Lynne, Inc.

About Huntsville

2010-02-13T07:12:00.006-06:00

It concerns me that my beloved adopted city is receiving so much attention for what it is not - a violent place. Two shootings: one at a middle school, the second at our university, only demonstrate that these things can indeed happen anywhere.

On a practical level, it was time to review emergency response plans. I am a teacher, and I take my calling seriously. I love the children that have been placed in my care, and while they are in my room I am responsible for their education, moral development and safety. When school violence erupts in other places, it is still horrible but also far away. We may realize on an intellectual level that these things are possible, but really we deny that it could actually happen here.

Not only could it happen here, but it did - twice. And I can't help but wonder if another episode is just around the corner.

While in Dallas two summers ago, we visited Dealy Plaza. I am reminded of that place whenever I read or hear of something grievous. And I often wonder why I am not as bad as I could be. I am certainly not restrained by my own goodness.

Every time we experience evil, either personally or in history, we somehow think the times we live in are more significant, or more dangerous than previous times. Before November 1963, Americans could not imagine a world where their president could be murdered while the whole world watched.

Then, in September of 2001 the unthinkable happened again. And again, we asked the same question: How can this happen here?

Moments like these remind us of our mortality, our weakness and our vulnerability - but evil men and women do not steer history; God does. I must continually remind myself that even "the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will "(Proverbs 21:1).

We console ourselves with the comfort of Psalm 34, "that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Huntsville is a city with a small town feel; many knew these victims and loved them; many in our church and school are affected, too. Charlie and I are praying for Huntsville and the families involved. Please pray for our city, that God would draw near to us in our grief and that he would move in our hearts to resist evil.

New Music: Awaken the Dawn

2009-07-23T11:37:00.006-05:00

One of my great birthday presents was Awaken the Dawn, the latest cd by Keith and Kristyn Getty. The Getty's music is unique in that it reflects a spiritual depth and maturity that is lacking in so much current Christian music.

A lovely collection of celtic-flavored hymns and songs, it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. In fact, it's on my player right now.

Music is a powerful medium, and it speaks to the soul on so many levels. I've been thinking a lot lately about all the influences and distractions that compete for my attention. Nothing focuses my heart, soul and mind like a great hymn that properly reflects God's character, goodness, mercy and faithfulness. I need to be reminded of the truth by constantly preaching to myself. We can be effective in preaching to others, yet not faithful in preaching to ourselves. Music does that kind of preaching in my life.

I was particulary encouraged by the song By Faith.

By Faith
By faith we see the hand of God
in the light of creation's grand design
in the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
who walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith our fathers roamed the earth
with the power of His promise in their hearts
of a holy city built by God's own hand
a place where peace and justice reign.

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul's reward
Til the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
with the power to break the chains of sin and death
and rise triumphant from the grave.

By faith the church was called to go
in the power of the Spirit to the lost
to deliver captives and to preach good news
in every corner of the earth.

By faith this mountain shall be moved
and the power of the gospel shall prevail
for we know in Christ all things are possible
for all who call upon his name.

Charlie purchased our cd at the Westminster Seminary bookstore - here's the link to Awaken the Dawn.

Here it is, people

2009-06-16T18:57:00.002-05:00

Why I love my church

2009-06-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

We are serious about reverence in worship
We understand the primacy of word and sacrament
We sing hymns and psalms that reflect our theological commitments
We do not do this:

HT: Renee Gill

Seriously: 50 Days of Glory!

2009-06-09T06:08:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday (May 30) I stumbled into the bathroom first thing in the morning. Let me clarify that I stumble into the bathroom first thing every morning. I get up out of bed without necessarily waking up first. The cliche applies: "I am not a morning person."

However, I married a morning person. A happy, productive morning person - and he has made it clear that there are great benefits to rising early and accomplishing much. I know he's right, but it doesn't make things any easier.

But I digress. I stumbled into the bathroom with my usual bleary-eyed stupor, to see this whiteboard propped up between the bathtub and the door to the loo. " 50 Days of Glory; Lynne '09; G-Day -50; The year of the Lynne!"

So I asked Charlie what this was, though I may have phrased the question less cordially. It was, after all, 5:00.

C: "It's 50 Days of Glory, Honey. There are 50 days before your 50th birthday."
L: "50 Days of Glory is pretty corny."
C: "Yes, I know, that's why I'm all over it."

Every day Charlie updates the board (today is G-Day minus 40) and puts on new cards. Every day I stumble into the bathroom to find cards from friends posted to my birthday board. What a funny, sweet idea. You just don't know how much fun I'm having waking up in the morning to read my cards!

Thanks to my friends - some close, some very far away - who have written birthday wishes to me. Thanks especially to my best friend who masterminded the whole thing.

Graduation at UMass Amherst

2009-05-27T10:56:00.018-05:00

Such a fun weekend! Thomas and I left Huntsville on Friday for John's graduation on Saturday.

It was a beautiful day in Amherst - and a good thing, too, because we were outside for six hours - not all of it graduation exercises, mind you.

At left is the adorable graduate.

John's view from the ground at left.

We arrived early to get good seats (we were almost the first
people in the stadium) for the 12:30 commencement. It was quite a different scene from Thomas's graduation - from 200 graduates to 4,000!

Our dear friend Evan met us at the hotel and John's girlfriend, Terri, met us at the stadium. Thankfully, both of them had their cameras. The Wingard camera was back in Huntsville, taking
pictures of Tommy's graduation from WCA. These photos are courtesy of sweet Terri.

Afterwards Evan treated us to dinner at Morton's and we ate like rock stars! The folks at the restaurant were fantastic. They even printed special menus just for us that were headed with "Congratulations on your Graduation!" Nice touch. Everyone congratulated John as we walked to our table - so sweet.

We snapped pictures of everyone outside - it was dark, but the square in Hartford was quite pretty - an old brick colonial-style building with black iron fencing surrounding the area.

And did I mention there were stocks in the courtyard? And that the courtyard was fenced in? And locked?

Yes, John jumped the fence - and Thomas followed quickly behind - for this photo op.

John, I am so proud of you (not for jumping a locked fence, though)! John worked his way through school and was awarded a degree in Sociology and Political science. And did I mention that he was graduated with honors? He was.

What I want for my birthday, Part Deux

2009-05-20T00:00:00.003-05:00

Did I mention in a previous post that I should unsubscribe from Williams-Sonoma emails?

Well, the outdoor great room with kitchen and appropriately fabulous Pottery Barn furniture and accessories will never be complete without my new Beehive Pizza Oven!

What can I say? Charlie says I'm a bundle of needs and unfortunately, he's right. But who wouldn't want to visit me in my outdoor room while munching on pizza from a wood-burning oven? Seriously! Click on the link for the oven, and there's a nifty little video demonstration.

Traveling with Helen

2009-05-19T14:24:00.009-05:00

My mother is a very elegant woman. She arrived in Huntsville May 6 to spend the week and attend Thomas's graduation. For those of you who have not had the privilege of knowing my mom, sorry. She's hilarious - and you never quite know what she's going to do - or say.

Sometimes you do know what she's going to do, however. For instance, when "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" plays, she ballet dances - no matter where we are. Forget the fact that she's not a ballet dancer. When she hears that music, she dances.

Anyhoo, she can also make it seem perfectly reasonable to do something - like place a table centerpiece on top of your head, for instance. She even persuades others to follow. For a demonstration, please see photo above with my elegant mum and handsome son at the graduates' reception at Covenant.

Graduation at Covenant College

2009-05-19T13:23:00.003-05:00

First, let me say I love this picture! Congratulations to Thomas, who was graduated from Covenant College May 9 with a degree in Physics.

It was a great weekend beginning with the reception at the college on Friday evening. We crashed at the Marriott and had breakfast at the diner across the street. Graduation was at 10:00, and it was beautiful. It begins with a processional complete with bagpipe and drums. I was all fahrklempt as soon as I heard the bagpipes. Mom said at first that she wanted bagpipes at her funeral and decided instead to have them in her hospital room so she could enjoy them!

Kay Cole James, Director of the Gloucester Institute, was the commencement speaker, and she gave a splendid address to the new graduates.

Thomas served his country in the Marine Corps for four years and was able to attend Covenant with the Marines college fund and the GI Bill. His next big event - his wedding to Heather Wilson (see lovely young woman in photo above) on June 6.

At a wedding shower several weeks ago, one of Thomas's former roommates described him as "just a Christian guy trying to live a godly life and helping and encouraging us to do the same." I am profoundly thankful for God's faithfulness to me and my children, and am so glad I will soon have a daughter in the family!

Visualizing the Proposed Budget Cuts

2009-05-12T09:52:00.002-05:00

Cake Pan Cuteness follow-up

2009-05-06T07:09:00.002-05:00

The cake sure was cute. I actually made two, one chocolate cake and the other using the recipe on the box - which was a brownie recipe, really. Preparing the cake pan was tedious, which I expected. First butter or shortening, then dusting with cocoa powder. Note: If you dust with cocoa powder, you have to use a sieve to get a fine dusting without cocoa clumps.

The cakes came out of the pans just fine and when I do it again I will use a cake recipe with a fine crumb. The brownie recipe was just too much and the regular chocolate cake was too spongy.

I filled the cakes with ice cream. I lined a 9-inch cake pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and put the softened ice cream in the pan and re-froze. This way I wouldn't be wrestling with the ice cream filling and tearing up the cake. The foil removed, I had a perfect ice cream disc to put on the cake.

Clean up was difficult. Each cake has 50 little ridges on the outside of the pan, not to mention the detail on the top. A brush did not get it clean, so I had to use a cloth and individually clean each ridge. Oy. I had brushed the pans, soaked the pans and even tried running through the dishwasher, but there was still chocolate in the pan ridges.

Bottom line: fun novelty pan for a special occasion but difficult to clean.

What I want for my birthday

2009-05-01T11:40:00.003-05:00

Mental note: do not impulse-buy "Outdoor Rooms" while you're checking out at Walgreens. It was the "Outdoor Kitchens for Every Budget" headline that got me. Ever since I happily moved to a southern state where I could spend most of the year outside, I've wanted an outdoor room with a kitchen.

I drooled all over the magazine - seriously. It had an advertisement for a company called outdoorgreatrooms.com - DO NOT go to that site. I won't even link it, it's so dangerous.

The room above is called "The Lodge." The pergola alone is $8K. But I wouldn't want just the pergola: I want the fireplace, patio and outdoor kitchen, too. Plus appropriately fabulous Pottery Barn furniture and accessories.

Another dream crushed.

New Cookbooks

2009-05-01T08:51:00.003-05:00

Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill by Frank Stitt

Magnolias: Authentic Southern Cuisine by Donald Barickman

I had two Amazon gift certificates, and spent them on new cookbooks. I have been a Frank Stitt fan for a long time - and I have coveted this cookbook for a long time, too. Most Alabama foodies are acquainted with him and his Birmingham restaurants, Highlands Bar and Grill and Bottega.

I know less about Donald Barickman but have heard of his restaurant, Magnolia's, in Charleston, South Carolina.

When I get cooking on these I'll post some photos. Any requests?

Spring Garden

2009-04-29T12:02:00.010-05:00

I love to work in the garden; I love to see things grow. If you suffer from anxiety or stress, it's the best place to be.

My garden begins to bloom before it's warm enough to go outside - well, warm enough for me to go outside. Some of you hardy souls probably get out their sooner. To the left is my sage with its beautiful flowers.

This is a Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose. Photo is a little fuzzy, but the flowers are a gorgeous hot pink - and they smell, great, too. Added bonus: the stems are almost thornless!

Cute little chives.

Gorgeous Columbine.

Azaleas are on the wane, but I thought I'd show them anyway.

Cake Pan Cuteness

2009-04-28T10:37:00.003-05:00

I was trying to decide what kind of cake to make for Tommy's 18th birthday on Friday, when PING! An email arrived from Williams Sonoma advertising the most adorable cake pan ever created. Charlie gets very nervous when I mention WS - he says he can hear a giant sucking sound every time I walk by the store. They somehow convince me that I really need something - like that Italian Panini press. Note to Charlie: I did not buy the Italian Panini Press too - please exhale.

An Oreo cookie cake pan! Who knew? I mean, you could pinch it, it's so cute. So I called the store to see if it was in stock, and the next thing you know I'm the proud owner of said cake pan.

The store manager said you could fill it with icing or ice cream - wow. So I'll be making this cake on Friday and have not decided what to fill it with. Suggestions?

Victory - and I have shoes, too!

2009-04-25T14:41:00.002-05:00

The suit was a winner and my quest is over! What a relief to check that off my list. I even found great shoes that match perfectly, see left. An added bonus: it's not really special occasion-y looking so I can wear it again.

I love the shoes - even though they're heels they are super comfy (though I only stood in them for five minutes when I was trying on the outfit). Of course now I have to make sure my toenails are painted. Now that I live in the south, everyone has painted toenails.

I don't want to get my hopes up...

2009-04-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

but I have great expectations for the next suit. Molly said I should go for champagne (and I love champagne) so I ordered this number. It was described as light and comfortable - and does not have any sparkle-y elements.

Kind of Barbara Bush with the triple-strand pearls, don't you think? It's so difficult when you're browsing through catalogues and everything looks fabulous on the 6'3", 85-lb. models. Their perfection bears absolutely no relation to how I will look in the same outfit.

I want to cross this off my list - it's my last task before the wedding...

Another Dress

2009-04-13T20:29:00.004-05:00

I need to pay more attention to catalog descriptions. I ordered the brown suit at left (isn't it fabulous?) - saw it in a catalog and really liked it. However, I didn't notice words like "glimmer" and "metallic." Actually, the description read "textural fabric offers glimmering highs and lows."

The photo did not suggest glimmerings of any sort. It did, however, look "textural." Anyhoo, I really liked the suit. I ordered the suit. It arrived today and there is gold thread woven in the fabric.

I hate glimmerings. Unless of course it's jewelry.

The suit is still in the bag.

Wedding Dress 2, Lynne 0

2009-02-25T09:34:00.006-06:00

Thomas and Heather get married June 6; I am thrilled. My friend Pam J. informed me that I had to "get on the dress immediately." Gone are the days when I loved to shop for clothes, but my options dwindle as I procrastinate. So I ordered two dresses from Talbots. It's an afternoon wedding, which is great, because I don't do sparkle-y well. Big girls in flashy fabrics, sequins or animal prints are the stuff of bad dreams, and I don't want to make that kind of memory.

The first dress was a dress/jacket combo that I liked because it was swingy and had lots of fabric. Okay, it's a little Golden Girls, but I'm 49 so who am I kidding?
Unfortunately, it was a wooly-knit fabric and not the jersey-type knit I was expecting. Wooly knits in June would be, well, dreadful. So I didn't even try it on.

My other choice was a beige suit with shawl collar. I thought it was an attractive, dignified speaker of the house kind of ensemble. The photo shows pants, but I opted for the skirt - though I would love to wear pants to the wedding. Heck, I got married in pants - but that's another story altogether.
I try on the suit, and it fits, but - it looks like a bathrobe on me. See above, skinny model does not look like she's wearing a bathrobe. I have a tendency to think I look ghastly in everything, so I walked into the living room to ask Charlie:
"Tell me the truth, does this look like a suit or a bathrobe?"
"It looks like a bathrobe."
Enough said. Back into the plastic bags they go, and I will return them today. Two more should arrive next week; we'll see.

Happy Birthday Charlie

2008-12-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel." Ezra 7:10

Yes, baby, you remind me of Ezra. Charlie in a nutshell:

he studies the word
he practices it
he teaches it

Thank you for your kindness, patience, sense of humor and godly example. I can't imagine life without you.

En Vogue

2008-11-25T11:42:00.005-06:00

Last month friends from church gave us a week at a fabulous resort in Orlando. We did five days of solid Disney. So much bigger - so many kingdoms! We opted for a seven-day pass - but not the kind that lets you hop from park to park - that was $50 more per person and we were already spending a fortune. Besides, who would want to do more than one park in a day?

On Monday, we went to Epcot. At the American pavilion, I noticed that En Vogue was going to be in concert! En Vogue! Funky Divas! I love them. Anyhoo, my spirits sank when I noticed that the concert was going to conflict with my online Latin class. I asked Charlie and Tommy to come back that evening and go to the concert for me and report back. If I couldn't be there, at least I could have my people there. Anh Nhi had zero interest - I think we wore her out.

So Charlie and Tommy go back to Epcot that evening after dinner. I settle into my jammies and Latin books, waiting to log on. But I can't log on. I call the main desk, and a storm has knocked out the internet. And let me get this straight. I am missing En Vogue for an online Latin class that I can't take because I don't have internet.

Charlie and Tommy return, and report that the girls were everything I said they would be. The show was great and they had a wonderful time. I am consoled when Charlie mentions that they would be in concert AGAIN on Tuesday. Hurray!

