Valentines in the Snow

Finally getting back to blog all about what's going on with us! The big news is, we are having our first official Snow Day! Even Jim is snowed in with us as the roads are immpassible. We've had to change routines for the weather, which hasn't happened for us since hurricane Wilma in Florida. Jim's working on his laptop across the table from me as I type in the media/ dining room while Bekah, Erin and Isaac are playing in the snow/ sleet outside. I'm genuinely surprised at how very adaptable these kids are, considering they spent the last 7 years in the sunshine state, where 50's were freezing temps. Now they can't wait to get out into this nasty cold stuff! Brrr!

To catch up on a number of fronts; Bekah is now in physical therapy for her scoliosis, we go three times a week for her to work with the therapists and she exercises every day at home to strengthen her core which will hopefully help to arrest the development of her curve.

Emmi is warming up to us again after the trauma of medictaion at our hands. She was supposed to go in this morning to be spayed, but we can't get out of the driveway, much less driving uphill and downhill, so she'll remain a hostage to her hormones for a while longer- poor thing. She wanders the house yowling for a boyfriend...

Kate went on an Art class field trip to NYC a couple of Fridays ago and had herself a blast! She was astounded to see real life Van Gogh paintings, among others, in the Metropolitain Museum of Art and enjoyed Times Square at lunchtime with her friends. It was quite cold, so her souvineer was a warm and fuzzy hat bought from a vendor.


The day she was in NYC was the first time we had our Couples Bible Study here for dinner and study. We have really been blessed by this group of dear Christian couples and feel quite at home with our new church. This Sunday, (the 18th) we will be accepted as members of Covenant OPC.

Kate and Rebekah, with Laura along as well, joined the youth group for tubing at a nearby ski resort last Saturday. The adult in charge is a physical therapist associated with the PT we are taking Bekah to, and he declared that Bekah just may have straightened out her spine on some of the runs down the hill! (kidding of course)


Vali is enjoying the snow as well as the kids. Kate and I took her out for an explore yesterday before it got too severe, (the kids were sent home from school early since the weather was deteriorating so rapidly) and Vali learned the joy of chasing pine cones in the snow. She'd find one, toss it about, then run to find it a gain. So fun. There's finally a snow pigmy in the yard- the kids used my scarf of course- and it's nearly buried with the new snowfall.

She can have my scarf, I've taken up knitting. I can only knit scarves, one direction, no changes, just figuring out how to finish at the end. Erin and Bekah are also knitting scarves, which is fun because they have each chosen such unique yarns with which to work.

The sleet has changed back to snow now, and we've just watched the snow plow make 4 runs down our street. Erin is out sledding with the neighborhood girls, Bekah and Isaac are thawing out in front of the tv and Emmi is running up and down the stairs, meowing her frantic little heart out. Enjoy the pictures, and those of you in Florida, enjoy your relative warmth. This time last year I was watching the national weather and chuckling to myself- so go ahead!

Busy week!

This was a big week for us. Erin, who alone among the kids has inherited my tendency toward crooked teeth, finally got braces! Her top 6 teeth are the initial concern and so instead of a mouthful, the Orthodontist just wired those few. While she's now getting past the soreness, the novelty is still fresh. Learning different eating habits will take a while. She's up to the challenge though. We bought soft foods for her initial painful few days, but she's back to solid foods now.

I got to have a special day on Wednesday with my new friend Cheryl. Our mutual friend, Sue, introduced us when I moved up here, just 45 minutes from Cheryl. She and I met for lunch once when we first lived here, then she came here for lunch before Thanksgiving. Yesterday was my turn to go to her home and what a treat that was! The drive was lovely, I can imagine it's just beautiful in the summertime. I drove through several quaint old villages with the "main street" look to them, and worth exploring when it's warmer. The soup was yummy and the fellowship sweet. What a relaxing day.

While there I got a very excited call from Kate. She had checked her email at school and was overjoyed to find a response to her application to L'Abri in Switzerland- she's been accepted for the fall term! As we have been exploring Kate's options for post-high school plans, the idea of sending her to college right away has come more and more into question. Rebekah has a more solid idea of what she wants to do in her adult life than does Kate, why send her off to college now when she's not sure of what she wants? Launching her out without a plan is equally unwise, so we prayed for wisdom and direction. Her friendship with Laura became the key which led us to L'Abri. Kate's artistic bend and desire to see and photograph Europe, coupled with her love of Theology and philosophy mesh well with what she could learn at L'Abri; just how does all that work in the real world? The following is from the L'Abri website, describing their history and vision:

L'Abri Fellowship began in Switzerland in 1955 when Francis and Edith Schaeffer decided in faith to open their home to be a place where people might find satisfying answers to their questions and practical demonstration of Christian care. It was called L'Abri, the French word for "shelter," because they sought to provide a shelter from the pressures of a relentlessly secular 20th century. As time went by, so many people came that others were called to join the Schaeffers in their work, and more branches were established.

There have been perhaps four main emphases in the teaching of L'Abri. ............................................................................................................................ First, that Christianity is objectively true and that the Bible is God's written word to mankind. This means that biblical Christianity can be rationally defended and honest questions are welcome. ............................................................................................................................ Second, because Christianity is true it speaks to all of life and not to some narrowly religious sphere and much of the material produced by L'Abri has been aimed at helping develop a Christian perspective on the arts, politics and the social sciences etc. ............................................................................................................................ Third, in the area of our relationship with God, true spirituality is seen in lives which by grace are free to be fully human rather than in trying to live on some higher spiritual plane or in some grey negative way. ............................................................................................................................ Fourth, the reality of the fall is taken seriously. Until Christ returns we and the world we live in will be affected by the disfigurement of sin. Although the place of the mind is emphasized, L'Abri is not a place for "intellectuals only". ............................................................................................................................ We are as concerned for living as we are for thinking and from the beginning the concern has been that the truth is as much exhibited in everyday life as it is defended in discussion. We do not do this perfectly of course but depend on the Lord to bring forth a measure of reality in our daily life.

