Several months back my husband returned from a trip to BJs Wholesale Club with a Cuisinart porcelain knife. I'd heard about them and seen a few advertised on TV but had never used one before.
The knife is amazing! Cutting vegetables is almost fun. Salad greens? It does a wonderful job and because it's porcelain, you don't get browned edges on the head lettuce. It's incredibly sharp so watch the finger tips please.
We used the knife on something with bones which is a no-no. It is the one thing that will chip the knife and it did do that. Several small chips are visible. But it hasn't ruined the knife by any means and it still cuts better than anything else in the knife drawer.
So I recommend this knife to all the readers. A happy cook cooks more!
So here we are on December 20th with just days to go until Christmas. How can we tie knives into all of this?
We need to know ourselves well enough to realize that some things are just not good for us. Maybe it's a certain type of TV program or maybe watching too much political discussion on TV. Maybe it's a hobby that has gotten out of hand, eating too much of our time and pulling us away from our loved ones. Maybe it's our "smart" phone. Maybe it's texting. Maybe it's certain reading material. Maybe it's sitting too much OR running too much. With knife-like precision, we need to take the big step of cutting things out of our lives that we know in our guts are not good.
An innocent drive up to Cleveland to the casino? Maybe not good for us if we have certain tendencies.
As we head into Christmas and then beyond to the first day of the new year, everyone will be talking about resolutions. What shall we resolve to do in 2014?
Before we can resolve anything, we need to cut out those things in our life that would make almost any resolution less likely to stick.
So each time I get out the porcelain knife from the knife drawer, I'm going to think about what in my life needs to be cut out or cut down. It's something to think about.
Have you made your cookies yet? I'm done as of yesterday and so happy about it. Take care, readers.
Light of Christ
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Cold Down Here
I'm down here in the frozen wasteland of the basement again -- I thought the upstairs computer was finally fixed yesterday so that the blog tools were once again showing up -- but nope. This morning we're back to square one.
Thinking about life in a small town, I gave some attention to what I was seeing as I went to get Lauren from school yesterday. The library has a spectacular curb appeal and is a lovely structure. In front of the city hall the ice scuptures from the December 7th events in town were still in great condition. Some of the students learning to do the sculptures at The University of Akron have been coming to town for the past couple of years to show their stuff.
The old potato chip factory, now Matt and Troy's Barber Shop, still sits like a little cottage at the edge of a parking lot. The blue church (Old Salem) with its squared off tower makes High Street look very quaint. The former Church of Christ is now a business. Behind them is the place where everyone goes for wheel alignments. Business, residential, all mixed together in a nice little harmonious way.
At the side entrance to the school (now called Holy Name Academy, SS Philip & James Campus) is always fun to watch beause right around 3:00 p.m. a few kids always emerge to clean the erasers. Like kids have been doing for literally centuries!! I love it. One day I was treated to something a little different. A blond boy came out with erasers and then with energy to spare started doing perfect cartwheels and round-offs in the parking lot. Must be a gymnast I figured.
There was a huge school at the corner of Locust and Rt. 93 back in the day with a belfry and a huge bell. It was constructed of brick but had lots of wood in it. At some point it was torn down and the bricks went to form the bottom of the lake at Clay's Park Resort. Where the school building stood is a playground with little more than a basketball court and some swings. And yet as soon as there is a small break in the weather scores of kids from all over come to play pick-up basketball games.
The Lions creche scene is at the old Exchange Bank building. The Christmas tree is right across the street in a niche by Karen's Sewing and the Thai restaurant.
The angers, resentments and hatreds seem to avoid the little town and there are no controversies about this group or that. It's refreshing.
And so as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our families and communities, let us not take for granted the wonders all around us.
Say a little prayer that I can figure out what's wrong with the upstairs computer!!
Thanks, everyone.
Thinking about life in a small town, I gave some attention to what I was seeing as I went to get Lauren from school yesterday. The library has a spectacular curb appeal and is a lovely structure. In front of the city hall the ice scuptures from the December 7th events in town were still in great condition. Some of the students learning to do the sculptures at The University of Akron have been coming to town for the past couple of years to show their stuff.
The old potato chip factory, now Matt and Troy's Barber Shop, still sits like a little cottage at the edge of a parking lot. The blue church (Old Salem) with its squared off tower makes High Street look very quaint. The former Church of Christ is now a business. Behind them is the place where everyone goes for wheel alignments. Business, residential, all mixed together in a nice little harmonious way.