The next day, we do the movie kingdom - or whatever that's called. Charlie has the brilliant idea that we can use our passes to get into Epcot that night. We have a 7-day pass, and we'll just use two of our days in one day, right? So we go to Epcot after dinner, and I am beyond thrilled to at last make it to the concert. We approach the gate, and we are - DENIED. The idea of using one of our days will not work. You must have a park-hopper pass.

Charlie goes to the ticket window, seeing what it would take to get our tickets upgraded. $50. I just can't spend that kind of money - more than what a concert ticket would be - to see the girls. Crushed, I am resigned to going back to the resort and watch HGTV to console myself.

But Charlie will not have it. He instead heads to Guest Services, and explains to the young guy behind the counter how my little heart will shatter into a million shards if I don't get in to see the concert. I felt bad for Charlie - he was trying so hard, and I could tell there was no way we'd get in without spending $150 - which I refused to do.

Then, all of a sudden, light breaks! I see Charlie and Tommy standing at the Guest Services window, pointing to me on the bench, crushed in spirit when - TA DA! Charlie notices that he's from Brazil, and mentions that he hosted a Brazilian church in Massachusetts and guess what? HE GAVE US A SPECIAL PASS THAT WOULD GET US IN THE PARK. No kidding.

But wait! It's already 7:00, the concert begins at 7:15 and we're not even in the gate! And we have to RUN to the American Pavilion to get there on time! And we do! And we're out of breath! And sweaty! And it doesn't matter. The music starts, I'm on my feet and having the time of my life for the next hour.

They were amazing, they still look gorgeous, they still sing like crazy, and it was the highlight of my trip. That and being married to the greatest man in Christendom who will leap tall buildings in a single bound for me.

So here is a clip - sorry it's so choppy, it was taken with our cheap little digital camera. But you, ahem, get the picture.

I am the stuffing, Heather

2008-11-06T09:26:00.000-06:00

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together.

People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

You can stop hounding me

2008-10-29T07:34:00.005-05:00

I'm back, sort of. Blogging has taken a back seat to Greek classes, Latin classes, work, church, home, etc. If I'm going to drop something, it will be this.

School began in August, I signed up for a Latin refresher course and a beginning Greek class (I've always wanted to learn greek!) and it's been so much fun.

In September, Charlie and I went to Charlotte for a week - he was speaking at a missions conference - and had a great time. More on that when I get the pictures from Barb and Boyd, our new friends.

In October, we went to Orlando. A friend from church had an extra condo - and boy, was it a beautiful place. We did the Disney thing, as you can see from the Princess Cone Hat photo. More on that later, too.

So it's almost November, and elections are nigh. I'm very concerned. Anyhoo, for those who were hounding me with questions and even a veiled threat (Mrs. Howard, that's you), here I am.

Lord, don't move the mountain

2008-07-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

Rabbit trails reveal glorious tapestry

2008-07-28T19:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Charlie and I drove to Chattanooga to worship with Thomas - he's a member of East Ridge PCA. He loves his church and speaks so highly of his pastor - so for some time I've wanted to see this place and thank Pastor Caines for his ministry to my son.

What a wonderful time of worship and refreshment in the Lord - and I found the place to be just as he had described. It's comforting that my son is being fed spiritually and cared for by God's people. We also saw folks we knew, plus we met others who had connections to our church here in Huntsville.

After church, we drove downtown to Big River for lunch. Heather, Thomas's girlfriend, would meet us there; she is a member at Highlands PCA in Lafayette. Heather was graduated from Covenant last May, and does economic development work with area churches. It was wonderful to hear about her church's commitment to the gospel through their ministry to the rural poor in northwest Georgia. We had a great time munching our salads and talking about diverse topics - the time with them was too short.

Today I thought I'd take a look at the Highlands Church website and found instead the church's blog. The most recent entry was a video of a young woman who died of cancer less than three weeks ago. She had attended Highlands while a student at Covenant. The film was a testimony of "Dying Well and Glorifying God."

It's a sixteen-minute video that she made to be shown after her death. She did not want her family and friends to feel sad for a life cut short - instead, she recounted all the good deeds of the Lord. How he had answered her prayers and even made some of her dreams come true; how she had always been driven to accomplish as much as she could as quickly as she could; how she managed to finish college and graduate school; how she wanted to be married - and she did get married, seven months before she died.

She also spoke of the active obedience of Christ, and the importance of his perfect record if we are to stand before a holy god. She talked about her diagnosis and how it confronted her with death in a way that was sobering, and she was thankful to understand the importance of owning Christ's righteousness.

I encourage you to spend sixteen minutes and listen to this beautiful young woman's testimony. In the course of one day, I went from Huntsville, to Chattanooga, to East Ridge, to Lafayette, to Ohio, to heaven and back. The lives of God's people are all woven together in the most wonderful way - and we'll have a glorious eternity to worship the one who brought all things together - for our good and his glory.

Marzipan Carrots

2008-07-12T19:42:00.019-05:00

People often ask me if I'll teach them to cook. Some want to learn the basics, some want to learn how to make something specific. Today I made a carrot cake. Now, if I have made you a carrot cake in the past it means that a) you paid me big bucks or b) I love you a lot.

This afternoon's carrot cake was all about love. My mom was here in May and we took her with us to a big event. One of my friends sat next to my mom and they just had a great time. However, during the conversation Mom let it slip that I make the MOACC (mother of all carrot cakes). So I promised my friend that I would make her a cake.

I learned to bake from Maida Heatter - she did not personally instruct me, of course, but I learned from her books. My mom is a great cook, but she is not at all interested in baking so I turned to Maida. My carrot cake is not actually mine at all, but hers. The recipe can be found in Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts. If you make it, don't change a thing.

When it comes to decorating the cake, go all out and finish the top with marzipan carrots. Most people freak out when I tell them that I make twenty-four teeny tiny candy carrots to decorate this cake, but it's not difficult. As a matter of fact, nothing about this recipe - from beginning to end - is difficult, just time consuming. But to make something beautiful takes time. People who eat your food will appreciate the beauty and taste the love.

Anyhoo, I thought I would show you how to make a marzipan carrot. It's neither magic left to the realm of professionals, nor alchemy that requires fantastic tools or knowledge. So carve out an afternoon and learn how to do this - it's so much fun!
First the carrot tops. Maida suggests fresh pistachios - and I would use them if I could find them here, but I can't - so use slivered almonds. Put about 1/8 cup of them on a cutting board - you're going to have to slice the almonds again. Slice them lengthwise as shown above. They'll be easier to work with later.
Place some green food coloring in a custard cup and put the almonds right in.
Stir them around until they are completely coated with the food coloring.
Spread them out on a paper towel to dry. Make sure they're completely dry before you use them or you'll have green fingertips.
For the carrots: you will need a tube of marzipan or almond paste. Yes, there is a difference. Marzipan is finer, has more sugar and is stickier to work with; you may need to dust your hands. Almond paste is coarser and has more almonds than sugar. If I were making stand-alone candy, I would use marzipan - but for these carrots I use almond paste. I find that the high oil content of the marzipan keeps the food coloring from staining your skin.

Marzipan and almond paste come in 7 0z. tubes; you'll only need 3.5 oz. for this recipe, so cut the tube in half.
Knead the almond paste a little. Don't worry if it's crumbling all over the place - that's normal. This will work itself out during the kneading process.
Make a small indentation and place four drops each of both red and yellow food coloring into the well. For heaven's sake don't use a wooden cutting board when you're working with coloring; the stain will not come out of the wood. Knead the almond paste until the food coloring is evenly distributed and you have a uniform orange color.
Roll the paste into a 12-inch log.
Cut the log at 1/2 inch intervals, leaving twenty-four pieces.
Shape each piece into a carrot shape, then use the dull end of a knife to make indentations. This gives a life-life appearance (as far as fake vegetables go).
Insert a few almond slices into the top for greens.
Voila! You've made an adorable carrot! And it's candy!
Twenty-four eensy cutesy carrots - now you're ready to decorate the carrot cake!

I love the bright orange carrot wreath on the stark white cake - beautiful. Thank you, Maida!

It's No Boundaries Time!

2008-07-08T10:02:00.003-05:00

Fleet Feet Huntsville is hosting another No Boundaries training program for folks who want to run/jog/wog/walk a 5K race.

Yes, I signed up - again - hoping to improve my time (there is nowhere to go but up!).
Many of you expressed an interest in joining me should the class ever be offered again, so here is your opportunity!

The program begins Monday, August 4 (6:00 p.m.) with an informational meeting at the Fleet Feet store. There are group runs every Monday night beginning August 11 (6:00 p.m.), followed by great seminars. You are assigned a coach who sends training instructions via email so you'll know what to do during the week when you're on your own.

I had a great time doing this, not to mention a great sense of accomplishment to enter and finish my first 5K race! The race goal for this session is the Liz Hurley Ribbon Run on Saturday, October 18.

Anybody can do this! You do not have to be a runner, walker, young, in shape, etc. to succeed.

Registration is open to 100 people: you may register here at the active.com site.

The Drowsy Chaperone

2008-06-12T06:56:00.003-05:00

Following my car accident last year, a dear friend loaned us his automobile - a BMW - while we searched for a new car. There was much to love about this fabulous machine: seat warmers, steering wheel warmers, wipers that sensed when rain fell on the windshield. But all of these perks paled in comparison to the Sirius satellite radio; I became addicted to Seth Rudetsky's Broadway's Best show (channel 77).

There's nothing like driving a finely engineered German car while belting out your favorite show tunes. I was a driving diva, singing to my heart's content in my climate-controlled bubble. During a long drive home from Chattanooga, we listened to Seth interview Beth Leavel, then starring in The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway. She was nominated for a Tony for her role as the Chaperone, and Seth was absolutely convinced that she would win. She did.

It was on channel 77 that I first heard the music from The Drowsy Chaperone - it was funny, charming and singable; I couldn't wait to see the show, but wondered if I would ever have the opportunity.

As it turned out, Dallas Summer Musicals was presenting the touring company at the same time we'd be in town for General Assembly! Tickets were expensive but I didn't care.

It was the funniest musical I've ever seen. Great cast, great production, great everything. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard for so long. If you get the opportunity, see the show - it's what a perfect musical should be.

I'll close with the lyrics from Bride's Lament. Here the young starlet, having given up her fabulous career for love, decides to cancel her wedding. It's absolutely, horribly hilarious and I laughed so hard my face hurt.

I put a monkey on a pedestal
And tried to make that monkey stay
And he did for a time
But he needed to climb
And with other monkeys play
Far away

He left his jacket on the pedestal
Beside his tiny rusty cup
And I haven’t got the strength
To pick them up
Oh monkey, monkey, monkey
You broke my heart in two
But I’ll always save that pedestal
For you

Come my little monkey
Come my little monkey, do

The Church: Why so many messed up marriages?

2008-06-11T14:01:00.006-05:00

There are wonderful learning opportunities for General Assembly attendees. Yesterday, Charlie and I went to Paul Tripp's seminar "The Church: Why so many messed up marriages?" He says that "Marriage is one big glory war."

It should not be remarkable for a pastor to communicate hard-hitting scriptural truths that reveal the darkness of the human heart. What is remarkable about Dr. Tripp is that he manages to accomplish this with side-splitting hilarity. But make no mistake: this man is serious about God's glory.

Tired of the mountains of marriage manuals that only provide symptomatic help, Tripp gets to the real problem of marriage: glory wars. We don't need tools for better communication, or date nights or role clarification. We need to understand God's real purpose for marriage - His glory and our holiness.

I'll share some notes from his workshop, but know that these ideas are all expounded in his new book, A Quest for More: Living for something bigger than you. Charlie bought it right after the seminar (another great thing about General Assembly are the mountains of book tables!) and it's excellent.

Here are Paul Tripp's "Three things you need to know about marriage but never thought to ask."

Principle #1: A marriage of unity, understanding and love is not rooted in romance, but in worship.
He explains that worship has to be an identity before it is an activity, and every marriage contains two worshipers. Who are these two worshipers worshiping?

Principle #2: Sin causes us to shrink our lives to the size of our lives.
Sin is in its essence, antisocial. When we elevate our personal needs it leads to the dehumanizing of others. We see our partners as vehicles and obstacles. Either you're a vehicle for giving me what I want, or an obstacle that hinders me from getting what I want. So a healthy marriage must have two worshipers in allegiance to one kingdom.

Principle #3: Marriage, this side of heaven, is always a war between two kingdoms.
Here Dr. Tripp talks about the treasure principle found in Matthew 6. Everyone lives for some kind of treasure; your treasure will control your heart; what controls your heart controls your behavior.

Whatever you may suffer in the struggles of your marriage, your marriage difficulties come from the inside, not the outside. These are truths we need to be communicating to our church families. Most husbands and wives are not even aware that these are the real struggles they face, and it's our duty as God's people to help couples understand the real problem so they can seek the Kingdom of God within their marriages.

The Beginning of the World

2008-06-11T09:24:00.011-05:00

Here is my guiding principle in the appreciation of all things artistic:
IF I CAN DO IT, IT'S NOT ART.

We visited the Dallas Museum of Art yesterday. Above is "The Beginning of the World," by Constantin Brancusi.

An excerpt from the museum's website regarding the sculpture:

"Here the marble ovoid rests delicately, even precariously, on a round, polished metal surface. The sculpture is redolent with a diverse range of associations: new life, a precious newborn resting on a birthing dish, or a severed head on a salver, an image comparable to the tiny disembodied elements that float in the works of Odilon Redon. The marble ovoid and mirror metal disk are not anchored but rest on the cruciform limestone base, which reinforces an aura of solemnity."

Okay, people, it's an egg on a plate!

As I circled the sculpture, absolutely certain that I was missing something because after all, this is a museum piece and must have gobs to teach me about truth and beauty - I had a flashback to the Cy Twombly exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum years ago.
My friend Karen and I were visiting the museum and there was a special exhibit featuring works of Homeric inspiration. Well, I love greek epic poetry, and the Iliad is certainly my favorite, so I was giddy with anticipation.

Oy vey. We entered a room with several very large canvases - some with paint smudges, one with a few words scribbled - and it dawned on me that either 1) I am an artistic Philistine who cannot understand greatness or 2) this was total crap.

Above is Twombly's "Fifty Days at Iliam: Heroes of the Achaeans;" oil, oil crayon and graphite on canvas. In other words, paint, crayon and pencil. And I'm not sure why he spelled Ilium like that, but again, Cy is the artist and I am not.

Anyhoo, back to the Cy Twombly exhibit. Karen and I were laughing so hard as to elicit stern looks from the more sophisticated gallery-goers, who posed and stared and obviously understood the fabulousness of it all.

But at least in The Beginning of the World I recognize and understand the elements of the sculpture, even if I can't get my chubby little plebian arms around its greatness.

No HGTV...

2008-06-10T16:53:00.003-05:00

Memo to the PCA Administrative Committee: only book hotels for General Assembly that offer House and Garden Television! True, I don't have a television at home, but one of the simple joys of traveling is watching non-stop decorating shows until I have a headache. I mean, ordinarily I'm in my hotel room reading Meuther's biography of Van Til - really I am - but a girl has to have some down time...

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

2008-06-09T18:56:00.013-05:00

We went to the Texas School Book Depository today. You grab headphones in the lobby, take the elevator to the sixth floor and push the button to begin the tour. It was a grim but necessary reminder: there are many evil players in the theater of history.

I'd seen the photos, news articles and Zapruder film many times before visiting the museum. I was a baby when Kennedy was assassinated, and don't remember the event first hand. I was fine during the first part of the tour, listening to the narrators unfold the stories leading in to JFK's administration: Soviet and Cuban tensions, racial injustice, the space race and the development of the social conscience.

It was fascinating - listening, reading, studying the photos and evidence. I was okay until I reached the display about the luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart in honor of the Kennedys' visit - their destination after their drive through the city.

Of course they never arrived. There was a sample place setting - china, glassware, silver, napkin - and a color photo of the luncheon attendees, standing in prayer upon hearing the news that their President had been shot. It was horribly sad, and I began to cry.

I looked out the window to Elm Street and saw the white "X" painted on the ground: the place where the fatal shot hit the President. It was very strange to be near the window where the shots were fired, standing in the same building where an assassin changed the world - we thought.

Reading the personal experiences and remembrances, it reminded me of people's reactions to September 11 when we thought our world was changed - again.

Every time we experience evil in history, we somehow think the times we live in are more significant, or more dangerous than the time before. Before November 1963, Americans could not imagine a world where their president could be murdered while the whole world watched.

Moments like these remind us of our mortality, our weakness and our vulnerability, but evil men do not steer history; God does. I had to stop and remind myself that even "the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will."

Dallas, baby!

