Red Bay Days

2009-10-26T15:25:00.003-04:00

Hello, blog world. I am a terrible blogger. Mostly because I never do it. And I'm obsessed with reading Pioneer Woman.

Today I am procras, I mean, writing a research paper. I've done ok today considering I'm scared to death of it. My other counselor friends convinced me I'm a perfectionist because I'm afraid to start because I'm afraid of failing at it. I would rather study for a test every day of the week than write this. I know, I'm singing a different tune from those English/Journalism days! Maybe that's why I didn't get the best grades?

My topic is Examining Dual Relationships in a Church Community. Help.

In other news, our garage door is fixed, I got my spring schedule, two people in our family are with child, I skipped church for the first time in 2 years (glory be!), I got A's on both midterms, we haven't gotten a pumpkin, and Pandora.com is a life saver. In more news, we still recognize quesadilla night every Thursday night, I am currently caught up on laundry, Jack is into mideval fiction, and I got a new student to tutor.

There. I feel better now for contributing a little something to the blogosphere. Back to citing everyone on the planet and calling it writing.

Happy Fall Ya'll

2009-10-03T09:20:00.002-04:00

I still don't have anything that says Happy Fall Ya'll! Two years ago when we were first married, I just broke down crying one day because I didn't have any fall decorations. So Jack, in all his wisdom and understanding, said, "Wellll... go buy some things?" So I did and I love them still. Two whole years later. I'm going to put out some decorations today. I don't do loads of things, but just a few pumpkins here and there. I do love fall. I'm still sort of in shock that it's actually here. I feel like it should still be July.

This is the first weekend both of us have been at home, just us, since August! It's been very quiet and lovely. Today we will watch football, well, Jack will, and I will study. Study.... I love it so.

School is still awesome. Linda asked me what my favorite and least favorite parts were and I said, "Well, I don't think I have a least favorite!" And the president of the school had a meeting with us the other day and said, "If you all don't speak up, I will assume everything is perfect." And I gave him an encouraging nod. When you start your class day off with prayer requests and prayer and all your teachers love God and love their work, how can you have a least favorite? I guess the only thing I wish could be different is that I could spend more time with Chattanooga friends.

On another note, for those of you who like Old Navy, sales, deals, or clothes, please know that Old Navy is having 50% off their clearance. I got a long sweater thingy for $9. There were shirts for like $5 and $6. Go there! Get things!

Ironically, I am cleaning out my closet this weekend and am deciding the best thing to do with all my stuff. I'm giving some things to a friend and then hoping Planet Exchange will buy some stuff! Any other ideas?

I will leave you with this one final thought:

Amen and amen.

It's Been a While...

2009-09-22T22:08:00.005-04:00

But I've been busy. This month is really the craziest we've seen in a long time. Thank you, Lord for Harry Potter and pool days! We are headed to Atlanta for a class for me and work/church stuff for J. After that, the schedule should calm down since my intensives for the semester will be over.

In the meantime, this is why Richmont is the best school on the planet. We watched this in class today:

Please enjoy, compliments of Dr. C, the coolest professor you ever did see.

Oh Boy Mucinex

2009-09-03T17:10:00.004-04:00

Today was a new day in our lives. Jack discovered Mucinex and I discovered the Oh Boy sandwich at Tomato Head.

Mom and I went to Tomato Head in Maryville today. For those of you not familiar with TH, first of all, that's a shame, and second of all, it's a great local place focusing on fresh, organic, vegan/vegetarian food- sandwiches, salads, pizza, calzones, quesadillas. Come to Knoxville and we'll go.

I have always eaten the Southwestern Salad or the chicken quesadilla. Sometimes pizza. I have never gotten a sandwich because I generally do not like sandwiches or the sandwich bread. But today I branched out and got one. I got the Oh Boy. I know why they call it Oh Boy. Because that's the first thing you say after your first bite. Here is the description:

fresh spinach free farmed chicken benton's bacon sundried tomato monterey jack

poppyseed dressing mayo heated

I discussed this sandwich with Cousin Patrick who is known around these parts for his intense love of the Oh Boy. He's convinced it's the Benton's Bacon. He said it changed entirely after TH started using Benton's Bacon. ( I did 3 seconds of research and see that Benton's Bacon is in Madisonville and is $21 for 4 lbs.) And also the homemade wheat bread that is toasty on the outside and squishy in the middle. (My stomach just growled.)

I think I will need a few more Oh Boys to decide what makes it heavenly. The poppyseed dressing is always a delight. Poppyseeds are one of those secret ingredients like cinnamon. Almost anytime anyone asks what the secret ingredients are, it's either poppyseeds or cinnamon. (I stole the cinnamon part from Seinfeld.)

Anyway, I think Knoxville rejoiced with me when the Oh Boy fan club gained another follower. Seriously, come to Knoxville so we can eat Oh Boys together.

Next, Jack discovered Mucinex. I had some in our medicine drawer that I had forgotten about, but he took some and is a new person this afternoon. That is certainly not as exciting as the Oh Boy and poppyseeds and bacon, but I'm glad he had a good day as well.

This is what I'm doing rather than studying. Writing about bacon.

Oh, and please check Pioneer Woman today- HILARIOUS.

Let me just say....

2009-08-26T17:01:00.002-04:00

.... (in typical hyberbolical fashion) that I LOVE RICHMONT. I can't believe it has taken me until now to begin grad school here. My first day of class was yesterday and I was continually blown away by the welcoming atmosphere, the passion of the professors, the kindness of all the students. When my first professor opened up the class and the day with prayer requests and prayer, I thought Where AM I??? Is it a school? A church? No... it's just Richmont. Being awesome.

