No doubt you've already had your fill of bloggers spouting off about SOPA and PIPA. So do the only thing you should be doing today on the internet and read about why these bills are so bad.
OR, let Darth Vader explain it to you.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
You Can Has
The beautiful and talented author of Take The Cannoli blog has opened a little shoppie-shop featuring the sweetest custom embroidered pieces.
You know you want this.
With all the whimsical (and custom!) embroidery designs to choose from, you finally have a crafty-chic solution for the friend who has everything, or to fill that conspicuous blank spot on your own wall. (That's a decorating felony, btw; having a blank spot on your wall.)
Now, don't put all your eggs in this basket, but you can also enter to win one of her pieces in an upcoming giveaway here at After Nine to Five. The giveaway is in honor of Ashley's (the blog author) birthday, and I'm told you'll be able to enter starting this Friday.
No worrieswhen if you don't win. Just click over to Take the Cannoli's store and place your order.
UPDATE: Here's another chance to win one of Take the Cannoli's adorable crafts: just follow this link to Sugar and Dots and do what she tells ya.
You know you want this.
With all the whimsical (and custom!) embroidery designs to choose from, you finally have a crafty-chic solution for the friend who has everything, or to fill that conspicuous blank spot on your own wall. (That's a decorating felony, btw; having a blank spot on your wall.)
Now, don't put all your eggs in this basket, but you can also enter to win one of her pieces in an upcoming giveaway here at After Nine to Five. The giveaway is in honor of Ashley's (the blog author) birthday, and I'm told you'll be able to enter starting this Friday.
No worries
UPDATE: Here's another chance to win one of Take the Cannoli's adorable crafts: just follow this link to Sugar and Dots and do what she tells ya.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Maid Simple: Deep Dish Pizza
I don't like pizza. It's a relatively new thing, started about 5 years ago. I'm not sure if I just outgrew it, or what, but I've been taking a pass on it for quite a while much to the chagrin of my family on movie night. So when I came across this recipe I thought I'd give it a shot, you know, for the family. Anyway, it turned out to be incredible and I've made it 5 more times since.
You can change up the toppings to your liking, but if you use onions, be sure to slice them really thin so they practically caramelize. mmmmm
Deep Dish PIzza with Arugula Salad
3 tbs olive oil
12 oz store-bought whole wheat pizza dough (room temp)
1/2 lb mozzarella, grated (2 cups)
14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 oz pepperoni
2 bunches arugula, thick stems removed
1 tbs red wine vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper
Heat oven to 400. Coat 9 inch cake pan with 1 1/2 tbs oil. Press the dough into the pan, covering the bottom and sides. Top with half the cheese, then the tomatoes, oregano, and remaining cheese.
In a small bowl, toss onion, mushrooms, and pepperoni in remaining oil; scatter over the pizza. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula with the vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the pizza.
You can change up the toppings to your liking, but if you use onions, be sure to slice them really thin so they practically caramelize. mmmmm
Deep Dish PIzza with Arugula Salad
3 tbs olive oil
12 oz store-bought whole wheat pizza dough (room temp)
1/2 lb mozzarella, grated (2 cups)
14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 oz pepperoni
2 bunches arugula, thick stems removed
1 tbs red wine vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper
Heat oven to 400. Coat 9 inch cake pan with 1 1/2 tbs oil. Press the dough into the pan, covering the bottom and sides. Top with half the cheese, then the tomatoes, oregano, and remaining cheese.
In a small bowl, toss onion, mushrooms, and pepperoni in remaining oil; scatter over the pizza. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula with the vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the pizza.
Monday, January 09, 2012
S.E.X.
This past weekend I threw birds, bees, and "special hugs" right out the window, and instead opted for some old standbys: Penis and Vagina. That's right folks, my daughter and I had The Talk on Saturday. The one I've been prepping for for the past few months, the one God has put on my heart to pray for, the very one I have been specifically praying for for the past two weeks. And let me tell you truly and from the heart what an amazing blessing this scary situation really was. Not only do I feel relief for finally being able to open a special door of communication between my daughter and myself, but I know that by taking the proverbial bull by the horns and blazing ahead with The Sex Talk, I'm beating the odds of having B hear some strange, disturbing, and downright untrue information from her friends. I'll say this: Moms, it's worth it. Daunting? Yes. Embarrassing? Yes. Scary? You betcha. But is it worth blushing from the tips of your ears down to your toes when you hear yourself describing the mechanics of intercourse to your daughter? Absolutely.
