- One flopped baking attempt, and one not quite as planned attempt, but still smiling, and with one edible container of sweet goodness to show for the efforts
- Spending time making Christmas cards and gift tags tonight
- Finishing a very good book (Bent Hope by Tim Huff) that I've been working on for a couple of weeks... more thoughts on it to come...
- Having the house to myself for the vast majority of the day
- sipping a glass of ice wine and lighting three advent candles.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Daily 5 - Day 123
Today's Daily 5:
Sometimes flops (Rejoice)
As I write this, I'm happily eating a bowl of slightly mangled Chinese dumplings for dinner. I've loved these little things for years and every once in a while I'll make a whole meal out of them, and there is a local grocery store that sells bags of them, frozen, just needing to be cooked. My mom has mastered the art of cooking them until they're perfect. Me? Not so much. But hey, they're tasty, even slightly mangled.
The slightly mangled nature of the dumplings is pretty indicative of my cooking and baking attempts today.
I tried two new cookie recipes. One was an unrescueable flop (though very nice smelling), and ended up in the garbage can. The other is quite edible, but definitely not all that pretty to look at.
I think, today, I'm okay with the flops. They amuse me.
They feel indicative of life. You try, you enjoy the process, and well, sometimes you fail a little bit anyway, or maybe it isn't a failure, but it sure doesn't look anything like what you were expecting.
I'm glad I stayed home today, though yesterday I was so longing to attend the house church gathering.
My energy levels, true to form, have fluctuated through the day, and it's been nice to be able to simply retreat to my bedroom in quiet.
I still find myself praying deeply for some things, and that too, is drawing energy.
I was grateful that I was home because it meant that I got to trade a few emails with a very dear friend. Emails that encouraged my heart in the midst of the spaces that it's currently occupying.
In a little while, I'll light the third candle of the advent wreath, and let my heart be again quiet and praying. Tonight's candle is joy, or rejoice. Seems somehow appropriate, even though this has been a day where I have walked again the line between joy and sorrow.
It was a day of minor culinary failures, and yet, the time itself, spent cooking and baking has felt sacramental. A prayer offered. Love taking the form of food (even if I am the only one who will see or eat some of that food.) Amidst those moments, my heart rejoices and gives thanks.
The slightly mangled nature of the dumplings is pretty indicative of my cooking and baking attempts today.
I tried two new cookie recipes. One was an unrescueable flop (though very nice smelling), and ended up in the garbage can. The other is quite edible, but definitely not all that pretty to look at.
I think, today, I'm okay with the flops. They amuse me.
They feel indicative of life. You try, you enjoy the process, and well, sometimes you fail a little bit anyway, or maybe it isn't a failure, but it sure doesn't look anything like what you were expecting.
I'm glad I stayed home today, though yesterday I was so longing to attend the house church gathering.
My energy levels, true to form, have fluctuated through the day, and it's been nice to be able to simply retreat to my bedroom in quiet.
I still find myself praying deeply for some things, and that too, is drawing energy.
I was grateful that I was home because it meant that I got to trade a few emails with a very dear friend. Emails that encouraged my heart in the midst of the spaces that it's currently occupying.
In a little while, I'll light the third candle of the advent wreath, and let my heart be again quiet and praying. Tonight's candle is joy, or rejoice. Seems somehow appropriate, even though this has been a day where I have walked again the line between joy and sorrow.
It was a day of minor culinary failures, and yet, the time itself, spent cooking and baking has felt sacramental. A prayer offered. Love taking the form of food (even if I am the only one who will see or eat some of that food.) Amidst those moments, my heart rejoices and gives thanks.
You know it's cold when...
...Everyone's facebook status starts to discuss nothing but the cold...
Some from various friends that I saw this morning:
Some from various friends that I saw this morning:
ok...-28 today, REALLY!!...no one should inhabit this land...let's give it back and head south...
...is cheering on global warming... (this one had the following comment by another friend, which was also quite amusing to me: "I think I may go idle my car for a while in support of your stand. Stay strong brother.")
...did not realize she had signed up for " -28 C but feels like -42 C". Where do I unsubscribe from this?
Baby it's cold outside...
I was all set to complain loudly about the cold (it's -28 C with a windchill of -33C), until I read Hope's post. She lives in regions even further north, and it sounds like it is WAY worse there.
But seriously, have you heard the term "cradle of civilization"? As I was getting ready to go out into the cold last night I was reflecting on the fact that the birthplace of the human race was in the middle east. Do they have snow or cold there? Not so much. Human beings are just not designed for this kind of weather as far as I'm concerned.
And it won't stop snowing here. Days and days without seeing the sun now. I miss the sun, even though here, in the winter, if the sun is out, it is often colder, because cloud cover holds in some warmth.
Since I'm needing to lay low today (at least until the event on my schedule for tonight) I did one quick errand this morning, and now I'm going to do a bit of baking (and fill my house with yummy smells), find something to eat for lunch, and then spend the afternoon wrapped in a blanket, reading and thinking and praying. With lots of candles lit in my bedroom to warm up the air. And a big mug of rooibos tea.
And if I'm feeling really creative, I'll make a birthday card or two, and several Christmas cards.
Or I might just take a nap.
I mostly slept last night, the last two nights actually, but even the brief trip out this morning has sapped my somewhat limited energy and right now a bit of baking, some lunch, and a nap is sounding pretty good to me.
But seriously, have you heard the term "cradle of civilization"? As I was getting ready to go out into the cold last night I was reflecting on the fact that the birthplace of the human race was in the middle east. Do they have snow or cold there? Not so much. Human beings are just not designed for this kind of weather as far as I'm concerned.
And it won't stop snowing here. Days and days without seeing the sun now. I miss the sun, even though here, in the winter, if the sun is out, it is often colder, because cloud cover holds in some warmth.
Since I'm needing to lay low today (at least until the event on my schedule for tonight) I did one quick errand this morning, and now I'm going to do a bit of baking (and fill my house with yummy smells), find something to eat for lunch, and then spend the afternoon wrapped in a blanket, reading and thinking and praying. With lots of candles lit in my bedroom to warm up the air. And a big mug of rooibos tea.
And if I'm feeling really creative, I'll make a birthday card or two, and several Christmas cards.
Or I might just take a nap.
I mostly slept last night, the last two nights actually, but even the brief trip out this morning has sapped my somewhat limited energy and right now a bit of baking, some lunch, and a nap is sounding pretty good to me.
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