I have Ethics, Personal and Spiritual Life of the Counselor, and Clinical Assessment. And two other weekend courses I'm sure I'll talk about later. I am trying to convince Hubs we need to move to Chattanooga so I can go to class every day, not just one day. It might take some work, considering our whole life is in K. But.... I'm a good convincer-er-er.

I will blog more about my exciting new life. Exciting in that my tail bone hurts today from all the driving, sitting in class, and sitting to read today. Exciting in that I am starting to learn new words. Exciting in that I am obeying God although I don't know where the heck our lives will be in three years. God is good. And big. Gooder and bigger than me.

Our Quick Getaway

2009-08-23T20:30:00.016-04:00

So last Thursday night, Jack and I decided we should skip town for a night. Friday morning we packed up the Jetta and drove to Abingdon, VA. It's about 2 hours from here. It was really fun to spontaneously get away. We stayed the night at a B&B called The Shepherd's Joy.

Apparently, the lady "Joy" has lived here all her life and she and her husband "Jack" have turned it into a B&B. I think she channeled Mamaw in her decorating style.

The thing that we didn't like about it is that we had to eat breakfast with the other guests. At 8:30. Breakfast with people you will never see again is not our idea of a good time. But we obliged. Thankfully, one of the other guests was also a pastor and I don't think he wanted to eat breakfast with us either, so he and his group weren't too inquisitive. If you run a B&B, you have to give people the OPTION to eat alone or with people. Or in the company of others but not at the same table. There are lots of options. And lots of other times. Times that are double digits. And "Joy" really wanted us at 8:30, but I think we surprised "Jack" when we came down at that time. Oh well. At least it wasn't a hotel.

Our little room:

Does this not remind you of Etowah?

Jack looking over things:

We ate at Willa Jack's. Delish.

My dinner: grouper topped with crab and shrimp in a wine butter sauce. Ahhh-MAZE-ing.

Jack digging into his salmon. (Mine was better but he didn't admit to order envy.)

I was really proud to be staying at a mamaw's house:

The next day, Saturday, we went to play tourist. We visited an old mill in Abingdon. It was extremely crowded with an over 70 tourist group, as was every other infamous establishment in Abingdon. This is Jack at the mill. I asked him to stand in a certain place and he cooperated without really knowing why. Bwhaha.

We partook at the local winery and did a brief wine tasting. It was nothing like California, but it was nice.

Jack outside the winery. And the edge of my face.

And finally, us at the local Soda Shoppe in town. We had to get a coke float before we left!

It was a fun time to get away and a good end to the summer. Or start of the school year.

First day of class is Tuesday for me!

Domestic Goddess

2009-08-10T16:10:00.011-04:00

Since this is my last week without working or schooling, I'm doing some last nesting things before it hits next week. I love to be busy, don't get me wrong, but I just want to feel "ready." Nesting.

This is what I did today.

Before:

After:

This is the fabric for those of you who are interested:

And then....
this is my favorite domestic project I have ever done! I almost forgot to take a before picture, but here is a little peek of the before:

Our friends gave us an armchair. Great size, comfy, etc. So I wanted to recover it. I wanted to use little to no money. So I thought, "what is big enough and soft enough to cover a chair?" Sheets, of course! So I used back to college sales, coupons, and store credit and paid ZERO for a pair of jersey sheets and a throw pillow. And... (drumroll please)....

That, my friends, is a chair covered with sheets. I tucked and tucked and used upholstery tacks. Of course, now I can't get it in the room where it's supposed to go, but that's what husbands are for.

And this is the little secret...

Sorry about the picture, I don't know why it won't flip. But the next time you are over, don't look at the back of my new chair!

Granola Recipe

2009-07-31T15:00:00.003-04:00

Here is the recipe:

1 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1/8 tsp salt (I don't use)
4 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (or a little more)
1/2 cup of almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 cup cranberries, craisins, or raisins (or any dried fruit)
A dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (I do both, generously)

I vary these ingredients depending on what I have. Sometimes I use sunflower seeds and the original recipe calls for pumpkin seeds. Also, the only thing I really measure is the oil and honey.

Heat oven to 300 and grease a baking sheet. Combine honey, oil, and salt in small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until hot and blended about 2 minutes.

Mix oats, almonds, and various seeds in large bowl. Stir honey mixture again. Drizzle over oat mixture while stirring. Continue stirring until oats are thoroughly coated.

Spread mixture on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Stir. (This is when your hair catches the scent.) Continue baking, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 10-18 more minutes. I go for 10 or 12 minutes.

Cool and stir in raisins or dried fruit. It takes a while to dry and cool. That's when it will become crunchy and like granola. I stir periodically while it's cooling then store in an airtight container.

Wah lah! Let me know how yours turns out!

My hair smells like granola....

2009-07-30T16:04:00.004-04:00

..... because when you spend a lot of time at home, you might make a lot of things in the kitchen. So instead of spending $2.80 x 2 every week at the store for boxes of granola, I have been making it. It's really good! And easy! But the smell gets in my hair when I stir it. I could think of worse hair scents though.

Anyway, yes, I have been at the house quite a bit. I have actually gotten a job though! A tutoring job. I'll be working with a company whose clients are learning disabled and will go to their home a couple of times a week to work with them. I wasn't looking for a job whatsoever, but this came around and it is a financial BLESSING, let me tell you! It starts in a few weeks. I was planning on subbing and going to school, but now I will do this about 12 hours a week and go to school on Tuesdays.

Aside from getting a job and making granola, I registered for classes. I have 11 hours total and only have to go to class one day a week thanks to some weekend intensive courses. I'm really excited about it and feel the relief starting from finally beginning to do what I have been MADE to do. Praise God. It's something I pray for you to find too- your true calling.