Bringing forth a measure of reality in daily life- that's what Kate is looking for, and her parents too!

Today Kate is on a field trip in New York City with her art class. I've already gotten a couple of excited phone calls, sharing with me what she's doing and seeing. They've just left the Metropolitan Museum of Art and are on their way to Rockefeller Center for lunch. The temperature in NYC today was supposed to hover near zero degrees- but I've not heard any complaints about the cold! I can't wait to see the pictures and will be sure to post some here as well. I may even persuade Kate to be my "guest columnist" once again.


I've got to run now. Tonight we are hosting the couples' Bible study and it's time to do some picking up. I'll be making a main dish for the dinner we'll share and everyone else will bring the rest of the meal, salad to dessert. The ground outside is covered with snow and the sun is shining, what a beautiful day!

Winter is here at last!

We finally have a gentle introduction to winter! On Friday we awoke to a dusting of snow and the kids went wild! This morning the schools had a two-hour delay because there was more snow. Not enough to build a snow fort, but enough to be very careful on the roads.

Our weekend was busy, following a rather full week. On Friday I took Erin to the doctor for the second day in a row trying to determine the source of the spots covering her body, oh yeah, all over her trunk. To make it more interesting, the neighbor girl, also named Erin, with whom our Erin spent the night a couple of times over the previous weekend, was also afflicted with this mystery illness! After blood tests and throat swabs all known contagions were ruled out and the puzzle was solved when the doctor asked if they'd been in a hot tub. Bingo! Hot tub folliculitis, (sp?) it is! Non-contagious, self limiting, and a result of sitting in a hot tub. So Erin did a week's worth of homework over the weekend to catch up for returning today.

Something else that came out of our doctor visit is that Rebekah's spine has a 21 degree curve which warrants a specialist's attention. Our Bible Study leader, John Sallade, is a Physician who has a number of orthopedic and physical therapy practices in the area, the office closest to us manned by a spine specialist who often deals with scoliosis patients. We're making an appointment with him today to pursue treatment.

Friday evening Jim and I joined the Sallades and a woman from our study for dinner and a concert. The Woman's Club of Reading hosts free concerts on a regular basis and Friday we enjoyed the (world renowned) Mendelssohn Quartet. We are learning that Reading is quite friendly to the Arts and there are a number of venues to access concerts and exhibits year-round. The quartet was splendid and well worth a costly ticket, yet offered for free. What a treat.

Saturday found us going in various directions as Kate went skiing with Laura's host family's church youth group. Jim and Isaac headed out early for the annual Kub Klondike scouting event where they participated in a number of events from shooting to sledding to cooking in the frozen outdoors. (That's Isaac in the red coat- what a ham!) The afternoon was spent working on the new shelving that Jim is putting in the laundry room which will make us a bit more functional and is a small step into making the house our own through "renovations". For the evening Jim, Isaac and Erin went to watch the Reading Royals ice hockey game with the rest of the scout pack. Bekah went to a youth group party and BA enjoyed a quiet evening at home cooking up some Bolognese sauce for our Sunday lunch.

Yesterday we had the Heinly family over after church. They are not only part of our Bible Study group, but the very first people that we met at church. They have three sons, 16 year-old twins and a 14 year old, and a 10 year-old daughter. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon of food and fellowship.

Now the kids are almost all off to school, this delay throws me off as well! I need to get back into a walking routing with my sweet Vali, but there are many phone calls to make and doctor visits to arrange. Life is full, wonderfully full!

This is Winter?

As we watch the news about the Denver airport getting snowed in and the midwest in a state of emergency due to snow and ice storms, we can't help but wonder why it's still so warm here! Okay, so we're not asking for disasterous snowfall and loss of power, but something in which we can go sledding would be nice. We were fully expecting to have a family of snowmen in the front yard by now. This past weekend was absolute pea-soup fog. Yesterday I had some chauffering to do and there were places where we couldn't see the houses from the road. I dropped Kate off on one of the trips to take photographs in a graveyard that, with the church, dates back to the early 1700's- very interesting with the fog I'm sure. I could barely find her when I went to pick her up 15 minutes, (and 1 1/2 rolls of film) later. Our one tree outside that we put Christmas lights on in December is still decorated, awaiting a blanket of snow through which to shine- I love that. But lately it's simply been a beacon to guide us into the end of the driveway!

On the kitty front, all's well with our puddy-tat. She is finally breathing without congestion and her appetite has therefore returned. We stopped giving her the medicine when it was apparent that she was recovering as the ritual was causing her to regard us with suspicion every time we picked her up. She has claimed the bay window for herself and spends most of her time there. She can't be sunning herself, there's no sun, but the feline attraction to windows holds strong. She and Vali are making nice and will even cuddle now and then. Emmi wears a bell on her collar, so no matter where she is, we hear her when she goes somewhere. Vali hears the bell and runs to escort her wherever she goes. Vali has offered to play with Emmi even, certainly not understanding why she's being refused.


