This has been my weekend...activites and thoughts...and weather. This is a very random entry, you might lose brain cells just reading it.

On Friday I went to hear the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Before Beethoven they performed Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. It was such a great experience. I sat there with my eyes closed and my body swaying back and forth. So many people brush aside classical music thinking that it is boring and old. I find it to be such an art!

Then Saturday morning it started snowing. I had to drive home to my parent's house. It took me twice as long to get there. I was driving 30 mph on the highway and still praying that I'd be safe because I could not see anything!


Why did I have to drive home? Well...two reasons. 1) My dad needs to look at my car. 2) My friend Jen was throwing herself a b-day party and I was invited!

And boy was it a party! Jen, the talented woman that she is...cooked a 7 course meal for all of her guests. A little backwards right? It's HER birthday and she was cooking dinner for her friends? But she insisted, and we enjoyed everything! She is such a good cook and we are all encouraging her to start her own business.

Here's a picture of Jen and myself.



So tonight I was shopping for dinner groceries and I thought of two things for which I am thankful.

After 7:00 p.m. the grocery store gives their leftover donuts away for free!


AND

The avocado is a wonderful fruit!

If I could, I would plant an avocado tree in my front yard...if I had a front yard...


Right now I am sitting at a coffee shop downtown, thinking about heading home for the night. I'm looking out the window and this is what the street looks like.


I love winter weather! It's so beautiful!

We are redecorating our kitchen!!!

Tonight I decided to make a pot of chicken tortilla soup. Oh boy. It ended up being a huge process and then the lid flew off the blender and tortilla soup exploded everywhere. Baffled, I pulled myself together and refilled the blender and pressed the button and it exploded again. A ha! When you blend hot liquid you have to leave room for air or else the heat creates too much pressure and it just blows up. Who knew??

I contemplated leaving the splatter. It was quite colorful and I thought maybe Katie and I could start a new fiesta theme in our kitchen. But then I climbed up on the counter and started wiping off the ceiling, and the light bulbs, and the cabinets, and well...everything...

Mom used to hate it when I cooked. She would find batter and splatter in the most random places, days after I had used the kitchen. I thought of my mom tonight. She would have laughed at me, and then she would have sighed with relief that this was my kitchen and not hers!

just a typical tuesday morning.

This morning it was hard for me to pull myself out of bed. When I finally finished my shower I had exactly 17 minutes before I had to leave for work. I started blow drying my hair...and Katie started blow drying her hair...and gosh-diggity we blew a fuse! How lame is that? We can't even use two hair dryers at the same time?! And then to our luck the building is out of fuses. Good grief!
Since it was still dark, I had to use candles in order to find clothes in my closet. I did find matching clothes, but I think it was pure luck.

In all of the chaos I had to postpone my coffee break which then postponed my waking-up-ness, which meant that my usual "Good Morning!!!" self was more like "...hey..."
So I finally escaped over to Starbucks and while standing in line this woman said to me "That's a really nice red coat!" I said "Thanks". Then she said "You know, if you put potatoes in a red box they won't go bad, but if you put potatoes in a blue box they will eventually go bad."

Hmm...interesting...

I met someone!!!!

Meet Mr. Lego. Hmm...Mrs. April Lego. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

I'm not kidding when I say I like a guy with a good build. This guy is definitely built! Never mind the fact that he won't look at me.

getting 5 people to agree on something is NOT easy!

What did it take??? 2 hours?!!! to decide on the perfect Christmas tree? I liked one but it was too fat. Dad liked one but it had tumors on it. Nick liked one but...well...I won't comment. Mom liked one but it was too skinny, Stacey liked one but it was too tall. Good grief! When we finally decide, no one really cares any more. All we are thinking about at that point is the hot chocolate waiting for us in the barn.
But see below, the Perfect Cardinal Family Christmas Tree for 2007!


It was really cold.