So here's my story, and if you're as uncertain and terrified as I was about broaching this conversation with your young daughter, my hope for you is that this brings you comfort and courage.
We're in the car, on the way home from grocery shopping, and B's rummaging through my purse for a pencil. She pulls out a tampon and asks "What is this?" (Now, this isn't the first time she's asked about feminine products. Usually I just dodge the question or put her off by telling her it's for older ladies and she'll learn about it later. But this time, it just felt right.) So I launch into the whole Period Speech. The reproductive cycle, womb, ovaries, shedding of the lining, that sort of thing. At one point she says "I thought people didn't have eggs." Nice one, God, perfect ice breaker. (I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit was with me the whole time; from well-placed tension relief to impeccably timed questions from B.) I say "Well, women have eggs but we don't lay eggs," which inevitably led to me telling her how our eggs are fertilized by sperm to make a baby. B's response to sperm? "What? What's that?" At this moment my face goes hot and my hands get sweaty. I say something like "Well, sperm is what the man has that helps to make the baby."
Now we're in seriously frightening territory.
It's obvious to me at this point that the next step is to tell her about the mechanics of sex. So I started out with the relatively safe point of view of God. Marriage, love, how God designed women specially to carry babies and that's why we have wombs and men don't. I'm just gearing up to tell her about The Deed when she derails me with a question about breasts. So we talk about breasts for a few minutes, and then silence. I'm half relieved and half disappointed that the conversations stops at wombs and breasts, but I only have about 4 seconds to think about it when her little voice comes from the back seat, "Anyway, you were saying?"
I take a deep breath and say "Are you sure you want to hear this now? Because it's going to sound a little strange." B: "Yes." Quick silent prayer and I dive in: Penis. Vagina. Marriage. Love. God's plan for husbands and wives. SEX.
B says "Does it always have to happen like that?"
Me: "Yes. It always happens that way. Holding hands is not sex. Kissing is not sex. Hugging is not sex."
B: "I don't like that word."
So I tell her that it's okay to not like the word or the idea of sex. She's a child, children aren't supposed to like it, but it's good for her to know about it. When she gets married she'll like it. That's God's plan.
Another deep breath. I did it.
Elation sets in (or is that adrenaline?) I did it!
I quickly touched on the damage that sex outside of marriage can have on men, women, and sometimes children. The bond the intimacy of sex creates and how it's only meant to be within a union of marriage. She asks a couple questions. I answer. She gets it. I relax.
Another deep breath and we pull into the garage. At this point it dawns on me that I just drove 16 miles on the freeway and I don't remember any of it. Thankful to be alive I exit the car and make my way over to B's side. She climbs out and asks if she can watch a movie. I say sure. "Give me a big hug. I love you. If you ever have any questions you can ask me anytime."
B: "Even if you're in the shower?"
Me: "Yes."
B: "Even if you're working?"
Me: "Yes."
B: "Even when you're doing the dishes?"
Me: "Holy cow, yes!"
B laughs that adorable little girl laugh and I tell her again, "Seriously, you can ask me anything, anytime. Same with daddy."
B: "Daddy?! He doesn't know anything about that stuff!"
******
A quick side note for you here. While I was putting groceries away it dawned on me that quite possibly the first thing B would do Monday at school would be to spread the word about her new-found "secret". I casually told her that it would be best for her to not share her new information with her friends, but to let their parents tell them in their own time. I told her that it was very important to me that she know the truth about sex so that if one of her friends decided to share some misinformation with her, she would know truth from fabrication. She nodded seriously and said "Yes, mommy." As I left the room wondering if I had just put too grave a stamp on the whole thing, she calls after me, "Wanna watch Mega-Shark with me? They're the largest water-predators in the WORLD!"
*****
Here's what helped me:
Dannah Gresh's book
Prayer for timing
Prayer for the conversation to come about naturally
Know this: you can never be 100% prepared. You'll need lots of deep breaths, patience, and straight talk. Trust me, the straighter your talk, the less embarrassed you'll be!
Also, I'm sure the talk varies from girl to girl. There is quite a bit I didn't tell her. Ejaculation for one. It just didn't even occur to me to tell her about it. Neither did we talk about how the baby grows inside the woman. But now that the door is open, I welcome her questions with an open heart and open mind. I am so full of praise for the channel God helped me to create for her questions from now until she's a young adult.
I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on this subject, but if you have any questions for me I welcome those as well.
