hurray!
due to the accumulating ice and soon-to-be snow (?), OBU has just closed their offices until January 3rd! :) i'm thrilled to have the rest of today off--not to mention tomorrow!!! :) hopefully we'll be able to leave for kingwood with no problems tomorrow...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
may our precious Lord richly bless you and your families as you celebrate His incarnation.
B.Y.O.S.
last night we slept in the basement for the first time. (we’re house-sitting.)
minus my bad sleep due to thinking i was swallowing spiders all night (thanks, cade), the experience wasn’t all that bad, really. (seriously, i’m not kidding—because of the curse of cade [j/k, crs] and the huge spider i saw on the pillow when i was changing the sheets, i was afraid spiders were crawling into my mouth all night long. at one point i even woke up and said, okay, just close your mouth—but then i was afraid they were crawling into my nose. i know—PSYCHO.)
even though the malcolms didn’t say “B.Y.O.S.,” we did in fact bring our own sheets, and i’m so glad we did. (i believe cats and spiders had been sleeping in the ones on the bed for some time.) the king-sized was a dream, as we usually toss and turn on our full at home. and a new set of freshly downy-washed flannel sheets to boot. (thinkin of you, jem, as none other than hb himself is a few feet away in the next office.)
i really think we WILL enjoy our time down in the basement. the scary part is just getting there. (i.e. operation move and mega-store) more on o.m.m. later.
on a side note, in four mornings, we will wake up to Christmas. it’s my favourite holiday of the year, by far, and i can hardly wait for its coming!
Movin' On Up To The East Side
actually, it would be more like "movin' on DOWN to the southwest side."
we’re moving into a basement.
we’re moving out of our lovely, warm three-bedroom home with a fenced-in backyard (complete with a plum tree) and into the less-than-private, concrete-floored, exposed-ceiling basement of a sweet, older couple that doug works with and knows.
i am humbled and amazed at God’s provision, but sad. and overwhelmed. and sad. i love my home. even though we rent, it’s been HOME for me for the past three years—the past 2 ½ years for doug and me together. i know, i know—some people have lived in their homes for decades and are forced to move. that’s sad, too—really, it is. but i haven’t ever experienced that, so i can only relay the feelings i’m having about this situation right now. and they’re definitely not the greatest feelings i’ve ever had. yes, i realize how incredibly ungrateful and selfish and western i sound. (as well as sounding like a whining toddler.) i know that this basement we’re moving into would be a palace for millions whom have never known a warm home. plus, although i don’t sound thankful, i am, and i can’t get over the generosity of these two that i literally do not even know; they’re offering their home (kitchen and laundry room use, too) for practically nothing in return for i suppose as long as we need to stay (two years). how can i complain about anything? (i suppose because i’m too damn selfish and self-centered and western.)
i’m kind of proud of myself for this post (if i actually go through with publishing it)—i attempted to write transparently, not to try to sugar-coat everything or try to make every word perfect and pretend i’m anywhere close to being as good a writer as some of my peers. i can’t compete. (i do want to be transparent. i sincerely just wish i were “comfortable in my own skin,” as the saying goes, but i suppose i’m just not. i always worry what other people will think—why do i care so much? perhaps some of it goes back to my childhood and the horrible names i was called like mac truck or, the worst, medusa. but that’s for another post.)
anyway
the other day i was really encouraged by my dear friend with these words, “i know how sad you really are (even though you tried to make the message sound positive), but i really do think this is an answer to prayer. it is so great that you will be able to just ‘help with the utilities’ and save everything else! your day to make another home will come...just not right now.” and then again this morning by her older sister, “I’ve been meaning to congratulate you on your decision and opportunity to move in with some friends. I know it’s tough to leave behind your first home with Doug, but that’s such an exciting opportunity to have to pay off some debt and save for the future. That’s such a mature decision and you’ve gotta be proud of making that one. Besides, it might be really fun.”
thanks, God.
thanks, Malcolms.
thanks, McClains.
p.s. speaking of sugar-coating, here's a recipe for some incredible treats:
SUGAR NUTS
4 ½ c. nuts
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
½ t. cinnamon
Combine all the ingredients in a Teflon skillet and cook on medium heat. Stir occasionally. The more the mixture thickens, the more you need to stir. Cook until the sugar crystallizes on the nuts and pour out on wax paper to cool. These can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of weeks it you need to. (They probably won't last that long because they're SO GOOD.) You can use pecans or almonds...or both?
Thanks, Betty Crocker!
Easy Brownie Torte
(I made this for our office Christmas party tonight!)
Double your chocolate pleasure with two layers of brownies frosted and topped with candies.
1 package Betty Crocker® chocolate chunk or triple chocolate chunk brownie mix
Water, oil and eggs called for on brownie mix package
1 tub Betty Crocker® Pour & Frost™ chocolate frosting
1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil so foil extends about 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.
2. Make brownies as directed on package for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from pan by lifting foil; peel foil away. Cut brownie in half lengthwise; place one half on serving plate.
3. Microwave frosting as directed on tub; pour half of frosting over half of brownie on plate. Place other half of brownie on top; pour remaining frosting on top. Sprinkle with candies. Refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Store loosely covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft)Follow High Altitude package directions.
1 Serving: Calories 730(Calories from Fat 330); Total Fat 37g (Saturated Fat 12g; Trans Fat 4g); Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 400mg; Total Carbohydrate 95g (Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 72g); Protein 5g% Daily Value: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 25%Diet Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Lean Meat; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Medium-Fat Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 7 FatCarbohydrate Choices: Carbohydrate Choice 6
my oldest sister
i just spent almost a full hour pouring my heart out and then clicked "publish post" and lost EVERYTHING. suppose none of what i said should go out into cyberspace. at least not today. this has happened to me in the past; WHY did i not think to write everything first in Word, as i usually do?!?!? :(
anyway, here is a picture of my oldest sister, Michelle Wilson. the little tyke is her first cousin, believe it or not--Michelle is older than one of her aunts!