Jack asked me what I was doing this afternoon and I retorted "wishing it was this time next month." I'm getting really tired of not being busy! I'm at my best when I have a schedule and it's pretty full. Granted, we are planning a retreat for 18 people this weekend, but that doesn't count. And never mind that our house is practically ready to sell because I've been able to do a lot. And forget the fact that I'm extremely rested and have almost read all 7 Harry Potter books. And please ignore the fact that this is the only day since May that I might have even thought the word "bored." I shudder at that word. I thought that word today so I went to Target and I didn't need that word anymore. Shudder. I bought a baby gift and paper towels. It was exciting. And I caught a whiff of granola every once in a while.

This part is for my cousins and mom and aunt:
I was cleaning out my nightstand yesterday that was FULL of cards and letters. Jill, there were so many from you! There were tons from my mom from when I was in college and lots from Mamaw when she "felt good." I suddenly found myself weeping over the letters from her. Her handwriting. It was a good feeling, although unexpectedly sad because I didn't realize I miss her so much. I opened a "Thinking of You" card; she had written on lined paper and put it in the card, but on the card itself she wrote in the bottom corner

"In Spirit, as you go- I will be with you."

It was what I needed in that moment on that particular day, and the Holy Spirit used Mamaw's words from 10 years ago. And I knew that indeed she was with me, through her letters and cards. It was a very sad but Holy moment.

Now that you are weeping too, please know that I also found this in my nightstand:

Daily Bread

2009-07-13T12:18:00.002-04:00

I am trying to be good about updating! (ahem, ML!)

I woke up anxious today. Actually, I went to bed anxious and tossed and turned all night. I fell asleep and then woke up again when a HUGE storm came through right around midnight. I think it went on for about an hour. I really felt like we were going to be Dorothy and Toto and just get swept up in it. It ended but I was awake enough to not feel sleepy anymore.

I was thinking. And thinking. And tossing. And turning. And thinking.

THINKING!

I hate it when I can't switch my brain off.

We have had so much going on lately. Nothing bad. Just enough to stir up some questions and doubt and fear and guilt. It's hard not working, and it's our choice for me not to work. I got the syllabus for a class today and it's GOOD I'm not going to be working during school (except for subbing.)

I know it's good to wrestle with things. I want challenges. We both do.

I will close with these lyrics from Jill Phillips' song "Daily Bread." It 'just happened' to come on today when I needed to hear it the most.

There’s a restlessness in the soul of man
Nobody’s tamed it yet
You never fail to keep any promises
But somehow we forget

That you’re always right on time

You feed us all with a silver spoon
And like your foolish kids
We start worrying about what we’re gonna do
When the hunger comes again

But you’re always right on time
With an open hand
You have exactly what I need
Daily bread
Daily bread

You have the wisdom and the patience
We need the grace to see it clear
Too soon and we take it all for granted
Too late is more than we can bear

So you’re always right on time

With an open hand
You have exactly what I need
Daily bread
Daily bread
Daily bread

Linky Link

2009-07-09T23:17:00.001-04:00

Click here and it will direct you to Steven Bridges' blog post about Bo and Laura's wedding. Wow. So beautiful.

seven seven OH seven

2009-07-08T08:36:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was our 2nd anniversary. I started to mix it in with the 4th of July post, but thought it needed one all by itself.

What a lovely day it was. Jack worked tirelessly writing and studying for his sermon. He worked without ceasing to bring home the bacon for our little family. I slaved over the yard, pulling weeds, spreading some new mulch. I sweated as I cleaned up the garage and pruned the holly bush. Yes, it was a lovely day indeed.

We even got the hole in our ceiling fixed.

It was from water damage from all the rain. But now the roof is fixed and the ceiling, so I look forward to the next rainy day.

Anyway, after all the home improvements and hard labor, we went down to the Old City to Pasta Trio. Have you ever been there? It was so weird, fun, and interesting. I've never been to a place where we got there before the chef. We arrived at 6:30; he arrived at 6:45. We wanted to eat then because we were going to try to make an 8:20 movie. Not happening. The chef was also our server. He had trained at Johnson and Wales, so at least we had that going for us. He said he uses all fresh ingredients, blah, blah. Some other people (servers, hostesses?) came in around 7 carrying boxes of groceries.... I had just ordered scallops thinking "oh, maybe he got them from the Shrimp Dock or something." Nope, I saw frozen scallops in the groceries. Sigh. Let's just say we got there at 6:30 and didn't eat until 8. It was fun though, we weren't mad. Just hungry.

This is Jack waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

I must say, though, as bizarre as the experience was, the food was really, really good.

The frozen scallops:
I played with this on iPhoto, so please forgive the funky-ness.

We left Bizarro World and drove around Old North and Forth and Gill. It was lovely. We stopped by to see Patrick and Caroline for a few minutes at their Old North house.

It was a really great 2nd anniversary. I'm excited to see where we will be in our lives on July 7, 2010. God has been so faithful and so good!

Happy 4th

2009-07-07T17:20:00.008-04:00

This was at our 4th of July get together with the King family. Good times were had by all, like Camille.

This is Ellen, thinking of what she should do next.

And the four little girls in their sweet dresses. I love this photo and the way iPhoto enhanced it!

Day #2

2009-07-01T20:01:00.003-04:00

Hey, hey, look at me posting two days in a row. I'm sumthin'.

