Latte Love

The other day Denis accidentally made a heart for me on my latte. Isn't that sweet? I would like to brag and say that he can make designs on purpose, but he hasn't gotten that advanced in his latte skills yet. This is the second time that he inadvertently made a heart though. The first time, I tried to take a picture, but my old lousy camera couldn't get it in focus.

When I have to work, I go to Starbucks for my coffee, but when we are both home, I get my caffeine fix courtesy of Denis. He had an espresso machine before we were married, but he didn't use it much. Two years ago I bought him an espresso how-to book for Christmas and he put it into practice right away. He is now quite good at getting some nice "crema". And now he is a true coffee snob. When we are traveling and have to resort to a coffee shop, he is generally not too impressed. Me, I don't care so much as long as it has caffeine and I can put some sweet syrup in it.

Scarecrow

This is Denis' new toy. He got one for Christmas and just bought a second one. He anxiously awaited the end of winter so that he could hook them up and start using them. What is it? It is a sprinkler with a motion sensor that turns it on for a 3-second, directed blast of water. It is for discouraging wandering cats from using your garden as a litter box. Denis has been finding the evidence of such activity in our planting beds for quite some time. He has tried a spray repellent that smells like a combination of garlic and cloves to me. It doesn't work very well and has to be reapplied frequently. Also, the odor gets kind of stuck in your nose and you keep smelling it even after you have come indoors.

So now, the scarecrows should do the trick. There is one posted on duty by our little "courtyard" aimed at the common direction of ingress - our driveway. The second one is in the corner of our front yard guarding the most frequently used "relief station", our sweet pea and clematis bed by the front door. Now, Denis waits with baited breath to see a cat coming into range and getting sprayed, but so far, no luck. Just don't tell Pablo.

Just call me "Muscles"

Well, I'm still going to the gym. I average 6 days a week and I'm starting to tell a difference in my fitness level. It takes a lot of time, it seems, though. And it's also a good motivation for me to read my Bible and pray each day. How can I make time for the gym and not make time for God? Unfortunately, some days I do just that. It's also cutting back my TV time, which is a good thing. I have stopped recording some of the shows that were crowding up my recorder and making me feel compelled to watch them.

So, today I have put my new muscles to work. I cleaned the master bathroom, swept and mopped the floors and I'm doing massive laundry - cleaning my bedding, pillows, blankets, and towels. Yet to do on my list today is enter transactions into our financial records and read some more work-related stuff.

How's your Saturday going? Are you working hard? Enjoying some relaxation? or playing with your family or friends?

Did I say spring?

Maybe I bragged about our weather a little too early... It's snowing outside right now - great big flakes that are trying to stick on the ground that is already wet from the rain that we had all day. I'm glad I did my long drive to work today and tomorrow morning, I only have to go across town (15 minute drive). On Wednesdays, I work in Grants Pass which is a 30 minute drive up Interstate 5.

My guess, however, is that this snow will not last long and our daffodils will just continue their upward progress. Denis thinks he spotted a tulip trying to come up as well.



Update: They're still alive and kicking!

Spring is coming in Southern Oregon

It really is! I know that it is hard to believe for my East Coast friends, but here is the proof:

The daffodils are peeking out their little greenery. We planted these bulbs this past fall. It will be fun to see what they look like in our yard.






The sweet peas are trying their best to climb the strings that will lead them to the trellis Denis built for them. Hopefully soon our clematis will wake up and join them.


Other plants that are showing signs of spring growth are all the irises, the day lillies, and the painted daisy. We are so spoiled here in Medford that spring comes really early. I hope these pictures cheer you all up and don't make you too jealous of me... :o)

So, you may be wondering what on earth has kept me so busy that I couldn't find time to blog this week. Hmmm... let me see, what was it? Oh yeah, we went to Eugene, Oregon over the weekend for an ADA walk planning committee thing (I went to that and Denis browsed the REI store.) It was a three hour drive up North on Friday and then we came back on Saturday after the meeting. On Monday, I worked an extra day for one of my coworkers who was on vacation. It turned out to be a nice easy day for me. Yay! Tuesday, I went shopping for groceries to make a fancy Valentine's Day meal and ran out of time in the evening. ( I was going to start preparing some of the dishes that night). So, on Wednesday, I recruited Denis to help me cook. We had a lovely meal and then went to spend some time with a single friend of mine. So, then we just have work Thursday and here we are at today! Any questions?