But not too cold for dad to do a little Christmas Tree jig.

i ate a banana today

Bananas make me happy.

favorite thing about autumn #32

A scrimmage in the sky. I wish I knew what these birds were really doing. With such excitement and pride they dive up and down and around. Thousands of birds, soaring together as one big united blob :) Is it the bird military doing their drills? Is it a bird dance team performing to the music of downtown traffic? Is it a race? Is it a party?
These birds have been out nearly every night for the past month. They have been making circles in the same spot of sky, right above my office building. They play, and then they are gone...until tomorrow. How many more tomorrows will they come?
Yes, this is one more reason for me to love this season. Hah, I didn't intend to make that rhyme :)

Three Times Now!!!

So I know I'm not a morning person but I usually have en0ugh focus to control myself. This morning however I am beside myself! My words are coming out all jumbled and it's really annoying!
I am sitting at my desk, savoring my winter blend coffee from Einstein Bagels, and working on some projects. The phone rings (it's my job to answer it) so I pick up the phone, press the button and say "Good na na..."
Baffled, I try to recover. "Good M-O-RNING" I say, forcing myself to enunciate. I can only wonder what the caller is thinking.

And this would be fine if it happened once, a little slip of the tongue...we all have our moments right? But I've done this THREE TIMES already and I've only been here for an hour! Good grief!

dog attack

On Friday evening I went walking. I decided to take my favorite 8 mile loop along the lakefront, stopping at a great coffee shop to write some letters. There I was, minding my own business, listening to Craig Morgan sing "The Redneck Yacht Club" and all of a sudden I was startled to a scream by a big black dog! It ran up behind me, jumped on my back and started barking and growling. It cornered me into the bushes and kept it's stare fixed on me with a vicious teeth-bearing growl.
Now, I like dogs a lot. I lowered my voice, got down on my hands and knees and started to talk gently to the irritating beast. I was without success. I was on his territory, or too close to his territory, or I was just ugly or something.

A moment later I heard some shouting. I noticed three people across the street calling the dog to come back. The dog wasn't listening. Then, just as suddenly as it startled me, it ran back towards it's owners, only to be slugged by a passing SUV. It was a terrible terrible thing to witness. The dog yelped, was knocked out of it's nerves, rolled over a few times, and then brimming with adrenaline it got up and ran off. The cars continued to pass almost as if nothing had happened. The family was screaming. I stood motionless for a few moments. Then I continued on my walk.

it came!!!

It came!!! My most favorite Christmas album ever!!! This man makes Christmas official for me. It makes me think of the car ride out to Richardson's Tree Farm, all bundled up to search for the perfect Christmas tree. It makes me think of big hearty dinners, freezing cold weather, family togetherness, and all of the real joys of life.
I know, this is a bit early, but I wanted to be prepared this year. My normal rule is that Christmas music waits until the day after Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll make an exception this year, but I'll hold out as long as I can.

I know I'm not the only one who cherishes this particular album. Give a shout out if you are a fan! What feelings/memories stir in you when Roger Whittaker sings?

impatient

He was hungry.
He wanted to eat.
I wasn't listening.
He got my attention.

keep walking

Last night I walked for 3 miles. That makes 11 miles for the week (so far). I do feel great, I won't lie.

I spent most of the walk gazing at the moon. How beautiful this earth is! Oh how much we miss when we are too busy to stop and notice. The sky, the trees, the leaves, the beach, the sand...they live and breathe and they are just waiting to be noticed.

treasure

I have 5 of these. Inspire me please! I'm looking for creative ideas.
Click HERE for more pictures.

pumpkins!

I hosted a pumpkin carving party at my apartment this past weekend. Ooh, exciting!!!

I must say, we created the coolest pumpkins ever!

Here is Rick's carved devil.

And Amanda's headless butler.

Tasha's ghosts.

Matt's winking smiley face.

And here's my autumn spookey tree.

Well done everyone, well done!

i'm bitter

This is how I feel right now. This video displays what I hate, and what I'm caught up within, all at the same time.

My doctor told me for the third time now that I need to lose 60 lbs. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that. I'm angry actually.