Check Pioneer Woman for today. Especially if you are a girl. Or woman. And if you have a daughter. Or are a mother. Symbiosis. Something men can't understand about their wives relationships with their mothers. They don't need to understand, though. It's a special, secret sort of thing women have. I remember when I was a freshmen in college EVERY female I knew had daily phone calls with their mother. The first time my mom came to visit, the girls in my dorm were jealous. One girl stomped out and said, "That's it. I need to talk to my mom!" Some days now, two years into marriage, if I haven't talked to my mom I feel like I've gone most of the day without brushing my teeth. I could talk to her for thirty seconds and feel better. Just to touch base. Just checking in. Just brushing my teeth.

I spent some time at the pool today and it was perfect. I am reading Harry Potter and today was one of those days that I was like "this is what this summer is for... this is special, I'm not going to get used to this because I'm not going to have it probably ever again." And I didn't feel guilty and I kept reading.

I am making Chess Bars and brownies for the weekend. They are smelling pretty darn heavenly right now.

I wish NPR had a TV station because that is the kind of news I want to hear about! People, interesting stories about a whole gamut of things, and world news.

That is all.

Please Pass the Ketchup

2009-06-29T16:22:00.016-04:00

This post really isn't about ketchup so much as it is about catching up from the past month. I have such high hopes of posting every day but then life happens and I forget. Or I spend blog time reading Pioneer Woman or My Charming Kids. If you need other blogs to read besides this one, please spend your time on those. They are great!

Anyway, lots going on on Red Bay Way.

I got a Mac. My amazingly thoughtful and resourceful husband got me a Mac. And a free iPod Touch came with it. Amen.

I turned 27.

I've been cooking a lot lately. Jack planted an herb garden and we're waiting for the tomatoes and peppers to come in. I've been rockin' out the homemade popcorn, salsa and granola. If Jack didn't require meat, I could live on those three things.

I've been saving my favorite part for last: Bo and Laura got married!!!

Jack at the rehearsal dinner.

Watching the slideshow of the kids (B&L).

Cutting the cake. The gorgeous, delicious cake.

Sorry this picture is giant. I stole it from Facebook. But it is mom and me. If you were wondering.

Another one stolen from FB. It's Bo and all the boys. He had great groomsmen.

Somehow we always wind up together. My lil family.

This is one of my favorites because it is the sweetest picture of Laura and you notice that somehow Bo ended up with a mustache on. Hilarious.

That has to be all for now because I hate blogger. I think it was invented by Voldemort. Yes, that is a reference to my current reading selection:

It is an amazing summer so far. I'm "off" until school starts, both for subbing and grad school. It's such a gift and blessing that I am able to have this time to do so many things (or not) before our life really changes with my school. That's why I am cooking, painting, and reading Harry Potter. Oh, one last thing before I die a slow death from uploading photos on Blogger.

This is one of my newest projects:

Before

After

Isn't it amazing what a little fabric can do? The idea came from here. It was so easy and fun, I can't believe I had gone so long without any window treatments. Next up is the kitchen window!

Thanks Cousin Jodie for the majority of the wedding pictures :)

Fix It

2009-05-19T08:52:00.004-04:00

Ok, I was so excited to figure out how to post a link to the video clip, but I guess it is too big for the space. Bummer. I'll leave it anyway. If you have any advice, pray tell. Please and thank you!

Also, we made the plunge and switched from Comcast to Direct TV. So far so good and we are saving a LOT of moolah.

Yesterday I was subbing in the freshman English class. These kids are so immature and just have a long way to go. I've been in their classes a lot, so they are getting to know me better. I called roll, and then went over the instructions for the class. I found myself saying, "What does QUIETLY mean?" We came to the conclusion that it means "minimal whispering." They were going to be doing some group work, so minimal whispering was a big deal. At one point, it got really, really quiet. One boy immediately said, "I'm sorry." I said, "For what?" He said, "Were we being too loud and you told us to be quiet?" I laughed and said, "No, you are just being angels and working hard." And then it was over when some one said, "Mwahaha, Angels and Demons! Mwahaha!"

There are so many funny stories, most of which I can't repeat and most of which I shouldn't laugh about. I don't laugh at the time, but later I do. Teenagers are just fascinating; they're not even human, it's so weird.

Happy Birthday Cousin Jill!!

I love you! Will you tell me an Emmy Claire story?

Little Hands

2009-05-18T21:35:00.004-04:00

We never watch Saturday Night Live... this past week we were out late and I started watching it to wind down. I was really excited when I saw Will Ferrell was the host. I laughed so hard at this clip that I almost fell off the couch and the tears mixed with my moisturizer.

I don't know why it struck me so hard, but I hope it makes your night like it did mine.

Good news

2009-05-12T19:30:00.002-04:00

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

Good news came today... I am officially accepted to Richmont Graduate University to begin my MA in Professional Counseling. The letter said I am to be "congratulated on my academic achievements and excellent recommendations." (that's probably a form letter, but it made me feel good anyway!) So, that is a major relief to know that I am going for sure in August. Now, we pray for scholarships!

Homebody

2009-05-12T09:31:00.003-04:00

I told my BFF Jen the other day that it was my new goal to "post on the blog every day." Yeah. Right. That was five days ago. But life happens and things can't wait, but the blog can.

Today is the first sunny and warm day we've had for a while! So I'm going to get outside and weed and spread some more mulch around. I'm subbing three days this week, so I will use my time wisely today and tomorrow at home. I love HOOMMMEE! I'm such a homebody. If you ever wonder where I am, look no further. I love it. I hardly ever get cabin fever or think "I should get out." I only think I "should" get out if I need to go to the gym or store. (All this if I'm not working, of course.) Speaking of gym... Pastor J and I are desperately trying to break our gym membership. But we CAN'T DO IT!! So frustrating! We spend $X a month when we prefer to run outside or do Jillian Michaels workouts at home. (Well, that's me, not J.) BUT, I don't want our membership to just waste, so I just make myself go to the stinky gym. Another year. We can make it.

