Chipotle

Defined: a pungent red pepper, often pickled and eaten as an appetizer or added to meat stews, sauces, etc.



Restauranted: near my house, often frequented by me on my mom's day out; favorite is the chicken bowl with black beans, rice, and guac, and a beer



Purchased: for cheap at Trader Joe's in a nice little vat - "Garlic Chipotle Salsa"



Disliked: by Kevin, so he doesn't get into my private vat in the refrigerator

Books, again

Really, if I thought it was the least bit interesting, I'd write about books every day. Since it's not - but since today has been dreary anyway --- let's talk about reading.

I finished Born to Run. And in a new move, I passed it on to my father-in-law who likes non-fiction. I'm curious what response that book's quirkiness will bring from this man who is kind of a riddle to me. (Same guy, by the way, who ran my most recent 5K with me.)

Now reading The Virtue Driven Life, by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. for spiritual reasons, and Little Dorrit (by Dickens), for friendship reasons. Only friendship could make me pick up another book by Charles Dickens. I'm less than ten chapters in, and have discovered that if I'm in a focused state I can follow the characters. 859 pages plus footnotes and then an 8-hour PBS miniseries to follow if I so desire. Janelle, my buddy, you're lucky it's getting good. And I'm making NO commitment to the miniseries.

Ventured to the library with Joe today to pick up some reading on the Revolutionary War. I am WAY more excited to read this stuff than Joe is. I know next to nothing about that part of our history, other than the gist. Couldn't resist looking at the sale shelves, and picked up The Great Gatsby (which I've read but don't own) and Sarah Morgan, The Civil War Diary of A Southern Woman. Once I plow through Dickens, the Diary, and the Virtues, I have Home Before Morning sitting on my desk. It's a little recommend from my dad and it's "The True Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam." Somehow I'm all swept up in war history, it appears. From the Revolution to the Civil War to Vietnam.

My reading personality took a hit when my friend #1 tried to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and couldn't get into it. Both friend #1 and friend #2 rejected Pride and Prejudice after just a few chapters (but they still want to watch the movie). Friend #2 is reading and (thankfully) appreciating Roots, and plans to pass it to Friend #1 when she's done. Friend #2 is from Canada and doesn't "get" race issues in the U.S. at all. Roots has made her want to read something from the perspective of, say, a southern plantation owner --- to TRY to get how the heck they perceived/justified slavery. If Sarah Morgan, mentioned above, has a friend out there who kept a PRE-Civil War diary about life on a plantation from the perspective of the rich white owner, THAT'S the book I'm after.

Okay? Enough about books for now? What are you reading?

Pretty Trees and Drum Sets

Ah, life on a Friday morning.

The toilet seat cracked this morning. I'm happy to say it wasn't MY butt that did the damage, it was another family member who shall remain nameless.

As I write, my son and his piano teacher are filling our home with lovely music.

I'm straining to see if I can survive another minute without ordering next year's books for the kids' homeschool.

My mother-in-law comes today. Warrants a prayer with my husband in front of the fireplace before he left for work this morning. And she's only here for an hour and a half. Does this reveal some issues?

My biggest life question: Could God move us to South Carolina or overseas? Or will I live and die in Las Vegas? I wonder every day. Every DAY!!!

Tonight is Stations of the Cross. At OUR HOUSE! We're going to try it out. See, the church has it every Friday during Lent, and then they serve a meatless soup/pasta dinner. But for art, Cayna had to make ALL FOURTEEN STATIONS out of popsicle sticks! Needless to say, Cayna did not do them on her own. I think I developed arthritis cutting out the images of Jesus. Anyway, we have them hanging around the house so we thought we should do it once here. We'll see if any of our friends RSVP and then I have some meatless dinner to make!

The world's prettiest tree is in my backyard. In summer, it is full of shiny green leaves. In Fall, it has the most brilliant reds and browns and oranges. In winter, it gets naked and I have to look at my neighbor's house for a few months, which really isn't a bad thing. Unless they use the bathroom at night with the light on and don't close the blinds. In spring, now, it is covered with white blossoms. When viewed from our upstairs windows first thing in the morning, it is as if it has snowed, which is a very disconcerting picture for a desert resident in March. The world seems out of balance, though magical, for just a second. Then we realize it's not snow - but it is our beautiful tree.

Kevin had his birthday yesterday. Opened Wii "Band Hero", and tried out the guitar, drums, and karaoke. If you were wondering, he sang a song by No Doubt. Drummed to some Janet Jackson, and there were a few minutes of Culture Club at one point. What a world I live in. Happy birthday, Kevin!

"Born by Breakfast"

The birth story of Bethanie Kerala.

Late on March 2nd, the contractions started. Typical. Both my previous labors began soon after bedtime. Once I knew they were for real, I called the midwife. I'd had the thought (expectation?) that this third baby would come so fast I'd have to deliver her myself. I'd even had Karen, my midwife, prep me for an unassisted birth. That remains the most brilliant piece of comedy in Bethanie's birth.

After midnight sometime, I sat in my pajamas watching "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and Karen sat nearby filling out paperwork. Kevin must have been snoozing in the recliner. And taking occasional photos, since I have a shot of me and my belly near the TV.

There was enough textbook progression that Karen predicted the baby would join us by breakfast.

