The Gadgies February 21, 2008

 

In the spirit of the awards season, and inspired by my husband, who brought me the coolest Valentine’s Day apron…I present my 2008 Kitchen Gadget Awards…hereafter know as The Gadgies…(drumroll)…

Most Newly Discovered Great Uses—The Dough Hook on my Mixer—I had never tried it.  I have trust issues–even (maybe, especially) with appliances.  Achieves a fine level of dough elasticity–which I understand is good.

Most Fun Thing Since Atari—The Salad Spinner—Everyone wants to try it.  Anyone can master it.  Amazing.  Crisp, clean lettuce.  No weird bag taste.  Stands up to the abuse it gets from my husband who tries to achieve new levels of centrifugal speed each time he uses it.

Least Able to Live Up to It’s Name—The Pampered Chef Citrus Zester—Um…no zest.

Favorite Among the Preschool Set—The Pampered Chef Circle Cutter—This makes up for the No-Zest-er.  Adorable little homemade uncrustables–better than Mom used to make.

Most Likely to Induce the Growth of a Third Eye (Apparently)—Non-stick cookware.  Supposed to be bad–very, very bad.  On the list of things to purge in 2008.

Most Intriguing Gadget That I Don’t Own—Rice Cooker.  Hmm.  Does it merit shelf space?

Most Valuable Player—The Crock Pot—Someone should write a song–or a least a poem extolling the merits of slow cooking.  Chilli, Pot Roast, BBQ chicken legs, Stew…and from my mom, The Crock Pot Maestro, Salisbury Steak, Chicken and Dumplings, Some Kind of Other Yummy Chicken Thing Served Over Noodles…a true kitchen hero.

Most Quaint Non-Essential—The Teapot—Totally unnecessary.  The microwave heats water just fine.  But who doesn’t feel uplifted by the whistle of a tea kettle?  So special, it does have it’s own song.

This concludes my list of Gadgies.  *sigh*  Makes me want to run out and buy matching oven mitts.

You don’t have to tell me thrice… February 13, 2008

…or maybe you do.

I feel like a five-year old.  The dialogue is rolling in my brain like it’s on a loop.

How many times should Mommy have to tell you something?  Once.  Right.  How many times have I told you (fill in the blank).  I don’t know…maybe three or four?  Right. Three.

What should get your attention?  Mommy’s voice.  Right.  How come that’s not working?

I believe I have had the about conversation approximately 1,052 times in the last nine years.  The italicized part is always played by one of three rotating characters.

…or so I thought…

…Tonight I see that I play this role sometimes too…

Three times, in the last three weeks, the Lord has spoken to me through Psalm 19:7-14.  First, in a sermon.  Next in my Bible reading schedule.  And finally, tonight, over my cup of green tea, in a book by Jennifer Rothschild.

Just in case this passage isn’t so fresh for you because you haven’t been recently inundated with it, here it is.

Psalm 19:7-14 ⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.  ⁸ The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. ¹² Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. ¹³ Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. ¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

In the book I am reading, the author shared how she found herself amening through a great sermon from her pastor on the worth of the word when she was abruptly put on defense by this statement.  “If you’re not having daily time in the Word, then you have a pride issue…I call this a pride issue, because at the core of your neglect of the Word is the belief that you really don’t need God.”  She goes on to transparently share how she began lining up her excuses (not the least of which is her blindness) “like ducks.” But ultimately realized she could either choose to let her issues and responsibilities become obstacles to keep her from time in the Word,  or she could choose that they be…”pathways to His presence.  Reminders of my profound, constant, moment-by-moment need.”

Mrs. Rothschild suggests that an indefatigable (…oh don’t you know how I’m lovin’ that word which means tireless …) discipline will lead to delight, and delight will lead to desire.

I testify to this truth, and yet, because I can and do, I am all the more perplexed at where I have found myself.  I have been privileged to read the Word, in its entirety, now a number of times.  I have been delighted, elated, and captivated by its treasures.  I am a passionate (I mean climb over a table if it might make the point) lover, defender, and refugee in the Word.  Yet, this year, I have been assailed by a barrage of monotony.  I have found doubts encroaching upon me like, “How many times will I read this?  Does this change me today as it did at first?  Do I still need to do this?”

Does anyone else see it?…smell it?…the pride.

In essence, these thoughts suggest an attitude of, “Now that I’ve been there…done that…do I really need more?”

Yes.  I do.  I am a desperate women in need of a converted mind, wisdom, joy, enlightened eyes, cleansing, constancy, truth, and righteousness.

Thank you, Lord, for Your subtle and blatant reminders of my dependency.  Thank You, that my issues and responsibilities can be reminders of it–and even pathways to You.

Thank You for a Word that is perfect, preserved, unfailing, truth defined, and alive and relevant to my every day.

Thank you, Sovereign, Faithful Father of reminding me what should get my attention.

Hello, Puddin’ Tame February 7, 2008

“Hello, Puddin’ Tame!”

This was our greeting as I followed Nolan into our poling site on Super Tuesday.

Nolan must have sensed this as a gesture of good will.   And why wouldn’t he?  I believe it to be so.  It hearkens back to my childhood Saturday mornings with my Gran Gran in Hermena’s Beauty Shop.  A time when women of a certain era had their hair ‘done’ once a week.  A time when the odor of perm solution was so pungent you were sent racing to purchase an RC Cola out of the old-fashioned vending machine—the kind with the sliding glass door on top.  Hello, Puddin’ Tame.

At any rate, Nolan was instantly put at ease.  While I checked in for voting, he began a dialogue with the poling site volunteers.  He schooled them on the virtues of having one’s SpiderMan umbrella open–as opposed to closed.   He informed them that, while it was not raining at the present, it was going to “in five minutes.”

He completed his lecture series, and before I could deposit my ballot in the receptacle, he began twirling his SpiderMan umbrella…and singing.  He selected, from his varied repertoire, a song from the movie Cars.  “Beyond the clouds, the sun is shi-i-i-ning.”

I had to scoop him up and usher him out the door before he decided to break out into a little soft shoe.

We headed outdoors, where five minutes later, it began to rain.

Happy Election Year to you too, Puddin’ Tame!