In other news, on Friday I learned from our new doctor that my Cholesterol is rather high. I already knew that of course, as I'm genetically loaded for it on both sides of my family. However, the dietary changes that I need to make, while not drastic from the way I eat already, have me suddenly craving everything fatty and cheesy! It's not like I have Mcfood on a regular basis- in fact, I avoid that stuff passionately- ick! But just thinking about exchanging real creamer for the fat-free stuff in my coffee and choosing brown rice over mashed potatoes has me climbing the walls. I know, I know, if this is my biggest problem... I have only just finished reading Julia Child's autobiography, and was anxious to start in on her cookbook, oh the irony, the injustice, the flavor!

On a serious note, we were at the doctor on Friday for Rebekah's annual physical. A couple of years ago during a routine school screening for scoliosis a bit of a curve was spotted in her back. Our doctor at that time chose to wait it out and see how her continued growth upward would affect her back. Our new doctor took one look at her back and ordered an x-ray to measure the degree of curve. She was able to point out how, if you look for it, you can even see how Bekah's shoulders aren't held straight because of her back. Now, it's not severe, but it is worthy of checking out and maybe even some kind of corrective action. Even a slight curve can cause pain issues now and down the road. I'll update as we find out more.

To end on a high note, we had a special treat last night. Kate picked up her friend, Laura, to come hang out for the evening. On the way here they went to the store and Laura bought the ingredients for a German meal which she then cooked for us! She prepared Schnitzel, (breadcrumbed and fried pork cutlets) and potatoes with peas & carrots in gravy. Yum! (Vytorin, here I come!) What a treat to have a guest chef for an evening. We'll be having her host family to lunch on an upcoming Sunday and I'm already planning a special menu for our sweet German. Perhaps Spaetzle with Jaeger Schnitzel, be still my heart! I'd better survive on broccoli until then.

Life with Emmi

Took Emmi to the vet yesterday and none too soon. The poor thing has a cold- probably a virus- that she picked up at the shelter. She is a tiny little snuffleupagus, sneezing and hacking all the time. Just breathing she sounds like a grown man snoring. We're giving her a liquid antibiotic twice a day to prevent secondary infection. Some of you may not be familiar with cats, but imagine dosing a scared and miserable yet strong little thing with 4 scimitars at the end of each fast and flexible extremity... yeah, we bought band-aids. We are perfecting our technique, but then so is she. Just hoping she doesn't hold a grudge.

Meanwhile, she and Vali are still getting to know one another. The other night, (before Emmi's cold was so bad) while Vali was resting on her chair we settled the sleepy and cuddling kitty next to the big strong dog. Vali's body was suddenly inhabited by a chicken and she was shaking so much it felt like someone had dropped a quarter in the chair and pushed the vibrate button! We held her in place while Emmi snuggled in next to her housemate. Poor Vali, the kitty was purring and snoozing away, obviously plotting nefarious tortures in her dreams. Vali eventually resigned to her fate and calmed down just a bit and we could let go of her. She has been calmer around Emmi since then and has even invited her to play on occasion. Unfortunately Emmi's cold has her focused mostly on breathing, so playing is not on the agenda. But we are on the way to a happier pet family, for which we are grateful.

This past weekend was so warm; 67 degrees on Saturday, that we were able to do our outside stuff without even a sweater. Seems nice, but the plant life is confused. Lots of northern plants need a winter freeze for their seasonal cycle, others kick into springtime mode once it warms up a little. We have been eagerly anticipating the Spring so that we can see what is planted and where in our very carefully landscaped yard. The previous owner spent lots of love and time in her yard, planting and tending a wide variety of shrubs, flowers, ivy and grasses. Now a lovely ornamental shrub is budding and blooming lovely red flowers, which will be frozen off once the cold weather actually arrives. So I cut some of the branches to bring in to enjoy while we have them. I'll get out later today and more fully investigate what else may be pushing up early.

Today is colder and sunny and beautiful. We are supposed to have temperatures closer to the norm for January next week. We have bought snow boots and snow pants, so once it does snow we are prepared. It's terrific to have a legitimate reason to cook cold-weather foods like soups and stews and we're baking more breads, rolls and muffins. Many evenings we have hot cocoa and a fire in the fireplace. Once it gets really cold I'll make the hot-spiced tea for which I bought the ingredients in early December. It must be truely cold for that tea- yum! In the meantime I'm curling up with a kitty in my lap and a good book when the opportunity arises; my happy place!

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty...

We've gone and done it. We have adopted a kitty from the Animal Rescue League. For years we told the kids that once we had a home of our own we'd think about it. Well, we now have said home. Rebekah has especially been campaigning for the fulfillment of that promise, being the least allergic of our tribe. We have learned that with a dosage of Claritin even our sniffliest kid can hang out with a kitty sans sneezing. Having talked it over with Jim, I researched adoption facilities online and found one literally around the corner from home. So yesterday Bekah and I went to take a look. To make a long story short, we came home with a very affectionate two year-old stray female domestic short hair. Her eyes are the most beautiful green, so we have named her Emerald- Emmi for short.

To introduce her to Vali I took a cue from "The Dog Whisperer" and had Vali in a posture of complete submission before bringing Emmi out of the carrier. Vali was so excited, even while on her back, that she was trembling from nose to tail. Emmi, meanwhile, took almost no notice of the big quivering dog. Our biggest hurdle would have been if Emmi flipped out over the presence of a dog, and, thankfully, that is not the case. She seems willing to tolerate, even befriend Vali, if Vali could take a valium and settle down enough to let it happen. On their own they seem to be working out an understanding. When Emmi goes anywhere Vali will follow her and then settle somewhere nearby to watch. Already Emmi is comfortable enough to nap cozily, even while Vali is watching just out of paw's reach.




