myself, the one who is supposed to cherish and respect him, going out of MY way to make sure they AREN'T both going the same direction! The exact thing I argue he shouldn't be doing!

ARGH

Mentoring

So... They have this program called CHATS at our church, for mentoring other women. And last night was training. And I signed up to be a mentor this year.

We'll see how it goes. I've never had a mentor before. Though I have found myself (occasionally) giving wise advice lately. And depending on what they need, maybe I'll do okay, but since I've never HAD a mentor, I'm a bit worried. Even after the training.

Oh and I need to take a egg dish for next Saturday so I guess I'll be learning how to make devilled eggs in a hurry!

And I bought some little pots of making my own tomatoes today. Figure that the least I can do is try to be a bit more agrarian and mature myself.. We'll see.

1.18.2006

65% to the classroom?

In Washington there is a new initiative that is going to legislate that 65% of the money going to schools must go to the classroom (Teacher salary, books, education assist, etc. I wonder if rent/construction costs go into this? Utility bills?)

In any case, I know government shouldn't be telling private companies how much percent they need to spend on insurance, stock, etc.

So under the same principal, I'm wondering if this is similarly micromanaging the classroom. The state already does quite a bit of that I don't want to add to it. (And as long as we have public schools, we've got to be concerned about the money going toward it.) It's a while before I have to worry about it. But it is something to consider.

1.15.2006

Teaching logic

At The Common Room" yesterday they had a quote that rung true with me. "Making people cry is something movies do very, very well. Making them think, not so much."

This pinged because yesterday I was talking to my husband about how difficult it is to debate with people anymore. (I will put myself in that category. I try to look at facts, but I am WAY too quickly swerved by emotion instead of fact.)

Take the capital punishment arguement going on over at Red-State -- It is an awful lot easier to SELL "We don't want an innocent man to be killed by the state" that leads to so many people to be anti-capital punishment (even after one of their iconic "he was innocent" men turns out to have been guilty by DNA test after all). The other side is the "But if we don't kill them, what about the guards, other victims that are killed when they escaped/are released -- are they not just as innocent?" -- but it is another step removed and harder to sell. (And at least, in this case, the other side of the case can be told in a sentence or two. What about the case of aid to third world countries that they have started to rely on and, instead of making them self-suficient, may be preventing them from standing on their own feet!)

I picked up a book in Barnes & Noble bemoaning how much the government isn't doing to help 20s and 30s become adults (graduate from college, buy a house, get married, have a kid). How college is SO much more expensive. And so are houses. And there is not enough day care provided for free/cheap enough that both parents can continue to work... and that yes, these were problems back in the mid-60s, but the government put in Pell Grants that paid for 2/3 of college (as opposed to today's... half?) and more aid, and etc. And there doesn't seem to be any realization that the government action of that day may have caused the escalation in college tuition the book is complaining about happening today. And how has the addition of as many women as are in the workforce today put a downward pressure on wages -- the economics of supply & demand -- thus making it much more difficult to LIVE on one income?

so I was trying to figure out how, in a mass market way, we can start teaching people to think. To look past what seems good, makes them feel good in a personal matter. Because giving money like this -- is very easy compared to getting involved in people's lives. Even buying anonymous Christmas gifts are easier than figuring out exactly what is needed in one family's life and doing it.

But just how do you teach wider implications? How am I going to teach my own children when I have trouble with it myself? And is there some way to use movies, etc to teach logic instead of just emotions?

1.10.2006

Pray for Washington

This morning's news: State Senator Finkbeiner's decision to support the gay rights bill

This bill has failed in the state by 1 vote each of the previous few years -- and now a vote has changed his mind...

Oh, and did I mention that you don't have to be a resident of Washington state to get married here? So our mess is going to slop all over the place in the United States.

1.09.2006

I'm still here....

I got tagged by Mamma Engstrom to do a favorite Christmas ornament thing.. and I even took some pictures (I don't have a lot to choose from since this is the first time I put up a tree in 11 years -- btw what does one do with a live tree, going to die once it gets out of water, once the season is over?) but the pictures STILL haven't made it onto the computer!

I think part of my not showing up here was guilt at not having answered that yet.

I also don't have Christmas cards out yet, though I still am desperately TRYING... after all that is how I am getting my change of address out...

But see I got Sims 2 University and Nightlife for Christmas.
And I made a 12 days of Christmas vow not to go online from work. (and even now that they are over I ought not.) And, well.. my time keeps going elsewhere than having idea and want-to to blog at the same time I have time to do it!

No wonder I don't have many readers :)