Wheat Grinding

So, for FHE this week WE and I used a borrowed ‘Back to Basics’ wheat grinder (from my awesome Visiting Teacher!) to hand grind wheat into flour. I admit that I’d probably really only want to use that thing IF 1) I really needed it and 2) because of the dire situation, I had nothing else to do all day.

But it was kind of fun too.

We both took our turns cranking and then used the freshly ground flour to make this cookie recipe.

The cookies were actually SUPER yummy. I used golden raisins instead of brown though because 1) they taste better and 2) they look better. Also, I didn’t worry about soaking the raisins in water/vanilla either. Too much effort

The best part was that the cookie stayed gooy on the inside and yet crispy on the outside! Yummmm

So yeah, we haven’t actually bought a wheat grinder or any wheat yet (we are still doing our homework). So if you have advice or tips on hand wheat grinders, do share. Maybe we’ll have to continue our little experiment and test a few more grinders based on how well the cookies turn out

Talk Take-A-Way

I gave a talk (sermon) in Church yesterday. My assigned topic was “How I live the For the Strength of Youth Standards, especially regarding Entertainment and Media.” I spent a lot of time preparing an outline (ever since my mission I never actually write out a talk/lesson plan anymore) which ended up being really good because you never know exactly how much time you will have and then it’s alot easier to use less of what I had prepared/studied including only the most important points.

In fact, our Bishopric was reorganizeed (same Bishop but new counselors) so I ended up only speaking for about 7 minutes.

Anyway, one thing that I learned and wanted to share is that there are 4 specific things mentioned in the FTSOY pamphlet that the Spirit of God cannot be entertained by. In contrast, the 13th Article of our Faith includes 4 types of things that DO entertain the Spirit of God in our lives.

The bottom line when it comes to Media and Entertainment is: that God wants us to enjoy good entertainment in medias of all kinds. But more than to enJOY he wants us to have JOY.

We can only have true, lasting joy if we always entertain the Spirit of God by replacing things that are: 1) immoral with that which is virtuous 2) pornographic with that which is lovely 3) violent with that which is of good report and 4) vulgar with that which is praiseworthy.

CIA

I’m a 3/4 member of the CIA. I only have one more part to pass since I passed my third part yesterday! Whaahhoooo!

My Buddah Board

For my birthday, my grandma got me a Buddah Board. WE and I first saw one at the Japanese-American B&B we stayed at in Connecticut and I determined then that I wanted one for my own. I was fascinated by how perfectly this board portrays the concept of living in the moment. It ‘magically’ evaporates leaving a clean slate moments later to be lived again.

I also love the parallel idea that words of kindness like ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ have a ‘best if used by’ expiration date and last only for the moment. These are words that should consistently be shared and re-lived over and over and over again rather than assuming that your spouse will remember when you said that yesterday or last week or last year.

My college roomie just wrote a blog about her hubby’s juvenescence – it was exactly what I was thinking of when I consider the benefits of the zen concept.

If you are like me and wonder how to better live in the moment, here are a few ’starters’ for the week (one for each day):

1. Take notice of the world around you

2. Focus on whatever it is you are doing

3. Smile when you wake up

4. Commit random, spontaneous acts of kindness

5. Minimize activities that dull your awareness of the moment

6. Be thankful for what is

7. Forgive

Vision Board 2010

WE and I finished our vision board last weekend when we were snowed in with nothing else to do. It hangs in our bedroom so we can look at it everyday.

It’s simply a picture version of the “Stuff we want to do in 2010″

Joy

Working with the youth has been one of my favorite things at church this year! It’s really incredible just to watch them – how they interact, how they carry themselves, and how they grow. And they have such enthusiasm for life!  I’m excited for what next year will bring.

Dubai and Barry

Today marks Barry White’s 65th year. Can’t get enough of your love, baby!

Also, Dubai World has crashed. Interesting. One domino to another.

What is next?

(P.S. This reminds me that for my next exotic vacation – I chose Abu Dhabi)

Fell on Stony Ground

This little tree caught my eye.

It’s so rare to see roots developing outside the soil like that and I wonder how many winter blizzards in New England this tree will last.

There’s nothing fair about life, you know.

The only equality is that we are all equally mortal. The real challenge seems to be accepting what you are dealt and making as beautiful of a life as you can out of it.

One cool thing about getting married and being adopted into a new family is getting more Grandparents!! WE has a particular Grandma that I’ve noticed is extra special. Everyone in his family either whispers or tears up when they think or talk about her because she is so incredibly special to them. Honestly, I was rather taken a back by it at first because everyone else in the extended family is fair game for a little teasing here and there or some good ol’ fashioned gossip, but not Grandma R. She’s just too kind and perfect and loving for any of that nonsense. And as I’ve come to learn more about her I understand why. I look forward to meeting her one day and until then she’ll be for me like this tree was:

A reminder to take whatever you get and make something really beautiful out of it!

Terrorists, Compassion, and Zebra Mussels

This week Scotland released a convicted terrorist from prison on ‘compassionate grounds.’

Also, this week in North Dallas news it was announced that Lake Lavon has been infected with zebra mussels – an Eastern European species that is taking over the continental US. These harmful aquatic, hitch hikers are wrecking havoc on food chains and ecological systems. They colonize on anything in the water and can clog tubes, pipes, and boat engines.

Here’s where they were known to exist in 2000:

Notice, that then Texas wasn’t yet affected. Well, apparently now we are.

Zebra Mussels will colonize and destroy any available surface in water. They have no known predators and prey on anything irregardless.

They are invading my territory and I have no compassion for them whatsoever (even if they did originate from my well-beloved part of Europe and have cute little zebra stripes!) I say do whatever you have to to get rid of them!

So, my point is that terrorists are like these little pests. They won’t stop. They have nothing to stop them. They blasphemously ‘colonize’ in the name of religion and attack with no regard for human life. We’ve already showed compassion by civilly trying them in judicial courts and sentencing them to relatively safe and comfortable prisons. We haven’t blown them to shreds, dropped them from burning airplanes, decapitated them, or sliced them with shrapnel. Yet this is what they have done to us.

Ya know what Scots, you are real gentleman and there is something to be said about maintaining culture and values. So sure, release him from prison to die in peace. I’m fine with that. I’m even fine with notifying his family so that they can come visit his bedside. But come on, don’t publicly send him back home to be heralded a terrorist hero!

We do have to forgive, but we don’t have to be stupid.

I’m just sayin’.

Cash for DINKers!

In light of the incredible success of the Cash 4 Clunkers campaign…I would like to propose another government program – only this time the $$$ shall be set aside for the DINKers in the neighborhood!

[Note: WE and I can now claim the official DINKers status. (Dual Income No Kids). Hence, of course, my current proposal.]

Here’s how the program will work:

1. Those qualifying will muster enough strength to gather up anything and everything that they can trade (i.e. eight full hours of sleep, full-time and normal work hours, relatively petite figures, and wait for it…their outlandishly, frivolous lifestyles (gasp!).

2. And then in return the government will provide cold hard cash (of which there’s obviously an endless supply) to those willing to make the trade from DINK to SINK. (Single Income Numerous Kids)

Anyone in favor say Aye!

(Ps. No need for it to actually stimulate the economy…none of the other govt programs do anyway.)