Big news: J ate leftover pork last night! I made mother's day lunch and we had a Robin Miller Parmesan and Sage pork in the crock pot. There was enough left over, and we were out of chicken, so I convinced him we needed to be a good steward of our leftovers. So we had that, twice baked potatoes and salad with feta, apples, and green onions. Yum. And the clean up was dreamy, it was so easy!

Speaking of dreamy... I am in need of a faithful watcher of Grey's Anatomy so I CAN TALK ABOUT IT!!!! I have just loved, loved, loved it this season and no one in my immediate world watches it.

Now that I've updated twice in five days, I need to start taking pictures so I can make the post more colorful!

I'm Back

2009-05-06T14:57:00.003-04:00

Ok, sorry for the major lack of updating the blog. I have definitely gotten in the habit of reading everyone else's blog rather than writing on my own.

We have been crazy since I last wrote while on vacation. We came back to some things to deal with (we are fine) which seemed to take over for a while. I finished working at Bradley's becaaaauuuseee... drum roll please... I have applied to go to graduate school for Christian Counseling at Richmont Graduate University. I am waiting on the official acceptance letter, but feel good about being accepted. It will start in August. With Bo's wedding, traveling, vacation, anniversary, birthdays, home projects, etc., we just decided that I should go ahead and leave B's.

There's been a lot of things where Pastor Jack and I have said "we should blog about this." But of course we haven't and of course we've forgotten what we were going to blog about. I am officially on Twitter. It seems a bit redundant with that and Facebook, but it's fun for now.

We have a busy weekend coming up with babysitting Jack's God-son James, Laura's bridesmaids luncheon and bachelorette party, as well as Mother's Day! Hopefully now if I think of things that are blog worthy, I will do it!

Vacation Update 2.0

2009-03-14T15:48:00.002-04:00

We are in the last days. Of vacation. I am ready to come home. But, I love home and I am a homebody like you've never seen. I think we will both be ready when Monday morning rolls around and we are packing up. We were talking about how refreshed and equipped, if you will, we feel to get back into our lives and our work and ministry.

Today is a rainy, cold day, thank you Lord. We are back at Mountain Grounds for a little while. It was actually Pastor Jack's idea to get out this time, which was fine with me. We will head back shortly to watch Duke play. Well, he will watch and I will read. We're going out to Sorrento's tonight, a mob-owned Italian bistro that is just heavenly. It will be the one and only time we've eaten out this week!

Lots of exciting things coming our way in the next few weeks and months. It was good to have this time away to get some perspective and rest before it all begins! Updates to come! Including the food pictures and updates!

Overcast-edness

2009-03-11T15:35:00.002-04:00

We are on vacation, praise the Lord. It has been sunny and warm. But when you want to read and watch movies and stay in your sweats, sunny and warm is not your best friend. Sunny and warm makes you want to go outside, work out, hike, do all the things that are the opposite of reading and watching movies. But today is different. Today it is overcast, praise the Lord. Today we slept til 9 and drank coffee and watched Arrested Development until 11, praise the Lord.

Now we are at a coffee shop so I can get my people fix. Pastor Husband is content to speak to only me, read Wendell Berry all day, and cook and eat nice meals. I, on the completely opposite other hand, need people. People to watch, people to talk to, people to wonder about. So here we are, at Mountain Grounds.

Snuggie Update: It is AWESOME. My snuggie has pretty much changed my life. I am warm, I am cozy, I am reading books with my hands, while my arms are still warm. Never mind that it has been 70 degrees outside, I am using my Snuggie.

Twilight Update: I finished. I am still in recovery. It was the best series of books I have read in a long time. If ever. The last book was probably my favorite. I highly recommend these books. Yes, they are about vampires, and yes, I am a pastor's wife. That doesn't matter. These are well written, entertaining books about good vs. evil. SO GOOD. Thank you Friend Amy for loaning me the series!

A teaser for the next post: We have cooked some really great food on vacation! I will be posting descriptions and pictures!

Snuggie Snob, Twilight Fan

2009-02-24T20:57:00.004-05:00

I am sitting here on our couch, laptop on lap, feet up, dryer running, comfy as can be with my NEW SNUGGIE. That's right! HusbandPastorPriest Jack got me the best Valentine's Day gift ever: a Snuggie with complimentary book light. He even got the right color to match our living room decor.

We don't have a photo of me and the Snug yet, so this will be the visual:

I washed and dried it, and then it shed, literally, all over the house. But after I vacuumed all the fuzz, it was perfect. I can highly recommend it. I haven't tried out the book light yet, but it did come with batteries, so that's always a good sign.

Sorry for the delay between posts. I am working at the school this week and have started the Twilight series. I won't say much other than I am sorry for ever scoffing and judging. And for making fun of my late-twenties friends who have read it! I am hooked, a fan, and it's been a great conversation starter for the juniors and seniors this week!

And now I have my Snuggie and book light to make the books even more wonderful!

Music Supervison and Quality Melody Control

2009-02-07T09:38:00.004-05:00

So Emily and I sit down for a movie, American Splendor, last Thursday night, and while the opening credits were rolling, a graphic appeared that read, "Musical Supervison by..." Now this was interesting because the previous credit on the screen was "Music by..." Have I missed this job before in other films? It's always noteworthy to see who the best boy is, or who was responsible for the key grip, whatever that is. I've always paid attention to who does the music for a movie. Is it going to be James Horner? Mark Isham?, or best case scenario, T-Bone Burnett? Who is this musical supervisor and why does the "Music by..." musician need supervision? Evidently the musical supervisor for American Splendor earned his keep, because the jazz tunes throughout the film were classic numbers (i.e., "My Favorite Things" by Coltrane) and contributed to the plot in a meaningful way.

