It seems fitting, on a Sunday morning, to continue pondering why people would feel the need to leave churches. It couldn't be the fault of the church, could it? (Reminds me of an old military cliche, used to meet any type of criticism: "Sounds like a personal problem to me.")
Here is yet another series of posts for your consideration (three in the series) where a pastor examines reasons why churches are losing members.
Part one seems aimed more at the glitzy, modernized churches, you know, the ones with light shows and electronic effects -- I am describing something I've only heard about, never seen, so bear with me if I'm "off the mark" on this.
Part two speaks a lot to soul-winning churches, whose people hand out tracts in the grocery store and other public places, where (so far as I can tell) there's little or no follow-up or relationship-building. There is much rejoicing on "souls won" but not a whole lot of practical help for walking out the faith afterward. Toward the second half, the article starts to speak to the "problem" of people in the church with problems... and the attitude that they are a problem, rather than living, breathing, feeling people. (Living, breathing, feeling people can be awfully inconvenient and time-consuming.)
Part three, continues the theme from the second part, expanding on it, and then moves into new territory: from blaming the victim, to people seeking challenge, where they find a clearer path to following Christ outside the church, curiously enough, than inside.
What do you think? Are you happy at your church? Have you left church behind for any one of the reasons laid out here? Will you try to find another church, or are you gone for good?
Showing posts with label reality check. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reality check. Show all posts
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Why (young) people are leaving the church, take 2
While reading the comments at Spiritual Sounding Board (SSB) on the post I linked here yesterday, I followed a link to a commenter's own post, written some months ago, on the same topic. So if you're interested in some more food for thought, check out:
Why Young People Are Really Leaving Church
The link says it is "part 1 of 2" and as I have no time to read part 2 today, I'll leave that for another time.
While reading the comments at SSB, I found out that not just young people are leaving the church. Women are leaving as well, as they are feeling marginalized by growing trends that limit a woman's ability to participate and contribute within the church community and worship. But that's a topic for another day, as well.
Why Young People Are Really Leaving Church
The link says it is "part 1 of 2" and as I have no time to read part 2 today, I'll leave that for another time.
While reading the comments at SSB, I found out that not just young people are leaving the church. Women are leaving as well, as they are feeling marginalized by growing trends that limit a woman's ability to participate and contribute within the church community and worship. But that's a topic for another day, as well.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Back after long absence
We've gone through some changes over the past months. Some? Maybe more than "some".
Changed states. Changed houses. Changed churches. Transitioning slowly out of homeschooling. Transitioning out of editing for a homeschool magazine, and gone (for a while, actually) from writing reviews for another homeschool magazine. Changed dogs. (Not by choice.)
I might have been pondering on the changes as they were happening, but some of the change was too painful for public reflection.
Anyhow, writing is a good discipline in ordering thoughts, and as I have missed the first week (!) of NaNoWriMo somehow (how did November sneak in without my noticing, and where did that first week go?), I suppose this is as good a place as any.
So, hi. How have you been? What changes have been happening in your neck of the woods?
Changed states. Changed houses. Changed churches. Transitioning slowly out of homeschooling. Transitioning out of editing for a homeschool magazine, and gone (for a while, actually) from writing reviews for another homeschool magazine. Changed dogs. (Not by choice.)
I might have been pondering on the changes as they were happening, but some of the change was too painful for public reflection.
Anyhow, writing is a good discipline in ordering thoughts, and as I have missed the first week (!) of NaNoWriMo somehow (how did November sneak in without my noticing, and where did that first week go?), I suppose this is as good a place as any.
So, hi. How have you been? What changes have been happening in your neck of the woods?
Friday, May 31, 2013
Paleo tweaks
Found a great tweak to my go-to coleslaw recipe. Coleslaw is my favorite way to eat cabbage, although the stir-fry cabbage I made last week was pretty amazing. (This, from someone who had a sort of okay-I'll-eat-it-because-it's-a-vegetable-and-vegetables-are-supposed-to-be-good-for-you attitude.) The coleslaw sauce recipe came out of a gluten-free cookbook, and was so simple to remember: equal parts mayonnaise, sugar, and white vinegar, whisked together. I 'd add a pinch of salt and a little white pepper to that. Creamy coleslaw perfection.
Okay, so how to make this Paleo friendly? Homemade mayo, check. Raw apple cider vinegar, check. Sugar?
I thought about stevia, but didn't really want to go there. My past experience experimenting with the stuff didn't seem too promising for this recipe.
Trying to go completely sugar free... but finally broke down (don't want the cabbage in the fridge to go moldy from sitting there) and tried honey in the recipe today, as in (for a wedge of cabbage, shredded)
1 TBS mayo
1 TBS raw apple cider vinegar
1 TBS raw honey
It made for a flavorful dressing -- didn't even need the salt and pepper. The honey was very strong, and can probably be cut down to a teaspoon or a little more. And of course I'm not eating as much honey as is there in the sauce because when the coleslaw is gone, there's still sauce left on the plate. So while it's not exactly cutting out sugar, it is cutting way down, and substituting raw honey (which has its own health benefits).
You can read on, or ignore the rest, which is mainly medical musing and a little background as to why I'm doing this "Paleo" way of eating, or trying to, anyhow.
***
Feeling my way here... I've been in a lot more pain lately, over and above (don't you love redundancy?) what the water kefir has been suppressing...
(Digression: How do I know what the water kefir is suppressing? Because of what happens when I don't drink it, if I didn't get around to harvesting the latest brew and due to our busy schedule, have to run out the door without my morning cuppa.)
Anyhow, have begun trying to eat according to "Paleo autoimmune" guidelines, more than I was when I was just following Paleo guidelines. Something that I hadn't cut out before were the nightshades (specifically tomatoes and peppers -- I can take or leave eggplant), nuts, and eggs. The earlier stuff involved in transitioning to Paleo-style eating as defined by Robb Wolf and other people I've been "listening to" (as in, reading books and websites), well, that wasn't so hard, considering that our kitchen has been gluten-free for over a year now, and over the past months I've been experimenting with dairy alternatives as well.