2008-06-05T22:51:00.002-05:00

We're in Dallas for the PCA General Assembly. Of course there will be lots of wacky, wild stuff to report during the week - you know how Presbyterians are...

Farm to table cooking

2008-05-31T16:10:00.003-05:00

Check out this nifty little map from epicurious.com - you click the month and your state, and a drop-down list of available fruits and vegetables appears. As you hover over each, there are descriptions and recipes. Listed for Alabama in May were: beets, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, lettuce, snow peas, spinach, strawberries and turnip greens (we actually have more available than that, but it's a good start!).

If you don't have a garden, head to the farmer's market. I go to the one on the North Parkway; unfortunately, it's right behind the Krispy Kreme Donut Opium Den. Stay focused and keep going.

Modern spiritual

2008-05-31T07:34:00.003-05:00

My husband has an amazing memory. Once information is safely lodged inside the Charlie brain, it is there forever. So when he remembered this particular song performed on the Lawrence Welk Show, folks said no way - it would have never happened.

Well, watch the clip and believe for yourself. And make sure you stay through until the end, when LW (Lawrence Welk, not Lynne Wingard) calls it a "modern spiritual."

Cotton Row 5K Spectacular

2008-05-28T12:54:00.003-05:00

I was not last! 1219 out of 1234, actually - so my goals were met. I wanted to finish and if I did finish, I did not want to be last.

Things were not looking good because 1) I've been sick with a sinus infection and bronchitis and 2) I'm overdue for a haircut. But as I've said, I paid my money, got the t-shirt and was determined to finish the race.

It was a great week. John flew in on Thursday for a whirlwind visit and wisdom tooth removal tour; T. David flew in on Friday to speak at WCA's Commencement that evening; Thomas and Heather came in Saturday night, so we had a fabulous full house.

Charlie and Thomas signed up for the 10K, scheduled for 7:00 a.m. I signed up for the 5K, which began at a kinder, gentler 9:00 a.m. Charlie, Thomas and Heather headed out very early to get downtown by 6 a.m. Needless to say, John and I chose to sleep longer and arrive by 8:00 a.m.

Our coaches asked us to wear our No Boundaries shirts, which was fine, even though I look like the Sta-puf Marshmallow Woman in mine. Seriously, I might as well wear a white sausage casing. Note to No Boundaries: please pick another color. Not only does it soil easily, but big girls don't look good in white - or horizontal stripes, or animal prints. So I'm looking all over our bedroom for the shirt; I even looked in Charlie's dresser and the laundry hamper, but alas, no shirt. So I found an old favorite, a Gordon volleyball t-shirt that I stole from my husband.

I have my running ensemble selected, I'm sunscreened and have race packet in hand. Once I'm there I'll put on my number and running chip. They assign numbers according to speed, and just to let you know, I was number 3238 if that tells you anything.

Anyhoo, John and I arrive downtown in plenty of time, find a good parking space and head over to Clinton Street. We were told to meet at the No Boundaries tent, which I could not find to save my life. So I focused on trying to find Thomas and Heather. John called Heather on her cell, and sure enough, they were waiting by the finish. Thomas finished the 10K in 47-ish minutes (yeah, Thomas!), and Charlie was not yet at the finish line.

In the meantime, Matt, Becca, Wade and Amanda were there. Amanda ran the 10K in 52-ish minutes - well done, Amanda! Charlie arrived several minutes later, and I was about to give him my heartfelt congratulations - until I noticed that he was wearing my No Boundaries shirt! After stealing his shirt several years ago, it's clear that you reap what you sow.

It was a beautiful day, sunny/partly cloudy, mild - I was thrilled with the weather. I was concerned because I felt crummy, but even before the training I could easily walk three miles. If worse came to worse, I could walk the course. My first big surprise: I was nervous!

Thomas said that was to be expected, and it just made me normal. He put the chip on my shoe so I was good to go. I knew with my high number that I needed to place myself at the very back of the starting pack. It's bad running manners to place yourself in the front if you're not one of the fast ones. Oh well, Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant!

My second big surprise: Charlie said he wanted to run with me! After he already ran the 10K! How sweet! I would have my life coach with me (Cheryl you should have wogged with us!), so my spirits lifted. We went to the back of the group and the boys were yelling at us and taking pictures; this was turning out to be a great morning.

The course was very flat, running through downtown and the surrounding neighborhood. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the policemen/policewomen who guarded our course, to the volunteers and boy scouts who gave us water, and special thanks to the folks on Randolph who hooked up the bubble machines, cows and cowbells - such fun!

I wasn't breaking any records, but it was great to have my own personal cheering section. We'd turn a corner and there would be the kids, or the Harnesses, or the Pettuses yelling and screaming at us. Thanks for the encouragement - I needed it!

At some point, Charlie said he thought I could wog the rest. I disagreed, saying no, I couldn't. He said yes, I could. So I did - he was right, again. I wogged on to the finish with an added surprise to my cheering section - the Crowhursts! Wow, it's amazing how great it feels to be cheered on - I've never experienced anything like it.

John said earlier that he wanted to bring a roll of toilet paper so I would have something to run through - with Thomas holding the other end - but I guess that will have to wait for the next time. Even without a tape to run through, it was fantastic to step on that finish line. I walked through so they could cut off my running chip, and found my people at the end. Boy, was I thirsty! Thankfully there are sponsors everywhere who give you water, gatorade, bananas, ice cream, bagels and pizza! It boggles the mind to think of all the folks who made this such a great race.

My goal for next year: take 15 minutes off my time - I think it's possible. I've signed up for the 5K at UAH in July - anyone care to join me?

Thank you Fleet Feet, thank you No Boundaries, thank you Cheryl the running genius (I missed you!), thank you Charlie, thank you Thomas, John, Heather, Rebecca, Matt, Wade, Amanda, Joe, Heather, Joe Nelson and Katie!

Mr. Bennie

2008-05-22T09:25:00.003-05:00

My mom called yesterday to tell me that Mr. Bennie died. He was a friend of mine from my old church in Maryland. A great man, he was not surprisingly married to a great woman, Lorna, who preceded him in death.

Mr. Bennie was always teaching - and I don't mean standing in front of a classroom - I mean teaching by word and example in the ordinary moments of life. He possessed encyclopedic knowledge of all things, it seemed, and always commented articulately, regardless of the subject matter.

And he wasn't afraid of anything - except God. I always admired him for that. Mr. Bennie was remarkably kind and empathetic, ministering to God's people with an ear to listen, a hand to help and a box of donuts. I'm sorry to be so far away, because I'd like to attend his funeral and pay my respects to his family.

In any case, here's Ralph's obituary. It's obvious that he was a hero, but it does not comment on his love for and service to his Savior, who received him last Sunday.

WHITEHAVEN -- Ralph Frost Bennie Sr., commander, United States Navy (retired), 79, of Whitehaven died Sunday, May 18, 2008, at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury.

Born in Taylor, Pa., he was the son of the late William Richie and the late Elizabeth Anne (Frost) Bennie.

Commander Bennie served 23 years in the Navy as a naval aviator, Navy attack/fighter pilot, Navy helicopter pilot and ships-company officer of the deck and command duty officer. He served on board various aircraft carriers and on a communication/command ship in the Atlantic Fleet. This service included active duty in World War II, Korea and Vietnam time periods.

He was a Navy test pilot on the vertical take-off, four engine, tilt-wing aircraft, XC-142A, and set four world records of flight in 1967. He also represented the Navy and the United States by flying in the Paris Air Show in 1967.

Commander Bennie graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Aeronautical Engineering and was elected to the Honorary Society of Aeronautical Engineers, Sigma Gamma Tau. He was awarded several patents on helicopter and autogyros. He has also published numerous technical papers on aircraft design and testing. In addition, he wrote and published a Celestial Navigation Book for Small Boat Sailors.

He was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the European Occupation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

He was also an Eagle Scout and a member of Providence Presbyterian Church.

Hello Kitty Japanese Tourism Ambassador

2008-05-20T13:14:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true! Read the article.

"A multi-million-dollar musical featuring Hello Kitty opened earlier this year in Beijing and is in the midst of a national tour. "Hello Kitty's Dream Light Fantasy" is then scheduled to travel to Malaysia, Singapore and the United States over its three-year run."

Fat Girl Running, Weeks 11 & 12

2008-05-20T09:16:00.005-05:00

My. Twelve weeks have passed and I can hardly believe it. I didn't post last week - my mom was visiting, it was a busy, fun week and I put it off.

I can finally feel the difference. Last night we had our last group run at the store. Three miles, same route as two weeks ago. It's not a bad route, just very flat - which I don't enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into steep hills, but ups and downs make the run more fun and your legs feel better for some reason.

It was my best night ever! The weather was warm and sunny, breezy but not windy and it didn't feel like I was fighting my own body anymore. The end was difficult, because my legs felt like they were giving out, but I made my goal just in time to begin the walk/cool down.

Tammy Beasley, nutritionist extraordinaire, gave a seminar about race day nutrition. This was not the first time she had spoken to us. Her counsel is always sensible and doable. I plan to take her next Rev It Up class. Now that I have good fitness habits, it's time to develop healthy nutritional habits.

I was a little sorry that the No Boundaries program has ended - the Cotton Row race is next Monday - but there was a sign-up sheet for folks who wanted to continue the group runs through the summer. I'm certain that the accountability of the group runs kept me on track. If you make the Monday run, then you don't want to lose what you've gained by missing your Wednesday and Friday runs.

For those of you who are thinking about this program: DO IT. The first week, I could not run for 30 seconds without getting winded; now I can run for 42 minutes. And it only took twelve weeks; and I'm 48; and I'm overweight. If it's possible for me, it's possible for you. You receive expert coaching, encouragement and great seminars that help you put it all together. If you're swag motivated, you also get a t-shirt, hat and water bottle.

Thank you Fleet Feet, thank you Charlie, thank you Cheryl the running genius.

Fat Girl Running, Week 10

2008-05-05T20:44:00.004-05:00

I had a delightfully uneventful group run this evening. It was a beautiful afternoon - sunny, clear, warm - and I was very careful to eat well and drink lots of water throughout the day. I have a tendency to forget my water until it is time to leave - so I chug a whole bottle on the way trying to make up for lost time. It doesn't work.

We left the store and headed straight to the Greenway, which runs through a very pretty residential neighborhood in Bailey Cove. The Greenway is about a half a mile long, and at the end we turn left onto Mira Vista, which travels all the way to Bailey Cove. We turn left at Bailey Cove until Four Mile Post, turn left again, and voila! we're back at the store. I was so thankful for the great weather and fabulous company; Charlie is so encouraging.

The fun folks at Fleet Feet had a little Cinco de Mayo party waiting for us back at the ranch: sodas, chips, salsa - even a pinata! They always try to make everything fun - and profitable. Tonight we had a seminar on running injuries by a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Everything was going great until...

I read this week's handout. Week 10- Body Remodeling. Fantastic! The fact sheet begins with a common concern: "Why the bathroom scale may not move as quickly as you might expect." Yippee! I was looking for some good news here. I've been incredibly frustrated with my inability to lose weight. As a matter of fact, during the first five weeks of training I gained weight! Ugh!

My answer comes with:

"Possibility #1 - You are overestimating the number of calories burned with your workouts. Let's do some math. 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories and 1 mile of run/walking burns approximately 100 calories. That means you need to cover 35 miles a week to lost just 1 pound of fat! Yes, that is the honest truth. So if you are planning to lose weight solely because of your exercise regimen, it may be a bit slower than you would like."

OH MY. THIRTY-FIVE MILES A WEEK TO BURN JUST ONE POUND OF FAT.

Hmmmm...a bit slower than I may like...let's do the math. Wow! This is such exciting news! According to my calculations, if I continue at my current pace and don't eat until 2012, I should reach my target weight!

Happy Birthday

2008-04-30T15:29:00.003-05:00

Birthday wishes go out today to the cutest brother and sister act in the whole world.

Jem and Scout are three years old today. I met them when they were eight weeks old and barely one pound each. Now they weigh in at seven pounds (Scout, foreground) and nine pounds (Jem, background - he's not fat, just big boned).

Three years ago, I lost my dad and my dog in the same week. It was the worst week of my whole life. Friends told me it was a mistake to get another dog so quickly - so I bought two! There's nothing like a puppy to heal a broken heart, but sometimes it takes two puppies!

This picture was taken two years ago - they're even cuter now, if you can believe it. Their hair is longer, too. They make me laugh every day. Happy Birthday!

Fat Girl Running, Week 9

2008-04-28T20:59:00.005-05:00

We were meeting at Aldridge Creek Parkway for our group run tonight - it was several miles past Fleet Feet off of Bailey Cove Road. I didn't want to go this evening because I've not been feeling very well. When I got home from work I put my feet up, hoping things would improve. Charlie, who now calls himself my Life Coach, insisted that I would feel better if I went.

So I went. But I didn't want to. He was adamant that I press on: "You always receive the greater benefit by exercising when you don't feel like it." He's so annoying when he's right.

The greenway was beautiful. It followed a winding stream, and the mountains were visible to the left. The evening was slightly cool, but pleasant - no wind, thankfully - and I'm beginning to believe that this might not be so horrible after all.

Short of coaches, Cheryl the running genius accompanied the walkers. I would have been alone if Charlie had not gone with me. We had two choices. We could turn around at the one-mile marker, or the one-and-a-half-mile marker. I thought I should do three miles, because I didn't want to go backwards in my training.

We start out, and I just hoped I would survive and not get sick or embarrass myself. Everything hurt and ached, and I wondered if I would ever get to the one-mile marker. We did. Not bad for a dead woman, and I only had to go another half-mile before I turned around, right? Wrong.

Super-handy training tip: When you do not run with a group, you run the risk of MISSING the markers. Yes, we ran past the marker; I was about to die. Of course I didn't know I missed the marker, I'm just wogging along thinking SURELY I MUST BE CLOSE TO THE STUPID MARKER.

Charlie determines that we must have gone at least that far, and we turn around. I'm so tired, feeling sick, sore, cranky, miserable, and believe me, I'm making Charlie pay for this every step of the way. We see a young woman in her No Boundaries shirt coming towards us, wanting to know if we're with the group. Yes, we are, we think, we haven't seen anyone for a long time. She said she hadn't seen anyone, but passed the mile-and-a-half marker looking for us.

Oh, I was so tired. We keep wogging, and finally, find the mile-and-a-half marker that we had passed the first time. At least I know exactly how far now...

Several eternities pass and we get to the mile marker, oh, yes, certainly I can go one more mile! In the meantime, Charlie has to listen to my kvetching all the way back. And by the way, by the time I was on the last mile back, my legs didn't hurt as much. It figures I have to travel three miles before I even begin to improve - very discouraging.

By the time we get back to the picnic area, everyone is gone save for a few. Cheryl is there, waiting for me - she said she kept saying "Lynne should be back by now." Yes, Lynne should have been back if she HAD TURNED AROUND WHEN SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO.

Sorry there's so much yelling in this post.

Anyhoo, I made it back after four miles. Charlie is saying that this is my best ever - but I felt sick and sore. Charlie says that it's the best because 1) I've never done four miles before and 2) I did it anyway even though I felt cruddy. Both he and Cheryl said they were proud of me so of course that makes me very happy. So what that I'm so cramped up and sore that I can't even bend over and stretch? Who cares that Charlie had to rent a hydraulic lift to get me out of the Honda? Who'll notice that I come to work on a gurney?

Now I'm thinking I might be able to wog the entire 3.1 miles...

The Johnson Grass Wars

2008-04-26T09:34:00.004-05:00

I spent two hours in battle this morning, trying to rid my garden (again) of Johnson Grass. Sorghum halepense became a part of my life when Bob Betsch gave me a vegetable garden two years ago. It's not a problem in my yard, mind you - just the garden.

He came over to till a few weeks ago, and it was already making an appearance. So he dug, I pulled, and we did the best we could. But there's so much you can't see! When you till through the rhizomes, they're broken into chunks - but that
is not the end of the plant - oh, no. It comes back like a bad cheese sandwich, and each little rhizome chunk is the beginning of many, many new plants.

So I set out this morning, determined to get the last of it. I was very cranky, and Charlie didn't help - singing: "johnson grass, johnson grass, every morning you greet me..."

I know I'll be happier when I have all my stuff planted, but in the meantime, I have a fierce enemy - besides sin, the flesh and the devil. The war is on!

Fat Girl Running, Week 8

2008-04-24T17:03:00.011-05:00

The many meanings of WOG (according to Wikipedia):

1 As a racial epithet in English
2 As a synonym for "illness" in Australian
3 As a racial reference in Australian
4 Maritime usage
5 As a term in Scientology
6 In the Canadian Armed Forces
7 As a piping component term
8 As a poultry processing term
9 As a rugged individual
10 Etymology
11 Walk/Jogging (I added this last one)

It seems these days I just can't keep up in the blogging world. Today Mrs. Pie writes:

"Charlie told us about your latest physical triumph! Congratulations. We expect a detailed and highly hilarious post about it. I'm hoping for some good shin splint metaphors."

