Vacations and re entry

I, for some reason, always have a hard time re-acclimating myself to day to day life when returning from visits. It takes me a good week of recovery. I'm thankful that my job isn't so demanding that it's difficult to take that kind of time. I often think about that story of the African tribes people that stopped on the side of the road so that their souls could catch up with them. That's me.

I also think that part of my soul is still in Hawaii. It got lodged there the first time we went six years ago. I left more of it there with this recent trip.

Probably sitting on some lani on the big island wondering when I will come back and join myself together.

Life does go on here in the present, even with a broken soul. And as proof to that we have added a new member to our family.

Meet Pumpkin. We got her from the Humane Society, unlike our kitty, Tinkerbell, who was at the shelter for three months, this little girl was only there for a week and a half. There haven't been any fights yet, but also no loving either. Tinkerbell, is showing general disdain for me, the one that she generally loves on. I have to remind myself that even though I gave up something good, I may be getting something even better in return. That's always hard to remember.

I need to keep that in mind about Hawaii, too. As good as Hawaii was in those moments, close to those that I love, in a location that was a delight for all the senses, I have something even greater in store in this moment in this place. God is good and has far better plans than I do any given day of the week.

So I'm off to explore my own life for the greatness of God. See where He is and go join him for the best adventure yet!

Comments

Hospitality for the Rest of Us: Long Distance

People are moving more and more. When I was a youngster, it was a rare instance for a friend to move away. Now it's me that moves away. We've moved a lot, especially when we first got married. It was something like five addresses and three states in the first four years of our marriage. We've slowed down a bit. In the midst of all that moving, we've made some friends along the way. I try to keep an open line in case of times of grief and celebration. One of the best tools I've found for keeping in touch with loved ones far away is Facebook. As much time as I could spend doing other things instead of checking it, it's the best thing I've found. It allows me to communicate with others, without having to call. I know calling is amazing, hearing people's voices, but for introverts, there are no body language clues for us to pick up on that help make our conversations easier. It's also why we prefer to video chat :-) Back to Facebook, some etiquette.

Stories from the Kitchen: Taste and See

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. It was wonderful and the leftovers left me with a question or two. Find out what they are and how I'm currently answering them in this week's podcast. Stories from the Kitchen Season 2, Episode 2: Taste and See Notes from the episode: Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg Dad’s New York Cheesecake (from the back of a Philidelphia Cream Cheese package) 1 ⅞ cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ to ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar, divided 2 lbs cream cheese (4 packs) 2 large eggs (lightly beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 450F Mix well graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and enough butter that the mixture holds together. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the freezer while preparing the filling. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just blended. S

Threadbare Knees

I feel sure that you've heard the saying "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well, recently I picked up a pair of wool cashmere blend slacks from Salvation Army and upon further inspection at home, the knees were threadbare, practically holes. Easy enough to miss, when your knees don't fall in the same spot as the previous owner. They were inexpensive, so it wasn't a big monetary loss, but I felt like it would be a shame to toss such nice fabric and so I searched the internet to see what I could do. I found this cute little purse pattern, for free! You can go check it out by clicking here . It is a great little pattern and I was able to make the entire purse in one rainy day! Here are some pictures of my threadbare knees purse. Don't you just love those little pleats? And there's even a little pocket inside. I'm so impressed with myself! Time to fill it up with my keys and such non-sense! And remember, when life gives you th

Tina The Storyteller

Search This Blog