As a matter of fact, I had been eating a lot more eggs lately, especially since cutting out GF oatmeal and other GF grains. Eggs are relatively cheap protein, and since we get free-range eggs from friends with chickens they ought to be fairly healthy. However, the increase in joint pain this past week makes me wonder -- am I reacting to the increase in eggs in my diet?
Need to get a handle on this so I can function again. In case I didn't mention it before, I tried the medical route the last time my joints, especially my knees, were this painful. All the doctor wanted to do was throw -- what are they called? NSAIDs? -- drugs at the problem to mask the pain, and then when the damage had progressed far enough do knee replacement surgeries.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the medical people are out there and available with some sort of "solution." I'd just like to avoid drugs (I looked up the side effects of what he prescribed. Scary.) and surgery if at all possible. I thought that the water kefir would be enough -- it was enough, for months. But something has changed and so I'm changing my attack plan.
If something in my diet is causing the pain, and it's as simple as changing my diet to eliminate the pain (or cut it way down to manageable levels once more), well then, I'd much rather do that than take pills which significantly increase my possibility of stroke and heart attack and I forget what else.
Have been egg-free for only a day -- oops, no I haven't. Mayo has egg in it. Will have to investigate homemade eggless mayo, if such a thing is possible.
Sigh. And yet, it'll be worth it, if it works.
Okay, so how to make this Paleo friendly? Homemade mayo, check. Raw apple cider vinegar, check. Sugar?
I thought about stevia, but didn't really want to go there. My past experience experimenting with the stuff didn't seem too promising for this recipe.
Trying to go completely sugar free... but finally broke down (don't want the cabbage in the fridge to go moldy from sitting there) and tried honey in the recipe today, as in (for a wedge of cabbage, shredded)
1 TBS mayo
1 TBS raw apple cider vinegar
1 TBS raw honey
It made for a flavorful dressing -- didn't even need the salt and pepper. The honey was very strong, and can probably be cut down to a teaspoon or a little more. And of course I'm not eating as much honey as is there in the sauce because when the coleslaw is gone, there's still sauce left on the plate. So while it's not exactly cutting out sugar, it is cutting way down, and substituting raw honey (which has its own health benefits).
You can read on, or ignore the rest, which is mainly medical musing and a little background as to why I'm doing this "Paleo" way of eating, or trying to, anyhow.
***
Feeling my way here... I've been in a lot more pain lately, over and above (don't you love redundancy?) what the water kefir has been suppressing...
(Digression: How do I know what the water kefir is suppressing? Because of what happens when I don't drink it, if I didn't get around to harvesting the latest brew and due to our busy schedule, have to run out the door without my morning cuppa.)
Anyhow, have begun trying to eat according to "Paleo autoimmune" guidelines, more than I was when I was just following Paleo guidelines. Something that I hadn't cut out before were the nightshades (specifically tomatoes and peppers -- I can take or leave eggplant), nuts, and eggs. The earlier stuff involved in transitioning to Paleo-style eating as defined by Robb Wolf and other people I've been "listening to" (as in, reading books and websites), well, that wasn't so hard, considering that our kitchen has been gluten-free for over a year now, and over the past months I've been experimenting with dairy alternatives as well.
As a matter of fact, I had been eating a lot more eggs lately, especially since cutting out GF oatmeal and other GF grains. Eggs are relatively cheap protein, and since we get free-range eggs from friends with chickens they ought to be fairly healthy. However, the increase in joint pain this past week makes me wonder -- am I reacting to the increase in eggs in my diet?
Need to get a handle on this so I can function again. In case I didn't mention it before, I tried the medical route the last time my joints, especially my knees, were this painful. All the doctor wanted to do was throw -- what are they called? NSAIDs? -- drugs at the problem to mask the pain, and then when the damage had progressed far enough do knee replacement surgeries.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the medical people are out there and available with some sort of "solution." I'd just like to avoid drugs (I looked up the side effects of what he prescribed. Scary.) and surgery if at all possible. I thought that the water kefir would be enough -- it was enough, for months. But something has changed and so I'm changing my attack plan.
If something in my diet is causing the pain, and it's as simple as changing my diet to eliminate the pain (or cut it way down to manageable levels once more), well then, I'd much rather do that than take pills which significantly increase my possibility of stroke and heart attack and I forget what else.
Have been egg-free for only a day -- oops, no I haven't. Mayo has egg in it. Will have to investigate homemade eggless mayo, if such a thing is possible.
Sigh. And yet, it'll be worth it, if it works.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Selah
According to Wikipedia:
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible that means GOD HAS SPOKEN. – it used 71 times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk – and is a difficult concept to translate. (It should not be confused with the Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע) which means "rock.") It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". Selah can also be used to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm. The Amplified Bible translates selah as "pause, and think of that". It can also be interpreted as a form of underlining in preparation for the next paragraph.
I used to wince at red lights. Okay, I'd more than wince. I'd complain, usually inwardly, but sometimes aloud. "Oh, no!" you'd hear me say. "Not another red light!" And truthfully, sometimes it seemed (or seems) that I'd hit one red light after another. "These lights are so badly timed," I'd grouse. I'd fret about poor fuel efficiency. I'd worry about being -- not just late, but -- later.
I have a bad habit of being too much of an optimist, not allowing extra time in transit for such things as red lights, construction, traffic jams, and that's the kind of thing that makes you late. I'm getting better...
Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. One day, while sitting at a red light, it came to me. Stewing was a poor use of my time. Did it get me anything? (Other than aggravated, that is.) No. Obviously.
What if I were to use red lights profitably? How could I use them profitably?
Give thanks in all things. While it may seem silly to you, it came to me (while sitting at a red light) that I could be using red lights as a time to praise. To meditate on Scripture. To contemplate my blessings. To give thanks. (See 1 Thess. 5:18 and Eph. 5:20)
The idea of "selah" seemed to fit. I'd heard a definition of "selah" in a sermon some time ago; the preacher had called it a time to pause and reflect on what had just been said (in the Psalm we were reading), or the deep breath before the dive into the next section, or both.