My own husband is scooping me on my last run - not a good sign. Also, Mrs. Pie is somehow under the impression that my posts are deliberately hilarious. Thank you, Mrs. Pie, for the unnecessary pressure to be both successful and screamingly humorous.

Rewind, if you will - pretend it's last week. I planned to arrive early for my group run, encouraged by an email from genius running coach Cheryl:

"We are meeting at the store on Monday. No more Cross Country Park runs for the rest of the training. We will switch between the store and the Aldridge greenway down off of Bailey Cove....

I hope this weekends run goes well for you. I'm proud of you!!!!!! You have come so far in seven weeks. See you on Monday. Remember if you want to come early and get a nice warm up in feel free. YOU KNOW IT HELPS!!!!!!"

Amen to that. I was going to need the warm-up in a big way. My weekly instructional Cheetah email never arrived, so I made up my own training plan, increasing my wogs to 2 1/4 miles. On Saturday this email arrived (cue forboding background music):

"I am so proud of you all....many of you have now gone 2 miles with just a couple of rest breaks and today you will run 3 miles. Wow! You have all come a long way baby!"

As you can imagine, I almost passed out. THREE MILES. I read it again: THREE MILES. Maybe it was my eyes: THREE MILES.

It gradually dawned on me that I would be running THREE MILES on Monday night. Oy vey.

Where was I? Monday afternoon. It was a beautiful day: warm, sunny, windless. I was really looking forward to this in a masochistic kind of way. I mean, this would really give me an indication of where I am in the training process, right? And should I really be panicking about this? I made a decision a while back that I wouldn't worry about being last, that I would go at my own pace - after all, this was my race. I won't compare myself to others, I won't compare myself to others, I won't compare myself to others...

Okay, so I compare myself to others. Who doesn't? Think. What was important to me that night.
Was I concerned about my fitness progress?
Yes.
Was I looking at the big picture of my personal development?
Sort of.
Was I willing to do ANYTHING so I wouldn't be last?
Absolutely.

I devised a plan. Since I already needed to warm up, I probably should start a little early, don't you think? Yes, that's it, I would start early. I told Cheryl that I would go early to get warmed up, and at 5:45 (group runs begin at 6:00) I set out. I walked a little to warm up, and then began my wog.

The course near the store is nice - through a residential neighborhood. The plan was to do the 2-mile course that we did week six, except we would turn off Four Mile Post Road onto the greenway and get the extra mile there. So I wogged down Carl T. Jones and wogged left onto Garth Road - hmmmm, no one was behind me. Wogged some more, and still - no one was behind me. Certainly they should be catching up with me by now. Did they change the course? Will I be all alone?

I kept wogging to the end of Garth and wogged another left onto Four Mile Post. Still no runners. I didn't want to be the only one on the greenway - I have a fear that something bad will happen. I may trip, fall, go into cardiac arrest - and I don't want to be by myself when tragedy strikes. Perhaps I'm irrational, I don't know.

It occurs to me that I can continue straight - by-passing the greenway, and add the extra mile when I get to the Rave Theatre. That's where we began our training, with a half mile around the parking lot. If I go into cardiac arrest in the Rave parking lot, many passers-by will see my body on the ground. All the while I'm imagining this worst-case scenario, it occurs to me that I'm having a great time and feeling really good.

Passing the greenway, I wog my way down Four Mile Post and wog left into the Rave. I make my loops and return to the store, 36 minutes later. No one is there. No one.

I'M THE FIRST ONE BACK TO THE STORE. Yes, I know, I started 15 minutes earlier than everyone else. And I must say, as the Jack Rabbits (the super-fast group) came in, they looked more than perplexed that I was there ahead of them. Even if they don't know me, one look would indicate that I'm not speedy. But out of the three miles, I ran two and walked one - a personal record.

Want to know something interesting, though? For all my self-consciousness about being last, guess what? I didn't even notice who came in last. It didn't cross my mind.

So I'll conclude with an explanation of the photo above. My friend Marianna took that photo - it's a Ukrainian gas station. When she saw the sign, she thought of me on the other side of the world.

Wog on, girlfriend.

I'm never last when I run alone

2008-04-16T22:07:00.003-05:00

Well, I didn't receive an email assignment from Cheetah headquarters today. Charlie and I headed out late tonight, figuring we'd do the 4 minute wog/1 minute walk routine - except the watch didn't cooperate. So we warmed up with the usual 1/2 mile walk and started running, and would walk when I couldn't run anymore.

Guess what? I only walked three times! And I wogged the last 1 1/4 mile back to the house! When I signed up for the Cotton Row 5K, my goal was to be able to run (I didn't know wogging back then) one third of the distance, or a little over a mile. I did that tonight! Week seven!

Maybe I am Wonder Woman...

Fat Girl Running, Week 7

2008-04-15T05:54:00.003-05:00

Here's this week's test!
1. At the group run ronight, I:
a) finished two miles.
b) tripped and/or stepped in a hole.
c) was last, again.
d) wogged in the golf cart lane.
e) all of the above.

2. It was painful to realize that I:
a) am not Wonder Woman.
b) am a wimp.
c) make too many excuses.
d) was last, again.
e) all of the above.

3. I didn't think I would:
a) finish the two miles.
b) trip on a tree root.
c) live to see tomorrow.
d) take so many Advil.
e) all of the above.

4. Running is a lot like:
a) love.
b) hate.
c) life.
d) death.
e) all of the above.

If you answered "e" to all four questions, give yourself a pat on the back - preferably in the "pigeon" pose. Yes, it was an interesting evening. "Interesting" is the adjective you use when you don't want to say things like "crushing" or "hopeless." I'm tired of failure words. I prefer "interesting."

Imagine the scenario. We're at John Hunt Park - and when I say "we," I mean "the crazy few who showed up." It was cold; it was windy; it was grey. Instead of warming up like a reasonable person, I huddled in the shelter. Big mistake. I know I have to walk at least .5 mile before my legs get in gear. After a cursory stretch, we started running. I tripped on a tree root, I klunked my feet on rocks, I twisted my ankle in a little hole. Cheryl wisely moved our wog to the adjacent golf cart lane, where there was a lesser chance that I would hurt myself.

Long story short: It was difficult, and I was last - again. But here's the good part - I had a great time. Cheryl reminded me that six weeks ago I could barely run for 30 seconds without heaving and gasping, and that is so true. So I'm slow! So I had to stretch out a few times! So I had to walk a little more - so what? This is my race, and I'm getting better every week.

Thanks again to coach Cheryl, the running genius (and fellow klutz).

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

2008-04-14T20:31:00.005-05:00

My, my. Just 26 years ago I was having a baby. A big baby - a boy, 23 1/2 inches long, 8 pounds, 14 ounces. He was born very blue, so I didn't see him long - he was in oxygen for two days.

One of my favorite memories: Thomas was four, John was not quite two. I was really sick, and my parents were out of town. I couldn't get out of bed very well, and was so worried about the boys.

Thomas amused his brother for almost two days, he "cooked" for us (poured Cheerios into bowls), fetched diapers, and generally kept our spirits high until my mom and dad returned.

He has always had a kind heart, a great mind, an honest spirit and a wonderful sense of humor. Happy birthday Thomas - you bring so much color to the world!

Peo-ple...peo-ple who neeeeeed peo-ple....

2008-04-11T20:56:00.003-05:00

Come on, sing it with me! ...are the luuuuuuckiest peo-ple....in the wuuuuurld...

I think I'm on to something. When I began the No Boundaries program, I had no idea if I would succeed or fail. I mean, I wanted to succeed, and I joined because I thought they would give me the tools to succeed, but every person is different and I wondered what would be the key for me.

Are you ready? Here it is: PEOPLE. I just got back from my wog, and Charlie went with me. I did 35 minutes of 4 minutes-wogging/1 minute walking. And yes, I may be writing on an endorphin high. But it really struck me how much better I do (even when I have a cruddy day) when I'm with people who are encouraging. Okay, so it's not brain surgery, but I am amazed at the impact of people who support me with their words and actions.

For instance, Cheryl the running genius would not let me go one more day without trying to figure out why I was in so much pain. My husband, Charlie, wogs with me on Wednesdays and Fridays - so I (cue music again, please) never have to walk alone...

Great people have made the critical difference for me. And here's the best part of my day: since completing the 35-minute wog, I realized that my success on Wednesday was not a fluke - this will happen!

You're Invited!

2008-04-10T10:40:00.001-05:00

Fat Girl Running, Week 6: The Chill of Victory and Cheryl is a Genius!

2008-04-09T21:53:00.003-05:00

Some of you probably thought I had given up on the running since I didn't post about my group run. I did not give up, but Monday night was a total downer, and I could not bring myself to write another post about misery and failure - it gets old.

I was not feeling very optimistic on Monday, because the pain in my feet, ankles and legs just would not go away - even if I were walking! We had a two-mile run planned, with Jennifer bumping up our running times and decreasing the walking. I managed to wog about 4/10 of a mile to the turn at Garth, but the pain was so bad I had to walk - and I could barely do that. I really thought someone was going to have to pick me up and drive me back to the store. Not only was I last, but by the time I returned to the store, everyone else had finished the run, hydrated and stretched. Humiliating.

During our walk, Cheryl asked me about the inserts in my shoes, which had been a topic of discussion before. When we returned to Fleet Feet, I took off my shoes, she threw away the inserts, and picked out new ones for me (and they're pink!). She thought that maybe the arch support in my old inserts were overkill to my feet and legs, and I would have tried anything she suggested at that point.

I did my cross-training at Curves on Tuesday, and felt pretty good, with just a little leg pain that day.

Then, the email came (cue forboding background music):
HELLO CHEETAH!
Hope your week is going well.
As you may or may not know - I have decided to "bump up" the jogging portion of your workouts.
I think most everyone is ready - but PLEASE use your own judgement - we still have several weeks to get in shape! - Always walk if you need to. - And please e-mail me with any questions.

Wednesday 4/9/08 - jog 4 min / walk 1 min for 30 min
walk to cool down - then stretch

Thursday 4/10/08 - cross train - your choice - just move your body
INCLUDE stretching - 20 min

Friday 4/11/08 - jog 4 min / walk 1 min for 35 min
walk to cool down - then stretch

Saturday 4/12/08 - jog 5 min - brisk walk 30 min
walk to cool down - then stretch and drop dead of a coronary (I added that last part)

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
COTTON ROW - HERE WE COME!

YOUR NO BOUNDARIES COACH,
JENNIFER CARTER

You can imagine my terror at the thought of running four minutes and walking one - for thirty minutes - that would mean 24 minutes of running! Oy vey, was I discouraged. And Wednesdays are so packed with work and church that we don't get home until late, and I will not feel like putting on my shoes and going out for a run.

I am married to an incredible guy who is also the most disciplined person I know. It would never occur to him not to do something because he didn't feel like it. So he put on his running gear and said he would go with me. How's that for support?

So we went outside and guess what? I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT - I RAN FOUR MINUTES AND WALKED ONE AND DID IT SIX TIMES FOR THE WHOLE THIRTY MINUTES!!! CHERYL, YOU ARE A RUNNING GENIUS - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

I took precautionary measures like lots of stretching afterwords, advil and ice packs, but I had NO PAIN. NONE. As a matter of fact, I felt great - slept like a rock, too.

I see victory...

Fat Girl Running, Week 5

2008-04-01T16:37:00.007-05:00

I am the proud owner of seven ice packs - yes, seven. I have the special wrap-around kind for my knees and ankles (4) and the larger pad-type (3) for shins and back. When I get home, I take off my shoes, throw back a few Advil and grab those babies out of the freezer. If anyone had told me that I would love cold, I would have said they were crazy. But my No Boundaries training has changed everything.

Right off the bat let me tell you that last night was difficult - that's why I didn't post right away. This whole process is very up-and-down, and I didn't want to write while I was feeling less than victorious. But a good night's sleep can make the whole world different - and let me say that since I've started this program, that's improved, too.

My troubles actually began on Saturday - because I didn't get to run on Friday. Charlie and I went out in the afternoon, and it was beautiful and sunny and I was feeling really good. He set the watch for one minute intervals, and as usual the first mile is always difficult, but things usually improve after that. Well, I was feeling great and wogging well. So well, in fact, that I ran a lot more than I usually do. When the timer went off to begin the walking interval, I kept running, and felt so good that I wanted to run more. My coach, Jennifer, had sent my schedule earlier in the week and Wednesday was to be a 22-minute run and Friday a 24-minute run.

I ended up with a 30-minute run, and actually wogging 20 of those minutes and walking ten. It was huge progress for me. I felt incredibly victorious. It never occurred to me that this would be a mistake…

I woke up on Sunday a little stiff, especially in the backs of my thighs, which has never been a problem before. But I never pushed as hard as I did on Saturday, so that should have been expected. Sunday is supposed to be my rest day, but I figured that I should do the cross-training that I missed, so I put in a Pilates dvd and went to work. It felt pretty good, but was also a reminder that I am not flexible at all.

You should have seen me trying to get out of bed Monday morning. The muscles in the back of my legs ached from the over-run on Saturday - but the muscles in the front of my body were painfully paralyzed from the Pilates workout on Sunday. What was I thinking?

Which brings me to my fifth group run Monday evening. Wondering why I was taking so long getting to the point? It was hard, hard, hard. I barely made a mile-and-a-half. Barely. I even got there early so I could walk a mile first - this seems to help me. So my thrill-of-victory on Saturday came crashing to a halt with my agony-of-defeat on Monday.

But here's my point. I finished and did not die. So there.

I'm learning some interesting things through this process.
1. You will have good days and bad days - seems trite and obvious, but painfully true.
2. You will learn to appreciate the good days and suck up the bad days - again, obvious, but true.
3. You will become even more determined to win this battle - even if the battle is with yourself - and the battle is always with yourself.

Long story short: Last night was a defining moment for me. This training is about reaching a goal and finishing well, but it's also the beginning of something wonderful.

Thank You Amanda...

2008-04-01T10:27:00.001-05:00

...for making my day with the Weiner Dog Song.

Relocation and Functional Paganism

2008-03-31T06:54:00.007-05:00

I was supposed to post this Thursday night or Friday morning, but updating my blog made a lot of things go ppphhhhhttttt! So I've been all wrapped around the axle trying to figure things out, but that's been a good thing because now my perspective is corrected - sort of.

The saga: Westminster has had their property on the market for a while. We have a 42-acre parcel in a great location where we plan to relocate the church and school. In the meantime, we've been fundraising like mad and the Lord has really opened people's hearts to give. We've been the trick poodles jumping through all the flaming hoops that our bankers demand. Selling our property would be the most difficult.

Yet God provided the perfect buyer for our property. We have about 12-ish acres, with many interconnected buildings of various ages and fitness; athletic fields, a sanctuary, commercial kitchen, two gymnasiums - in other words, a big, old rambling place that would not be suitable for most organizations - or, if it were suitable, most could not afford the price tag.

So our property would not be easy to sell, but we knew that, and prayed that there was someone out there who could make use of it. That someone was The Downtown Rescue Mission. The City of Huntsville needed their property for road expansion and they had to move. There were several options available to them, but they thought that Westminster would give them the facilities and space they needed.

They contracted to purchase our building, contingent on the City of Huntsville purchasing their complex. The City Council would vote last Thursday night, and their decision would either drive or halt the process.

The dominoes: raise money, acquire financing, secure contractor, sell building (which meant that in order to sell our building, they had to sell their building, too).

Which leads me to Thursday night and the City Council Meeting. I was tense at the thought of all of our prayers and labor dependent on this last domino. Thursday night was also the ladies' monthly book study at Tracey's house. I've been wanting to go because I love the book they're studying (Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring) and I love Susan (the teacher) and Tracey (the hostess). I was looking forward to it all day.

Evening comes and the council meeting begins at 6:00 - we're item 15d on the agenda, by the way - and the study is at 7:00. Well, it was a long wait so I showed up about 15 minutes early, but thankfully Tracey and Susan didn't seem to mind. Plus I brought M&Ms. But I didn't arrive alone. No, I had my cell phone, my laptop, my briefcase and my book for the study. It looked like I was moving in.

Anyhoo, there I am, supposedly at a book study, but all set up on my little tv tray table like I'm going to work. Charlie is supposed to call me when the vote goes through so I can send a release to all the church and school families. I try to get the livecam on the City site so I can watch the meeting. Yes, it was as obnoxious as it looked. If someone had shown up at my house for a study with their computer and work accoutrements, I would tell them to pack it up. But the ladies were very patient with me.