Can't you just see the rivalry on the set of American Splendor between the lead musician and the musical supervisor? The musical supervisor has the right to throw artistic penalty flags on the lead musician's score at any point of his own choosing. He hasn't been asked to write the music; it's not his job. All the music supervisor is asked to do is make sure the music isn't deplorable. And it's probably a safe bet that he goes about his work of quality melody control with exceptional smugness.

Smug as music supervisors are sure to be (whoever they are), the thought occurred to me watching this movie: why is it that film sets are the only places that ensure quality control for music? In an economic downturn we need to create jobs ASAP and I see no reason why we should not create music supervision positions for offices, restaurants, and shops around this country. We're surrounded by cheesy tunes everywhere we go, but it could be so much different. Companies are in compliance with environmental standards; why not musical standards too?

Just think how your life would be different if you had a roving Music Supervisor at your office. The co-worker who habitually plays the Aaron Neville station on Pandora.com too loud would no longer be able to infect your office with this noise pollution. With a roving Music Supervisor, you don't have to broach that awkward conversation, even though an intervention is obviously needed. There's help for your colleague...and everyone else in earshot. The Supervisor would saunter in the offender's office and say, "what you really want when you click play on Aaron Neville is not Aaron Neville. You want a good vocalist with a melodic hook in a bright chorus." Acceptable substitutions are numerous: Frank Sinatra, Al Green, and Amos Lee to name a few. Think of the lift around the office when Al Green takes over from Aaron Neville. It's a whole new world, Aaron.

When you start to think about it, the musical upgrades are endless. Too much Nickleback in your life, even though it's beyond your control? A good music supervisor could put in The Killers' Hot Fuss album and everything's better. Tired of hearing Matchbox 20 everywhere you go? A huge serving of Coldplay with a side of old school Counting Crows is like a tall Americano on a rainy day--instant energy.

So there's my argument for our country's need for music supervisors. It shouldn't be a job for Tinseltown only. Quality melody control should be available to every shopper in Kroger's produce section who feels the onset of sudden depression simply because gloomy violins are hovering like a dark cloud. And then maybe I wouldn't rush through the produce section grabbing vegetables like a madman. Maybe I could linger and enjoy some U2, David Gray, or Harry Connick, Jr. To quote the Irish band above, and a thought that's probably bounced around your head before, all I'm asking is, "how long, how long must we sing this song?"

I love the AMiA

2009-02-01T17:37:00.005-05:00

I decided to change the look because the cute green background was getting a little hard to see.

With that said, we had an incredible, fun, holy and wholly time at the AMiA winter conference. It wasn't like the feeling you get in high school when you are on senior high retreat, but it was just very encouraging and exciting to see the growth of the movement of which we are a part. Since last year we missed most of everything because of our flight delays, it was extra special to see the "opening ceremony" this year. And especially because HubPriestPastor Jack is ordained and could participate. All the clergy processed in to "Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise" and it was very powerful. I really enjoyed that because I love the tradition of robes and stoles and colors and vestments.

Here are a few highlights from the past week:

1. We arrived in Greensboro a day and a half early, so we had some time to hang out. We drove to Winston-Salem to hang out with my campus minister from college, Kevin Teasley. It's been several years since I've seen him, and Jack had never met him, so it was great to see him. I felt like we could've hung out with him all day.

2. The opening worship service and seeing all the priests and bishops from all over the world. Well, Africa and Southeast Asia.

3. Eating lunch with some sweet women; I found out later they were bishops' and archbishops' wives. One woman in particular was so friendly and told me how much she loved sandwiches. Later, I found out her husband had started the movement that is now the Anglican Mission. Yeah, she likes turkey.

4. Margaret Feinberg. She is inadvertently helping me figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

5. Being with people from our church family while out of town. Most of the staff from church went, along with another clergy wife and another couple. There is something about sharing meals and seeing each other in a giant meeting room in another town that brings you closer in your own town.

6. My name tag at the conference. It said name, town, blah blah, but mine was special. It had a bright pink attached to it that said "CLERGY SPOUSE." At first I was embarrassed by it, but after a few hours, I realized I was growing rather attached. Once people saw the bright pink tag, they would give me knowing looks, or sympathetic looks, or would come up to me to talk because THEY had a bright pink tag as well. It also got me into the special hospitality room for spouses. We had a huge fruit tray, couches, servants waving fans, goblets of refreshing beverages. Oh wait. We did have fruit trays and couches, along with fresh flowers and African archbishops wives. It was such a nice thing the AMiA had done. A nice way to feel appreciated.

7. The clergy wives luncheon. It happens every Friday at the conference. I loved it this year because I sat at a great table and my new friend from lunch the previous day, Cynthia Tay, spoke. Her talk was so moving and encouraging that I teared up several times and ended up getting the recording of it.

8. Hanging out with Cousin Patrick. He is so funny.

9. As We Forgive. Sadly, it was in the worst time slot of the week. It was AMAZING. Filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson has made a documentary on reconciliation in Rwanda. It's about life after the genocide, focusing on two significant stories. I woke up at 2:30 this morning, or, as Chris Cairns says, "I slammed back into my body," thinking of ways I could get this message out to my own little world. If you want to talk about the amazing-ness of this documentary, please talk to me!

There were some speakers that really rocked Jack, Patrick, and Chris' worlds, and I am really glad for that. Mark Russell, to name one.