Now the logistics of who gets her at night need to be worked out... She can only sleep on one bed at a time, and three of the kids want her!

Phone Call from IRAQ!

What a great way to start the day! At 4:30 am my cell phone started ringing at my bedside. Through the haze I initially thought it was my alarm going off, and why is it buzzing too? But once I figured out that it was a call, from a strange number, I answered to hear, "hi Mom!"! We were able to talk for an hour and 20 minutes. Everybody was pulled out of bed to have a chat. He is well and safe and feeling like a pirate king with all the cookies and packages they have recieved. No, they don't have real milk, just stuff engineered to have a 100 year shelf life and brought in from Kuwait. All of the goodies they recieved were divided among the whole platoon and shared. He said that if they'd left it all in the 15 Uniform office it would have been impossible to get in there. There was not a single complaint that cookies arrived stale or broken- since their dining facility isn't the greatest and he resorts to Chef Boy-ar-dee rather often the cookies are quite wonderful regardless of their state upon arrival.

There are still a few kinks for him to work out of their newly built network, but he sounds quite proud of it. His Mac laptop is, apparently, the best computer among his network buddies' machines so he is enjoying the benefits of their internet more than the rest. He actually was calling over an internet connection available on base, not their own- that's coming- but not needing the calling card that I sent. After speaking with us he was going to call his connection in London for further parts needed to fine tune the connection.

After we'd spoken for awhile he asked if anybody else was around, not realizing what time it was for us. When I told him that everyone was home and easy to find because they were in bed he was surprised and apologetic, but I didn't mind at all. I will be needing a nap later-oh boy- but right now I'm as high as a kite!


Thanks again for your prayers and your packages for my soldier, they abundantly appreciated!

Calm Now

The children are all back in school and Jim has gone to work. Vali and I had a nice long walk this morning and then I made various phone calls and folded laundry. Something I want to do this year is work more with our parakeets to better hand-tame them. They're much more pleasant when they can come out and play.

In fact, Cutie-pie is playing with her bell swing on the table next to the computer as I write. But Baby-blue seems to be hiding somewhere... They were both here a minute ago, but when I left the room momentarily I returned to only one bird. The Christmas tree is still up, but thus far I haven't seen him among the boughs. After searching all the hiding places that I can think of, crawling around on my hands and knees, I've decided to wait him out. He and Cutie-pie will start chirping at one another before long and his position will be given away. I sure hope!

While yesterday was quite foggy and somber outdoors, today is gloriously sunny and bright. Cold at the bus stop this morning is giving way to a warmer feeling. The kids are so anxious for snow, but days like today are so few in winter that I'm certainly willing to wait for snow. When the sun is shining throught the windows it helps keep me going with what I need to do throughout the day.

Something else that has lifted my spirits was finding an email from Nathaniel this morning, and he apparently has his new server built and running. He is well, but has reported that none of the multitude of cookies sent have survived. They were all very well appreciated.

I hear chirping, so I'd better run!

NOOOoooo!!!

Alas, poor HP, I knew him well...

Our computer, the main one that I use, has kicked the bucket. When I went upstairs to turn it off and get ready for bed the other evening, the blue screen of death was glowing from the monitor, mocking my agonized cries. I'd had no warning, so the photos stored on the computer aren't backed up, (take heed and back yours up now, those of you who feel so safe...) which just has me ill. Now we have decisions to make, and somehow will be procuring a new computer- hopefully soon!

I can still use Kate's laptop to access my email and, obviously, this blog.

More later, when Kate isn't breathing down my neck waiting to use the laptop!

A Very Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas morning! I don't know why exactly, but the kids insist on lining up in age order to proceed to the tree...

Our first stop is the Nativity set, where Isaac reads the account of Christ's birth from the Gospel of Luke as Erin sets the baby in the manger. This is the Nativity set that I made in the ceramics shop on post in Germany way back when I had one child. And he is now away from us for the first Christmas ever, serving our country.

Nathaniel may be away, and not able to communicate much, but he was able to get online last month and order gifts to be sent to his family! Isaac received from his brother the first Lego Star Wars video game for his birthday, and now the second game for Christmas!

Rebekah is rather tickled with the "pillow fight!" t-shirt we found for her online.

Those who have seen Kate "dance" will fully appreciate the humor behind her, "allow me to explain through interpretive dance" shirt. You go, dancing queen!

Isaac, a recent convert to Eagles "fandom", loves his official Eagles chair.

Erin, always a fan of the comfy-cozy, loves her pouffy chair!

Erin picked out this cute jewelry hanger for Bekah.

Kate bought this beautiful pair of hand-carved onyx bookends from India during our trip to Ten Thousand Villages, much closer to us than India.

The girls love their gift sets from Bath and Bodyworks which Nathaniel ordered.

Bekah picked out this cool kite, made in Bangladesh, for Isaac. It is a hand-painted dragon. We can't wait to fly it on our windy hill!

This giant present was one of the first to be wrapped and placed next to the tree...

And it is a gorgeous mirror with hand-painted frame, made in Indonesia, now hanging in our front entry, so we can have a last check before running out the door. Simply beautiful!

Not to be forgotten, our pup just loves her rawhide candy-cane! She took it to the dining room to enjoy it under the table in peace.

