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Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday snippets...
I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning with my feet up, snug in my warm house in this, for south Texas, very cold winter. Difficulty with my leg has kept me in and away from church this morning and I'm missing it, but thankful for a comfy place to sit and for shelter from the cold wind. I've used the time to get started on the week's memory work (see left sidebar) since this is an 8-verse week. I love being in the house of God to worship with His people, but His word speaks to me whenever and wherever I'm listening. That's a good thing.It's my first son-in-law's birthday today, and we're celebrating with a steak and baked potato dinner this evening, just before his beloved Steelers meet the Jets for the AFC championship. Sure hope his birthday ends well for him...Happy birthday, Dirk! May it be a fabulous decade ;-)
In less than two weeks, Nathan will graduate from Air Force basic training. We're all looking forward to celebrating with him the weekend of Feb. 4-6 before he flies off to the next phase of his training at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. He's had a lot of ups and downs and is very anxious to have this part behind him.
Isn't it interesting that most of the buzz about Tuesday night's State of the Union speech has more to do with who will be sitting next to whom than about the real state of the union. I'm wondering if they'll figure out some way to clap using one hand from a Dem and one from a GOP'er. Now THAT would be union. Or not.
Did you get your copy of One Thousand Gifts this week? Wow. What a God we serve.
I'm taking a trip this week! I'm going to head up to Fort Worth on Thursday, spend a night with the Slaughter elves and see my brothers, and then on up to visit sweet CJ at her new Oklahoma home that I haven't ever seen yet! Capping that off, she and I will have lunch with a blog friend in OKC before I head home on Monday. I can hardly wait. I'm not usually an early packer, but I think I'll start right now!
Firewood is my friend. A very good friend.
I complained so much about my Dell printer for so long that I thought I should tell you that after more than a year with my Canon, I still LOVE it. Get one. However, always looking to the horizon, I'm eagerly awaiting the availability of this. You can see it in action here. Incredible.
My cello playing is coming along nicely. I think I'm going to look for a teacher :-)
Throwback to the past: this week I ordered some Avon Skin-So-Soft. My grandmother would be proud. Her Avon lady was her BFF.
Hope it's a great week for you. I'll see you when I get back from Oklahoma!
Labels: Books, Family, goo, Good Stuff, Memories, Music, Political Observation, Technology
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday snippets, Christmas edition
Well, here we are at Christmas week. The last Sunday of Advent, and a beautiful one it was in the Lord's house. Praise Him for beautiful music, meaningful communion, sweet baptism, the Word preached powerfully, and the loving family of God worshiping together...Nathan has now been in AF Basic Training for two full weeks. We miss him but are so proud of his commitment and his willingness to serve our country in this way while he finishes his education. We've talked to him twice, but only briefly, and not enough to get many details about his days. We're hoping to get some mail this week and/or another phone call. If you'd like to write to him, his address is:
AB Warren, Nathan J.
320 TRS / Flt 129 (Dorm A-4)
1320 Truemper St. Unit 364028
Lackland AFB TX 78236-6430
320 TRS / Flt 129 (Dorm A-4)
1320 Truemper St. Unit 364028
Lackland AFB TX 78236-6430
And speaking of the military, this week we have seen our country give its stamp of approval to the continuing degradation of our culture by the repeal of the already pathetically weak laws on allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the armed services. We took the kids out to eat today after church and had quite a vigorous discussion on the rationale and inevitable consequences of the repeal...a good chance to share our views and hear them out on where they are in the midst of a culture and social structure that are obviously changing.
I'm SO behind on Christmas tasks. And while I don't like that, at least I've had lots of time to dwell on Advent themes and follow Mary's example of "pondering in her heart" all that the incarnation of the Redeemer means in the story God has written...
I love my UPS man.
Why do I watch "Chopped"? I hate that show.
This week, a good friend loaned me her cello. She's going to be out of town for two or three months and wanted me to pick it up and see if I can recover some of my early skills so that perhaps I could join the lovely group of strings already contributing to our worship services. That remains to be seen, but just the sight of the instrument has taken me back in time over forty years to my first attempts to play and to the wonderful man who inspired me. I'd love to be able to regain some level of competence, but just the memories nourish my soul. Thank you, Julie.
Another friend loaned me some CDs with messages by R.C. Sproul on finding joy in suffering. She's been through a special brand of suffering in the past few years, and she knows that I've also experienced quite a bit and wanted to share some of Sproul's preaching in 1 Peter with me. It's priceless. Thank you, Robyn.
Every year I watch "Christmas in Washington", currently aired on TNT. What a disappointment this year, despite its gorgeous venue. One big political agenda set to really, REALLY bad music. On the other hand, this year's CMA Country Christmas on ABC (Nov. 29) was a pure delight!Is it too much to hope for an Alaskan cruise within the next 18 months?
