Musing...

"When we ourselves have gone, even the remembrance of us will not long remain. A few of the near and dear will bear our likeness in their bosoms, til they, too, have arrived at the end of their journey, and entered the dark dwelling of unconsciousness. In the thought of others, we shall live only till the last sound of the bell, which informs them of our departure, has ceased to vibrate in their ears.

A stone, perhaps, may tell some wanderer where we lie, -when we came here, -when we went away; but even that will soon refuse to bear us record. Time's "effacing fingers" will be busy on its surface, and will, at length, wear it smooth. The stone itself will sink, or crumble; and the wanderer of another age will pass, without a single call upon his sympathy, over our unheeded graves...

...Is there no substance among all these shadows? Can no support be offered, -can no source of confidence be named?

Yes!

There is a Being to Whom we can look with perfect conviction of finding that security which nothing about us can give, -nothing can take away. To this Being we can lift up our souls, and on Him we may rest them...

...Here then is the support which will never fail. Here is a foundation which can never be moved, -the everlasting Creator of countless worlds...

...When we have looked on the pleasures of life, and they have vanished away;

when we have looked on the works of Nature, and perceived that they were changing;

on the monuments of Art, and seen that they would not stand;

on our friends, and they have fled while we were gazing;

on ourselves, and felt that we were as fleeting as they, -we can look to the throne of God.

Change and decay have never reached that. The waves of an eternity have been rushing past it, but it has remained unshaken. The waves of another eternity are rushing toward it, but it is fixed, and can never be disturbed.

We shall shortly finish our allotted time on earth, and a world of other days and other men will be entirely ignorant that once we lived. But the same unalterable Being will still preside over the universe, through all its changes, and from His remembrance, we shall never be blotted. He is our Father and our God forever. He takes us from earth that He may lead us to Heaven, -that He may refine our nature from all its principles of corruption, -share with us His own immortality, admit us to His everlasting habitation, and crown us with His eternity."

posted by Lydia

In the Kitchen...

Here's one home ec. student that was feeling a little ambitious yesterday (aka: ready to try a recipe that she couldn't even pronounce).
Chicken Kiev (how do you say that anyway?) was on the menu! Yum. Here's the recipe.

~Chicken Kiev~

~1/4 cup butter, softened

~1 Tb. minced chives

~1 garlic clove, minced

~6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 8 oz. each (but who pays attention to those kinds of details?)

~3/4 cup crushed cornflakes

~2 Tb. minced fresh parsley (mine wasn't fresh. Shhhh!)

~1/2 Tb. paprika

~1/3 cup butter milk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 Tb. white vinegar. I cheat)

Step 1. In small bowl, combine the butter chives, and garlic. Shape into a 3 in. x 2 in. rectangle (but who's measuring?). Cover and freeze until firm. Which I didn't do because I was running REALLY late. Sooo, I interpreted that to mean firm-ish ;).

** just a note: since in state of New York in the month of January, chives happen to be no more then a distant, fond memory of fair weather and green grass....I used green onions instead. Works just as well.

Step 2. Flatten chicken to 1/4 in. thickness. Don't get carried away and try to obliterate them like I did. Just flatten them. Cut the butter mixture lengthwise into six pieces; place one piece in center of each chicken breast half. Fold short sides over butter; fold long sides over and secure with toothpicks.

Step 3. In a shallow dish combine the cornflakes, parsley, and paprika.

Ooooh, pretty isn't it? Give it a good stir, even though that means messing up the pretty color contrast. Place buttermilk in another shallow dish. Dip the chicken into buttermilk, then coat with cornflake mixture.

Step 4. Place chicken seam side down in greased 13 in. x 9 in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks before serving (whoops. Didn't read that until now! Oh well). Serve over rice if desired.

And because I didn't get a picture of the finished product....(sorry about that) here's the picture from the book. Yum. Bon appetit!

posted by Lydia

A "Womanly Dominion"

I heard the following used as an illustration in a sermon a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it here so you could be "wowed" as well! What an beautiful picture of a woman's high calling:

"The mother is the hub of the home, holding all the spokes in place. Without her being at the post, the family spins out of control and falls apart. When her husband hears the predawn alarm clock, she knows he's emotionally emboldened by her tenderly squeezing his arm in appreciation.

From then on, she's the nucleus of the day's family activity.

She needs to nurse feed one, rouse out of bed another, review a spelling list with yet another, change a diaper, prepare a breakfast, pray God's blessing on the day, tie shoes, write out a check for a class trip, pack a lunch, check on progress regarding an upcoming book report, read and comment on a verse from Proverbs, discuss a peer conflict while chauffeuring to school, pick up Dad's suit at the dry cleaners, shop for groceries and household items at the store, sign up for soccer at the Recreational Department, read a story before putting one down for a nap, teach one phonics sounds and letters, make beds and clean up the kitchen, show how to sweep properly, search the internet for good pictures of frogs, deal with a lying problem by spanking, talking, and praying, and prepare lunch.

That's just the morning.

