Nearer, My God, To Thee

I went to a choral concert last night where this arrangement was performed. I think it's pretty amazing. Have a listen.

A song of June...

One of my favorite piano pieces, June (Barcarolle), Opus 37b by Tchaikovsky. 

Olly Olly Oxen Free!

Spring has been playing serious game of hide-and-seek with us this year. It's nearly the end of April and things are still looking rather bleak outdoors.

So, today I headed outdoors, with my camera in hand, to see if I could find where spring is hiding.

I stopped at the park and found a giant worm.

The lawns are greening up, and this tree is trying to leaf out. 

Here's a bud up close. 

I found a few flowers along the path,

and some green grass here, too. 

I think a shorn sheep is a good sign of coming spring.

And also freshly tilled land.

There are lots of ducks on the pond. I couldn't really tell, but I think that cluster of ducks in the middle of the picture is a bunch of babies.

Here is a closer look. They were pretty small. 

Blue sky and birches. Just waiting to bud out.

 An empty nest waiting for eggs and baby birdies.

The cormorants are back on the lake. They always leave before winter and return for the summer, so yay!

This tree is on the brink. Notice the greenish-yellow color?

This might just look like a picture of clouds and sky, but if you look closely there are some black splotches which are actually some giant mosquitoes that were flying around. 

Nothing says spring more than a kite stuck in a tree.

And I found a few flowers, too. Does anyone know what theses red ones are?

Grape hyacinths were popping up all around. I love them.

So were dandelions. See the bee?

And these little blue things, too. I think they're a weed, but I've always liked them. I used to pick tiny bouquets of them for my mom.

I think I won this game of hide-and-seek, but we'll see who comes out ahead tomorrow as the weather forecasters are calling for snow again. 

Read and read and read some more

In March the book I read off my shelf was The Singer by Calvin Miller. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I meant to read them all, but then found that one was enough for now. I know a lot of people love this book, and I really wanted to, too, but for me, it was just ok. If you're not familiar with the trilogy, it is basically a mythical retelling, written in verse, of the New Testament. Instead of God, Jesus, and Satan, you have Earthmaker, the Singer, and the World Hater. And that's really all I have to say about that one. If you're interested, let me know because I actually have two copies of the first two books. I'll be happy to share.


Continuing on with the theme of biblical fiction, I also read a book of short stories called She Nailed a Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror, edited by Tim Lieder. I found this when looking for books by Catherynne Valente. Her story is the only semi-decent one in the collection, but it is the story of Gilgamesh, and even though I understand why it was included, the last time I checked, it's not in the bible. Most of the stories are written by science fiction authors and they are so twisted and gross. Definitely skip this one.



I also finally got around to reading The Shack by William Paul Young. It's the story of a man, Mackenzie, whose daughter is kidnapped and presumed murdered. A couple years after her disappearance, Mackenzie is summoned to the shack where she was last traced and has an encounter with the trinity in the flesh, in order to begin to deal with what happened to his daughter. There are some very moving scenes in this book, and overall, I enjoyed it. There is also a lot of discussion of the trinity, and why God allows bad things to happen and other questions like that for which there are no easy answers. I'm not sure all the author's arguments hold up, but he gets points for trying to explain and for getting people to think.


Now for a fun book - Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl. This book is a charming young adult read, kind of Cinderella meets Pride and Prejudice. Althea, the heroine, is seventeen, beautiful, and very poor. She lives in a crumbling castle with her mother, much younger brother, and two selfish stepsisters. She knows she must marry well in order to save her family and home from ruin, but all her recent attempts to snag a rich husband have failed. Then, some new neighbors and acquaintances move into the estate next door and things start to look up. Very entertaining. Check this one out.



Leaving England, we now head to Egypt for Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. This is the first in a series of books featuring the spunky Amelia Peabody. The story begins in the late 1880s with the death of Amelia's father. She inherits his fortune and soon sets off on a trip to Egypt where she becomes an amateur archaeologist, gets chased by a mummy, and falls in love, among many other things. A fun book. I read it in an afternoon. You should, too.



Back to seriousness - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This is the story of Charlie, a freshman in high school, who is super-smart, but kind of socially awkward. One of his few friends commits suicide the year before, and he is feeling very alone in his new school. Somehow he makes friend with two seniors, and slowly his life begins to change. This book is funny, heartbreaking, and shocking all at the same time. I think it is often banned and challenged in schools because of the content. I recommend this one, but even though it is a young people's book, it is not for the very young.