The candy-cane was down to cigar shape by lunchtime, so we set it aside to give her tummy a break. She was carrying it everywhere she went. We called her to the basement to see the "big gift" that was awaiting the family down there...

An Air Hockey table! Oh, is this ever fun! The tournament we will play! This will be a terrific wintertime diversion when it's too icky to play outside. Like, for instance, on Christmas day, when it was drizzly and rainy all day. Snow would have drawn us out for at least a bit, but rain when it's this cold is just yucky!

For our evening feast we set the table with the holiday plates. With the Nativity set and the candles the room was lovely.

Our feast was inspired by the December issue of Bon Appetit. Rosemary seasoned standing rib roast with two mushroom pan sauce, potatoes au gratin, roasted tomatoes with feta cheese and steamed asparagus. We all agreed that this meal is a keeper. The sauce on the roast alone made the meal, oh, so scrumdiddlyumptious!

Other gifts of note, for which we have no pictures, are numerous books including "the bible of Italian cooking" for Bekah as well as Julia Child's "My Life in France" to inspire our future chef. Jim will enjoy reading Newt's book on Rediscovering God in America while I can't wait to start my Carlyle history of the French Revolution. Papaw sent the yummiest friut and nut candies which we will endeavour to enjoy sparingly, so to make them last, (right). Grandmommy sent lovely pieces of jewelry for all the girls and a warm Steelers blanket for Isaac as well as an apron for me which clearly states the obvious, "Skinny cooks can't be trusted!". Being movie buffs, I can't fail to mention here that we now have the new Superman movie as well as the newest movie from our favorite writer/producer/director; M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water! Whoo-hoo!

Another movie for our Christmas collection that we've recently discovered is a French film, Joyeux Noel. We rented this movie from Netflix and fell in love with it. It's the true story, drawn from eyewitness and written accounts, of the spontaneous Christmas Eve truce in the trenches of World War I. The film focuses on one area where the Germans are facing French and Scottish troops. The director points out in an interview that while the "fraternizations" happened all down the entire front, they have condensed several of the stories into the one. Something that did happen in many instances was a shared Christmas mass, which is portrayed in this movie with such tenderness and beauty. While the men speak three different languages and come from such different backgrounds, they share a common faith which in the mass is understood by all in Latin. On Christmas day they agree to bury the dead who've been left in the "no man's land" during the hostilities.

I couldn't help but marvel at the differences between that war and this in which we now find ourselves. The most basic, fundamental need of our race is expressed in our relationship with our Creator. In the first World War, though enemies, the men facing one another across the front lines shared an understanding of God that had stood firm and sure through the centuries. On the eve of the day which celebrated the birth of their common Savior, they laid down their arms and celebrated His birth together. We now face an enemy that would slaughter us for those very beliefs which led to the truces in WWI. With such beliefs held in common there was hope for, (and eventually it came to pass) a more lasting peace among those who fought. The enemy we now fight will abide no such peace, ever. Nor can we surrender our beliefs to accomodate their demands and attempt peace on their terms. So we must stand firm, as a nation, and as Christians, in the face of open war. We must never downplay the reality that what we believe about God makes a difference in how we understand our enemy. And we must trust that the true King of the universe alone will bring lasting peace.

With hope only in Christ, we wish you all peace and joy this holiday season.

Bowing to Pressure

Here's the highly requested recipe for the much-loved Jalapeno Pepper Bites! (okay, only one request- I fold easily)

Jalapeno Pepper Bites

1 16 oz can sliced jalapenos, well drained

1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated

4 eggs, well beaten

Grease 8” square pan with oil. Line bottom of pan with peppers. Combine cheese and eggs, pour over peppers. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes, cut into small squares and serve on toothpicks.

Enjoy! I'll probably post other recipes now and then since I love to cook again. My wonderful kitchen and the cold weather are luring me back to the old cookbooks and even the new recipes in various magazines. Christmas day I'll be making a standing rib roast from last month's issue of Bon Appetit. The picture looks simply marvelous. I'll have lots of help in the preparation, so we'll cook up a feast!

A Holly, Jolly Weekend!

Another busy weekend, but with more to show for it than just exhaustion on Monday! Where to begin,...

Friday was the Christmas party for our new Bible Study group, at the Sallade's home. Jim got home from Philadelphia just in time to change and leave with me. We were worried that he might need to meet me there, since I needed to drop Erin off at a sleep-over party on the way, and therefore needed to leave promptly at 6. We took jalapeno pepper bites along to share at the party, and they were a hit. I have taken those to almost every party we've been to in the last 10 years, and if these folks hadn't liked them we might have had to change to a different group- compatability you know. It was a very nice get-together, but it did highlight for us again just how very much we miss our dear friends in Florida.

Saturday morning we dropped Kate off to carpool to her Lacrosse game with the rest of the team so that we could take the others Christmas shopping. Erin had enjoyed her party and was ready to go when we picked her up at 9:30. From there we hit the stores, not in a mall but a large plaza with a good variety of stores at which we regularly shop. Each year the children have bought gifts for one another; some years it's been at the dollar store, others at school. This year since we are still "setting up house" we went to the real stores for things we'd probably be buying anyway- but it's much more fun to unwrap them on Christmas morning!