I've worked so hard at being happy with myself and being content with the fact that I'm not a size 7 hot mama. I've been determined not to become obsessed with diets. I've worked hard at some very healthy habits and I'm proud of my progress. Now that certain test results are in, I have no choice. I want to be healthy and if I don't drop this weight, I am basically welcoming diabetes with open arms. I've been this same weight for more than 5 years now. No bigger, no smaller. My doctor said that because I live a moderately active lifestyle I'm going to have to kick it up a few levels in order to see any progress. I have to put my body in shock or something, making it burn more caleries than my few weekly workouts are already eating up. I guess my ideals about "beauty within", "feeling good", and "being happy with yourself" don't really work in the real world. I guess it's time to be obsessed with my image. Here I go, I hope I can make some fun out of it.

Last night I took a long fast paced walk. It was lovely. I went about 4 miles I think. I thought to myself "Well...this sure is lovely. Maybe I can make a habit of this a few times a week!" When I got home and took off my shoes and orthodics I couldn't walk. The pain was worse than ever before. That is not an exaggeration. I had to soak my feet in a bucket of ice, I took 4 ib profin, and I crawled on my hands and knees down the hallway and into bed. Then cried myself to sleep. I can't win! I'm fat, and my feet don't work either. Today I am walking...painfully. But I'm walking. I guess pain is just another thing I'll have to deal with. I want to be healthy.

Pray for me.

Thank you.

hello my name is...

I came across some older photos...

When I finished school in Seattle, my dad--the amazing guy that he is!!!--brought the van out and we drove ALL THE WAY home with all my stuff. Actually, road trips with dad are always great. I look forward to them! You know all those strange places along the highways? The worlds largest thumb nail? The city where the portable toilet was invented? The worlds oldest junk yard? The actual spot where George Washington once took a nap? Yup, we've been to all of those places!


Well, on the way home from Seattle dad and I stopped at an Indian memorial site. Now, of course I should probably remember the details of this historical excursion but I only remember that it was a battleground between the Indians and the White Men. We watched some moving displays and some videos and then I remember walking around the property. I took some pictures of some of the memoral stones, giggling at the Indian names. There's something somewhat sacred about a name. People name their children with meaning in hopes that they will grow into the depth of their title. Things like "Peacemaker" or "Strong One" or "Kind" or "Loyal" are character traits that every parent would wish upon their child right? Well, what about these names? What did these kids do to deserve their names? Notice Hair Lip, or Hump Nose.

Can you feel the love? I can see it now...the little baby is born and the parents are shocked at this...well...what is it??? It's so...umm...cute. Let's call it Hump Nose.

Or how about Plenty Lice. Poor kid will NEVER live that one down!

How bad would a kid have to smell in order to inherit the name Young Skunk? Or the guy who is named Black Cloud?? What's he been eating?

Okay okay, it's fun and games on the surface but I really do admire these sorts of traditions. Indian culture is fascinating to me and I love learning about their heritage.
I think if I were an Indian, my parents would probably have chosen this for my name.

Fitting isn't it?


**Note: After this little highway adventure dad took me to see the Corn Palace! Wow, an entire building covered in corn!!!

Announcing!!!

I finally created a Flickr account. You can check it out HERE
You can also click on the little Flickr badge on my side bar.

Enjoy!

a little bit of friday entertainment

I'm sure this girl was really proud of herself. Perhaps she now suffers humiliation?
Alas, we all can enjoy some entertainment!

new friends

From Episode #912 of FRIENDS "The One With Phoebe's Rats"
(I have highlighted a few of my favorite quotes)


Mike: OK, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I think I just saw a rat in your cupboard.

Phoebe: (relieved) Oh, whew, no, that's Bob.

Mike: What, is he your pet rat?

Phoebe: Well not so much as a pet, you know, an occasional visitor who I put food out for, you know. Kinda like Santa. Except Santa doesn't poop on the plate of cookies.

Mike: You can't keep a rat in your apartment! They're extremely unsanitary, and they transmit leptospirosis and hantavirus.

