You've Gotta Be Polish...

My Latest Book Obsession

I purchased the Hunger Games trilogy of books a few weeks ago.  They were sitting on my coffee table for a few days and then I could resist no longer... I had to give in and read them.  I had been trying to decide whether or not to read them or wait until I'd seen the movie that is coming out in a few months first.  They were really enjoyable.  I love it when I want to stay up late to see what is going to happen.  Mockingjay also helped pass many hours in the airport this past week. 

Comfort Food

I made my very own version of Mom's dumpling soup last night and it turned out very well for my first attempt at the dish.  It's one of those things that tastes even better because it reminds me of growing up and being with family.  If anyone got sick while we were kids, Mom made sure to cook up a big pot of chicken dumpling soup.  You always had to watch out for the WHOLE black peppercorns she threw in there to "burn out" the sickness.  My recipe used some leftover ham and potatoes from dinner the other night so it was more creamy than brothy.  Perfect for cold weather. 

The Bright Side

I'm not crazy about winter and the cold weather it brings.  This year, we've been blessed with really mild weather and little to no snow.  It will likely be a brown Christmas.  However, there are a few good things about colder temperatures:

• Flannel sheets!  I love crawling into a cozy bed in the winter (but it is a lot harder to get out in the morning). 
• My little electric "fireplace".  It may be cheesy not to have the real thing, but I like to watch the flames and the warmth it brings. 
• All of the Christmas lights as I drive around town.  They make me smile even though it's pitch black when I leave work in the evening. 
• Mulled apple cider.  YUM. 
• Baking again- I don't do much of it in the summer.

Marriage

I just read this article about how fewer people are getting married and/or waiting longer to get married.  I don't think this is a shock to most people.  I am in that percentage of "older" singles.  However, it's sad that so many young people think it is an obsolete institution... yet they think it's fine to have kids outside of marriage.  This creates an environment that is less likely to result in healthy, well-adjusted children.  I saw a study that said that children living with a mother and her boyfriend (even if it is the child's father) are more likely to be abused than if the couple were married.  This is unfortunate not just for these kids, but for the rest of our society because everyone "pays" for it eventually.  Marriage is not easy and perhaps that's why people prefer to ease of non-committal relationships.  I hope that people will learn to become more intentional before getting married and that results in more successful marriages and good examples for all the young people out there.

Gifts of the Season

Here are my last tomatoes of the season.  I had to pull them off the vine since it was going to freeze.  They look pretty as a centerpiece on the table atop my new (secondhand) platter. 

My Aunt Marcie and Grandma Gayle gave me a really thoughtful gift of canned tomatoes and hot sauce.  I love a useful gift!  Thought I'd share them since they look so pretty. 

Bountiful Harvest

I planted pumpkins for the first time this year.  During the course of the summer, those vines gradually grew to take up about half of the garden and tried to sneak outside the fence as well.  There were tons of big golden blooms and I ended up with about seven pumpkins in total.  However, something viciously ate a huge chunk out of one of them and the other got attacked by bugs.  So here are the remainder of them in all their fall glory. 

Fall Color

I love the bright burst of color that mums provide.  My neighbor across the street has this great sunshiney yellow one and every time I look at it, I have to smile.  Mine is this bronzy red color and I waited and waited for the buds to finally bloom.  It's nice to see something that is so happy in the fall when everything else is dying. 

Movies vs. Books

In my opinion, books will nearly always trump movies.  This weekend I watched three movies (way more than I typically would).  Only one of the three was something I would consider worthwhile.  In case you're wondering the movies were Soul Surfer (really good film), Fame (terrible), and The Invention of Lying (not so great).  I am really picky about movies.  I want to see something believable, that I can really get into.  It rarely happens that I can watch a movie and not think, "ugh". 

I also read a book this weekend.  It is called My Hands Came Away Red.  Great book.  I finished it in a day.  I don't know if it's the limited amount of background and detail that tends to make movies less than, but I rarely enjoy a movie as much as I do a book. 

Flying Away to Heaven

At my grandfather's funeral, the priest spoke about how our transition to heaven could be compared to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.  I thought that was a nice image.  It just so happens that the flower arrangement I got to take home with me had a little faux butterfly in it. 

The Lake

We spent our annual June vacation days at Lake Okoboji again this year.  The entire family was there (at least for an hour or so).  Nothing else says summer to me like spending time at the lake.  Especially those calm mornings when the water is so beguiling. 

Flores

Thought I'd share a shot of the first gorgeous peony I cut to bring inside.  I love their huge blooms. 

Full of Hot Air

This was the third year we've tried to go and see the balloons at the Great Plains Balloon Race.  We've been out of luck the past two times due to poor weather.  This year we arrived just as some of them were launching.  It was fun even though not all the balloons took off due to wind.  Going for a ride in a hot air balloon is on my life list. 

Caught this just as we arrived

Colton looking at the balloons

The dinosaur balloon

All the colors of the rainbow

What's Growing On?

Thought I'd share some photos of the beautiful things that are growing in my yard right now.  The light was nice this morning and I enjoyed planting a couple more veggies in the garden.  Things are looking great and the gopher is no more.