I think that is all. The Office after the Super Bowl has finally come on, so duty calls.

Pack Schmack

2009-01-26T22:30:00.005-05:00

I am procrastinating. From packing. I usually like to pack because that means I get to organize clothes, but I am seriously unmotivated. We are headed to the Anglican Mission's Annual Winter Conference in Greensboro, NC. I'm actually pretty excited to go. Last year we had a great time too, but missed most of it because of flight delays. You can read about that here. (Notice that was the last time that blog saw any action. Hopefully not the same for this one!)

I'm pretty excited because
A) it's a break away from home and work schmerk (I love my job)
B) we will get to see our Rwandan Archbishop in all his Bishop-y finery
C) I really enjoy the other AMiA folks and women who are married to pastors/priests (notice my clever use of the alternate of "Pastor's Wife", thank you very much)
D) I get to wear cute clothes, hence the pressure of packing the right cute clothes

Anyway. Please pray for us as we travel. Our church has been going through so many things lately, and prayer for protection is definitely needed.

I got to talk to my lovely Alice last night. It made me happy and sad altogether. Happy because I got to hear her and sad because we don't live daily lives together. She is a true soul friend and I am so thankful for her!

In house pub grub

2009-01-24T08:51:00.019-05:00

Hey everyone...it's Jack writing this time, making my Red Bay Days blog debut. Emily wears the blogging pants in this family, but from time to time, I get an idea for a post. No, there's no theological reflection to follow, so in case you were getting your finger ready to click to the next blog because you weren't signing up for a mini-devotional, do not fear. I know, I know, it's always a possibility with a pastor writing, but we're people too, and we do have other interests besides the spiritual life.

It's hard to get excited about much of anything in January, but we've found something to keep us excited around here though the weather is rubbish these days. Two words: comfort food. Being a novice, yet enthusiastic cook, I love to try new dishes, but have always had a bad attitude when cooking in the winter months. In the spring and summer, it's easy to get excited because I can step outside and clip some basil leaves, thyme and rosemary sprigs, and fresh food is a half hour away from landing on the table. In past winters I've been apathetic because I don't buy many herbs from the store because they're too stinkin' expensive. And then a few weeks ago it occurred to me that I'd forgotten a food group that was so important when I lived in England--root vegetables! Carrots and celery and onions and turnips and parsnips! Eureka Mirepoix! My culinary Seasonal Affective Disorder was lifted immediately.

With the eureka moment about root vegetables I remembered some of the great comfort food I discovered in pubs when I lived in Gateshead/Newcastle. Because the Crown and Goose in downtown Knoxville is out of our price range I decided to try my hand at some in house pub grub. With Jamie Oliver's reliable Happy Days cookbook as my guide, I knew I could pull it off. Steak and Guiness Pie was my first challenge, and even though I couldn't make it look like the picture in Jamie's book, it came out pretty well. Last Saturday was the perfect day for the pie because it was absurdly cold outside so it was ridiculous to leave the house for anything. Here's the visual before and after we dove in.

Feeling confident from the Steak and Guinness Pie, I stayed with the pie theme and tried my hand with Shepherd's Pie. You may not know this, but unless you use lamb meat as the base for Shepherd's Pie, well, it ain't Shepherd's Pie. To keep culinary integrity, you need to tell your family or guests that you're making Cottage Pie. British fare gets a raw deal as it is, so why pile on by misrepresenting a signature British dish? Look, if someone called your grits by another name, you'd get hot and bothered too.

Anyway, after I tacked on a stupidly good puff pastry (store bought, sadly) to the Steak/Guinness Pie, we decided to make pub grub/comfort food as healthy as possible. Hence the use of ground turkey in this Cottage (not Shepherd's--let's show respek!) Pie. Turkey does take away some of the flavor, but with a hand full of good dried herbs (sage especially!) it came out well, especially for a Monday. Yep, Monday night Pub Grub. That's the fare on Red Bay Way these days. Mondays in the Winter have never been so fun.

Yoga Bear

2009-01-15T19:43:00.004-05:00

I did yoga. I breathed (hyper-ventilated), stretched, and moved in ways I never think about. It was awesome.

The instructor looked exactly like Santa Claus' hippie brother. This man is a hearty man, complete with the whitish beard and belly. But unlike Santa, this man can contort into positions that are branded into my memory. It has been at least seven years since I did a yoga class (in college with girlfriends and we laughed the whole time), so I wasn't sure what to expect tonight. He was a GREAT instructor so I just followed directions and didn't have a lot of trouble. I did look up once to see what he was doing and all I saw was a mass of skin and gym shorts. So I didn't look up any more!

He told us when to inhale and exhale and if I followed him exactly, I really felt like it was too much and I might begin to hyperventilate! It did make a difference to exhale when he said. I mean, the man probably knows. Just like Santa. I didn't break a sweat, which was nice because I had just gotten my hair did. But I felt really worked and stretched. I'm definitely going to add yoga into my weekly repertoire.

A House Divided: A Facebook Manifesto

2009-01-10T09:50:00.003-05:00

Last night we had dinner with Jack's pastor's small group and the topic of Facebook and the use of Facebook came up. I am "friends" on Facebook with most of the people that were at the dinner. Jack is friends with the guys in real life. I am too, but more so on FB. So when we were all standing around chatting, we realized that we knew what was going on in each other's lives, not because we talk to each other regularly, but because we read each other's status updates. I see pictures of these people and their kids quite often. Not because I go to their house and they show me, but because pictures are posted and I am nosy and I look. And I am irritated when people don't caption their pictures so I can know who everyone is and where they are and what they are doing in these photos.

Facebook has taken over.