Phoebe: What are those?

Mike: I don't know but they don't sound like spa treatments. You have to get rid of it!

Phoebe: OK, fine, if it means that much to you I'll get rid of Bob.

Mike: Thank you.

Phoebe: So weird, you think he's so gross and you're willing to eat his crackers. (Mike throws out everything in his mouth)

SCENE CHANGE: A little later in the day...

Phoebe: Hey Mikey

Mike: Hey P

Phoebe: What are you doing?

Mike: Setting rat traps.

Phoebe: To kill Bob??

Mike: No, no, to test his neck strength.

Phoebe: No, Mike, I don't want to kill him! I thought we were just gonna capture him and, and you know, set him free in the country side where he can maybe meet a friendly possom and a wisecracking owl.

Mike: Ok, ok, I'll throw away the traps.

Phoebe: I'll find Bob, I'll get him. Bob? (starts looking) Bob! Robert! (looks at cabinet under sink) Oh wait, I think I hear him. Oh-Oh my god! Bob had babies! Bob's a mom!

Mike: Better think of a new name for him.


Phoebe: I don't know, I kinda like Bob for a girl.


Mike: I don't know, I mean I'm not sure (they hear cracking voice from somewhere else in the kitchen, probably a rat caught in a trap) ...

Phoebe: Oh my god, we killed Bob!




Okay, so why did I just make you read that? Well, it's one of my favorite FRIENDS episodes. But also, Katie and I have mice in our apartment. Is it terrible that I find it endearing? There was a little mouse in our cupboard yesterday and I thought, aww...a mouse! We have new friends! What should we name him?
Katie said "Well, it's a good thing we have your cat!" and I laughed. My cat probably doesn't even know what a mouse is. I can see it now. One day I'll come home from work and I'll see Solomon (my cat) cuddled up with a few mice just sleeping away that afternoon! Haha, that will be the day!
I suppose I'll have to be respsonsible and set some traps but at the moment I am just avoiding the situation.

Stay tuned for any new exciting stories about the friendly little critters!

the children

My friend Vanessa is in Cambodia right now. She is volunteering with an orphanage. I am so encouraged by my friends who are actively loving and serving the people in this great big world. Vanessa wrote me this morning and she described her experiences so beautifully. Here is a clip from her email:


the children are so very beautiful, april....

it's nothing, absolutely nothing like i expected. ...or ever could have dreamed up, really. there are 70 children. and me.

i am not a teacher...i expected to help in small ways...but they look at me as though i hold the key to the very universe and maybe, because i smile with them and touch them...maybe because they know i'll reach for their scarred up little hands and offer them what i can from my small bag of food--maybe i am the key....

i will change nothing here, though.

it's ....it's more filthy than anything i've ever seen. the kids have been in the same clothes since i arrived. they eat from dishes that have not been washed, drink water that the adults around them have been shitting in...

....they are the most exquisite, receptive humans i've ever ever known.

i love them very very deeply.


Pray for her please. Pray for the people in your own life, the people who are out there being the hands to your heart. When we support these people, we are connected.

good music, no wait...WONDERFUL music!

Close your eyes, imagine me, April, driving down the road, windows down, hair blowing just as wildly as the autumn leaves, singing loudly to this song. This is one of my most current favorite songs. Enjoy! The recording is a much better treat for your ears than your imagination of my singing. Trust me :)

it's rough sometimes

Autumn

The leaves are falling, falling as from far off,

as though far gardens withered in the skies;

they are falling with denying gestures.

And in the nights the heavy earth is falling

from all the stars down into loneliness.

We are all falling. This hand falls.

And look at others; it is in them all.

And yet there is One who holds this falling

endlessly gently in his hands.

Rainer Maria Rilke

lentils are delicious!

During my first term at L'Abri, we feasted regularly on something called Lentil Casserole. At first I thought it was despicable. It's brownish mushy pebbly consistency reminded me of cleaning the rabbit hutch when I was younger. Shelby made the casserole every week, my memory is telling me that it was every Thursday's dinner. "You'll get used to it" said Vanessa. Oh boy.