Here's the functional paganism part. Of all the dominoes that had to fall, this was it. Nothing would happen if this didn't happen. There I was, texting Charlie like crazy, trying to find out how things were going at the meeting. He finally had to call me and tell me to stop because he was sitting next to the speaker and when his phone went off it was disruptive - oops. There was quite a protracted debate about the property sale, and this went on for over an hour. I thought I was going to have an aneurysm.

After several eternities, the vote went through 3-2 and there was much rejoicing. But on the way home it dawned on me: I was behaving as though The Huntsville City Council had my life in their hands.

Things got worse on Sunday morning when Fred Rice preached on Psalm 10 and functional paganism. Let's just say I showed some of the signs. But I thank my God who reveals these things to his people through his word. Now I have opportunity to rejoice and repent.

Transition Issues

2008-03-29T16:21:00.002-05:00

I'm attempting to change/update/improve my blog, and in the transition lost links, posts and who knows what else.

There's lots of news - you just can't see it yet...

Easter Dinner 2008

2008-03-25T20:23:00.022-05:00

I love my church family. We were fortunate to worship God together three times this week - Holy Week services included Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and of course, Easter.

On Easter morning, we had worship at 9:30 - Sunday School was canceled so we could have brunch together.

Later in the afternoon (4:00) we have dinner, and the whole church is invited. As I've mentioned before, Easter came early this year, and we were more than a little concerned about the weather.

The Lord was gracious in giving us a beautiful, sunny day - with a bit of a chill.

150 of our favorite people came and enjoyed the afternoon with us. Folks came prepared for the weather, and you must B.Y.O.L.C. - bring your own lawn chair. We are blessed with a huge back yard, and Margie always manages to organize the best Easter Egg Hunt.

After the hunt, we eat and drink and enjoy each other's company - it's so much fun! Matt and Becca cranked up their firepit (I must get one) that kept us warm as the sun went down. We wrapped blankets around us, poured glasses of wine and pulled up to the fire.

Joy is mine when I see my son walking in obedience to Jesus Christ - though the photo at left may give you pause.

Days like these make me think of heaven, and the tastes and glimpses that God gives us of feasting with our forever family.

It was a sobering week, as we began with Maundy Thursday and Our Lord's command to love each other as He loves us. We see the God-man as the great servant, washing his disciples' feet on the eve of his betrayal and crucifixion.

On Friday we are faced with the penalty of our sin, and the price Christ paid to make us his own. We see and hear much about Jesus' physical pain on the cross - and make no mistake, it was horrific and real - but we seldom think about the spiritual agony he experienced as he was forsaken by His heavenly father.

Our sorrows are swept away by the joy of Christ's resurrection. I am thrilled that His resurrection is also mine. I rest at night, knowing that my sins are forgiven and I am at peace with God.

We love the way our family supports and cares for each other; we love the way all the generations interact - our church has many wise saints who have lived long lives of obedience to Christ. So when we struggle with sin, hardships and sickness, we do not walk the road alone.

We are overwhelmed as we see the family he has assembled here at Westminster. We are blessed on every side - our ministry staff, elders and deacons serve us sacrificially and with joy.

Charlie and I thank God for the growth we've experienced - not just in numbers, but in holiness and depth of relationships.

It's encouraging to see the younger saints serving the church and excited about missions opportunities.

We treasure the friends we have here, who work with us, pray for us and take care of us.

Happy Easter – The Lord has risen indeed!

Fat Girl Running, Week 4

2008-03-24T20:14:00.007-05:00

Tonight was so exciting I just couldn't wait to get home and write. I know I'm supposed to build the story, create anticipation and set the pace for the climax but I just can't wait. Here it is: I-WAS-NOT-LAST. I repeat: I-WAS-NOT-LAST! By 20-some people, at least.

To make matters worse (instead of better and enjoying my personal victory in a tasteful fashion), I had a complete overwhelming Hallmark/Kodak/Dr. Phil victory moment that made me cry. And it wasn't a muffled, snuffly sort of experience. It was honest-to-God tears of great joy.

I finished well. Not wanting to over-spiritualize things, I couldn't help but think of this race of life that I'm running before God's face every single day and one day the race will be over, and my Father in heaven will be pleased with the way I've run. And I'm still thinking about how wonderful that will be.

So today gave me a taste of heaven. I worked hard, and really gave it everything. As a matter of fact, I think I could have run a little longer. But we were doing a mile-and-a-half, and that was it, and I was going to be content. Next week, two miles, and we're back at John Hunt Park.

Here's how it began. I showed up at my regular time, found my beloved Cheetah coaches and checked in. I knew something was wrong when I saw Cheryl in jeans instead of her running ensemble. She was hobbling! It was sad - my coach hurt her foot - and would not be running. You need to understand that Cheryl doesn't just run with you, she talks, she jokes, she coaches ("straighten your back," "hold your head up," "relax your arms") and encourages - the whole way. She gets very upset if she thinks I'm being negative - I tell her I'm thinking realistically, but it's very important to her that I stay positive - and I am so thankful for that.

There are other coaches, and they're all great, but you really get attached to someone who is willing to run at the end of the pack with you every single time. Oh well, I'm going to have to run my 5K alone, so I might as well get used to this. Okay, I'm off, and Charlie has given me his watch again so I can keep track of my intervals. Except it doesn't work the way it's supposed to, and the next thing I know I'm pushing every stupid button on the blasted watch because the numbers are flying by in lap timer mode! Then a howling wind sweeps across, and it's already pretty chilly, and I think this is going to be the run of death. My teeth are chattering, I'm muttering disgusting thoughts under my breath while senselessly pushing eensy-beensy buttons all over the goofy watch.

I decided to forgo the watch; one can only fumble meaninglessly for so long - and I'm really thick-headed, but even I knew the timer-thingy idea was futile. Instead, I decided to count steps - two steps equal one. Bleary-eyed and hypothermic I might be, but I could still count. So I decide to count sixty strides, and see how I feel. Sixty on, sixty off. The counting was so much better! You know exactly where you are in the interval and exactly how far you have to go - I was feeling better already.

The run was beautiful– even though I was in a movie theatre parking lot. My last lap, I’m running in, and feeling really good, and the wind has stopped and the sun is still in the sky – enough to shine on my face all the way to the end. Cheryl was waiting at the finish, cheering her people on, encouraging me to wog my way to victory. Oh, it was so much fun. And that’s when I started to cry.

I grabbed water and found my coaches to stretch out, and man did those stretches feel good. I wish I were more flexible; hopefully that will change, too.

The seminar this week was on yoga and pilates, so I was excited. We went back to the store (warmth!) and learned some basic moves and stretches that would help us – not just with running, but with breathing and flexibility too. As with everything Fleet Feet does, the emphasis is always on the positive. She mentioned that runners are competitive people (not yet for me, I’m just racing against death for now) and yoga forces you to work at your own level, and not someone else’s. I was just trying to imagine myself in her yoga outfit – oy vey. Think of 50 lbs. of sausage in a 10 lb. casing. Anyhoo, if I have to wear cute yoga outfits I’m definitely disqualified. I don’t even know of a “big girl” yoga outfitter.

So we’re on the floor, and she’s showing us these stretches that will strengthen our core. Some people were attempting them right there in the store – and good for them, but you’d have to pay me big bucks to stick my butt in the air in front of God and everybody. Then there was one, I think it was the pigeon, where you cross your legs, then extend one leg to sort of cross around your body. While your legs are crossed with one wrapped around your back, you bend your left arm so that the front of your arm is pressing against your back, and your right arm reaches across to the back, with the idea that your right and left hands will clasp together in between your shoulder blades.

And all this time you’re supposed to be breathing in a controlled fashion while holding the pose and loving how good it feels. While most of us slapped ourselves silly in the shoulder blades, trying to figure out where the heck our left hands were, she effortlessly held the pose, sweetly mentioning that there were bands we could use to help bring our hands together. She did not mention how we were supposed to get out of the pose without the help of paramedics.

Ten minutes later, I was able to get off the floor and walk towards my car. I’ll wait a bit before signing up for the power yoga class. One thing at a time. I do have the “dead bug” pose down, though.

I've been tagged - but so have you!

2008-03-18T09:49:00.002-05:00

I’ve been tagged by Heart of the Matter (I'll get you, Marianna!)for this meme, my first. I complained initially because it feels like a chain letter, and I hate chain letters. I've never answered one, and have escaped the curse of the chain. But here I go, and this is only out of respect for MP.
The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
And here’s the meme:
What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was raising my sons (who were 13 and 15 at the time) in Salisbury, very active with my work and church activities, doing way too much.
Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Front yard weeding (today) and mulching (tomorrow). Pull out stones around pear trees, pull up lariope.
2. Calls for Easter Dinner.
3. Laundry (Always laundry!)
4. Walk around neighborhood, 2.2 miles - stretch. Yoga dvd if time.
5. Assemble Easter recipes, plan grocery list for US Food order.

Snacks I enjoy:
Marcona almonds, cheese and pepper triscuits, dark chocolate, fruit, yogurt, nuts, olives, kashi bars.
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I would build more churches and support more missionaries, travel to visit missionaries (see what God is doing in other parts of the world – I can be so self-centered), pay off my mortgage, help my children with graduate school tuition, help friends and widows who struggle financially.
I would support great artists and musicians so they can afford to create beauty and thereby push back the effects of the fall.
I would start a community garden for children who have no idea how potatoes and green beans and tomatoes grow.
I would teach greek epic poetry just for fun.
Three of my bad habits:
Spending time on silly games like this one when I should be working (this was Charlie’s suggestion), procrastination and doing way too much.
Five places I have lived:
From the beginning – my first five years were in:
1. Towson, Maryland
2. Boundbrook New Jersey
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Youngstown, Ohio
5. Kansas City, Kansas
Five jobs I’ve had:
Working backwards, from today:
1. Director of Communications for Westminster Christian Academy 2. Teacher (7th & 8th grade) at Veritas Academy, Centerville, Massachusetts. 3. Chef/Caterer at The Mercantile, Dennis, Massachusetts. 4. Clinique makeup artist in Hyannis, Massachusetts 5. Office Cleaning Business (best money I made on Cape Cod).
Five people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
Charlie
Razom
Damien
Zellners
James Team

Fat Girl Running, Week 3

2008-03-18T08:03:00.005-05:00

Dang, has it been three weeks? Yes, it has. I would love to report that my running has improved, that I am leaping, springing, cheetah-like across Harvest, Alabama. Alas, it is not so.

Last night we had our third group run at John Hunt Park. I was really looking forward to running on grass, thinking oh-so-naively that it would make a difference in my shins. This would also be our first distance increase, going from one mile to one-and-a-half miles. My first surprise was the number of people present. We had quite a significant drop in participation - maybe half of those signed up didn't make it. That was strange, I thought, because running in a park versus running in a movie theatre parking lot was a huge step up.

I always look to find my cheetahs. And by the way, since posting about cheetahs I now get blog ads for "free cheetah girls ring tones!" Being in my forties has made me rather oblivious to things like Cheetah Girls. Are they like Josie and the Pussycats? I know who they are - anyhoo, I digress. I find my cheetah coaches, festively decked out in St. Patrick's Day attire. I did not get the green memo, because I am all in blue - but I'm mostly Irish, so I figure that has to count for something. They gave me a green bead necklace to wear ("You have to have some green!"), a lucky gold plastic coin and an inspirational message for the day which says:

"You are successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal"

Well, alrighty then. Success is mine!

They group the runners according to speed, or lack thereof. First to go are the real runners; folks who can run the entire mile-and-a-half. Goody gumdrops for them. Then, the walkers/runners - faster at the front of the pack - read, not me - I'm at the back. Then, the walkers. Most of the walkers from last week were not there last night - only a handful. In other words, there were very few people behind me.

So Cheryl, who is by this time my personal cheetah coach, is stuck wogging with me. Towards the end of the mile, my shin splints are very painful. At this point my whole leg hurts all the way up to my hip, and I want to cry, but I also don't want to feel like a failure and stop. Oh God, how I wanted to stop. We walked toward a soccer field, and Cheryl said we were going to walk to the soccer goal and stretch out. She told me to put my foot up against the pole for a stretch, but I couldn't even flex my foot to the pole. It was pathetic. I lifted my leg up from the knee, touched my toe to the pole and then brought down my foot so my heel touched the ground - all because I couldn't bend my foot at the ankle.

Discouragement set in; I felt like this was not going to work. Thankfully, that stretch felt great. I mentioned to Cheryl that it's amazing how you can tell the difference between something hurting bad, and something hurting good. This was a good hurt. So the stretching made a big difference, but I had lost so much time and would now be firmly planted in the very back. Oh well, c'est la guerre, stop whining and move on!

So we finished the stretch and walked on, and when I felt like it, I would run. I wanted to make progress today. Even though I had to stop and stretch out, it made the difference between finishing my course and not finishing. I made progress, but not the kind I wanted. But there was so much to be thankful for: grass underneath my feet (imagine how much more I would be hurting from pavement - and no place to stretch in a parking lot!), a pretty day, and most importantly, encouraging coaches who DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOU!

My most painful run, but probably the most profitable.

Turtle Alert!

2008-03-14T16:17:00.008-05:00

Turtles are not mellow, passive creatures. You think they don't care because when you see them on land they are painfully slow, struggling and deliberate.

Well, good grief, on the way home as we were driving by Legacy Elementary, I looked right and saw a big turtle crawling out of stormwater drainage and trying to make his way across Pine Grove Road. I pulled the car into the school parking lot, and looped around to get closer. As Mr. Turtle ventured out, a
monster truck came barreling down the road. I held my breath and braced myself to watch helplessly as Mr. Turtle became The Green Crepe.

The truck missed him, and as a mom pulled into the school parking lot, she did a double-take in the turn lane. Charlie wanted a picture, I wanted to put the turtle on the other side of the road. After that, Mr. Turtle would be on his own. So we grabbed the camera out of the trunk and Charlie got an extreme close-up.

He seemed fairly laid back, sitting there in his olive cowl neck. Then Charlie picked him up, and a new creature came forth. Mr. I'm-going-to-kill-you-because-I-don't-know-who-you-are-and-I'm-going-
to-snap-and-scratch-until-you-put-me-down!

It was something. I was in the car, so I'm not as close as I wanted, and Charlie can only stand there so long holding a snapping, thrashing turtle. But he made it with Mr. Turtle to the other side of the road and we were on our way - many tissues, squirts of sanitizer, slime and turtle poops later. Even driving home is an adventure!

Traffic Court: Whiteville, TN

2008-03-13T23:22:00.004-05:00

Some of you may or may not know that I was ticketed for speeding in January. The policewoman claimed I was driving 62 in a 45 - and you may not believe me, but I really was not driving that fast. Charlie and I were on our way to see Uncle John and Aunt Betty Jo for the Sunday evening service at their church near Covington. We were to help them clear out Aunt Martha's home in Memphis the following day.

So we're traveling up 64, and looking for a turnoff to Route 179. We'd pull up slowly to the next intersection, looking for a marker and then back on the gas when we could see it was not our turn. Cars blew by us on the left during these lurchy/turny episodes, but folks would have to put up with us until we found the turnoff. While looking for the elusive road, lo and behold, a fully flashing, blinking police car pulls up behind. Charlie thought they were pulling us over for erratic driving, but NO! The officer said I was speeding. Speeding with my foot on the brake? Speeding while cars flew past?

I did not just fall off the turnip truck, so I knew that I needed to be respectful and courteous, but I must admit Romans 13 did not spring to mind. We respectfully disagreed, and asked if we could go to court right then to dispute the charge. I did not want to sign the ticket, even though she said it was not an admission of guilt. Note: when the ticket says "Pink copy - violator" I'm thinking they're assuming guilt. She said if I didn't sign the ticket I'd go to jail. Charlie and I thought about that, but when I married him I promised I'd stay out of the Police Blotter.

So I signed the ticket. I could have just paid it, but I wasn't guilty and didn't want to pay for something I didn't do - believe me, I have enough actual sin to keep me busy. I also didn't feel like driving ALL the way back to Whiteville for court - it's about 2 1/2 hours away. And I hate court. You may think I'm spunky assertive, but I can have an accident just thinking about court.

I contacted an attorney, thinking that someone local would have some good advice as to how to proceed. He was very helpful, but his counsel was to plead guilty, pay court costs and go to driving school. Hmmmm. I was not happy with that option.

We drove to Whiteville last night for court, and I have in my mind that we're going to some Stephen King/Deliverance/Dogville kind of place. We found the "court house," which is a small storefront brick building on the main street. It consisted of one big room with chairs, a folding table up front for the judge, and a podium for the defendants. And there were already 100 people there! Oh, and immediately to the right of the judge's table were the restrooms. So every time someone went in during the proceedings, you'd hear the flush. It was easy to cross "go to the bathroom" from my list of things to do.

