TEARS AT THE START...

Race day for the OKC Memorial Marathon.  A beautiful, clear morning-anticipation of a wonderful day to run!  I did not expect to be emotional but with recent events in Boston, my whole family running the relay as a team, including my lovely daughter coming in from Denver and my boys (who neither one had really trained properly but were there to be a FAMILY) it was emotional for me.  The 168 seconds of silence, prompted by the loudspeakers - 24,0000 people still and quiet in the early morning, just got to me.  Everything was right in the world for a moment.  

Our Boston wristbands

Starting line with our beautiful new Devon Tower in the background

My baby who had no sleep from Prom the night before but wanted to run

My college kid who is not a runner but did his part

Waiting at the relay points with sweet friends

 My cool factor just got a boost from them

My healthy husband

 Seeing my sweet nephew's wife who will have their first child in 8 weeks

Watching my girl from Denver finish strong

 We tried to cross the finish line as a team, but of course the parents are dragging :)

 Rest

And I got my Christmas card pic done for the year!  Sweet.

It was a wonderful weekend.  The anxiety of possible terrorism banished.  Names of those lost remembered.  The physical and emotional come together.  OKC and people from all over together for a common cause.  Good times with my loved ones. 

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS LOVE AND PROTECTION!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

BLACK BEAN CHILI!

If you like SPICY, this one is for you!  My whole family agreed it was a tad too spicy.  I was shocked to put 1/4 cup of chili powder in it and lots of other spices as well - I really thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but they weren't.  I read those measurements right.  Of course it has Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce in it for heat, too.  Loved the Muenster cheese and cornbread as suggested.  What to do with the leftovers?  I think I will add a pound of ground beef to it and see if that helps cut the heat!

REVOLVING DOOR...

This was our house last night:

6:00 p.m.  College kids dinner

 7:30 p.m. Highschool boys practicing music

 8:30 p.m. Other college friends stop by to show off their new puppy

The cat is not too thrilled with this doggy visitor!

But he is awfully cute, huh? (and you know I'm not a dog-lover)

So goes the life having the open-door policy 

with our kids and their friends...and I love it!

GRANDMA'S SNUFF STORY CONFIRMED...

Several years ago, my Grandma gave me a drink of water when I was at her house.  I was probably working in her flowerbeds.  She gave me an old glass that she called the "snuff" glass.  She went on to explain that it was her mama or grandma's ( I wish I could remember!) snuff glass.  What I thought she meant was that she spit in it as she dipped snuff.  Gross!  Then Grandma said, "No, it came in this glass with a lid.  Oh...not quite so bad, I guess.  I really couldn't imagine snuff being sold in a glass like that!  Anyway, she asked me if I would like to have it, and of course I acted delighted.  I've kept it in my kitchen cabinet and used it as a juice glass and always thought of the story when I used it...although I wasn't really convinced of the snuff glass story.  But one of my kids still refuses to drink from it!!!

Recently I was in Denton Texas and my husband and I were just killing time in their square downtown.  They have one really huge junk/antique store that was fun to look around in, and while there I saw another snuff glass just like mine!  Only this one had a lid on it.  Would you believe that story Grandma told me was absolutely true???  I couldn't pass it up, I had to buy it.  Now I have a matched pair - one with the original snuff lid.

Of course you can't get something like that without doing a little research - I wanted to make sure I didn't have something extremely rare and valuable :)  Nope, worth about $7... but it means something to me.  What I found out was that many women in the southern United States dipped snuff from the mid 19th century!  It was very much a social practice and so that relieved me to know that my Great Grandmother or Great-great wasn't as crude as I thought at first.

Anyway, I was excited to confirm this story from my Grandma!

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

VEGETABLE TORTELLINI!

I was anxious to try this one because I love pasta.  Unfortunately, it didn't pass the family test.  One reason is probably that there is no meat in it.  Also, they like vegetables and they like pasta, just not together.  This soup without adding the pasta would be great!

LIFE IS LIKE A MUSICAL...

One of my favorite shots from backstage

It probably comes as no surprise to you that I'm still writing about the musical and thinking about it  (maybe I'm just a show junkie).  I love being there at the school, coordinating meals, interacting with the kids and directors, meeting new parents, and seeing what luscious desserts parents bring to add to the meals (getting new recipes).  It's also a week of no cooking at home for me and my family accepts that - although many nights there's a few leftovers for them :)  But the whole atmosphere is one of energy and excitement; singing, crazy, costumed kids!  You know what?  It's a little like being at summer camp.  For the cast, who has been practicing 6 weeks or more, it's like a long summer camp.  It's a family.  I get to enjoy seeing that, accepted by the kids since I take care of their growling stomachs.