But Vanessa was right! Thanks to Shelby's consistency, after a few Thursday dinners I realized I was actually looking forward to the plate full of tastiness. I think most of the students would agree with me, it was a good meal!

That was more than 2 years ago. I never wrote that recipe down and I have been full of regret. I have searched on different occasions for something similar, but was never successful. Never, until yesterday! I was skeptical, but I cooked my heart out last night! The recipe was perfect, full of flavor and full of memories.The whole thing was absolutely fantab-schmabulous! It was so great, that I am going to pass the recipe to you.

Lentil Casserole

2-2/3 cups water

1-1/4 cups white wine

a splash of olive oil

3/4 cup lentils, uncooked
1/2 cup brown rice

2/3 cup onion,

2 cloves garlic, well chopped (a few extra cloves never does any damage)

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

2 or 3 cups of grated cheese. (enough to cover the entire top of the casserole)

Combine all of the ingredients (except the cheese) in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a 1-1/2 quart casserole. Place the casserole (uncovered) into the oven (350 F) and bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir things around about twice during cooking. Remove when the casserole is moist but not runny. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another five minutes.

NOTE: If you are going to make this in a 9x13 pan you might want to double the recipe. You don't have to, but it ends up being a thinner layer if you don't double it.

This tastes wonderful with a good salad w/balsamic vinaigrette, and hearty whole wheat bread. The vinaigrette compliments the casserole flavors very well and I find myself pushing things together. Enjoy, and send me your feedback if you do!

it smelled like my grandmother

I smelled my grandmother this morning. I walked past this older woman in the parking lot and got a whiff of her perfume. It is the same as Nana's (my grandmother). I don't know exactly what she wears, but it's that awful smelling stuff that somehow smells really good when it's cloathing someone that you love. I wanted to walk over to the woman and give her a hug just so I could breathe it in. I didn't do that though, just in case you were a little concerned.

It's been a while since I've talked with her. I wonder if she's staying out of trouble. I miss her and I wish that we had a stronger relationship. I love her.

Also, I read about a man who just became a burrito eating champion! He ate 10 3/4 burritos in 12 minutes. Wow, that's something to be proud of!

what if?

The other day I ate a banana while driving. Not knowing what to do with the peel, I set it down on the passenger seat, figuring I'd throw it away when I stopped. I forgot.


The next day I was leaving for work and when I got into my car I saw that banana peel still sitting on the seat. I needed to clear off the seat because I had offered to give my roommate a lift to her car. So I asked, "Katie, do you think I can just toss this over in the grass beside the building?" Figuring that it is natural and will disintegrate soon enough we agreed that it would be fine. And then Katie made another comment. She said "Well...I mean, it's not TOTALLY natural. If we threw bananda peels in the grass every day then it might mess with the ecosystem. The grass might die or something."

Well, that got me thinking. What if my banana DID throw off the ecological groove? What if I came home to yellow rubbery grass and giant bananas all over the ground like manna? What if banana bugs evolved and started flying around diving into people? There could be chaos!!!

I was just thinking...


This is my best attempt at illustrating this mayhem. It's pretty frantic isn't it? You're going to think twice about throwing your banana peels out the window aren't you?

birthdays are the bomb-diggity!

The timing of this blog post it touchy. This is a post to wish a very good friend a very happy birthday. In America, his birthday is tomorrow. In Australia where he hails, his birthday is right now. So tricky!!!

So here is my wish, with all my heart! I wish you a wonderful birthday!

Thanks for being a good friend during rough times.



Thanks for helping me with Sunday breakfasts, especially when it required cutting onions. You donned those goggles so fashionably! You and and Bethany created the most fun moments in the kitchen.




And no one could have been a better Butler.