 

One of the nice perennials I have- Husker Red Beard Tongue (strange name)

This little mushroom has so much character

Snow Hill Salvia

The Peonies are about ready to burst into bloom

Coral Bells (back-lit)

Coral Bells (front-lit) and hostas in the background

Birthday Time of Year

I was treated to a whole weekend of birthday treats by the Tolly's.  (Thank you all so much!)  I came home on Friday to find my kitchen filled with balloons.  On Saturday, I was taken out for breakfast and had an awesome time at the Original Pancake House.  I like bacon, so I had to try their bacon pancakes.  Thick cut bacon chopped up and mixed in with the pancake batter.  Yum.  We also grilled out that night and it was gorgeous weather.  Not too hot and the bugs weren't out yet.  Then for the big day, they made me an entire (Thanksgiving day) feast.  It's nice to know that even 31 can be a special birthday! 

Paper Towels

I've been thinking about how much we've come to see disposable items as the status quo in our culture.  Plastic cups, plastic silverware, styrofoam plates, paper napkins... will we change our way of approaching life as prioritizing convenience over long-term consequences?  I don't use a lot of paper towels at home.  A roll will last me months.  However, I use them everyday at work and it seems like such a waste.  All I need to do is dry my wet hands and in order to do that, I have to generate trash.  Recently, I saw Peopletowels.  Interesting concept that could actually work if you were willing to carry your own towel with you.  (Free shipping right now in honor of Earth Day!)

UPDATE:
I bought myself a Peopletowel and have been using it for about a week now.  I find that it's really easy to just hang it up in my cubicle and take it with when I head to the ladies' room.  If you work in an office I would definitely recommend it.  I find that it's a very simple way to reduce waste. 

The Life After This

I recently watched The Tillman Story- a documentary about Pat Tillman's death and his family's search to find out what really happened.  What really struck me in the film was the video from his memorial service.  His brother got up and spoke about the fact that Pat was an atheist and he was just "dead".  That made me really sad.  Why would you choose to believe that there is nothing after this life?  I have such great hope in God and the Heaven he has waiting for us. 

Read All About It

I read a good book last weekend and it's worth sharing.  It's called Unshaken.  The author was in Haiti when that horrible earthquake hit and he was trapped in the Hotel Montana for 3 days.  As you can probably infer, he survived and wrote a book about his experience.  I heard him interviewed on the Boundless podcast I listen to and immediately decided I wanted to read this book.  I finished it in an afternoon.  He is very honest about his experience and his personal life and how God got him through the ordeal. 

Documenting My Week

I decided to try and take photographs to capture a moment for each day of the past week.  Not that the week was anything special, but I thought it would be fun and help me to enjoy the little things.  Here they are:



Fun little flower lights- a gift from Mom



My best friend for the past week- the ice chopper



Roses were on sale so I treated myself



Another shot- flowers are great





A little sign I have on the side of my garage... it's a good reminder after hours of ice chopping





Mom brought Tamee's old daybed for my attic- it looks like a good spot for reading to me



Sunday is typically cooking day... I had a good time trying to make homemade pasta

Good Blog

If you like blogs (and I'm thinking you do if you're reading this), check out The Pioneer Woman.  I recently heard about it on a podcast and I'm loving it.  Food, photography, writing... all good in my book.

Open Space

I watched a film (180 South) this weekend that reminded me how much I appreciate the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy God's creation.  I feel so at home when I'm hiking in the mountains or just enjoying a beautiful view.  One of the people featured in the film said something along the lines of "...it's hard to simplify your life and it's so easy to make it complex...".  I find that to be true in my life.  Whether it's the personal belongings that fill my house or relationships I have, it's easy to let things get too complicated.  I've been in the mood to create more "open space" in my life lately.  I've been Spring cleaning my house and trying to cultivate honesty and openness with myself, with others, and with God.  If you're interested in literally creating open space, the movie also focused on people creating national parks in South America.  That's a pretty cool concept.     

What I've Been Meditating on Lately

Isaiah 55:8-9 (New International Version)



8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

A Terrible Trend

I tend to have a little bit of the Fashion Police in me.  When I see someone wearing something that is unflattering or way out of style, I don't pull them over, but I do cringe.  We all have our days when comfort or ease wins over style and that's ok.  However, today I heard about Pajama Jeans for the first time.  You are not supposed to wear jeans to bed, nor should you were pajamas in public.  I see only bad things coming. 

Perseverance

I recently read this little excerpt in my latest bible study book and it resonated with me.  It is so sad when you hear of people giving up on life.  Yet we all have those days when we don't feel like struggling anymore.  I hope that when those days arrive, we will turn to God who will give us the strength to see things through to completion. 

Down All the Way

No one will convince me to get rid of my down comforter- even though it may look "lumpy".  I love to luxuriate in all the feathers that make up my bedding.  I sleep on top of a feather bed, under a down comforter, amidst several feather/down pillows and I love every minute of it.  WSJ Article

Cruising the Caribbean

Here are some photos from my cruise. Returning to below zero temperatures from the warmth of the Caribbean was a shock. Janelle, Shelly, Mom and I all had a great time. I can't wait to start planning the next one!

At the beach in Ft. Lauderdale



Ready to hit the beach in Grand Turk

The aforementioned beach



I loved the colors in Old San Juan



The iguanas welcoming us to St. Thomas




What is a cruise without the food?



The "yummy yummy man" brought us all the desserts we could handle. 



  



At El Morro in San Juan, PR



Mad Men & Women

I watched the first few episodes of the show "Mad Men" recently.  I'd been hearing lots of good things about the show and was interested to see it for myself.  I found that after watching it, I felt really bummed out.  I was surprised by how poorly women were treated- both in the workplace and in the home.  It's probably a fair representation of the times (1960's era), but I was still shocked.  On days when I'm the only woman in a meeting full of men I think that we still have a long way to go to reach equality in the workplace.  However, after watching this show, it seems we've already come a lot farther than I even knew.