There was a sign-in sheet with 50 names in front of mine. But once the judge came in, he moved through those tickets pretty quickly. When your name begins with "W," there's always concern when they go alphabetically. Wonder of wonders, my name came up within 20 minutes! I approached the bench/folding table, and the judge mentioned that since I was going so fast would I take driving school as an option. I told him that I was not going that speed, and he looked genuinely surprised - yet not completely repulsed. Everyone else to this point was thrilled to go to driving school and pay court costs and get the heck out of there.

I began to tell my story, but he was not interested. Tommy thought I should spice it up a bit and start crying (acting!), but bringing dishonesty into the situation was not an option. Anyhoo, he cut me off and I could feel my face turning red - but he asked me a question that I was not expecting: "Have you recently changed your tires?"

At first, I thought it was a test, like "Did you brush and floss?" I looked over at Charlie, and he nodded that yes, we had changed our tires. He said that car speed can be altered when tires are changed (but I still wanted to tell my story of innocence!) and that if I faxed the court a copy of my receipt, they would dismiss without costs. Wow! Here I was, all wrapped around the axle - and I still didn't get to tell my story, which irks me a bit - and the judge gives me a break because of new tires?

Once again, God brings about a resolution that was an utter surprise.

Fat Girl Running, Week 2

2008-03-10T20:44:00.004-05:00

I guess I wasn't the only person who felt lost in the sauce Monday. Evidently, there was an attempted massive migration to the rabbit group after our first meeting:

"Many of you have requested to change groups. If you still feel it is necessary to change groups please work this out with your coach. Having said that...the Rabbits are completely full. If you are a Rabbit and you have a friend in a different group you will have to move to that group."

I repeat, the Rabbits are completely full! So much for me trying to escape/move/beg my way to the slower group. And it didn't help that Charlie kept calling me a "cheetah" all week. I was not looking forward to another week of...not exactly keeping up with the pack. But guess what?

Everyone had a great time on our group run tonight. I think the first night out, people were generally afraid to speak up about their abilities or lack thereof. So last Monday, folks were trying desperately to keep up with their group, heaving, gasping and generally looking like they were going to die. Sometimes I think it just takes one or two people who will speak up and admit that they are neither gazelles, nor cheetas, nor rabbits. Some of us crawled along like diseased and injured 'possums, eyes glazed, and frozen in the glare of light-up necklaces.

This week was different. We were to meet our coaches outside and check in right away. I found my coach/es, and it was so great that Cheryl remembered me! She said she was glad I came back (does that give you any idea how pathetic I was last week that she was surprised to see me?) and I told her that I had no intention of giving up. I told her that I did have every intention of going at my own pace, without freaking out about whether or not I kept up with my group. Let's all say it together now: "Lynne is NOT a cheetah."

Much to my surprise, she said that was great and that she'd run with me! How fun - my own coach, trailing the pack with me! What was even more surprising was that others wanted to join us! Then came the great confessions - I almost died, I couldn't keep up, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't walk for two days afterward, my shinsplints make me want to kill myself, etc., etc. Instead of being the caboose, I had company. Then I introduced my revolutionary "wogging" concept to my new disciples, and they wanted to "wog" too! Maybe I could take this all the way to Oprah, I don't know.

Then, other people spoke up and said they didn't want to run any of it - their goal was to walk the 5K course. So a coach went walking with the walkers! Who, by the way, were looking for a new name for their group, like the turtles. Go Turtles!

So Cheryl ran/wogged the whole course with me, which was great. My shins were killing the whole time. She said I needed to ice them and take Advil. Ice?! After every wog I jump into a hot bath! So I have to start icing my shins - the Advil taking is already part of me. If I end up in rehab, it will be for Advil. Anyhoo, I learned new stretches after the run that made my legs feel completely better - it was miraculous!

After the stretch, we walked back to the store for our seminar. This week it was Tammy Beasley teaching about proper nutrition. She gave an excellent talk with lots of sound advice. It was really interesting, and I could probably do a whole post on her presentation, but I won't, because I'm pooped.

Our next run/walk/wog/crawl is St. Patrick's Day at John Hunt Park. I'm so excited about running on grass instead of pavement. And it will be a change of scenery, and I'm all for that.

Missions Conference

2008-03-07T21:56:00.007-06:00

Dr. Charles E. McGowan is the speaker for our Missions Conference this weekend. He began with a sermon from Jonah - God's Reluctant Missionary. Though he loves the prophets and the great men of scripture, he identifies with Jonah.

Jonah's story, he said, was his story. As a boy he sensed God's call to the gospel ministry, but resisted until 1963, when he and his wife packed up all they had and left Washington, D.C. to go to seminary in Atlanta.

The sermon was wonderful. What struck me the most were the contrasts he made between the character of Jonah versus the character of God. Jonah loved his country, his king, his position - more than God himself. And when asked to preach repentance to the enemies of God's people, he hopped on a boat to Tarshish. Thrown overboard during a storm, Jonah found himself inside a great fish, and the Lord turned him around.

Dr. McGowan directed us to Chapter 3: "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time..." How amazing that God would give Jonah another opportunity - to do what he was supposed to do when the word came to him the first time!

As the Ninevites repent, Jonah is perturbed. He watches the revival from a distance - annoyed - and is pleased when a vine grows to shield him from the sun. He is moved to anger when God destroys the vine and he is exposed to the elements. Dr. McGowan asked us to consider: What moved the heart of God? People moved the heart of God. What moved the heart of Jonah? A vine. A vine made him happy, not the repentance of an entire city.

Jonah was fine serving God when it served him. But when we love something else: our country, our king, our position, our lifestyle, or our stuff - more than we love our Creator, the word of the Lord must come to us - a second time. Thank you, Lord, for the many chances and opportunities you give us in the midst of our rebellion.

Wogging Wednesday

2008-03-06T20:41:00.010-06:00

I mentioned in a previous post that there were 100 people at my No Boundaries group run. Wrong - evidently there were more than 200! The picture at the left is a group photo (remember those light-up necklaces I told you about?) from Monday evening. For all the folks you can actually see in that photo, there were many more - including me - that you can't see. An aerial photo would have been the only option to see everybody. And quite frankly, I didn't care to be seen after my "run."

Anyhoo, I received an email yesterday from my coach, Jennifer:
"Lynne,
Hope your first workout of the No Boundaries program was good.
Your workout for today is one mile. You can do the 2 min walk / 2 min jog - for 13 minutes. Your workout for Friday is 1.5 miles - do the 2 min walk / 2 min jog for 15 minutes. The workout for Saturday is a 35 min walk.
Don't forget to stretch! Have fun!
Your No Boundaries coach,
Jennifer Carter
Go Cheetas!"

"That was nice," I thought. But I have to run this one by myself. No coaches, no cheetas, no recently liposuctioned friends that I can outrun. Oh, and did I mention that it was 40 degrees last night? By the time we got home from work, had dinner, etc., it was dark and cold.

CW set up his running watch for me. He had it set to beep for my intervals, so I didn't have to look at the watch face to see if my two minutes were up. Super! I bundled up in Charlie's cold-weather running stuff, put on my shoes and went outside. Oh. My. Gosh. It was cold. I go back inside and get my mittens. Outside again, I'm still freezing. I go inside and Charlie tells me that body heat is lost through the head, so I need a hat. Well, I don't wear hats. I don't have a hat face.

Charlie gives me this funky Holden Caulfield lined cap with earflaps. I cannot adequately express how ridiculous I looked. I put it on, and it was kind of warm. So I go back outside, and I'm still freezing, but I have to do this. Oh, how the five-minute walking warm-up goes quickly when you're dreading the run.

And I must explain - the heading for this post - that during these "runs," I'm not really running. I'm not really jogging - but I'm not walking, either. I'm wogging, and it's the perfect word for what I do. My feet are not springing off the pavement, cheetah-like.

Do you remember the scene from Jurassic Park when the T-Rex is on the loose and you see the rings in the water and the surround-sound makes you feel the footbeats? Boom, boom, boom, and you know that a gigantic predatory reptile is on the move? That's me: Lynne-a-saurus. And my shins and ankles are killing me, and every time the watch beeps and I can go back to walking I groan a heaving Jurassic sigh of relief, knowing that I have two minutes to gird up my loins before the next "wog."

Next time I may take my phone so I can have Charlie start the bath and get the Advil ready. I finished - not well, mind you - and have today off. A mile-and-a-half tomorrow. So when you feel the ground shake...

Easter is on!

2008-03-05T05:00:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's true, we're going to have Easter Dinner, the invitations are on their way - even though it's March 23, even though it could be cold and rainy and we could have dear friends eating in bedrooms and closets (I'm also trying to imagine the Easter Egg Hunt inside - oy vey).

But we're not going to think that way! We're going to pray for fair, sunny weather. I've included a photo of dessert - we're having Strawberry Tiramisu - click here to go to the recipe.

Parenting experience does not equal good parenting

2008-03-04T19:22:00.004-06:00

You'd think with 26 years of experience that I would have mastered some basic parenting competencies. I'm confronted with the selfishness of my parenting style today. I exercise parental authority (or try to) based on specific outcomes and expectations. For instance: when my child is asked to perform a certain task and they do not accomplish the task acceptably - loading the dishwasher does not mean putting unscraped, unrinsed dishes in the machine haphazardly and then closing the door - I see that as a personal affront, rather than a job poorly done.

Why am I so offended, why do I see complete high-handed rebellion in my child's actions? Because that is what I have in my own heart. I am most repulsed by my own sin patterns - when they appear in other people!

I don't see a child in need of training, love and encouragement; I see a child who has failed to meet my own needs for order and peace. And this is scary, because there is a battle going on for the heart and soul of my child, and I need to be his ally and protector, rather than his adversary. Oh, there is so much to work on - not so much with him, as with me.

Fat Girl Running, Week 1

2008-03-03T21:08:00.005-06:00

Tonight marked my first training session in the No Boundaries program. We met at Fleet Feet at six o'clock and divided into groups: rabbits, gazelles and cheetas. I'm not kidding. For some unknown reason, I was not put into the group at the lowest fitness level. So go ahead, laugh, I'm a cheetah. I look more like a cheeto, but whatever.

They give us very cute light-up necklaces (mine was purple) and took us out back to a huge parking lot, where they had marked off a course with cones. We are to run to the right of the cones - got it. The course is one-half mile, no problem. We will interval walking two minutes, and running two minutes. Well...okay. This was supposed to be a program where folks could train to walk, walk/run or run their first 5K and we'll spend half of our time running? I feel myself freaking out, wondering what possessed me to think I could do this. I grab my phone to call Charlie, only to remember that he's at a concert at church. I'm on my own.

I tried to talk to people but all I could think about was having a coronary on my first night of training. I mean, death really brings a halt to your new health regimen. No HEMSI vehicles in sight, no paramedics, no medivac helicopters. Okay - if I perish, I perish.

First two minutes - we're walking, and I can walk - great. Next two minutes - we're jogging, fine. Towards the end of the two minutes, I'm feeling a little strain in my shins, but I'll live. Next two minutes, walking, something I know how to do. Next two minutes, we're jogging. But this isn't like the first two minutes. The pain in my ankles and legs burns; I am not having fun, but two minutes is not that long, right? I swear, the second two minutes was longer, but it didn't matter because I was going to drop dead in a parking lot underneath a stampede of rabbits, cheetahs and gazelles.

Since I've lived to write this post, you know that I did not drop dead. But oh my, what is it going to take? I asked my coaches, Jennifer and Cheryl, what I needed to do. I'm a little panicked because how am I going to be ready for next week when I couldn't keep up with the pack this week? They were so sweet and told me to work up an interval pattern that I can manage. I have a schedule, and Lord willing, I'll be ready for next Monday.

If any of you are considering a program like this, let me offer some advice.

Super-Handy Training Tip #1: Hydration. They tell you to do it, but for heaven's sake be careful. Some of us "hydrated" to the point of explosion. You do not want to be in a parking lot running with 100 people and suddenly be the four-year-old who forgot to use the bathroom before she left the house.

Super-Handy Training Tip #2: Do not use your first group training session to try out your new sports bra. It just might cut off your circulation to the point that you're seeing Pee Wee Herman running next to you; I think he was in the "gazelle" group.

Super-Handy Training Tip #3: You are not going to be the slowest person in the group. If you're fortunate like me, you will be running with a woman who just had liposuction and was still tender. I kicked her butt.

Lasagna

2008-03-01T20:47:00.004-06:00

Here's the recipe for the lasagna I made tonight/today/all day.

Homemade pasta and three sauces later, I was ready to assemble. Really, it took all day. First the tomato sauce; then the Bolognese sauce (had to simmer in the oven 2 hours); then the bechamel. The ricotta had to be placed in cheesecloth and drained for four hours...

I told Charlie it was going to be either the best lasagna or the biggest waste of time. It was great, but I was way too tired to enjoy it. I worked in the yard while sauces were simmering and right now I'm exhausted. I can barely lift the Advil to my lips.

This is not to say that it's not worth it. Spread it out. Use your freezer. Enlist your friends. A warning: it is very different and not a typical lasagna at all. Don't bother with side dishes, don't feel compelled to have salad or something green, forget the bread, even. The lasagna is enough, but for heaven's sake serve it with a big glass of red wine.

Good night!

Montreat

2008-02-28T12:57:00.006-06:00

Montreat, North Carolina is a special place for Charlie. When he was fourteen, two events that year led him to believe that God had called him to gospel ministry.

It began when he heard a chaplain speak at his father's church during a lay renewal conference. "He talked about ministering to soldiers -including those who were dying, and it gave me a real sense of urgency for the spiritual well‑being of men and women." The services were eight days, which Charlie thinks was important
because he had time to think about calling.

For many summers his family went to Montreat to enjoy the mountains and the teaching. Stuart Briscoe spoke at Montreat in 1972. Charlie said he couldn't tell me a single thing he said, but his earnestness and ability to expound the scriptures impressed him.

In 1979 Charlie went to Urbana. John Stott preached from Romans. "At that conference," Charlie said, "I learned the type of preacher I wanted to be - expository, preaching through books of the Bible."

While we were in Asheville, Charlie took us to Montreat so we could visit the same places he visited as a child. It was wonderful to go inside Anderson Auditorium with him; this was where he heard Stuart Briscoe. Thirty-six years later, God's call on Charlie's life and ministry are strongly confirmed: he has never wanted to do anything else - he thoroughly loves the ministry.

I love how he puts it in his biography: "It is my duty and joy to assemble with the church in response to God’s call to worship, to unite them in confessing faith in the God we trust, to hear the reading and preaching of his word, to gather in communion around the Lord’s Table, and to testify to the world of God’s redemptive love in Christ Jesus."

It is my joy to visit these places with him and see the Lord's good and gracious providence at work.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

2008-02-27T07:54:00.006-06:00

Can you tell I just downloaded my photos from the Asheville trip? So this is a little tardy...

We had breakfast Saturday morning at the Tupelo Honey Cafe in downtown Asheville.

I had their Smoked Salmon Hash for breakfast, and yes, I just had to take a photo. It was morning, so I would not be annoying flashbulb woman. Besides, our server said people take pictures of their food all the time - I had permission!

Isn't it gorgeous? The hash had smoked salmon, potatoes, leeks, peppers and kale. They topped it with poached eggs, dill hollandaise and sweet potato frites - how imaginative and pretty!

The restaurant was full of warmth and nice touches: high ceilings, pepper grinders on every table, honey in little confiture jars...like you were having breakfast in someone's home who really knew what they were doing. I also had the best Earl Grey tea ever - it was a brand called Mighty Leaf, which Fresh Market just started carrying (I asked), so I can have it here!

Gargoyle Butts and More!

2008-02-25T05:14:00.010-06:00

Some of these Biltmore photos may show you why The Rooftop Tour was our favorite. There's nothing like a gargoyle - I just love them! During the tour, we were able to answer one of the mysteries of the ages...

Folks wonder if Adam had a belly-button, but did you ever wonder if gargoyles had butts?

Wonder no more!

There were also girlgoyles, but that would turn this into a whole different website...

A gargoyle's-eye-view...

Stately gargoyles...

Not just an architectural embellishment, but an effective rainspout!

Gargoyles are both fun - and functional!

No Boundaries

2008-02-23T10:06:00.006-06:00

Okay, I'm putting this out there. I've signed up for the Cotton Row 5K on Memorial Day. I also joined the No Boundaries training program set up by the good folks at Fleet Feet Sports. I mention it only as a public accountability tool, so when you see me, you can/must say, "So, Lynne, how's your training coming?"

Be forewarned, though. Whenever I ask Charlie to hold me accountable he winces. Because as soon as he does what I've explicitly asked him to do, I punish him for it. Then he wonders why he bothers trying to hold me accountable when what I've actually done is ask him to absorb my wrath. Of course you understand his dilemma, which will help as you pray for him.

