Friday, September 30, 2005

Wisdom

I dont usually record what happens in pastoral care visits, but when, after a tense-ish week (did I tell you about the worst nightmare of my life that I had a couple nights ago, after which I sat staring into the abyss and shaking for half an hour?) when an 85 year old woman says

If you just kind of relax, life just kind of happens to you

I sit up and take notice.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

What the Internet is for

It's past midnight, and I just wasted a perfectly good hour Googlewhacking.

Don't get interested in it, it'll suck you in forever and bring the rest of your life tumbling down around your ears like a cheap deck of cards.

BUT enroute to researching my whack, (unctuously paraneoplastic, in case you are interested) I found this incredibly cool site. Check it out!

Monday, September 26, 2005

Angela's Amazing Adventure

So Angela, the coolest Baptist I know, is grieving the loss of her father. Please keep her in your prayers, and while you're at it, check out her incredible blog entry about giving the eulogy at his funeral in the presence of 4 (that's right, 4) ex-wives - and a fiancee, too. Whew.

How To Get Your Husband to Eat Squash

This is a recipe I adapted tonight from the new Cooking Light and it was so yummy and filling and (since I'm doing that weight watchers thing and since it's really working!) now a little leaner than the original.

2 T pine nuts
2 T plue 1 t olive oil, divided
1-2 T fresh sage

1 garlic clove, minced
2.5 c water, divided
1 LB winter squash, peeled, seeded and shredded*

1 t maple syrup
1 t salt
.5 t black pepper

12 oz uncooked whole wheat rotini

parmesan cheese and italian parsley for garnish

1. Toast the pine nuts over med-low heat in a large, non stick skillet. Add 2 T olive oil and sage. Remove to a small bowl.

2. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 cup water and squash to pan. Cook 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Add remaining water, half cup at a time, stirring occasionally until each portion of water is absorbed before adding the next. It will take 15 - 20 minutes. Be careful that it doesn't get too dry.

3. Add sugar, salt and pepper.

4. Cook pasta. Drain and combine pasta and squash mixture in a large serving bowl. Add pine-nut mixture, stir well.

5. Served garnished with the parmesan cheese and parsley.

6. Amaze your husband, who always thought he didn't really like squash. Share it with all your friends - it makes 6 servings at least.


*In case this sounds simple, btw, this part took more than 20 minutes and was a real mess. Urgh! Dull knives! Urgh! tiny food processor!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

"It's good to know there are some memes that can fly right past me" -Jeff

Here at Technology Central, we're not sure how we could have spent so much time thinking, reading and talking about that whole annoying intelligent design debate and not yet come across this. But it's reassuring, somehow, to know that the internet is still bigger than we are. Make sure to click on the link that proves that global warming is caused by a decrease in the number of pirates.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Bottomless Well of Wellness

You might want to describe my family by pathology:
Jeff has muscular dystrophy.
Eli has asthma.
I have a headache.

I know, given the state of the world, it's hard to be too worried about headaches.
But I've had a headache since March.

So far, since May when I started getting serious, I have also:
taken antibiotics
stopped eating all wheat products for one month
had an MRI (which apart from an "artifact" was "normal")
been to the dentist to see if my jaw is mis-aligned
received 3 acupuncture treatments and taken some foul tasting herbs
been on and off the Pill
had air blown in my eyes to see if I need glasses

So I know alot about kooky medical devices and alot about what IS NOT causing these headaches - they're the annoying but usually not debilitating kind that pop up over my right eye - but still not what IS causing them. No one knows what's causing them, but they all say that most headaches are caused by muscle tension, which means I just have try harder to relax or something. With access to this much good health care, a great place to live, satisfying work and a sweet family I'm just not sure what I have to be tense about.

However, I'm certain that if I worry about it enough, I'll figure it out.

Eli's Bloggin

"That's my name. I'm writing it. That's my name."

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Sunday, September 18, 2005

I really dont usually take these, but....

....these last few have been intriguing. And this is a good one with really funny questions (But based on earlier tonight when I tried to tell thisthis joke about George Bush and getting out of New Orleans, and it was followed by that kind of silence in which you can hear the crickets chirp and then somebody goes, "Um, well, anyway...." and tries to talk about something else, I'm obviously no judge at all of what is funny ).

Um, well, anyway, along with the rest of the RevGalBlogPals, I seem to be Julian. Which is too bad, since I kind of was hoping to be St Francis of Assisi. But then I'd have to die some horrible kind of death. (Wait a minute, how did he die? .....thinking, thinking, thinking.... nope, definately cant surface that information right now. But I bet it was gruesome).

Julian
You are Julian of Norwich! It's all about God, to
you. You're convinced that the world has a
happy ending. Everyone else is convinced that
you're a closet hippie, but you love them
anyway.


Which Saint Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Angels we have heard on high...


So many sad, sad, sad images to come of New Orleans in the last few weeks, and just when you think you've seen it all, another one. So much hope and triumph and joy brought down. But so much joy and triumph left to hope for, too.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Now I finally have it all figured out.

Your Element is Earth

Your power color: yellow

Your energy: balancing

Your season: changing of seasons

Dedicated and responsible, you are a rock to your friends.
You are skilled at working out even the most difficult problems.
Low key and calm, you are happiest when you are around loved ones.
Ambitious and goal oriented, you have long term plans to be successful.