Practicing "selah-ness" at red lights has totally changed my driving attitude. Now instead of an "oh, no!" reaction to a yellow light announcing a red soon to follow, I (usually) am reminded that God is there in the midst of my busyness, my hurry. It's a sort of tug on my spirit, a signal to slow down and think about what's really important.
I'm sure it's done my blood pressure some good, too.
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible that means GOD HAS SPOKEN. – it used 71 times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk – and is a difficult concept to translate. (It should not be confused with the Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע) which means "rock.") It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". Selah can also be used to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm. The Amplified Bible translates selah as "pause, and think of that". It can also be interpreted as a form of underlining in preparation for the next paragraph.
I used to wince at red lights. Okay, I'd more than wince. I'd complain, usually inwardly, but sometimes aloud. "Oh, no!" you'd hear me say. "Not another red light!" And truthfully, sometimes it seemed (or seems) that I'd hit one red light after another. "These lights are so badly timed," I'd grouse. I'd fret about poor fuel efficiency. I'd worry about being -- not just late, but -- later.
I have a bad habit of being too much of an optimist, not allowing extra time in transit for such things as red lights, construction, traffic jams, and that's the kind of thing that makes you late. I'm getting better...
Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. One day, while sitting at a red light, it came to me. Stewing was a poor use of my time. Did it get me anything? (Other than aggravated, that is.) No. Obviously.
What if I were to use red lights profitably? How could I use them profitably?
Give thanks in all things. While it may seem silly to you, it came to me (while sitting at a red light) that I could be using red lights as a time to praise. To meditate on Scripture. To contemplate my blessings. To give thanks. (See 1 Thess. 5:18 and Eph. 5:20)
The idea of "selah" seemed to fit. I'd heard a definition of "selah" in a sermon some time ago; the preacher had called it a time to pause and reflect on what had just been said (in the Psalm we were reading), or the deep breath before the dive into the next section, or both.
Practicing "selah-ness" at red lights has totally changed my driving attitude. Now instead of an "oh, no!" reaction to a yellow light announcing a red soon to follow, I (usually) am reminded that God is there in the midst of my busyness, my hurry. It's a sort of tug on my spirit, a signal to slow down and think about what's really important.
I'm sure it's done my blood pressure some good, too.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Glad it's Friday...
Coming off a nasty cold (as is Middlest -- I think I caught hers). Finally feeling some energy again. So, today will be something of a catchup day. I have to be careful not to overdo and consequently relapse. Add to that the fact that it's so chilly, it's hard to stay warm short of turning the heat on again. (And we did turn the heat on earlier in the week, funny thing to do in May but when you have sick people, you've got to keep them warm!)
The weather all week has been more like March than May. After the summery weather early in the month, we were all ready for summer, but summer, it seems, is not quite ready for us...
Have you been reading the 30 Day organizing series at The Happy Lil Homemaker? I just stumbled across it this morning. Just might be the thing for the month of June. Will let you know.
The weather all week has been more like March than May. After the summery weather early in the month, we were all ready for summer, but summer, it seems, is not quite ready for us...
Have you been reading the 30 Day organizing series at The Happy Lil Homemaker? I just stumbled across it this morning. Just might be the thing for the month of June. Will let you know.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Gluten free? Be careful...
While perusing magazines in the orthodontist's waiting room yesterday (emergency appointment; Youngest has been miserable with the latest adjustment last week, scarcely able to eat -- doing much better today, am thankful to say!), I picked up the March issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray.
I subscribe to very few magazines, but I'll occasionally pick up an issue of Rachel Ray's cooking magazine at the store, especially if I'm hungry, going through the checkout line, and the recipes look good. (Musical scrap of an old advertisement floats through my distractible brain: Don't shop when you're hungry! No! No! No!)
Back to my train of thought. The March issue looked good, certainly, and I may well seek it out next time I'm grocery shopping, and snap it up. I adapt some of the gluten-containing recipes, and others are naturally gluten-free.
Imagine how pleased I was to see an article for a buffet meal for friends that was gluten free and allergy friendly!
In the old, carefree days, before we discovered severe gluten sensitivities in some of our family members, I might have cooked up this menu and invited gluten free friends to dine, blithely assuring them that the magazine said it was safe for them to eat, as the recipes were gluten free. (Thankfully, our celiac friends are very careful and don't just take people's word for it...)
You might think Chicken Cordon Bleu rolled in a cornflake crust would be gluten free, wouldn't you? After all, a lot of GF people can eat corn products, like corn tortillas or cornstarch. Cornflakes ought to be a no-brainer, right?
Unfortunately, no. When I cleared out all the gluten-containing foods from the pantry (to keep our GF family members safer, from cross-contamination and accidental self-poisoning) and removed these foods from my shopping list, my beloved cornflakes had to go. (There's nothing better in berry season, than cornflakes with fresh-picked blueberries and some lovely raw honey drizzled over it all...)
On rare occasions, I will still buy cornflakes in boxes that are marked "gluten free," but they cost more than my old standby brand, so it's a rare treat. Usually in blueberry season.
The problem with a lot of cereals seems to be the malt flavoring, which comes from barley, which contains gluten. This has, sadly, reduced the list of cereals we can use. Former favorites like Rice Krispies and Kellogg's Corn Flakes are off our list. (Rice and Corn Chex cereals are a decent substitute, though they don't make very good "Rice Krispie Treats" as far as we're concerned.)
If you decide to make a gluten free meal, and you're new to GF cooking, be very careful. Read the ingredients list. Look at the labels on the ingredients for the words "gluten free." Ask an experienced GF friend for help in maneuvering through the maze of ingredients that are out there. Don't just assume something is safe to eat because a recipe claims it's safe.
For more information on finding gluten free cornflakes, check out this article at about.com.
I subscribe to very few magazines, but I'll occasionally pick up an issue of Rachel Ray's cooking magazine at the store, especially if I'm hungry, going through the checkout line, and the recipes look good. (Musical scrap of an old advertisement floats through my distractible brain: Don't shop when you're hungry! No! No! No!)
Back to my train of thought. The March issue looked good, certainly, and I may well seek it out next time I'm grocery shopping, and snap it up. I adapt some of the gluten-containing recipes, and others are naturally gluten-free.