Anyhoo, the training program. It's designed for people who want to walk, run, walk/run, crawl, conga line or shimmy their first 5K. We meet every Monday for a group run (different groups based on your level of fitness or lack thereof) and then a seminar. I'm very nervous - our first group run is Monday, March 3. Suzanne (she's in charge of the program) told me that I don't need to be nervous because we're going to have A LOT OF FUN!

So there's a picture of me, having a lot of fun.

Easter Dinner Dilemma

2008-02-22T08:22:00.006-06:00

I need some help. The Wingards do Easter Dinner in a big way. When we lived on Cape, we had Greek Easter feasts. Our friend George is Greek Orthodox and gave me his momma's recipes. Unfortunately, they were all greek to me! and George had to translate. We hosted about 30 friends - the group changed from year to year depending on who was traveling our way - which was quite a challenge in our small house. Easter on Cape Cod meant snow on the ground; no crocus, no daffodils, just cold, cold wet. So we all were quite cozy inside, eating lamb and moussaka, dancing to George's bouzouki music and working ourselves into an Achaean food coma.

Imagine our delight when we moved to Huntsville and bought a house with a huge yard! And when easter comes, the weather is mild! And we can have as many friends as we want because of the back yard!

So the first year, we had 60 people for dinner. With large groups, it's always BYOLC - bring your own lawn chair. We have an easter egg hunt for the little ones, and then the big feed. Fun, fun, fun.

Last year was something of a nail-biter. Easter was April 7 - a wee bit early, we thought. Charlie and I wondered if it would be too cold for dinner in the back yard. Then it occurred to us: if people think it's too cold, then they will opt not to come. Well, more than 100 people came! As it turned out, it was a little chilly - but the sun was shining! Our friends came dressed for the weather, and the sunshine made it lovely. As soon as the sun began to set, the less hardy (read me) went inside and called it a day. I know you've all heard me whine before, but let me say it again: I hate the cold.

This year it gets even trickier. Easter is March 23. Now we could have a great day with lots of sun. Or it could be cold, rainy and miserable. Hosting 100+ people in the back yard is easy. Hosting 100+ people inside would be, er, interesting. Though we have a rock star yard, our house is a modest 1900 square foot ranch. Let's see, we could put some card tables in our walk-in closet, some kids could eat in the bathtubs, we could move all the furniture out and sit on the floor...

You understand my dilemma. Help me out here. Should I err on the side of caution and pass this Easter? Or should I boldly go gonzo and make my plans. I'm inclined to move ahead, but am trying to imagine 100 people in my house. Decisions, decisions...

Training or Trying?

2008-02-19T17:23:00.010-06:00

A friend of mine wanted a book that would help her with some challenges that she faces in her marriage. So I asked Counselor Extraordinaire Jayne Clark (on staff with CCEF for 17 years) for a recommendation, and she suggested: How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong, by Leslie Vernick.

I bought two copies - one for my friend and one for me. I wanted to read the book first, so if she had any questions I would know what the heck she was talking about. In addition, I wanted to make sure I could give it the Lynnekeeping Seal of Approval. My biggest beef with the book is the title - yikes! How can my friend take it home? How would you feel if your beloved walked in the door with "How To Do Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong?" Talk about a firestarter!

"What are you reading?"
"Nothing."

It's a very helpful book, designed to help the hurting spouse. It is not a fast-paced twelve step book to success - just the opposite. As a wise counselor once told me, "The goal of biblical counseling is Christ-likeness." The author says:

"Learning to respond rightly when we are wronged and wounded takes maturity and wisdom - and hard work. God is interested in developing the character of Christ within us. Merely learning some tricks or techniques will not be enough to deal with the heart issues that rise to the surface of our lives when our spouse doesn't act in the way we desire. Although the quick fix looks appealing, many of us have already learned (often the hard way) that the path that appears easiest turns out to be the more difficult in the long run."

My only issue with the book is small - I think an example the author uses to illustrate forgiveness is confusing and needs more explanation.

Even though I don't have a spouse who does wrong (as a matter of fact, in our house it's the opposite) I've learned a great principle: Trying versus Training. Do you try to be more self-controlled, loving, forgiving, patient, etc. - or do you train for it? Ms. Vernick says that when you simply try and fail, you resign yourself to trying and failing. When she wanted to become a runner, she noted that if she tried to run a mile she would never succeed, but if she trained herself to run a mile, then she would.

"The same process that we use to train our bodies to become stronger applies to spiritual growth and maturity as well. For example, we have already learned how important it is to think about the right response when our spouse displeases us. However, we must start to train ourselves in what that right response might look like. For some of us it may mean learning to keep our mouths shut tight until we've had a chance to think and to pray about how we want to respond."

So I've given up trying - now I'm in training.

Covenant Reformed PCA - Asheville

2008-02-18T08:03:00.002-06:00

One of the most difficult aspects of traveling is finding a church for Sunday worship. Even in our denomination, we've seen our share of costume-clad ministers, jumbotrons, movie clips, bad drama, silly songs and ghastly sermons. One of the worst sermons we've ever heard used a 20-minute illustration from the movie Finding Nemo. So 20 of the 30 minutes were spent talking about a cartoon that was supposed to reference the theme of community from 1 Timothy. The sermon made me long for a Pixar film!

All this to say that when we find a good church, it is time for rejoicing. If you're in Asheville, worship with the saints at Covenant Reformed PCA. In this crazy, small PCA world we saw people we knew! That was an added delight - to catch up, hear news, prayer requests - it is a blessing to be part of their lives, even if they're 300 miles away.

Zambras!

2008-02-17T18:10:00.010-06:00

While searching the internet for restaurants in Asheville, a few names kept popping up - one of them was Zambras, a super-cool downtown tapas bar.

I love tapas - and I knew neither Charlie nor Tommy had experienced Spanish food, so I made reservations for 7:00, thinking that would be plenty of time to see Biltmore and get downtown. The place is so neat inside. Imagine a tapas bar with a Moorish influence - banquettes with exotic pillows, minaret-shaped doorways and rich colors. I was in heaven!

Charlie and Tommy, however, were not in heaven. It was very dark, dimly lit with candles, and all kinds of cracks were made: is the place dirty, we can't see our food, read the menu, know what we're ordering, blah, blah, blah. I was so ticked. They thought they were hilarious and I was furious. I told them they were bumpkin Philistines and if they didn't straighten up they could eat at chain restaurants (alone, I might add) for the rest of their lives.

Thankfully, our server arrived before blood could be shed. She was great, and steered us toward our choices. I wanted to try the small plates, Tommy wanted seafood paella (a full-sized entree and a 40-minute wait because they made it to order) and Charlie didn't care one way or the other, so she constructed the perfect menu plan: order a sucession of small plates, and by the time they're finished, we could share the paella. Brilliant.

Let the tapas begin! Tapas #1: grilled Tasmanian salmon w/mustard mojo and crisped leeks, served on a bed of peppered orzo. Wow! Salmon is one of my favorite things, and this was perfect. The grilled salmon with the mustard spice mix was beautiful, but I wondered how the rest of the meal would stack up against it. I mean, perfectly cooked and seasoned salmon is hard to beat. I was dying to take a pictures of the food, and even had Charlie bring the camera. But the place was so dark, I wondered what could be more annoying than flashbulbs going off while folks were trying to eat their dinner. If you could have seen all this beautiful food! Anyhoo, I digress.

Tapas #2: sesame crusted scallops - these were served on the most fantastic fennel slaw with grapefruit and avocado - a lovely combination.

Tapas #3: cornmeal crusted oysters with orange-saffron sauce served over pomegranate slaw. Okay, this is getting redundant because these were great, too. But OH MY GOSH that pomegranate slaw. I could have eaten a bowl of that alone. Flawless.

Do you see a fish and seafood trend here? There's a reason for that: the server and I picked the menu! Yee Hah! I did order some meat-centered tapas for Charlie, so just in case you thought I was insensitive...

Tapas #4: hickory nut gap farm house albondigas. This is a six-word description for: meatballs! Meatballs served in a coconut-curry sauce over chopped kale, with wood-fire grilled bread on the side. They were very good, but you know I'm not a huge meat fan. The bread, however, was another matter and I could have had a plate of that - hold the meatballs please. The meatballs - excuse me, albondigas - were a huge hit with the guys.

Tapas #5: pomegranate braised pork spring rolls served with avocado and mango dipping sauce. Again, good stuff, but not my thing, and all these plates were making my head swirl...

So we finished our small plates and poof! Out came our seafood paella! Perfectly cooked saffron rice with peas and veggies topped with mussels, squid and shrimps. Fantastic. Tommy was busy spearing all the shrimp (I guess afraid that we would leave him with nothing but squid) but it didn't matter.

At this point we were all very happy. The good thing about sharing small plates and one entree is that you have the proper level of contentment - but it was not to stay that way! No! Tommy said, "This food is so good we really shouldn't leave without trying the desserts."

So much for the perfect level of contentment. We ordered three different desserts (I know, I know, but can’t I say it’s because we could share?). Cardamom and rosewater flan, bittersweet chocolate torte with blackberry coulis and a gorgonzola tart with marinated strawberries. And we had coffee, too.

But we did not eat the mints.

Biltmore

2008-02-16T07:11:00.015-06:00

"Oh, my."

We parked the car and walked a short distance to the gate to see this. Mind you, I've seen lots of photographs, but it did not prepare me for the in-person experience.

George Vanderbilt employed Richard Morris Hunt (architect) and Frederick Law Olmstead (landscape architect) to make his dreams of a french chateau in the North Carolina countryside come true.

As you can imagine, the house is overwhelming in every way. But I was more overwhelmed by Olmstead's work in the placement and execution of the surrounding landscape. You drive in to the estate on a winding, narrow woodland path. Several miles of roadway bordered with huge rhododendrons, and even some bamboo. He designed the approach so that you would not see the house. And you do not see the house until you reach the gate. Then, "Oh, my." There it is.

It struck me how thankful I was to be able to see this place. I would never had been a guest of the Vanderbilts. But there I was, walking on the grounds, touring the gardens, making my way all through the house!

Our first tour began at 10:30 - the Behind-the-Scenes tour. We met at the carriage gate to go in the "side" door. Our guide (and all the guides told us this) said we would see things not on the house door, and that we would be taking over 200 steps during the hour, and that he had a radio in case we needed assistance. I began to wonder if anyone had ever been lost on one of these tours...

We saw the north side of the house, the bachelor wing (single men and women traveling alone stayed at opposite ends of the home), the basement with boilers (they had central heat) and electrical systems (what an operation!), refrigeration systems (they had ice, too!) Mrs. Vanderbilt's bathroom and closet (the storage!), the servant stairwell (the only stairwell that connects every floor of the house), the elevator and the extra libraries. It was a great look at how the house functioned. Biltmore was the most technologically advanced home of the day.

We had an hour to kill before our next tour at 12:30, so we hit the former stables which are now shops, restaurants and bathrooms. The weather was beautifully mild - you would have never imagined it was the middle of February - and we drank coffee outside before we hit the shops. There was a gift shop, a book store, a toy store, a candy store, a bakery and an ice cream shop (closed for the winter).

The gift shop had everything from chi-chi decorative items ("Take Biltmore home!") and porcelain, to shot glasses with the mansion on the front. I'm not kidding. I wanted to ask the clerk if these were reproductions of shot glasses that George and Edith used with guests - or maybe they were just the everyday shot glasses! So here's Biltmore in all its glory, juxtaposed with Biltmore shot glasses, key chains and cocktail napkins. Well, even the Vanderbilts need to pay the bills.

Our next tour (The Rooftop Tour) met inside the front door at the big table. But they're all big tables! Thankfully, signs and helpful people are all over the place. This may have been our favorite. We saw more behind-the-scenes stuff like servants' rooms and hallways, but going outside on the roof was fantastic! Bending, turning, twisting and ducking our way around tiny stairways and outside railings - it was exciting. We walked along the roofline, behind the stone bannisters that held the gargoyles - to be able to see all that up close was astounding. I mean, there we were, next to the copper flashing, way up high!

It was 1:30, and we had 90 minutes before our last tour - The guided House Tour. The Biltmore folks actually tried to talk me into the audio tour instead of the guided tour - they said it was better! It didn't seem to make sense to take a family vacation only to stick earphones on - how is that a shared experience? The three of us, going our own separate ways, listening in our own private world? No. I wanted a person who loved what they were doing to take us around the house. I wanted us to look at the same things at the same time, to ask questions and enjoy everything together. Is that so unusual?

We had lunch in the Stable Cafe (where once were Vanderbilt horses are now hungry tourists) and dined on ridiculously expensive hamburgers. A pet peeve of mine that whether you're in a movie theater or Disneyland, captive audiences and sightseers pay crazy prices for the most mundane food. $15 hamburgers? $3 sodas? It usually puts me in a bad mood, but I was having too much fun to let a $15 hamburger ruin my day.

At 3:00, we met in the hallway by the "big table" (I knew, this time) to meet our guide. We saw all the public rooms and then some. One of my favorite places - the kitchen (or kitchens plural if you're at Biltmore) - was on the house tour! Vegetable pantries, storage, canning, a pastry kitchen, a rotisserie kitchen, the main kitchen - I wish I could have seen and experienced more of this. The place was limitless - I could work in these kitchens now, and the house opened in 1895!

By the end of the house tour, I was beginning to hallucinate and lose feeling in my legs. But I hadn't seen the conservatory - I love orchids - and I needed to see the plants while I was there. So I crawled down the hill on my hands and knees (just kidding, I was almost ready to have Charlie push me in a wheelchair) through the gardens to the conservatory. Even though the flowers were not in bloom, save for a few pansies and jonquils just beginning to push their way through, the bones of the garden were perfect. I can't wait to go back. The conservatory was impressive - palms everywhere, exotic plants side-by-side with impatiens and geraniums. Unfortunately, there were no guides, except a few plant markers in the big palm trees. I could not identify several orchids, and would have loved the help, but oh well - it was a lovely place. The Garden Shop was closed for the season, which only enhanced my exhausted crankiness.

So now it was time - time to go back UP the steps, UP the hill and down the trail to the car. I didn't think I would make it; I had reached my expiration date. Just earlier that morning, I was practically jogging and singing my way to the house! Now it was 5:00, and I was dragging and snarling my way to the parking lot. Where was my chariot? Where was my gurney? Charlie, sensing possible violent activity, ran ahead to the parking lot to get the car and minimize our walk back. How sweet! His kindness convicted me of my snarkiness and I was re-energized! Well, not really re-energized until I saw the gift shop on the way out.

"Stop!"

"I thought you were dead!"

The Gift Shop at the gate house was my favorite. I picked up a few things and felt like a new woman. Charlie wouldn't let me linger, because our dinner reservations were at 7:00, so it was off to the hotel. Snaps to Charlie for getting me through the day without hurting someone - now where's that Motrin?

Asheville

2008-02-16T06:24:00.006-06:00

We were trying to think of something special to do with Tommy over Presidents' Day weekend (school's out Friday and Monday) and thought Williamsburg might be a good idea. But when we figured we'd be in a car two whole days with only two days to enjoy the place, it was time to re-figure. We need more time for Williamsburg.

For some reason I thought of Asheville, North Carolina. Charlie lived in Western North Carolina for a few years and speaks so fondly of the area. I've always wanted to see the Biltmore House and winery - as well as the town - so I made our plans. We'd only have two half-days of driving, with time to relax on the way in, and time to get settled when we got home. I bought our Biltmore tickets over the phone, always preferring to speak with a human than click buttons online. It was exciting! I purchased a guided house tour, a behind-the-scenes tour and a rooftop tour. So many tours! But if I'm going to be at the Biltmore, I want to SEE the Biltmore!

I managed to do all the things at home that make me happy before I leave on a trip. I love to clean the refrigerator - well, no, I don't love to clean the refrigerator - but I love to have a clean refrigerator. It's too long ago to remember which trip, but I'll never forget coming home with the boys to find, fuzzy, foul food growing in the petri dish of my fridge. If you've ever just thrown out the tupperware rather than deal with the contents, then you understand. Anyhoo, my fridge, house and sheets (I just love coming home to clean sheets on the bed!) were clean and we left on time - unbelievable.

The only concern was getting through Knoxville at rush hour, but that turned out to be nothing. We made it through and entered the Smokies with plenty of daylight to see the beautiful hills. Even in the winter with their loss of green, the Smokies have their beauty. I love driving through the park. We arrived in Asheville by late dinner time, only to forget one major detail: it was Valentine's Day! Have you ever tried to get into a restaurant without a reservation on Valentine's Day? Oy vey. Even bad restaurants are full!

Providence knew, so we ordered pizza and salad from a local place and had it delivered. Thank-you to our friends at the front desk! Dinner was great, and Tommy and Charlie hit the pool. I hit HGTV. Those who know me know I don't have TV at home - haven't for more than a decade - but when I'm travelling, I'm addicted to House and Garden Television. On our last trip I watched so long I got a headache. Charlie would come in to talk and it was "SSSHHHH! He's sponge painting!"