Then in the afternoon, she's called to teach lyrics of a song about a pirate named Patch, take a field trip to the park down the street, talk about sharing apple slices with others, explain to her child why he's not permitted to throw tantrums like the others in the park, catch and analyze a grasshopper's physiological structure and functions, return home for a naptime preceded by a storybook, sit down for personal devotions and prayer, call an appliance repairman about a strange sounding washing machine, drive to school and talk with a teacher about a child's performance in math class, talk about the day on the drive home, purchase a well-fitting pair of soccer cleats, assign and supervise the weeding of the flower garden, give out popsicles to the handful of neighborhood children playing in the yard, prepare dinner, embrace her husband and briefly share mutual experiences of the day, enjoy a nutritional supper and discussion together as a family, sit and listen to her husband lead in family worship, direct the clean-up after dinner, help with math homework, bake a batch of sweet-smelling chocolate chip cookies, wash bodies in the bathtub while singing about a pirate and a Savior, rock a little one in a chair, rub a back in bed while giving advice about an argument that took place during recess, pay bills on the internet, wash, fold, and iron shirts, counsel her husband about a relational conflict at work, and enjoy her husband rubbing her arm in bed.

With this, I've just skimmed the surface of her day. Remove the hub of her tireless labors, and her family flies apart, her husband is a frazzled wreck, and her children are greatly diminished individuals."

~Mark Chanski in "Womanly Dominion"~

posted by Lydia

A Winter's Day

Look familiar? Seems like I was just walking up this street with green grass and crisp leaves on the trees. Amazing how snow changes scenery!

Talking a walk in January in Central NY takes about as much preparation as an outer space expedition. Two pairs of socks, a pair of gloves under the mittens, coat, scarf, hat...and I still wasn't warm!

Flip-flops: making life easier. Summer, I miss you.

I have a strange fascination with taking shadow pictures. That's me, by the way ;). Could you tell? No?

Half way down my street, I had lost all feeling in my nose. Not the best sensation. But what a glorious day!

My usual haunt was a little, umm, snowbound. So I turned my sights (and frozen nose) elsewhere.

A very lonely park. Very photo-genic too...

Ooooh, look....more shadows!

My first attempt at the self-portrait. Whoops! But I thought it was kind of neat in a strange, accidental sort of way....

You know you're a bad photographer when some of your best photos are taken by accident.

THERE we go. These things are harder to take then they look =)

This picture actually has no more significance to it than for the fact it was such a lovely, empty bit of snow. What a perfect place for a snow angel! Sadly, it was too cold to lay in a snow drift that day. So I decided against it. Then again....

Beautiful, isn't it? Almost worth freezing over. Or...not really. At all. Brrr!

My very cold, very snowy self after the temporary lapse into childishness and insanity.

I lingered on this street for awhile, just closing my eyes in the warm sunlight. Warm-ER sunlight. Warm-ISH sunlight. You know what...never mind. It was sunlight.

A clear blue sky. Love it, love it.

Yup, this was priceless. Finding out AFTER you get home why you nearly froze during that last bit of road, and why lying in a snow drift was probably a pneumonia death-wish. As I said (and I repeat), BRRR!

Happy winter, everyone!

posted by Lydia

Of the Curious Effects of Curiosity

So a new year is upon us. What better time to stop, breath, and ponder the simple things in life. Let me encourage you to be curious!

Curiosity. I hear it killed the cat and makes the world go round. And the world IS round. Wow! Do you think about that much? We live on a round ball of mostly water with a few patches of dirt for us to stand on. We are spinning at an incomprehensible speed, all the while revolving around a large ball of gas. Whoops, that was a bunny trail. Sorry about that. What were we talking about? Ah, yes…
Curiosity.

Curiosity is the stuff discovery is made of. It’s also the stuff surrounding parental and babysitter insanity. Ever talked to a 5-year-old? I never realized how mystifying (and infuriating) the simple question “Why?” could be…especially since “Because” is never, ever a plausible answer to a toddler. Ever. A cross of the little arms and the wrinkling of the brow, and once again I find that I have failed to answer to the problems of the universe.

Where does that amazement and wonder over the simple and unexplained go? I just listened to a friend of mine marvel over the mystery of eating. The fact that he is 24 is quite irrelevant, I think =). Putting food into a hole in your face??? Who thinks of these things? What a wise and creative Maker we have.
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” ~Psalm 139:14~

How about sleeping? A temporary unconsciousness that ensures health and functioning ability. It’s true. How bizarre.

The knitting together of a baby within the womb. Every detail is seen to, from the forming of the tiny finger nails, to the amazing eyeball that was enough to put Charles Darwin into a cold sweat. Evolution, my eye (no pun intended).

Every raindrop that falls to earth is its own tiny miracle. Every breath I take in and exhale out is a work of the Lord. God, don’t let me loose my wonder.

Every seed that pokes its tiny sprout out of the dirt is an incomprehensible mystery. Even the ability of my pen to transfer thoughts from my head onto a blank sheet of paper…amazing. God, don’t let me loose my wonder.

Rediscover that curiosity. Slip back into that wonder. Stand for a moment in awe. This spinning ball of mostly water will still be there when you get back.

“I’ve seen days melt into nights
In circles of lights.
I’ve watched a spider spin a star
Between the window box flowers.
Don’t let me loose my wonder,
Don’t let me loose my wonder.” ~Getty~

posted by Lydia