It felt really weird to go out to a buffet today and look for a table for six. Some people probably looked at us and thought, "Wow, big family."
We're putting off our annual Cookie Day until after Christmas when the Slaughters and Longenbaughs will be with us. Something about a house with four teens/twenty-somethings makes it not as much fun...so we'll wait for elves to join us :-)
From this morning's worship:
Leaving riches without number
Born within a cattle stall
This the everlasting wonder
Christ was born the Lord of all
~"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus"
Charles Wesley, 1745
Merry Christmas to all of you dear ones...Maranatha...Come, Lord Jesus!
Labels: Devotional, Family, Holidays, Memories, Music, Social Observation, TV
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Every year or two, nostalgia for our years in Hawaii overtakes us and we close our eyes and pretend. Tonight was one of those occasions...I made our favorite Curried Chicken Salad served in half a papaya, accompanied by croissants and spears of pineapple and mango. Weather in the mid-80s and breezy made it the perfect evening to eat on the deck, listening to
the strains of Keali'i Reichel and sipping our iced tea long after the food was gone. Oh, how we wish that a trip to the islands was as inexpensive as papaya...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Ha! I thought it would be easy to come back and write a nice summary of our week in Tennessee and post a few pics and let you see what the vacation was like.
Alas, it's not as easy as it sounds. For truly, this was perhaps the vacation of a lifetime, and at least the most memorable since 17 of us gathered in Hawaii in 2000. There are almost no words for how wonderful it was or how blessed we are, but I'm going to try to give you a taste of the week.
First, The Papa really hit the jackpot when he found the place we stayed. It was a rustic stand-alone house in the woods with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a great kitchen, two living areas, a hot tub, a balcony overlooking the woods, a large front porch with rockers, a HUGE TV on which to watch wall-to-wall Olympics, and plenty of places for everyone to sit. I wish we could take that house with us everywhere we vacation, because although there are other geographic settings I'd enjoy, that house suited our group perfectly.
Second, the week was a lovely mixture of activity and rest, chaos and quiet, laughter and tears, serious discussion and silliness. More than anything, it was a time to drink in the joy of being together with those we love, some of whom we don't get to see nearly as often as we'd like. And there were constant reminders of God's goodness and faithfulness to all of us as He has pieced us together in this colorful crazy-quilt we call family.
Third, pictures. And pictures. And more pictures. And pictures of people taking pictures. Let me say right now that I don't intend to compete with my daughters in this area...if you're up for OD'ing on great vacation photos, see their sites and their Facebooks. We figure that collectively we took close to 2000 pictures during the week, and mine are only a sliver. And mine certainly aren't as artistic as some of theirs. But I had fun catching some of the "back" moments and trying for a lot of the ordinary parts of our days.
For example...
We did nails...
We worked a lot of puzzles, most of which were actually finished...
Some of us napped...
We doctored poison ivy...
We had a Webkinz convention...
We did makeup...
Liam whisked something in a bowl...
Judah put away pounds of sweet potatoes...
See? We finished puzzles...
Aubrey and I worked on co-op and school plans...
And yes, folks, the Warrens don't even go on vacation without making homemade bread. Kristen made a batch on our first full day there, and CJ jumped in when it was gone and made more. YUM... (please ignore the liquid ingredients in the background...we also had Margaritas after the little ones went down ;-) )
We did floor puzzles...
We visited while we ate...
And we took occasional breaks from working puzzles to eat...only short breaks.
Stay tuned, I'm starting a new post.
Alas, it's not as easy as it sounds. For truly, this was perhaps the vacation of a lifetime, and at least the most memorable since 17 of us gathered in Hawaii in 2000. There are almost no words for how wonderful it was or how blessed we are, but I'm going to try to give you a taste of the week.
First, The Papa really hit the jackpot when he found the place we stayed. It was a rustic stand-alone house in the woods with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a great kitchen, two living areas, a hot tub, a balcony overlooking the woods, a large front porch with rockers, a HUGE TV on which to watch wall-to-wall Olympics, and plenty of places for everyone to sit. I wish we could take that house with us everywhere we vacation, because although there are other geographic settings I'd enjoy, that house suited our group perfectly.
Second, the week was a lovely mixture of activity and rest, chaos and quiet, laughter and tears, serious discussion and silliness. More than anything, it was a time to drink in the joy of being together with those we love, some of whom we don't get to see nearly as often as we'd like. And there were constant reminders of God's goodness and faithfulness to all of us as He has pieced us together in this colorful crazy-quilt we call family.
Third, pictures. And pictures. And more pictures. And pictures of people taking pictures. Let me say right now that I don't intend to compete with my daughters in this area...if you're up for OD'ing on great vacation photos, see their sites and their Facebooks. We figure that collectively we took close to 2000 pictures during the week, and mine are only a sliver. And mine certainly aren't as artistic as some of theirs. But I had fun catching some of the "back" moments and trying for a lot of the ordinary parts of our days.