At the side entrance to the school (now called Holy Name Academy, SS Philip & James Campus) is always fun to watch beause right around 3:00 p.m. a few kids always emerge to clean the erasers. Like kids have been doing for literally centuries!! I love it. One day I was treated to something a little different. A blond boy came out with erasers and then with energy to spare started doing perfect cartwheels and round-offs in the parking lot. Must be a gymnast I figured.
There was a huge school at the corner of Locust and Rt. 93 back in the day with a belfry and a huge bell. It was constructed of brick but had lots of wood in it. At some point it was torn down and the bricks went to form the bottom of the lake at Clay's Park Resort. Where the school building stood is a playground with little more than a basketball court and some swings. And yet as soon as there is a small break in the weather scores of kids from all over come to play pick-up basketball games.
The Lions creche scene is at the old Exchange Bank building. The Christmas tree is right across the street in a niche by Karen's Sewing and the Thai restaurant.
The angers, resentments and hatreds seem to avoid the little town and there are no controversies about this group or that. It's refreshing.
And so as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our families and communities, let us not take for granted the wonders all around us.
Say a little prayer that I can figure out what's wrong with the upstairs computer!!
Thanks, everyone.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Missing Hiker
We watched North Woods Law last night which is filmed in Maine and features the game wardens who are specially trained in all kinds of things.
This episode ended a little differently than most of them do -- the woman who they were searching for was not found. Her family was left with no answers to where their 66-year-old wife and mother is.
She had been hiking the trail with help from her husband who would meet her every so often and replenish her food and water. She had texted him on the day before she went missing, saying that she intended to spend the night in a lean-to along the trail. As far as anyone can tell, she didn't make it that far.
Lost in a huge wooded area, one that has peaks and valleys, dense forests, and hazards especially to one unfamiliar with it. How frightening! They presume she died somewhere but have been unable to locate one single thing that belonged to her -- backpack, tent, brightly colored coat. Dogs were used to search, and then cadaver dogs were brought in, but they still found nothing. The family posted a $15,000 reward.
The search launched to find Gerry Largay was probably the biggest one ever along the trail. Helicopters came in, game wardens participated, and of course, the dogs. Everyone was horribly frustrated that no trace of the former nurse was found.
The hike was on Gerry's bucket list. It was something she'd always wanted to do, and her dream was coming true.
Personally, the story touched me and so I'm going to pray that they find her, find out what happened to her.
The song, Amazing Grace, says, "I once was lost and now I'm found." The kind of lost the song talks about is one that affects many, many people. Lost because they do not know God and thus they cannot possibly find the right way to go. As I get older, increasingly, I'm struck by the difference between people who have faith and those who do not.
We should always pray for those who are spiritually lost. The Bible shows us that Jesus cares for us like the lambs that the shepherds cared for back at the time that Jesus was born. Like the shepherds who do the very same thing today. The lambs hear the voice of the shepherd and respond, but respond to none other. Think about that -- to no other voice. And when we allow God to get in a word edgewise, we learn to hear only one voice - God's.
If you think about, say a prayer for Gerry Largay's family. Christmas must seem so sad for them.
Take care, friends.
This episode ended a little differently than most of them do -- the woman who they were searching for was not found. Her family was left with no answers to where their 66-year-old wife and mother is.
She had been hiking the trail with help from her husband who would meet her every so often and replenish her food and water. She had texted him on the day before she went missing, saying that she intended to spend the night in a lean-to along the trail. As far as anyone can tell, she didn't make it that far.
Lost in a huge wooded area, one that has peaks and valleys, dense forests, and hazards especially to one unfamiliar with it. How frightening! They presume she died somewhere but have been unable to locate one single thing that belonged to her -- backpack, tent, brightly colored coat. Dogs were used to search, and then cadaver dogs were brought in, but they still found nothing. The family posted a $15,000 reward.
The search launched to find Gerry Largay was probably the biggest one ever along the trail. Helicopters came in, game wardens participated, and of course, the dogs. Everyone was horribly frustrated that no trace of the former nurse was found.
The hike was on Gerry's bucket list. It was something she'd always wanted to do, and her dream was coming true.
Personally, the story touched me and so I'm going to pray that they find her, find out what happened to her.
The song, Amazing Grace, says, "I once was lost and now I'm found." The kind of lost the song talks about is one that affects many, many people. Lost because they do not know God and thus they cannot possibly find the right way to go. As I get older, increasingly, I'm struck by the difference between people who have faith and those who do not.