Imagine how pleased I was to see an article for a buffet meal for friends that was gluten free and allergy friendly!
In the old, carefree days, before we discovered severe gluten sensitivities in some of our family members, I might have cooked up this menu and invited gluten free friends to dine, blithely assuring them that the magazine said it was safe for them to eat, as the recipes were gluten free. (Thankfully, our celiac friends are very careful and don't just take people's word for it...)
You might think Chicken Cordon Bleu rolled in a cornflake crust would be gluten free, wouldn't you? After all, a lot of GF people can eat corn products, like corn tortillas or cornstarch. Cornflakes ought to be a no-brainer, right?
Unfortunately, no. When I cleared out all the gluten-containing foods from the pantry (to keep our GF family members safer, from cross-contamination and accidental self-poisoning) and removed these foods from my shopping list, my beloved cornflakes had to go. (There's nothing better in berry season, than cornflakes with fresh-picked blueberries and some lovely raw honey drizzled over it all...)
On rare occasions, I will still buy cornflakes in boxes that are marked "gluten free," but they cost more than my old standby brand, so it's a rare treat. Usually in blueberry season.
The problem with a lot of cereals seems to be the malt flavoring, which comes from barley, which contains gluten. This has, sadly, reduced the list of cereals we can use. Former favorites like Rice Krispies and Kellogg's Corn Flakes are off our list. (Rice and Corn Chex cereals are a decent substitute, though they don't make very good "Rice Krispie Treats" as far as we're concerned.)
If you decide to make a gluten free meal, and you're new to GF cooking, be very careful. Read the ingredients list. Look at the labels on the ingredients for the words "gluten free." Ask an experienced GF friend for help in maneuvering through the maze of ingredients that are out there. Don't just assume something is safe to eat because a recipe claims it's safe.
For more information on finding gluten free cornflakes, check out this article at about.com.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Absence makes the heart grow... colder?
Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.
(Psalm 127:3, CEV)
I always wince when I hear a mom with children "in school" (as opposed to a homeschooling mom) express relief that vacation time is almost over and pretty soon the kids will be back in school. It's especially heart-wrenching when said kids are within earshot. Sort of a Mom doesn't really want me around moment.
To see the look of hurt on the child's face... or worse, not to see it, because it's no big deal, it's just something Mom says all the time, well, it makes me sad for the child, and for the Mom, who is missing out on something precious.
Been there. (In the immortal words of internet usage) Done that.
Once upon a time, when Eldest was little, I was a working-outside-the-home mom. We had daycare, in the earliest years, but when a slightly larger toddler broke our toddler's thumb, we looked for another arrangement, and found a babysitter who only took in one other child at the time. She turned out to be (at the time) a better mom than I was -- she provided welcome, a scheduled, predictable day, loving arms, and time. Lots of time.
(I didn't know a whole lot about mothering, having grown up last of a fair-sized family and not been around babies and toddlers. I've learned a lot since then, but how I wish I'd known a motherly mentor in those early years.)
To get back to the topic absence and fondness, in my experience as a working mother, absence did not make the heart grow fonder, as in the old saw. I loved my work, I really did, and while it was with reluctance I first left our daughter to go back to the workplace, I soon got used to it, soon grew to love what I did, giving a lot of myself to teaching and as a consequence, having little left over when it was time to pick up our daughter, head home, get dinner on the table, take care of a few chores, read a bedtime story, go to bed myself, and then get up and do it all again.
(I read recently in a Facebook discussion thread that some daycares or babysitters charge $5 a minute for parents who are late to pick up their child. I may be adding 2+2 and getting 5, but that tells me there's a problem, where parents are either too busy to pick up a child on time, or else they're reluctant, or both. I can relate.)
Forget quality time. Eldest was getting the dregs. I was tired, not as patient with a toddler as I later learned to be with our younger two. (But that's another story.) Any quality time Eldest got was with our lovely and loving babysitter. (I'm so sorry to have to admit this.)
I discovered a curious fact: The less I was with our daughter, the less I wanted to be with her. On the other hand, when the work schedule lightened up (I taught when a weeklong or two-week class was scheduled, and sometimes I would have a week off if I wasn't scheduled), I'd spend much more time with our daughter -- days in a row -- and the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to spend time with her.
Since we began homeschooling, almost 20 years ago now, I've found that I really enjoy our children. The more time we spend together, the more I get to know them, the more I know I'm going to miss them when it's finally time for them to leave the nest. Part of it is that we have quantity time, which makes grasping that elusive "quality time" more likely. Part of it is character development and discipline. Our children have learned how to get along with all kinds of people, of all ages, including (for the most part) their parents. Part of it is that we've had time to teach them what's important, and we're pretty much on the same page, though they are developing their own mindsets, their own apologia for what they believe, not just parroting back what we've tried to live in front of and alongside them.
Do you love your children? Do you really love them? Most parents would answer that question with a thoughtful or maybe indignant, Of course!
Do you like them?
Do you like being with them?
If you don't, maybe this is a point to ponder further.
This is not to denigrate "working mothers" or make you feel guilty if you are one. I'm just suggesting you examine your attitude, if it's anything like mine was when our eldest was a toddler. The years go by so fast, childhood is just a blink of an eye, and soon they're all grown up and you'll be wondering what happened to the time. Eldest will soon turn 30. I look at young mothers sometimes, and wish I could go back. But I can't.
At the time, I didn't have a choice about working, and so I sympathize with you if you're in the same boat. I'm glad that things changed for us (some of it involving circumstances, some a change of heart, but that's another story). It's been a struggle to stay at home, these past two decades. There are a lot of things we might have done with a second income, a lot of things we might be able to do now, in fact, that we can't. Even some important things, like a new roof. (Insert Han Solo imitation here, peering anxiously at the ceiling: Hear me, baby? Hold together!)
But it's been worth it. Totally.
I wish for you the same joy and delight.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Very glad it's Friday
Still fighting whatever bug is trying to get hold of me. This morning I doused my oatmeal with a dollop of honey and fair amount of cinnamon. I read somewhere on Facebook that cinnamon/honey in a 1-to-4 ratio is a great remedy to knock out a cold.