For example...
We did nails...
We worked a lot of puzzles, most of which were actually finished...
Some of us napped...
We doctored poison ivy...
We had a Webkinz convention...
We did makeup...
Liam whisked something in a bowl...
Judah put away pounds of sweet potatoes...
See? We finished puzzles...
Aubrey and I worked on co-op and school plans...
And yes, folks, the Warrens don't even go on vacation without making homemade bread. Kristen made a batch on our first full day there, and CJ jumped in when it was gone and made more. YUM... (please ignore the liquid ingredients in the background...we also had Margaritas after the little ones went down ;-) )
We did floor puzzles...
We visited while we ate...
And we took occasional breaks from working puzzles to eat...only short breaks.
Stay tuned, I'm starting a new post.
There was a whole lot of Speed-Scrabble-in-Training goin' on!
Always, in the background, wall-to-wall Olympics...
Sam, middle left, wants you to know we're celebrating his FOURTH birthday!
Several are taking pictures of the Sam4/KristenXX birthday party...
And some of us are enjoying it more than others...
And some of us enjoy things so much that we have to stop for a breathing treatment, even on vacation...
And then there was horseback riding. Here's #1 Grandson...
Could there be a prettier setting?
Tim...
John Caleb...
Bethany...
Always, in the background, wall-to-wall Olympics...
Sam, middle left, wants you to know we're celebrating his FOURTH birthday!
Several are taking pictures of the Sam4/KristenXX birthday party...
And some of us are enjoying it more than others...
And some of us enjoy things so much that we have to stop for a breathing treatment, even on vacation...
And then there was horseback riding. Here's #1 Grandson...
Could there be a prettier setting?
Tim...
John Caleb...
Bethany...
After horseback riding, a LOOOONG hike...
Stopping for pictures...
Despite the warnings...
We braved on...
and on...
Always at the end of the day, a great "home" cooked meal. Here, a family favorite that not everyone appreciates, Tuna-Stuffed Potatoes. This is a recipe I found back in the 70's and I'm not sure there's a single member of our tribe who doesn't love these. As a matter of fact, there were people in the kitchen casting lots for a quarter share of the last potato!
Then, BETWEEN meals, there was Sonic. Someone made a Sonic run every day, taking orders and collecting money for milkshakes, cherry limeades, etc. etc.
And now. Indulge me while I treat you to my lovely family...
CJ and Annie...
My six silly daughters...
Our little nuclear family...
Six of the seven men in my life...
Four of the grandkids, not as dangerous as it looks...
Granny and Papa with ALL the grandkids...
And of course, the obligatory SillyPic...(this is how we get them to stand still for the others!)
Stopping for pictures...
Despite the warnings...
We braved on...
and on...
Always at the end of the day, a great "home" cooked meal. Here, a family favorite that not everyone appreciates, Tuna-Stuffed Potatoes. This is a recipe I found back in the 70's and I'm not sure there's a single member of our tribe who doesn't love these. As a matter of fact, there were people in the kitchen casting lots for a quarter share of the last potato!
Then, BETWEEN meals, there was Sonic. Someone made a Sonic run every day, taking orders and collecting money for milkshakes, cherry limeades, etc. etc.
And now. Indulge me while I treat you to my lovely family...
CJ and Annie...
My six silly daughters...
Our little nuclear family...
Six of the seven men in my life...
Four of the grandkids, not as dangerous as it looks...
Granny and Papa with ALL the grandkids...
And of course, the obligatory SillyPic...(this is how we get them to stand still for the others!)
Two of the big events of the week were the Family Talent Show, which The Papa MC'd from his chair...
Jonathan and Beth played a piano duet...
The Russells treated us to a Weird Al Yancovik number...
Nathan shared an original guitar composition...
The Slaughters, assisted by Erin Welty, sang "The Circle Won't Be Broken"....
And DOLLYWOOD!
I've now had about as much fun with Blogger downloading as I can stand. Hope you've enjoyed your look at our week with the families of....
In accordance with the prophecy, the days went by too fast and are now a blur...but never were there happier memories. Goodbye, WarRusSlaWel Convocation 2008. We will be forever grateful...
Jonathan and Beth played a piano duet...
The Russells treated us to a Weird Al Yancovik number...
Nathan shared an original guitar composition...
The Slaughters, assisted by Erin Welty, sang "The Circle Won't Be Broken"....
And DOLLYWOOD!
I've now had about as much fun with Blogger downloading as I can stand. Hope you've enjoyed your look at our week with the families of....
In accordance with the prophecy, the days went by too fast and are now a blur...but never were there happier memories. Goodbye, WarRusSlaWel Convocation 2008. We will be forever grateful...