There are times in my life when I find myself dragging with discouragement. Sometimes I feel alone or confused. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing, or if I'm making even the slightest difference in my world. My friends are bright reminders of how faithful God is to take care of my heart. My friends keep me moving, keep me living, keep me dreaming, and they keep me laughing. Sometimes it is merely the thought of a good friend that takes me through a rough day. Sometimes it is the thought of a friend that helps me to stay focused. Sometimes it is the voice of a friend that kindly reminds me of who I am. Friendship is a community, regardless of the distance that separates. I am thankful for my community of friends. People, readers, cherish your friends. It's important. They are gifts!

Happy Birthday Kenton, you are a gem!

Is that chocolate flavored bread or is there potting soil in that dough?

This weekend I had a long long list of "MUST DO" things. Along with that I also had a long long list of "I WOULD LIKE TO DO" things. On this fresh and vibrant Monday morning I can say that I'm feeling very accomplished.

On Saturday I was trying to bake up a few loaves of Amish Friendship Bread but I also wanted to pot these new plants that I bought. A woman's work is never done :-) So in between recipe steps I ran outside to dig my hands in the dirt. That night I enjoyed a slice of yummy sweet bread and a living room full of beautiful vegetation!


Also that night, I went to meet some friends at Mocha's, a downtown coffee shop. It was a bit windy that night and I stepped outside of my car to put my coat on. While doing so, the wind slammed my door shut...yes...leaving my keys and everything important inside staring mockingly at me. Thanks to my brother who somehow manages to save me from SO MANY of my clumsy mishaps, I didn't have to worry. He decided to come up to Milwaukee for the night so he brought a spare key with him. Thanks buddy!

fresh air, my cat ran away, and thoughts on life without god.

Last night I decided (at 11:30 p.m.) that it was time to rearrange my bedroom. I haven't been sleeping very well. There was so much dust and stale air in my room and for some reason the placement of my bed was really bothering me. So I moved my bed next to the window, took out the air conditioner, dusted, swept, organized... and finally at about 1 a.m. I turned down the lights, lit some candles, relaxed in my freshly made bed next to the cool breeze by the window and read a few chapters of a book. I feel so rested today!

I suppose that you don't really care about the placement of my bed or how well I am sleeping, nor do you care about the dust in my bedroom, but I feel so well today that I just had to write about it.

While unloading my car last night my cat Solomon decided to venture out of the apartment. Unaware of his absense I locked up and walked down to the grocery store. When I came back home my landlord was walking down the hall carrying my cat. I was confused. I guess he was sitting at someone elses door meowing to get in. I don't know how to interpret that. Was he trying to escape and sneak into someone else's home? Or was he confused and crying at the wrong door? I'm hoping for the latter!

This isn't actually a picture of my cat. I stole this one from Google Image. But he looks a lot like my big lump of love so just pretend.

Thought for the day: I have a lot of doubts about God. I have so many unanswered questions about my faith. I am often really annoyed with Christianity, the church and the lack of coherence between life and the way I'm expected to believe. But sometimes I catch a glimpse of life without God and I shudder. Sometimes I peer into a situation where God has been excluded and I stare dumbfounded at choices that have no foundation, actions that have no meaning, and words that glitter with gaudy flattery. In those moments I feel so much more respect for a Sovereign God. I feel so much more at peace with my crumbling ideas. I feel like I can rest, and I guess I feel like I have made the right choice in honoring God.

Do you ever feel this way? What are your thoughts?

hiking with the cat

Meet Herman. Also known as Hermander and Hermantitus. We were buddies.


One afternoon I decided to take a hike up the mountain behind the cabin. There is a massive stairway that leads to an amazing view. I started hiking up the steps and then I heard a soft pitter-patter behind me. I looked back and saw Herman running up. I think he wanted to give me the tour.
It was funny because he would run up about 5 steps ahead of me and then sprawl out on his back across the step. I'd walk around him to keep going and then he would run up ahead of me again, stop about 5 stairs in front of me and then sprawl out again. This continued all the way to the top. Funny kitty!

Here are some pictures from the top. Isn't it amazing?