Eldest is giving me vitamin C every hour, and I've also had kefir and kombucha (not together) already this morning. If remedies can do the trick, I'm pretty remedied-up. (Except for elderberry. I need to remember the elderberry syrup that's in the fridge.)
What's your favorite way to avoid the bugs?
Eldest is giving me vitamin C every hour, and I've also had kefir and kombucha (not together) already this morning. If remedies can do the trick, I'm pretty remedied-up. (Except for elderberry. I need to remember the elderberry syrup that's in the fridge.)
What's your favorite way to avoid the bugs?
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Day something-or-other of the plague
The Computer Guy mentioned something this morning about it being Day Four of the Plague, which got me thinking. Let's see, the Debater fell ill Sunday (Saturday night, rather, at the ballot party following the speech and debate tournament awards ceremony -- instead of being the life of the party and wanting to stay until closing time, she and her sister both wilted and asked to leave an hour before the party was planned to end). Technically, it is Day Four for her. She started to perk up a bit last night. There's hope.
The Chef was a little off from Saturday night onward, grumpier than usual, until being laid low yesterday. Her symptoms are a little different. Same miserable fever as her older sister; but rather than a sore, swollen throat, she has a rebellious stomach. At her request, homemade chicken soup is now simmering on the stove, and glad I am to oblige, after the struggle yesterday to get anything at all down. For her, this works out to Day Two (if you don't count the "off" days when she was evidently fighting the bug).
The Computer Guy has actually been sick for more than a week. I think this might be Day Ten for him.
As for Eldest and myself, we are fighting it. Every once in awhile I get really tired, or feel a lump in my throat as if a sore throat is trying to take hold, and I down another dose of vitamin C or elderberry. The elderberry syrup is getting low in the jar; it's almost time to brew another batch. Eldest and I are also drinking fair amounts of homemade kombucha (got the continuous brew system set up and it's working well) and kefir in hopes that the probiotics will help. Something's working. I start feeling under the weather, sit down for a bit and take my C (usually crystal form, dissolved in kefir; seems to work faster that way -- the C in pill form seems to take a day or more to kick in), and without noticing a change, somehow I'm feeling better a little while later. I do hope my body will kick this thing completely, whether it's the dreaded flu, or some anonymous virus. I can't afford to be sick.
Who can?
The Chef was a little off from Saturday night onward, grumpier than usual, until being laid low yesterday. Her symptoms are a little different. Same miserable fever as her older sister; but rather than a sore, swollen throat, she has a rebellious stomach. At her request, homemade chicken soup is now simmering on the stove, and glad I am to oblige, after the struggle yesterday to get anything at all down. For her, this works out to Day Two (if you don't count the "off" days when she was evidently fighting the bug).
The Computer Guy has actually been sick for more than a week. I think this might be Day Ten for him.
As for Eldest and myself, we are fighting it. Every once in awhile I get really tired, or feel a lump in my throat as if a sore throat is trying to take hold, and I down another dose of vitamin C or elderberry. The elderberry syrup is getting low in the jar; it's almost time to brew another batch. Eldest and I are also drinking fair amounts of homemade kombucha (got the continuous brew system set up and it's working well) and kefir in hopes that the probiotics will help. Something's working. I start feeling under the weather, sit down for a bit and take my C (usually crystal form, dissolved in kefir; seems to work faster that way -- the C in pill form seems to take a day or more to kick in), and without noticing a change, somehow I'm feeling better a little while later. I do hope my body will kick this thing completely, whether it's the dreaded flu, or some anonymous virus. I can't afford to be sick.
Who can?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
007's newest secret weapon: exploding glass stove
I think I'm going to be picking up/sweeping up glass in my kitchen for days to come.
Yesterday, the glass front of our range's oven exploded. All it took was a little bump, from what I heard. I wasn't in the kitchen; I was hanging out clothes and didn't hear a thing, until Youngest came out of the house, distraught and apologizing and saying the stove was broken and she didn't mean to do it.
We bought the stove used a few years ago, so I don't know if the glass pane replacement part is available anymore. (From what I've been reading online about glass stovefronts exploding or disintegrating, maybe I don't even want that type of stove.)
Although I was rather hoping to replace the ancient and ailing refrigerator first (and we still might have to do that), I am still counting my blessings.
1) The oven wasn't on at the time.
2) I hadn't gotten around to running the self-cleaning cycle, which is a few months overdue. Just imagine that big panel of glass deciding to let go right about the time the oven hits 500 degrees.
3) No pets were in the kitchen at the time. Even though it's "safety glass" and fell apart into little cubes, there were still some sharp little shards. Believe me. I've got three small punctures in my fingers and hand to prove it. Though we cleaned up the glass as thoroughly as we could, I still keep coming across little pieces this morning. Necessary decree: No bare feet in the kitchen for the foreseeable future. (Pets are a bit of a problem, there. We'll have to keep a sharp eye out for glass and keep picking it up.)
4) The stovetop still works, unaffected by the oven's trauma.
5) We're in the middle of a heat wave, so I wasn't planning on using the oven anyway. But when crisp autumn days come, it'll be missed.
6) I got a chance to hug Youngest and explain to her once more that people are more important than things. I haven't always been so good at that.
So, any suggestions on replacing our range? Any brands to steer clear of? Any brands you'd recommend, even as a used appliance?
(Of course this all may be moot. We really need to replace the refrigerator first. Ovens are optional. Refrigerators are not.)
We bought the stove used a few years ago, so I don't know if the glass pane replacement part is available anymore. (From what I've been reading online about glass stovefronts exploding or disintegrating, maybe I don't even want that type of stove.)
Although I was rather hoping to replace the ancient and ailing refrigerator first (and we still might have to do that), I am still counting my blessings.
1) The oven wasn't on at the time.
2) I hadn't gotten around to running the self-cleaning cycle, which is a few months overdue. Just imagine that big panel of glass deciding to let go right about the time the oven hits 500 degrees.