So, the title of this post. Jack hates facebook. He has threatened for months to delete his account. He still hasn't done it, mainly because I don't want him to because it will change my relationship status on facebook from "Married to Jack..." to just "Married." I want people to know WHO I'm married to! (I realized I ended that sentence with a prepostion... forgive me.) Jack only checks facebook when his email account piles up with friend requests and wall posts and group invitations. I check facebook every day. I tell Jack what all people are doing, who is pregnant, who is moving, etc. etc. The thing is, Jack doesn't care. I care. Hence, a house divided.

I, obviously, don't have a problem with facebook. I heart it. However, dinner parties like last night are a real wake up call for the manner in which our generation communicates. I mean, half of the folks who were there last night are our NEIGHBORS for crying out loud! Many of us live within a few miles of one another. And I will be the first to say that I don't know what's going on with them if it wasn't for good ole FB. I probably won't change my use of facebook, but I do want to be reminded that they are actual PEOPLE that have the facebook pages, the pages don't just appear on their own, the pages are created by actual living human beings and actual real-life FRIENDS.

Last year for Lent I gave up facebook and it was HARD. I felt pretty disconnected, sadly. I used the "you can do it on Sunday" rule, fo' sho. I will probably do that again this year for Lent. The days that I work at Bradley's, I can't check email or facebook. The good thing is, it doesn't cross my mind all day. When I get home, it's not even the first thing I think about. I do check it eventually and it takes me a while to comb through status updates and to see what everyone else has done that day. My problem is that I LOVE to know what people are doing, talking about, eating, blahbitty blah blah. I WANT TO KNOW!!! Someone said last night that stay-at-home moms were the demographic who uses facebook the most. I can definitely see that. It's a way to stay in the know and feel part of things, even if it's impersonal. It's easy and makes you feel connected. I say that with complete openness and knowing that a phone call or face-to-face conversation is perferred, generally. But if you can't do that.... facebook is the answer.

Aside from the status updates and knowing and seeing what everyone you've ever known is doing, I don't participate in the games, the pokes, the applications, etc. I did really love the Flair application... there were some really funny political flair(s?). But when facebook changed it's format, that kind of got lost. I don't have facebook on my cell phone and I don't send people gifts like pandas or toaster ovens. I only post photos once every six months. I didn't post my political opinions. I don't use "Twitter," whatever the heck that is. Currently, I have 85 requests to all sorts of things, and 51 updates that I don't even open.

So maybe facebook isn't all bad and isn't completely destroying us. Or maybe it is. Either way, in our house, we've reached an understanding that I use it and love it and want it, and Jack wants nothing to do with it and thinks its the ruin of our generation(s). The couple who hosted the dinner last night are in their early 50's and were just flabbergasted at our conversation about facebook. They were happy to be in the dark with FB. Jack wants to join them in the dark side. I don't. I'm quite happy to be in the facebook light.

DOUBT

2009-01-05T15:52:00.004-05:00

Last night we saw "Doubt" starring Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I will see just about any movie starring either of these actors. The storyline didn't necessarily blow me away, but the acting definitely did. I love to watch indie movies where you can see the actor really pouring themselves into a role. Anne Hathaway did that in "Rachel Getting Married". Michael Douglas did in "King of California". Ever since we have had Netflix, indie movies and obscure, artsy movies have become quite popular at our little house. But anyway, back to Doubt. It was really interesting since Jack is a priest and we are in the Anglican church. To see people acting church and acting giving a sermon was pretty strange, actually. But I DO recommend the movie, especially if you appreciate acting and not just for entertainment.

I have been playing at home today, getting my house back in order from the holidays and ready for work to begin again. I start back tomorrow and I'm SO excited! I do best in a routine and schedule. Yay for 2009!

Tonight for dinner I made a lovely chicken recipe in the crockpot. Chicken with onions, apples, and lots of rosemary. Broth and a little cream of celery mixed in, then served over rice. YUM. I LOVE the crockpot and this recipe did not let us down. Robin Miller inspired me, yet again. And because is was in the crockpot, we got to eat earlier than normal, which means that Jack is now playing FIFA 07 on Playstation and I am going to read my book! And maybe we'll have a little taste of ice cream??? Perhaps?

It's a New Year and a New Blog

2009-01-03T21:57:00.003-05:00

I read blogs ALL the time. I love to read anything... books, magazines, news, but recently, blogs are just especially interesting. I know, I know, I gave up "Plain or Peanut" soon after we got married, and I just never got back in the rhythm of writing. But now I figured that it's only fair that if I read so many other people's blogs, I should have my own. AND this time is different too because maybe Husband Jack will contribute.

So my last blog was mostly about school, working at WVLT, and dating Pastor Jack. Well, I no longer am in school, working has changed (a couple of times, actually), and Pastor Jack has become Husband Jack (but he's still a pastor... no, make that a Priest!). Oh, one thing that is fun... I wrote some in my last blog about my amazing Shakespeare professor at UT, Heather Hirshfield. I could say ANYTHING in class and she would write it on the board and make me feel like a genius. "Ok, Emily, I see your point... let's go with that and explore this NEW theory on the possibility that YOU'VE given us!" She is great.... and now... she's our NEIGHBOR. That's right, she lives right across the street from us. AND we are on the homeowner's board together. The Montrose Court Homeowner's Board gives me many possiblities for blog entries, let me tell ya.

This picture is from our church Christmas party and also the one I used for our New Year's cards.

That's right... New Year's cards. I just did not make Christmas cards a priority this year. We were slammed with working, family and friends' events and the week of Christmas was here before we knew it. But we survived and enjoyed it! So, happy 2009 and happy new blog!