Being in a musical is really like family and like life!  A group of people, with different qualities - some good, some not-so-good.  Everyone has a job to do to put on a successful show.  Everyone has a common goal.  Sometimes tempers flare about how to do it best.  There's always some drama -  a series of ups and downs!  But most of the time everyone is learning, taking direction, all wanting the same thing:  a grand performance, one that receives the applause of the observers, and of course, the director.

Thankfully our place in eternity is not determined by a successful performance!  Many times we try (and fail) and get discouraged trying to do life correctly without help from our director, God.  Our God is one who is just, and demands righteousness through faith in his Son, but freely gives us the gift of salvation no matter how our life performance has been.  I want to be in God's show, God's musical!  I want to do my part, whatever part that I'm gifted to play.  Maybe I'm building the set.  Or running lights.  Maybe I'm passing out programs.  I could be in the ensemble, singing!  Or a primary character. Whatever it is, I want to contribute in such a way that He applauds.  I want to know Him so well that I capture the spirit of his creative production with every movement and line that comes from my mouth.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

I HOPE RICKI WON...

Seriously?

Awww...cute

Huh?

I like his/her sense of humor...

Being up at the high school this past week volunteering was amusing!  I'm sure if I worked there and was surrounded by this all the time I wouldn't find it nearly as funny.  

PUT AN UMBRELLA IN IT...

and they'll eat it!

 These musical kids are great about eating their fruit!  At the meals I try to have apples and oranges cut for those who like it and it is always gone!  Yesterday I couldn't resist the $1 cantaloupe sale at Sprouts - would they eat cantaloupe?  It was a hit - or maybe it was the umbrellas...anyway, it's been a good week filled with lots of good food.

  My Stewpot and his prom date

You see those umbrellas were fun for all - 

and did you notice the drawn-in abs on this guy?  The kids come through the meal line half with makeup, half without, and this one already had his abs done so he couldn't put on a shirt...uh-huh.  

Theatre's so great!

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE...

A DAME!  

  South Pacific - it's ruling my life this week.  Lots of food and crazy kids!  And one terrific solo from my baby with the deep bass voice!  Come on out - Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at  7 p.m.

DOWN A NOTCH...

About the time I was feeling more comfortable with my title as an elder's wife, getting lots of pats on the back from others, something interesting happened.  Something that put me in my place.

As I was helping prepare for an event at church, working along side several women, one said to me,"Congratulations on your husband becoming an elder - I think you all will be great..." and another woman said, "Now what?"  "What happened?"  She didn't understand the word elder I guess and the other woman repeated it twice.  I kept on working, not knowing what to say.  She finally said, "Oh, I didn't know...we've been gone a few times..." Awkward.  Anyway, it was a good thing.  It put me in my place.  I thought to myself, "Where've you been?" "How can you not know?" and realized my ego may have been inflated lately.  But I quickly felt corrected - I'm nothing special!  A sinner like everybody else.  Special in God's eyes, but not any more than any others and I shouldn't relish in any titles.  JUST A LITTLE REMINDER FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT...and later, I was thinking about the scripture of pride coming before a fall.  I looked it up and in the same chapter noticed this one:

The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
    Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.  Proverbs 16:5

Harsh!  Brings me back around to thoughts of thankfulness for his grace and mercy and realizing how I have been given a rich inheritance - given.  I haven't earned one bit of it.  In humility I serve as he served others. Thanks to God for that woman and that situation and the Holy Spirit - hopefully I'm back in step where I need to be!

HAIR REMOVAL AND OTHER EXCITING NEWS...

“If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.” 
― Hillary Rodham Clinton

Yesterday was kind of a banner day for hair removal in our family...

My baby got his hair cut and face clean shaven for the musical that's coming up next weekend...he's Stewpot in South Pacific!  And I hope that pretty little thing he asked to prom on Sunday still likes him!

And this young man that my daughter is partial to (I think she likes him ALOT since she spent Easter with him and his family) decided it was time to cut off the dreadlocks!  I hope my girl still likes him...she's never known him without them!  

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

THREE BEAN SOUP WITH LINGUICA

We  LOVED this one!  I will definitely make it again.  Mostly because it had sausage in it!  Linguica is a Portugese sausage heavy with garlic.  I couldn't get that of course, but I got some freshly made spicy sausage with garlic from Sprouts. I also liked it because I used some beans I hadn't tried in soup before:  Pink beans and Chick peas.  The pink beans remind me of little pinto beans.  Both were really good.  One of the odd things about the recipe (to me) was that you cooked the carrot whole in the soup, taking it out and slicing it up and putting it back into it near serving time.

GOOD STUFF!