Brown sugar and cookies!

Yesterday I was craving a good, homemade cookie, so I headed into my kitchen to see what I could come up with.

I found a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies to try and started to gather up the ingredients. Unfortunately, when I got out my brown sugar it was as hard as a rock. I really didn't want to go to the store to get more, so I decided to try and make my own.

It is really easy to do, and now that I've tried it, I may never go back to buying the packaged kind again. All you do is take a cup of sugar, and depending on how dark you want it, 1 to 2 tablespoons of molasses. Stir it together with a fork, and voila - nice, fluffy brown sugar. Here's a picture of the finished product.

Now on to the cookies. The recipe I used comes from Kraft's website.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the sour cream, egg and vanilla. Mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I didn't have any pecans, so I left them out, but I think it's still a good cookie without them. Before I put them in a storage container, they were really nice. Crispy on the outside and really soft inside. Today, they are just soft. But I like that, too.

Amazing Love

A song for Good Friday meditation.

My Lord, what love is this
That pays so dearly
That I, the guilty one
May go free!

Amazing love, what sacrifice
The Son of God, given for me
My debt He pays, and my death He dies
That I might live, that I might live!

And so, they watched Him die
Despised, rejected
But oh, the blood He shed
Flowed for me!

And now, this love of Christ
Shall flow like rivers
So come wash your guilt away
Live again!

~written by Graham Kendrick, performed Bebo Norman

It's looking like a beautiful day...

February reads

I've been reading a lot lately and finally actually read some good stuff! Here are some of the highlights.

For February, the book I picked off my shelf to read was Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding. I have no idea why I own a copy of this, but now I can say I have read it. It's the story of a year of thirty-something and single Bridget Jones's. In diary format it follows the ups and downs of her love life, weight gain (and loss), family crises, etc. Frankly, the character of Bridget makes me tired, probably because I have a hard time separating the character in the book from Renee Zellweger's portrayal in the movie adaptation. It's not terrible, but it's not great, either. If anyone wants a copy, I won't be sad to part with mine. 

Reached by Ally Condie. This is the final book in the dystopian Matched trilogy featuring the characters of Cassia, Xander, and Ky. It is a little slow getting started, but the last half is good. Unfortunately, I've read so many similar young adult dystopian novels in recent months, that I had a hard time keeping the plot lines of this series straight. I can't say more about the story without giving things away, but if you have read the other two books, this one is worth reading, too. I like that it kind of ends on a hopeful note.

Penelope by Rebecca Harrington. This book is funny. I laughed out loud several times while reading it. Sadly, it doesn't have much of a plot, but the laughs make up for it. It's the story of Penelope O'Shaunessy, an awkward, socially-inept freshman at Harvard. It follows her attempts to fit in at school - socially, academically, and romantically. There's really not much more to say. It's one of those books you just have to read. 3.75 stars.

Astray by Emma Donoghue. This is a book of quite enjoyable short stories which span several centuries of history. All of the stories have in common that the characters have some aspect of their lives in which they have gone astray. In some cases it is in the literal sense, like taking a journey, while other times is is in a more figurative manner. What really makes these stories interesting is that they are all based on fact - some more than others, but at the end of each one is a snippet of actual history on which each tale is based. Check this one out.

 Speaking of Jesus by Carl Medearis. This is an interesting book about sharing Jesus, or "not-evangelism", as the author calls it. The main premise of the book is we need to chuck the evangelism tools we learned about in Bible college like the Roman's road and four spiritual laws and just talk about Jesus. He believes people are much more willing to listen if Christians (he won't even refer to himself as such, just as someone who is trying to follow Jesus) don't focus on trying to evangelize someone away from their team/religion. It is an interesting book. While I'm not sure that I agree 100% with what he says, it did give me some things to think about.

Have you met Marcel?

These videos have been around for a little while, but I only recently discovered them. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.

A new favorite

I have a new favorite band: The Lone Bellow. Have a listen.

 

Here's another one.

 

 

And another.

 

 

I just love the harmonies. Their whole album called The Lone Bellow is great. Check it out.

Read, read, read, read, read...

I haven't told you what to read (or not read) lately, so here goes.

Last year I didn't have any reading goals, but this year I made one: to read at least one book that I own each month.

For January, I chose The Professor's House by Willa Cather. I bought a used paperback copy of this book several years ago, but never read it, which is strange because Willa Cather is one of my favorite authors. If you've never read O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, or My Antonia, you are missing out and should do so NOW.