After a Chik-fil-a lunch we picked Kate up and went to Ten Thousand Villages for the not-so-practical gifts. This is the store with the coolest stuff from around the world. It was started as a Mennonite Mission to help people in poor countries worldwide to sell their handicrafts. The items in the store range from handmade musical instruments to clothing to toys. There's a whole section for beautiful rugs and tapestries from Pakistan. This time of year there are Christmas ornaments and hand-carved nativity sets from villages worldwide. Each item is labeled with its country of origin and some come with an explanation of how they were made. To learn more about this unique place and see some of their goods just visit the website, http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Enough sales pitch, we've just fallen in love with the place...

After we unloaded the van of all the purchases- only Jim could see it all- we grabbed the saw and went to the tree farm! There must be a dozen tree farms in the area and we went to Sheerlund Forest, which is one of the closest. As we were driving in past one field of trees we saw a familiar looking family hunting for a tree. It was one of our new church's elders with his kids- small world! After learning how to go about getting a tree we headed out to find the very best one! After a bit of searching we found it, and Jim, Isaac and Rebekah took turns at the saw and felled our tree! Within an hour the tree was home and in the tree stand having a long drink.

By then it was time for Rebekah to go to her friend Katie's house to get dressed for the Christmas Dance at school. Kate took the van to pick up Laura, who was getting ready here. Then it was all girly giggles upstairs while they beautified themselves- not a difficult task. Instead of straightening their hair they opted for curls- my preference- and then donned their dresses which they'd bought the week before. Once they left those of us at home could breathe a sigh of relief.

Jim found the boxes of lights and ornaments and some wrapping began. I picked Rebekah and Katie up from the dance and Kate brought Laura here after everything finished for them and we settled in for a shorter winter's nap than we would have liked. But bright and early the next morning we got ready for church, except for Jim and Isaac, neither of whom felt well. So the girls went to church while the fellas slept in.

Fortunately they felt better in the afternoon because we had a concert to attend and a tree to decorate! Rebekah's concert choir at school was putting on the Christmas concert yesterday with the orchestra and two other singing groups. It was a lovely show, with songs celebrating the birth of Christ, the Hanukkah miracle and wintertime. In this choir Bekah is one of 220, and they sounded magnificent.

Once home again it was back to the tree. Getting the lights on is always the hardest part and Jim helped a lot. Once the lights were up and the stockings hung, (by the chimney with care!) we settled in for a Christmas movie. Kate and her friend Tyson went to youth group- every other week it's for 10th to 12th grade only (?). After they returned Tyson stayed to hang out while we finished decorating the tree. The ornaments all hold such dear memories and it's such fun for the kids. Since we had given them hot cocoa earlier they were a bit hyper, so it really went quickly!










I'm so glad that we've broken the "having friends over to hang out with the family" barrier. It began with girl friends, but now that Tyson has been here, and not run screaming into the night, I think there's hope. We've wanted to be the home where our children's friends come to play or "hang", and now that we have a home big enough it's a matter of getting into that groove. With Nathaniel we merely needed to provide the snacks and the TV, then sit back and enjoy as the fun unfolded. As far as boys go, they're easy; if you feed them, they will show up. What we're learning with Kate is that the potential for embarrasment can be fatal to any gathering. She's as skittish as a deer, but I think last night helped a lot. We proved ourselves to be just normal enough- nobody picked their nose or started a belching contest, so we're okay, socially acceptable even!

With all seven of our stockings hanging by the tree we are reminded again that Nathaniel is not here to help hang ornaments on the tree or to enjoy any of the activities that are keeping us so busy. We are still so proud of him, but we sure miss our boy. His presents for us arrived last week and ours are on the way to him, but it's not the same without him here. Watching his face as he opens the funny gift is one of my favorite things. We'll have to settle for the delayed reaction this year.

Earthquake!

No, I'm not speaking metaphorically- we really had an earthquake yesterday! At 2:07 pm there was a 2.5 tremor centered about 5 miles from our house. Vali and I felt it, Erin and her whole classroom felt it, Kate thought it had something to do with the construction going on at her school. Here's part of the story from the local news station, WFMZ TV:

"At this point, we've received no reports of any injuries or serious damage. Berks County is no stranger to earthquakes. There have been at least five over the past 12 years. The most recent was last April when a 1.2 magnitude quake shook Sinking Spring. The strongest was back in January 1994 when a quake measuring 4.6 on the Richter Scale centered on Spring Township."

And we thought we were moving to a "Natural-disaster-free zone"! Well, we did, this is clearly not on scale with California. Kinda cool actually. When it happened I thought a big truck had crashed outside our house. There was an audible booming sound and the shaking, so I looked outside for signs of a crash. Later I was in a store where I overheard someone mention "earthquake", but didn't think anything of it until Kate piped up with, "oh yeah, did you hear..."

Something to talk about,... since there's no snow yet.

Operation Cookie

Amazing. Something else that has kept me busy this past couple of weeks has been an outpouring of love, and cookies, for Nathaniel and his buddies in Iraq. We recieved a letter from him a couple of Fridays ago in which he answered my question, "what can we send you?". His answer was simply, "can you bake 20 soldiers-worth of cookies?". Now exactly how many cookies are there in "1 soldier's-worth", and then multiplied by 20...? I've watched my soldier in action, and it seems that the answer is somewhat like, however many cookies are in reach. So I went out on a limb and emailed a few select friends who I know are likely to be baking cookies this time of year already and asked for some help. Low and behold, the forward function was applied to this email and the guys in Iraq aren't going to know what hit them!

People I've never met are baking, packing and shipping cookies. Several teachers have made it a class project to send cookies and notes of encouragement. One family is making it their family gift to Jesus this year. Daily I recieve emails from folks far and wide who are asking for tips on shipping the cookies or simply letting me know how they have responded and what it means to their family. So many people are grateful to have something tangible that they can do for the soldiers that they hear about in the news. Many have added Nathaniel and his unit to their prayers.