We should always pray for those who are spiritually lost. The Bible shows us that Jesus cares for us like the lambs that the shepherds cared for back at the time that Jesus was born. Like the shepherds who do the very same thing today. The lambs hear the voice of the shepherd and respond, but respond to none other. Think about that -- to no other voice. And when we allow God to get in a word edgewise, we learn to hear only one voice - God's.
If you think about, say a prayer for Gerry Largay's family. Christmas must seem so sad for them.
Take care, friends.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Beat Up
According to a recent article in The Liguorian, we tend to beat ourselves up over how we pray. Since our tendency is to do that which we do well most often, prayer can get pushed into the back seat of our lives all too easily.
So the message here today is to pray anyhow. No matter how many times you are distracted, or how many times you went through the words of a prayer only to realize that your mind wasn't in it, or how many times you had to start and stop. Persevere in prayer. Those half prayers or partial prayers still reach God in his heaven and they still assist those who need them. For our infinite God knows our ways and he understands our weaknesses. But He does ask us to try.
If you have a quiet place to go, that is at least a start. But sometimes quiet when you haven't had much of it is just as disarming. I can just imagine our brains unloading all kinds of junk and stimuli that we've been trying to ignore the very second that we stop and become still.
If all you can do is maybe three prayers and then take a rest, that's fine. It's kind of like starting to exercise. If you haven't done any exercising in a while, the first time or two is really rough. And the next day it might even be worse!! So we have to condition our lives in prayer.
Maybe we will never achieve the amazing concentration of a cloistered religious but our prayers will change our lives and help those who need the prayers.
Some people keep a prayer note where they jot down those in need of prayer. That way they have a clear idea of what they are trying to do. Some people just breathe in the quiet and let God bring the names of people to their mind. Maybe a combination of the two is a good way to pray.
Start out your prayers with a passage from the Bible. Something that makes your mind move from the physical realm to the spiritual. Let the words of the passage flow through the mind like a stream washing away sediment and fallen leaves. And then, begin.
How blessed are we who can pray to God without feeling the pangs of hunger or being bitterly cold or who must hide from those who would punish us for it. And so let us pray.
I hope your Christmas preparations are going well, readers. Bless all of you.
So the message here today is to pray anyhow. No matter how many times you are distracted, or how many times you went through the words of a prayer only to realize that your mind wasn't in it, or how many times you had to start and stop. Persevere in prayer. Those half prayers or partial prayers still reach God in his heaven and they still assist those who need them. For our infinite God knows our ways and he understands our weaknesses. But He does ask us to try.
If you have a quiet place to go, that is at least a start. But sometimes quiet when you haven't had much of it is just as disarming. I can just imagine our brains unloading all kinds of junk and stimuli that we've been trying to ignore the very second that we stop and become still.
If all you can do is maybe three prayers and then take a rest, that's fine. It's kind of like starting to exercise. If you haven't done any exercising in a while, the first time or two is really rough. And the next day it might even be worse!! So we have to condition our lives in prayer.
Maybe we will never achieve the amazing concentration of a cloistered religious but our prayers will change our lives and help those who need the prayers.
Some people keep a prayer note where they jot down those in need of prayer. That way they have a clear idea of what they are trying to do. Some people just breathe in the quiet and let God bring the names of people to their mind. Maybe a combination of the two is a good way to pray.
Start out your prayers with a passage from the Bible. Something that makes your mind move from the physical realm to the spiritual. Let the words of the passage flow through the mind like a stream washing away sediment and fallen leaves. And then, begin.
How blessed are we who can pray to God without feeling the pangs of hunger or being bitterly cold or who must hide from those who would punish us for it. And so let us pray.
I hope your Christmas preparations are going well, readers. Bless all of you.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Let It Snow
A soft snow is falling right now, and it's a GREAT day to stay in the house, bake some cookies, and finish up some craft projects, don't you think?
First order of business -- if you want to receive the blog messages when they are posted, go all the way to the bottom of the page and check out the "subscribe" information. I don't know if it works yet, but I'm going to try it out myself.
Second, a continuation of the story about the six-year-old who kissed the girl's hand and got in trouble. I figured I'd ask my granddaughter when she came over after school yesterday just what she would do. The exchange went as follows:
Me: So what if a boy from your class really liked you and he leaned over and kissed your hand. Would that bother you?
Lauren: (she shrugged) No, not really. That's what (I'm changing names here) Billy did to Susie. And Susie is going crazy!