So here's my story, and if you're as uncertain and terrified as I was about broaching this conversation with your young daughter, my hope for you is that this brings you comfort and courage.
We're in the car, on the way home from grocery shopping, and B's rummaging through my purse for a pencil. She pulls out a tampon and asks "What is this?" (Now, this isn't the first time she's asked about feminine products. Usually I just dodge the question or put her off by telling her it's for older ladies and she'll learn about it later. But this time, it just felt right.) So I launch into the whole Period Speech. The reproductive cycle, womb, ovaries, shedding of the lining, that sort of thing. At one point she says "I thought people didn't have eggs." Nice one, God, perfect ice breaker. (I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit was with me the whole time; from well-placed tension relief to impeccably timed questions from B.) I say "Well, women have eggs but we don't lay eggs," which inevitably led to me telling her how our eggs are fertilized by sperm to make a baby. B's response to sperm? "What? What's that?" At this moment my face goes hot and my hands get sweaty. I say something like "Well, sperm is what the man has that helps to make the baby."
Now we're in seriously frightening territory.
It's obvious to me at this point that the next step is to tell her about the mechanics of sex. So I started out with the relatively safe point of view of God. Marriage, love, how God designed women specially to carry babies and that's why we have wombs and men don't. I'm just gearing up to tell her about The Deed when she derails me with a question about breasts. So we talk about breasts for a few minutes, and then silence. I'm half relieved and half disappointed that the conversations stops at wombs and breasts, but I only have about 4 seconds to think about it when her little voice comes from the back seat, "Anyway, you were saying?"
I take a deep breath and say "Are you sure you want to hear this now? Because it's going to sound a little strange." B: "Yes." Quick silent prayer and I dive in: Penis. Vagina. Marriage. Love. God's plan for husbands and wives. SEX.
B says "Does it always have to happen like that?"
Me: "Yes. It always happens that way. Holding hands is not sex. Kissing is not sex. Hugging is not sex."
B: "I don't like that word."
So I tell her that it's okay to not like the word or the idea of sex. She's a child, children aren't supposed to like it, but it's good for her to know about it. When she gets married she'll like it. That's God's plan.
Another deep breath. I did it.
Elation sets in (or is that adrenaline?) I did it!
I quickly touched on the damage that sex outside of marriage can have on men, women, and sometimes children. The bond the intimacy of sex creates and how it's only meant to be within a union of marriage. She asks a couple questions. I answer. She gets it. I relax.
Another deep breath and we pull into the garage. At this point it dawns on me that I just drove 16 miles on the freeway and I don't remember any of it. Thankful to be alive I exit the car and make my way over to B's side. She climbs out and asks if she can watch a movie. I say sure. "Give me a big hug. I love you. If you ever have any questions you can ask me anytime."
B: "Even if you're in the shower?"
Me: "Yes."
B: "Even if you're working?"
Me: "Yes."
B: "Even when you're doing the dishes?"
Me: "Holy cow, yes!"
B laughs that adorable little girl laugh and I tell her again, "Seriously, you can ask me anything, anytime. Same with daddy."
B: "Daddy?! He doesn't know anything about that stuff!"
******
A quick side note for you here. While I was putting groceries away it dawned on me that quite possibly the first thing B would do Monday at school would be to spread the word about her new-found "secret". I casually told her that it would be best for her to not share her new information with her friends, but to let their parents tell them in their own time. I told her that it was very important to me that she know the truth about sex so that if one of her friends decided to share some misinformation with her, she would know truth from fabrication. She nodded seriously and said "Yes, mommy." As I left the room wondering if I had just put too grave a stamp on the whole thing, she calls after me, "Wanna watch Mega-Shark with me? They're the largest water-predators in the WORLD!"
*****
Here's what helped me:
Dannah Gresh's book
Prayer for timing
Prayer for the conversation to come about naturally
Know this: you can never be 100% prepared. You'll need lots of deep breaths, patience, and straight talk. Trust me, the straighter your talk, the less embarrassed you'll be!
Also, I'm sure the talk varies from girl to girl. There is quite a bit I didn't tell her. Ejaculation for one. It just didn't even occur to me to tell her about it. Neither did we talk about how the baby grows inside the woman. But now that the door is open, I welcome her questions with an open heart and open mind. I am so full of praise for the channel God helped me to create for her questions from now until she's a young adult.
I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on this subject, but if you have any questions for me I welcome those as well.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Just a story.