The Professor's House is the story of an aging (he's 52) university professor who's life is changing for the worse, or so he thinks. It is also the story of the memory of Tom Outland, a young man whose life is tragically cut short, but still has a great impact on the professor and his family. Fans of Willa Cather will appreciate this book, but if you've never read anything by her, start with something else, like O Pioneers!.

The Truth of All Things by Kieran Shields. I really enjoyed this book. It's a mystery set in 1892 in Portland, Maine and kind of plays off the Sherlock/Dr. Watson model. A prostitute is found murdered in a gruesome and ritualistic manner, and the police detective sent to the scene has to act quickly to solve the case as he soon discovers more bodies, and that the killer is following a dark plan. Very clever and witty, but also a little grisly at times. A sequel called A Study in Revenge was just released. I want to read it very soon.

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault. This book is also a mystery. It takes place in the offices of a dictionary publisher. The two main characters, whose jobs involve sitting at their desks and defining words all day, discover what appear to be clues to solving a murder in the company's citation files. Of course, they take it upon themselves to try to piece the story together. There is a lot of potential for an interesting mystery here, but I don't think the author didn't did it justice. I figured it out rather early on, so the story quickly became boring and tedious to read. Meh.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I knew not to expect more Harry Potter when I started reading this book, but I still expected more from Ms. Rowling. She definitely set out to prove that she isn't stuck in the YA genre and that she can write about sex and use four-letter words. Really, this book is too long, with nothing of note happening for the first 2/3 or more of it, just a ton of characters and  the details of their sorry lives being explained. It is hard to get excited about a book when there isn't one likable character and the setting as circumstances are so grim. Skip it.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. I have mixed feelings about this book. It tells the story of a young girl and how her world changes when, one day, the earth's rotation mysteriously starts slowing down, never to speed up again. This book starts out strong, but quickly fizzles. The writing is lovely, but there are quite a few improbabilities and inconsistencies which made it hard for me to read, and the ending is disappointing. Pretty bleak.  2 stars out of 5.



The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey This is the story of two sisters, both exceptional ballet dancers, who dance in some prestigious New York ballet company. For a wannabe ballerina like myself, this book is an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes at the ballet. It is also a cautionary tale of what it takes to become a prima ballerina as both the sisters become somewhat mentally unstable, as a result of the pressures to be perfect, both to the point of self-destruction, although in different ways. It’s an ok book but not very happy. 3 stars.


Dare Me by Megan Abbott. Another story full of angst, (can’t anyone write a happy book?) but this one is about high school cheerleaders. There is major conflict between the head cheerleader, her best friend and first in command, and the team’s new coach. There is also a love affair, a suicide, or maybe it’s a murder, lots of backstabbing and jealousy. Really, through most of this book I just wanted to tell all the characters. to get over themselves and grow-up. It’s not a pretty story. Don’t waste your time reading it.

Jalapeno-Popper Dip

We celebrated my grandma's husband's 85th birthday yesterday. My contribution to the party food was this Jalapeno-Popper Dip.

 

 

It might not look like much from the picture, but if you had some on a chip or cracker, you would think differently.

 

I've never actually eaten a jalapeno popper.  Frankly, I find the idea of them pretty terrifying, not because they are hot, but because they are made with a WHOLE jalapeno! That's just too much pepper for me. But, I can handle them chopped in small pieces, so that's why I found this dip appealing.

 

Anyway, it's really delicious and was a hit with everyone at the party. Give it a try at your next party.

 

Of course, I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it originally came from a blog called Simply Gourmet.

 

Jalapeno-Popper Dip

 

6-8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 cup mayonnaise

4-6 jalapenos, de-seeded and chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup sliced green onion

 

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to oven-proof dish. Combine topping ingredients (listed below) and sprinkle over the top of the dip. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.Serve with crackers or chips.

 

Topping

1 cup crushed crackers

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

In case you're wondering...

Here's what happened to the Santa Claus bread. It snowed a lot on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning it was so cold with about 6 inches of snow on the ground. The little birds in the backyard looked very cold and hungry, so I put Santa on the ground under my mom and dad's bird feeder. Within minutes he was being feasted upon by multitudes of birds and a couple of squirrels. It was a merry Christmas feast, indeed.

 

Happy New Year!

This is my prayer for every day, hour, and moment of this new year.