Me: Why, because she's excited that Billy kissed her hand?
Lauren: Yes. But they said they weren't going to kiss on the mouth!!
Meanwhile, apparently there was some kind of disruption during lunch and two kids got in trouble for messing around with the mistletoe. They weren't messing around UNDER the mistletoe, just being curious.
So that takes care of that. I can see that Lauren can easily take care of herself and she rolls with things.
Third, we saw a really corny movie last night on Lifetime but the best part was that a jealous, greedy woman who was supposed to increase sales at an iconic department store got fired. She brought in guys that looked somewhat like Chippendales and awful music, and pink Christmas trees. And as they turned off her dancing male models, one of the stars of the show started singing "Noel" I think it was! My husband who'd sat through the whole thing without much grumbling said that the last song was worth it. I agree.
(I read the sentence above and see that I neglected to say, she turned off the monitors showing the dancing male models.) Told you, I can't fix anything on the postings.
Enjoy a cozy day at home if you can!!
First order of business -- if you want to receive the blog messages when they are posted, go all the way to the bottom of the page and check out the "subscribe" information. I don't know if it works yet, but I'm going to try it out myself.
Second, a continuation of the story about the six-year-old who kissed the girl's hand and got in trouble. I figured I'd ask my granddaughter when she came over after school yesterday just what she would do. The exchange went as follows:
Me: So what if a boy from your class really liked you and he leaned over and kissed your hand. Would that bother you?
Lauren: (she shrugged) No, not really. That's what (I'm changing names here) Billy did to Susie. And Susie is going crazy!
Me: Why, because she's excited that Billy kissed her hand?
Lauren: Yes. But they said they weren't going to kiss on the mouth!!
Meanwhile, apparently there was some kind of disruption during lunch and two kids got in trouble for messing around with the mistletoe. They weren't messing around UNDER the mistletoe, just being curious.
So that takes care of that. I can see that Lauren can easily take care of herself and she rolls with things.
Third, we saw a really corny movie last night on Lifetime but the best part was that a jealous, greedy woman who was supposed to increase sales at an iconic department store got fired. She brought in guys that looked somewhat like Chippendales and awful music, and pink Christmas trees. And as they turned off her dancing male models, one of the stars of the show started singing "Noel" I think it was! My husband who'd sat through the whole thing without much grumbling said that the last song was worth it. I agree.
(I read the sentence above and see that I neglected to say, she turned off the monitors showing the dancing male models.) Told you, I can't fix anything on the postings.
Enjoy a cozy day at home if you can!!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Good Trip
The trip yesterday was really nice. My sister and I went to Bob Evans and had a delicious lunch, sitting away from the windows to keep even warmer. Then we did a little cleaning so she'd be ready for Christmas Day company.
Starting in Clinton where I saw two police cruisers (one sort of hidden in the parking lot by the towpath), my trip to and from was dotted by the appearance of police, Ohio Highway Patrol, and so on. There were cars pulled over and police waiting in the turnarounds to catch some more speeders. Not that I had to worry. I was not speeding and so glad that I wasn't.
The skies might have been a drab gray color but it was really nice seeing my sister and spending some time with her. Good thing I left right around 3:00 because later on there were a lot of traffic problems and backups.
So my day went more or less as planned. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Whereas, a man we are praying for started a day a few days back by having a colonoscopy and then learning shortly thereafter that he only has 10 days to live. In other words, while he and his family were making their plans for Christmas and doing the usual things that people do, his life turned on a dime and now he might not even make it to Christmas. So we really need to pray for him and his family. For them everything is virtually turned upside down and Christmas has taken a back seat to cancer.
That's why time is precious and God-given. That's why we should start each day thanking God for another opportunity to serve.
I'm down the basement again and one thing about the basement, it's quiet. Just a little humming from the computer and monitor. It gives me a chance to take measure of everything and wonder anew at the amazing mercy of our God.
As you are driving around, going about your business, let God show you some people he wants you to say a prayer for. Some weeks back a black SUV passed by and for some reason I just knew that I had to pray for that driver. I haven't forgotten the black SUV since, even though time has passed and it was a second or two in time. That's God at work!!
We all need prayer, right? Take it easy, my blog friends.
Starting in Clinton where I saw two police cruisers (one sort of hidden in the parking lot by the towpath), my trip to and from was dotted by the appearance of police, Ohio Highway Patrol, and so on. There were cars pulled over and police waiting in the turnarounds to catch some more speeders. Not that I had to worry. I was not speeding and so glad that I wasn't.