Allow me to share a quick story with you. Indulge me, please, it's a bit convoluted and may leave you scratching your head saying "I don't get it." But it punctuates my post about Joy so completely that it would be a shame not to share it.
I take my dog for a walk nightly. My blind and deaf dog. The one that can't see or hear. Remember him? Well last night I must not have buckled his harness correctly because as soon as we stepped outside he slipped his leash and took off down the sidewalk. I couldn't call for him to Stay because he can't hear. I couldn't trust that he'd stop running on his own before he bolted out onto the main street at the end of our block because he can't see. So I started running behind him, knowing there was no possible way I'd catch up. Then I saw a man walking a puppy, coming right toward me. I yelled "He slipped his leash!" and the guy bent down just as Smashy came careening toward him and with one hand, ONE HAND, easily and calmly subdued him and made him sit until I got there. Smashy did make one wild lunge for the man's puppy, but only one, and the man never lost control of him or let him get away. Unless you are the owner of a dog which becomes partially psychotic at the smell of another dog, you may not understand the significance here.
Anyway, I ran up, grabbed my dog by the throat, er, scruff of the neck, thanked the man copiously, and re-leashed my dog. I was walking away thinking about what had just happened; I walk Smashy at the same time every night. I'm very familiar with the neighborhood goings-on. I had never seen this man in my neighborhood, ever before. I had never seen that puppy before (I would know, it was the sweetest, cutest puppy). Just as I was pondering the significance of this "chance" encounter that may or may not have saved me a lot of heartache, I rounded the corner and was immediately heart-slain by the sight of our favorite neighborhood Christmas house.
Allow me to esplain. No, that will take too long. Allow me to sum up. There's a house that at Christmas time is decorated with the sweetest Christmas light display. It has been this way since we moved into the neighborhood 6 years ago. Every year we take walks around the block and marvel at how nice this house looks. This year, no lights. Nothing. So every night as I take my constitutional, I pray for the homeowners of that house. I've been thinking things like 'what if he lost his wife and doesn't feel like decorating this year? what if they experienced some tragedy?' So I pray. We always notice the missing light display because it's a corner house and we see it every single time we enter or exit our neighborhood.
So. I'm pondering the thought that maybe, just maybe, the Lord sent that dog-walker to help me out of a pretty bad jam, when I round the corner and Oh My Goodness All The Lights Are Up At That House. The candles, the train, the moving deer, EVERYTHING. I burst into tears.
And here's the moral of the story (thanks for hanging in there with me): God is faithful in the little things. No, he is faithful in the tiny, minute, miniscule, microscopic things that mean so much to us...that we don't even realize how much they mean until he shows us.
Early that day I had received some scary news about a loved one. I was anxiety-riddled. Then God showed me that he loves me so much by lighting up my night and saving my dog. Two things completely insignificant to the rest of humanity, but meant so much to me that by the time I got home to tell D what had happened I was a blubbering mess. I just kept saying "He's so faithful and I'm so not." God is faithful to me even down to the minutia of my day. What a lesson in love.
I take my dog for a walk nightly. My blind and deaf dog. The one that can't see or hear. Remember him? Well last night I must not have buckled his harness correctly because as soon as we stepped outside he slipped his leash and took off down the sidewalk. I couldn't call for him to Stay because he can't hear. I couldn't trust that he'd stop running on his own before he bolted out onto the main street at the end of our block because he can't see. So I started running behind him, knowing there was no possible way I'd catch up. Then I saw a man walking a puppy, coming right toward me. I yelled "He slipped his leash!" and the guy bent down just as Smashy came careening toward him and with one hand, ONE HAND, easily and calmly subdued him and made him sit until I got there. Smashy did make one wild lunge for the man's puppy, but only one, and the man never lost control of him or let him get away. Unless you are the owner of a dog which becomes partially psychotic at the smell of another dog, you may not understand the significance here.
Anyway, I ran up, grabbed my dog by the throat, er, scruff of the neck, thanked the man copiously, and re-leashed my dog. I was walking away thinking about what had just happened; I walk Smashy at the same time every night. I'm very familiar with the neighborhood goings-on. I had never seen this man in my neighborhood, ever before. I had never seen that puppy before (I would know, it was the sweetest, cutest puppy). Just as I was pondering the significance of this "chance" encounter that may or may not have saved me a lot of heartache, I rounded the corner and was immediately heart-slain by the sight of our favorite neighborhood Christmas house.