3) No pets were in the kitchen at the time. Even though it's "safety glass" and fell apart into little cubes, there were still some sharp little shards. Believe me. I've got three small punctures in my fingers and hand to prove it. Though we cleaned up the glass as thoroughly as we could, I still keep coming across little pieces this morning. Necessary decree: No bare feet in the kitchen for the foreseeable future. (Pets are a bit of a problem, there. We'll have to keep a sharp eye out for glass and keep picking it up.)
4) The stovetop still works, unaffected by the oven's trauma.
5) We're in the middle of a heat wave, so I wasn't planning on using the oven anyway. But when crisp autumn days come, it'll be missed.
6) I got a chance to hug Youngest and explain to her once more that people are more important than things. I haven't always been so good at that.
So, any suggestions on replacing our range? Any brands to steer clear of? Any brands you'd recommend, even as a used appliance?
(Of course this all may be moot. We really need to replace the refrigerator first. Ovens are optional. Refrigerators are not.)
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Best laid plans...
For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'
-- John Greenleaf Whittier
I was planning French toast for breakfast tomorrow, operative word being was.
You might remember that I mentioned we have trouble keeping our GF "white bread" around long enough to make into French toast or breadcrumbs. It really is delicious stuff. However, I had managed to reserve a loaf and a half for tomorrow's breakfast, even if I used a bit for tonight's dinner (which I didn't, as it turned out).
The Giant Schnoz had another idea. While most of us were out doing yardwork, she stole the leftover gluten free bread from the plate on the back of the stove.
It's the sort of thing she would have done the first year or two we had her, and we learned to keep food well out of reach. (Even so, there was the time she climbed on top of the dining room table to reach the chocolate stashed on top of a six-foot bookshelf...) But she slowed down, gradually enough that we didn't really notice the change. She slept more, she stopped stealing food (we congratulated ourselves on how well her training was going), she grew more and more mellow.
She also developed serious health problems, like food allergies -- there were fewer and fewer things she could eat without getting sick. Her toenails were brittle and broke easily, sometimes at the place where the nail emerges from the toe, meaning a fair-sized vet bill to deal with the situation and head off infection. Lately she had two UTIs in a row. On a hunch the vet tested her thyroid and found it low. That number, along with her low white blood-cell count (a low count despite the fact she had a UTI!) made him pronounce her immune system "practically non-existent."
He prescribed thyroid, and with the thyroid her appetite came back, along with her energy. She became bright eyed and playful. She dropped her excess weight. She lifted her leash from its hook and paraded around, demanding a walk. She began to steal food off the table and kitchen counters, something she hadn't done for years. (Maybe our training wasn't so great after all...)
Oddly enough, this dog who had always been a bit klutzy about catching, suddenly developed the ability to catch treats in mid-air. Perhaps she's better able to concentrate? Or maybe her reaction time has improved with her less tired, less sleepy state?
While I rejoice that we have our Schnauzer back, with all her quirks and mischief (thanks to that daily dose of thyroid), I do regret the loss of tomorrow's French toast...
Interrupted baking: line up for success!
I don't know if I added the brown rice flour to my bread dough this time around.
I've been making the triple batches of Gluten-Free Brioche found in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. This is a lovely "white bread" reminiscent of the milk-and-honey wheat-based bread I used to make. I leave out the vanilla called for in the recipe, which allows me to use it for pizza dough and breadsticks as well as white bread, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, cinnamon swirl bread, cinnamon rolls, and more. It's slightly sweet due to high honey content, but my family likes it, even in savory recipes. (Makes great French toast when it stales, too, though it's difficult to keep it long enough for it to go stale. The stuff gets eaten within two or three days.)
The way it works, you make a triple batch of dough, let it rise on the counter for two hours, and then keep it in the refrigerator for up to five days. Anytime you want fresh-baked bread, you take some out of the refrigerator, shape it, let it rise, and bake it. Easy-peasy!
(And believe me, does this bread ever rise. If I don't transfer it from the Kitchenaid bowl to my large dough-keeper container, it'll overflow the top of the mixing bowl onto the counter, even cascading down the cabinets to the floor like a slow-moving Niagara Falls. Great motivation not to get sidetracked!)
Speaking of sidetracked... back to this morning's bread dough...
People kept wandering in and out of the kitchen, talking to me, as I was measuring and dumping ingredients in the bowl. I lost track somewhere along the way.
I guess if the dough is not stiff enough after the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet, that'll be a clue... besides, if I decide to add an extra cup of brown rice flour to a triple batch of dough, it should still turn out right. At least, I hope so. Usually if the dough is not stiff enough, I add a little extra cornstarch. (Later: I mixed it up, and it seemed about the same as usual. So, I added no "extra" brown rice flour -- this time.)
I think I'm going to take a page out of Eldest's book. The last time she made brownies, I watched. She read the recipe through, got out all the ingredients (chocolate chips, coconut oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, GF flour mix, cocoa, baking powder, salt) and lined them up on the counter ahead of time, and then put each container away as she added its contents to the recipe. Even though she was interrupted several times in the process, she never lost track. Now why didn't I think of that?
Sounds like a plan!
(p.s. I probably did add the brown rice flour the recipe called for, as today's baking of bread turned out beautifully. Yum. Perfect platform for tonight's tuna salad sandwiches.)
Disclosure: The link above is an Amazon affiliate link. If you happen to click on the link and end up buying the book, I get a little something, and thank you!
I've been making the triple batches of Gluten-Free Brioche found in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. This is a lovely "white bread" reminiscent of the milk-and-honey wheat-based bread I used to make. I leave out the vanilla called for in the recipe, which allows me to use it for pizza dough and breadsticks as well as white bread, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, cinnamon swirl bread, cinnamon rolls, and more. It's slightly sweet due to high honey content, but my family likes it, even in savory recipes. (Makes great French toast when it stales, too, though it's difficult to keep it long enough for it to go stale. The stuff gets eaten within two or three days.)
 |
| (See how it rises?) |
The way it works, you make a triple batch of dough, let it rise on the counter for two hours, and then keep it in the refrigerator for up to five days. Anytime you want fresh-baked bread, you take some out of the refrigerator, shape it, let it rise, and bake it. Easy-peasy!