Super Bowl Sunday

I went to the gym this evening and it was wonderfully devoid of the usual crowd. Just a few of us misfits who didn't care about watching the game... :o) I am recording the game, though, so that Denis and I can watch the commercials. I generally find them more amusing than the game itself. Football's okay, though. I have gone to superbowl parties before and actually watched the game. I just am not motivated to watch it myself if I'm not around others who are excited about it.

Now I have to read the chapter in my book for women's Bible study tomorrow. We finished the book that we were going through before. The new title is Idols Of The Heart, by Elyse Fitzpatrick. She was the speaker at our church women's retreat three years ago. This book is good. It is challenging in a different way than our last book. That one was very studious - it was a survey of the entire Old Testament and it required a lot of reading to really get the most out of it. This book is lighter reading, but requires soul-searching to really apply the truths to your life and get the most out of it. The women involved will be getting to know each other well this year... :o)

Howdy

Hey friends! Sorry that it has been so long since I wrote anything. I can't even claim that I have been very busy. Just didn't have anything astronomical to write about. Life is just going along around here.

I've been going to the gym every day since I started. I figure the best way to develop a habit is to do it each day. I have to go yet tonight, or it will be the first time I break my new good habit.

I went to another scrap-booking workshop and got a few more pages done. I'm almost up to December, 2005 in my pictures, so I still have a ways to go, but I plan to go again next month. I've also recruited my mom to work with me. It would be hard to work on the same book, so my plan is to divide and conquer by having her work on one of the stacks of photos that will all go in a different album.

I haven't even been cooking lately. Oh, I did make rocky road last week. It was really yummy. A recipe that I got from my church choir director when I was in Jr. High. It's easy and I still remember the recipe. Do you want it? Here you go:

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 bag butterscotch chips
• 1 cup peanut butter

Melt those three ingredients together in a bowl (You can do this in a double boiler, but it is easy just to throw it in the microwave. Just don't cook them too long or they'll burn. They will not melt fully until you stir them.)
Meanwhile, butter a baking dish (something you would cook brownies in) and sprinkle peanuts and mini marshmallows in the bottom. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over and cool.

Voila! Trust me, they're delicious.

Bebo Norman

Denis and I went to a concert last night. Bebo was playing at a local church in a concert that benefited the youth group missions trips to Africa. It was a great concert. It was just Bebo and two of his friends (one from the Gold Coast of Australia) and they played an acoustic set. It was all pretty informal with quite a bit of joking around. But great music and thought-provoking music. Towards the end of the evening, he was more serious as he talked about what God has been teaching him about the internal ache that we all have from time to time. It is an ache for God's presence, which cannot be fully satisfied by any other thing in this life. Here are the words to one of my favorite Bebo Norman songs. It is from his album Ten Thousand Days.

Walk Down This Mountain

It's a better place standing high upon this mountain
I've seen your face full of the light that only this height can show
A blistered hand is what you've given
But you've been given all you'll ever need to know.

So walk down this mountain with your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your Maker
And with this love that's gone before you and these people at your side
if you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life.

It's a common ground and I see we're all still standing
Just look around and you'll find the very face of God
He's walking down into the distance
He's walking down to where the masses are

So walk down this mountain with your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your Maker
And with this love that's gone before you and these people at your side
if you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life.

We're standing in a place of peace
But this is how the world should be

A little of this, a little of that.

I bought some new cheeses to taste last week. I am always fascinated by the selection of cheeses in the specialty foods section of the grocery, but never sure what I will like. This time I bought three for experimentation:

1. Vlaskaas aged gouda - tangy yet smooth
2. Iberico (from spain) - kind of an "american" taste
3. raw milk aged cheddar - very sharp and crumbly texture.

What are some of your favorite snacking cheeses and how would you describe the flavor?

I went to a scrapbooking workshop on Friday night and got a lot done on my current scrapbook. I'm trying to think of friends who would like to go to parties with me. If I go consistently, I can get a lot done that I have been wanting to for a long time.

I cleaned out my car this evening. Woo hoot! This is a huge accomplishment for me... The inspiration was the possibility that a friend may call me to help with driving her son around Monday or Tuesday because her husband is having surgery.

Workout

My blogging friend Nixter inspired me to dig out my old gym membership card and head on down there to see if it is still active. I haven't been for at least a year, but I originally got a good deal by paying for 3 years' membership in advance. Well, it was still good, so I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill and did some crunches on the ab machine. There is a class tomorrow morning at 9:15 that I plan to check out. I have been pretty consistent with attending an exercise class in the past, so maybe that will work again...