I had no idea it would go this far, and I am overwhelmed by the response. Every day the news briefly mentions another car bomb or similar attack on the American forces in Iraq. There will be a number wounded, another number killed. Behind every number is a name, and behind every name a family whose world has been torn apart by the news. Every day in America, families are visited by an official from the Armed Services delivering the news that their loved one has paid the ultimate price in defending our country. Yet all we hear or see on the nightly news are numbers.

I've learned through this week that being given a chance to show love and appreciation for the soldiers so far from home is more than a duty, it is a priviledge and a blessing. And this mother is blessed by the outpouring of love and cookies.

The guys better find a supply of milk! They are going to need it!

Busy Week

It's been such a busy week, with issues on the blog site that didn't allow me to upload photos, and one day without internet access at all, (horrors!) that I've not been able to take the time to blog at all. But I'm back in the saddle and ready to type!

First of all, for those of you who have been vicariously following Mifflin Football, they lost the big game on Saturday the 2nd in State College. While it's sad, and the players all shaved their mohawks, it's also a relief in a way. Now they can get on with normal life again, knowing they did their best and secure in the memory of totally creaming their main rivals, Wilson.

This was also the week that the Barties flew home to South Africa. Kate and her friends spent most evenings with various "lasts" and farewell parties for Joanne and Ron. Wednesday was a party at Jo's church, Thursday was Laser Tag, (see photo) Friday the girls finished a video of goodbyes from friends and teachers and Saturday morning there were phone calls from various airports as Joanne and Ron made their connections on the way to their transatlantic flight. What a sweet friend Jo has been for Kate. With the internet they'll stay in touch. Now Kate is wanting to go to South Africa after graduation. Oh yeah.

Tuesday night at Cub Scouts Isaac handed out invitations to his birthday party, inviting his whole den to come yesterday to celebrate. Not knowing more than two Moms meant that we were really counting on response calls to know how many we'd have here. The very next morning one of the moms that I already know called to say that her son could come, and would I like to go with her to a neat little store that she'd found? Wow, girl time! Since I was stranded without wheels that day, (Kate had the van) she picked me up and we explored a neat little shop owned by a lady who's into herbs and neat ways to use them. I found a few Christmas gifts, but the best part was just hanging out with a friend.

Heidi is from Tennessee and just as bubbly and energetic as anybody I've ever met. Our sons are in scouts and school together and they live a street away from us. She's been here for a number of years, with a three year stint living in Hong Kong in the middle, so she knows the area very well- from an "outsider's" point of view. People who have lived in one place their whole lives know it thouroughly, but not with the eyes of someone who's new. So when I'm finally ready to find a hairdresser or a plumber, she's who I'll be calling.

Wednesday Rebekah sang in a benefit concert at school. She is part of the Ladies Ensemble, a small group of 12 girls. The songs were lovely and our sweetie was so beautiful, (center, with darker hair,). Today she is auditioning for a role in the Spring Musical!

Erin came home from school on Thursday sick. I recognized the symptoms as something we'd dealt with a couple of years ago in Florida and called the doctor's office right away. Something else we've been doing these past two weeks is getting everybody in to see the new Doctor and begin establishing ourselves as patients with the practice. Erin is the only child not yet in thus far. They were able to squeeze her in Saturday morning. Thus our Saturday went from "rather full" to "insanely full".

Saturday, December 9:
8 am: Erin to Doctor.
8:45 am: Attempt to drop off prescription, learn that pharmacy not open till 9.
9 am: Back at house to get everyone out the door asap, which is never soon enough.
9:45 am: Drop off prescription and run.
10 am: Arrive at church for membership class with the Pastor, for which Kate, Bekah, Jim and I must be awake and attentive.
Noon: Leave church in separate vehicles; BA with girls and Isaac to buy cake and goodie bag stuff for party, Jim and Erin to hospital to drop off "sample" for lab test and pick up prescription.
12:45: BA and crew pick up Laura, (German Exchange Student) to spend the day with us, comisserating with Kate over Joanne's departure.
1 pm: BA and crew arrive with barely enough time but plenty of hands on deck to accomplish last minute party preparations.
1:30 pm: First guests arrive- we party till 4.
4 pm: Parents arrive promptly, (miracle of miracles!) to take their boys home, Isaac enjoys the gifts, parents enjoy the silence.
5 pm: BA begins preparations for Sunday's lunch, we're having the Pastor's family over after church.
5:30 pm: Former neighbors Sara and Ryan come over to play for a couple of hours.
6 pm: Kate leaves to get Laura and go to Brad's house to "hang out", (parents present) and watch a movie.
8:30 pm: BA remembers that we forgot Rebekah's Sunday School Christmas party which began at 1pm.
10 pm: Kate calls as her curfew arrives to say that she's gotten lost leaving Brad's house, (entirely believable here- I've done the same) and Tyson has come to the rescue and is leading them to a familiar road.
10:15 pm: Kate and Laura arrive with tales of adventure on the dark, winding roads.
Day over!

Fortunately, Sunday was calm and restful, as it should be. We very much enjoyed our visit with our Pastor, Wendell Stolzfus and his family. We made meatloaf and pasta, they brought homemade bread, yum. The conversation ran from family to church and back again. We look forward to a long relationship with them. Their little daughter even surprised everyone by overcoming her reluctance around dogs and ending the evening with a goodbye hug and kiss for Vali, who'll take all of that she can get!