So we had a fun and safe car ride (Charlie and I just love to talk in the car; sometimes he reads to me, or I to him), a great pizza (alas, hard to find in Huntsville), and HGTV before I konked out. Victory!

The Art of Simple Food

2008-02-15T05:29:00.001-06:00

You know my love for all things Alice Waters. For those of you who care about good food and where it comes from and how to prepare it perfectly and simply - this is your book.

I often buy it as a gift. Few people write about food with this much care and passion. If you listen to her, you will see, taste and appreciate food in a completely different way.

She taught me to only begin with excellent ingredients and to eat seasonal foods. These are simple truths we should all know, yet we continue to purchase pink tomatoes (neither excellent nor seasonal, discuss) in February.

The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters.

I Love Charlie...

2008-02-14T05:48:00.004-06:00

...and not just because he can recite the 116th Sonnet. But I must admit that I am impressed with his ability to recall lengthy bible passages, sonnets, soliloquies and the worst country songs of all time.

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

Happy Valentines Day!

Cornichons

2008-02-13T05:03:00.003-06:00

I often make important decisions based on fantasy. For instance, this year I ordered Parisienne Cornichon de Bourbonne. Cucumbers. French cucumbers. You pick them when they're teeny and make sour pickles. For pate. I have this vision of Charlie and I dining al fresco in the French countryside. I set a glorious feast of pate, bread, mustard, wine and...cornichons that I planted, nurtured, harvested and preserved myself!

So yes, I am planting seeds just so I can make my own tiny pickles. For pate. And I wonder if I am the only delusional gardener out there.

Oh, that goofy gadget in the corner is a cornichon slicer. I saw it on Sur la Table. Perhaps I should post a picture of my cornichon slicer. It's a knife...

Italian Seed and Tool

2008-02-12T05:15:00.000-06:00

Visit one of my new favorite sites: Italian Seed and Tool. This sweet little harvesting knife is $8.95 and folds into the handle - great for greens, lettuces, spinach, etc.

You'll be amazed with their selection. I mean, ten varieties of radicchio! Five kinds of fava beans! Cardoons! The head swims with possibilities...

Garden Time Again

2008-02-11T07:41:00.001-06:00

It's time to get back to my garden after a furiously busy winter. Once again, I've gone overboard: planning way beyond my means, energy and ability. But if by God's grace I can pull it off, we'll be eating better than ever.

First my onions, spinach, broccoli and peas. Then on to extending my existing beds - so much pulling up and tearing out. And did I mention bermuda grass? The bane of my existence, sort of. Last year, John whacked at the stray bermuda with a pick axe while I yanked and struggled to eliminate the runners. I didn't get all of them, and I thought my arms were going to fall off - or I wished they would.

I'll take before pictures so you can see where I'm going and get a good look at the extent of my kingdom. It's a lovely kingdom, three-quarters of an acre. The Lord was kind in His provision. I hope my garden reflects my gratitude.

The Dismembered Tennesseans

2008-02-09T22:14:00.001-06:00

Boy, did we have fun last night. Charlie and I drove to Lookout Mountain to visit Thomas at Covenant College. It was Parents' Weekend, and the first time we've been able to make it. They begin with a nice dinner, and then it's across the way to the chapel for a concert.

What a treat - Charlie loves bluegrass music, and the DTs did not disappoint. He got to hear Wabash Cannonball, Tennessee Waltz AND Rocky Top. CW was so happy...

We also stayed at a great little inn called Chanticleer. It's on top of the mountain, right near Rock City. Quiet, comfortable, charming - we'll definitely stay there again.

Pride and Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

I am such a turkey. I was too sick to make Thanksgiving dinner, and I can't even describe how dreadful that was. I love Thanksgiving; I love to cook; I love to be with friends and family; I think it's a wonderful holiday.

I don't like to admit defeat, however - I was defeated. I couldn't do something I loved. Though mostly Irish, I am more Jewish mother than anything. I remember Thanksgivings as a child, and my mom taught me how to make so much great food - and even now, I want that food on Thanksgiving. This is not the time to start throwing dried apricots in the stuffing, or trying weird new things. I don't want strange; I want familiar.

Well, Publix (our supermarket) made our Thanksgiving dinner (though I did make my own pies - commercial pies are just so depressing). I watched carefully as guests put food in their mouths, wondering if they liked it, or were just being polite. Did they know they were eating food straight from the industrial complex? Were they sorry they came?

And suddenly, it dawns: Thanksgiving was all about me - and not about the holiday. So this Thanksgiving, I learned about the danger and deceit of pride. I almost missed a lovely time with people I care about because I was so embarrassed about the food, and how it would reflect on folk's opinions of me.

Our family and friends had a great time - and they enjoyed the food that had been prepared for them. Though I didn't prepare it, I reheated it with love.

Japan may kill white whale

2007-11-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

Say it ain't so.

Evidently Japan evades whale hunting laws in the name of scientific research.

"Japan uses a loophole in International Whaling Commission laws to hunt around 1,000 whales each year in the Southern Hemisphere, ostensibly for the purposes of scientific research."

"Conservationists fear that Migaloo is so accustomed to whale watching and fishing boats, that he will be easy pickings for Japanese hunters."

Read the article here.

Interview and Kitchen Classroom

2007-11-11T07:38:00.000-06:00

Two videos today: 1 - an interview with Alice Waters and 2- a look at the Edible Schoolyard kitchen/classroom and how the program works. Don't you just love her passion and intensity?

Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard

2007-11-10T07:14:00.000-06:00

Few people inspire me as much as Alice Waters. Here she walks around the "edible schoolyard," a place where children learn about food: how it's grown, what it looks like, smells like, tastes like - and how much work it is to bring real food to the table.

She is a great evangelist for her movement - she wants children to know that real food, wonderful food, is neither fast, cheap nor easy. It requires hard work, love and respect. Tomorrow, an interview.

Oh, and there's a brief American Express Card commercial that precedes the video; don't let it scare you away.

I think Peggy Noonan is my hero

2007-11-09T20:30:00.000-06:00

Hillary, you are no Elizabeth I - or Margaret Thatcher, or Indira Ghandi. Read Things Are Tough All Over: But Mrs. Clinton is no Iron Lady - Peggy Noonan's latest contribution to Opinion Journal.

Hillary is a whiny girl, which of course needs to stop if she's going to be leader of the free world. And if you think that Ms. Noonan is just a party drone - well then, you are wronger than wrong. She gets to the bottom of the problem that is Hillary: dynastic elite phony powermonger. We've had years and years of them.

Please, Lord, give us leaders who understands that they bear responsibility for the people under their care, and will one day give an account for the way they have ruled.

Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary

2007-11-06T10:09:00.000-06:00

Read this movie review in Variety about dachshund racing. Evidently weiner races are surging in popularity and this film takes a look at the phenomenon. However, as a dachshund mom I take issue with the sport. Long backs and short legs invite all sorts of spinal injuries - note the previous post about the paraplegic pup.

Oh, they are loads of fun to watch, and contrary to what you might think, dachshunds are fast. Ah, the beauty of a weiner dog in flight; quite a sight to behold. But don't race them - please.

The movie isn't playing in Huntsville, but please let me know if you see it!

Winnie the weiner top dog

2007-11-05T06:40:00.001-06:00

"One morning in August, 10 days before her owner died, Winnie the dachshund lost the use of her hind legs.

Her owner, Janet Garlick, died Sept. 6 from complications of heart-bypass surgery. She never got to see how far Winnie would come.

Winnie, an 8-year-old dachshund, waits for a treat Friday evening at her home. Winnie, who lost the use of her hind legs in August, is the winner in the Longview News-Journal's second annual Pet Star Calendar Contest.

The rehabilitation has been slow, her new owners say, but with the help of a special wheelchair for dachshunds, Winnie now can run up and down the sidewalk, stand tall for treats and even play in the grass of her front yard.

"It took her about a month to get used to it and realize how to get around," said Kathrine Linton, who inherited the dog from her grandmother. "But now she just rolls. She gets around."

Winnie is winning fans across East Texas. The 8-year-old wiener dog has wheeled herself to victory in the Longview News-Journal's second annual online Pet Star Calendar Contest. In fact, Winnie rolled over the competition, receiving 300 votes more than the second-place finisher, a mini-Australian shepherd named Red."

The entire article here.

Media Ecology Course January 18-20

2007-11-04T11:02:00.000-06:00

News fascinates me, and I check headlines all through the day (and sometimes night). It’s 10:46 on Saturday morning, and I click on CNN:
• Outbreak fears in flood-hit Mexico
• Solar wing fixed
• Missing teacher, student found in Mexico
• Sketches released of girl stuffed in box
• Iraq plans action against Kurdish rebels
• Man sues over loss of penis
• Couples say “I do” to green weddings
• Evidence in Nowak case thrown out
• Nancy Grace has emotional breaking news
• Talking Jesus doll stirs debate
• Obama: Cheney is “crazy uncle in attic”
• A-Rod wanted $350 million extension
• Seinfeld rips into Larry King

I would argue that three of those thirteen headlines are actual news items. What do you think?

In January, T. David Gordon (religion and philosophy professor at Grove City College) returns to Westminster for a weekend to introduce us to media ecology. Official title – Christ, Media and the Humane Environment: An Introduction to Media Ecology.

Course description: This conference explores how different media (orality, handwriting, printed type, images, and various electronic media) shape individuals and cultures differently, and why. Every particular medium not only carries a message/value, but shapes the message/value it carries, and shapes those who receive the message/value. How do we wish to be shaped? If God creates/shapes us for certain purposes, which media will assist in shaping us in accord with those purposes?

Four Sessions:
I: Biblical Foundations
A. Romans 12:1-2--Conformed or Transformed?
B. Genesis 1-2--Cultivating God’s Image and God’s Garden
C. Prohibition of Images in Decalogue: Monotheism Needs Language
D. The Present Challenge: Understanding How Our Media-Saturated Environment Either Contributes to or Detracts from Our Task as Cultivators

II: How We Know Shapes What We Know and What We Become
A. Overview of Media
1. Orality: The Primary Medium.
2. Chirography (handwriting).
3. Typography and Reading. Gutenberg
4. Photographic Media. Mass-produced images.
5. Electronic media and mass media (telegraph was electric but not mass)
B. Senses, Sensoria and Sensibilities.
C. The Medium is the Message (McLuhan) or the Metaphor (Postman) or the Environment (Gitlin)

III: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Television.
New York : Viking, 1985, Neil Postman
A. The Typographic Era.
B. The Television Era

IV: How the News Makes Us Dumb
A. Walter Lippmann. Public Opinion (1922).
B. Daniel Boorstin. The Image: A Guide to Psuedo-Events in America.
C. C. John Sommerville on How the News Makes us Dumb: The Death of Wisdom in an Information Society.

Gotta go, someone has to check up on that Talking Jesus Doll...

Talking Jesus doll stirs debate

2007-11-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

Oy vey.

"The battery-powered, button-activated doll is able to recite a handful of different bible verses and the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with five loaves and two fish. It also comes with a booklet giving parents tips on how to shape a child's faith."

"But Mark Linongello, who goes to Catholic Church, said anything telling kids about Christianity is good. "As a doll, at least they're getting to know Him," Linongello said."

How did you get to know Jesus? As an action figure?

"My Jesus doll teaches me Bible verses."
"My GIJoe just killed your Jesus doll."
"Did not."
"Did too!"

Wow, we want to know Jesus but we forget about weensy things like the second commandment.

Are the people who want Jesus dolls the same people who want the Ten Commandments posted?

Real soul for real people

2007-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

My, my how I miss real soul music. I know, Amy Winehouse, blah, blah, blah. Watch the real thing - she's not 20 and she weighs more than 80 pounds. Her name is Sharon Jones and behind her are the Dap Kings. Watch, listen and weep. Go see her in concert. She'll be in Boston (Cambridge) November 9 and in DC December 15.

Be bald, be strong

2007-11-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Carl Trueman has done it again. Please, please read his "To Baldly Go" article for the Reformation 21 blog. He writes regularly a "Wages of Spin" column and they're always good.

But this is great. Don't try to be young again - after all, the Bible speaks to wisdom, and the blessings of age.

The opening paragraph:

"One of the strangest trends of recent years has surely been the extended adolescence of the Western male. A recent survey showed that the average age for video game players is now somewhere in the mid-30s; and the fact that trivia such as the result of a baseball match can generate passion and high blood-pressure more than the AIDS crisis in Africa, the problem of global warming, and world poverty, says something about the juvenile priorities of the most well fed, best educated, and financially comfortable generation in history. Not that enjoying sport is a bad thing; there is nothing like beating the Welsh again and again at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to set my own pulse racing and to cause my chest to swell with English pride; but, as Pascal might have said, it is one thing for such entertainment to be a little light relief from the drudge of daily life; another for it to become a major diversion which allows us to avoid the really serious realities of adult life."

Good Taste Takes a Holiday

2007-11-02T07:53:00.000-05:00

Read this fun article in the NYT.

"The Dining section asked dozens of chefs, cooks, nutritionists, bakers and recovering trick-or-treaters three questions about their favorite Halloween treats from the past, the present and from their fevered imaginations."

They asked "What did you most want when trick or treating as a child?" One response:

“I well remember my disgust whenever someone offered me a homemade brownie or, worst of all, an apple. Halloween is the high holy day of high fructose corn syrup. And if we can keep it to one or two such days, why not?”
Michael Pollan, journalist and author
“The Omnivore’s Dilemma”

Read the entire article. So what was your favorite Halloween candy?

"Unwelcoming" U.S. and tourism decline

2007-11-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

What do you think about this? This article discusses the sharp decline in tourism since the 9/11 attacks. Visitors to our country feel unwelcome.

"Travelers around the world feel the US entry experience is among the world's worst," well, sure, if you come into NYC. Ever flown into JFK from overseas? It's the pits whether you're a tourist or a citizen. And I'm not sure if entry was a better experience before 9/11, or if people's perceptions colored their experience.

Counseling

2007-11-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

Thank you Jim and Marianna for sharing this with us.

How Much I Owe

2007-11-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

I think about heaven a lot - it sounds strange to say that I can't wait to be dead, but that's how it is. At a funeral years ago, Jason Shelton preached a sermon about heaven that was so powerful, we all wished we were there. To live is Christ, to die is gain. So I give you this beautiful poem by Robert Murray M'Cheyne (#545 in the Trinity Hymnal):

When this passing world is done,
when has sunk yon glaring sun,
when we stand with Christ in glory,
looking o'er life's finished story,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call
on the rocks and hills to fall,
when I see them start and shrink
on the fiery deluge brink,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,
dressed in beauty not my own,
when I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When the praise of heav'n I hear,
loud as thunders to the ear,
loud as many waters' noise,
sweet as harp's melodious voice,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,
wakened up from wrath to flee,
hidden in the Savior's side,
by the Spirit sanctified,
teach me, Lord, on earth to show,
by my love, how much I owe.

Wednesday Night and the power of Skittles

2007-11-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love Wednesday Night Fellowship! We share a meal together as a church family, and then we have classes: elementary kids study the childrens’ catechism, junior high studies Colossians, high school studies the Culture of the New Testament, and there are three adult class options – Genesis, Galatians, and The Heidelbeg Catechism.

The power of Skittles? A little background: my son Thomas memorized his catechism questions because he was rewarded with Skittles (thank you, Jamie Gildard). So I reward my kids with candy - yes, candy. Chocolate (my kids love dark) and sugar bombs (for Daniel) - whatever works. I am not above rewards, and after a long day there's nothing like a little piece of candy to say "well done."

I teach the fourth and fifth grade class, and I am convinced they are some of the smartest people in the church – they’re also squirmy and funny. Our curriculum is tied to the catechism, and this unit is “How Can I Know I Will Live Forever.” The idea is to instill confidence in children; not confidence in themselves, but confidence in Christ’s work on their behalf.

We begin the lessons with a simple truth: Adam and Eve are our first parents. Why is this so important? Because we need to understand the fallenness of our race; we need to understand our connection to each other as “related” and in the image of God; and we need to understand Adam and Eve’s special position.

So our class memorizes scripture (“Adam named his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all the living”) and talks about what it means to be a child of Adam. Every one in the class is a relative; we all share the curse of sin; we are all alike.

As there was a first parent, a first Adam, thankfully there is a second Adam. Our children know that He came to accomplish what the first Adam did not. I am thankful for Alyssa, Anna Katherine, Ashley, Caleb, Daniel, Jenny, Laura, Lucy, Rachel, the Rebeccas (one, two and three) and Sadie who remind me that to whom much is given, much is required.

Happy October 31st!

2007-10-31T18:01:00.000-05:00

Read "A Reformation History Lesson" from Modern Reformation Magazine.