(And believe me, does this bread ever rise. If I don't transfer it from the Kitchenaid bowl to my large dough-keeper container, it'll overflow the top of the mixing bowl onto the counter, even cascading down the cabinets to the floor like a slow-moving Niagara Falls. Great motivation not to get sidetracked!)
Speaking of sidetracked... back to this morning's bread dough...
People kept wandering in and out of the kitchen, talking to me, as I was measuring and dumping ingredients in the bowl. I lost track somewhere along the way.
I guess if the dough is not stiff enough after the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet, that'll be a clue... besides, if I decide to add an extra cup of brown rice flour to a triple batch of dough, it should still turn out right. At least, I hope so. Usually if the dough is not stiff enough, I add a little extra cornstarch. (Later: I mixed it up, and it seemed about the same as usual. So, I added no "extra" brown rice flour -- this time.)
I think I'm going to take a page out of Eldest's book. The last time she made brownies, I watched. She read the recipe through, got out all the ingredients (chocolate chips, coconut oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, GF flour mix, cocoa, baking powder, salt) and lined them up on the counter ahead of time, and then put each container away as she added its contents to the recipe. Even though she was interrupted several times in the process, she never lost track. Now why didn't I think of that?
Sounds like a plan!
(p.s. I probably did add the brown rice flour the recipe called for, as today's baking of bread turned out beautifully. Yum. Perfect platform for tonight's tuna salad sandwiches.)
Disclosure: The link above is an Amazon affiliate link. If you happen to click on the link and end up buying the book, I get a little something, and thank you!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Tummy bug
Last week was a busy one, and this week we're passing around a tummy bug. It's not your basic 24-hour misery, either, but seems to stretch on for several days. I've been practically useless since Monday. I thought I was just about over it last night, but woke up this morning and just couldn't get warm.
I think it's time to whip out anti-bacterial wipes and wipe down the doorknobs, computer keyboards, and other common areas.
We can't use the standard wipes; they're too toxic for us and actually make us sick. I have a supply of the thyme oil based wipes, but they smell like mouse musk to me so I've been looking for an alternative. I just found an online resource for making your own, so I'm going to give it a try when I'm feeling better. For today, I'm going to have to use the thyme oil wipes we have on hand and try not to think I'm smelling mice.
Oh dear. Youngest just announced she's going to throw up. Looks like we're in for another day of battle with the bug.
I think it's time to whip out anti-bacterial wipes and wipe down the doorknobs, computer keyboards, and other common areas.
We can't use the standard wipes; they're too toxic for us and actually make us sick. I have a supply of the thyme oil based wipes, but they smell like mouse musk to me so I've been looking for an alternative. I just found an online resource for making your own, so I'm going to give it a try when I'm feeling better. For today, I'm going to have to use the thyme oil wipes we have on hand and try not to think I'm smelling mice.
Oh dear. Youngest just announced she's going to throw up. Looks like we're in for another day of battle with the bug.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Simple Prayer
Our girls have been pet-sitting for a friend on occasion for several years now. Often when I've taken them over there, this poster catches my eye...
That about sums it up.
That about sums it up.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Love what you do
"Love what you do." The phrase jumped out at me during this week's discussion at the high school history co-op. (Well, it's "moral philosophy" and not just history, but that's a topic for another day.)
The phrase had made me stop short while listening to Dr. George Grant's lecture on guilds in the Middle Ages, but I'd been busy with something-or-other and didn't really process the thought. I'm often folding laundry or picking up while we're listening to lectures, and the girls are scribbling (or typing) notes, and we don't always pause the lecture to discuss a point.
But here we were in class, and the students were engaged in a lively discussion, along with a couple of the dads who'd come to class to facilitate and guide the discussion time. Love what you do.
All of a sudden, it hit me. The state of our home is a testimony to how much I love (or don't love) what I do.
Don't get me wrong. I say I love what I do. I do love it; I'm privileged to be able to stay at home, to raise my own children rather than turning them over to professional strangers (or strange professionals? ...tongue in cheek; please, hold the rotten tomatoes), to homeschool, with all its many advantages. (And that's a topic for another whole post, or series of posts...)
But I don't do like I love it.
My mom was "stuck" at home. She hated being a homemaker. She was meant for better things. Higher things. She raised her daughters to be professionals. We'd have careers, and we'd make enough money to be able to afford someone else to take care of our homes and our children.
Even though I've chosen home, I'm still following her example, in attitude at least. (Let me just say in her defense that the house I grew up in was well-kept. Not spotless, but the kitchen floor was washed every day, just for one example, and there were never piles of clutter and stuff in the main living areas of the house, and she was always after me to clean my room.)
Love what you do. That's a thought worth pondering, a motto worth adopting. If I were a mantra-chanting type, I think it would make a good one. I have been saying it over to myself periodically through the day, to remind myself where I've chosen my priorities to lie. It's tough to dig out from a lifetime of bad habits. But I think I've found a handle to grab onto.
The phrase had made me stop short while listening to Dr. George Grant's lecture on guilds in the Middle Ages, but I'd been busy with something-or-other and didn't really process the thought. I'm often folding laundry or picking up while we're listening to lectures, and the girls are scribbling (or typing) notes, and we don't always pause the lecture to discuss a point.
But here we were in class, and the students were engaged in a lively discussion, along with a couple of the dads who'd come to class to facilitate and guide the discussion time. Love what you do.
All of a sudden, it hit me. The state of our home is a testimony to how much I love (or don't love) what I do.
Don't get me wrong. I say I love what I do. I do love it; I'm privileged to be able to stay at home, to raise my own children rather than turning them over to professional strangers (or strange professionals? ...tongue in cheek; please, hold the rotten tomatoes), to homeschool, with all its many advantages. (And that's a topic for another whole post, or series of posts...)
But I don't do like I love it.
My mom was "stuck" at home. She hated being a homemaker. She was meant for better things. Higher things. She raised her daughters to be professionals. We'd have careers, and we'd make enough money to be able to afford someone else to take care of our homes and our children.