Breakfast came and went. Again, there is a photo of me sitting (on a chux pad) in the recliner eating a bowl of cereal. At 6:00 a.m., I called our long-time friend Barbara, who now happened to also live in Yucaipa. She had earlier agreed to take care of Joe and Cayna while I was in labor. She came over sometime in the next couple hours and settled in like the rest of us.



I got a discount on my homebirth by (happily) agreeing to let some of Karen's students attend the birth. Three of them showed up, and someone went for Starbucks. By that time, I went upstairs to try to get some sleep since baby wasn't interested in the morning arrival.



Lunch came and went and it became a trial to avoid looking at the clock. After my attempt at a nap, I stayed upstairs. Labor was long and slow. As it turned out, Bethanie was turned around the wrong way, so I was having some pretty nasty back labor. Later, the midwife said she actually witnessed baby's head (and therefore body) "corkscrew" before she was born. She labored screwy-louie, but presented just fine.



Moments after her birth (and just before dinner - NOT breakfast!), Barbara brought Joe and Cayna in and they were so enthralled. It was a beautiful time, and I was beyond relieved to have that difficult labor over. Mind you, I am sparing the details of the complicated hour or two preceding the pushing. Fast forward to the weighing of my new baby girl. Eleven pounds, three ounces!



Barbara went out to get Subway sandwiches for everyone for dinner. I sipped grape juice and got a couple shots in the leg to slow some extra bleeding.

And that was five years ago today.



Bethanie is named after the town of Bethany in scripture. Much prettier than, say, Galatia. And in keeping with her sister who is named after Cana in Galilee. I like that Bethany is the town where Jesus' good friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. And where he was anointed. We pray Bethanie will be a good friend of Jesus herself. And that she will worship him extravagantly.

Kerala is one of the states in India where I spent time during my Global Projects trip in 1995. It was beautiful. And I guess you could say it was where I became assured of my calling to go into student ministry. May God lead Bethanie to places where she can hear his voice quite clearly.

I'm honored to be Bethanie's mom. She is a ray of sunshine, has an adorable laugh, and ready hugs. Happy birthday to my Bethanie!

"Smell like a Man, Man."

Q: What is your experience with Old Spice?

A: Well, my high-school boyfriend, Jay, was an avid wearer. And I thought he smelled wonderful. I didn't credit the Old Spice, of course, I thought it was his natural aroma. (How sad and clueless a smitten high school girl can be.) My evidence was that my Uncle Don used the same brand and he certainly didn't smell good like Jay. Years later, my husband-to-be, Kevin, informed me never to buy Old Spice because his first step-dad wore it and he didn't have nice feelings for his first step-dad. Honestly, it's a good thing: I'm sure it wouldn't have been beneficial to conjure up the old boyfriend scent on the new husband.


Q: So why are we bringing this up now?

A: Old Spice has the funniest commercials in the history of the universe. You can view any of them on their website here. Prepare to laugh out loud and a LOT. Particularly the two labeled NEW on the site. We saw both of them on TV last night and I thought I was going to convulse and fall off the couch.

If you simply refuse to follow this link for the mirth of your day, at least relish this funny quote: "We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it."

Sweet Days

Today begins a wild week of sugar.

Tomorrow I am baking muffins for a Cub Scout meeting.

The next day, it's cupcakes for gymnastics class.

After that, Bethanie's chocolate "animal" cake. (Her vision is a cake covered with little plastic animals. I can do that!)

Kevin wants no cake for his birthday, but Snickers, Mike & Ike's, and other candy he hasn't thought of yet. One year he wanted peanut M&Ms, so I filled a bowl and stuck a candle in the middle. I think a candle will hold quite nicely in a Snickers bar.

But all this to say I have a good, solid week of pure sugar ahead.

Pray for my self-control!

MDO

Saturday was my monthly Mom's Day Off. Really, I'm going to have to rent a furnished apartment high above the city so I can go there and relax in the quiet and not be distracted by phones, laundry, or SHOPPING. My goal for MDO is not just to catch up on all the errands I can't do with kids, but lately I'm coming home at the end of my time away with WAY too many shopping bags.

Bag #1 - Running shoes. And, despite my decision to stay with Asics, I ended up buying Mizunos. I love them.

Bag #2 - Birthday goods for Bethanie, who is about to turn 5. Ready or not.

Bag #3 - New running pants from Kohl's. I wore out my favorite 5 year-old running pants and am tired of looking like a giant dork in my other too-short pants. I like the new pair as much as my new Mizunos.

Bag #4 - Pet Smart. Humongous bag of cage filler for the mice. Small supply of food and water treatment for "Blue's Clues", our new fish. Joe's new fish. In memoriam - "Measles" died last week. Joe's mouse. So I suppose it's good he has "Blue's Clues" to take the edge off the grief. Of course, he inherited Blue's Clues because his good friend Gunner from three doors down just moved to South Dakota, so I'm not sure what's going to take the edge off of THAT grief. A new pet bird? A ferret? What? How do you solve these childhood traumas?

Bags #5-7 - Groceries from Trader Joe's. Have you been made aware of how delicious their organic sour cream is? Seriously, it's like heaven. Imagine me in my comfy new shoes and cozy pants slurping sour cream off a spoon in my quiet high-rise apartment that I use once a month.

Anyone wanna go in on that apartment with me?