Allow me to esplain. No, that will take too long. Allow me to sum up. There's a house that at Christmas time is decorated with the sweetest Christmas light display. It has been this way since we moved into the neighborhood 6 years ago. Every year we take walks around the block and marvel at how nice this house looks. This year, no lights. Nothing. So every night as I take my constitutional, I pray for the homeowners of that house. I've been thinking things like 'what if he lost his wife and doesn't feel like decorating this year? what if they experienced some tragedy?' So I pray. We always notice the missing light display because it's a corner house and we see it every single time we enter or exit our neighborhood.
So. I'm pondering the thought that maybe, just maybe, the Lord sent that dog-walker to help me out of a pretty bad jam, when I round the corner and Oh My Goodness All The Lights Are Up At That House. The candles, the train, the moving deer, EVERYTHING. I burst into tears.
And here's the moral of the story (thanks for hanging in there with me): God is faithful in the little things. No, he is faithful in the tiny, minute, miniscule, microscopic things that mean so much to us...that we don't even realize how much they mean until he shows us.
Early that day I had received some scary news about a loved one. I was anxiety-riddled. Then God showed me that he loves me so much by lighting up my night and saving my dog. Two things completely insignificant to the rest of humanity, but meant so much to me that by the time I got home to tell D what had happened I was a blubbering mess. I just kept saying "He's so faithful and I'm so not." God is faithful to me even down to the minutia of my day. What a lesson in love.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Simply Joy
This was intended to be a quick FB status update but got a little long-winded, so I'm bringing it here for a proper presentation.
Since hearing yesterday's sermon I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about the Joy of the Lord. How to get it, how to know if I have it, how to keep other things in life from robbing me of it. I had to ask myself "Do I have the Joy of the Lord in my every day life? What would it feel like? Would I be able to recognize it?" I will tell you honestly I'd never thought very much about it before. But when I realized that I might be missing out on a wonderful part of God's promise to me I became a little unnerved.
Then today my devotion hit home.
I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
Psalm 119:30
Suddenly I understood: It's choices - the choices we make every day - that determine not only what kind of person we'll be, but whether we allow the Joy of the Lord to be present and foremost in our lives. I intend to start making choices that lead to more Joy. Choices that bring me closer to God instead of pushing him aside. I realize now that yes, Joy is ours for the taking, but first we have to make room for it in our lives. We can't have Joy and bitterness, Joy and lies, Joy and vengeance. It's time to put away those things and focus on God's promises.
I understand that all things come in seasons, and that knowing and practicing these things doesn't guarantee I'll be joyful every day for the rest of my life. But I believe the Lord has shown me that this is my season for Joy. Joy in abundance! And I'm claiming it today.
via Amy Sorrell who has written an incredible blog about Joy as well.
Since hearing yesterday's sermon I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about the Joy of the Lord. How to get it, how to know if I have it, how to keep other things in life from robbing me of it. I had to ask myself "Do I have the Joy of the Lord in my every day life? What would it feel like? Would I be able to recognize it?" I will tell you honestly I'd never thought very much about it before. But when I realized that I might be missing out on a wonderful part of God's promise to me I became a little unnerved.
Then today my devotion hit home.
I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
Psalm 119:30
Suddenly I understood: It's choices - the choices we make every day - that determine not only what kind of person we'll be, but whether we allow the Joy of the Lord to be present and foremost in our lives. I intend to start making choices that lead to more Joy. Choices that bring me closer to God instead of pushing him aside. I realize now that yes, Joy is ours for the taking, but first we have to make room for it in our lives. We can't have Joy and bitterness, Joy and lies, Joy and vengeance. It's time to put away those things and focus on God's promises.
I understand that all things come in seasons, and that knowing and practicing these things doesn't guarantee I'll be joyful every day for the rest of my life. But I believe the Lord has shown me that this is my season for Joy. Joy in abundance! And I'm claiming it today.
via Amy Sorrell who has written an incredible blog about Joy as well.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
"Stop It."
I was immediately impacted by my devotion today. Let it sink in for a minute. It's pretty intense.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled."
John 14:1, NIV
"Do not let your hearts be troubled" is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks, catastrophic circumstances, abrupt accidents, irritating interruptions, devastating dissension, agonizing addiction, frequent failures, all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, "Stop it!"
How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled."
John 14:1, NIV
"Do not let your hearts be troubled" is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks, catastrophic circumstances, abrupt accidents, irritating interruptions, devastating dissension, agonizing addiction, frequent failures, all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, "Stop it!"
How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God.
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