Even though I've chosen home, I'm still following her example, in attitude at least. (Let me just say in her defense that the house I grew up in was well-kept. Not spotless, but the kitchen floor was washed every day, just for one example, and there were never piles of clutter and stuff in the main living areas of the house, and she was always after me to clean my room.)
Love what you do. That's a thought worth pondering, a motto worth adopting. If I were a mantra-chanting type, I think it would make a good one. I have been saying it over to myself periodically through the day, to remind myself where I've chosen my priorities to lie. It's tough to dig out from a lifetime of bad habits. But I think I've found a handle to grab onto.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Eeeew
I was shopping at Target in the girls' clothing. Though we do a lot of thrift store shopping, we still buy a few things new, now and then. It's been my Christmas tradition to buy each of the girls new footie PJs, a present they can open on Christmas Eve. I was so glad to see a goodly supply, and not all of them splattered with peace signs (something that makes the girls cringe -- a peace sign is a reversed cross with broken arms, did you know? Somewhere in the dim recesses of my memory is the knowledge that it's an occult symbol. Maybe from Walter Martin's writings? I used to listen to The Bible Answer Man on the radio every day, though I got out of the habit some years ago and don't know if the program still exists. In any event, regarding peace symbols: We try to avoid them. Peace itself is a good thing, if you're talking fruit of the Spirit.).
Anyhow, one of the girls and I were walking down the aisle, exclaiming over cute things. (imagine girlish squeals. well, not quite, but we were having fun enthusing.) I started to remark on something that looked pink and pretty, at first glance... until I realized that the pretty pink decorations on the pale background were in the shape of... have you already anticipated me? am I behind the times? I never would have imagined "girly" decoration to be ... skulls.
I recoiled in horror.
Skulls. Pink, sparkly skulls. On a little girl's shirt. Maybe a dress or jacket? It doesn't matter. It was repellant.
I'm resigned to skulls at Halloween. But for everyday, or maybe even holiday fashion?
*sigh* Even the girls' department is now a minefield where I must tread carefully, simple pleasure set aside, for I must be wary lest I purchase skulls or other symbols of death and hatred all dressed up in pink and sparkles. I'm not exaggerating. That cute little shirt, there, shocked me partly because I was reaching for it to pick it up, take a closer look, maybe even put it in my basket before I realized that those shapes weren't some sort of stylized horses or puppies or kittens. It shocked me because I wasn't on my guard when it came to "pink and pretty" and fairly modest (as opposed to Madonna-clone or Lady Gaga "style" -- and I use that term loosely) clothing.
I'm on my guard now. And shopping is not as fun. (Not that I've ever been that much of a shopper, but I'm even less now. Perhaps my pocketbook will thank me.)
Talk about living in a culture of death.
Update: Saturday night. Just got back from Target once more, getting another footie PJ to complete the set. I was less than thrilled to see that one of the designs on the girls' rack was a blue or blue/green with white skulls. Evidently popular, too, as there was only one of those left on the rack, and quite a few panda bear or monkey or peace symbol designs.
Anyhow, one of the girls and I were walking down the aisle, exclaiming over cute things. (imagine girlish squeals. well, not quite, but we were having fun enthusing.) I started to remark on something that looked pink and pretty, at first glance... until I realized that the pretty pink decorations on the pale background were in the shape of... have you already anticipated me? am I behind the times? I never would have imagined "girly" decoration to be ... skulls.
I recoiled in horror.
Skulls. Pink, sparkly skulls. On a little girl's shirt. Maybe a dress or jacket? It doesn't matter. It was repellant.
I'm resigned to skulls at Halloween. But for everyday, or maybe even holiday fashion?
*sigh* Even the girls' department is now a minefield where I must tread carefully, simple pleasure set aside, for I must be wary lest I purchase skulls or other symbols of death and hatred all dressed up in pink and sparkles. I'm not exaggerating. That cute little shirt, there, shocked me partly because I was reaching for it to pick it up, take a closer look, maybe even put it in my basket before I realized that those shapes weren't some sort of stylized horses or puppies or kittens. It shocked me because I wasn't on my guard when it came to "pink and pretty" and fairly modest (as opposed to Madonna-clone or Lady Gaga "style" -- and I use that term loosely) clothing.
I'm on my guard now. And shopping is not as fun. (Not that I've ever been that much of a shopper, but I'm even less now. Perhaps my pocketbook will thank me.)
Talk about living in a culture of death.
Update: Saturday night. Just got back from Target once more, getting another footie PJ to complete the set. I was less than thrilled to see that one of the designs on the girls' rack was a blue or blue/green with white skulls. Evidently popular, too, as there was only one of those left on the rack, and quite a few panda bear or monkey or peace symbol designs.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Nasty bug
It's a good thing I had my Gluten-free Tuesday post scheduled to publish itself automatically on Tuesday. You see, on Tuesday I wasn't in any shape even to think about food.
There's a nasty stomach bug going around, and Middlest and I came down with it this week. You're miserable and feverish for a day or two, with tummy-bug symptoms, and then after the fever breaks your stomach remains unavailable to all appearances. (As in, not hungry, knowing you need to eat something but nothing sounds good, nothing tastes good, and nothing feels quite comfortable staying down once you eat it.)
I wonder how long it lasts? It's inconvenient to be less-than-100% during the holiday season. We're not really on holiday yet, either. Midterms are coming up next week and promising to be challenging even for healthy minds in healthy bodies.
At least I don't have to worry about gaining weight from Christmas goodies at present. They don't appeal to me at all.
There's a nasty stomach bug going around, and Middlest and I came down with it this week. You're miserable and feverish for a day or two, with tummy-bug symptoms, and then after the fever breaks your stomach remains unavailable to all appearances. (As in, not hungry, knowing you need to eat something but nothing sounds good, nothing tastes good, and nothing feels quite comfortable staying down once you eat it.)
I wonder how long it lasts? It's inconvenient to be less-than-100% during the holiday season. We're not really on holiday yet, either. Midterms are coming up next week and promising to be challenging even for healthy minds in healthy bodies.
At least I don't have to worry about gaining weight from Christmas goodies at present. They don't appeal to me at all.
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