Today everyone is in school and I'm back into the routine. Having sent out our annual Christmas letter I feel a bit less stress. On to the next thing!

My High School Movie Day

by guest columnist Kate Kelly

Today I felt more than ever like I was living in one of those cliche high school movies.
Our football team has a HUGE game tomorrow that's 4 hours away, and today was quite a bit of build up of school spirit. during our homeroom period (the first period of the day) The cheerleaders walked/marched through the hallways singing and cheering and doing their cheerleader thing. In my math class (my math teacher is the head football coach) things were hardly focused on math... I think we did about 5 or 6 math problems. Mr. Vechio is hardly the "Politically Correct" teacher that I am used to in FL. He goes around the room and grabs the shoulders of students not doing their work and yells and hollers but then he gives the world's biggest grin and laughs. He has a big booming voice that would make me wet myself on the football field... thank God for my estrogen.


I have a couple of the football stars in my third period government class and basically the whole football team shares an interesting characteristic -> a mohawk. Well, Mr Hole (our Govt teacher) promised that if we beat our rivals last week he would let them shave his head to match theirs... well needless to say, we won... Mr Hole is quite proud of his hair, (or lack thereof) though I can't say as much about his wife... It is quite strange for me to see a teacher dressed in a suit with a mohawk on his head... I'll certainly never forget it.


We have started Hamlet in my English class. Some of the same football players from my government class are also in this class (they are also some of my buddies). Joe (the football team captain) is so excited about acting the play out in front of the class every period that he got most of the guys in the class riled up as well. They all insist on being at the front of the classroom and make all the entrances and exits quite dramatic. My friend Jon sits at the back of the room and makes sound effects and everything. As the actors read from their books the awkward "Olde English" a word or two are often mispronounced, causing the room to errupt with laughter... most of the time I can barely contain myself. They all jump around and cry out when it is appropriate (and inapporopriate)and cause even our teacher to double over in laughter.


Today in my PE class we started Ping Pong. Now I know what you are thinking; ping pong is not physically straining... that is until you play with my friend Laura. She is a German exchange student and one of my best friends up here. She knew all of the rules and everything and pretty much beat me to a pulp. for half of the period I was running through the gym trying to catch up with our ball. It was obviously a defective ball because it continually lunged at me with incredible force and flew to the ceiling after ricocheting off of my paddle (which I have determined is for self defenseive purposes).


After school today there was going to be a pep rally/send off for the football team. (they are driving up tonight and staying in a hotel). Laura and I really wanted to go to say good luck and goodbye to our friends on the team but when we got to the gym we couldn't find anyone. we spent 10 or 15 minutes wandering around the school looking for someone who could tell us where the pep rally was. in our wanderings we passed some of the football players who had just finished the meal that the mothers prepare for them in the cafeteria. We got to give hugs and good luck wishes to them before they left. As we were walking out to my van we heard a lot of voices yelling and chanting and realized that the pep rally was outside! A large group of students and cheerleaders and parents and teachers were lined up on the street right buy the buses for the team. Streamers and posters and balloons were everywere as the guys loaded the bus. the cheerleaders had made a banner to stretch in front of the bus that read MUSTANGS STAMPEDE STATE COLLEGE. As the bus drove through the banner and the streamers everyone let go of their balloons and watched as the school colors flew into the sky.


After the buses left so did Laura and I. We drove to my house where we met my mom at the door. she was heading out for some reason or another, and mentioned the muffins she had made. Laura and I rushed into the empty house and into the kitchen. as we searched through the fridge and on the counters we realized how hungry we were. Laura finally spotted the muffins in the far corner of the kitchen; convieniently concealed in the shadows of freshly cleaned pots and pans. we rushed over and indulged our tastebuds on heavenly applebutter muffins. I ran up to my room and changed into an old t-shirt and grabbed the dog leash. Laura and I left to take Vali to the pet shop for a bath.

As we walked into the shop I realized just how many of my friends work there. Vali dragged me around and I finally got her to the dog washing station. A few of my guy friends came over to meet my dog and one ended up having to pick Vali up and set her into the tub becasue she was too scared to walk up the ramp. Because it is a self service sort of deal my friends had to leave meimmediately Vali shook as much water off of her and onto us as possible. The two of us being girls, startled screams and protests were inevitable. Every now and then my friend David would check up on us after hearing a splash followed by a "AH! NO VALI!". After we rinsed and dried her off, unhooked her and put back her onto the leash, Vali tried to take off, but became distracted with a box of crickets. I dragged her through the store and soon saw David. He walked over and at that moment I realized that Erin needed bird feed. I asked him where the bird feed might be and he smiled and pointed to both sides of us... we were standing in the bird aisle... wow, did I feel stupid. He checked us out and thanked us for the visit and revealed that it was usually the most boring place to work... unless of course two inexperienced dogwashers come in with a protesting pup.


I dropped Laura off at her host parents' home and began to head home with my freshly cleaned and exhausted puppy sitting next to me. I turned the radio on and playing was that classic, old time movie romance music. The violins and oboes and a soft flow to the moon. Outside the van large gusts of wind blew fallen leaves all around and across the road and through the moonbeams shining through the forest.
I had one of the most pleasant and calming drives of my life listening to that music and the distinct feeling that I had seen this somewhere on a screen.
It is days like this that make me pinch myself to make sure I am realy living it. I feel like I am in a movie or dreaming... Thank God I am Not <3