The skies might have been a drab gray color but it was really nice seeing my sister and spending some time with her. Good thing I left right around 3:00 because later on there were a lot of traffic problems and backups.
So my day went more or less as planned. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Whereas, a man we are praying for started a day a few days back by having a colonoscopy and then learning shortly thereafter that he only has 10 days to live. In other words, while he and his family were making their plans for Christmas and doing the usual things that people do, his life turned on a dime and now he might not even make it to Christmas. So we really need to pray for him and his family. For them everything is virtually turned upside down and Christmas has taken a back seat to cancer.
That's why time is precious and God-given. That's why we should start each day thanking God for another opportunity to serve.
I'm down the basement again and one thing about the basement, it's quiet. Just a little humming from the computer and monitor. It gives me a chance to take measure of everything and wonder anew at the amazing mercy of our God.
As you are driving around, going about your business, let God show you some people he wants you to say a prayer for. Some weeks back a black SUV passed by and for some reason I just knew that I had to pray for that driver. I haven't forgotten the black SUV since, even though time has passed and it was a second or two in time. That's God at work!!
We all need prayer, right? Take it easy, my blog friends.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Common Sense
Only in the glaring light of day can some nonsensical things be seen as they really are. In the past couple of days, we've seen a little boy on TV who made the grave mistake of kissing a little girl's hand. Apparently, he likes her.
I can remember lots of examples like that from school. One that sticks in my mind is Jack who liked my sister a lot too. He didn't kiss her hand. He was roughhousing and ripped her coat sleeve. He was never cited for anything and my mother simply got her sewing kit out and fixed the coat. Good as new. And my mother, having the wisdom that she did, told my sister that the reason Jack had behaved as he did was because he did like her.
This little boy seems like a nice fellow. He is six and full of exuberance. The little girl was uncomfortable that he kissed her hand. I'm just not sure that making such a big deal of this whole thing does her any favors either, only that anytime she's uncomfortable all heck breaks loose. There was a day when girls knew full well how to defend themselves against a hand kiss!! And a much better defense than sexual harassment.
It's nearly Christmas time again. Maybe the school administrators were a little tired that day and out of patience. Whatever, the whole mess just reeks of silliness.
Another boy got into trouble because he made a gesture as though he had a sword or something. I can't remember the details, but it was again one of those silly things that just did not merit the attention it got.
In schools that because of a very few individuals don't have prayer, we still have to find ways to teach children to love and care for one another, to be tolerant of one another, to put up with one another because after all this is the greatest lesson that any of us could possibly hope to learn in life.
So I'm off to Westlake today and going out into the frozen tundra. Do you know what the frozen tundra is? I didn't really understand until a couple of years ago when we were watching a TV program. It's the grassy land that covers much of the upper north and in the summer it is wet and spongy, but in the winter when the winds and temperatures go to work, the grassy areas become hard and frozen solid. Let's be careful out there today!!!
I can remember lots of examples like that from school. One that sticks in my mind is Jack who liked my sister a lot too. He didn't kiss her hand. He was roughhousing and ripped her coat sleeve. He was never cited for anything and my mother simply got her sewing kit out and fixed the coat. Good as new. And my mother, having the wisdom that she did, told my sister that the reason Jack had behaved as he did was because he did like her.
This little boy seems like a nice fellow. He is six and full of exuberance. The little girl was uncomfortable that he kissed her hand. I'm just not sure that making such a big deal of this whole thing does her any favors either, only that anytime she's uncomfortable all heck breaks loose. There was a day when girls knew full well how to defend themselves against a hand kiss!! And a much better defense than sexual harassment.
It's nearly Christmas time again. Maybe the school administrators were a little tired that day and out of patience. Whatever, the whole mess just reeks of silliness.
Another boy got into trouble because he made a gesture as though he had a sword or something. I can't remember the details, but it was again one of those silly things that just did not merit the attention it got.
In schools that because of a very few individuals don't have prayer, we still have to find ways to teach children to love and care for one another, to be tolerant of one another, to put up with one another because after all this is the greatest lesson that any of us could possibly hope to learn in life.
So I'm off to Westlake today and going out into the frozen tundra. Do you know what the frozen tundra is? I didn't really understand until a couple of years ago when we were watching a TV program. It's the grassy land that covers much of the upper north and in the summer it is wet and spongy, but in the winter when the winds and temperatures go to work, the grassy areas become hard and frozen solid. Let's be careful out there today!!!
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